Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

raft floated smoothly along (плыл ровно), and drew nearer and nearer to the shore

(приближался ближе и ближе к берегу; to draw — тащить; тянуться).

Just as I thought myself safe (только я подумал /что был/ в безопасности), I

found that I was entering a strong current (входил в сильное течение) which carried me

into a narrow bay (которое отнесло меня в узкий залив) far from my first landing place

(вдалеке от моего первого места «приземления» = прибытия).

There the raft stuck fast (натолкнулся быстро) on an ugly sand bar (на ужасный

песчаный риф; ugly — уродливый), and was like to be tipped over (был готов быть

перевернутым = перевернуться).

But the tide was still rising (все поднимался). Soon the raft floated free (поплыл

свободно) and glided slowly along again with the current.

In a short time I found that I was being carried up (меня несло) into a little river

with high banks on each side (в маленькую речку с высокими берегами на каждой

стороне).

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www

. f ranklang . r u

32

With a piece of plank (с куском доски) for an oar (вместо весла) I pushed the

raft toward the shore on my right (толкнул плот к берегу справа). The water was now

so shallow (вода была столь мелкой) that I could reach the bottom (что я мог достать

до дна).

The raft floated slowly onward (вперед) until it reached a little cove (пока не

достиг маленькой бухточки) into which I pushed it. The water there was quite still.

I looked around for a place to land (пристать к берегу). But the banks were steep

(отвесными), and if I ran one end of my raft upon the shore (если бы я направил один

конец моего плота на берег), the other end might sink so low as to slide all my goods

into the water (другой конец мог опуститься, погрузиться так низко, что /мог/

столкнуть все мои товары в воду; to slide — скользить).

The best I could do was to wait till the tide was at its highest (пока прилив не

достигнет максимальной высоты). Then I might push a little farther (мог толкнуть

немного дальше) inland (от моря, вверх по реке) where the bank was somewhat lower

(где берег был немного ниже).

This I did (это я сделал).

The tide rose higher and higher. At last, to my joy (к моей радости), the water

reached the top of the bank (вод достигла вершины берега). It covered a level spot of

ground beyond (она покрыла полоску, кусок /берега/ на своем /воды/ уровне; level —

уровень; beyond — за, по ту сторону).

I waited a little longer (подождал немного дольше). The water on the level

space was a foot deep (была в фут глубиной). The tide was beginning to flow out

(отступать).

With all my might (со всей своей силой) I pushed the raft into this shallow place

(толкнул плот на мелкое место). The tide ebbed fast (отступил быстро). Soon the raft

was left high and dry on the land (оставлен высоко и сухим на земле).

It was easy now to unload the goods (легко разгрузить «товар») and carry them

to a safe place (отнести в безопасное место).

powder [paud] quite [kwait] island [ailnd]

I CARRY SOME THINGS ASHORE

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www

. f ranklang . r u

33

IT was now past noon, and the tide was coming in. I could not stop to rest.

"I have food, I have clothing, I have tools," I said to myself. "What do I need

next?"

Then I thought of the wild animals and wild men that I might meet on the shore.

"How shall I protect myself from them?" I said.

In the captain's room I found two good guns with a bag of shot and a powderhorn.

There were also two old swords, very rusty and dull, and a pair of big pistols.

By looking around, I found also three small kegs of powder. Two of these were

dry, but the other was wet and good for nothing.

It took more than an hour to get all these safely placed on my raft. I now had quite

a heavy load, and I began to wonder how I should take it to the shore.

I had no oars nor any sail for my raft. But the water was smooth, the tide was

flowing in, and a gentle wind was blowing toward the land.

I loosed the rope that held the raft to the ship, and soon began my little voyage.

The tide was now so high that the dry land was much farther away than when I

came out. But the raft floated smoothly along, and drew nearer and nearer to the shore.

Just as I thought myself safe, I found that I was entering a strong current which

carried me into a narrow bay far from my first landing place.

There the raft stuck fast on an ugly sand bar, and was like to be tipped over.

But the tide was still rising. Soon the raft floated free and glided slowly along

again with the current.

In a short time I found that I was being carried up into a little river with high

banks on each side.

With a piece of plank for an oar I pushed the raft toward the shore on my right.

The water was now so shallow that I could reach the bottom.