inherent [In'hIqrqnt], rhythm [rIDm], increase (существительное) ['InkrJs]

"I am Imber of the Whitefish people." So ran the interpretation of Howkan, whose inherent barbarism gripped hold of him, and who lost his mission culture and veneered civilization as he caught the savage ring and rhythm of old Imber's tale. "My father was Otsbaok, a strong man. The land was warm with sunshine and gladness when I was a boy. The people did not hunger after strange things, nor hearken to new voices, and the ways of their fathers were their ways. The women found favor in the eyes of the young men, and the young men looked upon them with content. Babes hung at the breasts of the women, and they were heavy-hipped with increase of the tribe. Men were men in those days. In peace and plenty, and in war and famine, they were men.

"At that time there was more fish in the water than now (в то время в воде было больше рыбы, чем сейчас), and more meat in the forest (а в лесу больше мяса). Our dogs were wolves (наши собаки были волками), warm with thick hides and hard to the frost and storm (которым было тепло от толстых шкур = в толстых шкурах, и они были стойкими к морозу и буре). And as with our dogs so with us (и как с нашими собаками, так было и с нами), for we were likewise hard to the frost and storm (ибо мы тоже были стойкими к морозу и буре). And when the Pellys came into our land (и когда в нашу землю пришли пелли) we slew them and were slain (мы убивали их, а они убивали нас: «и /мы/ были убиваемы»). For we were men, we Whitefish (ибо мы были мужчины, мы — Белые Рыбы), and our fathers and our fathers' fathers had fought against the Pellys and determined the bounds of the land (и наши отцы, и отцы наших отцов сражались с пелли и установили границы /нашей/ страны; to fight — сражаться).

warm [wLm], fought [fLt], determine [dI'tWmIn]

"At that time there was more fish in the water than now, and more meat in the forest. Our dogs were wolves, warm with thick hides and hard to the frost and storm. And as with our dogs so with us, for we were likewise hard to the frost and storm. And when the Pellys came into our land we slew them and were slain. For we were men, we Whitefish, and our fathers and our fathers' fathers had fought against the Pellys and determined the bounds of the land.

"As I say (как я говорю), with our dogs, so with us (как наши собаки, так и мы). And one day came the first white man (и однажды пришел первый белый человек). He dragged himself (он притащился), so, on hand and knee, in the snow (вот так, на четвереньках, в снегу; on hand and knee — ползком; hand — рука /кисть/; knee — колено). And his skin was stretched tight (а его кожа была туго натянута), and his bones were sharp beneath (а под ней были острые кости = выпирали кости). Never was such a man (никогда не было такого человека), we thought (думали мы), and we wondered of what strange tribe he was, and of its land (и задавались вопросом, из какого чужого племени он родом и из какой земли; to wonder — интересоваться, желать знать). And he was weak, most weak (а он был слаб, очень слаб), like a little child (как маленький ребенок), so that we gave him a place by the fire (так что мы дали ему место у костра), and warm furs to lie upon (и теплые меха, чтобы лежать на них), and we gave him food (и мы давали ему еду = кормили его) as little children are given food (как кормят маленьких детей: «как маленьким детям дается еда»).

tight [taIt], beneath [bI'nJT], wonder ['wAndq]

"As I say, with our dogs, so with us. And one day came the first white man. He dragged himself, so, on hand and knee, in the snow. And his skin was stretched tight, and his bones were sharp beneath. Never was such a man, we thought, and we wondered of what strange tribe he was, and of its land. And he was weak, most weak, like a little child, so that we gave him a place by the fire, and warm furs to lie upon, and we gave him food as little children are given food.

"And with him was a dog (а с ним была собака), large as three of our dogs (большая, как три наших собаки), and very weak (и очень слабая). The hair of this dog was short, and not warm (шерсть этой собаки была короткая и не теплая = не грела), and the tail was frozen so that the end fell off (а хвост так замерз, что кончик отвалился; to fall off — отпадать, отваливаться). And this strange dog we fed (и эту необычную собаку мы кормили; to feed — кормить), and bedded by the fire (и выделили /ей/ место у огня; to bed — выделять кому-либо место для ночлега; стлать подстилку /для лошади или другого животного/), and fought from it our dogs (и защищали ее от наших собак; to fight — защищать, оказывать поддержку, отстаивать), which else would have killed him (которые бы иначе убили ее). And what of the moose meat and the sun-dried salmon (и благодаря лосиному мясу и вяленой лососине), the man and dog took strength to themselves (человек и пес набрались сил); and what of the strength they became big and unafraid (а благодаря силе они стали важными и смелыми). And the man spoke loud words and laughed at the old men and young men (и мужчина стал говорить развязные слова и смеяться над стариками и молодыми мужчинами; loud — громкий, шумный; развязный, вульгарный), and looked boldly upon the maidens (и посматривать дерзко на девиц). And the dog fought with our dogs (а пес дрался с нашими собаками), and for all of his short hair and softness slew three of them in one day (и, несмотря на свою короткую шерсть и изнеженность, убил троих из них за один день; soft — изнеженный).

strange [streInG], strength [streNT], young [jAN]

"And with him was a dog, large as three of our dogs, and very weak. The hair of this dog was short, and not warm, and the tail was frozen so that the end fell off. And this strange dog we fed, and bedded by the fire, and fought from it our dogs, which else would have killed him. And what of the moose meat and the sun-dried salmon, the man and dog took strength to themselves; and what of the strength they became big and unafraid. And the man spoke loud words and laughed at the old men and young men, and looked boldly upon the maidens. And the dog fought with our dogs, and for all of his short hair and softness slew three of them in one day.

"When we asked the man concerning his people (когда мы спросили человека о его народе), he said, 'I have many brothers (у меня много братьев), and laughed in a way that was not good (и засмеялся нехорошим смехом: «засмеялся образом, который был нехорош»). And when he was in his full strength (а когда он полностью набрался сил: «был в своей полной силе») he went away (он ушел), and with him went Noda (и с ним ушла Нода), daughter to the chief (дочь вождя). First, after that, was one of our bitches brought to pup (впервые после этого ощенилась одна из наших сук; to pup — ощениться). And never was there such a breed of dogs (и никогда не было такой породы собак), — big-headed, thick-jawed, and short-haired, and helpless (большеголовые, с сильными челюстями и короткой шерстью, и беспомощные). Well do I remember my father, Otsbaok, a strong man (я хорошо помню моего отца Отсбаока, сильного человека). His face was black with anger at such helplessness (его лицо потемнело от гнева при /виде/ такой беспомощности), and he took a stone, so, and so (и он взял камень, вот так и так), and there was no more helplessness (и больше не было беспомощности). And two summers after that came Noda back to us with a man-child in the hollow of her arm (а через два лета после этого к нам вернулась Нода с мальчиком на руках; hollow — выемка, впадина, ямка).