Английский с О. Генри. Благородный жулик

“Not a customer did we have that afternoon (ни одного клиента у нас не было после полудня; customer – покупатель; заказчик; клиент). At six o’clock two Mexicans brought Andy to the saloon (в шесть часов два мексиканца привезли Энди в салун; to bring – приводить, приносить, привозить) lying across the back of a burro (лежащего поперек на спине осла;

burro – /разг., исп./ осел, ослик). We put him in bed while he still muttered (мы уложили его в постель, а он тем временем еще бормотал) and gesticulated with his hands and feet (и жестикулировал руками и ногами: «кистями и ступнями»).

 “ ‘The whole town,’ says the muddy man, ‘is up in Sperry’s wool warehouse listening to your side-kicker make a speech. He is some gravy on delivering himself of audible sounds relating to matters and conclusions,’ says the man.

“ ‘Well, I hope he’ll adjourn, sine qua non, pretty soon,’ says I, ‘for trade languishes.’

“Not a customer did we have that afternoon. At six o’clock two Mexicans brought Andy to the saloon lying across the back of a burro. We put him in bed while he still muttered and gesticulated with his hands and feet.

“Then I locked up the cash and went out to see what had happened (затем я запер кассу и пошел узнать, что случилось). I met a man who told me all about it (я встретил человека, который рассказал мне об этом всё). Andy had made the finest two hour speech that had ever been heard in Texas, he said (Энди произнес прекраснейшую двухчасовую речь, какую когда-либо слышали в Техасе, сказал человек), or anywhere else in the world (или где-либо еще в мире).

“ ‘What was it about?’ I asked (о чем она была? – спросил я).

“ ‘Temperance (о трезвости; temperance – воздержание, умеренность /особ. в еде и употреблении алкоголя/; трезвость, воздержание от спиртных напитков),’ says he. ‘And when he got through (и когда он закончил), every man in Bird City signed the pledge for a year (каждый человек в Птичьем Городе дал зарок не пить год; to sign the pledge – /разг./ завязать /с алкоголем/, дать зарок не пить; to sign – подписывать/ся/; pledge – залог, заклад; обет, обещание; обязательство

).’ ”

 “Then I locked up the cash and went out to see what had happened. I met a man who told me all about it. Andy had made the finest two hour speech that had ever been heard in Texas, he said, or anywhere else in the world.

“ ‘What was it about?’ I asked.

“ ‘Temperance,’ says he. ‘And when he got through, every man in Bird City signed the pledge for a year.’ ”