Английский с Джеком Лондоном. Золотой каньон. Рассказы / Jack London. All Gold Canyon. Stories

“It’s one o’ two things, Bill; one o’ two things (это одно из двух, Билл; одно из двух). Either Mr. Pocket’s spilled himself all out an’ down the hill (либо мистер Карман рассыпал себя по всему склону), or else Mr. Pocket’s that damned rich you maybe won’t be able to carry him all away with you (или мистер Карман так чертовски богат, /что/ ты, возможно, не сможешь унести его всего с собой; either… or /else/ – или… или). And that ’d be hell, wouldn’t it, now (вот это будет кошмар, не так ли)?” He chuckled at contemplation of so pleasant a dilemma (он издал смешок, решая такую приятную дилемму; to chuckle – /радостно/ хихикнуть; to contemplate – обдумывать, размышлять).

 For that matter, the gold-trace had become something more than a trace; it was a placer mine in itself, and the man resolved to come back after he had found the pocket and work over the ground. But the increasing richness of the pans began to worry him. By late afternoon the worth of the pans had grown to three and four dollars. The man scratched his head perplexedly and looked a few feet up the hill at the manzanita bush that marked approximately the apex of the “V.” He nodded his head and said oracularly:

“It’s one o’ two things, Bill; one o’ two things. Either Mr. Pocket’s spilled himself all out an’ down the hill, or else Mr. Pocket’s that damned rich you maybe won’t be able to carry him all away with you. And that ’d be hell, wouldn’t it, now?” He chuckled at contemplation of so pleasant a dilemma.

Nightfall found him by the edge of the stream (сумерки застали его у берега ручья), his eyes wrestling with the gathering darkness over the washing of a five-dollar pan (/при этом/ его глаза боролись со сгущающейся темнотой над промывкой пятидолларового лотка).

“Wisht I had an electric light to go on working (жаль, у меня нет электрического фонарика, чтобы продолжать работать),” he said.

He found sleep difficult that night (у него плохо получалось заснуть той ночью: «он нашел сон трудным той ночью»). Many times he composed himself and closed his eyes for slumber to overtake him (много раз он успокаивал себя и закрывал глаза, чтобы дремота овладела им; to compose oneself – успокаиваться; to compose – составлять; успокаивать/ся/; улаживать); but his blood pounded with too strong desire (но его кровь стучала от слишком сильного желания), and as many times his eyes opened and he murmured wearily (и столь же много раз его глаза открывались, и он бормотал устало), “Wisht it was sun-up (был бы уже рассвет: «я желал бы…»; wisht = wished).”

 Nightfall found him by the edge of the stream, his eyes wrestling with the gathering darkness over the washing of a five-dollar pan.

“Wisht I had an electric light to go on working,” he said.

He found sleep difficult that night. Many times he composed himself and closed his eyes for slumber to overtake him; but his blood pounded with too strong desire, and as many times his eyes opened and he murmured wearily, “Wisht it was sun-up.”

Sleep came to him in the end (сон пришел к нему наконец), but his eyes were open with the first paling of the stars (но его глаза открылись с первыми побледневшими звездами: «с первым побледнением звезд»; to pale – бледнеть, терять яркость), and the gray of dawn caught him with breakfast finished (и сумрак рассвета застал его покончившим с завтраком) and climbing the hillside in the direction of the secret abiding-place of Mr. Pocket (и взбирающимся на склон в направлении таинственного местонахождения мистера Кармана; to abide – обитать, проживать).