White Fang — Page 5

その間、彼は相手が与えられるだけの罰をすべて受け入れた。

In the meantime, he accepted all the punishment the other could deal him.

耳の房毛は垂れ下がり、首と肩は数十か所切り裂かれ、唇までも切れて血を流していた——すべて、予測も防御もできないその電光石火のような噛みつきによるものだった。

His tufts of ears had become tassels, his neck and shoulders were slashed in a score of places, and his very lips were cut and bleeding—all from these lightning snaps that were beyond his foreseeing and guarding.

ホワイト・ファングは何度もチェロキーを倒そうと試みた。

Time and again White Fang had attempted to knock Cherokee off his feet;

しかし、二匹の体高の差が大きすぎた。

but the difference in their height was too great.

チェロキーはあまりにもずんぐりとしていて、地面に近すぎた。

Cherokee was too squat, too close to the ground.

ホワイト・ファングはその技を一度多く試みすぎた。

White Fang tried the trick once too often.

素早く向きを変えて回り込む動きの中で、その機会が訪れた。

The chance came in one of his quick doublings and counter-circlings.

彼はチェロキーがゆっくりと旋回する際に、頭を背けた瞬間を捉えた。

He caught Cherokee with head turned away as he whirled more slowly.

チェロキーの肩がむき出しになった。

His shoulder was exposed.

ホワイト・ファングはそこへ突進した。しかし、自分の肩は相手よりもはるかに高い位置にあり、勢いよく体当たりしたため、その勢いのまま相手の体を越えて飛び越えてしまった。

White Fang drove in upon it: but his own shoulder was high above, while he struck with such force that his momentum carried him on across over the other's body.

戦いの歴史の中で初めて、人々はホワイト・ファングが足を踏み外すのを目撃した。

For the first time in his fighting history, men saw White Fang lose his footing.

彼の体は空中で半回転し、もし猫のように空中でひねって足を地面に向けようとしなかったなら、背中から落ちていただろう。

His body turned a half-somersault in the air, and he would have landed on his back had he not twisted, catlike, still in the air, in the effort to bring his feet to the earth.

実際には、彼は体の側面から強く地面に叩きつけられた。

As it was, he struck heavily on his side.

次の瞬間には立ち上がっていたが、まさにその瞬間、チェロキーの歯が彼の喉に食い込んだ。

The next instant he was on his feet, but in that instant Cherokee's teeth closed on his throat.

それは良い噛み方ではなく、胸の方に向かって低すぎる位置だった。しかし、チェロキーはしっかりと噛み続けた。

It was not a good grip, being too low down toward the chest; but Cherokee held on.