"As I say, the meat in the forest became less and less (как я говорил, мяса в лесу становилось меньше и меньше). It be true, the white man's gun is most excellent and kills a long way off (правда, ружье белого человека превосходное и убивает издалека); but of what worth the gun (но какой толк от ружья;
excellent ['eksqlqnt], caribou ['kxrIbH], uncountable ["An'kauntqbl]
"As I say, the meat in the forest became less and less. It be true, the white man's gun is most excellent and kills a long way off; but of what worth the gun, when there is no meat to kill? When I was a boy on the Whitefish there was moose on every hill, and each year came the caribou uncountable. But now the hunter may take the trail ten days and not one moose gladden his eyes, while the caribou uncountable come no more at all. Small worth the gun, I say, killing a long way off, when there be nothing to kill.
"And I, Imber, pondered upon these things (и я, Имбер, размышлял над этими фактами), watching the while the Whitefish, and the Pellys, and all the tribes of the land (наблюдая за тем, как тем временем Белая Рыба и пелли, и все племена края), perishing as perished the meat of the forest (гибнут, как погибла дичь в лесу). Long I pondered (долго я размышлял). I talked with the shamans and the old men who were wise (я беседовал с шаманами и стариками, которые были мудры = мудрыми стариками). I went apart that the sounds of the village might not disturb me (я уходил в отдаление, чтобы звуки поселка не мешали мне;
perish ['perIS], disturb [dIs'tWb], sign [saIn], ghost [gqust]
"And I, Imber, pondered upon these things, watching the while the Whitefish, and the Pellys, and all the tribes of the land, perishing as perished the meat of the forest. Long I pondered. I talked with the shamans and the old men who were wise. I went apart that the sounds of the village might not disturb me, and I ate no meat so that my belly should not press upon me and make me slow of eye and ear. I sat long and sleepless in the forest, wide-eyed for the sign, my ears patient and keen for the word that was to come. And I wandered alone in the blackness of night to the river bank, where was wind-moaning and sobbing of water, and where I sought wisdom from the ghosts of old shamans in the trees and dead and gone.