Трое в лодке, не считая собаки / Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)

“The overstrain upon our brains has produced a general depression. Changes and absence of the necessity for thought will restore the mental equilibrium.”

“If you want rest and change,” said Harris, “let’s make a sea trip.”

I objected to the sea trip strongly. I was afraid for George. George said that he felt sure we should both be ill.

It is a curious fact, but nobody ever is seasick – on land. At sea, you come across [18 - you come across – вы встречаете] plenty of people very bad indeed, whole boat of them; but I never met a man yet, on land, who had ever known at all what it was to be sea-sick.

For myself [19 - for myself – что касается меня], I have discovered an excellent preventive against sea-sickness, in balancing myself. You stand in the centre of the deck, and you move your body about, so as to keep it always straight. When the front of the ship rises, you lean forward, till the deck almost touches your nose; and when its back end gets up, you lean backwards.

George said:

“Let’s go up the river.”

He said we should have fresh air, exercise and quiet; and the hard work would give us a good appetite, and make us sleep well.

Harris said he didn’t think George ought to do anything that would make him sleepier than he always was, as it might be dangerous. He might just as well be dead, and so save his board and lodging [20 - save his board and lodging – сэкономить на его еде и жилье].

Harris and I both said it was a good idea of George’s. The only one who was not struck with the suggestion was Montmorency.

“It’s all very well for you fellows,” he says; “you like it, but I don’t. There’s nothing for me to do. If you ask me, I call the whole thing foolishness.”

We were three to one [21 - three to one – трое против одного], however.

Chapter II

We pulled out the maps, and discussed plans. We arranged to start on the following Saturday from Kingston [22 - Kingston – Кингстон]. Harris and I would go down in the morning, and take the boat up to Chertsey [23 - Chertsey – Чертси], and George would meet us there.

Should we �camp out’ or sleep at inns?

George and I were for camping out. We said it would be so wild and free, so patriarchal.