I looked out toward the south shore (я посмотрел в сторону южного берега), and there I saw a ship lying at anchor (и увидел там корабль, стоящий: «лежащий» на якоре). As nearly as I could guess (насколько я мог прикинуть; to guess — гадать, догадываться; полагать, считать), it was about five miles from my castle (он был примерно в пяти милях от моего замка) and at least three miles from the shore (и самое малое в трех милях от берега).
It looked just like an English ship (он выглядел в точности как английский корабль), and the boat was surely an English longboat (и лодка была несомненно английским баркасом[12]).
I cannot tell you how glad I was at the thought (я не могу передать вам, как счастлив я был при мысли) that some of my own countrymen were so near (что некоторые из моих соотечественников были столь близко). Yet I felt strange fears (и все же я почувствовал странные страхи), and so made up my mind to be very cautious (и потому принял решение быть очень осторожным).
In the first place, what business could an English ship have in these seas (прежде всего, какие дела могли быть у английского корабля в этих морях)? The English had no lands in this part of the world (у англичан не было никаких земель = владений в этой части света). They would not come here to trade (они не могли прибыть сюда для торговли). There had been no storms to drive the vessel to this place (не было /и/ штормов, чтобы пригнать судно в это место).
The more I thought of the matter (чем больше я думал об этом: «об этом предмете/об этой материи»), the more I doubted (тем больше я сомневался). If these people were indeed English (если эти люди в самом деле были англичанами), they must be here for no good purpose (они, должно быть, были здесь с недоброй целью).
By this time the boat was quite near the shore (к этому времени лодка была /уже/ довольно близко от берега). I could see the men in it quite plainly (я мог рассмотреть людей/экипаж в ней достаточно ясно). They looked like Englishmen (они выглядели как англичане).
As they came in the tide was at its highest (когда они подплыли, прлив был в своей высшей точке: «при своем самом высоком»), and so they ran the boat far up on the beach (и поэтому они причалили лодку далеко вверх по береговой полосе; to run up — подъезжать, подходить, подплывать) about half a mile from me (примерно в полумиле от меня).
I now counted eleven men (я насчитал одиннадцать человек), and all but three were armed with swords (и все, кроме троих, были вооружены шпагами). As soon as the boat touched the land (как только лодка коснулась берега), the most of them jumped out (большинство из них выскочили из нее).
Then I saw that the three unarmed men were prisoners (затем я увидел, что три невооруженных человека были пленниками). Their hands were tied behind them (их руки были связаны за спиной: «за ними») and they were closely guarded (и они были под строгой охраной: «внимательно охранялись»; closely — близко; вплотную; внимательно, тщательно).
As they were led on shore (когда они были выведены на берег; to lead — вести), they seemed in great distress (они, казалось, были в большом горе = в отчаянии; distress — горе, несчастье, душевное страдание; бедственное положение) as though begging for their lives (словно прося за свои жизни = сохранить им жизнь).
When Friday saw all this (когда Пятница увидел все это), he cried out to me (он крикнул мне), "O master! the white mans do just like savage mans with their prisoners (белые люди поступают точно так же, как дикари со своими пленниками; mans — неправильная форма мн. числа /правильная — men/)."
"Why, Friday (да ну, Пятница; why — почему?; выражает самые разнообразные эмоции в зависимости от контекста: удивление, согласие или несогласие, нетерпение и т. п.)," I said, "do you think they are going to eat them (ты думаешь, что они собираются съесть их)?"
"Yes, yes," he answered (ответил он), "they are going to eat them."
The prisoners were led far up on the beach (пленники были проведены далеко вверх по береговой полосе = вверх на берег), and I expected every moment to see them killed (и я ожидал каждое мгновение увидеть, как они будут убиты).
But soon their guards seemed to change their minds (но вскоре их стражники, казалось, передумали: «сменили разум»). They talked together for a little while (они поговорили друг с другом некоторое время). Then they untied the prisoners' hands (затем они развязали руки пленников) and let them go where they pleased (и дали/позволили им идти, куда им хотелось).
The seamen scattered (моряки рассеялись), some going this way, some that (некоторые пошли этим путем, некоторые — тем = в разные стороны), as though they wished to see the country (как будто они хотели осмотреть местность). But the men who had been prisoners sat down on the ground and seemed very sad and full of despair (но люди, которые были пленниками, сели на землю и казались очень грустными и полными отчаяния).
I thought then of the time when I had first landed on that shore (я подумал = вспомнил тогда о первом времени, когда я высадился на берег) — how I had no hope (как у меня не было никакой надежды), and how I gave myself up for lost (и как я считал, что пропал; to give up 1) оставить, отказаться; бросить /привычку/; сдаться, уступить).
As I have said (как я сказал), the tide was at its highest when the men came on shore (прилив достиг своей высшей точки, когда люди/матросы сошли на берег; men — мужчины; люди; солдаты, рядовые; матросы). They rambled around (они бродили; to ramble — прогуливаться; гулять; бродить) till it had flowed out (пока не начался отлив: «пока он /поток/ не оттек») and left their boat high and dry on the sand (и не оставил их лодку выброшенной на берег).
They had left two men with the boat to guard it (они оставил двоих матросов с лодкой, чтобы присматривать за ней/сторожить ее). But the weather being very warm (но поскольку погода была очень теплой: «но погода будучи очень теплой»), these men had fallen asleep (эти матросы уснули).
When one of them awoke (когда один из них проснулся; to awake — просыпаться) and found the water far out from the boat (и обнаружил, что вода далеко отступила от лодки), he began to hello for help (он начал звать на помощь; to hello — звать, окликать; здороваться, приветствовать). All the men came running and tried to drag the boat out to the water (все матросы прибежали и попытались тянуть/тащить лодку к воде).
But it was so heavy (но она была такой тяжелой) they could not move it (что они не смогли сдвинуть ее). They tugged and pulled for a long time (они тянули /рывками/ и тащили долгое время; to tug — тащить, дергать с усилием). Then I heard one of them shout (затем я услышал, как один из них закричал): "Let her alone (оставьте ее /в покое/: «оставьте ее одну»), boys (парни)! She'll float all right when the next tide comes up (она поплывет/окажется на плаву, как следует, когда начнется следующий прилив; all right — все в порядке; хорошо, нормально, вполне удовлетворительно, приемлемо).
With that they gave it up (на этом они оставили это /занятие/) and all strolled out into the country again (и вновь ушли гулять по местности; to stroll — прогуливаться, бродить).
master [ˈmɑ:stǝ], haste [ˈheɪst], mutton [ˈmʌt(ǝ)n], foe [ˈfǝu], cautious [ˈkɔ:ʃǝs], purpose [ˈpǝ:pǝs], untie [ˈʌnˈtaɪ]
I SEE A STRANGE SAIL
I PASS over some wonderful things that happened during my last year on the island. For I must not make this story too long.
I was fast asleep in my castle one morning when Friday came running in. "O master, master!" he cried, "a boat, a boat!"
I jumped up and went out as quickly as could. I was in such haste that I forgot to carry my gun with me.
I looked toward the sea. About three miles from the shore I saw a strange boat coming to the island. It carried a leg-of-mutton sail and was coming swiftly with the wind. "Surely," I thought, "this is not the kind of boat that savages sail in."
Then I saw that it was coming not from the open sea on my side of the island, but from around a point on the south shore.
I ran back to my castle and told Friday to stay inside and keep quiet till we could learn whether the people in the boat were friends or foes.
Then I climbed up to my lookout on the top of the great rock.
I looked out toward the south shore, and there I saw a ship lying at anchor. As nearly as I could guess, it was about five miles from my castle and at least three miles from the shore.
It looked just like an English ship, and the boat was surely an English longboat.
I cannot tell you how glad I was at the thought that some of my own countrymen were so near. Yet I felt strange fears, and so made up my mind to be very cautious.
In the first place, what business could an English ship have in these seas? The English had no lands in this part of the world. They would not come here to trade. There had been no storms to drive the vessel to this place.
The more I thought of the matter, the more I doubted. If these people were indeed English, they must be here for no good purpose.
By this time the boat was quite near the shore. I could see the men in it quite plainly. They looked like Englishmen.
As they came in the tide was at its highest, and so they ran the boat far up on the beach about half a mile from me.
I now counted eleven men, and all but three were armed with swords. As soon as the boat touched the land, the most of them jumped out.
Then I saw that the three unarmed men were prisoners. Their hands were tied behind them and they were closely guarded.
As they were led on shore, they seemed in great distress as though begging for their lives.
When Friday saw all this, he cried out to me, "O master! the white mans do just like savage mans with their prisoners."
"Why, Friday," I said, "do you think they are going to eat them?"
"Yes, yes," he answered, "they are going to eat them."
The prisoners were led far up on the beach, and I expected every moment to see them killed.
But soon their guards seemed to change their minds. They talked together for a little while. Then they untied the prisoners' hands and let them go where they pleased.
The seamen scattered, some going this way, some that, as though they wished to see the country. But the men who had been prisoners sat down on the ground and seemed very sad and full of despair.
I thought then of the time when I had first landed on that shore — how I had no hope, and how I gave myself up for lost.
