Night came on (настала ночь) while I was still in the woods (пока я все еще был в лесу), and I could not do better than stay there till morning (и не мог сделать ничего лучше = мне ничего не оставалось, как остаться там до утра). So I climbed into a tree and slept there quite well (поэтому я залез на дерево и поспал там очень хорошо; to sleep — спать).
It was the first night that I had spent away from home (это была первая ночь, которую я провел вне дома; to spend — проводить /время/).
The next day I went on through the woods for nearly four miles (на следующий день я прошел по лесу почти четыре мили; to go on — продолжать идти).
At last I came to an open space where the land sloped to the west (наконец я пришел к открытому пространству, где земля клонилась к западу; slope — наклон, уклон; to slope — клониться; иметь наклон). The country was so fresh and green that it looked like a big garden (местность была такой свежей и зеленой, что выглядела, как большой сад).
I went down into a pleasant valley (я спустился: «пошл вниз» в красивую/приятную долину) where there were many beautiful trees (где было много прекрасных деревьев). There I found oranges, lemons, limes, and citrons (там я обнаружил апельсины, лаймы /маленькие зеленые лимончики/, лимоны), besides many grapes (помимо множества винограда).
I loaded myself with fruit and started homeward (я нагрузил себя фруктами и начал идти = отправился домой). "I must come again and bring a sack (я должен вернуться /сюда/ и принести мешок)," I said.
It was three days before I reached my castle (только через три дня я достиг моего замка: «было три дня, прежде чем…»). By that time the fruit had lost all its flavor (к тому времени плоды потеряли весь свой вкус; to lose — терять, утрачивать).
The next day I went back to the same valley (на следующий день я вернулся: «пошел назад» в ту же самую долину). I carried two small sacks to bring home my harvest (я нес два маленьких мешка, чтобы принести домой мой урожай).
But I found many of the grapevines torn down (но я обнаружил многие лозы сорванными; to tear down — срывать, вырывать; to tear — рвать). The fruit was scattered on the ground (плоды были разбросаны по земле). Some had been eaten (некоторые были съедены). Some had been trodden to pieces (некоторые были растоптаны на куски; to tread — топтать, наступать, давить).
A wild animal had been there (дикое животное побывало там). Perhaps it was a goat (возможно, коза), perhaps it was a larger beast (возможно, это было /какое-то/ животное побольше). Perhaps several animals had done the mischief (возможно, ущерб сделали = нанесли несколько животных; mischief — вред; повреждение; убытки, ущерб).
warm ['wO:m], damage ['d&mIdZ], put [put], stream [stri:m], meadow [' [email protected]], [grA:s], tobacco [ [email protected]'b& [email protected]], plant ['], [plA:nt], Indian [' [email protected]], [In'sted], none [nVn], however [hau' [email protected]], object ['ObdZIkt, 'ObdZekt], different ['dIf(@)r(@)nt], fruit [fru:t], raisin ['reIzn], orange ['OrIndZ], lemon ['], [' [email protected]], citron ['sItr(@)n] besides [bI'saIdz], flavor [' [email protected]], valley ['v&lI], harvest ['hA:vIst], mischief ['mIstSi:f]
I EXPLORE MY ISLAND
IT rained all that night. But in the cave everything was warm and dry, and little by little I lost my fear. The earthquake and the hurricane had done great damage to my castle. I had to work hard for many days to put things to rights again.
I had now been on the island about ten months. In all that time I had seen only a small part of it.
One morning I set out with my gun on my shoulder for a long walk.
I went up the little river where I had first landed with my rafts. I found that it was a very short river. After about two miles, the tide did not flow any higher; and above that, the stream was only a little brook of fresh water.
Along the brook there were pleasant meadows, covered with high grass.
In the dryer parts of these meadows I found tobacco growing wild.
I looked for the roots of a plant which the Indians use instead of bread, but could find none.
In one place, however, I saw many tall sugar canes and some fair-looking plants of a kind that was strange to me.
As I went back to my castle I wondered how I could learn something useful about the many objects I had seen. But I had never taken much thought about such things, and now I had but little chance to learn.
The next day I went up the same way, but much farther.
Beyond the meadows I came to some beautiful woods.
Here I found several different kinds of fruits. There were grapevines covering the trees, and huge clusters of ripe grapes were hanging from them.
I was very glad of this. I made up my mind to come another day and gather some of this fruit. I would dry the grapes in the sun, and have some raisins.
Night came on while I was still in the woods, and I could not do better than stay there till morning. So I climbed into a tree and slept there quite well.
It was the first night that I had spent away from home.
The next day I went on through the woods for nearly four miles.
At last I came to an open space where the land sloped to the west. The country was so fresh and green that it looked like a big garden.
I went down into a pleasant valley where there were many beautiful trees. There I found oranges, lemons, limes, and citrons, besides many grapes.
I loaded myself with fruit and started homeward. "I must come again and bring a sack," I said.
It was three days before I reached my castle. By that time the fruit had lost all its flavor.
The next day I went back to the same valley. I carried two small sacks to bring home my harvest.
But I found many of the grapevines torn down. The fruit was scattered on the ground. Some had been eaten. Some had been trodden to pieces.
A wild animal had been there. Perhaps it was a goat, perhaps it was a larger beast. Perhaps several animals had done the mischief.
(я готовлюсь к зиме)
I WAS so much pleased with the valley I had discovered (я был так доволен этой долиной, /которую/ я открыл) that I spent much of my time there (что проводил большую часть времени там; to spend — проводить /время/).
At last I built me a small summer house (наконец я построил себе маленький летний домик) close by a grove of orange trees (близко к роще апельсиновых деревьев).
It was but little more than a bower (он был лишь немного больше, чем беседка; bower — дача, коттедж; беседка), made of the branches of trees (сделанная из веток деревьев).
I built a strong fence around it (я соорудил крепкий забор вокруг него; to build — строить). This was made of two rows of tall stakes (он был сделан из двух рядов высоких кольев) with brushwood between (с ветками между /ними/; brushwood — подлесок, молодая поросль, заросли; кустарник; валежник, хворост).
There was no gate in this fence (в этом заборе не было калитки; gate — ворота /как сооружение/; дверь, ворота, калитка), but only a short ladder (но только короткая лестница), just as at my castle (совсем как в моем замке).
Here I sometimes stayed two or three nights together (здесь я иногда оставался на две или три ночи кряду).
I gathered about two hundred clusters of grapes and hung them up to dry (я собрал почти двести гроздьев винограда и повесил их сушиться; to hang — вешать). In due time (в должное время) they made the finest of raisins (из них сделался самый вкусный изюм). I took them down and carried them to my castle (я снял их и отнес в мой замок).
Thus little by little I gathered food for winter (так/таким образом мало-помалу я собрал еду на зиму).
The winters there were not cold (зимы там были не холодные). But the rain fell every day (но дождь падал = шел каждый день), and often all the day (и часто весь день).
I had just finished my bower (я только что закончил беседку/летний домик), and was beginning to enjoy myself (и начал наслаждаться = жить припеваючи; to enjoy smth. — получать удовольствие от чего-л.; to enjoy oneself — хорошо проводить время) when the rainy season or winter, began (когда = как начался сезон дождей, или зима,).
What could I do but hurry back to my castle and its dry, warm cave (что я мог сделать, кроме как поторопиться обратно в замок и в его сухую, теплую пещеру)?
For weeks I could not stir out without getting wet (неделями я не мог выйти, не намокнув; to stir — шевелиться, двигаться). My store of food began to grow small (мои запасы еды начали сокращаться: «становиться малыми»).
One day, in spite of the rain (однажды, несмотря на дождь), I went out and killed a goat (я вышел и убил козу). The next day I found a very large turtle among the rocks (на следующий день я нашел очень большую черепаху среди /больших/ камней).
This was all good luck (это все была удача), for I had now enough to eat for many a day (так как теперь у меня было достаточно еды: «достаточно, чтобы есть» на много дней).
My meals were simple and plain (мои приемы пищи были простыми и неразнообразными = моя еда была…; plain — /уст./ плоский, ровный; незамысловатый, обыкновенный; meal — прием пищи; еда).
For breakfast, I had a bunch of raisins and a bit of biscuit (на завтрак я ел горсть изюма и кусок печенья).
For dinner, I had broiled turtle (на обед у меня была жареная черепаха). I could not have turtle soup (я не мог приготовить суп из черепахи), for I had no vessel in which to cook it (так как у меня не было сосуда, в котором приготовить его).
For supper, I ate two or three turtle's eggs (на ужин я съедал два или три черепашьих яйца; to eat — есть).
Although I was kept close indoors by the rain (хотя дождь вынуждал меня оставаться внутри дома: «я был удерживаем заключенным в помещение дождем»; indoors — внутри дома, в помещении; door — дверь; close — закрытый; заключенный /в тюрьму и т. п./, строго охраняемый), I was never idle (я никогда не был без дела; idle — праздный).
Every day I worked at making my cave larger (каждый день я трудился над тем, чтобы сделать мою пещеру больше). I dug far in (я копал дальше; to dig — копать), behind the rock (за скалой), and made a fine, large room there (и сделал там прекрасную, большую комнату).
Then I made another door or way out (затем я сделал другую дверь или выход), which opened on the outside of my wall (которая открывалась снаружи моей стены = в моей стене). So now I could come into the castle through the cellar (так что я мог входить в замок через погреб), or kitchen (или кухню), and without climbing the ladder (и не взбираясь по лестнице).
