Сердце тьмы. Уровень 2 / Heart of Darkness

9

In thirty days I saw the mouth of the big river[20 - mouth of the big river – устье большой реки]. We anchored off the seat of the government. But my work did not begin there. I must go two hundred miles more. So I went to a place thirty miles higher up.

IВ had my passage on a little sea-going steamer. The captain was aВ Swede. He invited me on the bridge. He was a young man, lean, fair, and morose, with lanky hair and a shuffling gait. As we left the miserable little wharf, he tossed his head contemptuously at the shore.

“Did you live there?” he asked.

IВ said,

“Yes.”

“Fine lot these government chaps – are they not?” he went on.

He was speaking English with great precision and considerable bitterness.

“It is funny what some people will do for a few francs a month. I wonder what becomes of them when they go inside the country.”

IВ said that IВ expected to see that soon.

“So-o-o!” he exclaimed.

He shuffled athwart.

“Don’t be too sure,” he continued.

“The other day I took up a man who hanged himself[21 - hanged himself – повесился] on the road. He was a Swede, too.”

“Hanged himself! Why, in God’s name?” I cried.

He looked out watchfully.

“Who knows? Too much sun for him, or the country perhaps.”

At last the river became wide. AВ rocky cliff appeared, mounds of turned-up earth by the shore, houses on a hill, others with iron roofs, amongst a waste of excavations.

AВ continuous noise of the rapids above. AВ lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants. AВ jetty projected into the river.

“There’s your Company’s station,” said the Swede.

He pointed to three wooden barrack-like structures on the rocky slope.

“I will send your things up. Four boxes did you say? So. Farewell.”

10

I came upon a boiler in the grass, then found a path up the hill. It turned aside for the boulders, and also for a railway-truck[22 - railway-truck – вагонетка].

It was lying there on its back with its wheels in the air. The railway-truck looked dead as the carcass of some animal.

To the left a clump of trees made a shady spot. IВ blinked, the path was steep. AВ horn tooted to the right. IВ saw black people. They were running. AВ heavy and dull detonation shook the ground. AВ puff of smoke came out of the cliff, and that was all. No change appeared on the face of the rock.