Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо
Шрифт:
очень занят). I did not work all the time, as you know (я не работал все время, как вы
знаете), but I amused myself in various ways (развлекал себя разными способами).
I spent much time with Poll, the parrot (проводил много времени с попугаем).
He soon learned to talk so well that it was a pleasure to hear him (он вскоре научился
говорить т ак хорошо, что было удовольствием слушать его).
My dog had been my best friend and companion (мой пес был моим
другом и спутником, товарищем). He lived for sixteen years (прожил 16 лет), and
then died of old age (затем умер из-за старости).
As for my cats, the woods were full of them (что касается моих кошек, леса
были полны ими). All ran wild except the two that I kept in my castle (все стали
дикими, за исключением двух, которых я держал в замке). These were good mousers
and fine pets (ловцами мышей и хорошими любимцами /домашними животными/).
I had also several tame fowls (прирученных птиц). These I had caught near the
seashore when they were young (этих я поймал у берега, когда они были молодыми).
I cut their wing feathers short (обрезал их перья на крыльях коротко) and taught them
to eat from my hand (научил их есть с моей руки).
I never knew what kind of birds they were (я так и не узнал, что это были за
птицы), but they were large, almost as large as chickens (почти такими же крупными,
как цыплята). They lived among the hedge trees in front of my castle (они жили среди
деревьев живой изгороди перед моим замком).
They made their nests there (вили там гнезда) and kept me well supplied with
eggs (держали меня хорошо обеспеченным яйцами = постоянно обеспечивали меня
яйцами). I did not need to keep any other poultry (домашнюю птицу).
Thus I lived very pleasantly in my island home (таким образом я жил очень
вольготно в моем островном доме). I would have been content to live there always if I
could have felt safe from savages (я был бы согласен: «доволен» жить там всегда,
если бы я мог чувствовать себя в безопасности от дикарей).
forward ['fo:wd] moon ['mu:n] except [k'sept]
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www
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I EXPLORE MY CAVE FURTHER
THE next day I brought out with me six big candles.
For you must know that I was a candle maker as well as a baker. Indeed, I made
very good candles of goats' tallow, using some bits of old ropes for the wicks. 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.
I lit two of the candles, and went in. The poor old goat was dead, and it was no
easy work to dig a hole right there and bury him.
After this unpleasant task was done, I went into the back part of the cave. The
flame of the candles lighted up the darkness, and I could see quite plainly.
The narrow passage of which I have told you was no less than thirty feet long. In
one place it was so low that I had to creep through on all fours.
But no sooner was I through this low place than I found myself in a splendid
chamber. It was large enough to shelter a hundred men.
Indeed, it seemed like the great hall of some old English castle. I had never seen
anything so grand.
The roof was at least twenty feet high. The light from my two candles shone upon
the walls and made it look as though covered with thousand of bright stars.
Whether these were diamonds, or gold, or some other precious things, I did not
know, and in fact I never learned.
The floor was dry and level. It was covered with white sand, which was very
clean.
I was delighted. No better or safer storehouse could I have wished.
When I had looked at the room on every side and found that it was really the end
of the cave, I went out and hurried back to my castle.
Мультиязыковой
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162
I found that I still had about sixty pounds of powder. This was the first thing that I
carried to my new cavern. I took thither also the lead that I had for making bullets and
small shot.
I felt now like one of the wonderful elves that you read about. They live, as you
know, in rocks and in caves where none can get at them; and they have hidden treasures
of gold and precious stones.
What if a hundred savages should hunt me? They could not come near me here. I
was safe from all foes.
I fitted the cave up with whatever was needed to make it comfortable.
If the worst came to the worst, I meant to live there. And yet I did not wish to be
obliged to do this.
When everything was safe and snug, I laid some green branches over the entrance
and went back to my castle.
I was very glad when I sat down in my old kitchen again. For, after all, no other