satisfying ['sxtIsfaIIN], pulpy ['pAlpI], substance ['sAbstqns], evaporation [I"vxpq'reIS(q)n]

But melons are not very satisfying, and when we had satisfied our thirst with their pulpy substance, and set a stock to cool by the simple process of cutting them in two and setting them end on in the hot sun to get cold by evaporation, we began to feel exceedingly hungry. We had still some biltong left but our stomachs turned from biltong, and, besides, we had to be very sparing of it, for we could not say when we should get more food. Just at this moment a lucky thing happened. Looking towards the desert I saw a flock of about ten large birds flying straight towards us.

"Skit, Baas, skit!" (shoot, master, shoot) (стреляйте, господин, стреляйте), whispered the Hottentot, throwing himself on his face (прошептал готтентот, бросаясь ничком /на землю/: «бросаясь на свое лицо»), an example which we all followed (пример, которому мы все последовали = мы все последовали его примеру).

Then I saw that the birds were a flock of pauw (bustards) (затем я увидел, что эти птицы были стаей дроф), and that they would pass within fifty yards of my head (и что они вскоре пролетят в пятидесяти ярдах над моей головой). Taking one of the repeating Winchesters (взяв один из магазинных винчестеров), I waited till they were nearly over us (я подождал, пока они не оказались почти прямо над нами), and then jumped on to my feet (и тогда вскочил на ноги). On seeing me the pauw bunched up together, as I expected they would (увидев меня, дрофы сгрудились в кучу, как я и /того/ ожидал от них: «что они /сгрудятся/»; bunch — связка, пучок; to bunch — собирать в пучки; сбиваться в кучу), and I fired two shots straight into the thick of them (и я выстрелил два раза прямо в самую их гущу; thick — гуща, центр, сосредоточение/чего-либо/), and, as luck would have it, brought one down (и, к счастью, подстрелил одну /дрофу/), a fine fellow, that weighed about twenty pounds (прекрасный экземпляр, весом около двадцати фунтов; fellow — приятель, товарищ).

whisper ['wIspq], bustard ['bAstqd], bunch [bAnC]

"Skit, Baas, skit!" (shoot, master, shoot), whispered the Hottentot, throwing himself on his face, an example which we all followed.

Then I saw that the birds were a flock of pauw (bustards), and that they would pass within fifty yards of my head. Taking one of the repeating Winchesters, I waited till they were nearly over us, and then jumped on to my feet. On seeing me the pauw bunched up together, as I expected they would, and I fired two shots straight into the thick of them, and, as luck would have it, brought one down, a fine fellow, that weighed about twenty pounds.

In half an hour we had a fire made of dry melon-stalks (через полчаса мы уже развели костер из сухих арбузных стеблей; fire — огонь, пламя), and he was toasting over it (и дрофа зажаривалась над ним; to toast — подрумяниваться на огне, поджариваться), and we had such a feed as we had not had for a week (и мы поели так, как не ели уже целую неделю; feed — питание, кормление; пища, еда; to have a feed — есть). We ate that pauw (мы съели ту дрофу) — nothing was left of him but his bones and his beak (ничего не осталось он нее, кроме костей и клюва) — and felt not a little the better afterwards (и почувствовали себя значительно лучше после этого).

stalk [stO:k], bone [bqun], beak [bi:k]

In half an hour we had a fire made of dry melon-stalks, and he was toasting over it, and we had such a feed as we had not had for a week. We ate that pauw — nothing was left of him but his bones and his beak — and felt not a little the better afterwards.

That night we again went on with the moon (в ту ночь мы снова отправились в путь с /восходом/ луны), carrying as many melons as we could with us (неся так много арбузов, как только мы могли с собой /унести/). As we got higher up we found the air get cooler and cooler (/по мере того, как/ мы забирались выше, мы обнаружили, что воздух становится прохладнее и прохладнее), which was a great relief to us (что было для нас огромным облегчением), and at dawn, so far as we could judge (и на рассвете, насколько мы могли судить), were not more than about a dozen miles from the snow-line (мы находились не более чем в дюжине миль от снеговой линии). Here we found more melons (здесь мы нашли еще арбузы), so had no longer any anxiety about water (поэтому /мы/ больше не беспокоились: «у нас больше не было беспокойства» из-за воды; anxiety — беспокойство, тревога), for we knew that we should soon get plenty of snow (потому что мы знали, что вскоре у нас будет снега в избытке).

relief [rI'li:f], dawn [dO:n], dozen [dAzn], snow line ["snqu'laIn], anxiety [xN'zaIqtI]

That night we again went on with the moon, carrying as many melons as we could with us. As we got higher up we found the air get cooler and cooler, which was a great relief to us, and at dawn, so far as we could judge, were not more than about a dozen miles from the snow-line. Here we found more melons, so had no longer any anxiety about water, for we knew that we should soon get plenty of snow.

But the ascent had now become very precipitous (но подъем теперь стал слишком крутым; ascent — подъем, восхождение; крутизна, подъем), and we made but slow progress, not more than a mile an hour (и мы очень медленно продвигались, не более чем на милю в час; progress — прогресс, развитие; движение вперед; to make progress — развиваться, совершенствоваться; двигаться вперед, двигаться дальше). Also that night we ate our last morsel of biltong (к тому же той ночью мы доели наш последний кусочек сушеного мяса). As yet, with the exception of the pauw, we had seen no living thing on the mountain (пока, за исключением дроф, мы не видели ни одного живого существа в горах; as yet — все еще, пока, до сих пор, на данный момент), nor had we come across a single spring or stream of water (не повстречались мы и ни с единым родником или потоком воды; to come across — /случайно/ встретиться с кем-либо ; натолкнуться на что-либо), which struck us as very odd, considering all the snow above us (что показалось нам очень странным, принимая во внимание весь тот снег над нами; to strike — наносить удар, бить; поражать, привлекать внимание), which must, we thought, melt sometimes (который должен был, как нам казалось, иногда таять). But as we afterwards discovered (но, как мы впоследствии обнаружили), owing to some cause (по какой-то причине; owing to — из-за, вследствие, благодаря), which it is quite beyond my power to explain (объяснить которую я совершенно не в силах: «которую вполне за пределами моей силы объяснить»), all the streams flowed down upon the north side of the mountains (все речки стекали по северному склону гор; to flow — течь, литься; to flow down smth. — стекать с чего-либо).

ascent [q'sent], morsel ['mO:s(q)l], owing to ['quINtu]

But the ascent had now become very precipitous, and we made but slow progress, not more than a mile an hour. Also that night we ate our last morsel of biltong. As yet, with the exception of the pauw, we had seen no living thing on the mountain, nor had we come across a single spring or stream of water, which struck us as very odd, considering all the snow above us, which must, we thought, melt sometimes. But as we afterwards discovered, owing to some cause, which it is quite beyond my power to explain, all the streams flowed down upon the north side of the mountains.