While I was thus turning the business over in my mind (пока я таким образом обдумывал: «крутил в голове» это дело), I had not been idle with my body (я не стоял без дела: «не был празден с моим телом»; to be idle — бездействовать, простаивать). I had stolen back to the cabin (я прокрался обратно в каюту; to steal — воровать; красться), slipped once more into my shoes (скользнул снова в башмаки = надел башмаки) and laid my hand at random on a bottle of wine (положил руку случайно = схватил первую попавшуюся бутылку вина), and now, with this for an excuse (и теперь с ним в качестве отговорки; excuse — извинение, оправдание, предлог), I made my reappearance on the deck (я вновь вернулся: «сделал свое повторное появление» на палубу).

required [rI`kwaIqd] crawl [krLl] labour [`leIbq] shoes [SHz] reappearance [rJq`pIqrqns]

This was all that I required to know. Israel could move about; he was now armed; and if he had been at so much trouble to get rid of me, it was plain that I was meant to be the victim. What he would do afterwards — whether he would try to crawl right across the island from North Inlet to the camp among the swamps, or whether he would fire Long Tom, trusting that his own comrades might come first to help him, was, of course, more than I could say.

Yet I felt sure that I could trust him in one point, since in that our interests jumped together, and that was in the disposition of the schooner. We both desired to have she stranded safe enough, in a sheltered place, and so that, when the time came, she could be got off again with as little labour and danger as might be; and until that was done I considered that my life would certainly be spared.

While I was thus turning the business over in my mind, I had not been idle with my body. I had stolen back to the cabin, slipped once more into my shoes and laid my hand at random on a bottle of wine, and now, with this for an excuse, I made my reappearance on the deck.

Hands lay as I had left him, all fallen together in a bundle (Хендс лежал /в том же положении/, как я его и оставил, словно тюк; to fall — падать, оседать, сникнуть; bundle — узел, связка, пучок), and with his eyelids lowered (с опущенными веками = прищурив глаза), as though he were too weak to bear the light (как будто он был слишком слаб, чтобы выносить /яркий/ свет). He looked up, however, at my coming, knocked the neck off the bottle (он поднял глаза, однако, при моем приходе, отбил горлышко бутылки), like a man who had done the same thing often (как человек, который делал эту вещь часто), and took a good swig, with his favourite toast of “Here’s luck! (и сделал большой глоток со своим любимым тостом «За удачу!»).” Then he lay quiet for a little (затем он лежал тихо короткое время), and then, pulling out a stick of tobacco, begged me to cut him a quid (а потом, вытаскивая /из кармана/ плитку табаку, попросил меня отрезать кусочек; stick — палка, колышек, брусок; quid — кусок прессованного табака для жевания).

“Cut me a junk o’ that (отрежь-ка мне кусок этого /табаку/; junk — барахло, старье, кусок, обломки),” says he, “for I haven’t no knife, and hardly strength enough, so be as I had (так как у меня нет ножа и едва ли есть достаточно сил, как раньше). Ah, Jim, Jim, I reckon I’ve missed stays (ах, Джим, Джим, думаю, я упустил опоры = совсем развалился)! Cut me a quid, as ’ll likely be the last, lad (отрежь кусочек, который, наверно, будет /для меня/ последним, парень); for I’m for my long home, and no mistake (ибо я /иду/ к своему далекому дому = скоро отправлюсь на тот свет, это точно; mistake — ошибка, заблуждение).”

“Well (ладно),” said I, “I’ll cut you some tobacco (я отрежу вам табаку); but if I was you and thought myself so badly (но если бы я был вами = на вашем месте, чувствуя себя так плохо), I would go to my prayers, like a Christian man (я бы помолился, как /подобает/ христианину; to go to — обратиться, прибегнуть к помощи; prayer — молитва).”

еyelids [`aIlIdz] favourite [`feIvqrIt] quid [kwId] junk [GANk] prayer [preq]

Hands lay as I had left him, all fallen together in a bundle, and with his eyelids lowered, as though he were too weak to bear the light. He looked up, however, at my coming, knocked the neck off the bottle, like a man who had done the same thing often, and took a good swig, with his favourite toast of “Here’s luck!” Then he lay quiet for a little, and then, pulling out a stick of tobacco, begged me to cut him a quid.

“Cut me a junk o’ that,” says he, “for I haven’t no knife, and hardly strength enough, so be as I had. Ah, Jim, Jim, I reckon I’ve missed stays! Cut me a quid, as ’ll likely be the last, lad; for I’m for my long home, and no mistake.”

“Well,” said I, “I’ll cut you some tobacco; but if I was you and thought myself so badly, I would go to my prayers, like a Christian man.”

“Why (зачем)?” said he. “Now, you tell me why (скажи мне, зачем).”

“Why (зачем)?” I cried (воскликнул я). “You were asking me just now about the dead (вы только что спрашивали меня о мертвых). You’ve broken your trust (вы разрушили = изменили своему долгу); you’ve lived in sin and lies and blood (вы жили /всю жизнь/ в грехе, во лжи и крови); there’s a man you killed lying at your feet this moment (человек, которого вы убили, лежит у ваших ног сейчас); and you ask me why (и вы спрашиваете зачем)! For God’s mercy, Mr. Hands, that’s why (ради милосердия Господа, мистер Хендс, вот зачем).”