Jack London «Love of life» (23/27)
@english_frankДжек Лондон «Любовь к жизни»
The sun rose brightly (ярко взошло солнце), and all morning the man tottered and fell toward the ship on the shining sea (и все утро человек ковылял и падал в сторону корабля на сверкающей /глади/ моря). The weather was perfect (погода была превосходная). It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes (это было короткое бабье лето высоких широт; Indian Summer — золотая осень, бабье лето /теплые дни в начале осени/). It might last a week (возможно, оно продлится неделю). To-morrow or next day it might be gone (/а/ может, завтра или на следующий день оно кончится).
In the afternoon the man came upon a trail (после полудня человек наткнулся на след). It was of another man (это был /след/ другого человека), who did not walk (который не шел), but who dragged himself on all fours (а который тащился вперед на четвереньках). The man thought it might be Bill (человек подумал, что это мог быть Билл), but he thought in a dull, uninterested way (но он подумал вяло, незаинтересованно: «в вялой, незаинтересованной манере»; way — способ, манера; образ действий). He had no curiosity (у него не было любопытства = пропало любопытство). In fact, sensation and emotion had left him (на самом деле ощущения и эмоции покинули его; to leave — покидать, оставлять). He was no longer susceptible to pain (он был больше невосприимчив к боли = он больше не воспринимал боль). Stomach and nerves had gone to sleep (желудок и нервы уснули). Yet the life that was in him drove him on (тем не менее, жизнь, которая была = оставалась в нем, толкала его вперед). He was very weary (он очень устал), but it refused to die (но она = жизнь отказывалась умирать). It was because it refused to die (именно потому, что она отказывалась умирать) that he still ate muskeg berries and minnows (он все еще ел болотные ягоды и гольянов), drank his hot water (пил кипяток), and kept a wary eye on the sick wolf (и наблюдал подозрительно за больным волком; to keep an eye on smth. — наблюдать за чем-либо; wary — подозрительный; настороженный).
The sun rose brightly, and all morning the man tottered and fell toward the ship on the shining sea. The weather was perfect. It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. It might last a week. To-morrow or next day it might be gone.
In the afternoon the man came upon a trail. It was of another man, who did not walk, but who dragged himself on all fours. The man thought it might be Bill, but he thought in a dull, uninterested way. He had no curiosity. In fact, sensation and emotion had left him. He was no longer susceptible to pain. Stomach and nerves had gone to sleep. Yet the life that was in him drove him on. He was very weary, but it refused to die. It was because it refused to die that he still ate muskeg berries and minnows, drank his hot water, and kept a wary eye on the sick wolf.
He followed the trail of the other man who dragged himself along (он пошел по следу другого человека, который тащился вперед), and soon came to the end of it (и вскоре пришел к его концу) — a few fresh-picked bones (несколько недавно обглоданных костей /там/) where the soggy moss was marked by the foot-pads of many wolves (где сырой мох был отмечен следами лап многих волков). He saw a squat moose-hide sack (он увидел короткий и толстый мешочек из лосиной кожи), mate to his own (товарищ его собственному), which had been torn by sharp teeth (который был разорван острыми зубами). He picked it up (он поднял его), though its weight was almost too much for his feeble fingers (хотя его вес был слишком велик для его немощных пальцев). Bill had carried it to the last (Билл нес его до последнего). Ha! ha (ха-ха)! He would have the laugh on Bill (он посмеется над Биллом; to have the laugh on smb. — посмеяться над кем-либо). He would survive and carry it to the ship in the shining sea (он выживет и донесет его до корабля в сверкающем море). His mirth was hoarse and ghastly (его веселье = ликование было сиплым и неприятным), like a raven's croak (как карканье ворона), and the sick wolf joined him (и больной волк присоединился к нему), howling lugubriously (скорбно завывая; lugubrious — скорбный, печальный, мрачный; траурный). The man ceased suddenly (человек вдруг перестал). How could he have the laugh on Bill if that were Bill (как он мог посмеяться над Биллом, если это был Билл); if those bones, so pinky-white and clean, were Bill (если эти кости, такие розово-белые и чистые, были Биллом)?
He followed the trail of the other man who dragged himself along, and soon came to the end of it — a few fresh-picked bones where the soggy moss was marked by the foot-pads of many wolves. He saw a squat moose-hide sack, mate to his own, which had been torn by sharp teeth. He picked it up, though its weight was almost too much for his feeble fingers. Bill had carried it to the last. Ha! ha! He would have the laugh on Bill. He would survive and carry it to the ship in the shining sea. His mirth was hoarse and ghastly, like a raven's croak, and the sick wolf joined him, howling lugubriously. The man ceased suddenly. How could he have the laugh on Bill if that were Bill; if those bones, so pinky-white and clean, were Bill?