The contest of wits between two such men as Sharkey and Craddock appealed to the Governor’s acute sense of sport, and though he was inwardly convinced that the chances were against him, he backed his man with the same loyalty which he would have shown to his horse or his cock.
Haste was, above all things, necessary, for upon any day the careening might be finished, and the pirates out at sea once more.
But there was not very much to do (но дел было совсем немного), and there were many willing hands to do it (а желающих помочь сделать их, /наоборот/, предостаточно; willing – охотно делающий /что-л./; hand – рука /кисть/; помощник), so the second day saw the White Rose beating out for the open sea (так что на следующий день «Белая роза» уже выходила в открытое море; to see – видеть, смотреть; быть временем совершения чего-л.; to beat out – плыть против ветра). There were many seamen in the port (в порту было много моряков) who knew the lines and rig of the pirate barque (которые знали очертания/линии и оснастку пиратского барка), and not one of them could see the slightest difference in this counterfeit (и ни один из них не смог заметить ни малейшего отличия в этой подделке; slight – легкий, незначительный). Her white side line had been painted out (белая полоса на его боку была закрашена), her masts and yards were smoked (мачты и реи закопчены; yard – ярд /мера длины/; рея /мор./; to smoke – дымить/ся/; коптить), to give them the dingy appearance of the weather-beaten rover (чтобы придать судну вид бывалого /морского/ бродяги; dingy – выцветший, блеклый; потрепанный; weather-beaten – пострадавший от непогоды; видавший виды), and a large diamond shaped patch was let into her fore-topsail (а на его фор-марселе поставили огромную заплату в форме ромба; diamond – алмаз; ромб; to let into – вставить).
But there was not very much to do, and there were many willing hands to do it, so the second day saw the White Rose beating out for the open sea. There were many seamen in the port who knew the lines and rig of the pirate barque, and not one of them could see the slightest difference in this counterfeit. Her white side line had been painted out, her masts and yards were smoked, to give them the dingy appearance of the weather-beaten rover, and a large diamond shaped patch was let into her fore-topsail.
Her crew were volunteers (команда «Белой розы» состояла из добровольцев), many of them being men who had sailed with Stephen Craddock before (многие из них плавали со Стивеном Крэддоком прежде) – the mate, Joshua Hird, an old slaver, had been his accomplice in many voyages (помощник капитана Джошуа Хирд, старый работорговец, был его правой рукой во многих плаваниях; mate – товарищ, напарник; помощник капитана /мор./; accomplice – сообщник, соучастник), and came now at the bidding of his chief (приехал и теперь по просьбе своего /бывшего/ вожака).
The avenging barque sped across the Caribbean Sea (барк-мститель мчался по Карибскому морю; to speed – двигаться на высокой скорости), and, at the sight of that patched topsail (и при виде его заплатанного топселя), the little craft which they met flew left and right (маленькие суденышки, встречавшиеся /на пути/, разлетались во все стороны: «влево и вправо»; to fly) like frightened trout in a pool (как испуганная форель в озере). On the fourth evening Point Abacou bore five miles to the north and east of them (вечером на четвертый день в пяти милях к северо-востоку от них показался мыс Абаку; to bear – носить, нести; находиться /где-л./).
Her crew were volunteers, many of them being men who had sailed with Stephen Craddock before – the mate, Joshua Hird, an old slaver, had been his accomplice in many voyages, and came now at the bidding of his chief.
The avenging barque sped across the Caribbean Sea, and, at the sight of that patched topsail, the little craft which they met flew left and right like frightened trout in a pool. On the fourth evening Point Abacou bore five miles to the north and east of them.
On the fifth day they were at anchor in the Bay of Tortoises at the Island of La Vache (на пятый день они уже бросили якорь в Бухте черепах на острове Ла-Ваш), where Sharkey and his four men had been hunting (где охотились Шарки и его четверо матросов). It was a well-wooded place, with the palms and underwood (местность густо покрывала растительность с пальмовыми деревьями и подлеском; well-wooded – лесистый; place – место, занятое пространство) growing down to the thin crescent of silver sand which skirted the shore (спускавшимися к тонкой = узкой /полосе/ серебряного песка, полумесяцем окаймлявшей берег; to grow – произрастать, расти; down – вниз; skirt – юбка; полоса, кромка; to skirt – окружать, окаймлять). They had hoisted the black flag and the red pennant (они подняли черный флаг и красный вымпел; pennant – флажок /часто с узким длинным полотнищем/; вымпел /мор./), but no answer came from the shore (но с берега никакого ответа не было). Craddock strained his eyes (Крэддок напрягал зрение; eye – глаз), hoping every instant to see a boat shoot out to them (надеясь каждое мгновение увидеть отчаливающую им навстречу шлюпку; to shoot out – выскочить, вылететь) with Sharkey seated in the sheets (с Шарки, сидящим у шкотов; sheet – простыня; шкот /трос для управления парусами/).
On the fifth day they were at anchor in the Bay of Tortoises at the Island of La Vache, where Sharkey and his four men had been hunting. It was a well-wooded place, with the palms and underwood growing down to the thin crescent of silver sand which skirted the shore. They had hoisted the black flag and the red pennant, but no answer came from the shore. Craddock strained his eyes, hoping every instant to see a boat shoot out to them with Sharkey seated in the sheets.
But the night passed away, and a day and yet another night (но прошла ночь, за ней – день и еще другая ночь), without any sign of the men whom they were endeavouring to trap (без каких-либо признаков людей, которых они пытались заманить в ловушку). It looked as if they were already gone (/все/ выглядело так, будто они = пираты уже покинули /остров/; to be gone – исчезнуть, пропасть).
On the second morning Craddock went ashore in search of some proof (на утро второго дня Крэддок высадился на берег чтобы убедиться: «поискать доказательства») whether Sharkey and his men were still upon the island (находится ли еще Шарки со своими людьми на острове). What he found reassured him greatly (то, что он обнаружил, не оставило /ему в этом/ никаких сомнений; to reassure – уверять, убеждать; greatly – очень, весьма). Close to the shore was a boucan of green wood (недалеко от берега стояла коптильня из свежесрубленных бревен; boucan /фр./ – коптильня), such as was used for preserving the meat (какую используют при заготовке мяса), and a great store of barbecued strips of ox-flesh was hung upon lines all round it (а повсюду вокруг нее на линях были развешены полоски зажаренного бизоньего мяса; to hang; line – линия, полоса; веревка, линь /мор./).
But the night passed away, and a day and yet another night, without any sign of the men whom they were endeavouring to trap. It looked as if they were already gone.
On the second morning Craddock went ashore in search of some proof whether Sharkey and his men were still upon the island. What he found reassured him greatly. Close to the shore was a boucan of green wood, such as was used for preserving the meat, and a great store of barbecued strips of ox-flesh was hung upon lines all round it.
The pirate ship had not taken off her provisions (пиратский корабль еще не забрал свою провизию), and therefore the hunters were still upon the island (и следовательно, охотники до сих пор находились на острове).
Why had they not shown themselves (почему же они не показывались; to show)? Was it that they had detected that this was not their own ship (не обнаружили ли они, что это не их корабль)? Or was it that they were hunting in the interior of the island (а может, они охотились в глубине острова; interior – внутренняя часть), and were not on the lookout for a ship yet (и еще не ждали /прихода/ корабля; lookout – наблюдение; to be on the lookout for – ожидать, искать /кого-л., что-л./)? Craddock was still hesitating between the two alternatives (Крэддок все еще не знал, какой из двух вариантов верный: «все еще колебался между двумя альтернативами»), when a Carib Indian came down with information (когда индеец-караиб принес /нужные ему/ сведения; to come down – приходить, приезжать). The pirates were in the island, he said (пираты находятся на острове, сказал он), and their camp was a day’s march from the sea (и до их лагеря один день пути; march – движение вперед, марш).
The pirate ship had not taken off her provisions, and therefore the hunters were still upon the island.
Why had they not shown themselves? Was it that they had detected that this was not their own ship? Or was it that they were hunting in the interior of the island, and were not on the lookout for a ship yet? Craddock was still hesitating between the two alternatives, when a Carib Indian came down with information. The pirates were in the island, he said, and their camp was a day’s march from the sea.
They had stolen his wife (они отобрали у него жену; to steal – воровать, красть; увести), and the marks of their stripes were still pink upon his brown back (а отметины, сделанные их палками, все еще розовели на его коричневой спине; stripe – след удара от хлыста, прута и т. п.). Their enemies were his friends (их враги – его друзья), and he would lead them to where they lay (и он отведет их к пиратскому лагерю: «туда, где они расположились»; to lie – лежать; находиться, быть расположенным).
Craddock could not have asked for anything better (ничего лучшего Крэддок не мог бы и пожелать; to ask for – просить, требовать); so early next morning, with a small party armed to the teeth (и вот ранним утром следующего дня, с небольшим вооруженным до зубов отрядом), he set off under the guidance of the Carib (он выступил в поход, ведомый проводником-караибом; to set off – отправляться /в путь/; under the guidance – под руководством; to guide – вести, указывать путь). All day they struggled through brushwood and clambered over rocks (весь день они продирались сквозь заросли и карабкались по скалам), pushing their way further and further into the desolate heart of the island (продвигаясь все дальше и дальше в безлюдную глубь острова; to push – толкать, пихать; проталкиваться, протискиваться; desolate – одинокий, оставленный всеми, заброшенный; heart – сердце; сердцевина, центр).
