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"Thou dost not remember me (ты не помнишь меня)," he said greeting (в качестве = вместо приветствия сказал он; by way of — в виде, в качестве).

"Nay (нет, /помню/)," Imber answered (ответил Имбер). "Thou art Howkan who went away (ты Хаукан, который ушел). Thy mother be dead (твоя мать умерла)."

"She was an old woman (она была старая женщина)," said Howkan.

But Imber did not hear (но Имбер не слышал), and Howkan, with hand upon his shoulder, roused him again (и Хаукан, /положив/ руку ему на плечо, разбудил его снова).

period ['pIqrIqd], [pI'rJqd], monotonous [mq'nOtnqs], surprise [sq'praIz]

For an interminable period the man read. His monotonous, sing-song utterance lured Imber to dreaming, and he was dreaming deeply when the man ceased. A voice spoke to him in his own Whitefish tongue, and he roused up, without surprise, to look upon the face of his sister's son, a young man who had wandered away years agone to make his dwelling with the whites.

"Thou dost not remember me," he said by way of greeting.

"Nay," Imber answered. "Thou art Howkan who went away. Thy mother be dead."

"She was an old woman," said Howkan.

But Imber did not hear, and Howkan, with hand upon his shoulder, roused him again.

"I shall speak to thee what the man has spoken (я расскажу тебе, что сказал тот человек), which is the tale of the troubles thou hast done (что является перечнем бед, которые ты натворил; tale — счет, подсчет; количество) and which thou hast told (и которые ты поведал), O fool (о глупец), to the Captain Alexander (капитану Александеру). And thou shalt understand and say (а ты должен понять и сказать) if it be true talk or talk not true (правда этот рассказ или неправда; talk — рассказ, история). It is so commanded (так требуется; to command — требовать)."

Howkan had fallen among the mission folk (Хаукан попал к миссионерам; to fall among — попасть в какое-либо /обыкн. дурное/ общество; folk — люди, определенная группа людей) and been taught by them to read and write (и они научили его читать и писать; to teach — учить, обучать). In his hands he held the many fine sheets (в руках он держал то множество тонких листов; to hold — держать) from which the man had read aloud (которые читал вслух мужчина), and which had been taken down by a clerk (и которые были исписаны клерком; to take down — записывать) when Imber first made confession (когда Имбер впервые сделал признание), through the mouth of Jimmy (устами Джимми), to Captain Alexander (капитану Александеру). Howkan began to read (Хаукан начал читать). Imber listened for a space (Имбер слушал некоторое время), when a wonderment rose up in his face and he broke in abruptly (когда на его лице появилось изумление, и он вдруг прервал /Хаукана/; to break in — вмешаться /в разговор и т. п./; прервать /разговор/).

true [trH], folk [fquk], clerk [klRk]

"I shall speak to thee what the man has spoken, which is the tale of the troubles thou hast done and which thou hast told, O fool, to the Captain Alexander. And thou shalt understand and say if it be true talk or talk not true. It is so commanded."

Howkan had fallen among the mission folk and been taught by them to read and write. In his hands he held the many fine sheets from which the man had read aloud, and which had been taken down by a clerk when Imber first made confession, through the mouth of Jimmy, to Captain Alexander. Howkan began to read. Imber listened for a space, when a wonderment rose up in his face and he broke in abruptly.

"That be my talk, Howkan (это мой рассказ, Хаукан). Yet from thy lips it comes (однако он слетает с твоих губ) when thy ears have not heard (хотя твои уши не слышали; when — хотя, несмотря на, тогда как)."

Howkan smirked with self-appreciation (Хаукан самодовольно ухмыльнулся; appreciation — оценка /любая оценка как выражение мнения о достоинствах чего-либо или кого-либо/; высокая или положительная оценка). His hair was parted in the middle (его волосы были разделены посредине = были расчесаны на пробор). "Nay, from the paper it comes, O Imber (нет, о Имбер, это исходит из бумаги). Never have my ears heard (мои уши никогда не слышали /это/). From the paper it comes, through my eyes, into my head, and out of my mouth to thee (это идет с бумаги через мои глаза в голову, а из уст к тебе). Thus it comes (так это получается; to come — происходить; получаться)."

"Thus it comes (так это получается)? It be there in the paper (это там на бумаге)?" Imber's voice sank in whisperful awe (голос Имбера понизился до благоговейного шепота) as he crackled the sheets 'twixt [7] thumb and finger and stared at the charactery scrawled thereon (когда он похрустел листами между большим пальцем и указательным и вгляделся в символы, наспех написанные на нем; finger — палец на руке; charactery — символика, система знаков, символов; to scrawl — писать наспех). "It be a great medicine, Howkan (это — великое колдовство, Хаукан), and thou art a worker of wonders (а ты чудотворец; to work wonders — делать, демонстрировать чудеса)."

appreciation [q" prJSI'eISqn], thumb [TAm], charactery ['kxrqktqrI]

"That be my talk, Howkan. Yet from thy lips it comes when thy ears have not heard."

Howkan smirked with self-appreciation. His hair was parted in the middle. "Nay, from the paper it comes, O Imber. Never have my ears heard. From the paper it comes, through my eyes, into my head, and out of my mouth to thee. Thus it comes."

"Thus it comes? It be there in the paper?" Imber's voice sank in whisperful awe as he crackled the sheets 'twixt thumb and finger and stared at the charactery scrawled thereon. "It be a great medicine, Howkan, and thou art a worker of wonders."

"It be nothing, it be nothing (это пустяки, мелочь; nothing — мелочи, пустяки)," the young man responded carelessly and pridefully (ответил молодой человек небрежно и с гордостью). He read at hazard from the document (он зачитал наугад из документа; at hazard — наугад, наудачу): "In that year, before the break of the ice, came an old man (в том году перед ледоходом, пришел один старик), and a boy who was lame of one foot (и мальчик, который хромал на одну ногу; to be lame in one leg — хромать на одну ногу). These also did I kill, and the old man made much noise — (этих = их я тоже убил, а старик делал много шума = очень кричал)"

"It be true (это правда)," Imber interrupted breathlessly (задыхаясь, перебил Имбер). "He made much noise and would not die for a long time (он сильно шумел и долго не хотел умирать). But how dost thou know, Howkan (но откуда ты знаешь, Хаукан)? The chief man of the white men told thee, mayhap (может, тебе рассказал начальник белых людей)? No one beheld me (никто не видел меня; to behold — увидеть, заметить), and him alone have I told (а рассказал я ему одному)." Howkan shook his head with impatience (Хаукан затряс головой от нетерпения). "Have I not told thee it be there in the paper, O fool (о глупец, разве не сказал я тебе, что это на бумаге)?"

hazard ['hxzqd], document ['dOkjumqnt], dost [dAst]

"It be nothing, it be nothing," the young man responded carelessly and pridefully. He read at hazard from the document: "In that year, before the break of the ice, came an old man, and a boy who was lame of one foot. These also did I kill, and the old man made much noise — "

"It be true," Imber interrupted breathlessly. "He made much noise and would not die for a long time. But how dost thou know, Howkan? The chief man of the white men told thee, mayhap? No one beheld me, and him alone have I told." Howkan shook his head with impatience. "Have I not told thee it be there in the paper, O fool?"