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

Feverish with desire (горящий желанием; fever – жар, лихорадка), with aching back and stiffening muscles (с ноющей спиной и онемевшими мышцами), with pick and shovel gouging and mauling the soft brown earth (киркой и лопатой долбя и разрывая мягкую коричневую землю), the man toiled up the hill (человек обрабатывал склон). Before him was the smooth slope (перед ним был гладкий склон), spangled with flowers and made sweet with their breath (усеянный цветами и сладкий: «сделанный сладким» от их дыхания). Behind him was devastation (позади него было опустошение). It looked like some terrible eruption breaking out on the smooth skin of the hill (это выглядело как ужасная сыпь, высыпавшая на гладкой коже холма; to break out – покрываться /сыпью и т. д./). His slow progress was like that of a slug (его медленное продвижение было как /продвижение/ слизняка), befouling beauty with a monstrous trail (оскверняющее красоту отвратительным следом; to befoul – пачкать; загрязнять, марать, осквернять; foul – загрязненный, нечистый; monstrous – чудовищный, безобразный, отвратительный /употребляется для эмоциональной оценки действий, поведения, состояния и т. п./).

Though the dipping gold-trace increased the man’s work (хотя углубляющийся золотой след увеличивал работу человека), he found consolation in the increasing richness of the pans (он находил утешение в возрастающем богатстве/насыщенности лотков). Twenty cents (двадцать центов), thirty cents (тридцать центов), fifty cents (пятьдесят центов), sixty cents (шестьдесят центов), were the values of the gold found in the pans (была ценность золота, найденного в лотках), and at nightfall he washed his banner pan (а с наступлением ночи он промыл свой рекордный лоток; banner – знамя; наилучший, показательный), which gave him a dollar’s worth of gold-dust from a shovelful of dirt (который дал ему на доллар золотого песка из полной лопаты грязи; worth – ценность; стоящий).

 Feverish with desire, with aching back and stiffening muscles, with pick and shovel gouging and mauling the soft brown earth, the man toiled up the hill. Before him was the smooth slope, spangled with flowers and made sweet with their breath. Behind him was devastation. It looked like some terrible eruption breaking out on the smooth skin of the hill. His slow progress was like that of a slug, befouling beauty with a monstrous trail.

Though the dipping gold-trace increased the man’s work, he found consolation in the increasing richness of the pans. Twenty cents, thirty cents, fifty cents, sixty cents, were the values of the gold found in the pans, and at nightfall he washed his banner pan, which gave him a dollar’s worth of gold-dust from a shovelful of dirt.

“I’ll just bet it’s my luck to have some inquisitive cuss come buttin’ in here on my pasture (клянусь, повезет мне на какого-нибудь любопытного типа, /который/ придет разнюхивать здесь на моей территории: пастбище; to butt in – вмешиваться),” he mumbled sleepily that night as he pulled the blankets up to his chin (пробормотал он сонно той ночью, натягивая одеяла до подбородка).

Suddenly he sat upright (внезапно он сел прямо). “Bill!” he called sharply (крикнул он резко). “Now, listen to me, Bill (ну-ка, послушай меня); d’ye hear (ты слышишь; d’ye = do you)! It’s up to you, to-morrow mornin’, to mosey round an’ see what you can see (тебе нужно завтра утром порыскать вокруг и посмотреть, что видно; to mosey – бродить, слоняться, шататься). Understand (понял)? To-morrow morning, an’ don’t you forget it (завтра утром, и не забудь)!”

He yawned and glanced across at his side-hill (он зевнул и взглянул на холм). “Good night, Mr. Pocket (спокойной ночи, мистер Карман),” he called (крикнул он).

 “I’ll just bet it’s my luck to have some inquisitive cuss come buttin’ in here on my pasture,” he mumbled sleepily that night as he pulled the blankets up to his chin.

Suddenly he sat upright. “Bill!” he called sharply. “Now, listen to me, Bill; d’ye hear! It’s up to you, to-morrow mornin’, to mosey round an’ see what you can see. Understand? To-morrow morning, an’ don’t you forget it!”

He yawned and glanced across at his side-hill. “Good night, Mr. Pocket,” he called.

In the morning he stole a march on the sun (утром он опередил солнце; to steal a march on – опередить кого-либо, что-либо: «украсть /один/ переход»), for he had finished breakfast when its first rays caught him (так как он закончил завтракать, когда первые лучи застали его; to catch – ловить; заставать, обнаруживать), and he was climbing the wall of the canyon where it crumbled away and gave footing (и он карабкался на скалу каньона, /там/, где она обваливалась и давала опору для ноги; to crumble – сыпаться, обваливаться). From the outlook at the top he found himself in the midst of loneliness (по взгляду с вершины он обнаружил себя в середине одиночества). As far as he could see (насколько он мог видеть), chain after chain of mountains heaved themselves into his vision (гряда за грядой гор высились в /поле/ его зрения; chain – цепь; to heave – поднимать; вздыматься). To the east his eyes (к востоку его глаза), leaping the miles between range and range and between many ranges (перепрыгивая мили между хребтом и хребтом и между многими хребтами), brought up at last against the white-peaked Sierras (остановились наконец на белоснежных вершинах Сьерры) – the main crest (главной горной цепи; crest – гребешок; гребень), where the backbone of the Western world reared itself against the sky (где хребет/позвоночник западного мира упирался в небо; backbone – спинной хребет, позвоночник: «задняя кость»). To the north and south he could see more distinctly the cross-systems (к северу и югу он мог видеть более отчетливо перекрестные системы /гор/) that broke through the main trend of the sea of mountains (которые пробивались через основное направление океана гор). To the west the ranges fell away (к западу хребты отступали), one behind the other (один за другим), diminishing and fading into the gentle foothills (уменьшаясь и исчезая в пологих предгорьях; to fade into – постепенно исчезать, растворяться; gentle – мягкий; пологий) that, in turn (а те, в свою очередь), descended into the great valley which he could not see (спускались в огромную долину, которую он не мог видеть).

 In the morning he stole a march on the sun, for he had finished breakfast when its first rays caught him, and he was climbing the wall of the canyon where it crumbled away and gave footing. From the outlook at the top he found himself in the midst of loneliness. As far as he could see, chain after chain of mountains heaved themselves into his vision. To the east his eyes, leaping the miles between range and range and between many ranges, brought up at last against the white-peaked Sierras – the main crest, where the backbone of the Western world reared itself against the sky. To the north and south he could see more distinctly the cross-systems that broke through the main trend of the sea of mountains. To the west the ranges fell away, one behind the other, diminishing and fading into the gentle foothills that, in turn, descended into the great valley which he could not see.

And in all that mighty sweep of earth (и во всем этом величественном обзоре земли; sweep – обзор, охват; to sweep – мести; охватывать, осматривать; окидывать взглядом) he saw no sign of man nor of the handiwork of man (он не видел ни признака человека, ни творения рук человека; handiwork – ручная работа; что-либо, сделанное вручную) – save only the torn bosom of the hillside at his feet (осталась лишь растерзанная грудь холма у его ног; bosom – грудь, пазуха; save – за исключением; исключая; кроме). The man looked long and carefully (человек смотрел долго и внимательно). Once, far down his own canyon (раз, далеко ниже его собственного каньона), he thought he saw in the air a faint hint of smoke (он подумал, /что/ он увидел в воздухе слабый намек на дым). He looked again and decided (он взглянул снова и решил) that it was the purple haze of the hills made dark by a convolution of the canyon wall at its back (что это была фиолетовая дымка холмов, затемненная изгибом скалы каньона позади; convolution – искривление; изгиб).

“Hey, you, Mr. Pocket (эй ты, мистер Карман)!” he called down into the canyon (крикнул он вниз каньона). “Stand out from under (вылезай оттуда; to stand out – выделяться /на фоне чего-либо/)! I’m a-comin’, Mr. Pocket! I’m a-comin’ (я иду, Мистер Карман, я иду)!”

 And in all that mighty sweep of earth he saw no sign of man nor of the handiwork of man – save only the torn bosom of the hillside at his feet. The man looked long and carefully. Once, far down his own canyon, he thought he saw in the air a faint hint of smoke. He looked again and decided that it was the purple haze of the hills made dark by a convolution of the canyon wall at its back.

“Hey, you, Mr. Pocket!” he called down into the canyon. “Stand out from under! I’m a-comin’, Mr. Pocket! I’m a-comin’!”

The heavy brogans on the man’s feet made him appear clumsy-footed (тяжелые башмаки на ногах человека придавали его ногам неуклюжий вид; brogan – грубый башмак), but he swung down from the giddy height as lightly and airily as a mountain goat (но он спускался с головокружительной высоты так же легко и воздушно, как горный козел; to swing – качаться; идти мерным шагом). A rock, turning under his foot on the edge of the precipice, did not disconcert him (камень, вывернувшийся = выскочивший из-под его ног на краю пропасти, не смутил его; to disconcert – сбивать с толку; смущать). He seemed to know the precise time required for the turn to culminate in disaster (он, казалось, знал точное время, необходимое для поворота, чтобы /тот мог/ закончиться катастрофой; to culminate – достигать кульминации; завершать), and in the meantime he utilized the false footing itself for the momentary earth-contact necessary to carry him on into safety (и в то же время он использовал неверную опору для кратковременного контакта с землей, необходимого, чтобы перенести его в безопасность; to utilize – использовать, употреблять). Where the earth sloped so steeply that it was impossible to stand for a second upright, the man did not hesitate (/там/, где земля опускалась так наклонно, что было невозможно и секунду простоять прямо, человек не колебался). His foot pressed the impossible surface for but a fraction of the fatal second (его нога ступала на невозможную поверхность лишь на долю роковой секунды) and gave him the bound that carried him onward (и сообщала ему прыжок, который выносил его вперед). Again, where even the fraction of a second’s footing was out of the question (опять же, /там/, где даже опора на долю секунды была невозможна; out of the question – вне обсуждения; невозможно, исключено), he would swing his body past by a moment’s hand-grip on a jutting knob of rock (он перебрасывал тело вперед секундным сжатием руками выдающегося выступа скалы), a crevice (расщелины), or a precariously rooted shrub (или непрочно пустившего корни куста; root – корень; to root – пускать корни). At last (наконец), with a wild leap and yell (неистовым прыжком и с криком), he exchanged the face of the wall for an earth-slide (он сменил переднюю часть скалы на оползень; earth – земля; to slide – скользить) and finished the descent in the midst of several tons of sliding earth and gravel (и завершил спуск посреди кучи сыплющейся земли и гальки; several – несколько; tons – куча, множество).

 The heavy brogans on the man’s feet made him appear clumsy-footed, but he swung down from the giddy height as lightly and airily as a mountain goat. A rock, turning under his foot on the edge of the precipice, did not disconcert him. He seemed to know the precise time required for the turn to culminate in disaster, and in the meantime he utilized the false footing itself for the momentary earth-contact necessary to carry him on into safety. Where the earth sloped so steeply that it was impossible to stand for a second upright, the man did not hesitate. His foot pressed the impossible surface for but a fraction of the fatal second and gave him the bound that carried him onward. Again, where even the fraction of a second’s footing was out of the question, he would swing his body past by a moment’s hand-grip on a jutting knob of rock, a crevice, or a precariously rooted shrub. At last, with a wild leap and yell, he exchanged the face of the wall for an earth-slide and finished the descent in the midst of several tons of sliding earth and gravel.

His first pan of the morning washed out over two dollars in coarse gold (его первый лоток утром намыл более двух долларов необработанного золота; coarse – грубый, необработанный). It was from the centre of the “V” (это была /проба/ из центра «V»). To either side the diminution in the values of the pans was swift (по обеим сторонам снижение ценности лотков было стремительным). His lines of cross-cutting holes were growing very short (его ряды поперечных ям становились очень короткими; to grow – расти; делаться, становиться). The converging sides of the inverted “V” were only a few yards apart (сходящиеся стороны перевернутой «V» были только в нескольких ярдах друг от друга; apart – отдельно, на расстоянии). Their meeting-point was only a few yards above him (их точка встречи была только несколькими ярдами выше его: «над ним»). But the pay-streak was dipping deeper and deeper into the earth (но золотой след погружался глубже и глубже в землю). By early afternoon he was sinking the test-holes five feet before the pans could show the gold-trace (к раннему вечеру он выкапывал пробные ямы /на/ пять футов, прежде чем лотки могли показать золотой след; to sink – опускать/ся/, погружать/ся/).

 His first pan of the morning washed out over two dollars in coarse gold. It was from the centre of the “V.” To either side the diminution in the values of the pans was swift. His lines of cross-cutting holes were growing very short. The converging sides of the inverted “V” were only a few yards apart. Their meeting-point was only a few yards above him. But the pay-streak was dipping deeper and deeper into the earth. By early afternoon he was sinking the test-holes five feet before the pans could show the gold-trace.

For that matter (впрочем/и все же; for that matter, for the matter of that – что касается этого; в этом отношении; коли на то пошло), the gold-trace had become something more than a trace (золотой след становился чем-то большим, чем след); it was a placer mine in itself (это был прииск по сути: «в самом себе»), and the man resolved to come back after he had found the pocket and work over the ground (и человек решил вернуться после того, как он обнаружит карман, и обследовать землю; to work over – обследовать; обрабатывать). But the increasing richness of the pans began to worry him (но возрастающее богатство лотков начало беспокоить его). By late afternoon the worth of the pans had grown to three and four dollars (к вечеру ценность лотков взросла до трех и четырех долларов). The man scratched his head perplexedly (человек недоуменно почесал голову; to perplex – ставить в тупик, приводить в недоумение; смущать; ошеломлять, сбивать с толку) and looked a few feet up the hill at the manzanita bush that marked approximately the apex of the “V” (и взглянул несколькими футами вверх по холму на куст толокнянки, который отмечал приблизительно вершину «V»). He nodded his head and said oracularly (он покачал головой и сказал пророчески; oracular – пророческий; загадочный):

“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).

The first cross-cut the man made (первый поперечный ряд, который он сделал), there was space for only three holes (в нем было место только для трех ям), so narrow had become the pay-streak (таким узким стал золотой след) and so close was he to the fountainhead of the golden stream he had been following for four days (и так близко был он к истоку золотого ручья/потока, который он преследовал четыре дня; fountain-head – источник, ключ).

 Sleep came to him in the end, but his eyes were open with the first paling of the stars, and the gray of dawn caught him with breakfast finished and climbing the hillside in the direction of the secret abiding-place of Mr. Pocket.

The first cross-cut the man made, there was space for only three holes, so narrow had become the pay-streak and so close was he to the fountainhead of the golden stream he had been following for four days.

“Be ca’m, Bill; be ca’m (будь спокоен, Билл, будь спокоен; ca’m = calm),” he admonished himself (увещевал он себя), as he broke ground for the final hole where the sides of the “V” had at last come together in a point (начав копать землю для последней ямы, где стороны «V», наконец, сошлись в одной точке; to break – ломать; вскапывать).

“I’ve got the almighty cinch on you, Mr. Pocket (вы мне попались, мистер Карман; to have a cinch on smb. – держать кого-либо в узде; almighty – сильный, всемогущий), an’ you can’t lose me (и вы никуда не денетесь; to lose – отделываться, освобождаться),” he said many times as he sank the hole deeper and deeper (сказал он много раз, выкапывая: «опуская» яму /все/ глубже и глубже).

Four feet (четыре фута), five feet (пять футов), six feet (шесть футов), he dug his way down into the earth (выкапывал он свой путь вниз; to dig – копать). The digging grew harder (копать становилось труднее). His pick grated on broken rock (его кирка скрипнула, /натолкнувшись/ на раздробленную /горную/ породу; rock – скала; горная порода). He examined the rock (он осмотрел породу).

 “Be ca’m, Bill; be ca’m,” he admonished himself, as he broke ground for the final hole where the sides of the “V” had at last come together in a point.

“I’ve got the almighty cinch on you, Mr. Pocket, an’ you can’t lose me,” he said many times as he sank the hole deeper and deeper.

Four feet, five feet, six feet, he dug his way down into the earth. The digging grew harder. His pick grated on broken rock. He examined the rock.

“Rotten quartz (рыхлый кварц; rotten – гнилой, прогнивший; мягкий, податливый, рыхлый /о почве и. т. п./; to rot – гнить),” was his conclusion as, with the shovel, he cleared the bottom of the hole of loose dirt (был его вывод, когда лопатой он очистил дно ямы от обвалившейся земли; loose – свободный, неприкрепленный). He attacked the crumbling quartz with the pick (он набросился на крошащийся кварц с киркой; to crumble – крошиться), bursting the disintegrating rock asunder with every stroke (разламывая распадающуюся породу на части с каждым ударом; to disintegrate – раздроблять, размельчать; asunder – на куски, на части). He thrust his shovel into the loose mass (он вонзил лопату в рыхлую массу). His eye caught a gleam of yellow (его глаза уловили проблеск желтого). He dropped the shovel and squatted suddenly on his heels (он уронил лопату и внезапно сел на корточки; to squat – садиться на корточки; heel – пятка). As a farmer rubs the clinging earth from fresh-dug potatoes (как фермер счищает налипшую землю со свежевырытой картошки), so the man (так и человек), a piece of rotten quartz held in both hands (держа в обоих руках кусок рыхлого кварца), rubbed the dirt away (счищал грязь/землю).

“Sufferin’ Sardanopolis (черт возьми, Сарданапал; suffering – страдающий; suffering cat/s/ – черт! вот ведь!)!” he cried (крикнул он). “Lumps an’ chunks of it! Lumps an’ chunks of it (куски и кусища его; lump, chunk – крупный кусок)!”

 “Rotten quartz,” was his conclusion as, with the shovel, he cleared the bottom of the hole of loose dirt. He attacked the crumbling quartz with the pick, bursting the disintegrating rock asunder with every stroke. He thrust his shovel into the loose mass. His eye caught a gleam of yellow. He dropped the shovel and squatted suddenly on his heels. As a farmer rubs the clinging earth from fresh-dug potatoes, so the man, a piece of rotten quartz held in both hands, rubbed the dirt away.

“Sufferin’ Sardanopolis!” he cried. “Lumps an’ chunks of it! Lumps an’ chunks of it!”

It was only half rock he held in his hand (это был только наполовину камень, /то/, что он держал в руке). The other half was virgin gold (остальная половина была самородное золото; virgin – девственный; самородный /о металле/). He dropped it into his pan and examined another piece (он бросил его в лоток и обследовал другой обломок; to drop – капать; ронять; бросать). Little yellow was to be seen (немного желтого показалось), but with his strong fingers he crumbled the rotten quartz away (но своими сильными пальцами он крошил рыхлый кварц) till both hands were filled with glowing yellow (пока обе руки не были наполнены сверкающим золотом; yellow – желтый; предмет желтого цвета; to glow – светиться, сверкать; быть ярким, светлым /о красках, цвете/). He rubbed the dirt away from fragment after fragment (он счищал грязь с куска за куском), tossing them into the gold-pan (швыряя их в лоток). It was a treasure-hole (это была сокровищница; treasure – сокровище; hole – дыра; нора). So much had the quartz rotted away (так сильно распался кварц; to rot away – гнить, портиться) that there was less of it than there was of gold (что его было меньше, чем золота). Now and again he found a piece to which no rock clung (время от времени он находил кусок, в котором не содержалось породы; to cling – крепко держаться, прилипать) – a piece that was all gold (кусок, который был весь золотым). A chunk, where the pick had laid open the heart of the gold (кусок, где кирка обнажила золотое сердце), glittered like a handful of yellow jewels (сверкал, как горсть желтых драгоценных камней), and he cocked his head at it and slowly turned it around and over to observe the rich play of the light upon it (и он приподнял свою голову над ним и медленно поворачивал его из стороны в сторону, чтобы рассмотреть роскошную игру света на нем; to cock – поднимать кверху).

 It was only half rock he held in his hand. The other half was virgin gold. He dropped it into his pan and examined another piece. Little yellow was to be seen, but with his strong fingers he crumbled the rotten quartz away till both hands were filled with glowing yellow. He rubbed the dirt away from fragment after fragment, tossing them into the gold-pan. It was a treasure-hole. So much had the quartz rotted away that there was less of it than there was of gold. Now and again he found a piece to which no rock clung – a piece that was all gold. A chunk, where the pick had laid open the heart of the gold, glittered like a handful of yellow jewels, and he cocked his head at it and slowly turned it around and over to observe the rich play of the light upon it.

“Talk about yer Too Much Gold diggin’s (говорите, что у вас слишком много золотых приисков)!” the man snorted contemptuously (человек хмыкнул презрительно; contempt – презрение). “Why, this diggin’ ’d make it look like thirty cents (в сравнении с этим прииском им цена тридцать центов: «этот прииск заставил бы это выглядеть как тридцать центов»). This diggin’ is All Gold (этот прииск – сплошное золото). An’ right here an’ now I name this yere canyon ‘All Gold Canyon,’ b’ gosh (и здесь и сейчас я назову этот каньон «Золотой каньон», черт возьми; b’ gosh = by gosh)!”

Still squatting on his heels (все еще сидя на корточках), he continued examining the fragments and tossing them into the pan (он продолжал рассматривать кусок за куском и бросать их в лоток). Suddenly there came to him a premonition of danger (внезапно к нему пришло предчувствие опасности; premonition – предупреждение; предчувствие). It seemed a shadow had fallen upon him (показалось, тень упала на него). But there was no shadow (но тени не было). His heart had given a great jump up into his throat and was choking him (его сердце подскочило к горлу и стало душить: «было душившим» его; to choke – душить, сдавливать). Then his blood slowly chilled (его кровь медленно похолодела) and he felt the sweat of his shirt cold against his flesh (и он почувствовал, как холодеет от пота рубашка на его теле).

 “Talk about yer Too Much Gold diggin’s!” the man snorted contemptuously. “Why, this diggin’ ’d make it look like thirty cents. This diggin’ is All Gold. An’ right here an’ now I name this yere canyon 'All Gold Canyon,' b’ gosh!”

Still squatting on his heels, he continued examining the fragments and tossing them into the pan. Suddenly there came to him a premonition of danger. It seemed a shadow had fallen upon him. But there was no shadow. His heart had given a great jump up into his throat and was choking him. Then his blood slowly chilled and he felt the sweat of his shirt cold against his flesh.

He did not spring up nor look around (он не выпрямился и не оглянулся вокруг). He did not move (он не шелохнулся: «не двинулся»). He was considering the nature of the premonition he had received (он обдумывал/рассматривал природу предостережения, которое он получил), trying to locate the source of the mysterious force that had warned him (пытаясь определить источник таинственной силы, которая предупредила его), striving to sense the imperative presence of the unseen thing that threatened him (пытаясь осознать настоятельное присутствие невидимого предмета, который угрожал ему). There is an aura of things hostile (у вещей, которые враждебны нам, есть аура), made manifest by messengers too refined for the senses to know (делающаяся явной через посланцев, слишком тонких для восприятия); and this aura he felt (и эту ауру он чувствовал), but knew not how he felt it (но не знал, как он ее чувствовал). His was the feeling as when a cloud passes over the sun (его ощущение было подобным тому, как когда облако набегает на солнце). It seemed that between him and life had passed something dark (казалось, что между ним и жизнью пронеслось что-то темное) and smothering (и удушливое; to smother – душить, вызвать приступ удушья) and menacing (и зловещее; to menace – грозить, запугивать, пугать, угрожать); a gloom, as it were, that swallowed up life and made for death (мрак, так сказать, который поглотил жизнь и направлялся к смерти; to make for – направляться) – his death (его смерти).

 He did not spring up nor look around. He did not move. He was considering the nature of the premonition he had received, trying to locate the source of the mysterious force that had warned him, striving to sense the imperative presence of the unseen thing that threatened him. There is an aura of things hostile, made manifest by messengers too refined for the senses to know; and this aura he felt, but knew not how he felt it. His was the feeling as when a cloud passes over the sun. It seemed that between him and life had passed something dark and smothering and menacing; a gloom, as it were, that swallowed up life and made for death – his death.