And he gave it, as he spoke, a wrench that made me cry out.

2. 'Sir,' said I, 'it is for yourself I mean. The captain is not what he used to be. He sits with a drawn cutlass. Another gentleman — — '

Come, now, march,' interrupted he; and I never heard a voice so cruel, and cold, and ugly as that blind man's. It cowed me more than the pain; and I began to obey him at once, walking straight in at the door and towards the parlour, where our sick old buccaneer was sitting, dazed with rum. The blind man clung close to me, holding me in one iron fist, and leaning almost more of his weight on me than I could carry.

4. 'Lead me straight up to him, and when I'm in view, cry out, "Here's a friend for you, Bill." If you don't, I'll do this;'

 

1. And with that he gave me a twitch (и при этом он /так/ дернул /руку/; twitch — рывок, дерганье) that I thought would have made me faint (что я подумал, /это/ заставит меня потерять сознание). Between this and that (между этим и тем = при этом), I was so utterly terrified of the blind beggar (я был так крайне = до смерти напуган слепым нищим) that I forgot my terror of the captain (что забыл свой страх перед капитаном), and as I opened the parlour door (и открыв дверь зала), cried out the words he had ordered in a trembling voice (выкрикнул слова, /которые/ он приказал, дрожащим голосом).

2. The poor captain raised his eyes (бедный капитан поднял глаза), and at one look the rum went out of him (и вмиг: «с одного взгляда» ром покинул его; to go out — выйти, кончиться, испортиться), and left him staring sober (и оставил его глазеющим трезво). The expression of his face was not so much of terror as of mortal sickness (выражение его лица было = на лице отразился не страх, а скорее смертельная болезнь = мука). He made a movement to rise (он сделал движение, чтобы подняться), but I do not believe he had enough force left in his body (но я не верю = видимо, у него не было достаточно сил, оставшихся в теле).

3. 'Now, Bill, sit where you are (нет, Билл, сиди где сидишь),' said the beggar (сказал нищий). 'If I can't see, I can hear a finger stirring (если я не могу видеть = хоть я и не вижу, /зато/ могу слышать, /даже когда/ шевельнешь пальцем; finger — палец; to stir — шевелить(ся); двигать(ся)). Business is business (дело есть дело). Hold out your left hand (протяни свою левую руку). Boy, take his left hand by the wrist (мальчик, возьми его левую руку за запястье), and bring it near to my right (и поднеси к моей правой).'

 

faint [feInt] utterly [`AtqlI] beggar [`begq] force [fLs] stirring [`stq:rIN] wrist [rIst]

 

And with that he gave me a twitch that I thought would have made me faint. Between this and that, I was so utterly terrified of the blind beggar that I forgot my terror of the captain, and as I opened the parlour door, cried out the words he had ordered in a trembling voice.

The poor captain raised his eyes, and at one look the rum went out of him, and left him staring sober. The expression of his face was not so much of terror as of mortal sickness. He made a movement to rise, but I do not believe he had enough force left in his body.

3. 'Now, Bill, sit where you are,' said the beggar. 'If I can't see, I can hear a finger stirring. Business is business. Hold out your left hand. Boy, take his left hand by the wrist, and bring it near to my right.'

 

1. We both obeyed him to the letter (мы оба подчинились ему в точности: «до буквы»), and I saw him pass something from the hollow of the hand (и я видел, как он передавал что-то из впадины своей руки = ладони) that held his stick into the palm of the captain's (которая держала палку, в ладонь капитана), which closed upon it instantly (которая сжала это /полученное/ сразу же: «закрылась на этом мгновенно»).

2. 'And now that's done (теперь это /дело/ сделано),' said the blind man (сказал слепой); and at the words he suddenly left hold of me (при этих словах он внезапно отпустил меня), and, with incredible accuracy and nimbleness (и, с невероятной точностью и проворством; accuracy — правильность, тщательность, верность), skipped out of the parlour and into the road (выскочил из зала на дорогу; to skip — прыгать, убегать, пропускать), where, as I still stood motionless (где, так как я все еще стоял неподвижно), I could hear his stick go tap-tap-tapping into the distance (я мог слышать, как его палка постукивала вдали; to tap — стучать, хлопать, барабанить).

3. It was some time before either I or the captain seemed to gather our senses (прошло некоторое время, прежде чем я или капитан, казалось, очнулись; to gather — собирать/ся/, набирать, накопить; sense — чувство, сознание, рассудок); but at length, and about at the same moment (наконец, почти одновременно: «в один и тот же миг»), I released his wrist (я отпустил его запястье), which I was still holding (которое я все еще держал), and he drew in his hand and looked sharply into the palm (а он потянул к себе руку и посмотрел внимательно в ладонь).

 

оbeyed [qu`beId] hollow [`hOlqu] incredible [In`kredqbl] accuracy [`xkjurqsI] palm [pRm]