Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо
Шрифт:
примерно три часа каждое утро в поисках еды). Through the heat of the day (во
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время дневной жары), I busied myself in the shade of my castle or bower (я занимался
= работал в тени замка или беседки).
In the evening, when the sun was low (когда солнце было низким), I worked in
my fields (работал
and left my hunting until the afternoon (но иногда шел работать очень рано утром и
оставлял охоту до послеобеденного времени).
failure [‘feilj] trial [trail] adventure [d’vent
]
I MAKE AN UMBRELLA
AS the years went by the things which I had brought from the ship were used up
or worn out. My biscuits lasted more than a year; for I ate only one cake each day.
My ink soon gave out, and then I had no more use for pens or paper.
At last my clothes were all worn out.
The weather was always warm on my island and there was little need for clothes.
But I could not go without them.
It so happened that I had saved the skins of all the animals I had killed.
I stretched every skin on a framework of sticks. and hung it up in the sun to dry.
In time I had a great many of these skins. Some were coarse and stiff and fit for
nothing. Others were soft to the touch and very pretty to look at.
One day I took one of the finest and made me a cap of it. I left all the hair on the
outside, so as to shoot off the rain.
It was not very pretty; but it was of great use, and what more did I want?
I did so well with the cap that I thought I would try something else. So, after a
great deal of trouble, I made me a whole suit.
I made me a waistcoat and a pair of knee breeches. I wanted them to keep me cool
rather than warm. So I made them quite loose.
You would have laughed to see them. They were funny things, I tell you. But
when I went out in the rain, they kept me dry.
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This, I think, put me in mind of an umbrella.
I had seen umbrellas in Brazil, although they were not yet common in England.
They were of much use in the summer when the sun shone hot.
I thought that if they were good in Brazil, they would be still better here, where
the sun was much hotter.
So I set about the making of one.
I took great pains with it, and it was a long time before it pleased me at all.
I could make it spread, but it did not let down. And what would be the use of an
umbrella that could not be folded?
I do not know how many weeks I spent at this work. It was play work rather than
anything else, and I picked it up only at odd times.
At last I had an umbrella that opened and shut just as an umbrella should.
I covered it with skins, with the hair on the outside. In the rain it was as good as a
shed. In the sun it made a pleasant shade.
I could now go out in all kinds of weather. I need not care whether the rain fell or
the sun shone.
For the next five years I lived very quietly. I kept always busy and did not allow
myself to feel lonely.
I divided each day into parts according to my several duties.
After reading in my Bible, it was my custom to spend about three hours every
morning in search of food. Through the heat of the day, I busied myself in the shade of
my castle or bower.
In the evening, when the sun was low, I worked in my fields. But sometimes I
went to work very early in the morning and left my hunting until the afternoon.
I HAVE A PERILOUS ADVENTURE (опасное
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I HAD never given up the idea of having a canoe (никогда не бросал идею
иметь каноэ).
My first trial (попытка), as you have seen, was a failure (была провалом). I had
made too big a boat (слишком большую лодку), and I had made it too far from the
water (сделал ее слишком далеко от воды). I could do better another time (я мог
сделать лучше в другой раз).
One day after I had harvested my grain (после того как я собрал зерно), I set to
work (принялся за работу).
There was no tree near the river that was fit for a canoe (около реки не было
дерева, которое подходило для каноэ). But I found a fine one nearly half a mile away
(но я нашел хорошее /дерево/ примерно в полумиле).
Before I began to chop the tree (прежде чем я начал рубить дерево), I made all
my plans for taking the canoe to the water (я разработал все планы /как/ доставить
каноэ к воде).
I worked now with a will (с желанием), for I felt sure that I would succeed (так
как я чувствовал себя уверенным, что преуспею).
In a few weeks the little vessel was finished (маленькое судно было готово). It