The next thing I knew
(не успел я опомниться: «следующее, что я осознал /было/»), I was being held in the hands of the farmer (/как/ очутился в руках у фермера: to hold — держать) that I had first seen standing on the stile (которого я вначале видел стоящим на ступенях). He blew my hair away from my face (он сдул волосы с моего лица) in order to see me more clearly (чтобы лучше: «яснее» меня рассмотреть). He poked at my clothes with a stalk of corn (потыкал мою одежду соломиной: «стеблем злака»). I think he was trying to see (я думаю, он пытался разобраться) whether my clothes were a kind of skin (не была ли моя одежда чем-то вроде кожи/шкуры; kind — сорт; разновидность, вид, род) that grew on me (покрывающей меня от природы: «которая росла на мне»). The other workers stood around (остальные работники стояли вокруг) looking at me closely (пристально глядя на меня; closely — близко; внимательно, тщательно; пристально). At last he put me down on the ground (наконец он поставил/положил меня на землю). I began to walk slowly backwards and forwards (я начал медленно прохаживаться взад и вперед) so they would know I was not going to run away (чтобы они знали, что я не собираюсь убегать; to be going to… — собираться, намереваться /что-л. сделать/).
kind [kaɪnd], closely ['kləʋslɪ], forwards ['fɔ:wədz]
The next thing I knew, I was being held in the hands of the farmer that I had first seen standing on the stile. He blew my hair away from my face in order to see me more clearly. He poked at my clothes with a stalk of corn. I think he was trying to see whether my clothes were a kind of skin that grew on me. The other workers stood around looking at me closely. At last he put me down on the ground. I began to walk slowly backwards and forwards so they would know I was not going to run away.
They sat down in a circle around me
(они сели в кружок вокруг меня). I pulled off my hat (я снял шляпу) and made a low bow to the farmer (и сделал глубокий поклон фермеру). I fell on my knees (стал: «упал» на колени), lifted up my hands and eyes (поднял вверх = к небу глаза и руки) and spoke several words as loudly as I could (и как можно громче произнес несколько слов). I then took a purse of gold out of my pocket (потом я вынул из кармана кошелек с золотом) and gave it to the farmer (и подал его фермеру). He examined it carefully (он тщательно его осмотрел/изучил; care — забота; внимание, осторожность; тщательность) but didn't seem to know what it was (но, казалось, не знал, что это такое).
bow /в значениях "наклоняться; поклон"/ [baʋ], examine [ɪɡ'zæmɪn], carefully ['kɛəfʋlɪ]
They sat down in a circle around me. I pulled off my hat and made a low bow to the farmer. I fell on my knees, lifted up my hands and eyes and spoke several words as loudly as I could. I then took a purse of gold out of my pocket and gave it to the farmer. He examined it carefully but didn't seem to know what it was.