existence [Ig'zIstqns], naught [nLt], clerk [klRk]

Save existence, they had nothing in common, — came in touch on no single point. Weatherbee was a clerk who had known naught but clerking all his life; Cuthfert was a master of arts, a dabbler in oils, and had written not a little. The one was a lower-class man who considered himself a gentleman, and the other was a gentleman who knew himself to be such. From this it may be remarked that a man can be a gentleman without possessing the first instinct of true comradeship.

The clerk was as sensuous as the other was aesthetic (насколько конторщик был плотской натурой, настолько другой был эстетом; sensuous — плотский; чувственный; сладострастный), and his love adventures, told at great length and chiefly coined from his imagination (и его любовные приключения = любовные приключения клерка, рассказываемые очень подробно и главным образом выдуманные его воображением; at length — детально, обстоятельно, подробно; to coin — чеканить; измышлять, выдумывать), affected the supersensitive master of arts in the same way as so many whiffs of sewer gas (воздействовали на сверхчувствительного магистра искусств точно так же, как такое множество запахов газа сточных труб = как изобилие миазмов из канализационной трубы; whiff — дуновение, струя; слабый запах, душок; sewer — сточная труба; коллектор, канализационная труба). He deemed the clerk a filthy, uncultured brute (он считал клерка грязным, некультурным животным; brute — животное; скотина), whose place was in the muck with the swine (место которого в навозе со свиньями), and told him so (и сказал ему так = это); and he was reciprocally informed that he was a milk-and-water sissy and a cad (и его ответно/в ответ уведомили, что он кисейная барышня и хам; milk-and-water — безвольный, бесхарактерный; безликий; milk-and-water girl = "кисейная барышня"; sissy — неженка; reciprocally — взаимно; обоюдно). Weatherbee could not have defined «cad» for his life (Уэзерби, хоть убей, не мог бы определить «хама» = что такое «хам»; for one’s life — никак, ни за что на свете, хоть убей); but it satisfied its purpose (но оно = это слово удовлетворяло цели = достигло цели), which after all seems the main point in life (что, в конечном итоге, кажется главным в жизни).

sensuous ['sensjuqs], aesthetic [Js'TetIk], sewer ['sjuq]

The clerk was as sensuous as the other was aesthetic, and his love adventures, told at great length and chiefly coined from his imagination, affected the supersensitive master of arts in the same way as so many whiffs of sewer gas. He deemed the clerk a filthy, uncultured brute, whose place was in the muck with the swine, and told him so; and he was reciprocally informed that he was a milk-and-water sissy and a cad. Weatherbee could not have defined «cad» for his life; but it satisfied its purpose, which after all seems the main point in life.

Weatherbee flatted every third note (Уэзерби фальшивил на каждой третьей ноте) and sang such songs as "The Boston Burglar" and "The Handsome Cabin Boy (и пел такие песни, как «Бостонский вор» и «Симпатяга юнга»)," for hours at a time (часами = по несколько часов за раз), while Cuthfert wept with rage (в то время как Катферт рыдал от ярости; to weep — плакать, рыдать), till he could stand it no longer and fled into the outer cold (пока больше не мог выдерживать это и не сбегал наружу на холод: «во внешний холод»; to stand — выдерживать). But there was no escape (но не было спасения; escape — бегство; избавление, спасение). The intense frost could not be endured for long at a time (сильный мороз невозможно было выдерживать подолгу за раз), and the little cabin crowded them (а маленькая хижина стискивала их) — beds, stove, table, and all (кроватями, печкой, столом и всем прочим) — into a space of ten by twelve (в пространстве десять на двенадцать /футов/[16]). The very presence of either became a personal affront to the other (само присутствие одного становилось личным оскорблением для другого), and they lapsed into sullen silences (и они впадали в угрюмое молчание; to lapse — опускаться, снижаться; впадать /в отчаяние и т. п./) which increased in length and strength as the days went by (которое вырастало в продолжительности и в интенсивности = продолжительность и интенсивность которого росли, по мере того как проходили дни = с течением дней). Occasionally, the flash of an eye or the curl of a lip got the better of them (порой блеск глаз или изгиб губ брали верх над ними; to get the better of smb. — преодолеть, победить кого-либо, взять верх над кем-либо), though they strove to wholly ignore each other during these mute periods (хотя они старались полностью игнорировать друг друга во время этих безмолвных периодов = периодов немоты). And a great wonder sprang up in the breast of each (и в сердце каждого из них возникало великое удивление; breast — сердце, душа, совесть), as to how God had ever come to create the other (по поводу того, как только Господь удосужился создать другого).

handsome ['hxnsqm], breast [brest], create [krI'eIt]

Weatherbee flatted every third note and sang such songs as "The Boston Burglar" and "The Handsome Cabin Boy," for hours at a time, while Cuthfert wept with rage, till he could stand it no longer and fled into the outer cold. But there was no escape. The intense frost could not be endured for long at a time, and the little cabin crowded them — beds, stove, table, and all — into a space of ten by twelve. The very presence of either became a personal affront to the other, and they lapsed into sullen silences which increased in length and strength as the days went by. Occasionally, the flash of an eye or the curl of a lip got the better of them, though they strove to wholly ignore each other during these mute periods. And a great wonder sprang up in the breast of each, as to how God had ever come to create the other.

With little to do, time became an intolerable burden to them (из-за малого количества дел = от безделья время стало для них невыносимым бременем). This naturally made them still lazier (это, естественно, сделало их еще ленивее). They sank into a physical lethargy (они погрузились в физическую летаргию; to sink — погружаться; опускаться) which there was no escaping (от которой не было избавления), and which made them rebel at the performance of the smallest chore (и которая вызывала у них протест при выполнении малейшей ежедневной работы; chore — ежедневные обязанности, ежедневная работа /по дому или в подсобном хозяйстве/; трудное задание, неприятная работа). One morning when it was his turn to cook the common breakfast (однажды утром, когда была его очередь готовить общий завтрак), Weatherbee rolled out of his blankets (Уэзерби выкатился из одеял), and to the snoring of his companion, lighted first the slush-lamp and then the fire (и, под храп своего компаньона, зажег сначала лампу на жире, а потом огонь /в печке/). The kettles were frozen hard (котелки сильно замерзли), and there was no water in the cabin with which to wash (а в избушке не было воды, чтобы помыться).

intolerable [In'tOlrqbl], lethargy ['leTqGI], companion [kqm'pxnjqn]

With little to do, time became an intolerable burden to them. This naturally made them still lazier. They sank into a physical lethargy which there was no escaping, and which made them rebel at the performance of the smallest chore. One morning when it was his turn to cook the common breakfast, Weatherbee rolled out of his blankets, and to the snoring of his companion, lighted first the slush-lamp and then the fire. The kettles were frozen hard, and there was no water in the cabin with which to wash.