Why, nothing but a shaggy old goat (да ничего, как только потрепанную старого козла; goat — козел; коза) that I had missed from my flock for nearly a week past (которого недоставало моему стаду почти неделю уже = который пропал из стада почти неделю назад; to miss smth. — обнаружить отсутствие /чего-л./).
He was stretched on the floor of the cave (он лежал, растянувшись на полу пещеры), and too weak to rise up (и был слишком слаб, чтобы встать). He was a very old fellow (он был очень старым: «старым парнем»), and perhaps had gone in there to die (и, возможно, зашел сюда умирать).
I gave him some food and water (я дал ему еды и воды), and made him as comfortable as I could (и сделал ему так удобно, как мог). But he was too far gone to live long (но он был слишком стар, чтобы прожить долго).
I found that, although I could stand up in the cave, it was very small (я обнаружил, что, хотя я мог стоять в пещере, она была очень маленькой). It was only a hole in the rocks (она была лишь дырой в скалах), and was neither round nor square (и не была ни круглой, ни квадратной).
But at the end of this little chamber there seemed to be a passage that led farther in (но в конце этой маленькой комнаты, казалось, был проход, который вел дальше внутрь; to lead — вести). This passage was very narrow and dark (этот проход был узким и темным; to pass — проходить), and as my torch had burned out (и поскольку мой факел выгорел), I did not try to follow it (я не попытался последовать по нему).
I went back to my wood chopping (я вернулся к моей рубке леса).
discovery [dɪˈskʌv(ǝ)rɪ], suppose [sǝˈpǝuz], upon [ǝˈpɔn], charcoal [ˈtʃɑ:kǝul], brush [brʌʃ], aside [ǝˈsaɪd], sigh [ˈsaɪ], chamber [ˈtʃeɪmbǝ], passage [ˈpæsɪdʒ]
I MAKE A SURPRISING DISCOVERY
ONCE every week I went into the woods to see the flock of goats that I had hidden there. I always carried my gun, but since my last great fright I did not dare to fire it off. I was afraid even to drive a nail or chop a stick of wood, lest some savages might be near enough to hear the sound.
I was afraid to build a fire at my castle, lest the smoke should be seen.
At last I carried some of my pots and kettles to my hidden field in the woods. I could do my cooking there much more safely than at my castle.
Hardly had I put things in order there when I found something that made me very glad. What do you suppose it was?
It was a cave — a real cave. The door into it was through a little hollow place at the bottom of a great rock. It was so well hidden that no one could have found it even by looking for it.
Shall I tell you how I came upon it?
I was afraid to make a smoke near my house, and yet I could not live without cooking meat. I tried all kinds of dry wood, and yet there was always some smoke. Then I thought I would try charcoal. But I must first make the charcoal.
I found a place in the darkest part of the woods where the smoke would hardly rise to the tops of the trees. There I built my charcoal pit.
This was done in the following way:
First, I cleared off a round space about ten feet in diameter. Here I dug out the earth till I made a pit about a foot deep. Then I cut a cord or more of wood and piled it up in this space. I piled it up until it was almost as high as my shoulders. I covered it a foot deep with earth and turf, leaving a small open place at the bottom.
When this was done, I set fire to the wood through the hole in the bottom. It burned slowly. The wood became charcoal.
One day, while cutting wood for my charcoal pit, I happened to see a hollow place in the rock close by a tree I was chopping.
It was half covered with brush. I pushed this aside and looked in. I saw a little cave just large enough for me to creep into on my hands and knees.
But, a little farther in, it was larger. It was so high that I could stand upright, and it was so wide that two men could have walked in it side by side.
It was a very dark place, and I stood still a moment till my eyes should become a little used to it.
All at once I saw something in the darkness that made me scramble out of that place much faster than I had come into it.
What do you think it was? Two big shining eyes that glowed like coals in the darkness. Whether they were the eyes of a man or of some fierce beast, I did not stop to see.
I stood a little while by the mouth of the cave and then I began to get over my fright.
What could there be in this cave that would do me harm? No man could live there in the darkness. As for any animal, I knew there was nothing fiercer on the island than one of my cats.
So, with a blazing stick for a torch, I crept back into the cave. But I had not gone three steps before I was frightened almost as much as before.
I heard a loud sigh, like that of a man in trouble. Then there were low moans, and sounds as of some one trying to speak.
I stopped short. Cold chills ran down my back. My hair seemed to stand on end. But I would not allow myself to run out again.
I pushed my little torch forward into the darkness, as far as I could. The blaze lit up the cave. And what do you suppose I saw then?
Why, nothing but a shaggy old goat that I had missed from my flock for nearly a week past.
He was stretched on the floor of the cave, and too weak to rise up. He was a very old fellow, and perhaps had gone in there to die.
I gave him some food and water, and made him as comfortable as I could. But he was too far gone to live long.
I found that, although I could stand up in the cave, it was very small. It was only a hole in the rocks, and was neither round nor square.
But at the end of this little chamber there seemed to be a passage that led farther in. This passage was very narrow and dark, and as my torch had burned out, I did not try to follow it.
I went back to my wood chopping.
I EXPLORE MY CAVE FURTHER
(я исследую мою пещеру дальше)
THE next day I brought out with me six big candles (на следующий день в вынес с собой шесть больших свечей).
For you must know that I was a candle maker (так как вы должны знать, что я был создателем свечей = делал свечи) as well as a baker (равно как и пекарем). Indeed, I made very good candles of goats' tallow, using some bits of old ropes for the wicks (в самом деле, я делал очень хорошие свечи из сала коз, использую куски веревки для фитилей).
As I have just said, I took six candles with me, for I had made up my mind to learn more about the cave I had found (как я только что сказал, я взял шесть свечей собой, так как я решил узнать больше о пещере, которую я нашел).
I lit two of the candles (я зажег две свечи; to light — зажигать), and went in (зашел внутрь). The poor old goat was dead (бедный старый козел был мертв), and it was no easy work to dig a hole right there and bury him (и было нелегкой работой выкопать яму прямо там и похоронить его; hole — дыра; отверстие; яма).
After this unpleasant task was done (после того как это неприятное задание было сделано), I went into the back part of the cave (я пошел в заднюю часть пещеры). The flame of the candles lighted up the darkness (пламя свечей освещало темноту), and I could see quite plainly (и я мог видеть довольно сносно; plainly — ясно, различимо, отчетливо; plain — плоский, ровный /уст./; очевидный, явный, ясный).
The narrow passage of which I have told you was no less than thirty feet long (узкий проход, о котором я рассказал вам, был не меньше тридцати футов длиной). In one place it was so low that I had to creep through on all fours (в одном месте он был таким низким, что мне пришлось ползти на четвереньках: «на всех четырех»; through — через, сквозь, по).
But no sooner was I through this low place than I found myself in a splendid chamber (но как только я прошел это низкое место, я обнаружил себя в великолепной комнате). It was large enough to shelter a hundred men (она была достаточно большой, чтобы укрыть сто человек).
Indeed, it seemed like the great hall of some old English castle (в самом деле, она казалось /похожей/ на большую залу старого английского замка). I had never seen anything so grand (я никогда не видел ничего столь величественного).
The roof was at least twenty feet high (крыша была, по крайне мере, двадцати футов высотой). The light from my two candles shone upon the walls (свет моих двух свечей освещал стены: «светил на стены»; to shine — светить) and made it look as though covered with thousand of bright stars (и заставлял их выглядеть, как будто они покрыты тысячею ярких звезд).
Whether these were diamonds (были ли это бриллианты), or gold (или золото), or some other precious things (или какие-то другие ценные вещи = ценности), I did not know (я не знал), and in fact I never learned (и на самом деле никогда и не узнал).
The floor was dry and level (пол был сухим и ровным). It was covered with white sand (он был покрыт белым песком), which was very clean (который был очень чистым).
I was delighted (я был рад/в восторге; delight — удовлетворение, удовольствие, наслаждение; to delight — радовать, восхищать /обыкновенно: to be delighted — быть обрадованным/). No better or safer storehouse could I have wished (лучшего или более безопасного склада я не мог и желать).
When I had looked at the room on every side and found that it was really the end of the cave (когда я осмотрел комнаты с каждой стороны и обнаружил, что это действительно был конец пещеры), I went out and hurried back to my castle (я вышел и поспешил обратно в замок).
I found that I still had about sixty pounds of powder (я обнаружил, что у меня все еще есть почти шестьдесят фунтов пороха). This was the first thing that I carried to my new cavern (это было первое, что я отнес в мою новую пещеру). I took thither also the lead (я взял туда также свинец) that I had for making bullets and small shot (который был у меня для изготовления пуль и маленькой = мелкой дроби).
I felt now like one of the wonderful elves that you read about (я чувствовал себя, как один из тех прекрасных эльфов, о которых вы читаете). They live, as you know, in rocks and in caves where none can get at them (они живут, как вы знаете, в скалах и пещерах, где никто не может добраться до них); and they have hidden treasures of gold and precious stones (и у них есть спрятанные сокровища золота и ценных камней).
What if a hundred savages should hunt me (что если сто дикарей погонятся за мной; to hunt — охотиться; травить, гнать)? They could not come near me here (они не смогут приблизиться ко мне здесь). I was safe from all foes (был в безопасности от всех врагов).
I fitted the cave up with whatever was needed to make it comfortable (я оборудовал пещеру всем, что было необходимо, чтобы сделать ее удобной для жизни).
If the worst came to the worst (если бы случилось самое страшное: «если бы худшее пришло к к худшему»; the worst — худшее), I meant to live there (я намеревался жить там). And yet I did not wish to be obliged to do this (но все же я не желал быть вынужденным делать это; to oblige — обязывать; связывать /обязательством, клятвой/; заставлять, принуждать).
