The river's water level was too low to float timber, so logs had to be piled  on the riverbank, waiting to be transported.

河水水位太低，木材无法漂浮，原木只能堆在河岸上，等待运输。

The Don jumped into the thickest of the gasping, gurgling, drowning mass, and shoved them right and left as if each sheep was a piece of floating timber.

唐跳进了最密集的喘着粗气、咕噜咕噜的、淹没的人群，把他们左右推来推去，好像每只羊都是一块漂浮的木头。