Jack London «Nam-Bok the Unveracious» (7/20)

Jack London «Nam-Bok the Unveracious» (7/20)


Джек Лондон «Нам-Бок — лжец»

In despair, when premonitory symptoms warned him (в отчаянии, когда предостерегающие симптомы предупредили его) that his stomach was not so strong as of old (что его желудок не такой крепкий, как раньше; of old — прежде, в прежнее время), he filled his pipe and struck up a smoke (он набил трубку и высек дым = и закурил). The people fed on noisily and watched (люди шумно продолжали есть и наблюдали; to feed — есть, питаться). Few of them could boast of intimate acquaintance with the precious weed (немногие из них могли похвалиться близким знакомством с драгоценным табаком; weed — сорняк; табак), though now and again small quantities and abominable qualities were obtained in trade from the Eskimos to the northward (хотя время от времени малые количества гадкого качества получали при обмене от эскимосов с севера; trade — торговля; обмен). Koogah, sitting next to him (Куга, сидевший рядом с ним) indicated that he was not averse to taking a draw (показал, что он не прочь сделать затяжку; averse — нерасположенный, неохотный; питающий отвращение, антипатию, неприязнь к чему-либо), and between two mouthfuls (и между двумя кусками /пищи/), with the oil thick on his lips (с толстым слоем жира на губах), sucked away at the amber stem (соснул = втянул дым из черенка янтарного цвета; amber — янтарь; цвет янтаря; stem — ствол; черенок). And thereupon Nam-Bok held his stomach with a shaky hand and declined the proffered return (и после этого Нам-Бок сдержал свой желудок трясущейся рукой и отказался от предложенного возврата /трубки/ = взять назад трубку; to proffer — предлагать). Koogah could keep the pipe (Куга может оставить трубку /себе/), he said (сказал он), for he had intended so to honor him from the first (ибо он таким образом намеревался оказать ему честь с самого начала). And the people licked their fingers and approved of his liberality (а люди облизали пальцы и одобрили его щедрость).

 

In despair, when premonitory symptoms warned him that his stomach was not so strong as of old, he filled his pipe and struck up a smoke. The people fed on noisily and watched. Few of them could boast of intimate acquaintance with the precious weed, though now and again small quantities and abominable qualities were obtained in trade from the Eskimos to the northward. Koogah, sitting next to him indicated that he was not averse to taking a draw, and between two mouthfuls, with the oil thick on his lips, sucked away at the amber stem. And thereupon Nam-Bok held his stomach with a shaky hand and declined the proffered return. Koogah could keep the pipe, he said, for he had intended so to honor him from the first. And the people licked their fingers and approved of his liberality.


Opee-Kwan rose to his feet (Опи-Кван поднялся на ноги; to rise). "And now, O Nam-Bok, the feast is ended (а теперь, о Нам-Бок, пир окончен), and we would listen concerning the strange things you have seen (и мы бы послушали об удивительных вещах, которые ты видел)."

The fisherfolk applauded with their hands (народ рыбаков захлопал в ладоши), and gathering about them their work (и, собрав возле себя свою работу), prepared to listen (приготовились слушать). The men were busy fashioning spears and carving on ivory (мужчины занимались тем, что ладили копья и вырезали на моржовой кости; to fashion — подгонять, прилаживать), while the women scraped the fat from the hides of the hair seal (в то время как женщины соскребали жир с тюленьих шкур) and made them pliable or sewed muclucs with threads of sinew (и делали их мягкими или шили муклуки[1] нитями из жил). Nam-Bok's eyes roved over the scene (взгляд Нам-Бока блуждал по этому зрелищу; scene — сцена; место действия; обстановка, окружение; пейзаж, картина, зрелище), but there was not the charm about it that his recollection had warranted him to expect (но в этом не было того очарования, которое давали ему право ожидать его воспоминания; to warrant — подтверждать, гарантировать; давать право, полномочия). During the years of his wandering he had looked forward to just this scene (на протяжении лет его скитаний он с нетерпением ждал именно этой картины), and now that it had come he was disappointed (а теперь, когда она возникла, он был разочарован). It was a bare and meagre life (это была бедная и ограниченная жизнь; meagre — худой, тощий, чахлый; недостаточный; небольшой, скудный; бедный содержанием; ограниченный), he deemed (думал он; to deem — думать, полагать), and not to be compared to the one to which he had become used (и не сравнить ее с той, к которой он привык: «стал привыкший»; used — привыкший). Still, he would open their eyes a bit (однако он немного приоткроет их глаза), and his own eyes sparkled at the thought (и его собственные глаза засверкали при этой мысли).

 

Opee-Kwan rose to his feet. "And now, O Nam-Bok, the feast is ended, and we would listen concerning the strange things you have seen."

The fisherfolk applauded with their hands, and gathering about them their work, prepared to listen. The men were busy fashioning spears and carving on ivory, while the women scraped the fat from the hides of the hair seal and made them pliable or sewed muclucs with threads of sinew. Nam-Bok's eyes roved over the scene, but there was not the charm about it that his recollection had warranted him to expect. During the years of his wandering he had looked forward to just this scene, and now that it had come he was disappointed. It was a bare and meagre life, he deemed, and not to be compared to the one to which he had become used. Still, he would open their eyes a bit, and his own eyes sparkled at the thought.