Rasmunsen staggered. He felt as though some one had struck him an astounding blow between the eyes. The walls of the cabin reeled and tilted up. He put out his hand to steady himself and rested it on the stove. The sharp pain and the smell of the burning flesh brought him back to himself.

"I see," he said slowly, fumbling in his pocket for the sack. "You want your money back." "It ain't the money," the man said, "but hadn't you got any eggs — good?" Rasmunsen shook his head. "You'd better take the money."

But the man refused and backed away. "I'll come back," he said, "when you've taken stock, and get what's comin'."

Rasmunsen rolled the chopping-block into the cabin and carried in the eggs (Расмунсен вкатил в хижину колоду и внес яйца). He went about it quite calmly (он взялся за это довольно спокойно; to go about — приступать, начинать). He took up the hand-axe (он поднял топорик; hand-axe — топор с коротким топорищем), and, one by one, chopped the eggs in half (и одно за другим разрубал яйца пополам). These halves he examined carefully and let fall to the floor (эти половинки он тщательно осматривал и бросал на пол). At first he sampled from the different cases (поначалу он брал образцы из разных ящиков), then deliberately emptied one case at a time (потом сознательно опорожнял один ящик за раз). The heap on the floor grew larger (груда на полу становилась больше). The coffee boiled over (кофе перекипел и сбежал; to boil over — перекипеть, уходить через край) and the smoke of the burning beefsteak filled the cabin (и запах горелого бифштекса заполнил хибару). He chopped steadfastly and monotonously (он рубил непреклонно и монотонно) till the last case was finished (пока не закончился последний ящик).

Rasmunsen rolled the chopping-block into the cabin and carried in the eggs. He went about it quite calmly. He took up the hand-axe, and, one by one, chopped the eggs in half. These halves he examined carefully and let fall to the floor. At first he sampled from the different cases, then deliberately emptied one case at a time. The heap on the floor grew larger. The coffee boiled over and the smoke of the burning beefsteak filled the cabin. He chopped steadfastly and monotonously till the last case was finished.

Somebody knocked at the door (кто-то постучал в дверь), knocked again, and let himself in (постучал снова и позволил себе войти; to let in — впускать).

"What a mess (какой бардак; mess — беспорядок; путаница, неразбериха)!" he remarked (заметил он), as he paused and surveyed the scene (когда остановился и осмотрел место действия).

The severed eggs were beginning to thaw in the heat of the stove (разрубленные яйца начинали оттаивать в тепле от плитки), and a miserable odor was growing stronger (и неприятный запашок становился сильнее; odor — запах /обычно неприятный/; miserable — жалкий; плохого качества, плохой).

"Must a-happened on the steamer (наверное, это случилось на пароходе)," he suggested (предположил он).

Rasmunsen looked at him long and blankly (Расмунсен посмотрел на него долгим и безучастным взглядом; blankly — безучастно; невыразительно; blank — пустой).

Somebody knocked at the door, knocked again, and let himself in.

"What a mess!" he remarked, as he paused and surveyed the scene.

The severed eggs were beginning to thaw in the heat of the stove, and a miserable odor was growing stronger.

"Must a-happened on the steamer," he suggested.

Rasmunsen looked at him long and blankly.

"I'm Murray, Big Jim Murray (я Мюррей, Большой Джим Мюррей), everybody knows me (меня все знают)," the man volunteered (представился услужливо мужчина; to volunteer — предлагать /свою помощь, услуги/; вызваться добровольно /сделать что-либо/; добровольно взять на себя что-либо). "I'm just hearin' your eggs is rotten (я только что слышал, что у вас испорченные яйца), and I'm offerin' you two hundred for the batch (и я предлагаю вам две сотни за партию). They ain't good as salmon (они не такие вкусные, как лосось), but still they're fair scoffin's for dogs (но все равно они = это хороший корм для собак)."

Rasmunsen seemed turned to stone (Расмунсен, казалось, обратился в камень). He did not move (он не двигался). "You go to hell (убирайся к черту: «в ад»)," he said passionlessly (сказал он бесстрастно; passion — страсть).

"Now just consider (ну, только подумай). I pride myself it's a decent price for a mess like that (я горжусь = мне не стыдно, это приличная цена за такой хлам), and it's better'n nothin' (и это лучше, чем ничего). Two hundred (двести). What you say (что скажешь)?"

"You go to hell (пошел к черту)," Rasmunsen repeated softly (повторил тихо Расмунсен), "and get out of here (и убирайся отсюда)."

"I'm Murray, Big Jim Murray, everybody knows me," the man volunteered. "I'm just hearin' your eggs is rotten, and I'm offerin' you two hundred for the batch. They ain't good as salmon, but still they're fair scoffin's for dogs."

Rasmunsen seemed turned to stone. He did not move. "You go to hell," he said passionlessly.

"Now just consider. I pride myself it's a decent price for a mess like that, and it's better'n nothin'. Two hundred. What you say?"

`'You go to hell," Rasmunsen repeated softly, "and get out of here."

Murray gaped with a great awe (Мюррей широко открыл рот в полном недоумении; awe — /благоговейный/ страх, трепет, благоговение), then went out carefully, backward (затем вышел осторожно, пятясь; backward — назад; задом наперед), with his eyes fixed on the other's face (с глазами, прикованными к лицу = не сводя глаз с лица другого = Расмунсена).

Rasmunsen followed him out and turned the dogs loose (Расмунсен вышел за ним следом и отвязал собак; loose — свободный). He threw them all the salmon he had bought (он бросил им всю лососину, которую он купил), and coiled a sled-lashing up in his hand (и намотал на руку крепежную веревку с саней; to coil up — намотать). Then he reentered the cabin and drew the latch in after him (потом он снова вошел в лачугу и задвинул за собой засов; to draw in — втягивать). The smoke from the cindered steak made his eyes smart (дым от обугленного бифштекса вызывал жгучую боль в глазах; to smart — испытывать жгучую боль, болеть; вызывать, причинять жгучую боль). He stood on the bunk (он встал на койку), passed the lashing over the ridge-pole (перебросил веревку через коньковый брус), and measured the swing off with his eye (и прикинул на глаз расстояние; to measure off — отмерять; swing — колебание; амплитуда качания; размах, наибольшее расстояние). It did not seem to satisfy (казалось, оно не удовлетворило его), for he put the stool on the bunk and climbed upon the stool (так как он поставил табурет на койку и залез на табурет). He drove a noose in the end of the lashing and slipped his head through (он затянул петлю на конце веревки и просунул в нее голову). The other end he made fast (другой конец он закрепил). Then he kicked the stool out from under (затем ударом он отбросил табурет из-под /ног/; to kick — ударять, бить ногой).

Murray gaped with a great awe, then went out carefully, backward, with his eyes fixed on the other's face.

Rasmunsen followed him out and turned the dogs loose. He threw them all the salmon he had bought, and coiled a sled-lashing up in his hand. Then he reentered the cabin and drew the latch in after him. The smoke from the cindered steak made his eyes smart. He stood on the bunk, passed the lashing over the ridge-pole, and measured the swing off with his eye. It did not seem to satisfy, for he put the stool on the bunk and climbed upon the stool. He drove a noose in the end of the lashing and slipped his head through. The other end he made fast. Then he kicked the stool out from under.