perish ['perIS], disturb [dIs'tWb], sign [saIn], ghost [gqust]

"And I, Imber, pondered upon these things, watching the while the Whitefish, and the Pellys, and all the tribes of the land, perishing as perished the meat of the forest. Long I pondered. I talked with the shamans and the old men who were wise. I went apart that the sounds of the village might not disturb me, and I ate no meat so that my belly should not press upon me and make me slow of eye and ear. I sat long and sleepless in the forest, wide-eyed for the sign, my ears patient and keen for the word that was to come. And I wandered alone in the blackness of night to the river bank, where was wind-moaning and sobbing of water, and where I sought wisdom from the ghosts of old shamans in the trees and dead and gone.

"And in the end, as in a vision (и, в конце концов, словно в видении), came to me the short-haired and detestable dogs (мне вспомнились короткошерстные и отвратительные собаки; to detest — ненавидеть, питать отвращение), and the way seemed plain (и способ показался простым). By the wisdom of Otsbaok (благодаря мудрости Отсбаока), my father and a strong man (моего отца и сильного человека), had the blood of our own wolf-dogs been kept clean (сохранилась чистой кровь наших собственных волкодавов), wherefore had they remained warm of hide and strong in the harness (вследствие чего у них осталась теплая шкура, и они остались выносливыми в упряжке; strong — крепкий, выносливый). So I returned to my village and made oration to the men (и вот я вернулся в поселок и обратился с речью к мужчинам). 'This be a tribe, these white men (эти белые люди, это — племя), I said. 'A very large tribe (очень большое племя), and doubtless there is no longer meat in their land (и, несомненно, в их краях нет больше мяса), and they are come among us to make a new land for themselves (и они пришли к нам, чтобы сделать себе новую страну). But they weaken us (но они ослабляют нас), and we die (и мы умираем). They are a very hungry folk (они очень алчный народ). Already has our meat gone from us (уже наше мясо ушло от нас), and it were well (и было бы правильно; well — справедливо, верно, правильно), if we would live (если мы хотим жить), that we deal by them as we have dealt by their dogs (чтобы мы поступили с ними так, как мы поступили с их собаками; to deal — обходиться, поступать; вести себя как-либо по отношению к кому-либо).

vision [vIZn], doubtless ['dautlIs], folk [fquk]

"And in the end, as in a vision, came to me the short-haired and detestable dogs, and the way seemed plain. By the wisdom of Otsbaok, my father and a strong man, had the blood of our own wolf-dogs been kept clean, wherefore had they remained warm of hide and strong in the harness. So I returned to my village and made oration to the men. `This be a tribe, these white men, I said. `A very large tribe, and doubtless there is no longer meat in their land, and they are come among us to make a new land for themselves. But they weaken us, and we die. They are a very hungry folk. Already has our meat gone from us, and it were well, if we would live, that we deal by them as we have dealt by their dogs.

"And further oration I made, counselling fight (и я произнес дальнейшую речь = и я продолжил речь, советуя воевать). And the men of the Whitefish listened (а мужчины Белой Рыбы слушали), and some said one thing (и одни сказали одно), and some another (а другие другое), and some spoke of other and worthless things (а некоторые говорили о других и ничтожных делах), and no man made brave talk of deeds and war (и ни один мужчина не высказался отважно о подвигах и войне). But while the young men were weak as water and afraid (но тогда как молодые мужчины были хилыми и трусливыми; weak as water — слабенький, хилый; малодушный), I watched that the old men sat silent (я наблюдал за тем, что старики сидят молча), and that in their eyes fires came and went (и что в их глазах появлялись и исчезали огоньки; to come and go — приходить и уходить; появляться и исчезать). And later, when the village slept and no one knew (и позже, когда селение заснуло, и никто не знал), I drew the old men away into the forest and made more talk (я увел стариков в лес и говорил еще). And now we were agreed (и теперь мы сошлись во взглядах; to agree — соглашаться; сходиться во взглядах), and we remembered the good young days (и мы вспомнили добрые дни юности), and the free land, and the times of plenty, and the gladness and sunshine (и свободную землю, и времена изобилия, и счастье, и солнечный свет); and we called ourselves brothers (и мы назвали друг друга братьями), and swore great secrecy, and a mighty oath (и поклялись /держать все/ в великой тайне и дали могучую клятву; to swear — клясться, присягать; to swear an oath — давать клятву) to cleanse the land of the evil breed that had come upon it (очистить землю от злого племени, которое пришло на нее). It be plain we were fools (понятно, мы были глупцами), but how were we to know (но откуда нам было знать), we old men of the Whitefish (нам, старикам Белой Рыбы)?

swore [swL], oath [quT], cleanse [klenz]

"And further oration I made, counselling fight. And the men of the Whitefish listened, and some said one thing, and some another, and some spoke of other and worthless things, and no man made brave talk of deeds and war. But while the young men were weak as water and afraid, I watched that the old men sat silent, and that in their eyes fires came and went. And later, when the village slept and no one knew, I drew the old men away into the forest and made more talk. And now we were agreed, and we remembered the good young days, and the free land, and the times of plenty, and the gladness and sunshine; and we called ourselves brothers, and swore great secrecy, and a mighty oath to cleanse the land of the evil breed that had come upon it. It be plain we were fools, but how were we to know, we old men of the Whitefish?

"And to hearten the others (и чтобы воодушевить остальных), I did the first deed (я совершил первый подвиг). I kept guard upon the Yukon (я караулил на Юконе; to keep — держать; хранить; защищать, охранять; guard — охрана, защита; караул, конвой, охрана) till the first canoe came down (пока по реке не пришло первое каноэ). In it were two white men (в нем было два белых человека), and when I stood upright upon the bank and raised my hand (и когда я встал прямо на берегу и поднял руку) they changed their course and drove in to me (они изменили курс и направились ко мне; to drive in — въехать). And as the man in the bow lifted his head, so (и когда мужчина на носу поднял голову, вот так), that he might know wherefore I wanted him (чтобы узнать, чего я хочу от него), my arrow sang through the air straight to his throat (моя стрела просвистела в воздухе прямо ему в горло; to sing — свистеть /о пуле, снаряде во время полета/), and he knew (и он узнал). The second man, who held paddle in the stern (второй мужчина, который держал весло на корме), had his rifle half to his shoulder (/уже/ имел = держал свое ружье на полпути к плечу) when the first of my three spear-casts smote him (когда первый из моих трех дротиков/метательных копий сразил его; to smite — поразить, сразить /напр., мечом/; поразить, убить, уничтожить).

"'These be the first (эти — первые), I said, when the old men had gathered to me (когда старики собрались ко мне = возле меня). 'Later we will bind together all the old men of all the tribes (позже мы объединим всех стариков всех племен; to bind together — объединять/ся/), and after that the young men who remain strong (а после этого молодых людей, которые останутся сильными), and the work will become easy (и дело станет легким; work — работа, труд; занятие, дело).