ought to know (и я думаю, мне положено знать). Look here (послушайте). I'll prove it to you (я докажу это вам).'
Walt was on the defensive at once.
'How do you know he's your dog?' he demanded.
'Because he is,' was the reply.
'Mere assertion,' Walt said sharply.
In his slow and pondering way, Skiff Miller looked at him, then asked, with a nod of his head toward Madge:
'How d'you know she's your wife? You just say, 'Because she is,' and I'll say it's mere assertion. The dog's mine. I bred 'm an' raised 'm, an' I guess I ought to know. Look here. I'll prove it to you.'
Skiff Miller turned to the dog (Скиф Миллер повернулся к собаке). 'Brown (Браун)!' His voice rang out sharply (его голос прозвучал резко;
'I can do it with whistles (я могу сделать это свистом)', Skiff Miller said proudly (сказал Скиф Миллер с гордостью). 'He was my lead dog (он был моей ведущей собакой).'
'But you are not going to take him away with you (но вы не собираетесь увезти его с собой)?' Madge asked tremulously (робко спросила Мэдж;
The man nodded (мужчина кивнул).
'Back into that awful Klondike world of suffering (обратно в этот ужасный мир страданий Клондайка)?'
Skiff Miller turned to the dog. 'Brown!' His voice rang out sharply, and at the sound the dog's ears flattened down as to a caress. 'Gee!' The dog made a swinging turn to the right. 'Now mush-on!' And the dog ceased his swing abruptly and started straight ahead, halting obediently at command.
'I can do it with whistles', Skiff Miller said proudly. 'He was my lead dog.'
'But you are not going to take him away with you?' Madge asked tremulously.
The man nodded.
'Back into that awful Klondike world of suffering?'
He nodded and added (он кивнул и добавил): 'Oh, it ain't so bad as all that (о, это вовсе не так уж скверно). Look at me (посмотрите на меня). Pretty healthy specimen, ain't I (очень здоровый образчик, не так ли)?'
'But the dogs (но собаки)! The terrible hardship, the heart-breaking toil, the starvation, the frost (страшные лишения, разрывающий сердце непосильный труд, голод, мороз)! Oh, I've read about it and I know (ах, я читала об этом и знаю).'
'I nearly ate him once, over on Little Fish River (я чуть не съел его однажды, на пути к реке Маленькая Рыбка;
'I'd have died first (я бы умерла первой)!' Madge cried (воскликнула Мэдж).
He nodded and added: 'Oh, it ain't so bad as all that. Look at me. Pretty healthy specimen, ain't I?'
'But the dogs! The terrible hardship, the heart-breaking toil, the starvation, the frost! Oh, I've read about it and I know.'
'I nearly ate him once, over on Little Fish River,' Miller volunteered grimly. 'If I hadn't got a moose that day was all that saved 'm.'
'I'd have died first!' Madge cried.
'Things is different down here (здесь на юге все по-другому;
'That's the very point (в том-то и дело;
'But it's all-fired hot in summer (но безумно жарко летом), beggin' your pardon (прошу прощения),' Skiff Miller laughed (засмеялся Скиф Миллер).
'Things is different down here', Miller explained. 'You don't have to eat dogs. You think different just about the time you're all in. You've never ben all in, so you don't know anything about it.'
'That's the very point,' she argued warmly. 'Dogs are not eaten in California. Why not leave him here? He is happy. He'll never want for food — you know that. He'll never suffer from cold and hardship. Here all is softness and gentleness. Neither the human nor nature is savage. He will never know a whip-lash again. And as for the weather — why, it never snows here.'
'But it's all-fired hot in summer, beggin' your pardon,' Skiff Miller laughed.
'But you do not answer (но вы не отвечаете),' Madge continued passionately (продолжала горячо/пылко Мэдж;
'Grub, when I've got it (жратву, когда она у меня есть), and that's most of the time (а это большую часть времени),' came the answer (раздался ответ).
'And the rest of the time (а в остальное время)?'
'No grub (нет жратвы).'
'And the work (а работа)?'
