MILES HENDON was picturesque enough (Майлс Хендон был живописным достаточно) before he got into the riot on London Bridge (прежде чем он забрался в беспорядок на Лондонском мосту; to get — забираться) — he was more so (он был более так = стал еще более живописным) when he got out of it (когда он выбрался из него). He had but little money (он имел лишь немного денег) when he got in (когда он забрался внутрь), none at all when he got out (никаких совсем, когда он выбрался наружу). The pickpockets had stripped him (карманники обчистили его) of his last farthing (от его последнего фартинга).

But no matter (но неважно), so he found his boy (лишь бы он отыскал своего мальчика; to find — найти). Being a soldier (будучи солдатом), he did not go at his task (он не принялся за свою задачу) in a random way (случайным образом = наобум), but set to work (но принялся за работу; to set — приниматься), first of all (прежде всего), to arrange his campaign (чтобы организовать свою кампанию = составить план кампании).

What would the boy naturally do (что бы мальчик естественно = скорее всего делал)? Where would he naturally go (куда бы он скорее всего пошел)? Well (ну) — argued Miles (рассудил Майлс) — he would naturally go to his former haunts (он бы скорее всего пошел в свои прежние прежние места; haunt — излюбленное место, убежище, логово), for that is the instinct of unsound minds (ибо это инстинкт нездоровых умов), when homeless and forsaken (когда (они) бездомны и покинуты), as well as of sound ones (так же как и здоровых /умов/). Whereabouts were his former haunts (где же были его прежние прибежища)? His rags (его лохмотья), taken together with the low villain (вместе с низким негодяем; to take — брать) who seemed to know him (который, казалось, знал его; to seem — казаться) and who even claimed to be his father (и который даже заявлял быть его отцом = что он его отец), indicated that his home (указывало /на то/, что его дом) was in one or other (был в одном или другом) of the poorest and meanest districts of London (из беднейших и самых захудалых районов Лондона). Would the search for him be difficult (были бы поиск его трудным), or long (или долгим)? No, it was likely (нет, он был вероятен) to be easy and brief (оказаться простым и недолгим). He would not hunt for the boy (он не станет охотиться за мальчиком), he would hunt for a crowd (он станет охотиться за толпой); in the center of a big crowd (в центре большой толпы) or a little one (или маленькой /толпы/), sooner or later (рано или поздно: «скорее или позже») he should find his poor little friend, sure (он должен найти своего бедного маленького друга, точно); and the mangy mob (а паршивая толпа) would be entertaining itself (развлекалась бы; to entertain — развлекать) with pestering and aggravating the boy (тем, чтобы донимать и изводить мальчика), who would be proclaiming himself king (который бы провозглашал себя королем), as usual (как обычно). Then Miles Hendon would cripple some of those people (затем Майлс Хендон отделал бы некоторых из этих людей; to cripple — увечить), and carry off his little ward (и унес бы прочь своего маленького подопечного), and comfort and cheer him with loving words (и успокоил бы и приободрил бы его любящими словами), and the two (и эти двое = они) would never be separated any more (никогда бы не были разделены больше).

So Miles started on his quest (так что Майлс пустился на свои поиски). Hour after hour (час зв часом) he tramped through back alleys (он бродил по задним = глухим переулкам) and squalid streets (и убогим улочкам), seeking groups and crowds (ища группы и толпы), and finding no end of them (и находя их без конца: «никакого конца их»), but never any sign of the boy (но никогда ни признака мальчика). This greatly surprised him (это чрезвычайно удивило его), but did not discourage him (но не обескуражило его). To his notion (по его мнению), there was nothing the matter with his plan of campaign (дело было не в его плане кампании; nothing — ничего; matter — дело); the only miscalculation about it (единственный просчет в нем = в плане) was that the campaign was becoming a lengthy one (было /то/, что кампания становилась продолжительной), whereas he had expected it to be short (в то время как он ожидал ее быть короткой = что она будет короткой).

When daylight arrived at last (когда дневной свет пришел наконец), he had made many a mile (он сделал = прошел много миль; many a mile = many miles (устар.)), and canvassed many a crowd (и опросил много толп), but the only result was (но единственным результатом было) that he was tolerably tired (что он был довольно-таки уставшим), rather hungry, and very sleepy (весьма голодным и очень сонным). He wanted some breakfast (он хотел какой-нибудь завтрак), but there was no way to get it (но не было способа получить его). To beg for it (выпрашивать его) did not occur to him (не пришло ему в голову; to occur — случаться, приходить на ум); as to pawning his sword (что до /того, чтобы/ заложить свой меч), he would as soon have thought (он бы так скоро = скорее подумал; to think — думать) of parting with his honor (о том, чтобы расстаться со своей честью); he could spare some of his clothes (он мог бы обойтись без части своей одежды) — yes, but one could (но один мог = можно было) as easily find a customer for a disease as for such clothes (так же легко найти покупателя на болезнь, как на такую одежду).

haunt [hO:nt], rather [`ra:??], disease [d?`zi:z]

MILES HENDON was picturesque enough before he got into the riot on London Bridge — he was more so when he got out of it. He had but little money when he got in, none at all when he got out. The pickpockets had stripped him of his last farthing.

But no matter, so he found his boy. Being a soldier, he did not go at his task in a random way, but set to work, first of all, to arrange his campaign.

What would the boy naturally do? Where would he naturally go? Well — argued Miles — he would naturally go to his former haunts, for that is the instinct of unsound minds, when homeless and forsaken, as well as of sound ones. Whereabouts were his former haunts? His rags, taken together with the low villain who seemed to know him and who even claimed to be his father, indicated that his home was in one or other of the poorest and meanest districts of London. Would the search for him be difficult, or long? No, it was likely to be easy and brief. He would not hunt for the boy, he would hunt for a crowd; in the center of a big crowd or a little one, sooner or later he should find his poor little friend, sure; and the mangy mob would be entertaining itself with pestering and aggravating the boy, who would be proclaiming himself king, as usual. Then Miles Hendon would cripple some of those people, and carry off his little ward, and comfort and cheer him with loving words, and the two would never be separated any more.

So Miles started on his quest. Hour after hour he tramped through back alleys and squalid streets, seeking groups and crowds, and finding no end of them, but never any sign of the boy. This greatly surprised him, but did not discourage him. To his notion, there was nothing the matter with his plan of campaign; the only miscalculation about it was that the campaign was becoming a lengthy one, whereas he had expected it to be short.

When daylight arrived at last, he had made many a mile, and canvassed many a crowd, but the only result was that he was tolerably tired, rather hungry, and very sleepy. He wanted some breakfast, but there was no way to get it. To beg for it did not occur to him; as to pawning his sword, he would as soon have thought of parting with his honor; he could spare some of his clothes — yes, but one could as easily find a customer for a disease as for such clothes.