I CARRY SOME THINGS ASHORE 5 страница

My barley and rice had grown well (ячмень и рис выросли хорошо; to grow — расти) and in another month would be ready to be harvested (и через месяц будут готовы к тому, чтобы быть собранными; harvest — урожай; to harvest — снимать урожай).

But one day I saw that some animals had been in the field (но однажды я увидел, что 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 (и поели длинные листья ячменя).

If things kept on this way I should soon lose my grain (если так будет продолжаться, я вскоре потеряю мое зерно).

There was nothing to be done but to build a fence or hedge around the field (ничего не оставалось делать, как только построить забор или устроить живую изгородь вокруг поля; hedge — /живая/ изгородь; ограда). This was easy, for the field was not large (это было легко, так как поле не было большим).

I drove tall stakes into the ground all around my growing crops (я вбил длинные колья в землю вокруг моего растущего урожая; to drive — гнать; вгонять, вбивать). These stakes were so close together (они были так близко вместе = друг к другу) that not even a rabbit could get between them (что даже кролик не мог пробраться между них).

Then I tied my dog near the gate of the little field (затем я привязал собаку у ворот маленького поля), so that he would bark whenever any animal came near (так, чтобы она бы залаяла, когда какое-либо животное приблизится; whenever — всякий раз когда; когда бы ни).

My grain was now safe from the beasts (мое зерно было = мои злаки были теперь в безопасности от зверей). It grew fast (оно росло быстро). The barley sent out large heads (ячмень выпустил большие головки = колосья) which soon began to ripen (которые скоро начали зреть).

But now the birds came down in great flocks to rob me (но теперь птицы спускались большими стаями, чтобы грабить меня). They sat on the fence (они сидели на заборе), they flew among the stalks of grain (они летали между стеблями зерна; to fly — летать), they carried away all the ripe barley they could find (они уносили весь зрелый ячмень, который могли найти).

This troubled me very much (это беспокоило меня очень сильно). The most of the grain was still green (большая часть зерна была еще зеленой). But I feared that as soon as it ripened I should lose it all (но я боялся, что как только оно созреет, я потеряю его полностью).

I loaded my gun (я зарядил ружье) and went out to the field (и вышел в поле). There I saw the thieves (там я видел воров), sitting on the fence and watching me (сидящих на заборе и наблюдающих за мной). I was so angry (я был таким сердитым/раздраженным) that I fired right among them and killed three (что выстрелил прямо между ними и убил троих).

"Now I will show you how to steal my grain (сейчас я покажу вам, как воровать мое зерно)!" I cried.

I put up a long pole in the center of the field (я установил длинный шест в центре поля), and on top of it I hung the three dead birds (и на верхушке его повесил три мертвых птицы; to hang — вешать).

"This will I do to all that venture to come into my field (это я сделаю со всеми, кто решится зайти на мое поле)," I said.

Strange to say, this ended all my troubles (странно сказать, но это прекратило все мои горести). Not another bird came to that place so long as my scarecrows hung there (ни одна другая птица не приходила = не прилетала на это место, пока мои пугала висели там; scarecrow — пугало; to scare — пугать; crow — ворона). In fact, the birds went away from that part of the island, and I did not soon see another (на самом деле, птицы покинули эту часть острова, и я не скоро увидел другую = не скоро увидел других птиц).

 

thus [DAs], parrot ['pxrqt], delight [dI'laIt], lose [lu:z], angry ['xngrI], scarecrow ['skeqkrqu]

 

I HARVEST MY GRAIN

 

I CANNOT tell you how glad I was to get to my old house again and lie down in my good hammock bed.

I had been away for nearly a month. I was so tired from my long journey that I stayed in my castle nearly a week.

While I was thus resting myself, I made a cage for my parrot which I named Poll. He was very gentle for a parrot, and soon became very fond of me.

Then I began to think of the kid that I had left in my summer bower. So I went with my dog to fetch it.

I found it where I had left it. It had eaten all the grass inside of the fence and was now very hungry.

I gave it as much as it wished, and then I tied the string to it to lead it away. But there was no need of that, for it was quite tame.

It followed me everywhere. It was very gentle and loving.

I had now a number of pets and was no longer lonesome.

My life was much happier than it had been while I was sailing the seas. I took delight in many things that I had never cared for before.

My barley and rice had grown well and in another month would be ready to be harvested.

But one day I saw that some animals had been in the field. Goats and rabbits had trampled upon the green stalks and had eaten the long blades of barley.

If things kept on this way I should soon lose my grain.

There was nothing to be done but to build a fence or hedge around the field. This was easy, for the field was not large.

I drove tall stakes into the ground all around my growing crops. These stakes were so close together that not even a rabbit could get between them.

Then I tied my dog near the gate of the little field, so that he would bark whenever any animal came near.

My grain was now safe from the beasts. It grew fast. The barley sent out large heads which soon began to ripen.

But now the birds came down in great flocks to rob me. They sat on the fence, they flew among the stalks of grain, they carried away all the ripe barley they could find.

This troubled me very much. The most of the grain was still green. But I feared that as soon as it ripened I should lose it all.

I loaded my gun and went out to the field. There I saw the thieves, sitting on the fence and watching me. I was so angry that I fired right among them and killed three.

"Now I will show you how to steal my grain!" I cried.

I put up a long pole in the center of the field, and on top of it I hung the three dead birds.

"This will I do to all that venture to come into my field," I said.

Strange to say, this ended all my troubles. Not another bird came to that place so long as my scarecrows hung there. In fact, the birds went away from that part of the island, and I did not soon see another.

 

I WORK UNDER MANY DIFFICULTIES (я работаю в трудных условиях: «под многими сложностями»)

 

MY barley ripened (мой ячмень созрел) and was ready to be harvested (был готов быть собранным). I had neither scythe nor sickle to cut it down (у меня не было ни косы, ни серпа, чтобы срезать его).

But you will remember that I had two old swords which I had found in the ship (но вы вспомните, что я имел две шпаги, которые я нашел на корабле).

 

With one of the swords I cut off the heads of the barley and dropped them into a big basket I had made (одной шпагой я срезал колосья ячменя и бросал их в большую корзину, /которую/ я сделал). I carried these heads into my cave (я относил колосья в мою пещеру) and thrashed out the grain with my hands (и молотил зерно руками).

When all my harvesting was done (когда весь сбор урожая был закончен: «был сделан»), I measured the grain (я взвесил зерно; to measure — измерять, мерить). I had two bushels of rice (у меня было два бушеля[5] риса) and two bushels and a half of barley (и два с половиной бушеля ячменя).

This pleased me very much (это очень меня порадовало). I felt now that I should soon be able to raise grain enough for food (я чувствовал теперь, что скоро смогу вырастить достаточно зерна для еды).

Have you ever thought how many things are necessary for the making of your bread (вы когда-нибудь думали, сколько вещей необходимы для приготовления хлеба)?

You have nothing to do but eat the bread after others have made it (вы не знаете других забот, как /только/ есть хлеб после того, как другие сделали его). But I had to sow (но я должен был сеять), to reap (жать), to thrash (молотить), to grind (молоть), to sift (просеивать), to mix (смешивать), and to bake (и печь).

To do all these I needed many tools (чтобы проделать все это, мне нужно было много инструментов).

I had no plow to turn up the ground (у меня не было плуга, чтобы вскапывать землю; to turn up — поднимать вверх; загибать; вскапывать; вспахивать; to turn — поворачивать, переворачивать). I had no spade nor shovel with which to dig it (у меня не было ни лопаты, ни мотыги, которыми копать ее). But with great labor (с большим трудом) I made me a wooden spade (я смастерил себе деревянную лопату), which was better than nothing (которая была лучше, чем ничего).

After the ground was turned up (после того, как земля была вскопана), I sowed the seed by scattering it with my hands (я посеял зерно, разбрасывая его руками; to scatter — разбрасывать, раскидывать; рассыпать). But it must be covered so it would grow (но оно должно быть накрыто /землей/, чтобы оно росло), and I had no harrow (а у меня не было бороны). I cut down the branch of a tree (я срезал ветку дерева), and dragged it over the field (и протащил ее по полю; to drag — тянуть, тащить, волочить). This, I think, was the way that people in old times harrowed their ground (это, я думаю, был способ, каким люди в старые времена боронили землю).

The third thing to be done was to build a fence around my field (третье дело, которое нужно было сделать, было построить забор вокруг поля). After that came the reaping (после этого пришла жатва), the curing (заготовка), the carrying home (доставка домой), the thrashing (молотьба), the parting of the grain from the chaff (отделение зерна от мякины), the grinding (помол).

I needed a mill to do the grinding (мне нужна была мельница, чтобы молоть). I needed a sieve to sift the flour (сито, чтобы просеивать муку). I needed yeast and salt to mix with the dough (мне нужны были дрожжи и соль, чтобы смешать /их/ с тестом). I needed an oven to bake it (мне нужна была печь, чтобы испечь его).

I had to do without the most of these things (мне приходилось обходиться без большинства этих вещей). And this made my work very slow and hard (и это делало мою работу очень медленной и тяжелой; hard — жесткий; тяжелый /о работе/).

I was very lucky in having saved so many tools from the wreck (мне повезло, /что я/ сохранил так много инструментов с остова разбитого судна), and for this I was indeed thankful (и за это я в самом деле был благодарен). What a hard case I would have been in if I had saved nothing at all (в каком затруднительном положении: «жестком/тяжелом случае» был бы я, если бы не сохранил/не спас ничего вообще)!

From time to time (время от времени), as I felt the need of things (когда чувствовал необходимость вещей = в какой-либо вещи) I made a number of tools that served me very well (я делал ряд инструментов, которые служили мне очень хорошо). They were not such tools as you would buy at the store (они не были такими инструментами, которые вы бы купили в магазине), but what did it matter (но имело ли это значение)?

I have already told you about the shovel which I made from a piece of hard wood (я уже рассказал вам о лопате, которую я сделал из куска твердого дерева). Next to the shovel I needed a pickax most of all (после лопаты мне больше всего нужна была киркомотыга).

Among the many things that I had saved from the wreck (среди многих вещей, которые я сохранил с разбитого корабля), I found an old crowbar (я нашел старый лом). This I heated in the fire until it was almost white hot (я нагрел его на огне, пока он не стал почти белым от жара; hot — горячий; жаркий; разогретый; накаленный).

I then found that I could bend it quite easily (затем я обнаружил, что мог согнуть его довольно легко). Little by little I shaped it until I had made quite a good pickax of it (мало-помалу я придавал ему /нужную/ форму, пока я не сделал из него довольно хорошую киркомотыгу; shape — форма; to shape — придавать форму, формировать; делать по какому-л. образцу). Of course, it was heavy and not at all pretty (конечно, она была тяжелой и совсем не красивой). But who would look for beauty in a pickax (но кто бы стал искать красоту в киркомотыге)?

I at first felt the need of some light baskets (на первых порах я чувствовал необходимость = мне не хватало легких корзин) in which to carry my fruit and grain (в которых /мог бы/ носить мои плоды и зерно). So I began to study how baskets are made (поэтому я стал теперь изучать, как делаются/сделаны корзины; to study — изучать, исследовать /внимательно, тщательно/; рассматривать, обдумывать, взвешивать).

It was not until I had searched almost every nook on the island (только после того, как я обыскал каждый уголок острова) that I found some long slender twigs (я нашел длинные гибкие прутья) that would bend to make wicker ware (которые бы гнулись, чтобы сделать ивовую лозу = которые можно было гнуть, как ивовую лозу; wicker — ивовый прут, лоза; ware — изделия). Then I spent many an hour learning how to weave these twigs together (затем я провел много часов, учась, как сплетать эти прутья вместе) and shape them into the form of a basket (и придавать им форму корзины).

In the end (в конце концов), however (тем не менее), I was able to make as good baskets as were ever bought in the market (я был способен делать такие хорошие корзины, которые когда-либо покупались на рынке).

I had quite a goodly number of edge tools (у меня было довольно большое количество режущих инструментов; goodly — большой, большого размера; крупный, внушительный). Among these there were three large axes (среди них было три больших топора) and a great store of hatchets (и большой запас топориков); for you will remember that we carried hatchets to trade with the savages (так как вы должны помнить, что мы везли топорики, чтобы торговать/обмениваться с дикарями). I had also many knives (у меня было также много ножей).

But all these became very dull with use (но все они стали тупыми от использования). I had saved a grindstone from the wreck (я спас точильный камень с остова корабля), but I could not turn it and grind my tools at the same time (но не мог крутить его и точить инструменты в одно и то же время).

I studied hard to overcome this difficulty (я напряженно думал, как преодолеть эту трудность). At last (наконец), I managed to fasten a string to the crank of the grindstone in such a way that I could turn it with my foot (мне удалось прикрепить веревку к ручке точильного камня так, что я мог вертеть его ногой).

My tools were soon sharp, and I kept them so (мои инструменты вскоре были острыми, и я держал их такими = поддерживал в таком состоянии).

 

ripen ['raIp(q)n], scythe ['saID], sword [sO:d], measure ['meZq], bushel [buSl], necessary ['nesqs(q)rI], thrash [TrxS], harrow ['hxrqu], field [fi:ld], flour ['flauq], yeast [ji:st], salt [sO:lt], dough ['dqu], until [qn'tIl], axe [xks], manage ['mxnIG], fasten [fRsn]

 

I WORK UNDER MANY DIFFICULTIES

 

MY barley ripened and was ready to be harvested. I had neither scythe nor sickle to cut it down.

But you will remember that I had two old swords which I had found in the ship. With one of the swords I cut off the heads of the barley and dropped them into a big basket I had made. I carried these heads into my cave and thrashed out the grain with my hands.

When all my harvesting was done, I measured the grain. I had two bushels of rice and two bushels and a half of barley.

This pleased me very much. I felt now that I should soon be able to raise grain enough for food.

Have you ever thought how many things are necessary for the making of your bread?

You have nothing to do but eat the bread after others have made it. But I had to sow, to reap, to thrash, to grind, to sift, to mix, and to bake.

To do all these I needed many tools.

I had no plow to turn up the ground. I had no spade nor shovel with which to dig it. But with great labor I made me a wooden spade, which was better than nothing.

After the ground was turned up, I sowed the seed by scattering it with my hands. But it must be covered so it would grow, and I had no harrow. I cut down the branch of a tree, and dragged it over the field. This, I think, was the way that people in old times harrowed their ground.

The third thing to be done was to build a fence around my field. After that came the reaping, the curing, the carrying home, the thrashing, the parting of the grain from the chaff, the grinding.

I needed a mill to do the grinding. I needed a sieve to sift the flour. I needed yeast and salt to mix with the dough. I needed an oven to bake it.

I had to do without the most of these things. And this made my work very slow and hard.

I was very lucky in having saved so many tools from the wreck, and for this I was indeed thankful. What a hard case I would have been in if I had saved nothing at all!

From time to time, as I felt the need of things I made a number of tools that served me very well. They were not such tools as you would buy at the store, but what did it matter?

I have already told you about the shovel which I made from a piece of hard wood. Next to the shovel I needed a pickax most of all.

Among the many things that I had saved from the wreck, I found an old crowbar. This I heated in the fire until it was almost white hot.

I then found that I could bend it quite easily. Little by little I shaped it until I had made quite a good pickax of it. Of course, it was heavy and not at all pretty. But who would look for beauty in a pickax?

I at first felt the need of some light baskets in which to carry my fruit and grain. So I began to study how baskets are made.

It was not until I had searched almost every nook on the island that I found some long slender twigs that would bend to make wicker ware. Then I spent many an hour learning how to weave these twigs together and shape them into the form of a basket.

In the end, however, I was able to make as good baskets as were ever bought in the market.

I had quite a goodly number of edge tools. Among these there were three large axes and a great store of hatchets; for you will remember that we carried hatchets to trade with the savages. I had also many knives.

But all these became very dull with use. I had saved a grindstone from the wreck, but I could not turn it and grind my tools at the same time.

I studied hard to overcome this difficulty. At last, I managed to fasten a string to the crank of the grindstone in such a way that I could turn it with my foot.

My tools were soon sharp, and I kept them so.

 

I BECOME A POTTER (я становлюсь гончаром)

 

WHEN it came to making bread (когда предстояло делать хлеб: «когда пришло к деланью = иготовлению хлеба»), I found that I needed several vessels (я обнаружил = понял, что мне нужно несколько сосудов). In fact, I needed them in many ways (на самом деле, они нужны были мне по многим причинам).

 

It would be hard to make wooden vessels (было бы тяжело делать деревянные сосуды). Of course it was out of the question to make vessels of iron or any other metal (конечно, было вне вопроса = было совершенно невозможно сделать сосуды из железа или любого другого металла). But why might I not make some earthen vessels (но почему не мог я сделать несколько глиняных сосудов)?

If I could find some good clay (если бы я смог найти хорошую глину), I felt quite sure that I could make pots strong enough to be of use (я чувствовал полную уверенность, что я смогу делать горшки достаточно крепкими, чтобы быть годными к использованию/полезными).

After much trouble I found the clay (после многих трудностей я нашел глину). The next thing was to shape it into pots or jars (следующей вещью = задачей придать ей форму горшков или кувшинов).

You would have laughed to see the first things I tried to make (вы бы посмеялись, увидев первые вещи, которые я попытался сделать). How ugly they were (какими уродливыми они были)!

Some of them fell in pieces of their own weight (некоторые их них распадались на кусочки от собственного веса). Some of them fell in pieces when I tried to lift them (некоторые их них распадались на кусочки, когда я пытался поднять их).

They were of all shapes and sizes (они были всех форм и размеров = самых разнообразных форм и размеров).

After I had worked two months I had only two large jars (после того, как я проработал два месяца, у меня было только два больших кувшина) that were fit to look at (на которые можно было смотреть; fit — подходящий, подобающий). These I used for holding my rice and barley meal (их я использовал для хранения рисовой и ячменной еды).

Then I tried some smaller things, and did quite well (хзатем я попытался /сделать/ несколько более мелких вещей, и сделал довольно хорошо).

I made some plates (я сделал несколько тарелок), a pitcher (кувшин), and some little jars that would hold about a pint (и несколько маленьких кувшинов, которые удерживали около пинты[6]).

All these I baked in the hot sun (их всех я обжег на горячем солнце). They kept their shape (они сохранили свою форму), and seemed quite hard (и казались довольно крепкими). But of course they would not hold water or bear the heat of the fire (но, конечно, они не удержали бы воды и не выдержали бы жара огня).

One day when I was cooking my meat for dinner (однажды, когда я готовил мясо на обед), I made a very hot fire (я сделал = развел очень жаркий огонь/костер). When I was done with it (когда я закончил это = приготовление ужина), I raked down the coals (я разгреб угли) and poured water on it to put it out (и налил на костер воды, чтобы загасить его).

It so happened that one of my little earthenware jars had fallen into the fire and been broken (так случилось, что один из моих глиняных кувшинов упал в огонь и разбился). I had not taken it out (я не вытащил его), but had left it in the hot flames (а оставил его в горячем пламени; to leave — оставлять).

Now, as I was raking out the coals (так вот, когда я разгребал угли), I found some pieces of it and was surprised at the sight of them (я нашел несколько кусочков его /кувшина/ и был удивлен их видом), for they were burned as hard as stones and as red as tiles (потому что они спеклись /и стали/ крепкими, как камни, и красными, как черепица).

"If broken pieces will burn so (если разбитые куски обжигаются так)," said I, "why cannot a whole jar be made as hard and as red as these (почему целый кувшин не может быть сделан таким же твердым и красным, как эти)?"

I had never seen potters at work (я никогда не видел гончаров за работой). I did not know how to build a kiln for firing the pots (я не знал, как построить печь для обжига горшков). I had never heard how earthenware is glazed (я никогда не слышал, как глазируется глина).

But I made up my mind to see what could be done (но я решил посмотреть, что может быть сделано; to make up one's mind to do smth. — принять решение, решиться /сделать что-л./).

I put several pots and small jars in a pile (я поставил несколько горшков и кувшинов в кучу), one upon another (один на другой). I laid dry wood all over and about them (я положил сухое дерево над и вокруг), and then set it on fire (м затем поджег это).

As fast as the wood burned up (как только дерево прогорало), I heaped other pieces upon the fire (я бросал новые деревяшки в огонь; heap — груда, куча, масса; to heap — бросать в кучу, складывать в кучу, нагромождать). The hot flames roared all round the jars and pots (пламя шумело = бушевало вокруг кувшинов и горшков; to roar — реветь, орать; рычать). The red coals burned beneath them (красные угли горели под ними).

I kept the fire going all day (я поддерживал огонь весь день). I could see the pots become red-hot through and through (я мог видеть, как горшки становятся раскаленно-красными совершенно; through — насквозь; совершенно). The sand on the side of a little jar began to melt and run (песок в стороне от маленького кувшина начал плавиться и течь).

After that I let the fire go down (после этого я позволил огню потухнуть), little by little (мало-помалу). I watched it all night (я смотрел/следил за ним всю ночь), for I did not wish the pots and jars to cool too quickly (потому что я не хотел, чтобы горшки и кувшины остывали слишком быстро).

In the morning I found that I had three very good earthen pots (утром я обнаружил, что у меня были три очень хороших глиняных горшка). They were not at all pretty (они вовсе не были красивыми), but they were as hard as rocks (но они были тверды как камень; rock — скала) and would hold water (и могли: «будут» удержать воду).

I had two fine jars also (у меня также было два прекрасных кувшина), and one of them was well glazed with the melted sand (и один из них был хорошо глазированный расплавленным песком).

After this I made all the pots and jars and plates and pans that I needed (после этого я сделал все горшки, кувшины, тарелки и миски, которые были нужны). They were of all shapes and sizes (они были всех форм и размеров).

You would have laughed to see them (вы бы посмеялись, увидев их).

Of course I was awkward at this work (конечно, я был неуклюжим/неловким при этой работе). I was like a child making mud pies (я был подобен ребенку, делающий пироги из грязи).

But how glad I was when I found that I had a vessel that would bear the fire (но как рад я был, когда обнаружил, что у меня был сосуд, который вынес бы огонь)! I could hardly wait to put some water in it and boil me some meat (я едва мог ждать, чтобы налить воды в него и сварить себе мясо).

That night I had turtle soup (в тот вечер у меня были черепаховый суп; night — ночь; вечер) and barley broth for supper (ячменная похлебка на ужин).

 

question ['kwestS(q)n], metal ['met(q)l], ugly ['AglI], bear ['beq], fire ['faIq], earthenware ['q:T(q)nweq], piece [pi:s], burn [bq:n], broth [brOT]

 

I BECOME A POTTER

 

WHEN it came to making bread, I found that I needed several vessels. In fact, I needed them in many ways. It would be hard to make wooden vessels. Of course it was out of the question to make vessels of iron or any other metal. But why might I not make some earthen vessels?

If I could find some good clay, I felt quite sure that I could make pots strong enough to be of use.

After much trouble I found the clay. The next thing was to shape it into pots or jars.

You would have laughed to see the first things I tried to make. How ugly they were!

Some of them fell in pieces of their own weight. Some of them fell in pieces when I tried to lift them.

They were of all shapes and sizes.

After I had worked two months I had only two large jars that were fit to look at. These I used for holding my rice and barley meal.

Then I tried some smaller things, and did quite well.

I made some plates, a pitcher, and some little jars that would hold about a pint.

All these I baked in the hot sun. They kept their shape, and seemed quite hard. But of course they would not hold water or bear the heat of the fire.

One day when I was cooking my meat for dinner, I made a very hot fire. When I was done with it, I raked down the coals and poured water on it to put it out.

It so happened that one of my little earthenware jars had fallen into the fire and been broken. I had not taken it out, but had left it in the hot flames.

Now, as I was raking out the coals, I found some pieces of it and was surprised at the sight of them, for they were burned as hard as stones and as red as tiles.

"If broken pieces will burn so," said I, "why cannot a whole jar be made as hard and as red as these?"

I had never seen potters at work. I did not know how to build a kiln for firing the pots. I had never heard how earthenware is glazed.

But I made up my mind to see what could be done.

I put several pots and small jars in a pile, one upon another. I laid dry wood all over and about them, and then set it on fire.

As fast as the wood burned up, I heaped other pieces upon the fire. The hot flames roared all round the jars and pots. The red coals burned beneath them.