Английский язык с Р. Л. Стивенсоном. Остров сокровищ

“That’s your sort, is it?” he added, returning his pipe to his mouth. “Well, you’re a gay lot to look at, anyway. Not much worth to fight, you aint. P’r’aps you can understand King George’s English. I’m cap’n here by ’lection. I’m cap’n here because I’m the best man by a long sea-mile. You won’t fight, as gentlemen o’ fortune should; then, by thunder, you’ll obey, and you may lay to it! I like that boy, now; I never seen a better boy than that. He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house, and what I say is this: let me see him that’ll lay a hand on him — that’s what I say, and you may lay to it.”

There was a long pause after this. I stood straight up against the wall, my heart still going like a sledge-hammer, but with a ray of hope now shining in my bosom. Silver leant back against the wall, his arms crossed, his pipe in the corner of his mouth, as calm as though he had been in church; yet his eye kept wandering furtively, and he kept the tail of it on his unruly followers. They, on their part, drew gradually together towards the far end of the block-house, and the low hiss of their whispering sounded in my ear continuously, like a stream. One after another, they would look up, and the red light of the torch would fall for a second on their nervous faces; but it was not towards me, it was towards Silver that they turned their eyes.

“You seem to have a lot to say (кажется, у вас есть много /всего/, чтобы сказать)

,” remarked Silver, spitting far into the air (заметил Сильвер, плюя высоко в воздух). “Pipe up and let me hear it, or lay to (говорите, позвольте мне услышать это, или молчите; to lay to — ложиться в дрейф).”

“Ax your pardon, sir

(прошу прощения, сэр; ax = ask),” returned one of the men (ответил один из матросов), “you’re pretty free with some of the rules (вы довольно свободно /обращаетесь/ с некоторыми правилами); maybe you’ll kindly keep an eye upon the rest (возможно, вы будете так любезны посмотреть на остальные, сэр;

to keep an eye upon — следить за, глаз не спускать с). This crew’s dissatisfied (эта команда недовольна); this crew don’t vally bullying a marlin-spike (эта команда не хочет терпеть издевательства: «связывание мягким тросом /для обшивания парусов/»; to bully — задирать, издеваться); this crew has its rights like other crews

(у этой команды есть права, как и у других команд), I’ll make so free as that (я поступлю по-своему; to make free — освобождать, снимать ограничения); and by your own rules, I take it we can talk together (и по вашим собственным правилам, как я понимаю, мы можем поговорить /собравшись/ вместе). I ax your pardon, sir, acknowledging you for to be capting at this present (прошу вашего прощения, сэр, подтверждая, что вы капитан в настоящее время); but I claim my right, and steps outside for a council (но я требую того, что полагается по праву, — выйти наружу для совещания).”