I keep myself busy

AMONG the things that I brought from the ship there were several which I have not told you about. I will name them now. First I got from the captain's desk some pens, ink, and paper. These were afterward a great comfort to me, as you shall learn.

There were some charts and compasses, and three or four books on navigation. These I threw in a corner, for I did not think I should ever need them.

Among my own things there were three very old Bibles, which I had bought in England and had packed with my clothing.

And I must not forget the dog and two cats that came to shore with me. I carried both the cats on my raft with my first cargo.

As for the dog, he jumped off the wreck and swam to the shore. He was my best friend for a long time. He followed me everywhere. He would run and fetch things to me as I bade him. I wanted him to talk to me, but this he could not do.

As for my pens, ink, and paper, I took the greatest care of them. As long as my ink lasted, I wrote down everything that happened to me.

But when that was gone, I could write no more for I did not know how to make ink.

I soon found that I needed many things to make me comfortable.

First, I wanted a chair and a table; for without them I must live like a savage.

So I set to work. I had never handled a tool in my life. But I had a saw, an ax, and several, hatchets; and I soon learned to use them all.

If I wanted a board, I had to chop down a tree. From the trunk of the tree I cut a log of the length that my board was to be. Then I split the log and hewed it flat till it was as thin as a board.

All this took time and much hard work. But I had nothing else to do.

I made the table and chair out of short pieces of board I had brought from the ship.

Of the large boards which I hewed from trees, I made some wide shelves along the side of my cave or kitchen.

On these shelves I laid my tools, nails, and other things.

I had a place for everything, and kept everything in its place.

My cave looked like some stores you have seen where a little of everything is kept for sale.

From time to time I made many useful things.

From a piece of hard wood that I cut in the forest I made a spade to dig with. The handle I shaped just like the handles you buy at the stores. But the shovel part was of wood and would not last long.

While I was digging my cave, I found it very hard work to carry the earth and small stones away. I needed a wheelbarrow very much.

I could make the frame part of this, but I did not know how to make the wheel. I worked four days at it, and then had to give it up.

At last I made me a kind of hod, like that which masons use. It was better than a basket and almost as good as a wheelbarrow.

I have a great fright (я сильно испугался: «имею большой страх»)

THE very next day after my cave was finished (на следующий день после того, как моя пещера была закончена) a frightful thing happened (случилась страшная/пугающая вещь; frightful — ужасающий, внушающий страх, страшный). I came near losing everything and my own life as well (я был на грани потери всего и моей жизни также: «я подошел близко к потере…»).

I will tell you about it (я расскажу вам об этом).

I was busy behind my tent (я был занят за своим навесом) when I heard a fearful noise above my head (когда я услышал страшный шум над головой). Before I could look up (прежде чем я смог посмотреть вверх), a great load of earth and stones came tumbling down (большой вес = куча земли и камней повалилась вниз; to tumble — рушить/ся/, обваливать/ся/).

It was a wonder that I was not buried alive (было чудо, что я не был похоронен заживо; to bury — хоронить, зарывать в землю). I was scared (я был напуган), for I thought the whole top of the cave was falling in (так как подумал, что вся верхушка пещеры проваливалась: «падала внутрь»; to fall in — западать, впадать, вваливаться).

I ran out and climbed over my wall (я выбежал и перелез через стену). The great rock behind my castle seemed to be shaking (большая скала за моим замком, казалось, тряслась: «казалась быть трясущейся»). Stones and earth were rolling down its side (камни и земля катились вниз по ее склону).

"An earthquake! an earthquake (землетрясение)!" I cried (закричал/воскликнул я).

The ground shook (земля затряслась; to shake — трясти/сь/). A tall rock that stood between me and the seashore toppled over and fell (высокий камень, который стоял между мной и морским берегом, перевернулся и упал). The noise was the most frightful I ever heard (этот шум был самым страшным, какой я когда-либо слышал).

There were three shocks (было три потрясения/толчка; shock — удар, толчок; сотрясение) about eight minutes apart (около восьми минут между = с перерывом примерно в восемь минут; apart — в стороне, отдельно, в отдалении, обособленно; врозь, порознь). The strongest building you ever saw would have been overturned (самое крепкое здание, какое вы когда-либо видели, было бы перевернуто).

I was so frightened that I did not know what to do (я был так напуган, что не знал, что делать). I sat on the ground and could not move (я сел на землю и не мог пошевелиться; to sit — сидеть; садиться; to move — двигать/ся/). I could only cry, over and over again (я мог только плакать, опять и опять), "Lord, have mercy on me (Господи, сжалься надо мной; mercy — милосердие; жалость, сожаление, сострадание; Божья снисходительность; Божье прощение, отпущение /грехов/)!"

After the third shock was over I began to grow braver (после /того, как/ третий толчок закончился, я начал становиться смелее). But still I sat on the ground (но я все еще сидел на земле), wondering what would come next (думая/задаваясь вопросом, что произойдет потом; to wonder — удивляться; интересоваться; размышлять).

All at once the sky was overcast (вдруг небо затянуло облаками; overcast — затянутый облаками; мрачный, хмурый; to overcast — покрывать мраком, закрывать; затемнять; to cast — бросать, кидать). Dark clouds rolled over the sea (темные тучи бежали: «катились» над морем; cloud — облако; туча). The wind began to blow (начал дуть ветер). A dreadful hurricane was at hand (ужасный ураган был близок; dreadful — страшный, ужасный; внушающий ужас, грозный, чудовищный; dread — ужас, благоговейный страх, трепет).

The sea was covered with foam (море было покрыто пеной). The waves were mountain high (волны были с гору высотой). On the shore, trees were torn up by the roots (на берегу деревья были выворачиваемы с корнем; to tear — рвать; to tear up — вырывать; выдергивать). If my tent had not been well sheltered behind the great rock (если бы мой навес не был хорошо укрыт за большой скалой), it would have been carried away (он был бы снесен: «унесен прочь»).

The hurricane lasted fully three hours (ураган длился полных три часа; fully — полностью; full — полный). Then the rain began to pour down (затем начал лить дождь).

All this time I sat on the ground outside (все это время я сидел на земле снаружи), too much frightened to go back into my castle (слишком сильно напуганный, чтобы вернуться: «пойти назад» в мой замок).

Toward night the rain slackened (к ночи дождь ослаб; to slacken — слабеть, уменьшаться), and I ventured over my wall (и я отважился перелезть через стену; to venture — рисковать /чем-л./; ставить на карту; отважиться, решиться; осмелиться). The tent was half beaten down (навес был наполовину снесен/повален: «сбит вниз»; to beat — бить). So I crept through into the cave (поэтому я пробрался через него в пещеру). I was half afraid that even it would tumble down on my head (я был наполовину напуган = немного опасался, что даже он мог упасть на мою голову).

lose [lu:z], own ['qun], fearful ['fIqful], noise ['nOIz], bury ['berI], alive [q'laIv], earthquake ['q:TkweIk], minute ['mInIt], apart [q'pQ:t], overturn ['quvqtq:n], mercy ['mq:sI], dreadful ['dredful], hurricane ['hArIkqn, 'hArIkeIn], foam ['fqum], mountain ['mauntIn], slacken ['slxk(q)n], venture ['ventSq]