Английский язык с Дж. Лондоном. Любовь к жизни (рассказы)

In build and coat and brush he was a huge timber-wolf; but the lie was given to his wolfhood by his color and marking. There the dog unmistakably advertised itself. No wolf was ever colored like him. He was brown, deep brown, red-brown, an orgy of browns. Back and shoulders were a warm brown that paled on the sides and underneath to a yellow that was dingy because of the brown that lingered in it. The white of the throat and paws and the spots over the eyes was dirty because of the persistent and ineradicable brown, while the eyes themselves were twin topazes, golden and brown.

The man and woman loved the dog very much (мужчина и женщина очень любили собаку); perhaps this was because it had been such a task to win his love (возможно, потому, что завоевать его любовь оказалось такой /трудной/ задачей). It had been no easy matter (это было нелегкое дело) when he first drifted in mysteriously out of nowhere to their little mountain cottage (когда он впервые таинственно пришел из ниоткуда к их маленькому коттеджу в горах; to drift in — заходить в гости без предупреждения; to drift — относить, гнать). Footsore and famished (со стертыми лапами и умирающий от голода; footsore — со стертыми лапами; sore — больной; болезненный, чувствительный; воспаленный

), he had killed a rabbit under their very noses and under their very windows (он убил кролика у них прямо перед носом и под самыми их окнами), and then crawled away and slept by the spring at the foot of the blackberry bushes (а потом отполз и заснул возле родника у подножья кустов черной смородины). When Walt Irvine went down to inspect the intruder (когда Уолт Ирвин спустился, чтобы внимательно осмотреть незваного гостя; to intrude — вторгаться, входить без разрешения или приглашения), he was snarled at for his pains (тот зарычал на него за /все/ его старания; pains — старания, усилия, труды

), and Madge likewise was snarled at (на Мэдж он тоже зарычал) when she went down to present (когда она спустилась, чтобы преподнести), as a peace-offering (в качестве мирного подношения; to offer — предлагать; offering — предложение; подарок, подношение; peace-offering — умилостивительная или искупительная жертва), a large pan of bread and milk (большую миску хлеба с молоком).

The man and woman loved the dog very much; perhaps this was because it had been such a task to win his love. It had been no easy matter when he first drifted in mysteriously out of nowhere to their little mountain cottage. Footsore and famished, he had killed a rabbit under their very noses and under their very windows, and then crawled away and slept by the spring at the foot of the blackberry bushes. When Walt Irvine went down to inspect the intruder, he was snarled at for his pains, and Madge likewise was snarled at when she went down to present, as a peace-offering, a large pan of bread and milk.