"That is nothing." Nam-Bok shrugged his shoulders in belittling fashion. "As our houses are to that house, so that house was to the houses I was yet to see."

"And they are not big men ?"

"Nay; mere men like you and me," Nam-Bok answered. "I had cut a stick that I might walk in comfort, and remembering that I was to bring report to you, my brothers, I cut a notch in the stick for each person who lived in that house. And I stayed there many days, and worked, for which they gave me money — a thing of which you know nothing, but which is very good.

"And one day I departed from that place to go farther into the land (и однажды я ушел из того места, чтобы отправиться дальше вглубь суши). And as I walked I met many people (и по мере того как я шел, я встречал много людей), and I cut smaller notches in the stick (и я стал делать на палке зарубки поменьше), that there might be room for all (чтобы хватило места для всех). Then I came upon a strange thing (потом я наткнулся на странную вещь). On the ground before me was a bar of iron (на земле передо мной лежала полоса железа), as big in thickness as my arm (толщиной с мою руку), and a long step away was another bar of iron (а на расстоянии длинного шага от него лежала еще одна железная полоса) — "

"Then wert thou a rich man (тогда ты был богач = стал богачом)," Opee-Kwan asserted (заявил Опи-Кван); "for iron be worth more than anything else in the world (ведь железо стоит больше, чем что-либо еще в мире = ведь железо дороже всего в мире; worth — стоящий /сколько-либо/). It would have made many knives (из него получилось бы много ножей)."

"And one day I departed from that place to go farther into the land. And as I walked I met many people, and I cut smaller notches in the stick, that there might be room for all. Then I came upon a strange thing. On the ground before me was a bar of iron, as big in thickness as my arm, and a long step away was another bar of iron — "

"Then wert thou a rich man," Opee-Kwan asserted; "for iron be worth more than anything else in the world. It would have made many knives."

"Nay, it was not mine (нет, оно было не мое)."

"It was a find, and a find be lawful (это была находка, а находка законна = а находка по закону твоя)."

"Not so; the white men had placed it there (не так = нет, белые люди положили ее там). And further, these bars were so long (а кроме того эти полосы были такими длинными) that no man could carry them away (что ни один человек не смог бы унести их; to carry away — уносить) — so long that as far as I could see there was no end to them (такими длинными, что насколько я видел, не было им конца)."

"Nam-Bok, that is very much iron (Нам-Бок, это очень много железа)," Opee-Kwan cautioned (предостерег Опи-Кван).

"Ay, it was hard to believe with my own eyes upon it (да, этому было трудно поверить, хотя мои собственные глаза /смотрели/ на это); but I could not gainsay my eyes (но я не мог противоречить = не верить моим глазам). And as I looked I heard (и когда я смотрел, я услышал) ..." He turned abruptly upon the head man (он резко повернулся к старейшине). "Opee-Kwan, thou hast heard the sea-lion bellow in his anger (Опи-Кван, ты слышал, как ревет морской лев в гневе; sea-lion — морской лев; сивуч). Make it plain in thy mind of as many sea-lions as there be waves to the sea (просто представь себе в уме столько морских львов, сколько волн в море; to make — делать; представлять; описывать; прикидывать), and make it plain that all these sea-lions be made into one sea-lion (и представь, что все эти морские львы превратились в одного морского льва; to make into — превращать во /что-либо/), and as that one sea-lion would bellow (и как ревел бы этот морской лев) so bellowed the thing I heard (так ревела та штуковина, которую я услышал)."

"Nay, it was not mine."

"It was a find, and a find be lawful."

"Not so; the white men had placed it there. And further, these bars were so long that no man could carry them away — so long that as far as I could see there was no end to them."

"Nam-Bok, that is very much iron," Opee-Kwan cautioned.

"Ay, it was hard to believe with my own eyes upon it; but I could not gainsay my eyes. And as I looked I heard ..." He turned abruptly upon the head man. "Opee-Kwan, thou hast heard the sea-lion bellow in his anger. Make it plain in thy mind of as many sea-lions as there be waves to the sea, and make it plain that all these sea-lions be made into one sea-lion, and as that one sea-lion would bellow so bellowed the thing I heard."

The fisherfolk cried aloud in astonishment (рыбачий народ завопил во все горло в изумлении), and Opee-Kwan's jaw lowered and remained lowered (а /нижняя/ челюсть Опи-Квана отвисла и осталась отвисшей = висеть; to lower — спускать/ся/, опускать/ся/).

"And in the distance I saw a monster like unto a thousand whales (и вдали я увидел чудище, словно тысяча китов). It was one-eyed (оно было одноглазым), and vomited smoke (и изрыгало дым), and it snorted with exceeding loudness (и оно храпело со страшным шумом; to snort — храпеть /о лошади и др. животных/; пыхтеть /о машине, часто о паровозе/; exceeding — безмерный, необъятный, огромный, чрезмерный; to exceed — превышать; переступать пределы, границы; выходить за пределы). I was afraid and ran with shaking legs along the path between the bars (я испугался и побежал трясущимися ногами по пути между полосами). But it came with the speed of the wind (но оно приближалось со скоростью ветра), this monster (это чудище), and I leaped the iron bars with its breath hot on my face (и я соскочил с железных полос, а его горячее дыхание /обожгло/ мне лицо) ..."

The fisherfolk cried aloud in astonishment, and Opee-Kwan's jaw lowered and remained lowered.

"And in the distance I saw a monster like unto a thousand whales. It was one-eyed, and vomited smoke, and it snorted with exceeding loudness. I was afraid and ran with shaking legs along the path between the bars. But it came with the speed of the wind, this monster, and I leaped the iron bars with its breath hot on my face ..."

Opee-Kwan gained control of his jaw again (Опи-Кван снова приобрел власть над своей челюстью; control — управление; власть; надзор). "And — and then, O Nam-Bok (а — а потом, о Нам-Бок)?"

"Then it came by on the bars, and harmed me not (потом оно пронеслось мимо по полосам и не причинило мне вреда); and when my legs could hold me up again (а когда мои ноги снова могли держать меня в стоячем положении: «держать меня вверху») it was gone from sight (оно уже пропало из виду). And it is a very common thing in that country (и это очень обычное явление в той стране). Even the women and children are not afraid (даже женщины и дети не боятся). Men make them to do work, these monsters (люди заставляют их работать, этих монстров)."

"As we make our dogs do work (как мы заставляем работать наших собак)?" Koogah asked, with sceptic twinkle in his eye (спросил Куга со скептическим блеском во взгляде; twinkle — огонек, блеск в глазах).

"Ay, as we make our dogs do work (да, как мы заставляем работать наших собак)."

Opee-Kwan gained control of his jaw again. "And — and then, O Nam-Bok?"

"Then it came by on the bars, and harmed me not; and when my legs could hold me up again it was gone from sight. And it is a very common thing in that country. Even the women and children are not afraid. Men make them to do work, these monsters."