The Life and Opinions of Israel Hands...

“Well,” said I, “I’ll cut you some tobacco, but if I was you and thought myself so badly, I would go to my prayers like a Christian man.” 

“Why?” said he. “Now, you tell me why.” 

“Why?” I cried. “You were asking me just now about the dead. You’ve broken your trust; you’ve lived in sin and lies and blood; there’s a man you killed lying at your feet this moment, and you ask me why! For God’s mercy, Mr. Hands, that’s why.” 

I spoke with a little heat, thinking of the bloody dirk he had hidden in his pocket and designed, in his ill thoughts, to end me with. He, for his part, took a great draught of the wine and spoke with the most unusual solemnity. 

“For thirty years,” he said, “I’ve sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out, knives going, and what not. Well, now I tell you, I never seen good come o’ goodness yet. Him as strikes first is my fancy; dead men don’t bite; them’s my views — amen, so be it.”
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Какая музыка, а?

Pieces of silver

John Silver неразлучен с попугаем, который постоянно повторяет «pieces of eight!»

(Thirty) pieces of silver – устойчивое, легко узнаваемое английское выражение, символ предательства, как «тридцать серебреников» по-русски. Если даже на меня эта суггестивная техника действует, то для английского уха это должно звучать еще убедительнее: pieces of eight + John Silver = pieces of silver.

Have you not forgot to wind up the clock?

Лучший текст про секс. Материализация метафоры: зачатие как conception, концепция. И начало (зачатие) блестящей литературной традиции: болтовни автора с читателем («Е.Онегин» тут идет первым номером; да и Т.Манн говорит, что писал «Иосифа» с постоянной оглядкой на Стерна).

I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me; had they duly consider'd how much depended upon what they were then doing <…>, had they duly weighed and considered all this, and proceeded accordingly,—I am verily persuaded I should have made a quite different figure in the world, from that in which the reader is likely to see me. — Believe me, good folks, this is not so inconsiderable a thing as many of you may think it;—you have all, I dare say, heard of the animal spirits, as how they are transfused from father to son, &c. &c.—and a great deal to that purpose:—Well, you may take my word, that nine parts in ten of a man's sense or his nonsense, his successes and miscarriages in this world depend upon their motions and activity <…> 'tis not a half-penny matter,—away they go cluttering like hey-go mad; and by treading the same steps over and over again, they presently make a road of it, as plain and as smooth as a garden-walk, which, when they are once used to, the Devil himself sometimes shall not be able to drive them off it.

Pray my Dear, quoth my mother, have you not forgot to wind up the clock?—Good G..! cried my father, making an exclamation, but taking care to moderate his voice at the same time,—Did ever woman, since the creation of the world, interrupt a man with such a silly question? Pray, what was your father saying?—Nothing.