"If broken pieces will burn so," said I, "why cannot a whole jar be made as hard and as red as these?"
I had never seen potters at work. I did not know how to build a kiln for firing the pots. I had never heard how earthenware is glazed.
But I made up my mind to see what could be done.
I put several pots and small jars in a pile, one upon another. I laid dry wood all over and about them, and then set it on fire.
As fast as the wood burned up, I heaped other pieces upon the fire. The hot flames roared all round the jars and pots. The red coals burned beneath them.
I kept the fire going all day. I could see the pots become red-hot through and through. The sand on the side of a little jar began to melt and run.
After that I let the fire go down, little by little. I watched it all night, for I did not wish the pots and jars to cool too quickly.
In the morning I found that I had three very good earthen pots. They were not at all pretty, but they were as hard as rocks and would hold water.
I had two fine jars also, and one of them was well glazed with the melted sand.
After this I made all the pots and jars and plates and pans that I needed. They were of all shapes and sizes.
You would have laughed to see them.
Of course I was awkward at this work. I was like a child making mud pies.
But how glad I was when I found that I had a vessel that would bear the fire! I could hardly wait to put some water in it and boil me some meat.
That night I had turtle soup and barley broth for supper.
(я мастерю большое каноэ)
WHILE I was doing these things I was always trying to think of some way to escape from the island (пока я делал эти вещи, я постоянно пытался подумать о каком-то пути /как/ сбежать с острова).
True (правда), I was living there with much comfort (я жил там с большим удобствами). I was happier than I had ever been while sailing the seas (я был счастливее, чем был когда-либо, пока плавал по морям = чем когда плавал по морям).
But I longed to see other men (но я очень хотел увидеть других людей). I longed for home and friends (я очень хотел увидеть дом и друзей; to long for smth. — очень хотеть, страстно желать чего-л., стремиться к чему-л.).
You will remember that when I was over at the farther side of the island (вы, наверное, помните, что когда я был на дальней стороне острова) I had seen land in the distance (я видел на расстоянии/в отдалении землю). Fifty or sixty miles of water lay between me and that land (пятьдесят или шестьдесят миль воды лежало между мной и той землей). Yet I was always wishing that I could reach it (но я всегда желал, чтобы я мог достичь ее).
It was a foolish wish (это глупое желание). For there was no telling what I might find on that distant shore (потому что трудно было предположить, что я мог бы найти на том далеком берегу; distant — отдаленный).
Perhaps it was a far worse place than my little island (возможно, это было намного худшее место, чем мой маленький остров). Perhaps there were savage beasts there (возможно, там были дикие звери). Perhaps wild men lived there who would kill me and eat me (возможно, дикие люди жили там, которые могли убить меня и съесть).
I thought of all these things (я думал обо всех этих вещах); but I was willing to risk every kind of danger rather than stay where I was (но я желал скорее рискнуть любой опасностью = пойти на любую опасность, чем оставаться, где я был).
At last I made up my mind to build a boat (наконец я решил построить лодку). It should be large enough to carry me and all that belonged to me (она должна быть достаточно большой, чтобы перевезти меня и все, что принадлежало мне). It should be strong enough to stand a long voyage over stormy seas (она должна быть достаточно крепкой, чтобы выдержать долгое иутешествие по штормящим морям).
I had seen the great canoes which Indians sometimes make of the trunks of trees (я видел большие каноэ, которые индейцы иногда делают из стволов деревьев). I would make one of the same kind (я захотел сделать каноэ того же вида).
In the woods I found a cedar tree (в лесу я нашел кедр) which I thought was just the right thing for my canoe (который, я думал, был как раз подходящим для моего каноэ).
It was a huge tree (это было огромное дерево). Its trunk was more than five feet through at the bottom (его ствол был более пяти футов в диаметре у нижней части; through — через, сквозь).
I chopped and hewed many days before it fell to the ground (я рубил и разрубал много дней, прежде чем он упал на землю; to chop — отрезать, отрубать; рубить; крошить; to hew — разрубать, рассекать, рубить). It took two weeks to cut a log of the right length from it (потребовалось две недели, чтобы вырезать из него бревно нужной длины).
Then I went to work on the log (затем я приступил к работе над бревном). I chopped and hewed (я рубил и вырубал) and shaped the outside into the form of a canoe (и придал ему снаружи форму каноэ: «и сформировал его наружную часть в форму каноэ»). With hatchet and chisel I hollowed out the inside (топориком и долотом я выдолбил полость внутри /бревна/; hollow — пустой, полый; to hollow /out/ — выкапывать, выдалбливать).
For full three months I worked on that cedar log (полных три месяца я работал над этой кедровым бревном). I was both proud and glad when the canoe was finished (я был и горд, и рад, когда каноэ было закончено; both — оба; и то, и другое). I had never seen so big a boat made from a single tree (я никогда не видел такой большой лодки, сделанной из одного /целого/ дерева; single — один; единственный; целый; не разделенный /на части/).
It was well shaped and handsome (она была изящной: «хорошо сформированной = хорошей формы» и красивой/стройной). More than twenty men might find room to sit in it (более двадцати человек могли бы найти место, чтобы сесть в ней = могли бы поместиться в ней).
But now the hardest question of all must be answered (но теперь самый сложный из всех вопросов должен быть отвечен).
How was I to get my canoe into the water (как я смогу доставить мое каноэ на воду: «в воду»)?
It lay not more than three hundred feet from the little river (оно лежало не более чем в трехстах футах от речки; to lie — лежать; находиться) where I had first landed with my raft (где я впервые причалил с моим плотом).
But how was I to move it three hundred feet, or even one foot (но как я должен был сдвинуть его на триста футов, или даже на один фут)? It was so heavy that I could not even roll it over (оно было таким тяжелым, что я не мог даже перевернуть: «перекатить» его; to roll — катить).
I thought of several plans (я придумал несколько планов). But when I came to reckon the time and the labor (но когда я подошел к подсчету времени и труда), I found that even by the easiest plan it would take twenty years to get the canoe into the water (я обнаружил, что даже при самом простом плане потребовалось бы двадцать лет, чтобы спустить каноэ на воду).
What could I do but leave it in the woods where it lay (что мог я сделать, кроме как оставить его в лесу, где оно лежало)?
How foolish I had been (каким глупым/неразумным я был)! Why had I not thought of the weight of the canoe before going to the labor of making it (почему я не подумал о весе каноэ, перед тем как начать работу по созданию его)?
The wise man will always look before he leaps (мудрый человек всегда посмотрит, прежде чем прыгнет). I certainly had not acted wisely (я определенно не действовал мудро = сделал глупость).
I went back to my castle (я вернулся в мой замок), feeling sad and thoughtful (чувствуя себе грустным и задумчивым).
Why should I be discontented and unhappy (почему я должен быть неудовлетворенным и несчастным)?
I was the master of all that I saw (я был владельцем всего, что я видел). I might call myself the king of the island (я мог назвать себя королем острова).
I had all the comforts of life (у меня были все удобства жизни).
I had food in plenty (у меня была еда в изобилии).
I might raise shiploads of grain (я мог бы вырастить корабли зерна; shipload — судовой груз), but there was no market for it (но для него не было рынка).
I had thousands of trees for timber and fuel (у меня были тысячи деревьев для древесины топлива), but no one wished to buy (но никто не хотел покупать).
I counted the money which I had brought from the ship (я пересчитал деньги, которые я принес с корабля). There were above a hundred pieces of gold and silver (свыше ста монет золота и серебра); but of what use were they (но какая польза от них)?
I would have given all for a handful of peas or beans to plant (я отдал бы все за горсть гороха и бобов /которые можно было бы/ посеять). I would have given all for a bottle of ink (я отдал бы все за бутылку чернил).
escape [ɪsˈkeɪp], reach [ri:tʃ], distant [ˈdɪst(ǝ)nt], danger [ˈdeɪnʤǝ], enough [ɪˈnʌf], canoe [kǝˈnu:], chisel [ˈtʃɪz(ǝ)l], discontented [ˌdɪskǝnˈtentɪd], market [ˈmɑ:kɪt], fuel [ˈfju:ǝl]
I BUILD A BIG CANOE
WHILE I was doing these things I was always trying to think of some way to escape from the island. True, I was living there with much comfort. I was happier than I had ever been while sailing the seas.
But I longed to see other men. I longed for home and friends.
You will remember that when I was over at the farther side of the island I had seen land in the distance. Fifty or sixty miles of water lay between me and that land. Yet I was always wishing that I could reach it.
It was a foolish wish. For there was no telling what I might find on that distant shore.
Perhaps it was a far worse place than my little island. Perhaps there were savage beasts there. Perhaps wild men lived there who would kill me and eat me.
I thought of all these things; but I was willing to risk every kind of danger rather than stay where I was.
At last I made up my mind to build a boat. It should be large enough to carry me and all that belonged to me. It should be strong enough to stand a long voyage over stormy seas.
I had seen the great canoes which Indians sometimes make of the trunks of trees. I would make one of the same kind.
In the woods I found a cedar tree which I thought was just the right thing for my canoe.
It was a huge tree. Its trunk was more than five feet through at the bottom.
I chopped and hewed many days before it fell to the ground. It took two weeks to cut a log of the right length from it.
Then I went to work on the log. I chop and hewed and shaped the outside into the form of a canoe. With hatchet and chisel I hollowed out the inside.
