I saw that it was time for me to hurry back to the shore (поспешить обратно).
I let myself down into the water (прыгнул в воду) and began to swim. The sea
was rough (море было неспокойно, волновалось). The money was heavy (деньги
были тяжелыми).
I hastened home to my little tent (поспешил домой к моему маленькому
навесу). The storm had already begun (шторм уже начался).
stuff [stΛf] rough [rΛf] castle [ca:sl]
I FIND A GREAT STORE OF THINGS
THE next day I went to the ship again. This I kept up for more than a week.
Every day I brought a load of things to the shore.
At last there was nothing left that one pair of hands could lift. But I do believe
that if the fine days had held out, I would have brought away the whole ship.
46
You ask how I would have done that? I would have cut it into pieces and brought
one piece at a time.
The last thing that I found was a secret drawer in the cabin. In that drawer there
was some money.
A part of this money was in gold pieces—"pieces of eight," we called them. The
rest was in silver.
I smiled to myself when I saw this money.
"O useless stuff!" I cried. '"What are you good for now? You are not worth
picking up. This little old knife is worth much more. I have no manner of use for you. Lie
there, where you are, and go to the bottom."
I was about to leave the cabin when I looked around again. The bright pieces were
so pretty that I could not bear to leave them.
So I put them all in a strong bag and tied it around my waist like a belt.
"It will not do to throw good money away," I said.
When I went up on deck the wind was blowing hard. Dark clouds were beginning
to cover the sky. The waves were rolling high. A storm was coming.
I saw that it was time for me to hurry back to the shore.
I let myself down into the water and began to swim. The sea was rough. The
money was heavy.
I hastened home to my little tent. The storm had already begun.
I BUILD ME A CASTLE (строю себе замок)
I LAY down on my bed (лег в постель), with my money and other precious
things close at hand (с деньгами и другими ценными вещами близко к руке =
положив возле себя).
47
All night long the wind blew and the rain poured (ветер дул и дождь лил;
Early in the morning I arose (встал) and looked out toward the sea (взглянул на
море).
The waves were rolling (волны поднимались: «катились») very high.
The ship was gone (корабль исчез). The sea had swallowed it up (море
проглотило его).
As I could make no more visits to the ship (так как я не мог делать больше
визитов на корабль), I now began to think of other things.
I was still afraid lest there were savage beasts on the island (я все еще боялся,
были ли дикие животные на острове = а вдруг на острове дикие животные).
Savage men (дикие люди), too, might come that way (тоже могли объявиться).
If any of these should find me (если бы кто-то из них нашел меня), how could I
protect myself from them (как я смогу защититься от них)?
I must have a stronger house (более крепкий дом) to live in (в котором жить:
«чтобы жить в /нем/»). I must build me a little fort or castle (построить себе
небольшую крепость или замок).
The place I was in was flat and wet (место, в котором я был, было ровным и
сырым). My tent was on open ground (на открытой земле) and could be plainly seen
from a distance (мог быть легко увиден с расстояния). There was no fresh water near it
(не было пресной воды рядом).
48
I must find a better place than this for my castle (лучшее место для замка).
A little way from the shore there was a rocky hill (скалистый холм). I went to
look at it.
Halfway (на полпути) up the hill there was a large level place (большой уступ),
with a great rock rising behind it like the side of a house (с большим камнем,
вырастающим сзади как стена дома).
I climbed up (взобрался) to the level place. There was but one way to go (только
один путь), and that was by a steep and winding path (по крутой и вьющейся
дорожке).
I found the place much larger (намного больше) than I thought. It was more than
a hundred yards long (сто ярдов длиной /ярд — мера длины, равная 3 футам или
914,4 мм/) and almost half as broad (почти половину этого шириной).
It was, indeed (в самом деле), a green field (зеленое поле), or plain (равнина),
with steep cliff rising up behind it (с крутой скалой, поднимающейся за ней). You
must think of it as a great shelf (большая полка) half way up the side of the hill (на
полпути до верхушки холма).
"Here," I said to myself, "is the place for my castle (место для замка)."