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irresistibly ["IrI'zIstqblI], heaven [hevn], poor [puq]

There were tears in their eyes as they sought each other. A strange softening came over them. They felt irresistibly drawn toward each other. The sun was coming back again. It would be with them to-morrow, and the next day, and the next. And it would stay longer every visit, and a time would come when it would ride their heaven day and night, never once dropping below the sky-line. There would be no night. The ice-locked winter would be broken; the winds would blow and the forests answer; the land would bathe in the blessed sunshine, and life renew. Hand in hand, they would quit this horrid dream and journey back to the Southland. They lurched blindly forward, and their hands met, — their poor maimed hands, swollen and distorted beneath their mittens.

But the promise was destined to remain unfulfilled (но надежде было суждено остаться неисполненной = не суждено было исполниться). The Northland is the Northland (Север есть Север), and men work out their souls by strange rules (и люди истощают свои силы по странным правилам; soul — мощность, сила, энтузиазм), which other men, who have not journeyed into far countries (которые другие люди, не путешествовавшие в далекие страны), cannot come to understand (не могут понять).

promise ['prOmIs], work [wWk], country ['kAntrI]

But the promise was destined to remain unfulfilled. The Northland is the Northland, and men work out their souls by strange rules, which other men, who have not journeyed into far countries, cannot come to understand.

An hour later, Cuthfert put a pan of bread into the oven (часом позже Катфер засунул противень с хлебом в печь), and fell to speculating on (и принялся размышлять о том) what the surgeons could do with his feet when he got back (что могут сделать хирурги с его ступнями, когда он вернется). Home did not seem so very far away now (теперь дом не казался таким уж далеким). Weatherbee was rummaging in the cache (Уэзерби тщательно исследовал склад продуктов). Of a sudden, he raised a whirlwind of blasphemy (внезапно он издал поток богохульств; to raise — издавать /крик/; whirlwind — вихрь; смерч, ураган), which in turn ceased with startling abruptness (который, в свою очередь, прекратился поразительно резко; abrupt — внезапный). The other man had robbed his sugar-sack (другой /человек/ ограбил его мешок с сахаром). Still, things might have happened differently (однако дела могли = все могло случиться = обернуться по-другому), had not the two dead men come out from under the stones and hushed the hot words in his throat (если бы два мертвеца не вышли из-под камней и не утихомирили брань у него в горле; hot words — брань). They led him quite gently from the cache (они вывели его очень тихо из склада), which he forgot to close (который он забыл запереть).

bread [bred], oven [Avn], surgeon ['sWGqn]

An hour later, Cuthfert put a pan of bread into the oven, and fell to speculating on what the surgeons could do with his feet when he got back. Home did not seem so very far away now. Weatherbee was rummaging in the cache. Of a sudden, he raised a whirlwind of blasphemy, which in turn ceased with startling abruptness. The other man had robbed his sugar-sack. Still, things might have happened differently, had not the two dead men come out from under the stones and hushed the hot words in his throat. They led him quite gently from the cache, which he forgot to close.

That consummation was reached (/та/ цель была достигнута); that something they had whispered to him in his dreams was about to happen (то, о чем они нашептывали ему в его снах, должно было вот-вот случиться; to be about — собираться /сделать что-либо/, предполагать). They guided him gently, very gently, to the woodpile (они подвели его тихо, очень тихо к поленнице), where they put the axe in his hands (где они вложили ему в руки топор). Then they helped him shove open the cabin door (затем они помогли ему открыть дверь избушки; to shove — пихать, толкнуть), and he felt sure they shut it after him (и он уверенно ощутил = был уверен, что они закрыли ее за ним), — at least he heard it slam and the latch fall sharply into place (по крайней мере он услышал, как она захлопнулась, и щеколда резко упала на место). And he knew they were waiting just without (и он знал, что они ждут его непосредственно снаружи), waiting for him to do his task (ждут, когда он выполнит свою задачу).

guide [gaId], door [dL], task [tRsk]

That consummation was reached; that something they had whispered to him in his dreams was about to happen. They guided him gently, very gently, to the woodpile, where they put the axe in his hands. Then they helped him shove open the cabin door, and he felt sure they shut it after him, — at least he heard it slam and the latch fall sharply into place. And he knew they were waiting just without, waiting for him to do his task.

"Carter! I say, Carter (послушай, Картер)!"

Percy Cuthfert was frightened at the look on the clerk's face (Перси Катферт был испуган видом лица конторщика), and he made haste to put the table between them (и он поспешил поставить стол между ними).

Carter Weatherbee followed (Картер Уэзерби преследовал /его/), without haste and without enthusiasm (без спешки и без исступления). There was neither pity nor passion in his face (на его лице не было ни сострадания, ни гнева; passion — вспышка гнева), but rather the patient, stolid look of one who has certain work to do and goes about it methodically (но скорее терпеливое, бесстрастное выражение лица человека, которому нужно выполнить какую-то работу, и он методично приступает к ней; to go about — начинать /что-либо; делать что-либо/, приступать /к чему-либо/).

haste [heIst], enthusiasm [In'TjHzIxzm], patient ['peISqnt]

"Carter! I say, Carter!"

Percy Cuthfert was frightened at the look on the clerk's face, and he made haste to put the table between them.

Carter Weatherbee followed, without haste and without enthusiasm. There was neither pity nor passion in his face, but rather the patient, stolid look of one who has certain work to do and goes about it methodically.

"I say, what's the matter (послушай, в чем дело)?"

The clerk dodged back (клерк увернулся назад), cutting off his retreat to the door (отрезая отступление к двери), but never opening his mouth (но так и не открыл рта).

"I say, Carter, I say (послушай, Картер, послушай); let's talk (давай поговорим). There’s a good chap (ты же хороший парень)."

The master of arts was thinking rapidly, now (теперь магистр искусств думал быстро), shaping a skillful flank movement on the bed (сделав ловкое боковое движение к кровати; to shape — делать по какому-либо образцу; продумывать, планировать) where his Smith & Wesson lay (на которой лежал его «смит-вессон»; to lie — лежать). Keeping his eyes on the madman (не сводя глаз с сумасшедшего: «сохраняя глаза на сумасшедшем»), he rolled backward on the bunk (он перекатился назад по койке), at the same time clutching the pistol (одновременно схватив пистолет; at the same time — одновременно).

"Carter!"

retreat [rI'trJt], mouth [mauT], roll [rqul]

"I say, what 's the matter?"

The clerk dodged back, cutting off his retreat to the door, but never opening his mouth.

"I say, Carter, I say; let 's talk. There 's a good chap."

The master of arts was thinking rapidly, now, shaping a skillful flank movement on the bed where his Smith & Wesson lay. Keeping his eyes on the madman, he rolled backward on the bunk, at the same time clutching the pistol.

"Carter!"

The powder flashed full in Weatherbee's face (порох вспыхнул прямо в лицо Уэзерби), but he swung his weapon and leaped forward (но он взмахнул своим оружием и прыгнул вперед; to swing — махать, размахивать). The axe bit deeply at the base of the spine (топор врубился глубоко в основание позвоночника; to bite — кусать; колоть, рубить /любым холодным оружием/), and Percy Cuthfert felt all consciousness of his lower limbs leave him (и Перси Катферт почувствовал, как его покидает всякое ощущение нижних конечностей). Then the clerk fell heavily upon him (затем клерк тяжело навалился на него; to fall — падать, валиться), clutching him by the throat with feeble fingers (хватая его за горло ослабевшими пальцами). The sharp bite of the axe had caused Cuthfert to drop the pistol (от резкого удара топором Катферт выронил пистолет; to cause — послужить причиной/поводом для чего-либо; мотивировать что-либо), and as his lungs panted for release (и пока его легкие страстно желали освободиться; to pant for — страстно желать, томиться, тосковать), he fumbled aimlessly for it among the blankets (он бессмысленно нащупывал его среди одеял). Then he remembered (тогда он вспомнил). He slid a hand up the clerk's belt to the sheath-knife (он просунул руку к ремню конторщика за ножом в ножнах; to slide — скользить; всовывать, засовывать); and they drew very close to each other in that last clinch (и они очень /тесно/ сблизились друг с другом в этом последнем объятии).