| Хорнблауэр с крепостного вала видел даже языки пламени и в их свете - силуэт "Турени", того самого французского корабля, который вышел из боя с неповрежденными мачтами. |
| Whoever the young officer in command of the fire ship might be, he was a man with a cool head and determined will, thus to select the most profitable target of all. | Молодой офицер там на брандере хладнокровен и решителен - он выбрал наилучшую цель. |
| Hornblower saw points of fire begin to ascend the rigging of the Turenne until she was outlined in red like some set-piece in a firework display. | Огонь побежал по такелажу "Турени", очертив ее силуэт, словно праздничная иллюминация. |
| Sudden jets of flame showed where powder charges on her deck were taking fire; and then the whole set-piece suddenly swung round and began to drift before the gentle wind as the burnt cables gave way. | Иногда пламя взвивалось ввысь - это вспыхивали на палубе картузы с порохом. Внезапно весь иллюминированный корабль развернулся и двинулся по ветру - перегорели якорные канаты. |
| A mast fell in an upward torrent of sparks, strangely reflected in the black water all round. | Упала, сыпля искрами и отражаясь в воде, мачта. |
| At once the sparkle of gunfire in the other French ships began to die away as the crews were called from their guns to deal with the drifting menace, and a slow movement of the shadowy forms lit by the flames revealed that their cables had been cut by officers terrified of death by fire. | На других французских кораблях перестали стрелять - матросов отозвали от пушек, чтобы в случае чего оттолкнуть пылающую громаду. Озаренные пламенем силуэты кораблей двигались - вероятно, напуганные близостью "Турени" офицеры приказали обрубить якоря. |
| Then suddenly Hornblower's attention was distracted to a point closer in to shore, where the abandoned wreck of the Sutherland lay beached. | Тут Хорнблауэр отвлекся: огонь разгорался ближе к берегу, там, где лежал выброшенный на мель "Сатерленд". |
| There, too, a red glow could be seen, growing and spreading momentarily. | Он тоже пылал. |
| Some daring party from the British squadron had boarded her and set her on fire, too, determined not to leave even so poor a trophy in the hands of the French. | Какие-то смелые британцы высадились на него и подожгли, чтоб не оставлять французам и такой жалкий трофей. |
| Farther out in the bay three red dots of light were soaring upwards slowly, and Hornblower gulped in sudden nervousness lest an English ship should have caught fire as well, but he realized next moment that it was only a signal - three vertical red lanterns -which was apparently the prearranged recall, for with their appearance the firing abruptly ceased. |