Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

I told the captain my whole history just as I have told it to you. He, in his turn (в

свою очередь), related to me (рассказал мне) the story of his voyage from England to

the West Indies (о-ва Вест-Индии), and how his crew (команда), wishing to become

pirates, had seized upon the ship (захватила корабль) and made him their prisoner.

"There are still twenty-six men on board (на борту)," he said. "They are no doubt

wondering what has become of their fellows (без сомнения задаются вопросом, что

произошло с их друзьями). After a while some of them will be likely to come on shore

to find out what is the matter (через некоторое время некоторые из них, видимо,

придут на берег выяснить, в чем дело)."

"Let them come (пусть приходят)," I said. "We will be ready for them."

We therefore went down to the shore where the boat was still lying.

We found in it some rum (рома), a few biscuits (несколько печений), a horn of

powder (рог пороха), and five or six pounds of sugar (фунтов сахара). This last was

very welcome to me, for I had not tasted sugar for several years (не ощущал вкуса

несколько лет).

All these things we carried on shore. Then we knocked a big hole in the bottom of

the boat (пробили большую дырку в днище лодки).

To tell the truth (сказать правду), I had but little hope that we would ever recover

the ship (вернем). But I thought that after she had sailed away we might repair the boat

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(думал, что, когда корабль уйдет, мы починим лодку). Then we could no doubt make

our way to the Spanish settlements on the mainland (смогли бы проделать путь к

испанским поселениям на континенте).

About an hour before sunset (до заката), we heard a gun fired from the ship.

"It is as I told you," said the captain.

We saw a signal waving from the mast (сигнал с мачты; to wave — подавать

сигнал, махать). Then several other shots were fired (было сделано еще несколько

залпов).

At last, when there was no answer either to the signals or to the guns there was a

great stir on board (большое шевеление на борту), and the other boat was launched

(спущена).

I watched them with my spyglass (наблюдал через подзорную трубу).

As the boat neared the shore (приблизилась к берегу), we saw that there were

ten men in her and that they were all armed with muskets (вооружены мушкетами).

The sun shone in their faces (светило в лица) and we had a good sight of them as

they came (и мы могли хорошо их рассмотреть, когда они подплывали).

The captain knew them all. He said that there were three very honest fellows

among them who had gone into this business against their will (было трое очень

честных людей среди них, которые ввязались в дело против своей воли). All the

rest, however (все остальные, однако), were bad men who were ready to do any wicked

deed (готовы сделать любой нехороший поступок).

We now set free two of our prisoners (освободили двоих их пленников), for

they seemed to be trustworthy men (которые казались надежными: «доверия

достойными» людьми) and glad that matters had turned in the captain's favor (в пользу

капитана).

"Can we trust them (доверять им), Captain?" I asked.

"I will stand good for them (ручаюсь за них)," said the captain.

I gave them each a gun. We had now seven armed men to meet the ten who were

coming to the shore.

But we kept ourselves hidden (скрывались) and waited to see what they would

do.

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As soon as they reached the shore they ran to see the other boat. What was their

surprise to find her stripped of everything and a hole in her bottom (каково было их

удивление обнаружить ее лишенной всего и с дыркой в днище).

They shouted (кричали), but no one answered.

They fired off their muskets, making the woods ring with their echoes (заставив

лес звучать от эхо). But still there was no answer.

Then they launched their boat again, and all started to the ship (двинулись к

кораблю).

But on the way they changed their minds (изменили решение). It would never do

(не пойдет), they thought, to leave their friends on the island without so much as hunting

for them (не поискав их должным образом).

They therefore rowed back to the shore (погребли обратно к берегу). Three men

were left with the boat as guards (как стражники), and the rest started out into the

country to seek their lost companions (остальные отправились на берег искать

потерявшихся товарищей).

We should have been glad if they had come our way, so that we might have fired

on them; but this they failed to do (этого они этого не сделали; to fail — не исполнить,

не сделать).

Night was fast coming on (ночь быстро опускалась), and they did not dare to go

far from the shore (не осмелились идти далеко от берега).