He could feel he was inside the current now and he could see the lights of the beach colonies along the shore. He knew where he was now and it was nothing to get home

The wind is our friend, anyway (в любом случае, ветер — наш друг), he thought. Then he added (затем он добавил), sometimes (иногда /наш друг/). And the great sea with our friends and our enemies (и великое море с нашими друзьями и врагами). And bed (и кровать), he thought. Bed is my friend (кровать — мой друг). Just bed (только кровать), he thought. Bed will be a great thing (лечь в постель — это великое дело: «постель будет великой вещью»). It is easy when you are beaten (это легко, когда ты побежден), he thought. I never knew how easy it was (никогда не знал, что это так легко). And what beat you (и что победило тебя), he thought.

"Nothing (ничего)," he said aloud. "I went out too far (я просто далеко ушел)."

When he sailed into the little harbour (когда он вошел в маленькую бухту) the lights of the Terrace were out and he knew everyone was in bed (огни на Террасе были потушены, и он знал, что все спали). The breeze had risen steadily (ветер равномерно усиливался) and was blowing strongly now (и теперь дул сильно). It was quiet in the harbour though (однако в бухте было тихо) and he sailed up onto the little patch of shingle below the rocks (и он подплыл к узкой полосе гальки под скалами; shingle — галька). There was no one to help him (не было никого, кто бы мог помочь ему) so he pulled the boat up as far as he could (поэтому он подплыл: «подтянул лодку» так близко к берегу, как только мог). Then he stepped out and made her fast to a rock (затем он вылез: «ступил наружу» из нее и привязал ее к скале).

He unstepped the mast (он снял мачту) and furled the sail (свернул парус) and tied it (и связал его). Then he shouldered the mast (затем он взвалил мачту на плечо) and started to climb (и начал карабкаться). It was then he knew the depth of his tiredness (только тогда он почувствовал, насколько он устал: «глубину своей усталости»). He stopped for a moment and looked back (он остановился на мгновенье и посмотрел назад) and saw in the reflection from the street light (и увидел в свете: «отражении» уличного фонаря) the great tail of the fish (огромный хвост рыбы) standing up well behind the skiff's stern (возвышающийся позади кормы лодки). He saw the white naked line of his backbone (он увидел белую обнаженную линию ее позвоночника) and the dark mass of the head with the projecting bill (и темную тень головы с выдающимся вперед мечом) and all the nakedness between (и всю наготу = пустоту посередине; naked — обнаженный, голый).

The wind is our friend, anyway, he thought. Then he added, sometimes. And the great sea with our friends and our enemies. And bed, he thought. Bed is my friend. Just bed, he thought. Bed will be a great thing. It is easy when you are beaten, he thought. I never knew how easy it was. And what beat you, he thought.

"Nothing," he said aloud. "I went out too far."

When he sailed into the little harbour the lights of the Terrace were out and he knew everyone was in bed. The breeze had risen steadily and was blowing strongly now. It was quiet in the harbour though and he sailed up onto the little patch of shingle below the rocks. There was no one to help him so he pulled the boat up as far as he could. Then he stepped out and made her fast to a rock.

He unstepped the mast and furled the sail and tied it. Then he shouldered the mast and started to climb. It was then he knew the depth of his tiredness. He stopped for a moment and looked back and saw in the reflection from the street light the great tail of the fish standing up well behind the skiff's stern. He saw the white naked line of his backbone and the dark mass of the head with the projecting bill and all the nakedness between.

He started to climb again (он снова начал взбираться) and at the top he fell (и на вершине он упал) and lay for some time with the mast across his shoulder (и полежал некоторое время с мачтой на плече). He tried to get up (он попробовал встать). But it was too difficult (но это было слишком сложно) and he sat there with the mast on his shoulder (и он сидел там с мачтой на плече) and looked at the road (и смотрел на дорогу). A cat passed on the far side going about its business (кошка пробежала по дальней стороне /дороги/ по своим делам) and the old man watched it (и старик наблюдал за ней = проводил ее взглядом). Then he just watched the road (затем он просто смотрел на дорогу).

Finally he put the mast down and stood up (наконец, он положил мачту на землю и встал). He picked the mast up (он поднял мачту) and put it on his shoulder (положил ее себе на плечо) and started up the road (и пошел по дороге). He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack (ему пришлось садиться пять раз, пока он не добрался до хижины).

Inside the shack he leaned the mast against the wall (внутри хижины = оказавшись внутри, он прислонил мачту к стене). In the dark he found a water bottle and took a drink (в темноте он нашел бутылку с водой и сделал глоток). Then he lay down on the bed (затем он лег на кровать). He pulled the blanket over his shoulders (он натянул покрывало на плечи) and then over his back and legs (а затем на спину и ноги) and he slept face down on the newspapers (и он заснул лицом вниз в газеты = уткнувшись лицом в газеты) with his arms out straight and the palms of his hands up (с выпрямленными руками и ладонями рук, повернутыми вверх).

He started to climb again and at the top he fell and lay for some time with the mast across his shoulder. He tried to get up. But it was too difficult and he sat there with the mast on his shoulder and looked at the road. A cat passed on the far side going about its business and the old man watched it. Then he just watched the road.