(с хвостом между ног), like a miserable and woe-begone dog (как несчастная и печальная собака;
Throughout the night he heard the cough of the sick wolf, and now and then the squawking of the caribou calves. There was life all around him, but it was strong life, very much alive and well, and he knew the sick wolf clung to the sick man's trail in the hope that the man would die first. In the morning, on opening his eyes, he beheld it regarding him with a wistful and hungry stare. It stood crouched, with tail between its legs, like a miserable and woe-begone dog. It shivered in the chill morning wind, and grinned dispiritedly when the man spoke to it in a voice that achieved no more than a hoarse whisper.
The sun rose brightly (ярко взошло солнце), and all morning the man tottered and fell toward the ship on the shining sea (и все утро человек ковылял и падал в сторону корабля на сверкающей /глади/ моря). The weather was perfect (погода была превосходная). It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes (это было короткое бабье лето высоких широт;
In the afternoon the man came upon a trail (после полудня человек наткнулся на след). It was of another man (это был /след/ другого человека), who did not walk (который не шел), but who dragged himself on all fours (а который тащился вперед на четвереньках). The man thought it might be Bill (человек подумал, что это мог быть Билл), but he thought in a dull, uninterested way (но он подумал вяло, незаинтересованно: «в вялой, незаинтересованной манере»;
The sun rose brightly, and all morning the man tottered and fell toward the ship on the shining sea. The weather was perfect. It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. It might last a week. To-morrow or next day it might be gone.
In the afternoon the man came upon a trail. It was of another man, who did not walk, but who dragged himself on all fours. The man thought it might be Bill, but he thought in a dull, uninterested way. He had no curiosity. In fact, sensation and emotion had left him. He was no longer susceptible to pain. Stomach and nerves had gone to sleep. Yet the life that was in him drove him on. He was very weary, but it refused to die. It was because it refused to die that he still ate muskeg berries and minnows, drank his hot water, and kept a wary eye on the sick wolf.
He followed the trail of the other man who dragged himself along (он пошел по следу другого человека, который тащился вперед), and soon came to the end of it (и вскоре пришел к его концу) — a few fresh-picked bones (несколько недавно обглоданных костей /там/) where the soggy moss was marked by the foot-pads of many wolves (где сырой мох был отмечен следами лап многих волков). He saw a squat moose-hide sack (он увидел короткий и толстый мешочек из лосиной кожи), mate to his own (товарищ его собственному), which had been torn by sharp teeth (который был разорван острыми зубами). He picked it up (он поднял его), though its weight was almost too much for his feeble fingers (хотя его вес был слишком велик для его немощных пальцев). Bill had carried it to the last (Билл нес его до последнего). Ha! ha (ха-ха)! He would have the laugh on Bill (он посмеется над Биллом;
He followed the trail of the other man who dragged himself along, and soon came to the end of it — a few fresh-picked bones where the soggy moss was marked by the foot-pads of many wolves. He saw a squat moose-hide sack, mate to his own, which had been torn by sharp teeth. He picked it up, though its weight was almost too much for his feeble fingers. Bill had carried it to the last. Ha! ha! He would have the laugh on Bill. He would survive and carry it to the ship in the shining sea. His mirth was hoarse and ghastly, like a raven's croak, and the sick wolf joined him, howling lugubriously. The man ceased suddenly. How could he have the laugh on Bill if that were Bill; if those bones, so pinky- white and clean, were Bill?
He turned away (он отвернулся). Well, Bill had deserted him (ну, Билл бросил его); but he would not take the gold (но он не возьмет ни золото), nor would he suck Bill's bones (и не будет обсасывать кости Билла). Bill would have, though (хотя Билл и поступил бы так), had it been the other way around (если бы это было наоборот;
