Jack London «Love of life» (26/27)
@english_frankДжек Лондон «Любовь к жизни»
Without movement he lay on his back (неподвижно он лежал на спине), and he could hear (и слышал), slowly drawing near and nearer (медленно приближающееся ближе и ближе; to draw near — подходить, приближаться), the wheezing intake and output of the sick wolf's breath (свистящие вдохи и выдохи /дыхания/ больного волка). It drew closer, ever closer (он приблизился ближе, еще ближе), through an infinitude of time (сквозь бесконечность времени), and he did not move (а он не двигался). It was at his ear (он был у его уха). The harsh dry tongue grated like sandpaper against his cheek (шершавый сухой язык потерся, как наждачная бумага, о его щеку). His hands shot out (его руки вылетели = он выбросил вперед руки; to shoot out — выскакивать, вылетать) — or at least he willed them to shoot out (или, по крайней мере, он пожелал, чтобы они вылетели). The fingers were curved like talons (пальцы были изогнуты, как когти), but they closed on empty air (но они сомкнулись на пустом воздухе). Swiftness and certitude require strength (стремительность и уверенность требуют силы), and the man had not this strength (а у человека не было этой силы).
Without movement he lay on his back, and he could hear, slowly drawing near and nearer, the wheezing intake and output of the sick wolf's breath. It drew closer, ever closer, through an infinitude of time, and he did not move. It was at his ear. The harsh dry tongue grated like sandpaper against his cheek. His hands shot out — or at least he willed them to shoot out. The fingers were curved like talons, but they closed on empty air. Swiftness and certitude require strength, and the man had not this strength.
The patience of the wolf was terrible (терпение волка было громадным; terrible — внушающий страх, ужас; страшный, ужасный; громадный). The man's patience was no less terrible (терпение человека было не менее громадным). For half a day he lay motionless (полдня он лежал неподвижно), fighting off unconsciousness and waiting for the thing that was to feed upon him (отбиваясь от потери сознания и ожидая тварь, которая должна была съесть его; unconsciousness — патологическое оцепенение, бессознательное состояние; to feed upon — питаться чем-либо) and upon which he wished to feed (и которую желал съесть он). Sometimes the languid sea rose over him and he dreamed long dreams (иногда море апатии накатывало на него, и ему снились долгие сны; languid — слабый, ослабевший; вялый; апатичный, бездеятельный); but ever through it all, waking and dreaming (но постоянно на протяжении всего этого, бодрствующий и грезящий), he waited for the wheezing breath and the harsh caress of the tongue (он ожидал свистящего дыхания и шероховатой ласки языка).
The patience of the wolf was terrible. The man's patience was no less terrible. For half a day he lay motionless, fighting off unconsciousness and waiting for the thing that was to feed upon him and upon which he wished to feed. Sometimes the languid sea rose over him and he dreamed long dreams; but ever through it all, waking and dreaming, he waited for the wheezing breath and the harsh caress of the tongue.
He did not hear the breath (он не услышал дыхания), and he slipped slowly from some dream to the feel of the tongue along his hand (и он медленно и плавно перешел от какого-то сна к ощущению прикосновения языка на руке; to slip — скользить; плавно переходить /из одного состояния в другое, от одного к другому/; feel — ощущение от прикосновения). He waited (он подождал). The fangs pressed softly (клыки мягко нажали); the pressure increased (давление увеличилось); the wolf was exerting its last strength in an effort to sink teeth in the food (волк напрягал свои последние силы в попытке погрузить зубы в пищу) for which it had waited so long (которой он так долго дожидался). But the man had waited long (но человек долго дожидался /этого момента/), and the lacerated hand closed on the jaw (и истерзанная рука сомкнулась на челюсти). Slowly, while the wolf struggled feebly and the hand clutched feebly (медленно, пока волк слабо боролся, а рука слабо сжимала), the other hand crept across to a grip (другая рука подкралась к хватке = чтобы схватить; to creep — ползти). Five minutes later the whole weight of the man's body was on top of the wolf (пять минут спустя весь вес тела человека был = лежал поверх волка; on top of — поверх). The hands had not sufficient strength to choke the wolf (руки не имели = в руках не было достаточно силы, чтобы задушить волка), but the face of the man was pressed close to the throat of the wolf (но лицо человека было прижато близко = вплотную к горлу волка) and the mouth of the man was full of hair (и рот человека был полон шерсти). At the end of half an hour the man was aware of a warm trickle in his throat (по истечении получаса человек ощутил теплую струйку в горле). It was not pleasant (она была неприятной). It was like molten lead being forced into his stomach (она была словно расплавленный свинец, вливаемый ему в желудок; to melt — таять; плавить/ся/; to force — оказывать давление, заставлять, принуждать, запихивать, заталкивать; force — сила; насилие), and it was forced by his will alone (и ее вливали лишь по его воле). Later the man rolled over on his back and slept (позже мужчина перевернулся на спину и заснул).
He did not hear the breath, and he slipped slowly from some dream to the feel of the tongue along his hand. He waited. The fangs pressed softly; the pressure increased; the wolf was exerting its last strength in an effort to sink teeth in the food for which it had waited so long. But the man had waited long, and the lacerated hand closed on the jaw. Slowly, while the wolf struggled feebly and the hand clutched feebly, the other hand crept across to a grip. Five minutes later the whole weight of the man's body was on top of the wolf. The hands had not sufficient strength to choke the wolf, but the face of the man was pressed close to the throat of the wolf and the mouth of the man was full of hair. At the end of half an hour the man was aware of a warm trickle in his throat. It was not pleasant. It was like molten lead being forced into his stomach, and it was forced by his will alone. Later the man rolled over on his back and slept.
There were some members of a scientific expedition on the whale-ship Bedford (на китобойном судне «Бедфорд» было несколько членов научной экспедиции). From the deck they remarked a strange object on the shore (с палубы они заметили странный предмет на берегу). It was moving down the beach toward the water (он двигался вниз по берегу к воде). They were unable to classify it (они не смогли классифицировать его), and, being scientific men (и будучи учеными), they climbed into the whale-boat alongside and went ashore to see (они забрались в вельбот у борта и отправились на берег выяснить). And they saw something that was alive (и они увидели нечто, которое было живым = нечто живое) but which could hardly be called a man (но что едва ли можно было назвать человеком). It was blind, unconscious (оно было незрячим, без сознания). It squirmed along the ground like some monstrous worm (оно двигалось, извиваясь по земле, как какой-то гигантский червь). Most of its efforts were ineffectual (большинство его усилий были бесплодны), but it was persistent (но оно было настойчивым; to persist — настаивать), and it writhed and twisted and went ahead perhaps a score of feet an hour (и оно корчилось, и изгибалось, и двигалось вперед, возможно, /со скоростью/ двадцати футов в час).
There were some members of a scientific expedition on the whale-ship Bedford. From the deck they remarked a strange object on the shore. It was moving down the beach toward the water. They were unable to classify it, and, being scientific men, they climbed into the whale-boat alongside and went ashore to see. And they saw something that was alive but which could hardly be called a man. It was blind, unconscious. It squirmed along the ground like some monstrous worm. Most of its efforts were ineffectual, but it was persistent, and it writhed and twisted and went ahead perhaps a score of feet an hour.