Jack London «Love of life» (18/27)
@english_frankДжек Лондон «Любовь к жизни»
Now and again the wolves, in packs of two and three, crossed his path (время от времени волки, стаями из двух и трех, пересекали ему путь; path — тропа). But they sheered clear of him (но они обходили его; to sheer — отклоняться от курса; clear of — в стороне, на расстоянии). They were not in sufficient numbers (они были в недостаточных количествах = их было недостаточно), and besides they were hunting the caribou (и, кроме того, они охотились на карибу), which did not battle (которые не сражались), while this strange creature that walked erect might scratch and bite (тогда как это странное существо, которое ходит прямо, может царапаться и кусаться).
In the late afternoon he came upon scattered bones (в конце второй половины дня он наткнулся на разбросанные кости) where the wolves had made a kill (где поохотились волки; to make a kill — охотиться). The debris had been a caribou calf an hour before (останки были олененком карибу /еще/ час назад; debris — осколки, обломки; обрезки; мусор; развалины, руины; calf — теленок; детеныш), squawking and running and very much alive (кричащим, бегающим и очень живым; to squawk — вопить, пронзительно кричать). He contemplated the bones (он разглядывал кости), clean-picked and polished (дочиста обглоданные и отполированные), pink with the cell-life in them which had not yet died (розовые от клеточной жизни в них, которая еще не умерла). Could it possibly be (могло ли быть так) that he might be that ere the day was done (чтобы он оказался тем же, прежде чем закончится день = до исхода дня; done — сделанный; выполненный; законченный)! Such was life, eh (такова жизнь, а)? A vain and fleeting thing (тщетная и мимолетная сущность; vain — напрасный, бесполезный, тщетный; fleeting — быстрый, мимолетный, скоротечный; to fleet — быстро двигаться; торопиться, спешить). It was only life that pained (лишь жизнь причиняла боль; to pain — причинять боль; болеть). There was no hurt in death (в смерти не было боли). To die was to sleep (умереть было = значило заснуть). It meant cessation, rest (это означало оcтановку/прекращение, покой; to mean — значить, означать; cessation — остановка, прекращение). Then why was he not content to die (тогда почему он был не согласен умереть; content — довольный; согласный)?
Now and again the wolves, in packs of two and three, crossed his path. But they sheered clear of him. They were not in sufficient numbers, and besides they were hunting the caribou, which did not battle, while this strange creature that walked erect might scratch and bite.
In the late afternoon he came upon scattered bones where the wolves had made a kill. The debris had been a caribou calf an hour before, squawking and running and very much alive. He contemplated the bones, clean-picked and polished, pink with the cell-life in them which had not yet died. Could it possibly be that he might be that ere the day was done! Such was life, eh? A vain and fleeting thing. It was only life that pained. There was no hurt in death. To die was to sleep. It meant cessation, rest. Then why was he not content to die?
But he did not moralize long (но он не долго морализировал). He was squatting in the moss, a bone in his mouth (он сидел на корточках во мху с костью во рту), sucking at the shreds of life that still dyed it faintly pink (обсасывая кусочки жизни, которые еще окрашивали ее в слабый розовый цвет). The sweet meaty taste, thin and elusive almost as a memory, maddened him (сладкий мясной вкус, слабый и ускользающий, почти как воспоминание, сводил его с ума). He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched (он сомкнул челюсти на костях и захрустел). Sometimes it was the bone that broke (иногда ломалась кость), sometimes his teeth (иногда его зубы). Then he crushed the bones between rocks (потом он раздробил кости между камней), pounded them to a pulp, and swallowed them (растолок их в мягкую массу и проглотил их). He pounded his fingers, too, in his haste (в спешке он разбил и свои пальцы), and yet found a moment in which to feel surprise at the fact (и однако нашел = улучил момент, в который ощутил удивление от того факта = от того) that his fingers did not hurt much when caught under the descending rock (что его пальцам не больно, когда они попадают под опускающийся камень = когда их защемляет падающий камень; to catch — защемить).
But he did not moralize long. He was squatting in the moss, a bone in his mouth, sucking at the shreds of life that still dyed it faintly pink. The sweet meaty taste, thin and elusive almost as a memory, maddened him. He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched. Sometimes it was the bone that broke, sometimes his teeth. Then he crushed the bones between rocks, pounded them to a pulp, and swallowed them. He pounded his fingers, too, in his haste, and yet found a moment in which to feel surprise at the fact that his fingers did not hurt much when caught under the descending rock.
Came frightful days of snow and rain (наступили страшные дни снега и дождя). He did not know when he made camp (он не ведал, когда он разбивает лагерь), when he broke camp (когда он сворачивает лагерь). He travelled in the night as much as in the day (он шел как ночью, так и днем). He rested wherever he fell, crawled on (он отдыхал, где бы ни упал, полз дальше) whenever the dying life in him flickered up and burned less dimly (когда бы ни вспыхивала и ни горела менее тускло = более ярко умирающая жизнь в нем). He, as a man, no longer strove (он больше не боролся, как человек; to strive). It was the life in him, unwilling to die (это жизнь в нем, не желающая умирать), that drove him on (/которая/ толкала его вперед; to drive — гнать). He did not suffer (он не страдал). His nerves had become blunted, numb (его нервы притупились, онемели), while his mind was filled with weird visions and delicious dreams (в то время как его разум был наполнен причудливыми видениями и сладостными грезами; delicious — приятный, доставляющий физическое удовольствие).
Came frightful days of snow and rain. He did not know when he made camp, when he broke camp. He travelled in the night as much as in the day. He rested wherever he fell, crawled on whenever the dying life in him flickered up and burned less dimly. He, as a man, no longer strove. It was the life in him, unwilling to die, that drove him on. He did not suffer. His nerves had become blunted, numb, while his mind was filled with weird visions and delicious dreams.