The morning broke in one sheet of pale yellow behind the green hills, and the booming stopped with the first ray, as though the light had been an order. Before Little Toomai had got the ringing out of his head, before even he had shifted his position, there was not an elephant in sight except Kala Nag, Pudmini, and the elephant with the rope-galls, and there was neither sign nor rustle nor whisper down the hillsides to show where the others had gone.
Little Toomai stared again and again (Маленький Тумаи вглядывался снова и снова; to stare – пристально смотреть, вглядываться). The clearing, as he remembered it, had grown in the night (расчищенный участок, насколько он запомнил его /прежде/, вырос = расширился за эту ночь; to grow – расти, вырастать). More trees stood in the middle of it (в середине его стояло больше деревьев), but the undergrowth and the jungle grass at the sides had been rolled back (но подлесье и трава джунглей по краям откатились = отодвинулись назад; to roll – катить/ся/; to roll back – откатывать/ся/ назад). Little Toomai stared once more (Маленький Тумаи вгляделся еще раз). Now he understood the trampling (теперь он понял /смысл/ топанья). The elephants had stamped out more room (слоны вытоптали больший участок земли; to stamp out – затаптывать, вытаптывать; room – комната; пространство) – had stamped the thick grass and juicy cane to trash (вытоптали густую траву и сочный тростник, /превратив их/ в мусор; trash – хлам, мусор), the trash into slivers (этот мусор в узкие полоски; sliver – длинная узкая полоска /чего-либо/), the slivers into tiny fibers (узкие полоски в крошечные волокна; fiber – волокно, волосок), and the fibers into hard earth (а волокна /вдавили/ в почву: «/превратили/ в твердую землю»; earth – земля, суша; почва).
Little Toomai stared again and again. The clearing, as he remembered it, had grown in the night. More trees stood in the middle of it, but the undergrowth and the jungle grass at the sides had been rolled back. Little Toomai stared once more. Now he understood the trampling. The elephants had stamped out more room – had stamped the thick grass and juicy cane to trash, the trash into slivers, the slivers into tiny fibers, and the fibers into hard earth.
“Wah (вах)!” said Little Toomai, and his eyes were very heavy (и его глаза = веки отяжелели). “Kala Nag, my lord, let us keep by Pudmini and go to Petersen Sahib’s camp (Кала Наг, господин мой, будем держаться близ Падмини и пойдем к лагерю Петерсену Сахиба; to keep – держать; держаться, оставаться), or I shall drop from thy neck (а то я упаду с твоей шеи).”