Jack London «Nam-Bok the Unveracious» (8/20)
english-frank.ruДжек Лондон «Нам-Бок — лжец»
"Brother," he began (брат, — начал он), with the smug complacency of a man about to relate the big things he has done (с щеголеватым самодовольством человека, собиравшегося рассказать о значительных делах, которые он совершил), "it was late summer of many summers back (это было в конце лета много лет тому назад), with much such weather as this promises to be (в погоду, очень похожую на ту, которой обещает стать нынешняя), when I went away (когда я ушел). You all remember the day (вы все помните тот день), when the gulls flew low (когда низко летали чайки; to fly), and the wind blew strong from the land (и сильно дул ветер с суши; to blow), and I could not hold my bidarka against it (а я не мог удержать мою байдарку против него). I tied the covering of the bidarka about me (я обвязал оболочку байдарки вокруг себя) so that no water could get in (так, чтобы вовнутрь не попала вода), and all of the night I fought with the storm (и всю ночь я боролся со штормом; to fight — сражаться; бороться). And in the morning there was no land (а утром суши не было = не оказалось), — only the sea (только море), — and the off-shore wind held me close in its arms and bore me along (а ветер с берега цепко держал меня в своих объятиях и нес меня вперед; close — ограниченный, узкий; строго охраняемый; плотный, плотно облегающий; to bear — нести). Three such nights whitened into dawn and showed me no land (три таких ночи превратились в рассвет и не показали суши = а суша не показалась; to whiten — побелеть; бледнеть, побледнеть), and the off-shore wind would not let me go (и ветер с берега не отпускал меня; to let go — отпустить).
"Brother," he began, with the smug complacency of a man about to relate the big things he has done, "it was late summer of many summers back, with much such weather as this promises to be, when I went away. You all remember the day, when the gulls flew low, and the wind blew strong from the land, and I could not hold my bidarka against it. I tied the covering of the bidarka about me so that no water could get in, and all of the night I fought with the storm. And in the morning there was no land, — only the sea, — and the off-shore wind held me close in its arms and bore me along. Three such nights whitened into dawn and showed me no land, and the off-shore wind would not let me go.
"And when the fourth day came (а когда наступил четвертый день), I was as a madman (я был безумцем = обезумел). I could not dip my paddle for want of food (я не мог погрузить весло /обессилев/ из-за отсутствия пищи; for want of — за неимением, за отсутствием, из-за нехватки); and my head went round and round (а моя голова кружилась и кружилась), what of the thirst that was upon me (из-за той жажды, которая навалилась на меня). But the sea was no longer angry (но море больше не сердилось), and the soft south wind was blowing (и дул мягкий южный ветер), and as I looked about me (и когда я оглянулся) I saw a sight that made me think I was indeed mad (я увидел зрелище, которое заставило меня подумать = навело меня на мысль, что я действительно безумен)."
Nam-Bok paused to pick away a sliver of salmon lodged between his teeth (Нам-Бок сделал паузу, чтобы выковырять кусочек лосося, застрявший у него между зубов; to pick away — удалять, снимать; to lodge — застрять), and the men and women, with idle hands and heads craned forward, waited (а мужчины и женщины, вытянув шею с замершими руками, ждали; idle — праздный; неработающий, неиспользуемый, незанятый; to crane — вытянуть шею; crane — журавль, цапля).
"And when the fourth day came, I was as a madman. I could not dip my paddle for want of food; and my head went round and round, what of the thirst that was upon me. But the sea was no longer angry, and the soft south wind was blowing, and as I looked about me I saw a sight that made me think I was indeed mad."
Nam-Bok paused to pick away a sliver of salmon lodged between his teeth, and the men and women, with idle hands and heads craned forward, waited.
"It was a canoe (это было каноэ), a big canoe (большое каноэ). If all the canoes I have ever seen were made into one canoe (если бы из всех каноэ, которые я когда-либо видел, сделали одно каноэ), it would not be so large (оно не было бы таким большим)."
There were exclamations of doubt (были = раздались восклицания сомнения), and Koogah, whose years were many, shook his head (а Куга, которому было много лет, покачал головой).
"If each bidarka were as a grain of sand (если бы каждая байдарка была, как песчинка = размером с песчинку)," Nam-Bok defiantly continued (продолжал вызывающе Нам-Бок; to defy — вызывать, бросать вызов), "and if there were as many bidarkas (и если бы было столько байдарок) as there be grains of sand in this beach (сколько песчинок на этом песчаном берегу), still would they not make so big a canoe as this (все равно они бы не образовали бы = из них не получилось бы такое большое каноэ, как это) I saw on the morning of the fourth day (которое я увидел утром четвертого дня). It was a very big canoe (это было очень большое каноэ), and it was called a schooner (и оно называлось шхуна). I saw this thing of wonder (я увидел, как эта чудесная штуковина = это чудо), this great schooner, coming after me (эта огромная шхуна преследует меня; to come after — преследовать кого-либо, гнаться за кем-либо), and on it I saw men (а на ней я увидел людей) — "
"It was a canoe, a big canoe. If all the canoes I have ever seen were made into one canoe, it would not be so large."
There were exclamations of doubt, and Koogah, whose years were many, shook his head.
"If each bidarka were as a grain of sand," Nam-Bok defiantly continued, "and if there were as many bidarkas as there be grains of sand in this beach, still would they not make so big a canoe as this I saw on the morning of the fourth day. It was a very big canoe, and it was called a schooner. I saw this thing of wonder, this great schooner, coming after me, and on it I saw men — "