out (снарядим) a trading vessel (торговое судно) for Africa. We will put aboard of it
(доставим на борт) everything that you need (все в чем нуждаешься = что будет тебе
нужно). As for your part (что касается твоей части), you shall be the manager
(управляющим) of the business; and you shall do the trading for us (будешь заниматься
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торговлей за нас). You need not put in a penny of your own (тебе не нужно
вкладывать ни пенни своих /денег/)."
"But how is that going to help me (как это поможет мне)?" I asked.
"Listen (послушай), and we will tell you," they said. "With the goods which we
send (с товарами, которые мы посылаем), you will buy as many black slaves as the
ship will hold (купишь столько черных рабов, сколько корабль выдержит). You will
bring them here (привезешь), and we will divide them equally (разделим их поровну).
You shall share with us (поделишься), just as though you had paid the money (как если
бы ты заплатил деньги)."
The plan pleased me very much (очень понравился). I figured that each one of
us would have thirty or forty slaves (я рассчитал, что каждый из нас получит 30 или
40 рабов).
It was very foolish of me (глупо с моей стороны) to go to sea again; but the
offer (предложение) was so good that I could not say No (не мог сказать «нет»).
The ship was soon fitted out (подготовлено) for the voyage. Her load was not
very heavy (груз не был тяжелым). But there were plenty of goods (много товаров)
such as were most fit for trade (таких, которые были наиболее подходящими для
торговли).
There were boxes of red and blue beads (коробки красного и синего бисера), of
bits of glass (кусочков стекла), and of other trinkets (безделушек). There were also
knives (ножи) and hatchets (топорики) and little looking-glasses (маленькие зеркала).
We reckoned (подсчитали) that each one of these (что каждый /предмет/ из этого)
would buy a slave (позволит купить раба).
The ship was to carry (должен был везти) fourteen men besides (помимо) the
captain and myself (капитана и меня). She (она, зд. судно) was as fine a little vessel
(такое прекрасное маленькое судно) as ever sailed from the coast of Brazil (которое
когда-либо отходило в море от берега Бразилии).
sugar [ʃugə] successful [sΛk’sesful] kind [kaind]
I UNDERTAKE A NEW VENTURE
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I HAD grown very tired of being a sailor. I was so tired of it that I made up my
mind to try something else. It happened that I was then in Brazil. I bought some land
there and began to open a plantation. The ground was rich, and it would be easy to raise
tobacco and sugar cane. But I needed many things. I must have plows and hoes and a
sugar mill. Above all I must have men to do the work on the plantation.
But neither men nor tools could I get in Brazil.
I sent to London for the tools. I tried to buy some slaves of the planters near me,
but they had not enough for themselves.
"We will tell you what to do," they said. "We will fit out a trading vessel for
Africa. We will put aboard of it everything that you need. As for your part, you shall be
the manager of the business; and you shall do the trading for us. You need not put in a
penny of your own."
"But how is that going to help me?" I asked.
"Listen, and we will tell you," they said. "With the goods which we send, you will
buy as man black slaves as the ship will hold. You will bring them here, and we will
divide them equally. You shall share with us, just as though you had paid the money."
The plan pleased me very much. I figured that each one of us would have thirty or
forty slaves.
It was very foolish of me to go to sea again; but the offer was so good that I could
not say No.
The ship was soon fitted out for the voyage. Her load was not very heavy. But
there were plenty of goods such as were most fit for trade.
There were boxes of red and blue beads, of bits of glass, and of other trinkets.
There were also knives and hatchets and little looking-glasses. We reckoned that each
one of these would buy a slave.
The ship was to carry fourteen men besides the captain and myself. She was as
fine a little vessel as ever sailed from the coast of Brazil.
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I AM SHIPWRECKED (я потерпел в кораблекрушение; to be shipwrecked —
потерпеть кораблекрушение)
AT length (обстоятельно) all things were ready for the voyage (все вещи были
готовы к путешествию), and I went on board the ship (на борт).
It was just eight years (было как раз восемь лет) to the day (ото дня) since I had
left (покинул; to leave — покидать) my father and mother and my pleasant home in
good old York (красивый дом в добром старом Йорке).
I felt (чувствовал) that I was doing a foolish thing (глупую вещь); but I did not
dare to say so (не осмеливался сказать это: «так»; to dare to do smth — осмелиться
сделать что-то).
The wind was fair (ветер был попутный). The sails were spread (паруса были
распущены). Soon (вскоре) we were out to sea.
For several days (в течение нескольких дней) the weather was fine (погода
была хорошей). The ship sped swiftly (торопился быстро; to speed — торопиться) on
her way, and every one was happy and hopeful (каждый был счастлив и полон
надежд).
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Then a great storm (большой шторм) came up from the southeast (с юго-
востока). I had seen many fierce storms (жутких штормов), but never one so terrible as
this (но никогда столь ужасного как этот).
We could do nothing (не могли сделать ничего) but let the ship drive before the
wind (кроме как позволить кораблю идти против ветра). Day after day we were
tossed by the waves (нас бросали волны: «мы бросались волнами»); and day after day
we expected the ship to go down (ожидали /что/ корабль пойдет вниз = потонет).
The storm grew fiercer and fiercer (становился свирепее и свирепее). The men
gave themselves up for lost (считали себе погибшими; to give smb. up for lost —
считать кого-л. погибшим).
But on the twelfth day (на двенадцатый) the wind went down (ветер стих). The
waves were not so strong (волны не были такими сильными). We began to hope for
our lives (надеяться на жизнь).
Early the next morning a sailor cried out (рано следующим утром моряк
крикнул), "Land (земля)! land!"
I ran out of the cabin (выбежал из кабины) to look. But at that very moment the
ship struck upon (наткнулся) a great bank of sand (на большой вал песка) over which
the fierce sea was rolling (над которым свирепое море каталось).
She stopped short (корабль остановился сразу). She could not move (не мог
двинуться). The great waves dashed over her deck (большие волны заливались на
палубу; to dash — плескать; швырять). All of us would have been washed overboard
(все мы были бы смыты за борт) if we had not hurried back to the cabin (если бы мы
не поспешили обратно в кабину).
"What shall we do?" cried the men.
"We can do nothing (ничего)," said the captain. "Our voyage is at an end
(путешествие /подошло/ к концу), and there is no longer (больше нет) any hope for
our lives (надежды на наши жизни). We can only wait for the ship to break in pieces
(можем только ждать /пока/ корабль не разломается на куски)."
"Yes, there is one chance (шанс) for our lives." cried the mate. "Follow me
(следуйте за мной)!"
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In the lull of the storm (во временном затишье шторма) we rushed (ринулись)
again to the deck. One of our boats was still there (одна из наших лодок все еще была
там).
We slung her over the ship's side (спустили ее по борту корабля; to sling —
бросать; спускать на ремнях). We jumped aboard of her (прыгнули на борт). We cut
her loose (отрезали канаты, освободили ее; loose — свободный, непривязанный), and
floated away upon the wild sea (отплыли по дикому = бурному морю; to float —
удерживаться на плаву).
No boat could live in such a sea as that (никакая лодка не могла выжить к
таком море как то). But we saw land ahead of us (видели землю впереди нас); and
perhaps some of us might be cast alive (может быть выброшен живым) upon the beach
(на берег; beach — береговая полоса, пляж).
This was our only hope (единственная надежда).
The raging waves (неистовые волны) carried us nearer and nearer to the shore
(тащили нас ближе и ближе к побережью).
We could see the breakers (волны прибоя: «ломатели») dashing upon the great
rocks (бьющие о большие скалы). The land looked more frightful than the sea (земля
выглядела более устрашающей чем море).
Then all at once (затем, совершенно неожиданно, вдруг; at once — сразу,
немедленно), a huge wave overset the boat (огромная волна перевернула лодку). We
had no time to speak or think (мы не имели времени поговорить или подумать). We
were thrown out into the raging sea (были выброшены в неистовствующее море). We
were swallowed up by the waves (проглочены волнами).
business [biznis] slave [sleiv] neither [naiðə]
I AM SHIPWRECKED
AT length all things were ready for the voyage, and I went on board the ship.
It was just eight years to the day since I had left my father and mother and my
pleasant home in good old York.
I felt that I was doing a foolish thing; but I did not dare to say so.
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. f ranklang . r u
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The wind was fair. The sails were spread. Soon we were out to sea.
For several days the weather was fine. The ship sped swiftly on her way, and
every one was happy and hopeful.
Then a great storm came up from the southeast. I had seen many a fierce storm,
but never one so terrible as this.
We could do nothing but let the ship drive before the wind. Day after day we were
tossed by the waves; and day after day we expected the ship to go down.
The storm grew fiercer and fiercer. The men gave themselves up as lost.
But on the twelfth day the wind went down. The waves were not so strong. We
began to hope for our lives.
Early the next morning a sailor cried out, "Land! land!"
I ran out of the cabin to look. But at that very moment the ship struck upon a great
bank of sand over which the fierce sea was rolling.
She stopped short. She could not move. The great waves dashed over her deck.
All of us would have been washed overboard if we had not hurried back to the cabin.
"What shall we do?" cried the men.
"We can do nothing," said the captain. "Our voyage is at an end, and there is no
longer any hope for our lives. We can only wait for the ship to break in pieces."
"Yes, there is one chance for our lives." cried the mate. "Follow me!"
In the lull of the storm we rushed again to the deck. One of our boats was still
there.
We slung her over the ship's side. We jumped aboard of her. We cut her loose,
and floated away upon the wild sea.
No boat could live in such a sea as that. But we saw land ahead of us; and perhaps
some of us might be cast alive upon the beach.
This was our only hope.
The raging waves carried us nearer and nearer to the shore.
We could see the breakers dashing upon the great rocks. The land looked more
frightful than the sea.
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. f ranklang . r u
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