This was much handier and easier than the other way (это было намного удобнее и легче, чем наоборот; handy — доступный; близкий, /имеющийся/ под рукой; удобный /для пользования/). But it did not seem so safe (но это не казалось таким безопасным). I feared now lest some wild beast might get into my house (я боялся, как бы дикие животные не смогли попасть в мой дом); and yet the biggest animal (хотя самым большим животным) I had seen on the island was a goat (/которое/ я видел на острове, была коза).
Soon after this I put a roof over my whole inclosure (вскоре после этого я поместил крышу над всем своим убежищем; inclosure/enclosure — огороженное место). I took a number of long poles for rafters (я взял несколько длинных шестов в качестве стропил) and laid one end of each on the wall (и положил один конец каждого /стропила/ на стену; to lay — класть), while the other end leaned against the rock above the cave (в то время как другой конец опирался на скалу над пещерой).
These I covered with boughs of trees (их я покрыл ветками деревьев), long grass (длинной травой), and such other things as I could get (и подобными другими вещами, которые мог достать). In this way I made a very good roof which turned the rain and kept everything dry (так/таким образом я сделал очень хорошую крышу, которая отклоняла дождь = защищала от дождя и сохраняла все сухим).
My castle was now a very roomy place (мой замок был теперь очень просторным местом; room — место, пространство; помещение). It was quite warm and dry even in the worst of weather (оно было довольно теплым и сухим даже в самую плохую погоду; worst — худший; the worst — самое худшее).
discover [dI' [email protected]], grove [' [email protected]], bower [' [email protected]], brushwood ['brVSwud], between [bI'twi:n], enjoy [In'dZOI], myself [maI'self], season [si:zn], bunch [bVntS], turtle [ [email protected]:tl], soup [su:p], indoors [,In'dO:z], idle ['aIdl], roof [ru:f]
I GET READY FOR WINTER
I WAS so much pleased with the valley I had discovered that I spent much of my time there. At last I built me a small summer house close by a grove of orange trees.
It was but little more than a bower, made of the branches of trees.
I built a strong fence around it. This was made of two rows of tall stakes with brushwood between.
There was no gate in this fence, but only a short ladder, just as at my castle.
Here I sometimes stayed two or three nights together.
I gathered about two hundred clusters of grapes and hung them up to dry. In due time they made the finest of raisins. I took them down and carried them to my castle.
Thus little by little I gathered food for winter.
The winters there were not cold. But the rain fell every day, and often all the day.
I had just finished my bower, and was beginning to enjoy myself when the rainy season, or winter, began.
What could I do but hurry back to my castle and its dry, warm cave?
For weeks I could not stir out without getting wet. My store of food began to grow small.
One day, in spite of the rain, I went out and killed a goat. The next day I found a very large turtle among the rocks.
This was all good luck, for I had now enough to eat for many a day.
My meals were simple and plain.
For breakfast, I had a bunch of raisins and a bit of biscuit.
For dinner, I had broiled turtle. I could not have turtle soup, for I had no vessel in which to cook it.
For supper, I ate two or three turtle's eggs.
Although I was kept close indoors by the rain, I was never idle.
Every day I worked at making my cave larger. I dug far in, behind the rock, and made a fine, large room there.
Then I made another door or way out, which opened on the outside of my wall. So now I could come into the castle through the cellar, or kitchen, and without climbing the ladder.
This was much handier and easier than the other way. But it did not seem so safe. I feared now lest some wild beast might get into my house; and yet the biggest animal I had seen on the island was a goat.
Soon after this I put a roof over my whole inclosure. I took a number of long poles for rafters and laid one end of each on the wall, while the other end leaned against the rock above the cave.
These I covered with boughs of trees, long grass, and such other things as I could get. In this way I made a very good roof which turned the rain and kept everything dry.
My castle was now a very roomy place. It was quite warm and dry even in the worst of weather.
(я делаю себе календарь)
IT was now just one year since I was cast upon this lonely island (теперь был = прошел как раз один год с того времени, когда я был выброшен на этот необитаемый остров; to cast — бросать; lonely — одинокий; пустынный).
Do you wonder how I have kept an account of the time (вам интересно, как я вел счет времени)? I will tell you (я расскажу вам).
A few days after the ship wreck (несколько дней спустя после кораблекрушения) it came into my mind that I should lose track of the days and the seasons (мне пришло на ум, что я потеряю = могу потерять счет дней и сезонов = времен года). For I had neither almanac nor notebook (так как у меня не было ни альманаха = календаря, ни записной книжки; almanac — календарь; альманах, сборник). It would be hard always to remember the days of the week (будет трудно всегда помнить дни недели) and I might even forget when it was Sunday (и я могу даже забыть, когда воскресенье).
So I set up a large post by my door (поэтому я установил большой столб у двери). At the top of this post I cut in large letters these words (на верхушке столба я вырезал большими буквами эти слова; post — мачта, подпорка, свая, стойка, столб, кол, шест):
I CAME ON SHORE HERE (я высадился на берег здесь)
SEPTEMBER 30, 1659.
Every morning I cut a little notch on the side of the post under these words (каждое утро я вырезал зарубку на боку шеста под этими словами).
Every seventh notch was twice as long as the rest (каждая седьмая зарубка была в два раза длиннее других; rest — остаток, остальное), and this showed me that the day was Sunday (и это показывало мне, что этот день был воскресеньем).
Every thirtieth notch was longer and broader (каждая тридцатая зарубка была длиннее и шире). This showed me that a full month had gone by (это показывала мне, что прошел полный месяц).
It was thus I made my calendar (вот так я сделал календарь).
One morning I found, on counting up (одним утром я нашел, подсчитывая), that there were three hundred and sixty-five notches (что на столбе было 365 зарубок). I knew, therefore, that it was just one year since my landing (я узнал/понял, таким образом, что прошел уже год со времени моей высадки).
I sat in my castle and thought of the goodness of God in thus keeping me alive (я сидел в моем замке и думал о великодушии Бога /который/ так сохранил мне жизнь; to keep alive — сохранять в живых; goodness — доброта; великодушие) and safe in the midst of so many perils (и /к тому же/ посреди столь многих опасностей)
I humbled myself (я смирился; humble — смиренный), and thanked him for his many mercies (и поблагодарил его за его многие милости).
For twelve hours I tasted nothing (двенадцать часов я ничего не ел: «не пробовал»; to taste — попробовать /на вкус/, отведать). When, at last, the sun went down (когда, наконец, солнце зашло), I ate a biscuit and a bunch of grapes and went to bed (я съел печенье и гроздь винограда и лег спать: «пошел в постель»).
Having now been on the island a whole year (пробыв на острове уже целый год), I had learned that the seasons there were not the same as in England (я узнал, что времена года не были такими, как в Англии).
They were not to be spoken of as spring, summer, autumn, and winter (не приходилось говорить о весне, лете, осени и зиме). They were rather to be called the wet season and the dry season (скорее их нужно было называть дождливым и сухим сезонами). Indeed, there were two wet seasons and two dry seasons, in the year (в самом деле, было два влажных сезона = сезона дождей и два сухих сезона в году).
year [' [email protected]:], since [sIns], account [@'kaunt], wreck [rek], neither [' [email protected]], almanac ['O: [email protected]&k], full [ful], month [mVnT], therefore [' [email protected]:], solemn [' [email protected]], peril ['perIl], autumn ['O: [email protected]]
I MAKE ME A CALENDAR
IT was now just one year since I was cast upon this lonely island. Do you wonder how I have kept an account of the time? I will tell you.
A few days after the ship wreck it came into my mind that I should lose track of the days and the seasons. For I had neither almanac nor notebook. It would be hard always to remember the days of the week and I might even forget when it was Sunday.
So I set up a large post by my door. At the top of this post I cut in large letters these words:
I CAME ON SHORE HERE
SEPTEMBER 30, 1659.
Every morning I cut a little notch on the side of the post under these words.
Every seventh notch was twice as long as the rest, and this showed me that the day was Sunday.
Every thirtieth notch was longer still and broader. This showed me that a full month had gone by.
It was thus I made my calendar.
One morning I found, on counting up, that there were three hundred and sixty-five notches on the post. I knew, therefore, that it was just one year since my landing.
I kept this day as a solemn fast.
I sat in my castle and thought of the goodness of God in thus keeping me alive and safe in the midst of so many perils.
I humbled myself, and thanked him for his many mercies.
For twelve hours I tasted nothing. When, at last, the sun went down, I ate a biscuit and a bunch of grapes and went to bed.
Having now been on the island a whole year, I had learned that the seasons there were not the same as in England.
They were not to be spoken of as spring, summer, autumn, and winter. They were rather to be called the wet season and the dry season. Indeed, there were two wet seasons and two dry seasons, in the year.
(я сею зерно)
THE first wet season began about the middle of February (первый влажный сезон начался примерно в середине февраля) and lasted till the middle April (и длился до середины апреля).
The first dry season (первый сухой сезон) began about the middle of April and lasted till the middle of August.
The second wet season (второй влажный сезон) began about the middle of August and lasted till the middle October.
The second dry season began about the middle of October and lasted till the middle of February.
I could not have kept track of these thing easily if it had not been for my calendar (я не смог бы вести учет этому так легко, если бы не мой календарь).
Just before the first rainy season began I was one day rummaging among the shelves in my cave (как раз перед тем, как начался первый сезон дождей, я одним днем копался среди полок в пещере; to rummage — тщательно разыскивать что-л.).
There I found the little bag (там я нашел небольшую сумку) that I had brought from the ship with some barley in it (которую я принес с корабля, с некоторым количеством ячменя в ней), as I have already told you (как я уже говорил вам).
