It struck him as curious that he could run at all on feet so frozen that he could not feel them when they struck the earth and took the weight of his body. He seemed to himself to skim along above the surface, and to have no connection with the earth. Somewhere he had once seen a winged Mercury, and he wondered if Mercury felt as he felt when skimming over the earth.
His theory of running until he reached camp and the boys had one flaw in it: he lacked the endurance. Several times he stumbled, and finally he tottered, crumpled up, and fell. When he tried to rise, he failed. He must sit and rest, he decided, and next time he would merely walk and keep on going. As he sat and regained his breath, he noted that he was feeling quite warm and comfortable. He was not shivering, and it even seemed that a warm glow had come to his chest and trunk. And yet, when he touched his nose or cheeks, there was no sensation. Running would not thaw them out. Nor would it thaw out his hands and feet. Then the thought came to him that the frozen portions of his body must be extending. He tried to keep this thought down, to forget it, to think of something else; he was aware of the panicky feeling that it caused, and he was afraid of the panic. But the thought asserted itself, and persisted, until it produced a vision of his body totally frozen. This was too much, and he made another wild run along the trail. Once he slowed down to a walk, but the thought of the freezing extending itself made him run again.
And all the time the dog ran with him, at his heels (и все это время собака бежала с = за ним по пятам). When he fell down a second time (когда он упал /во/ второй раз), it curled its tail over its forefeet (она обвила свой хвост вокруг передних лап) and sat in front of him, facing him (и сидела перед ним, смотря ему в лицо), curiously eager and intent (необычайно энергичная и внимательная). The warmth and security of the animal angered him (тепло и безопасность животного, /защищенного шкурой/, рассердили его), and he cursed it till it flattened down its ears appeasingly (и он ругал собаку: «ее» до тех пор, пока она /не/ прижала смиренно свои уши; to flatten — выравнивать/ся/; расплющивать; повалить, примять; down — вниз; to appease — успокаивать; потакать, ублажать; облегчать /боль, горе/). This time the shivering came more quickly upon the man (/на/ этот раз дрожь овладела человеком быстрее; to come upon — натолкнуться; охватывать; нападать). He was losing in his battle with the frost (он проигрывал в своей битве с морозом). It was creeping into his body from all sides (он пробирался в его тело со всех сторон; to creep — ползти; подкрадываться). The thought of it drove him on (мысль об этом гнала его вперед; on — в качестве наречия указывает на продолжение или развитие действия), but he ran no more than a hundred feet (но он пробежал не более ста футов; than — чем), when he staggered and pitched headlong (когда зашатался и нырнул носом /в снег/; to pitch — разбивать /лагерь, палатки/; бросать; падать; погружаться; headlong — головой, носом вперед). It was his last panic (это была его последняя паника). When he had recovered his breath and control (когда он отдышался и стал владеть собой: «возвратил свое дыхание и самообладание»), he sat up and entertained in his mind (он сел прямо и /стал/ обдумывать: «рассматривать в своем уме»; to sit up — приподняться и сесть; сидеть прямо; выпрямиться; to entertain — развлекать; принимать /гостей/; рассматривать) the conception of meeting death with dignity (идею о /том, чтобы/ встретить смерть с достоинством; conception — концепция; понятие). However, the conception did not come to him in such terms (однако, эта идея не пришла к нему в подобном виде: «в таких выражениях»). His idea of it was that he had been making a fool of himself (его идея была /в том/, что /до этого/ он вел себя как дурак; to make a fool of oneself — поставить себя в глупое положение, свалять дурака), running around like a chicken with its head cut off (бегая туда-сюда как цыпленок/курица с отрезанной головой) — such was the simile that occurred to him (таким было сравнение, которое пришло ему на ум). Well, he was bound to freeze anyway (что ж, он был обречен замерзнуть так или иначе; bound to do smth. — непременный, обязательный) and he might as well take it decently (почему бы ему не принять это надлежащим образом; may/might as well — не мешало бы; пожалуй; почему бы не; decently — порядочно, прилично; благопристойно). With this new-found peace of mind (с этим вновь обретенным душевным спокойствием; mind — ум; настроение, расположение духа) came the first glimmerings of drowsiness (пришли первые слабые проявления: «проблески» дремоты). A good idea, he thought, to sleep off to death (хорошая идея, подумал он, заснуть насмерть; to sleep off — проспаться и избавиться от чего-либо). It was like taking an anaesthetic (это было словно под наркозом; to take — брать; потреблять, принимать внутрь; anaesthetic = anesthetic — анестетик, обезболивающее средство). Freezing was not so bad as people thought (замерзнуть /насмерть/ было не так /уж и/ плохо, как думали люди). There were lots worse ways to die (бывает смерть и похуже: «было множество более плохих способов умереть»).
And all the time the dog ran with him, at his heels. When he fell down a second time, it curled its tail over its forefeet and sat in front of him, facing him, curiously eager and intent. The warmth and security of the animal angered him, and he cursed it till it flattened down its ears appeasingly. This time the shivering came more quickly upon the man. He was losing in his battle with the frost. It was creeping into his body from all sides. The thought of it drove him on, but he ran no more than a hundred feet, when he staggered and pitched headlong. It was his last panic. When he had recovered his breath and control, he sat up and entertained in his mind the conception of meeting death with dignity. However, the conception did not come to him in such terms. His idea of it was that he had been making a fool of himself, running around like a chicken with its head cut off — such was the simile that occurred to him. Well, he was bound to freeze anyway, and he might as well take it decently. With this new-found peace of mind came the first glimmerings of drowsiness. A good idea, he thought, to sleep off to death. It was like taking an anaesthetic. Freezing was not so bad as people thought. There were lots worse ways to die.
He pictured the boys finding his body next day (он представил себе ребят, находящих его тело /на/ следующий день; to picture — рисовать; обрисовывать; воображать). Suddenly he found himself with them (неожиданно он оказался с ними = обнаружил себя среди них), coming along the trail and looking for himself (идущим по тропе и разыскивающим самого себя). And, still with them, he came around a turn in the trail (и все еще с ними он обогнул поворот на тропе; to come around — обходить) and found himself lying in the snow (и нашел себя, лежащего в снегу). He did not belong with himself any more (он больше не был связан сам с собой; to belong with — быть связанным с), for even then he was out of himself (ибо тогда он был вне своего тела: «вне себя»; even — даже; и; точно, как раз), standing with the boys and looking at himself in the snow (стоя /рядом/ с ребятами и смотря на себя самого в снегу). It certainly was cold, was his thought (несомненно, было /очень/ холодно, думал он: «была его мысль»). When he got back to the States (когда он вернется в Штаты) he could tell the folks what real cold was (он сможет рассказать своим, что такое настоящий холод; folks — семья, домочадцы, родня). He drifted on from this to a vision of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek (он плавно перешел с этого на образ того старожила на Салфур-Крике; to drift — дрейфовать; on — в качестве наречия указывает на продолжение или развитие действия). He could see him quite clearly (он мог видеть его довольно ясно), warm and comfortable, and smoking a pipe (в тепле и уюте, курящего трубку; warm — теплый; comfortable — уютный, удобный; спокойный; довольный).
