Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо (в пересказе для детей)
Шрифт:
I kept them in five little fields that I had fenced, at the foot of my castle hill. I never had any lack of meat and I had plenty of milk, too.
Indeed, I had gone so far as to set up a little dairy, and sometimes my goats gave me a gallon or two of milk in a day.
Before coming to the island I had never milked a cow, much less a goat. I had never seen butter made, or even cheese. But I learned how to do everything of the kind. And now I had more butter and cheese than I could eat.
After dinner it was my custom to go out for a stroll. How proud I was of my little kingdom!
If you had seen me then, you would not have laughed. You would have been frightened. For a stranger-looking fellow you never saw.
Be pleased to take a picture of me.
On my head was a big cap made of goatskin. It was very tall and without shape. A flap hung down from the back of it to keep the rain off my neck.
I wore a short jacket of goatskin and a pair of knee breeches of the same.
I had neither stockings nor shoes. But I wore around my legs and feet some queer things that I called buskins. They were made of goatskin, too, and were of great use when walking among briers or stones.
Around my waist I had a broad belt of rawhide. I had no need of sword or dagger; and so I carried in this belt a little saw and a hatchet.
Another belt, which hung over my shoulder, held my powderhorn and shot pouch.
On my back was slung a basket. On my shoulder was my gun. Above my head I carried my great clumsy, ugly umbrella.
My face was as dark as mahogany. It was tanned by the sun and browned by the hot winds.
My beard was at one time a yard long. But I soon grew tired of it and cut it pretty short. Yet even then it looked grizzly enough, I assure you.
It is not a very handsome picture, is it?
But do not blame me. I dressed as well as I could. I kept myself clean. I tried to be worthy of respect, even though no one saw me.
I looked over my little kingdom and was proud and happy.
You would have laughed to see me and my family when dinner time came.
First there was myself, Robinson Crusoe, king of the island. I was the lord of everything I could see.
Then, like a king, I dined alone, with my servants looking on.
No one was allowed to talk to me but Poll Parrot, who sat on the back of my chair and waited for what I would give him.
My dog was now so old and feeble that he could hardly stir. He sat always at my right hand and wagged his tail if I did but snap my finger.
My two cats waited, one on each side of the table, to see what I would give them.
These two cats were not the same that I had brought from the ship. Those were dead, long ago, of old age. But they had left many kittens.
Indeed, there had come to be so many cats that I was forced to drive them away. All but these two had gone into the woods and become very wild.
I LEARN TO BAKE AND AM PROSPEROUS
(я
I HAVE already told you about farming (я уже рассказал вам о фермерстве), and of the difficulties under which I did my work (и о сложностях, с которыми: «под которыми» я делал свою работу = которые возникали в моей работе). The thing which I wished to do most of all to make good bread (вещь, которую я хотел сделать больше всего, — сделать хороший хлеб).
I tried many plans, but it was several years before I could think of myself as a really good baker (я испробовал много планов, но прошло несколько лет, прежде чем я мог думать о себе как о действительно хорошем пекаре = считать себя действительно хорошим пекарем).
My barley was very fine (мой ячмень был очень хорош). The grains were large and smooth (зерна были большими и гладкими). When boiled a long time with a bit of goat's meat (при варке в течение долгого времени с куском козьего мяса), they made good food (они были хорошей едой: «делали = составляли хорошую еду»).
But they did not take the place of bread (но они не заменяли: «не занимали место» хлеба). Before bread could be made, the grains of barley must be ground into meal (прежде чем хлеб может быть сделан, зерна ячменя должны быть помолоты в муку; to grind — молоть, перемалывать; растирать /в порошок/; толочь).
I tried pounding them with a stone (я пытался растирать их камнем; to pound — бить, колотить; толочь). But that was slow work (но то была медленная работа). The stone crumbled into sand (камень рассыпался в песок; to crumble— сыпаться, осыпаться; обваливаться). My meal was worth nothing (такая еда не стоила ничего: «была стоящей ничего»).
I looked all over the island for a harder stone (я обыскал весь остров /в поисках/ более твердого камня). All were alike (все были одинаковыми; alike — одинаковый; идентичный, подобный, похожий, тождественный).
So at last I cut a large block of very hard wood (в конце концов я срезал большой кусок очень крепкой древесины). I rounded it on the outside with my hatchet (я закруглил его снаружи топориком). Then, partly by chopping (затем частично рубкой), partly by burning (частично выжиганием), I made a hollow place in the end of it (я сделал полость на конце его).
Out of a piece of ironwood (из куска железного дерева; ironwood — "железное" дерево /термин употребляется для различных древесных пород с твердой тяжелой древесиной/) I made a heavy pestle or beater (я сделал тяжелый пестик, или колотушку).