обломки). He could not bring his fingers together to pull them out (он не мог свести свои пальцы вместе, чтобы вытаскивать их), but he was able to gather them by the handful (но он мог: «был в состоянии» собирать их горстями). In this way he got many rotten twigs and bits of green moss that were undesirable (таким способом он насобирал: «получил» много гнилых веточек и кусков зеленого мха, что было нежелательно), but it was the best he could do (но это было самое лучшее, /что/ он мог сделать). He worked methodically (он работал методично), even collecting an armful of the larger branches (собирая даже охапку веток побольше) to be used later when the fire gathered strength (чтобы использовать /их/ позже, когда костер /достаточно/ разгорится: «наберет силу»). And all the while the dog sat and watched him (и все это время собака сидела и наблюдала /за/ ним), a certain yearning wistfulness in its eyes (/с/ некоторой тоской в глазах; to yearn — тосковать; жаждать; wistfulness — тоска, мечтательность), for it looked upon him as the fire-provider (ибо она смотрела на него как /на того/, кто обеспечит /их/ огнем; provider — снабженец; поставщик), and the fire was slow in coming (а огня все не было; to be slow — медлить, мешкать; опаздывать; coming — прибытие; появление; наступление).
The man was shocked. It was as though he had just heard his own sentence of death. For a moment he sat and stared at the spot where the fire had been. Then he grew very calm. Perhaps the old-timer on Sulphur Creek was right. If he had only had a trail-mate he would have been in no danger now. The trail-mate could have built the fire. Well, it was up to him to build the fire over again, and this second time there must be no failure. Even if he succeeded, he would most likely lose some toes. His feet must be badly frozen by now, and there would be some time before the second fire was ready.
Such were his thoughts, but he did not sit and think them. He was busy all the time they were passing through his mind. He made a new foundation for a fire, this time in the open, where no treacherous tree could blot it out. Next, he gathered dry grasses and tiny twigs from the high-water flotsam. He could not bring his fingers together to pull them out, but he was able to gather them by the handful. In this way he got many rotten twigs and bits of green moss that were undesirable, but it was the best he could do. He worked methodically, even collecting an armful of the larger branches to be used later when the fire gathered strength. And all the while the dog sat and watched him, a certain yearning wistfulness in its eyes, for it looked upon him as the fire-provider, and the fire was slow in coming.
When all was ready (когда все было готово), the man reached in his pocket for a second piece of birch-bark (человек засунул /руку/ в карман за вторым куском березовой коры; to reach — протягивать; дотягиваться). He knew the bark was there (он знал, /что/ кора была там), and, though he could not feel it with his fingers (и хотя он не мог почувствовать ее своими пальцами), he could hear its crisp rustling as he fumbled for it (он мог слышать ее шуршание, когда он рылся /в кармане, ища/ ее; crisp — хрустящий; твердый; rustling — шелест, шорох, шуршание). Try as he would (как он ни старался), he could not clutch hold of it (он не мог ухватить ее; to clutch — хвататься; сжимать; hold — захват; удержание). And all the time, in his consciousness, was the knowledge (и все это время в его сознании сидела мысль: «было знание») that each instant his feet were freezing (что /с/ каждым мгновением его ступни /все больше/ замерзают). This thought tended to put him in a panic (эта мысль стремилась повергнуть его в панику; to tend — иметь тенденцию; склоняться, тяготеть; to put — класть; помещать), but he fought against it and kept calm (но он боролся с ней и оставался спокойным; to keep — держать/ся/; сохранять/ся/; оставаться /в каком-либо состоянии/; to fight). He pulled on his mittens with his teeth (он натянул свои рукавицы зубами), and threshed his arms back and forth (и размахивал своими руками взад и вперед; to thresh = to thrash — молотить; колотить; ударять; метаться; arm — рука /от кисти до плеча/), beating his hands with all his might against his sides (ударяя ладонями изо всех своих сил по бокам: «сторонам»; hand — рука /кисть/). He did this sitting down (он делал это сидя), and he stood up to do it (а /потом/ он делал это стоя: «встал, чтобы делать это»); and all the while the dog sat in the snow (и все это время собака сидела в снегу), its wolf-brush of a tail curled around warmly over its forefeet (ее волчий пушистый хвост /при этом/ обвился, согревая, вокруг ее передних лап; brush — щетка; пушистый хвост; tail — хвост; warmly — тепло; over — над, выше), its sharp wolf-ears pricked forward intently as it watched the man (ее заостренные волчьи уши торчали настороженно вперед, в то время как она наблюдала /за/ человеком; to prick — /у/колоть/ся/; торчать, навострить /об ушах/; intently — внимательно, сосредоточенно). And the man, as he beat and threshed with his arms and hands (и человек, пока он бил и размахивал руками; arm — рука /от кисти до плеча/; hand — рука /кисть/), felt a great surge of envy as he regarded the creature (чувствовал, /как в нем поднимается/ огромная волна зависти, когда он разглядывал это существо) that was warm and secure in its natural covering (которому было тепло и надежно в его природном одеянии; secure — спокойный; безопасный, надежный, защищенный; covering — оболочка; укрытие).
When all was ready, the man reached in his pocket for a second piece of birch-bark. He knew the bark was there, and, though he could not feel it with his fingers, he could hear its crisp rustling as he fumbled for it. Try as he would, he could not clutch hold of it. And all the time, in his consciousness, was the knowledge that each instant his feet were freezing. This thought tended to put him in a panic, but he fought against it and kept calm. He pulled on his mittens with his teeth, and threshed his arms back and forth, beating his hands with all his might against his sides. He did this sitting down, and he stood up to do it; and all the while the dog sat in the snow, its wolf-brush of a tail curled around warmly over its forefeet, its sharp wolf-ears pricked forward intently as it watched the man. And the man, as he beat and threshed with his arms and hands, felt a great surge of envy as he regarded the creature that was warm and secure in its natural covering.
After a time (спустя какое-то время) he was aware of the first faraway signals of sensation in his beaten fingers (он почувствовал первые отдаленные признаки чувствительности: «сигналы ощущения» в своих избитых пальцах; to be aware of — знать, сознавать). The faint tingling grew stronger (слабое покалывание становилось /все/ сильнее; to grow — расти; делаться, становиться) till it evolved into a stinging ache that was excruciating (до тех пор, пока /не/ перешло в жгучую боль, которая была мучительной; to evolve — развивать/ся/; эволюционировать), but which the man hailed with satisfaction (но которую человек с удовлетворением приветствовал). He stripped the mitten from his right hand (он сорвал рукавицу со своей правой руки) and fetched forth the birch-bark (и вытащил березовую кору; to fetch — приносить; пойти за; forth — вперед; впредь; вовне, наружу). The exposed fingers were quickly going numb again (незащищенные пальцы быстро коченели снова; to go — идти; делаться, становиться /с последующим прилагательным или существительным/; numb — онемелый; окоченелый). Next he brought out his bunch of sulphur matches (потом он вытащил свою пачку серных спичек; bunch — связка, пучок, пачка /чего-либо однородного/). But the tremendous cold had already driven the life out of his fingers (но ужасный холод уже изгнал жизнь из его пальцев). In his effort to separate one match from the others (в попытке взять одну спичку: «отделить одну спичку от других»), the whole bunch fell in the snow (/у него/ вся пачка упала в снег). He tried to pick it out of the snow, but failed (он попытался вытащить ее из снега, но не смог: «потерпел неудачу»). The dead fingers could neither touch nor clutch (омертвевшие пальцы /не/ могли ни осязать, ни хватать). He was very careful (он был очень внимателен). He drove the thought of his freezing feet (он изгнал мысль о своих замерзающих ступнях), and nose (и
