Лучшие произведения Джерома К. Джерома / The Best of Jerome K. Jerome
5
the chargesheet – a document into which a police officer enters details of the charge against a prisoner
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Referee – a weekly sporting paper
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queer – giddy, faint
8
ad lib – from Latin ad libitum, meaning “freely, as one wishes”
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Ditto – the same, likewise (Italian)
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Worcester – sauce, very spicy one, made of soya beans
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leggo – let go
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blarmed – cursed
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sixpen’orth – sixpenceworth
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ha’pence – half-pence
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shilling shockers – cheap books of thrillers
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Cussedness – stubborn unruliness or deliberate resistance to discipline; perversity
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put upon – to take advantage of, to maltreat
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slapup – great, smashing (slang)
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mouch – wandering about
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Gladstone – a large travelling bag made of stiff leather named after W. E. Gladstone, British statesman (1809–1898)
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slavey – a servantgirl of all work
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Wasermarrer? – What’s the matter?
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Bar – evidently, barometer
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Boots – a hotel servant who cleans boots
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Great Coram Street murder – the murder of Harriet Buswell in 1872 that caused a great sensation in the newspapers
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Stanley – Henry Morton Stanley, (1841–1904), a journalist and famous traveller, explorer of Africa
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King Edwy – Eadwig (Edwy) (c. 941–959), King of England from 955 until his death four years later
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sack and mead – wine and a beverage made of honey (archaic)
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Elgiva – Ælgifu, the wife of King Edwy
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brutal Odo and St. Dunstan – Eadwig’s short reign was marked by conflicts with the Church under the leadership of Saint Dunstan and Archbishop Odo
31
Gadzooks, gramercy – Gadzooks is an exclamation; a euphemistic shortening of “God’s hooks” (the nails on the cross). Gramercy – from Old French grand merci (thank you very much), expressing surprise or gratitude.
32
Sandford and Merton – “The History of Sandford and Merton” is a didactic children’s tale (by Thomas Day, 1783–1789). There are two main characters there – goodwilled Sanford and unpleasant Merton, who gets upright due to moral instructions.
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dogdays – the hottest days of summer
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under laughinggas – a method of anesthesiology at that time
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old blue – 18th century English porcelain, mostly painted blue
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Sarah Janes – typical housemaids
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Yuise – “you is”, an illiterate form of address
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Pinafore – a light opera by Gilbert and Sullivan (1878)
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Trial by Jury – also a light opera by the same authors (1875)
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morceaux (sing. morceau) – short literary or musical compositions (French)
41
Bradshaw – George Bradshaw (1801–1853) wrote the “Railway Guide”, while John Bradshaw (1602–1659) was the head of the council that condemned King Charles I to death.
42
Cassivelaunus – British chieftain, leader of the Catuvellauni tribe that resisted Caesar’s invasion of Britain (54 bc)
43
willo’thewisps – phosphorescent lights floating at night on marshy ground
44
’Arrys and ’Arriets – evidently, “Harrys and Harriets”, pronounced in the way folk did
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Lor’ – Lord
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ain’t – isn’t
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’ere ain’t – here isn’t (illiterate English)
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’ware wheat – ware = beware; wheat = corn
49
Angels and ministers of grace defend us – from “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare (Act 1, Scene 4)
50
King John – (nick-name John Lackland, 1167–1216). John faced a rebellion by many of his barons who were not satisfied with his ruling. The following story in the book refers to how King John had to sign the Magna Carta (the document limiting his powers) in 1215
51
billmen – foot soldiers armed with billhooks (originally developed from a farming tool, and consisting of an axe and hook on a long pole)
52
yester eve – yesterday evening
53
Henry VIII is said to have waited for and met Anne Boleyn – Henry Tudor, King of England, married six times, beheaded two of his wives and was the prime mover of the English Reformation. Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII (married in 1533)
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the Irish question is how to deal with the Irish uprisings and calls for independence from Britain, as from 1801 to 1921 it was a part of the UK
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Edward the Confessor – one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England (1003–1066), ruling from 1042 to 1066
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Earl Godwin – a large landowner in England. Although an Anglo-Saxon, Godwin decided to support the Dane, Cunate the Great, when he became king of England in 1016. Cunate appointed Godwin as the Earl of Wessex
57
August Bank Holiday – the summer bank holiday was introduced in 1871 and originally intended to give bank employees the opportunity to participate and attend cricket matches. Nowadays for many people the summer bank holiday marks the end of summer as it is on the last Monday of August
58
Marlow Manor owned Saxon Algar for its lord, ere conquering William seized it to give to Queen Matilda, ere it passed to the Earls of Warwick or to worldly-wise Lord Paget, the councillor of four successive sovereigns. – Aelfgar III was a great Saxon thane; ere = before; conquering William = William the Conqueror (1028–1087), the first Norman King of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087; Queen Matilda (1102–1167), the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. William, Lord Paget (1506–1563), Keeper of the Seals, councilor of Henry VIII, Mary, Charles V, Elisabeth
59
Knights Templar(s) – in other words, the Order of the Temple or the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon; well-known medieval military and religious order finally suppressed for its power and wealth
60
Anne of Cleves (1515–1557) – the fourth wife of King Henry VIII
61
Warwick, the king-maker – Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428–1471), an English nobleman and Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster. His political connections were great. He was one of the Yorkist leaders in the Wars of the Roses, and took part in the deposition of two kings
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and Salisbury, who did good service at Poitiers – Salisbury was the father of Warwick; Poitiers was a city in central France, scene of the battle (1356) in which the English defeated the French
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from the times of King Sebert and King Offa – King Sebert (604–616), King of Essex, the first East Saxon Christian king; King Offa was the King of Mercia (757–796) who constructed an earthwork between Wales and Mercia
64
Medmenham monks, or Hell Fire Club was sort of a cross between the Dead Poets Society and a risqué Playboy club.
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Wilkes – John Wilkes (1725–1797) was an English radical politician and journalist.
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Lowther Arcade – a store where one could buy children’s toys
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revictualled – supplied provisions
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Henley week – time for Henley Royal Regatta
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beanfeast – a celebrating party with plenty of food and drink, given to workpeople by their employer
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Messrs. Cubit’s – Thomas Cubitt (1788–1855), the leading master builder in England
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Bermondsey Good Templars – charitable organization on the excursion
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Who shall escape calumny – from “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare (Act 3, Scene 1)
73
Leslie, R.A. – Charles Robert Leslie (1794–1859), an English genre painter; R.A stands for “Royal Academician”
74
Hodgson – either John Hodgson Lobley (1878–1954), an English
artist best known for his work as an official war artist for the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War I, or David Hodgson, a British visual artist (1798–1864)
75
Tennyson – Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892), established himself as the most popular poet of the Victorian era, with its sentimentalism and conservatism
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’Arry and Lord Fitznoodle – that is, common people and nobility (’Arry = Harry, rude but merry cockney).
77
Irish stew – thick stew of mutton, onions and potatoes
78
half a peck – a measure for dry goods equal to two gallons. Half a peck is equal approximately to four littres.
79
German sausage – a large kind of sausage with spiced, partly cooked meat
80
a mouch – an aimless walk
81
the Babes in the Wood – traditional children’s tale of two children abandoned in a wood; commonly meaning innocents in any dangerous situation
82
the Seven Sleepers – the “Seven Sleepers of Ephesus”, a group of Christian youths who hid inside a cave to escape a persecution during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius. They awoke 180 years later during the reign of Theodosius II
83
toddy – punch
84
river hand – hand = a sailor
85
throw out a wing – to build a new part of the house
86
“raw ’un” – raw (meaning ‘new’) one
87
rounders and touch – both are children’s games
88
take in a reef – to reduce the area of the sail
89
luff – sail closer into the wind
90
top-jib – a headsail
91
King Ethelred – byname Ethelred the Unready, (968?–1016), King of the English from 978 to 1013 and from 1014 to 1016. He failed to prevent the Danes from overrunning England
92
the Parliamentary struggle between the Crown and Parliament happened under Charles I. It led to the English Civil War in 1642. Those supporting the Parliament were called Parliamentarians or ‘Roundheads’.
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the Earl of Essex – Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (1591–1646) was an English Parliamentarian
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the Prince of Orange – William III & II (Dutch: Willem III; 1650–1702). On 5 November 1688 William invaded England, deposed King James II & VII and won the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland
95
King James (1633–1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII; the last Roman Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland
96
Henry I. (1068–1135) – the fourth and the most able of William the Conqueror’s sons. He strengthened the crown’s executive powers and modernised royal administration
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John of Gaunt (1340–1399), duke of Lancaster; English prince, fourth son of the English King Edward III. He had some influence during the reign of his nephew Richard II
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Charles I. (1600–1649), King of England, Scotland and Ireland whose refusal to compromise over complex religious and political situations led to civil war, his own execution and the abolition of the Monarchy
99
the habitues – people who often visit a specific place (mostly for entertainment) (French)
100
the tap-room – the room where they pour beer from the taps
101
pipeclaying – pipeclay is white pure clay, used for producing tobacco pipes and for whitening leather
102
wur – was
103
rule-of-three – a shorthand version for a particular form of cross multiplication
104
plaster-of-Paris – the gypsum. In the 1700s it was required to be used in all construction in Paris
105
Fairfax – Thomas Fairfax, (1612–1671) was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War
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brethren of the brush – painters
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penny nap – a trick-taking game of cards, called Nap or Napoleon
108
the Volunteers – a popular movement, a citizen army created in 1859
109
Bummel – it’s a German word, and the author himself gives full explanation of it… in the very end of the book!
110
maids-of-honour – a tart with the recipe dated back to the times of Henry VIII
111
the lugging, the reefing, the heeling her over – yachting terminology
112
bathing machine – a small cabin on wheels, pulled to the sea, for bathers to change their clothes
113
cycling paper – apparently, some newspaper devoted to bicycles
114
Two to one agin the old gent in the white weskit – two to one against the old gentleman in the white waistcoat
115
bar he don’t roll over hisself ’fore ’e gets there – if he doesn’t roll over himself before he gets there
116
Heven money – even money, a proposition with even odds – the bettor stands to lose the same amount of money that the winner of the bet would win
117
the Purple Hemperor (Emperor) – a butterfly
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supineness – the feature when one allows things to happen without offering any resistance
119
Mr. Turveydrop – owner of a dance academy, model of good manners (from Charles Dickens’ Bleak House)
120
Behalten Sie Ihr Haar auf – “Leave all your hair on your head”, meaning “be quiet” (German)
121
bairns – children (archaic)
122
Glorious Goodwood – is believed to be “the world’s most beautiful racecourse”
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Ben Jonson – Benjamin Jonson, (1572–1637), a playwright, poet, and literary critic
124
Rabelais – François Rabelais (1494–1553), a French writer, doctor, and scholar. His best known work is “Gargantua and Pantagruel”.
125
Gibbon – Edward Gibbon (1737–1794), English historian
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Dr. Johnson – Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), an English writer, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer
127
Coleridge, Southey, and Wordsworth – English poets of 18–19 centuries
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Hebel – Johann Peter Hebel (1760–1826), German writer, teacher and theologian
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I was dar, sar – I was there, sir
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I’se gwine ter tell yer – I am going to tell you
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axed – asked
132
sez I, now yer jest step out with yer best leg foremost – I say
(to myself) – you must be in a great hurry
133
the musical glasses – a glass harp made of upright wine glasses
134
catherine wheels – a type of firework named after the instrument
of torture of St. Catherine
135
Carlyle – Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881), a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer and historian. He called time “the Conflux of Eternities”.
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Frederick – Frederick II (Frederick the Great), Prussian king from 1740 to 1786. He established Prussia as a strong military power.
137
Bummeling – walking (German)
138
Voltaire – François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), known by his nickname Voltaire, a French Enlightenment writer and philosopher, best known for his ready wit and his disagreement with the Catholic Church.
139
droschke – a cab (German)
140
Gott in Himmel – God in Heaven (German)
141
Welsh Harp – a well-organized recreation area in London
142
belegte Semmel – a sandwich (German)
143
August the Strong – Elector of Saxony, King of Poland (1670–1733), failed military strategist with unsuccessful political ambitions, and director of the most glamorous princely court of the 18th century
144
Jenny Wrens – little garden birds
145
Mrs. Hemans – Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793–1835), English poet of the immense popularity thanks to her talent for treating Romantic themes. Her first poems were written when she was between 8 and 13
146
Fashoda incident or Fashoda Crisis (1898). A French expedition to Fashoda on the White Nile tried to take control of the Nile and move the British from Sudan. As a result Britain and France were on the verge of war, but the conflict ended in a diplomatic victory for the British
147
the Transvaal question – the conflagration in South Africa which led to the 1st (1880 to 1881) and 2nd (1899 to 1902) Boer wars between the Republicans and the British
148
John Hus (1369–1415), Czech priest, philosopher, religious thinker and reformer
149
Jerome – Jerome of Prague (1379–1416), a Czech church reformer and one of the chief followers of Jan Hus who was burned for heresy
150
Ziska – Jan Žižka (1360–1424), Czech general, follower of Jan Hus
151
Wallenstein – Albrecht von Wallenstein (1583–1684), duke of Friedland and Mecklenburg, was one of the most important mercenary commanders of the Imperial army during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648)
152
Sigismund – Sigismund Korybut (1395–1435), a duke, a military commander of the Hussite army and a mayor of Prague during the Hussite Wars
153
Tarborites – religious movement, the most radical wing of Hussites (named after mountain Tarbor, the place of their headquarters)
154
Maximilian – Maximilian I (1459–1519), Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Germans. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg and led religious wars against Protestants
155
Gustavus Adolphus – Gustav II Adolf (1594–1632); the King of Sweden famous for his successful policy in strengthening the country. His reign was marked by several wars Sweden participated in, including the Thirty Years’ War.
156
Catholic Ferdinand – Ferdinand II (1578–1637), Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary. His devout Catholicism caused The Second Defenestration of Prague, which is considered to be the first step of the Thirty Years’ War
157
Apollinaris water – mineral water, naturally sparkling
158
Durchgang Verboten – no trespassing (German)
159
schnellzug – fast train (German)