At that I once more stopped.

Who are you?' I asked.

4. 'Ben Gunn,' he answered, and his voice sounded hoarse and awkward, like a rusty lock. 'I'm poor Ben Gunn, I am; and I haven't spoke with a Christian these three years.'

 

1. I could now see that he was a white man like myself (я мог теперь видеть, что он был белым человеком, как я сам), and that his features were even pleasing (и что черты его лица были, пожалуй, приятными). His skin, wherever it was exposed, was burnt by the sun (его кожа, всюду, где была открыта, была спалена солнцем; to burn — гореть, жечь, выжигать); even his lips were black (даже губы его были черными); and his fair eyes looked quite startling in so dark a face (его светлые глаза выглядели совершенно удивительно на таком темном лице). Of all the beggar-men that I had seen or fancied (из всех нищих, что я видел или представлял себе), he was the chief for raggedness (он был самым оборванным: «главным в рваности»; rag — лоскут, тряпка; лохмотья, тряпье; ragged — оборванный, одетый в лохмотья). He was clothed with tatters of old ship's canvas and old sea cloth (он был одет в лохмотья старой парусины и старую морскую ткань = матросскую робу); and this extraordinary patchwork was all held together by a system of the most various and incongruous fastenings (и /это/ его необычайное лоскутное одеяло скреплялось = куски его «одежды» скреплялись вместе /целой/ системой самых различных и нелепых застежек), brass buttons, bits of stick, and loops of tarry gaskin (/таких как/ медные пуговицы, кусочки веточек и петли просмоленного шпагата; gaskin — веревочная прокладка). About his waist he wore an old brass-buckled leather belt (вокруг талии он носил старый с медной пряжкой кожаный ремень), which was the one thing solid in his whole accoutrement (который был единственной хорошей = неизодранной вещью во всей его одежде; accoutrement — платье, снаряжение).

2. 'Three years (три года)!' I cried.

3. 'Were you shipwrecked (вы потерпели кораблекрушение)?'

 

raggedness [`rxgIdnIs] various [`veqrIqs] incongruous [In`kONgruqs] fastening [`fRsqnIN]

 

I could now see that he was a white man like myself, and that his features were even pleasing. His skin, wherever it was exposed, was burnt by the sun; even his lips were black; and his fair eyes looked quite startling in so dark a face. Of all the beggar-men that I had seen or fancied, he was the chief for raggedness. He was clothed with tatters of old ship's canvas and old sea cloth; and this extraordinary patchwork was all held together by a system of the most various and incongruous fastenings, brass buttons, bits of stick, and loops of tarry gaskin. About his waist he wore an old brass-buckled leather belt, which was the one thing solid in his whole accoutrement.

2. 'Three years!' I cried.

3. 'Were you shipwrecked?'

 

1. 'Nay, mate (нет, приятель),' said he — 'marooned (высажен на необитаемый остров).'

2. I had heard the word, and I knew it stood for a horrible kind of punishment common enough among the buccaneers (я слышал это слово и знал, что оно обозначает ужасный вид наказания, довольно обычный среди пиратов), in which the offender is put ashore with a little powder and shot (при котором нарушителя высаживают на берег /и дают ему/ немного боеприпасов: «пороха и дроби»), and left behind on some desolate and distant island (и оставляют на каком-нибудь безлюдном и отдаленном острове).

3. 'Marooned three years agone (брошен на острове три года назад),' he continued (он продолжил), 'and lived on goats since then, and berries, and oysters (и кормился: «жил на» козами с тех пор, и ягодами, и устрицами). Wherever a man is, says I, a man can do for himself (где бы человек ни был, я говорю = думаю, он может позаботиться о себе; to do for oneself — справляться). But, mate, my heart is sore for Christian diet (но сердце мое истосковалось по /настоящей/ христианской = человеческой пище; sore — больной, опечаленный). You mightn't happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now (у тебя случайно нет собой кусочка сыра)? No (нет)? Well, many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese — toasted, mostly (так вот, много долгих ночей я видел сны о сыре — на ломтике хлеба, в основном) — and woke up again, and here I were (и просыпался вновь, а я вот здесь).'

4. 'If ever I can get aboard again (если я вообще сяду на корабль вновь = вернусь на корабль),' said I, 'you shall have cheese by the stone (вы получите вот такую голову сыра; stone — мера массы, равная 6,35 кг).'

 

marooned [mq`rHnd] punishment [`pAnISmqnt] oyster [`OIstq] cheese [tSJz]

 

1. 'Nay, mate,' said he — 'marooned.'

I had heard the word, and I knew it stood for a horrible kind of punishment common enough among the buccaneers, in which the offender is put ashore with a little powder and shot, and left behind on some desolate and distant island.

3. 'Marooned three years agone,' he continued, 'and lived on goats since then, and berries, and oysters. Wherever a man is, says I, a man can do for himself. But, mate, my heart is sore for Christian diet. You mightn't happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now? No? Well, many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese — toasted, mostly — and woke up again, and here I were.'

4. 'If ever I can get aboard again,' said I, 'you shall have cheese by the stone.'

 

1. All this time he had been feeling the stuff of my jacket (все это время он ощупывал мою куртку; stuff — материал, вещество), smoothing my hands (гладил мои руки), looking at my boots (смотрел на мои ботинки), and generally, in the intervals of his speech (и вообще, в промежутках своей речи = замолкая), showing a childish pleasure in the presence of a fellow-creature (показывал детскую радость в присутствии = по-детски радовался, что видит другого человека; fellow-creature — ближний, человек, собрат). But at my last words he perked up into a kind of startled slyness (но при моих последних словах он взглянул с каким-то тревожным лукавством; to perk up — оживиться, поднять голову).

2. 'If ever you can get aboard again, says you (если тебе удастся вернуться на корабль, говоришь)?' he repeated (он повторил). 'Why, now, who's to hinder you (ну, а кто тебе может помешать)?'

3. 'Not you, I know (не вы, конечно),' was my reply (был мой ответ).

 

smoothing [`smHDIN] childish [`tSaIldIS] slyness [`slaInIs] reply [rI`plaI]

 

All this time he had been feeling the stuff of my jacket, smoothing my hands, looking at my boots, and generally, in the intervals of his speech, showing a childish pleasure in the presence of a fellow-creature. But at my last words he perked up into a kind of startled slyness.

2. 'If ever you can get aboard again, says you?' he repeated. 'Why, now, who's to hinder you?'