In despair, when premonitory symptoms warned him that his stomach was not so strong as of old, he filled his pipe and struck up a smoke. The people fed on noisily and watched. Few of them could boast of intimate acquaintance with the precious weed, though now and again small quantities and abominable qualities were obtained in trade from the Eskimos to the northward. Koogah, sitting next to him indicated that he was not averse to taking a draw, and between two mouthfuls, with the oil thick on his lips, sucked away at the amber stem. And thereupon Nam-Bok held his stomach with a shaky hand and declined the proffered return. Koogah could keep the pipe, he said, for he had intended so to honor him from the first. And the people licked their fingers and approved of his liberality.

Opee-Kwan rose to his feet (Опи-Кван поднялся на ноги; to rise). "And now, O Nam-Bok, the feast is ended (а теперь, о Нам-Бок, пир окончен), and we would listen concerning the strange things you have seen (и мы бы послушали об удивительных вещах, которые ты видел)."

The fisherfolk applauded with their hands (народ рыбаков захлопал в ладоши), and gathering about them their work (и, собрав возле себя свою работу), prepared to listen (приготовились слушать). The men were busy fashioning spears and carving on ivory (мужчины занимались тем, что ладили копья и вырезали на моржовой кости; to fashion — подгонять, прилаживать), while the women scraped the fat from the hides of the hair seal (в то время как женщины соскребали жир с тюленьих шкур) and made them pliable or sewed muclucs with threads of sinew (и делали их мягкими или шили муклуки^[1] нитями из жил). Nam-Bok's eyes roved over the scene (взгляд Нам-Бока блуждал по этому зрелищу; scene — сцена; место действия; обстановка, окружение; пейзаж, картина, зрелище), but there was not the charm about it that his recollection had warranted him to expect (но в этом не было того очарования, которое давали ему право ожидать его воспоминания; to warrant — подтверждать, гарантировать; давать право, полномочия). During the years of his wandering he had looked forward to just this scene (на протяжении лет его скитаний он с нетерпением ждал именно этой картины), and now that it had come he was disappointed (а теперь, когда она возникла, он был разочарован). It was a bare and meagre life (это была бедная и ограниченная жизнь; meagre — худой, тощий, чахлый; недостаточный; небольшой, скудный; бедный содержанием; ограниченный), he deemed (думал он; to deem — думать, полагать), and not to be compared to the one to which he had become used (и не сравнить ее с той, к которой он привык: «стал привыкший»; used — привыкший). Still, he would open their eyes a bit (однако он немного приоткроет их глаза), and his own eyes sparkled at the thought (и его собственные глаза засверкали при этой мысли).

Opee-Kwan rose to his feet. "And now, O Nam-Bok, the feast is ended, and we would listen concerning the strange things you have seen."

The fisherfolk applauded with their hands, and gathering about them their work, prepared to listen. The men were busy fashioning spears and carving on ivory, while the women scraped the fat from the hides of the hair seal and made them pliable or sewed muclucs with threads of sinew. Nam-Bok's eyes roved over the scene, but there was not the charm about it that his recollection had warranted him to expect. During the years of his wandering he had looked forward to just this scene, and now that it had come he was disappointed. It was a bare and meagre life, he deemed, and not to be compared to the one to which he had become used. Still, he would open their eyes a bit, and his own eyes sparkled at the thought.

"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."