Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо
Шрифт:
it would not be safe for me to meet. But it would do no good to worry my mind about
such matters.
I found this side of the island much more beautiful than that where my castle was.
Here were large, open fields, green with grass and sweet with flowers. Here, too,
were fine woods, with many strange trees and vines.
I saw many green parrots among the trees, and I thought how I would catch one
and teach it to talk.
After a great deal of trouble I knocked a young one down with my stick. He was a
good fighter, and it was no easy matter to get him. But at last I picked him up and put
him in my bag.
He was not hurt, and I carried him home. It was a long time before I could make
him talk. But at last he became a great pet and would call me by my name. I shall have a
funny story to tell about him after a while.
Besides parrots there were many other birds in the woods. Some of these were of
kinds that I had never seen before.
In the low grounds I saw some animals that looked like rabbits. There were others
that I took to be foxes, but they were not such foxes as we have in England.
I traveled very slowly around the island, for I wished to see everything. Often I
did not go more than two miles in a day.
At night I sometimes slept in a tree, while my dog watched below me. Sometimes
I shut myself up in a little pen made by driving tall stakes into the ground. I felt quite
safe, for nothing could come near me without waking me.
Along the seashore there were thousands of turtles and a great plenty of
waterfowl.
Мультиязыковой
. f ranklang . r u
87
I had no trouble to find all the food I needed. Sometimes I had a roast pigeon for
dinner, sometimes the juicy meat of a turtle, sometimes that of a goat. No king could
have fared better.
One day my dog caught a young kid. I ran and got hold of it, and would not let
him hurt it.
I had a great mind to take it home with me. So I made a collar for it, and led it
along by a string which I had in my pocket.
It was quite wild and did not lead well. It gave me so much trouble that I took it to
my summer house and left it there.
I then went home to my castle.
I HARVEST MY GRAIN (я собираю свое зерно)
I CANNOT tell you how glad I was to get to my old house again (как рад я был
попасть в мой старый дом вновь) and lie down in my good hammock bed (и лечь в
мою кровать-гамак).
I had been away for nearly a month (меня не было /здесь/ почти месяц).
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www
. f ranklang . r u
88
I was so tired from my long journey (так
stayed in my castle nearly a week (что я остался в замке почти неделю).
While I was thus resting myself (пока я так отдыхал), I made a cage for my
parrot (клетку для попугая) which I named Poll (которого я назвал Попка; poll —
стандартная кличка для попугая). He was very gentle for a parrot (он был очень
послушным, смирным для попугая), and soon became very fond of me (стал любить
меня).
Then I began to think of the kid (козленке) that I had left in my summer bower
(которого я оставил в беседке). So I went with my dog to fetch it (я пошел со своей
собакой забрать его).
I found it where I had left it (нашел его там, где оставил его). It had eaten all
the grass inside of the fence (съел всю траву внутри забора) and was now very hungry
(был очень голоден).
I gave it as much as it wished (столько столько, сколько он хотел), and then I
tied the string to it to lead it away (привязал веревку к нему, чтобы вывести его). But
there was no need of that (не было нужды в этом), for it was quite tame (довольно
ручным).
It followed me everywhere (следовал за мной всюду). It was very gentle and
loving (очень добрым и любящим).
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www
. f ranklang . r u
89
I had now a number of pets (несколько: «число» домашних животных) and
was no longer lonesome (больше не был одиноким).
My life was much happier (намного счастливее) than it had been while I was
sailing the seas (чем она была, когда я плавал по морям). I took delight in many things
(я радовался многим вещам; delight — радость, отрада) that I had never cared for
before (на которые ранее я никогда не обращал внимания).
My barley and rice had grown well (ячмень и рис выросли хорошо) and in
another month would be ready to be harvested (и через месяц будут готовы к тому,
чтобы быть собранными).
But one day I saw that some animals had been in the field (некоторые животные
побывали в поле). Goats and rabbits had trampled upon the green stalks (козы и
кролики потоптали зеленые стебли) and had eaten the long blades of barley (съели