guess [ges], patience ['peISqns], watch [wOC]
Her lover looked on stolidly. She had kept him guessing from the first time they met, and patience had been joined unto his virtues.
"Hi! Wolf Fang!" she cried, springing upon the sled as it leaped into sudden motion. "Ai! Ya! Mush-on!"
From the corner of his eye Harrington watched her swinging down the trail to Forty Mile. Where the road forked and crossed the river to Fort Cudahy, she halted the dogs and turned about.
"O Mistaire Lazy Mans!" she called back. "Wolf Fang, him say yes- if you winnaire!"
But somehow, as such things will (но каким-то образом, как подобные/такие вещи и случаются), it leaked out (это стало известным; to leak — пропускать воду, давать течь; подтекать; просачиваться), and all Forty Mile (и вся Сороковая Миля), which had hitherto speculated on Joy Molineau's choice between her two latest lovers (которая до сих пор раздумывала над выбором Джой Молино между двумя последними поклонниками), now hazarded bets and guesses as to which would win in the forthcoming race (теперь делала ставки и гадала над тем, кто победит в предстоящей гонке; bet — ставка, пари). The camp divided itself into two factions (лагерь разделился на две части), and every effort was put forth (и всевозможные усилия были сделаны/приложены) in order that their respective favorites might be the first in at the finish (чтобы их соответствующие фавориты могли бы быть первыми у финиша). There was a scramble for the best dogs the country could afford (была драка/борьба за лучших собак, /которых/ этот край мог доставить/позволить себе), for dogs, and good ones (потому что собаки, и хорошие собаки), were essential, above all, to success (были необходимы, прежде всего, для успеха). And it meant much to the victor (а это значило много для победителя). Besides the possession of a wife (кроме обладания женой), the like of which had yet to be created (подобной которой еще не было создано = не родилось), it stood for a mine worth a million at least (она /победа/ стоила прииска ценой в миллион /долларов/ по меньшей мере).
choice [COIs], essential [I'senS(q)l], worth [wq: T], success [s(q)k'ses]
But somehow, as such things will, it leaked out, and all Forty Mile, which had hitherto speculated on Joy Molineau's choice between her two latest lovers, now hazarded bets and guesses as to which would win in the forthcoming race. The camp divided itself into two factions, and every effort was put forth in order that their respective favorites might be the first in at the finish. There was a scramble for the best dogs the country could afford, for dogs, and good ones, were essential, above all, to success. And it meant much to the victor. Besides the possession of a wife, the like of which had yet to be created, it stood for a mine worth a million at least.
That fall (той осенью), when news came down of McCormack's discovery on Bonanza (когда новости разнеслись об открытии Маккормака на /реке/ Бонанце), all the Lower Country, Circle City and Forty Mile included (вся нижняя страна, город Серкл и Сороковая Миля включительно), had stampeded up the Yukon (ринулись вверх по Юкону), — at least all save those (по крайней мере, все, кроме тех) who, like Jack Harrington and Louis Savoy, were away (кто, подобно Джеку Харрингтону и Луи Савою, были далеко) prospecting in the west (занимаясь изысканиями на западе; to prospect — исследовать, делать изыскания). Moose pastures and creeks were staked indiscriminately and promiscuously (лосиные пастбища и ручьи были застолблены беспорядочно и разнородно); and incidentally (и случайно), one of the unlikeliest of creeks, Eldorado (один из самых малообещающих ручьев, Эльдорадо). Olaf Nelson laid claim to five hundred of its linear feet (Олаф Нельсон предъявил права на пять сотен /футов/ его длины), duly posted his notice (надлежащим образом отправил по почте свое уведомление), and as duly disappeared (и также в должное время исчез).
pasture ['pQ: sCq], indiscriminately ["IndIs'krImInItlI], promiscuously [prq'mIskjuqslI], disappear [dIsq'pIq]
That fall, when news came down of McCormack's discovery on Bonanza, all the Lower Country, Circle City and Forty Mile included, had stampeded up the Yukon, — at least all save those who, like Jack Harrington and Louis Savoy, were away prospecting in the west. Moose pastures and creeks were staked indiscriminately and promiscuously; and incidentally, one of the unlikeliest of creeks, Eldorado. Olaf Nelson laid claim to five hundred of its linear feet, duly posted his notice, and as duly disappeared.
At that time the nearest recording office was in the police barracks at Fort Cudahy (в то время ближайшая регистрирующая контора была/находилась в полицейских казармах в Форте Кьюдахи), just across the river from Forty Mile (как раз на той/противоположной стороне реки от Сороковой Мили); but when it became bruited abroad that Eldorado Creek was a treasure-house (но когда распространилось повсюду /известие/, что ручей Эльдорадо был сокровищницей), it was quickly discovered (было быстро обнаружено) that Olaf Nelson had failed to make the down-Yukon trip to file upon his property (что Олаф Нельсон не спустился вниз по Юкону, чтобы зарегистрировать свою собственность; to fail — не исполнить, не сделать). Men cast hungry eyes upon the ownerless claim (люди бросали алчущие взгляды на бесхозный участок; owner — владелец), where they knew a thousand-thousand dollars waited but shovel and sluice-box (где, /как/ они знали, тысячи тысяч долларов ждали только лопаты и промывочного лотка). Yet they dared not touch it (однако они не осмеливались трогать его); for there was a law which permitted sixty days to lapse (потому что был/существовал закон, который разрешал, чтобы прошло шестьдесят дней) between the staking and the filing (между застолблением и регистрированием), during which time a claim was immune (в течение которого времени участок был неприкосновенным). The whole country knew of Olaf Nelson's disappearance (весь край/все население знал об исчезновении Олафа Нельсона), and scores of men made preparation for the jumping and for the consequent race to Fort Cudahy (и десятки людей делали приготовления /для того/ чтобы завладеть /им/ и для последующей гонки в Форт Кьюдахи; score — два десятка; to jump — захватывать что-либо, завладевать чем-либо в отсутствие владельца; прыгать, скакать).
treasure ['treZq], dare [deq], consequent ['kOnsIkwqnt]
At that time the nearest recording office was in the police barracks at Fort Cudahy, just across the river from Forty Mile; but when it became bruited abroad that Eldorado Creek was a treasure-house, it was quickly discovered that Olaf Nelson had failed to make the down-Yukon trip to file upon his property. Men cast hungry eyes upon the ownerless claim, where they knew a thousand-thousand dollars waited but shovel and sluice-box. Yet they dared not touch it; for there was a law which permitted sixty days to lapse between the staking and the filing, during which time a claim was immune. The whole country knew of Olaf Nelson's disappearance, and scores of men made preparation for the jumping and for the consequent race to Fort Cudahy.
But competition at Forty Mile was limited (но состязание у Сороковой Мили было ограничено). With the camp devoting its energies to the equipping either of Jack Harrington or Louis Savoy (с лагерем, посвящающим свои силы снаряжению либо Джека Харрингтона, либо Луи Савоя), no man was unwise enough to enter the contest single-handed (ни один человек не был неблагоразумным достаточно, чтобы войти в противоборство в одиночку). It was a stretch of a hundred miles to the Recorder's office (это был участок /на расстоянии/ в сто миль до регистрирующей конторы), and it was planned (и было запланировано) that the two favorites should have four relays of dogs (что эти два фаворита должны иметь четыре смены собак) stationed along the trail (размещенных вдоль тропы). Naturally, the last relay was to be the crucial one (естественно, последняя смена была решающей), and for these twenty-five miles their respective partisans strove to obtain the strongest possible animals (и для этих двадцати пяти миль их соответствующие сторонники старались получить самых сильных животных; the strongest possible — сильнейшие /насколько/ возможно).
