In about a year's time, the Earth would turn into a burnt and lifeless rock.

大约年内，地球就会变成块烧焦，无生命岩石。

Below him it seemed there was a precipice equally steep, but behind the snow in the gully he found a sort of chimney cleft dripping with snow water down which a desperate man might venture.

在他下方，似乎同样悬崖壁横亘眼前， 但在沟壑积雪后面， 他发现了条似烟囱裂缝， 雪水滴落其间， 个不顾切人或许敢试。他发现实际攀爬起来比看起来要容易， 最终到达了另片荒凉高山草地， 接着，经过段并无特别难度岩石攀爬， 来到了片树林斜坡。

And so this person would take this piece of inanimate rock and use it to do something valuable.

因此，这个人会拿起这块无生命岩石，利用它去做些有价值事情。