| "No, no, of course not," said the Governor hastily and out of countenance, like a parent denying to a child that a prospective dose of medicine would be unpleasant. | - Да-да, конечно, - сказал комендант торопливо и несколько смущенно, будто убеждал ребенка, что лекарство не горькое. |
| He looked round for some way of changing the subject, and fortunate chance brought one. | Он огляделся, ища, на что бы перевести разговор -к счастью, повод отыскался сразу. |
| From far below in the bowels of the fortress came a muffled sound of cheering - English cheers, not Italian screeches. | Из недр крепости донеслись приглушенные крики "ура!" - английские, не итальянские. |
| "That must be those men of yours, Captain," said the General, smiling again. | - Должно быть, это ваши люди, капитан, - сказал генерал, снова улыбаясь. |
| "I fancy the new prisoner must have told them by now the story of last night's affair." | - Полагаю, новый пленный рассказывает им о сегодняшнем сражении. |
| "The new prisoner?" demanded Hornblower. | - Новый пленный? - переспросил Хорнблауэр. |
| "Yes, indeed. | - Да-да. |
| A man who fell overboard from the admiral's ship -the Pluto, is it not? - and had to swim ashore. | Человек, который упал за борт адмиральского корабля - "Плутон", кажется? - и выплыл на берег. |
| Ah, I suspected you would be interested, Captain. | Вам, наверно, интересно с ним поговорить, капитан? |
| Yes, off you go and talk to him. | Так поговорите. |
| Here, Dupont, take charge of the captain and escort him to the prison." | Дюпон, проводи капитана в тюрьму. |
| Hornblower could hardly spare the time in which to thank his captor, so eager was he to interview the new arrival and hear what he had to say. | Хорнблауэр так торопился выслушать новоприбывшего, что едва нашел время поблагодарить коменданта. |
| Two weeks as a prisoner had already had their effect in giving him a thirst for news. | За две недели в плену он приобрел неодолимую тягу к новостям. |
| He ran down the ramp, Dupont puffing beside him, across the cobbled court, in through the door which a sentry opened for him at a gesture from his escort, down the dark stairway to the iron-studded door where stood two sentries on duty. |
