I HAD grown very tired of being a sailor (я стал очень уставшим от /того, что/ был моряком = мне весьма надоело…; to grow — расти; становиться). I was so tired of it that I made up my mind to try something else (я настолько устал от этого, что принял решение попытать что-то другое; to try — пробовать, испытывать).
It happened that I was then in Brazil (случилось, что я был тогда в Бразилии). I bought some land there (я купил там сколько-то = некоторое количество земли; to buy — покупать) and began to open a plantation (и начал открывать = основывать плантацию). The ground was rich (земля/почва была богатой), and it would be easy to raise tobacco and sugar cane (и было бы легко выращивать табак и сахарный тростник).
But I needed many things (но мне нужно было много вещей). I must have plows and hoes and a sugar mill (я должен иметь = у меня должны быть плуги, и мотыги, и сахарную мельницу = сахарный завод). Above all (и прежде всего: «выше всего») I must have men (у меня должны быть люди) to do the work on the plantation (чтобы делать работу = чтобы работать на плантации).
But neither men nor tools could I get in Brazil (но ни людей, ни инструментов я не мог достать в Бразилии).
I sent to London for the tools (я послал в Лондон за инструментами; to send — посылать). I tried to buy some slaves of the planters near me (я попытался купить рабов у плантаторов около меня), but they had not enough for themselves (но у них не было достаточно для самих себя).
"We will tell you what to do (мы скажем тебе, что делать)," they said. "We will fit out a trading vessel for Africa (мы снарядим торговое судно в Африку). We will put aboard of it everything that you need (мы доставим на борт все, в чем нуждаешься = что будет тебе нужно; to put — помещать, класть, ставить; aboard — на борту; на борт). As for your part (что касается твоей части), you shall be the manager of the business (ты будешь управляющим этого дела/предприятия); and you shall do the trading for us (и будешь заниматься 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 (но как это поможет мне)?" I asked (спросил я).
"Listen, and we will tell you (послушай, и мы скажем тебе)," 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 (ты купишь столько черных рабов, сколько выдержит корабль; to hold — держать). You will bring them here (ты привезешь их сюда), and we will divide them equally (и мы разделим их поровну; equal — равный, одинаковый). You shall share with us (ты поделишься с нами), just as though you had paid the money (как если бы ты заплатил деньги; just — точно, как раз, именно, поистине /о месте, времени, образе совершения действия/; to pay — платить)."
The plan pleased me very much (этот план мне очень понравился). I figured that each one of us would have thirty or forty slaves (я рассчитал, что каждый из нас получит тридцать или сорок рабов).
It was very foolish of me to go to sea again (было весьма глупо с моей стороны вновь отправиться в море); but the offer was so good (но предложение было столь хорошим = выгодным) that I could not say No (не мог сказать «нет»).
The ship was soon fitted out for the voyage (корабль был вскоре подготовлен для путешествия/поездки; to fit — быть впору, быть в самый раз, подходить /к чему-л./; /также to fit out/ снаряжать, оснащать). Her load was not very heavy (груз не был очень тяжелым). But there were plenty of goods (но было много товаров) such as were most fit for trade (таких, которые были наиболее подходящими для торговли).
There were boxes of red and blue beads (ящики красного и синего бисера), of bits of glass (кусочков стекла), and of other trinkets (и других безделушек). There were also knives and hatchets (были также ножи и топорики) and little looking-glasses (и маленькие зеркала). We reckoned that each one of these would buy a slave (мы подсчитали, что каждый /предмет/ из этих купит = позволит купить раба).
The ship was to carry fourteen men (корабль должен был везти четырнадцать человек) besides the captain and myself (помимо капитана и меня). She (он /корабль в англ. языке — женского рода/) was as fine a little vessel (был таким прекрасным маленьким судном = суденышком) as ever sailed from the coast of Brazil (которое когда-либо отходило в море от берега Бразилии).
tired ['taI@d], bought ['bO:t], plantation [plamp;n'teIS(@)n], tobacco [t@'bamp;k@u], sugar ['Sug@], plow ['plau], hoe ['h@u], could [kud], aboard [@'bO:d], business ['bIzn@s], divide [dI'vaId], equally ['i:kw@lI], figure ['fIg@], again [@'ge(I)n], load ['l@ud], heavy ['hevI], hatchet ['hamp;tSIt], buy ['baI], carry ['kamp;rI], coast ['k@ust], Brazil [br@'zIl]
I UNDERTAKE A NEW VENTURE
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.
