Well, I now found that the stakes were still green, and that long shoots or twigs were growing from them. Some of these branches were already two or three feet long.
This pleased me very much. I cut and trained the growing branches into just such shapes as I wished.
They grew very fast, and soon the whole fence was covered with green leaves. Then I trained the long branches toward the top of a pole which I set up in the center of my bower.
In a few months the whole inclosure was covered with a green roof.
You cannot think how beautiful it was. The place was shady and cool, the pleasantest spot one could wish to have.
I did not know what kind of tree it was that grew in this wonderful way. But I cut some more stakes of the same sort and carried them home to my castle.
I set these stakes in a double row, about twenty inches outside of my first wall. In a few weeks they began to grow. They grew so fast that in two years they covered the whole space in front of my castle.
They were not only handsome to look at, but they helped to protect my castle.
(я предпринимаю длинное путешествие)
I HAD long wished to see the whole of my island (я уже давно желал увидеть весь мой остров: «целое моего острова»). So, one fine morning (так что, одним прекрасным утром), I set out to travel across to the other side of it (я пустился путешествовать через /него/ до другого берега).
Of course I carried my gun with me (конечно, я нес мое ружье с собой). In my belt was my best hatchet (на ремне у меня был мой лучший топорик). In my pouch (в /патронной/ сумке) I had plenty of powder and shot (у меня было много пороха и дроби). In my pocket were two biscuits and a big bunch of raisins (в кармане было два печенья и большая горсть изюма; bunch — связка, пучок, пачка). My dog followed behind me (моя собака следовала за мной).
I went past my summer house (я прошел мимо летнего дома), or bower (или беседки), and toward evening came to a fine open place close by the sea (и к вечеру пришел на красивое открытое место близко к морю).
It was a beautiful sight (это был красивый вид). The sky was clear, the air was still (небо было ясным, воздух спокойным). The smooth waters (тихие воды; smooth — гладкий) stretched away and away toward the setting sun (тянулись вдаль и вдаль /по направлению/ к заходящему солнцу).
Far in the distance (далеко на расстоянии) I could see land (я мог видеть землю). I could not tell whether it was an island or some part of the mainland of America (я не мог сказать, был ли это остров или часть континента Америки). It was at least fifty miles away (она /земля/ была по меньшей мере в пятидесяти милях).
If it were the mainland (если бы это был материк), I felt quite sure (был совершенно уверен; to feel — чувствовать) that I would at some time or other see a ship sailing hither to it or from it (что когда-нибудь: «в какое-либо время или другое» я увижу корабль, плывущий сюда к нему или от него; hither — сюда). If it were an island (если это был остров), there might be savages (там могли быть дикари) whom it would not be safe for me to meet (которых для меня было бы небезопасно встретить). But it would do no good to worry my mind about such matters (не было смысла беспокоить мой ум /вопросами/ о подобных вещах: «материях»).
I found this side of the island much more beautiful than that where my castle was (я обнаружил, что эта сторона острова была намного красивее, чем та, где был мой замок).
Here were large, open fields, green with grass (здесь были большие, открытые поля, зеленые от травы = покрытые травой) and sweet with flowers (и красивы от цветов; sweet — сладкий; приятный). Here, too, were fine woods, with many strange trees and vines (здесь также были красивые рощи с множеством странных деревьев и вьющихся растений).
I saw many green parrots among the trees (я увидел много зеленых попугаев среди деревьев), and I thought how I would catch one and teach it to talk (и подумал, как бы мне поймать одного и научить его говорить).
After a great deal of trouble I knocked a young one down with my stick (после множества трудностей я сбил молодого /попугая/ палкой). He was a good fighter (он был хорошим бойцом; to fight — сражаться), and it was no easy matter to get him (и было не простым делом заполучить его). But at last I picked him up and put him in my bag (но в конце концов я подобрал его и положил в свою сумку).
He was not hurt (он не был ранен; to hurt — причинить боль; ранить; ушибить), and I carried him home (и я отнес его домой). It was a long time before I could make him talk (прошло много времени, прежде чем я заставил/научил его говорить). But at last he became a great pet (но в конце концов он стал прекрасным питомцем) and would call me by my name (и называл меня по имени). I shall have a funny story to tell about him after a while (я буду иметь смешную историю рассказать = я расскажу смешную историю о нем через некоторое время).
Besides parrots there were many other birds in the woods (кроме попугаев, там было много других птиц в лесу). Some of these were of kinds that I had never seen before (некоторые из них были видов, которых я никогда раньше не видел).
In the low grounds I saw some animals that looked like rabbits (на низких землях = в низинах я видел некоторых животных, которые выглядели как кролики). There were others that I took to be foxes (там были /и/ другие, которых я принимал за лис), but they were not such foxes as we have in England (но они были не такими лисами, какиеу нас в Англии).
I traveled very slowly around the island (я путешествовал очень медленно по острову), for I wished to see everything (так как хотел увидеть все). Often I did not go more than two miles in a day (часто я не проходил более двух миль в день).
At night I sometimes slept in a tree (ночью я иногда спал на дереве; to sleep — спать), while my dog watched below me (в то время как моя собака охраняла внизу). Sometimes I shut myself up in a little pen made by driving tall stakes into the ground (иногда я скрывался в маленьком загончике, сделанном посредством вбивания длинных палок в землю; to shut — закрывать, запирать, затворять; to shut up — плотно закрыть; забить, заколотить; запирать /что-л. где-л./; хранить; прятать; pen — небольшой загон /для скота, птицы/). I felt quite safe (я чувствовал себя вполне в безопасности; to feel — чувствовать), for nothing could come near me without waking me (так как ничто не могло приблизиться ко мне, не разбудив меня: «без того, чтобы разбудить меня»).
Along the seashore there were thousands of turtles (вдоль берега были тысячи черепах) and a great plenty of waterfowl (и множество водоплавающих птиц; fowl — птица; дичь).
I had no trouble to find all the food I needed (у меня не было трудностей с нахождением всей той еды, в которой я испытывал потребность). Sometimes I had a roast pigeon for dinner (иногда у меня был жареный голубь на обед), sometimes the juicy meat of a turtle (иногда сочное мясо черепахи; juice — сок), sometimes that of a goat (иногда /мясо/ козы). No king could have fared better (никакой король не мог бы поесть лучше; to fare — жить, поживать; питаться).
One day my dog caught a young kid (однажды собака поймала козленка). I ran and got hold of it (я побежал и схватил его; to get hold of smth. — схватить что-л.: «получить ухват/хватку»), and would not let him hurt it (и не позволил ей ранить его).
I had a great mind to take it home with me (у меня было большое желание взять его домой с собой). So I made a collar for it (поэтому я сделал для него ошейник), and led it along by a string which I had in my pocket (и отвел его на веревке, которая была у меня в кармане; to lead — вести).
It was quite wild (он был довольно диким) and did not lead well (и не велся хорошо = нелегко было его вести). It gave me so much trouble that I took it to my summer house and left it there (он доставил мне так много трудностей, что я отвел его в летний дом и оставил там; to leave — оставлять, покидать).
I then went home to my castle (затем я ушел домой в мой замок).
travel [trævl], across [ǝˈkrɔs], pouch [ˈpautʃ], sure [ˈʃuǝ], knock [nɔk], bird [bǝ:d], along [ǝˈlɔŋ], fowl [ˈfaul], pigeon [ˈpɪʤɪn], juicy [ˈʤu:sɪ], collar [ˈkɔlǝ], [trʌbl]
I MAKE A LONG JOURNEY
I HAD long wished to see the whole of my island. So, one fine morning, I set out to travel across to the other side of it. Of course I carried my gun with me. In my belt was my best hatchet. In my pouch I had plenty of powder and shot. In my pocket were two biscuits and a big bunch of raisins. My dog followed behind me.
I went past my summer house, or bower, and toward evening came to a fine open place close by the sea.
It was a beautiful sight. The sky was clear, the air was still. The smooth waters stretched away and away toward the setting sun.
Far in the distance I could see land. I could not tell whether it was an island or some part of the mainland of America. It was at least fifty miles away.
If it were the mainland, I felt quite sure that I would at some time or other see a ship sailing hither to it or from it. If it were an island, there might be savages on it whom it would not be safe for me to meet. But it would do no good to worry my mind about such matters.
I found this side of the island much more beautiful than that where my castle was.
Here were large, open fields, green with grass and sweet with flowers. Here, too, were fine woods, with many strange trees and vines.
I saw many green parrots among the trees, and I thought how I would catch one and teach it to talk.
After a great deal of trouble I knocked a young one down with my stick. He was a good fighter, and it was no easy matter to get him. But at last I picked him up and put him in my bag.
He was not hurt, and I carried him home. It was a long time before I could make him talk. But at last he became a great pet and would call me by my name. I shall have a funny story to tell about him after a while.
Besides parrots there were many other birds in the woods. Some of these were of kinds that I had never seen before.
In the low grounds I saw some animals that looked like rabbits. There were others that I took to be foxes, but they were not such foxes as we have in England.
I traveled very slowly around the island, for I wished to see everything. Often I did not go more than two miles in a day.
At night I sometimes slept in a tree, while my dog watched below me. Sometimes I shut myself up in a little pen made by driving tall stakes into the ground. I felt quite safe, for nothing could come near me without waking me.
Along the seashore there were thousands of turtles and a great plenty of waterfowl.
