I explore my island

IT rained all that night. But in the cave everything was warm and dry, and little by little I lost my fear. The earthquake and the hurricane had done great damage to my castle. I had to work hard for many days to put things to rights again.

I had now been on the island about ten months. In all that time I had seen only a small part of it.

One morning I set out with my gun on my shoulder for a long walk.

I went up the little river where I had first landed with my rafts. I found that it was a very short river. After about two miles, the tide did not flow any higher; and above that, the stream was only a little brook of fresh water.

Along the brook there were pleasant meadows, covered with high grass.

In the dryer parts of these meadows I found tobacco growing wild.

I looked for the roots of a plant which the Indians use instead of bread, but could find none.

In one place, however, I saw many tall sugar canes and some fair-looking plants of a kind that was strange to me.

As I went back to my castle I wondered how I could learn something useful about the many objects I had seen. But I had never taken much thought about such things, and now I had but little chance to learn.

The next day I went up the same way, but much farther.

Beyond the meadows I came to some beautiful woods.

Here I found several different kinds of fruits. There were grapevines covering the trees, and huge clusters of ripe grapes were hanging from them.

I was very glad of this. I made up my mind to come another day and gather some of this fruit. I would dry the grapes in the sun, and have some raisins.

Night came on while I was still in the woods, and I could not do better than stay there till morning. So I climbed into a tree and slept there quite well.

It was the first night that I had spent away from home.

The next day I went on through the woods for nearly four miles.

At last I came to an open space where the land sloped to the west. The country was so fresh and green that it looked like a big garden.

I went down into a pleasant valley where there were many beautiful trees. There I found oranges, lemons, limes, and citrons, besides many grapes.

I loaded myself with fruit and started homeward. "I must come again and bring a sack," I said.

It was three days before I reached my castle. By that time the fruit had lost all its flavor.

The next day I went back to the same valley. I carried two small sacks to bring home my harvest.

But I found many of the grapevines torn down. The fruit was scattered on the ground. Some had been eaten. Some had been trodden to pieces.

A wild animal had been there. Perhaps it was a goat, perhaps it was a larger beast. Perhaps several animals had done the mischief.

I get ready for winter (я готовлюсь к зиме)

I WAS so much pleased with the valley I had discovered (я был так доволен этой долиной, /которую/ я открыл) that I spent much of my time there (что проводил большую часть времени там; to spend — проводить /время/).

At last I built me a small summer house (наконец я построил себе маленький летний домик) close by a grove of orange trees (близко к роще апельсиновых деревьев).

It was but little more than a bower (он был лишь немного больше, чем беседка; bower — дача, коттедж; беседка), made of the branches of trees (сделанная из веток деревьев).

I built a strong fence around it (я соорудил крепкий забор вокруг него; to build — строить). This was made of two rows of tall stakes (он был сделан из двух рядов высоких кольев) with brushwood between (с ветками между /ними/; brushwood — подлесок, молодая поросль, заросли; кустарник; валежник, хворост).

There was no gate in this fence (в этом заборе не было калитки; gate — ворота /как сооружение/; дверь, ворота, калитка), but only a short ladder (но только короткая лестница), just as at my castle (совсем как в моем замке).

Here I sometimes stayed two or three nights together (здесь я иногда оставался на две или три ночи кряду).

I gathered about two hundred clusters of grapes and hung them up to dry (я собрал почти двести гроздьев винограда и повесил их сушиться; to hang — вешать). In due time (в должное время) they made the finest of raisins (из них сделался самый вкусный изюм). I took them down and carried them to my castle (я снял их и отнес в мой замок).

Thus little by little I gathered food for winter (так/таким образом мало-помалу я собрал еду на зиму).

The winters there were not cold (зимы там были не холодные). But the rain fell every day (но дождь падал = шел каждый день), and often all the day (и часто весь день).

I had just finished my bower (я только что закончил беседку/летний домик), and was beginning to enjoy myself (и начал наслаждаться = жить припеваючи; to enjoy smth. — получать удовольствие от чего-л.; to enjoy oneself — хорошо проводить время) when the rainy season or winter, began (когда = как начался сезон дождей, или зима,).

What could I do but hurry back to my castle and its dry, warm cave (что я мог сделать, кроме как поторопиться обратно в замок и в его сухую, теплую пещеру)?

For weeks I could not stir out without getting wet (неделями я не мог выйти, не намокнув; to stir — шевелиться, двигаться). My store of food began to grow small (мои запасы еды начали сокращаться: «становиться малыми»).

One day, in spite of the rain (однажды, несмотря на дождь), I went out and killed a goat (я вышел и убил козу). The next day I found a very large turtle among the rocks (на следующий день я нашел очень большую черепаху среди /больших/ камней).

This was all good luck (это все была удача), for I had now enough to eat for many a day (так как теперь у меня было достаточно еды: «достаточно, чтобы есть» на много дней).

My meals were simple and plain (мои приемы пищи были простыми и неразнообразными = моя еда была…; plain — /уст./ плоский, ровный; незамысловатый, обыкновенный; meal — прием пищи; еда).

For breakfast, I had a bunch of raisins and a bit of biscuit (на завтрак я ел горсть изюма и кусок печенья).

For dinner, I had broiled turtle (на обед у меня была жареная черепаха). I could not have turtle soup (я не мог приготовить суп из черепахи), for I had no vessel in which to cook it (так как у меня не было сосуда, в котором приготовить его).

For supper, I ate two or three turtle's eggs (на ужин я съедал два или три черепашьих яйца; to eat — есть).

Although I was kept close indoors by the rain (хотя дождь вынуждал меня оставаться внутри дома: «я был удерживаем заключенным в помещение дождем»; indoors — внутри дома, в помещении; door — дверь; close — закрытый; заключенный /в тюрьму и т. п./, строго охраняемый), I was never idle (я никогда не был без дела; idle — праздный).

Every day I worked at making my cave larger (каждый день я трудился над тем, чтобы сделать мою пещеру больше). I dug far in (я копал дальше; to dig — копать), behind the rock (за скалой), and made a fine, large room there (и сделал там прекрасную, большую комнату).

Then I made another door or way out (затем я сделал другую дверь или выход), which opened on the outside of my wall (которая открывалась снаружи моей стены = в моей стене). So now I could come into the castle through the cellar (так что я мог входить в замок через погреб), or kitchen (или кухню), and without climbing the ladder (и не взбираясь по лестнице).

This was much handier and easier than the other way (это было намного удобнее и легче, чем наоборот; handy — доступный; близкий, /имеющийся/ под рукой; удобный /для пользования/). But it did not seem so safe (но это не казалось таким безопасным). I feared now lest some wild beast might get into my house (я боялся, как бы дикие животные не смогли попасть в мой дом); and yet the biggest animal (хотя самым большим животным) I had seen on the island was a goat (/которое/ я видел на острове, была коза).

Soon after this I put a roof over my whole inclosure (вскоре после этого я поместил крышу над всем своим убежищем; inclosure/enclosure — огороженное место). I took a number of long poles for rafters (я взял несколько длинных шестов в качестве стропил) and laid one end of each on the wall (и положил один конец каждого /стропила/ на стену; to lay — класть), while the other end leaned against the rock above the cave (в то время как другой конец опирался на скалу над пещерой).

These I covered with boughs of trees (их я покрыл ветками деревьев), long grass (длинной травой), and such other things as I could get (и подобными другими вещами, которые мог достать). In this way I made a very good roof which turned the rain and kept everything dry (так/таким образом я сделал очень хорошую крышу, которая отклоняла дождь = защищала от дождя и сохраняла все сухим).

My castle was now a very roomy place (мой замок был теперь очень просторным местом; room — место, пространство; помещение). It was quite warm and dry even in the worst of weather (оно было довольно теплым и сухим даже в самую плохую погоду; worst — худший; the worst — самое худшее).

discover [dI'skAvq], grove ['grquv], bower ['bauq], brushwood ['brASwud], between [bI'twJn], enjoy [In'GOI], myself [maI'self], season [si:zn], bunch [bAntS], turtle [tq:tl], soup [su:p], indoors ["In'dO:z], idle ['aIdl], roof [ru:f]