Jack London «Love of life» (14/27)
@english_frankДжек Лондон «Любовь к жизни»
This was a day of fog (это был туманный день; fog — туман), and this day hunger awoke in him again (и в этот день в нем снова проснулся голод; to awake). He was very weak and was afflicted with a giddiness (он был очень слаб и страдал от головокружения; afflicted — страдающий /от болезни/, пораженный болезнью; to afflict — беспокоить /with/; страдать; задевать, огорчать; причинять боль: to afflict with hunger — страдать от голода; поражать болезнью; giddy — испытывающий головокружение) which at times blinded him (которое временами ослепляло его). It was no uncommon thing now for him to stumble and fall (теперь для него спотыкаться и падать не было редким делом = было обычным делом; uncommon — необыкновенный, неординарный; редкий, редко встречающийся или случающийся, необычный); and stumbling once (а однажды споткнувшись), he fell squarely into a ptarmigan nest (он упал прямо в гнездо белой куропатки). There were four newly hatched chicks (там было четыре недавно вылупившихся цыпленка), a day old (день отроду) — little specks of pulsating life no more than a mouthful (маленькие частички пульсирующей жизни — не больше, чем на один укус; mouthful — кусок; глоток); and he ate them ravenously (и он алчно съел их), thrusting them alive into his mouth and crunching them like egg-shells between his teeth (засовывая их живьем в рот и с хрустом перемалывая их, как яичные скорлупки, между зубов; to crunch — грызть с хрустом). The mother ptarmigan beat about him with great outcry (мать-куропатка металась вокруг него с сильным неистовым криком). He used his gun as a club with which to knock her over (он воспользовался ружьем, как дубинкой, /которой/ чтобы сбить ее), but she dodged out of reach (но она увертывалась от ударов /оставаясь/ вне досягаемости /ружья/; to dodge — избегать, увертываться, уклоняться /от удара/; прятаться; out of reach — вне досягаемости). He threw stones at her and with one chance shot broke a wing (он стал бросать по ней камнями и одним случайным броском перебил /ей/ крыло). Then she fluttered away, running, trailing the broken wing, with him in pursuit (тогда она отпорхнула прочь, бежа, подтягивая сломанное крыло, с ним вдогонку = а он за ней в погоню; to flutter — махать или бить крыльями; перепархивать).
This was a day of fog, and this day hunger awoke in him again. He was very weak and was afflicted with a giddiness which at times blinded him. It was no uncommon thing now for him to stumble and fall; and stumbling once, he fell squarely into a ptarmigan nest. There were four newly hatched chicks, a day old — little specks of pulsating life no more than a mouthful; and he ate them ravenously, thrusting them alive into his mouth and crunching them like egg-shells between his teeth. The mother ptarmigan beat about him with great outcry. He used his gun as a club with which to knock her over, but she dodged out of reach. He threw stones at her and with one chance shot broke a wing. Then she fluttered away, running, trailing the broken wing, with him in pursuit.
The little chicks had no more than whetted his appetite (маленькие цыплята не более чем возбудили его аппетит; to whet — точить, править /бритву, косу и т. п./; to whet a knife — точить нож; разжигать, раззадоривать; возбуждать /аппетит, желание/). He hopped and bobbed clumsily along on his injured ankle (он неловко прыгал и подскакивал на своей травмированной лодыжке), throwing stones and screaming hoarsely at times (бросая камни и временами хрипло вопя); at other times hopping and bobbing silently along (а временами подпрыгивая и подскакивая молча), picking himself up grimly and patiently (непреклонно и терпеливо поднимаясь; to pick up — поднимать, подбирать) when he fell (когда он падал), or rubbing his eyes with his hand (или тер глаза рукой) when the giddiness threatened to overpower him (когда головокружение угрожало одолеть его).
The chase led him across swampy ground in the bottom of the valley (погоня завела его через болотистую местность в нижнюю часть лощины; swamp — болото; bottom — дно), and he came upon footprints in the soggy moss (и он наткнулся на следы в мокром мху). They were not his own (они = это были не его /следы/) — he could see that (он видел это). They must be Bill's (должно быть, это /следы/ Билла). But he could not stop (но он не мог остановиться), for the mother ptarmigan was running on (ибо мать-куропатка бежала дальше). He would catch her first (сначала он поймает ее), then he would return and investigate (потом он вернется и расследует = займется расследованием; to investigate — расследовать; получать сведения; изучать, исследовать).
The little chicks had no more than whetted his appetite. He hopped and bobbed clumsily along on his injured ankle, throwing stones and screaming hoarsely at times; at other times hopping and bobbing silently along, picking himself up grimly and patiently when he fell, or rubbing his eyes with his hand when the giddiness threatened to overpower him.
The chase led him across swampy ground in the bottom of the valley, and he came upon footprints in the soggy moss. They were not his own — he could see that. They must be Bill's. But he could not stop, for the mother ptarmigan was running on. He would catch her first, then he would return and investigate.