Английский с Джеком Лондоном. Золотой каньон. Рассказы / Jack London. All Gold Canyon. Stories. Джек Лондон
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СКАЧАТЬ of a second’s footing was out of the question, he would swing his body past by a moment’s hand-grip on a jutting knob of rock, a crevice, or a precariously rooted shrub. At last, with a wild leap and yell, he exchanged the face of the wall for an earth-slide and finished the descent in the midst of several tons of sliding earth and gravel.

      His first pan of the morning washed out over two dollars in coarse gold (его первый лоток утром намыл более двух долларов необработанного золота; coarse – грубый, необработанный). It was from the centre of the “V” (это была /проба/ из центра «V»). To either side the diminution in the values of the pans was swift (по обеим сторонам снижение ценности лотков было стремительным). His lines of cross-cutting holes were growing very short (его ряды поперечных ям становились очень короткими; to grow – расти; делаться, становиться). The converging sides of the inverted “V” were only a few yards apart (сходящиеся стороны перевернутой «V» были только в нескольких ярдах друг от друга; apart – отдельно, на расстоянии). Their meeting-point was only a few yards above him (их точка встречи была только несколькими ярдами выше его: «над ним»). But the pay-streak was dipping deeper and deeper into the earth (но золотой след погружался глубже и глубже в землю). By early afternoon he was sinking the test-holes five feet before the pans could show the gold-trace (к раннему вечеру он выкапывал пробные ямы /на/ пять футов, прежде чем лотки могли показать золотой след; to sink – опускать/ся/, погружать/ся/).

      

 His first pan of the morning washed out over two dollars in coarse gold. It was from the centre of the “V.” To either side the diminution in the values of the pans was swift. His lines of cross-cutting holes were growing very short. The converging sides of the inverted “V” were only a few yards apart. Their meeting-point was only a few yards above him. But the pay-streak was dipping deeper and deeper into the earth. By early afternoon he was sinking the test-holes five feet before the pans could show the gold-trace.

      For that matter (впрочем/и все же; for that matter, for the matter of that – что касается этого; в этом отношении; коли на то пошло), the gold-trace had become something more than a trace (золотой след становился чем-то большим, чем след); it was a placer mine in itself (это был прииск по сути: «в самом себе»), and the man resolved to come back after he had found the pocket and work over the ground (и человек решил вернуться после того, как он обнаружит карман, и обследовать землю; to work over – обследовать; обрабатывать). But the increasing richness of the pans began to worry him (но возрастающее богатство лотков начало беспокоить его). By late afternoon the worth of the pans had grown to three and four dollars (к вечеру ценность лотков взросла до трех и четырех долларов). The man scratched his head perplexedly (человек недоуменно почесал голову; to perplex – ставить в тупик, приводить в недоумение; смущать; ошеломлять, сбивать с толку) and looked a few feet up the hill at the manzanita bush that marked approximately the apex of the “V” (и взглянул несколькими футами вверх по холму на куст толокнянки, который отмечал приблизительно вершину «V»). He nodded his head and said oracularly (он покачал головой и сказал пророчески; oracular – пророческий; загадочный):

      “It’s one o’ two things, Bill; one o’ two things (это одно из двух, Билл; одно из двух). Either Mr. Pocket’s spilled himself all out an’ down the hill (либо мистер Карман рассыпал себя по всему склону), or else Mr. Pocket’s that damned rich you maybe won’t be able to carry him all away with you (или мистер Карман так чертовски богат, /что/ ты, возможно, не сможешь унести его всего с собой; either… or /else/ – или… или). And that ’d be hell, wouldn’t it, now (вот это будет кошмар, не так ли)?” He chuckled at contemplation of so pleasant a dilemma (он издал смешок, решая такую приятную дилемму; to chuckle – /радостно/ хихикнуть; to contemplate – обдумывать, размышлять).

 For that matter, the gold-trace had become something more than a trace; it was a placer mine in itself, and the man resolved to come back after he had found the pocket and work over the ground. But the increasing richness of the pans began to worry him. By late afternoon the worth of the pans had grown to three and four dollars. The man scratched his head perplexedly and looked a few feet up the hill at the manzanita bush that marked approximately the apex of the “V.” He nodded his head and said oracularly:

      “It’s one o’ two things, Bill; one o’ two things. Either Mr. Pocket’s spilled himself all out an’ down the hill, or else Mr. Pocket’s that damned rich you maybe won’t be able to carry him all away with you. And that ’d be hell, wouldn’t it, now?” He chuckled at contemplation of so pleasant a dilemma.

      Nightfall found him by the edge of the stream (сумерки застали его у берега ручья), his eyes wrestling with the gathering darkness over the washing of a five-dollar pan (/при этом/ его глаза боролись со сгущающейся темнотой над промывкой пятидолларового лотка).

      “Wisht I had an electric light to go on working (жаль, у меня нет электрического фонарика, чтобы продолжать работать),” СКАЧАТЬ