the thought.
'Brother,' he began (брат, — начал он), with the smug complacency of a man about to relate the big things he has done (с щеголеватым самодовольством человека, собиравшегося рассказать о значительных делах, которые он совершил), 'it was late summer of many summers back (это было в конце лета много лет тому назад), with much such weather as this promises to be (в погоду, очень похожую на ту, которой обещает стать нынешняя), when I went away (когда я ушел). You all remember the day (вы все помните тот день), when the gulls flew low (когда низко летали чайки;
'Brother,' he began, with the smug complacency of a man about to relate the big things he has done, 'it was late summer of many summers back, with much such weather as this promises to be, when I went away. You all remember the day, when the gulls flew low, and the wind blew strong from the land, and I could not hold my bidarka against it. I tied the covering of the bidarka about me so that no water could get in, and all of the night I fought with the storm. And in the morning there was no land, — only the sea, — and the off-shore wind held me close in its arms and bore me along. Three such nights whitened into dawn and showed me no land, and the off-shore wind would not let me go.
'And when the fourth day came (а когда наступил четвертый день), I was as a madman (я был безумцем = обезумел). I could not dip my paddle for want of food (я не мог погрузить весло /обессилев/ из-за отсутствия пищи;
Nam-Bok paused to pick away a sliver of salmon lodged between his teeth (Нам-Бок сделал паузу, чтобы выковырять кусочек лосося, застрявший у него между зубов;
'And when the fourth day came, I was as a madman. I could not dip my paddle for want of food; and my head went round and round, what of the thirst that was upon me. But the sea was no longer angry, and the soft south wind was blowing, and as I looked about me I saw a sight that made me think I was indeed mad.'
Nam-Bok paused to pick away a sliver of salmon lodged between his teeth, and the men and women, with idle hands and heads craned forward, waited.
'It was a canoe (это было каноэ), a big canoe (большое каноэ). If all the canoes I have ever seen were made into one canoe (если бы из всех каноэ, которые я когда-либо видел, сделали одно каноэ), it would not be so large (оно не было бы таким большим).'
There were exclamations of doubt (были =
'If each bidarka were as a grain of sand (если бы каждая байдарка была, как песчинка = размером с песчинку),' Nam-Bok defiantly continued (продолжал вызывающе Нам-Бок;
'It was a canoe, a big canoe. If all the canoes I have ever seen were made into one canoe, it would not be so large.'
There were exclamations of doubt, and Koogah, whose years were many, shook his head.
'If each bidarka were as a grain of sand,' Nam-Bok defiantly continued, 'and if there were as many bidarkas as there be grains of sand in this beach, still would they not make so big a canoe as this I saw on the morning of the fourth day. It was a very big canoe, and it was called a schooner. I saw this thing of wonder, this great schooner, coming after me, and on it I saw men — '
'Hold, O Nam-Bok (погоди, о Нам-Бок)!' Opee-Kwan broke in (перебил Опи-Кван;
'Nay, mere men like you and me (нет, простые люди, как ты и я).'
'Did the big canoe come fast (большое каноэ шло быстро)?'
'Ay (да).'
'The sides were tall (борта были высокие), the men short (/а/ люди невысокие).' Opee-Kwan stated the premises with conviction (уверенно: «с убеждением» сформулировал Опи-Кван вышеизложенное;
Nam-Bok grinned (Нам-Бок ухмыльнулся). 'There were no paddles (не было весел),' he said.
'Hold, O Nam-Bok!' Opee-Kwan broke in. 'What manner of men were they? — big men?'
'Nay, mere men like you and me.'
'Did the big canoe come fast?'
'Ay.'
'The sides were tall, the men short.' Opee-Kwan stated the premises with conviction. 'And did these men dip with long paddles?'
