desert [dI'zq: t], possession [pq'zqS(q)n], thaw [TO: ], moisture ['mOIstSq], sizzle [sIzl]

They cleared the bank with a rush, swung to the left, and dashed up to a small log cabin. It was a deserted cabin of a single room, eight feet by ten on the inside. Messner unharnessed the animals, unloaded his sled and took possession. The last chance wayfarer had left a supply of firewood. Messner set up his light sheet-iron stove and started a fire. He put five sun-cured salmon into the oven to thaw out for the dogs, and from the water-hole filled his coffee-pot and cooking-pail.

While waiting for the water to boil, he held his face over the stove. The moisture from his breath had collected on his beard and frozen into a great mass of ice, and this he proceeded to thaw out. As it melted and dropped upon the stove it sizzled and rose about him in steam. He helped the process with his fingers, working loose small ice-chunks that fell rattling to the floor.

A wild outcry from the dogs without (дикий/неистовый крик = лай собак снаружи) did not take him from his task (не оторвал его от этого занятия). He heard the wolfish snarling and yelping of strange dogs and the sound of voices (он услышал волчье рычание/ворчание и визг/лай чужих собак и звук голосов; to hear). A knock came on the door (в дверь постучали).

"Come in, (войдите)" Messner called, in a voice muffled (позвал = крикнул Месснер приглушенным голосом = глухо; to muffle — глушить, заглушать /звук/) because at the moment he was sucking loose a fragment of ice from its anchorage on his upper lip (потому что в этот момент он всасывал, /чтобы/ освободить фрагмент льда = льдинку от ее основы/опоры на его верхней губе = всасывал кусок льда с верхней губы; anchor — якорь).

The door opened (дверь открылась), and, gazing out of his cloud of steam (и, пристально глядя из облака пара), he saw a man and a woman pausing on the threshold (он увидел мужчину и женщину, остановившихся на пороге).

outcry ['QutkrQI], snarl [snQ: l], yelp [jqlp], knock [nOk], muffle [mAfl], anchorage ['xnkqrIG], threshold ['TrqShquld]

A wild outcry from the dogs without did not take him from his task. He heard the wolfish snarling and yelping of strange dogs and the sound of voices. A knock came on the door.

"Come in," Messner called, in a voice muffled because at the moment he was sucking loose a fragment of ice from its anchorage on his upper lip.

The door opened, and, gazing out of his cloud of steam, he saw a man and a woman pausing on the threshold.

"Come in (войдите)," he said peremptorily (сказал он повелительно), "and shut the door (и закройте дверь)!"

Peering through the steam (вглядываясь/всматриваясь сквозь пар), he could make out but little of their personal appearance (он мог увидеть/различить лишь немного их личную внешность = он едва мог их рассмотреть). The nose and cheek strap worn by the woman (завязка для носа и щек носилась женщиной = женщина носила на лице повязку от холода; to wear (wore, worn) — носить, strap — ремень; полоска материи) and the trail-wrappings about her head allowed only a pair of black eyes to be seen (и дорожный платок/шаль около ее головы = на ее голове позволял видеть только пару черных глаз; trail — тропа, путь; to wrap — заворачивать; закутывать; платок; шаль; wrapping — обертка). The man was dark-eyed and smooth-shaven all except his mustache (мужчина был темноглазый и гладковыбритый, за исключением его усов; smooth — гладкий, ровный), which was so iced up as to hide his mouth (которые были такими обледеневшими, что скрывали/прятали его рот; to hide).

peremptory [pq'rqmpt(q)rI], peer [pIq], mustache [mqs'tQ: S]

"Come in," he said peremptorily, "and shut the door!"

Peering through the steam, he could make out but little of their personal appearance. The nose and cheek strap worn by the woman and the trail-wrappings about her head allowed only a pair of black eyes to be seen. The man was dark-eyed and smooth-shaven all except his mustache, which was so iced up as to hide his mouth.

"We just wanted to know (мы просто хотели узнать; to know (knew; known)) if there is any other cabin around here (есть ли тут какая-нибудь другая хижина поблизости)," he said, at the same time glancing over the unfurnished state of the room (сказал он, в то же самое время бегло осматривая немеблированное состояние комнаты = пустую /лишенную мебели/ комнату; to glance over — бегло просматривать). "We thought this cabin was empty (мы подумали, /что/ эта хижина была пустой = эта хижина пустая; to think)."

"It isn't my cabin (это не моя хижина)," Messner answered (ответил Месснер). "I just found it a few minutes ago (я только что нашел ее несколько минут назад; to find). Come right in and camp (входите и располагайтесь). Plenty of room (много места/пространства), and you won't need your stove (и вам не понадобится ваша печка; won't = will not; to need — нуждаться). There's room for all (здесь есть место для всех)."

At the sound of his voice the woman peered at him with quick curiousness (при звуке его голоса женщина посмотрела на него с любопытством; to peer — всматриваться, вглядываться; quick — острый /о зрении, слухе, уме/).

"Get your things off (снимайте ваши вещи = раздевайся; to get off — снимать)," her companion said to her (ее спутник сказал ей). "I'll unhitch and get the water (я распрягу /собак/ и принесу воды) so we can start cooking (таким образом, мы сможем начать готовить = приняться за стряпню)."

unfurnished [`An`fq: nISt], glance [glQn: s], thought [TO: t]

"We just wanted to know if there is any other cabin around here," he said, at the same time glancing over the unfurnished state of the room. "We thought this cabin was empty."

"It isn't my cabin," Messner answered. "I just found it a few minutes ago. Come right in and camp. Plenty of room, and you won't need your stove. There's room for all."

At the sound of his voice the woman peered at him with quick curiousness.

"Get your things off," her companion said to her. "I'll unhitch and get the water so we can start cooking."

Messner took the thawed salmon outside (Месснер взял оттаявшую семгу/лосося наружу = на улицу) and fed his dogs (и покормил своих собак; to feed). He had to guard them against the second team of dogs (он был вынужден защищать их от второй упряжки собак), and when he had reentered the cabin (и когда он вернулся в хижину) the other man had unpacked the sled (другой мужчина /уже/ разгрузил нарты) and fetched water (и принес воды). Messner's pot was boiling (котелок/кружка = кофейник Месснера закипел). He threw in the coffee (он бросил = засыпал в /него/ кофе; to throw), settled it with half a cup of cold water (дал отстояться ему, /влив/ половину кружки холодной воды; to settle — оседать; очищать от мути), and took the pot from the stove (и взял = убрал кофейник с печки). He thawed some sour-dough biscuits in the oven (он оттаял несколько сухарей из кислого теста в духовке = печи; biscuit — сухое печенье), at the same time heating a pot of beans (в то же самое время разогревая котелок = кастрюлю бобов) he had boiled the night before (/которые/ он сварил прошлой ночью: «ночью перед») and that had ridden frozen on the sled all morning (и которые ехали = которые вез замороженными на нартах все утро; to ride — ехать верхом).