Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо/Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

животного), I did not stop to see (я не остановился посмотреть = не стал дожидаться

ясности).

I stood a little while by the mouth of the cave (постоял немного у входа в

пещеру) and then I began to get over my fright (начал превозмогать страх).

What could there be in this cave that would do me harm (что могло быть в этой

пещере, что могло причинить мне вред)? No man could live there in the darkness (ни

один человек не мог жить там в темноте). As for any animal (что касается любого

животного), I knew there was nothing fiercer on the island than one of my cats (я знал,

что не было ничего более свирепого на острове, чем мои кошки).

So, with a blazing stick for a torch (со сверкающий факелом), I crept back into

the cave (пробрался обратно в пещеру). But I had not gone three steps before I was

frightened almost as much as before (но я не прошел трех шагов, как был напуган

почти также сильно, как раньше).

I heard a loud sigh (громкий вздох), like that of a man in trouble (как /звук/

человека в беде). Then there were low moans (низкие стоны), and sounds as of some

one trying to speak (звуки кого-то пытающегося говорить).

I stopped short (остановился как вкопанный). Cold chills ran down my back

(холодок пробежал вниз по спине). My hair seemed to stand on end (казалось, волосы

встали дыбом). But I would not allow myself to run out again (но я не позволил бы

себе выбежать опять).

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www

. f ranklang . r u

154

I pushed my little torch forward into the darkness (толкнул = протянул мой

маленький факел вперед в темноту), as far as I could (так далеко, как я мог). The

blaze lit up the cave (пламя осветило пещеру). And what do you suppose I saw then (и

что вы полагаете, я увидел затем)?

Why, nothing but a shaggy old goat (да ничего, как только потрепанную

старого козла) that I had missed from my flock for nearly a week past (которого

недоставало моему стаду почти неделю уже = который пропал из стада почти

неделю назад; to miss — обнаружить отсутствие /чего-л./).

He was stretched on the floor of the cave (он растянулся на полу пещеры), and

too weak to rise up (слишком слаб, чтобы встать). He was a very old fellow (он был

старым: «старым парнем»), and perhaps had gone in there to die (и, возможно,

пришел сюда умирать).

I gave him some food and water (я дал ему еды и воды), and made him as

comfortable as I could (и сделал ему так удобно, как мог). But he was too far gone to

live long (но он был слишком стар, чтобы прожить долго).

I found that, although I could stand up in the cave, it was very small (я

обнаружил, что, хотя я мог стоять в пещере, она была очень маленькой). It was only

a hole in the rocks (была только дырой в скалах), and was neither round nor square (ни

круглая, ни квадратная).

But at the end of this little chamber there seemed to be a passage that led farther

in (но в концу этой маленькой комнаты, казалось, был проход, который вел дальше

внутрь). This passage was very narrow and dark (узким и темным), and as my torch had

burned out (поскольку мой факел выгорел), I did not try to follow it (не попытался

последовать по нему).

I went back to my wood chopping (я вернулся к моей рубке леса).

caution ['ko: ə

ʃ n] quarrel ['kworəl]

I MAKE A SURPRISING DISCOVERY

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www

. f ranklang . r u

155

ONCE every week I went into the woods to see the flock of goats that I had

hidden there. I always carried my gun, but since my last great fright I did not dare to fire

it off. I was afraid even to drive a nail or chop a stick of wood, lest some savages might

be near enough to hear the sound.

I was afraid to build a fire at my castle, lest the smoke should be seen.

At last I carried some of my pots and kettles to my hidden field in the woods. I

could do my cooking there much more safely than at my castle.

Hardly had I put things in order there when I found something that made me very

glad. What do you suppose it was?

It was a cave — a real cave. The door into it was through a little hollow place at

the bottom of a great rock. It was so well hidden that no one could have found it even by

looking for it.

Shall I tell you how I came upon it?

I was afraid to make a smoke near my house, and yet I could not live without

cooking meat. I tried all kinds of dry wood, and yet there was always some smoke. Then

I thought I would try charcoal. But I must first make the charcoal.

I found a place in the darkest part of the woods where the smoke would hardly

rise to the tops of the trees. There I built my charcoal pit.

This was done in the following way:

First, I cleared off a round space about ten feet in diameter. Here I dug out the

earth till I made a pit about a foot deep. Then I cut a cord or more of wood and piled it up