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“Sufferin’ Sardanopolis (черт возьми, Сарданапал; suffering – страдающий; suffering cat/s/ – черт! вот ведь!)!” he cried (крикнул он). “Lumps an’ chunks of it! Lumps an’ chunks of it (куски и кусища его; lump, chunk – крупный кусок)!”
“Rotten quartz,” was his conclusion as, with the shovel, he cleared the bottom of the hole of loose dirt. He attacked the crumbling quartz with the pick, bursting the disintegrating rock asunder with every stroke. He thrust his shovel into the loose mass. His eye caught a gleam of yellow. He dropped the shovel and squatted suddenly on his heels. As a farmer rubs the clinging earth from fresh-dug potatoes, so the man, a piece of rotten quartz held in both hands, rubbed the dirt away.
“Sufferin’ Sardanopolis!” he cried. “Lumps an’ chunks of it! Lumps an’ chunks of it!”
It was only half rock he held in his hand (это был только наполовину камень, /то/, что он держал в руке). The other half was virgin gold (остальная половина была самородное золото; virgin – девственный; самородный /о металле/). He dropped it into his pan and examined another piece (он бросил его в лоток и обследовал другой обломок; to drop – капать; ронять; бросать). Little yellow was to be seen (немного желтого показалось), but with his strong fingers he crumbled the rotten quartz away (но своими сильными пальцами он крошил рыхлый кварц) till both hands were filled with glowing yellow (пока обе руки не были наполнены сверкающим золотом; yellow – желтый; предмет желтого цвета; to glow – светиться, сверкать; быть ярким, светлым /о красках, цвете/). He rubbed the dirt away from fragment after fragment (он счищал грязь с куска за куском), tossing them into the gold-pan (швыряя их в лоток). It was a treasure-hole (это была сокровищница; treasure – сокровище; hole – дыра; нора). So much had the quartz rotted away (так сильно распался кварц; to rot away – гнить, портиться) that there was less of it than there was of gold (что его было меньше, чем золота). Now and again he found a piece to which no rock clung (время от времени он находил кусок, в котором не содержалось породы; to cling – крепко держаться, прилипать) – a piece that was all gold (кусок, который был весь золотым). A chunk, where the pick had laid open the heart of the gold (кусок, где кирка обнажила золотое сердце), glittered like a handful of yellow jewels (сверкал, как горсть желтых драгоценных камней), and he cocked his head at it and slowly turned it around and over to observe the rich play of the light upon it (и он приподнял свою голову над ним и медленно поворачивал его из стороны в сторону, чтобы рассмотреть роскошную игру света на нем; to cock – поднимать кверху).
It was only half rock he held in his hand. The other half was virgin gold. He dropped it into his pan and examined another piece. Little yellow was to be seen, but with his strong fingers he crumbled the rotten quartz away till both hands were filled with glowing yellow. He rubbed the dirt away from fragment after fragment, tossing them into the gold-pan. It was a treasure-hole. So much had the quartz rotted away that there was less of it than there was of gold. Now and again he found a piece to which no rock clung – a piece that was all gold. A chunk, where the pick had laid open the heart of the gold, glittered like a handful of yellow jewels, and he cocked his head at it and slowly turned it around and over to observe the rich play of the light upon it.
“Talk about yer Too Much Gold diggin’s (говорите, что у вас слишком много золотых приисков)!” the man snorted contemptuously (человек хмыкнул презрительно; contempt – презрение). “Why, this diggin’ ’d make it look like thirty cents (в сравнении с этим прииском им цена тридцать центов: «этот прииск заставил бы это выглядеть как тридцать центов»). This diggin’ is All Gold (этот прииск – сплошное золото). An’ right here an’ now I name this yere canyon ‘All Gold Canyon,’ b’ gosh (и здесь и сейчас я назову этот каньон «Золотой каньон», черт возьми; b’ gosh = by gosh)!”
Still squatting on his heels (все еще сидя на корточках), he continued examining the fragments and tossing them into the pan (он продолжал рассматривать кусок за куском и бросать их в лоток). Suddenly there came to him a premonition of danger (внезапно к нему пришло предчувствие опасности; premonition – предупреждение; предчувствие). It seemed a shadow had fallen upon him (показалось, тень упала на него). But there was no shadow (но тени не было). His heart had given a great jump up into his throat and was choking him (его сердце подскочило к горлу и стало душить: «было душившим» его; to choke – душить, сдавливать). Then his blood slowly chilled (его кровь медленно похолодела) and he felt the sweat of his shirt cold against his flesh (и он почувствовал, как холодеет от пота рубашка на его теле).
“Talk about yer Too Much Gold diggin’s!” the man snorted contemptuously. “Why, this diggin’ ’d make it look like thirty cents. This diggin’ is All Gold. An’ right here an’ now I name this yere canyon 'All Gold Canyon,' b’ gosh!”
Still squatting on his heels, he continued examining the fragments and tossing them into the pan. Suddenly there came to him a premonition of danger. It seemed a shadow had fallen upon him. But there was no shadow. His heart had given a great jump up into his throat and was choking him. Then his blood slowly chilled and he felt the sweat of his shirt cold against his flesh.
He did not spring up nor look around (он не выпрямился и не оглянулся вокруг). He did not move (он не шелохнулся: «не двинулся»). He was considering the nature of the premonition he had received (он обдумывал/рассматривал природу предостережения, которое он получил), trying to locate the source of the mysterious force that had warned him (пытаясь определить источник таинственной силы, которая предупредила его), striving to sense the imperative presence of the unseen thing that threatened him (пытаясь осознать настоятельное присутствие невидимого предмета, который угрожал ему). There is an aura of things hostile (у вещей, которые враждебны нам, есть аура), made manifest by messengers too refined for the senses to know (делающаяся явной через посланцев, слишком тонких для восприятия); and this aura he felt (и эту ауру он чувствовал), but knew not how he felt it (но не знал, как он ее чувствовал). His was the feeling as when a cloud passes over the sun (его ощущение было подобным тому, как когда облако набегает на солнце). It seemed that between him and life had passed something dark (казалось, что между ним и жизнью пронеслось что-то темное) and smothering (и удушливое; to smother – душить, вызвать приступ удушья) and menacing (и зловещее; to menace – грозить, запугивать, пугать, угрожать); a gloom, as it were, that swallowed up life and made for death (мрак, так сказать, который поглотил жизнь и направлялся к смерти; to make for – направляться) – his death (его смерти).