"That be my talk, Howkan. Yet from thy lips it comes when thy ears have not heard."

Howkan smirked with self-appreciation. His hair was parted in the middle. "Nay, from the paper it comes, O Imber. Never have my ears heard. From the paper it comes, through my eyes, into my head, and out of my mouth to thee. Thus it comes."

"Thus it comes? It be there in the paper?" Imber's voice sank in whisperful awe as he crackled the sheets 'twixt thumb and finger and stared at the charactery scrawled thereon. "It be a great medicine, Howkan, and thou art a worker of wonders."

"It be nothing, it be nothing (это пустяки, мелочь; nothing — мелочи, пустяки)," the young man responded carelessly and pridefully (ответил молодой человек небрежно и с гордостью). He read at hazard from the document (он зачитал наугад из документа; at hazard — наугад, наудачу): "In that year, before the break of the ice, came an old man (в том году перед ледоходом, пришел один старик), and a boy who was lame of one foot (и мальчик, который хромал на одну ногу; to be lame in one leg — хромать на одну ногу). These also did I kill, and the old man made much noise — (этих = их я тоже убил, а старик делал много шума = очень кричал)"

"It be true (это правда)," Imber interrupted breathlessly (задыхаясь, перебил Имбер). "He made much noise and would not die for a long time (он сильно шумел и долго не хотел умирать). But how dost thou know, Howkan (но откуда ты знаешь, Хаукан)? The chief man of the white men told thee, mayhap (может, тебе рассказал начальник белых людей)? No one beheld me (никто не видел меня; to behold — увидеть, заметить), and him alone have I told (а рассказал я ему одному)." Howkan shook his head with impatience (Хаукан затряс головой от нетерпения). "Have I not told thee it be there in the paper, O fool (о глупец, разве не сказал я тебе, что это на бумаге)?"

hazard ['hxzqd], document ['dOkjumqnt], dost [dAst]

"It be nothing, it be nothing," the young man responded carelessly and pridefully. He read at hazard from the document: "In that year, before the break of the ice, came an old man, and a boy who was lame of one foot. These also did I kill, and the old man made much noise — "

"It be true," Imber interrupted breathlessly. "He made much noise and would not die for a long time. But how dost thou know, Howkan? The chief man of the white men told thee, mayhap? No one beheld me, and him alone have I told." Howkan shook his head with impatience. "Have I not told thee it be there in the paper, O fool?"

Imber stared hard at the ink-scrawled surface (Имбер уставился вплотную на исписанную чернилами поверхность). "As the hunter looks upon the snow and says (как охотник смотрит на снег и говорит), here but yesterday there passed a rabbit (только вчера здесь пробежал кролик); and here by the willow scrub (а здесь у низкорослой ивы; scrub — низкая поросль; низкорослая растительность) it stood and listened, and heard, and was afraid (он постоял и прислушался, /что-то/ услышал и испугался); and here it turned upon its trail (а здесь он вернулся по своему следу); and here it went with great swiftness, leaping wide (а здесь он передвигался с большой скоростью, большими прыжками: «прыгая широко»); and here, with greater swiftness and wider leapings, came a lynx (а здесь с большей скоростью и большими прыжками двигалась рысь); and here, where the claws cut deep into the snow (а здесь, где когти глубоко врезались в снег; to cut in — врезаться), the lynx made a very great leap (рысь совершила очень большой прыжок); and here it struck, with the rabbit under and rolling belly up (а здесь она атаковала, накрыла кролика и перевернулась брюхом кверху; to strike — атаковать); and here leads off the trail of the lynx alone (а тут начинается след одной лишь рыси; to lead off — начинать, открывать), and there is no more rabbit (и больше нет кролика), — as the hunter looks upon the markings of the snow (как охотник смотрит на разметку снега) and says thus and so and here (и говорит так-то и так-то, и вот то-то; thus and so — так-то и так-то), dost thou, too, look upon the paper (ты тоже смотришь на бумагу) and say thus and so and here be the things old Imber hath done (и говоришь так-то и так-то, и вот то, что сделал старый Имбер)?"

claw [klL], thus [DAs], hath [hxT]

Imber stared hard at the ink-scrawled surface. "As the hunter looks upon the snow and says, here but yesterday there passed a rabbit; and here by the willow scrub it stood and listened, and heard, and was afraid; and here it turned upon its trail; and here it went with great swiftness, leaping wide; and here, with greater swiftness and wider leapings, came a lynx; and here, where the claws cut deep into the snow, the lynx made a very great leap; and here it struck, with the rabbit under and rolling belly up; and here leads off the trail of the lynx alone, and there is no more rabbit, — as the hunter looks upon the markings of the snow and says thus and so and here, dost thou, too, look upon the paper and say thus and so and here be the things old Imber hath done?"

"Even so (именно так)," said Howkan. "And now do thou listen (а теперь послушай), and keep thy woman's tongue between thy teeth (и держи свой бабий язык за зубами) till thou art called upon for speech (пока тебе не дадут слово; to call upon — приглашать высказаться, предоставлять слово)."

Thereafter, and for a long time (после этого долгое время), Howkan read to him the confession (Хаукан читал ему признание), and Imber remained musing and silent (а Имбер оставался погруженным в задумчивость и безмолвным; to muse — погружаться в размышления; задумываться). At the end (в конце), he said:

"It be my talk, and true talk (это моя речь = мои слова, и правдивые слова), but I am grown old, Howkan (но я постарел, Хаукан), and forgotten things come back to me which were well for the head man there to know (и ко мне приходят на память забытые дела, которые желательно знать тому начальнику; to come back — вспоминаться, приходить на память; well — желательно, предпочтительно). First, there was the man who came over the Ice Mountains (прежде всего был мужчина, который пришел через Ледяные горы), with cunning traps made of iron (с хитроумными железными капканами), who sought the beaver of the Whitefish (который рыскал за бобрами Белой Рыбы; to seek — искать, разыскивать; рыскать в поисках). Him I slew (я убил его; to slay — убивать). And there were three men seeking gold on the Whitefish long ago (и давно были три человека, искавшие золото на реке Белой Рыбы). Them also I slew (их я тоже убил), and left them to the wolverines (и оставил их росомахам). And at the Five Fingers there was a man with a raft and much meat (а на /реке/ Пяти Пальцев был человек с плотом и большим количеством мяса)."

sought [sLt], slew [slH], wolverine ['wulvqrJn]

"Even so," said Howkan. "And now do thou listen, and keep thy woman's tongue between thy teeth till thou art called upon for speech."

Thereafter, and for a long time, Howkan read to him the confession, and Imber remained musing and silent. At the end, he said:

"It be my talk, and true talk, but I am grown old, Howkan, and forgotten things come back to me which were well for the head man there to know. First, there was the man who came over the Ice Mountains, with cunning traps made of iron, who sought the beaver of the Whitefish. Him I slew. And there were three men seeking gold on the Whitefish long ago. Them also I slew, and left them to the wolverines. And at the Five Fingers there was a man with a raft and much meat."