когда он убегал по уступам /скал/; to flee – убегать, спасаться бегством).
At six o’clock he awoke, quietly lying on his back. He gazed straight up into the gray sky and knew that he was hungry. As he rolled over on his elbow he was startled by a loud snort, and saw a bull caribou regarding him with alert curiosity. The animal was not more than fifty feet away, and instantly into the man’s mind leaped the vision and the savor of a caribou steak sizzling and frying over a fire. Mechanically he reached for the empty gun, drew a bead, and pulled the trigger. The bull snorted and leaped away, his hoofs rattling and clattering as he fled across the ledges.
The man cursed and flung the empty gun from him (человек ругнулся и отбросил от себя пустое ружье; to fling – бросать, метать, кидать, швырять). He groaned aloud as he started to drag himself to his feet (он громко застонал, в то время как начал тащить себя = подниматься на ноги; to drag – тянуть, тащить). It was a slow and arduous task (это была медленная и тяжелая задача; arduous – трудный, тяжелый). His joints were like rusty hinges (его конечности были словно ржавые шарниры). They worked harshly in their sockets (они жестко двигались в своих сочленениях; harshly – резко, жестоко; harsh – жесткий, твердый, грубый; шершавый, шероховатый), with much friction (с большим трением), and each bending or unbending was accomplished only through a sheer exertion of will (и каждое сгибание и разгибание совершалось лишь благодаря большому: «чистому» усилию воли; sheer – абсолютный, полнейший, сущий, явный; чистый, несмешанный). When he finally gained his feet (когда он в конце концов поднялся на ноги), another minute or so was consumed in straightening up (еще одну минуту или около того было потрачено на разгибание = на то, чтобы разогнуться; to consume – расходовать, тратить; to straighten up – разогнуться, выпрямиться), so that he could stand erect as a man should stand (так чтобы он смог стоять вертикально, как положено стоять человеку).
The man cursed and flung the empty gun from him. He groaned aloud as he started to drag himself to his feet. It was a slow and arduous task. His joints were like rusty hinges. They worked harshly in their sockets, with much friction, and each bending or unbending was accomplished only through a sheer exertion of will. When he finally gained his feet, another minute or so was consumed in straightening up, so that he could stand erect as a man should stand.
He crawled up a small knoll and surveyed the prospect (он заполз на небольшой холмик и осмотрел панораму; to survey – осматривать, обозревать). There were no trees, no bushes (не было ни деревьев, ни кустарников), nothing but a gray sea of moss scarcely diversified by gray rocks, gray lakelets, and gray streamlets (ничего, кроме серого моря мха, в которое почти не вносили разнообразия серые скалы, серые озерца и серые ручейки; scarcely – едва, почти не; to diversify – разнообразить, вносить разнообразие; diverse – иной, отличный от чего-либо, различный; разнообразный). The sky was gray (небо было серым). There was no sun nor hint of sun (не было ни солнца, ни намека на солнце). He had no idea of north (он не имел представления о севере = где север), and he had forgotten the way he had come to this spot the night before (и он забыл путь, которым пришел в это место прошлым вечером). But he was not lost (но он не заблудился: «не был потерян»). He knew that (он знал это). Soon he would come to the land of the little sticks (скоро он придет в край «прутиков»). He felt that it lay off to the left somewhere (он чувствовал, что тот расположен где-то в стороне левее), not far (недалеко) – possibly just over the next low hill (возможно, как раз за следующим низким холмом).
He crawled up a small knoll and surveyed the prospect. There were no trees, no bushes, nothing but a gray sea of moss scarcely diversified by gray rocks, gray lakelets, and gray streamlets. The sky was gray. There was no sun nor hint of sun. He had no idea of north, and he had forgotten the way he had come to this spot the night before. But he was not lost. He knew that. Soon he would come to the land of the little sticks. He felt that it lay off to the left somewhere, not far – possibly just over the next low hill.
He went back to put his pack into shape for travelling (он вернулся, чтобы придать своему тюку форму /подходящую/ для путешествия). He assured himself of the existence of his three separate parcels of matches (он убедился в существовании своих трех отдельных пакетиков спичек), though he did not stop to count them (хотя не остановился, чтобы посчитать их). But he did linger, debating, over a squat moose-hide sack (но он все-таки задержался, задумавшись, над коротким и толстым мешком из шкуры американского лося; to squat – сидеть на корточках; припасть к земле
