James Baldwin - Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо (в пересказе для детей) (ASCII-IPA)

So, with a blazing stick for a torch (поэтому, с ярко горящей палкой вместо = в качестве факела; to blaze — гореть ярким пламенем; сверкать, сиять, блистать; stick — палка; прут; torch — факел) , I crept back into the cave (я 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 так же сильно, как раньше) .

I heard a loud sigh (я услышал громкий вздох) , like that of a man in trouble (как /звук/ человека в беде) . Then there were low moans (затем раздались: «были»низкие стоны) , and sounds as of some one trying to speak (и звуки, словно от кого-то, пытающегося говорить = словно издаваемые кем-то…) .

I stopped short (я остановился как вкопанный; short — короткий; резко, круто) . Cold chills ran down my back (холодок: «холодный озноб» пробежал вниз у меня по спине; chill — простуда, озноб) . My hair seemed to stand on end (казалось, волосы встали дыбом; on end — стоймя; дыбом) . But I would not allow myself to run out again (но я не позволил бы себе выбежать опять) .

I pushed my little torch forward into the darkness (я 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; blaze — яркий огонь, пламя; to light /up/ — зажигать; освещать) . 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; goat — козел; коза) 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 smth. — обнаружить отсутствие /чего-л./) .

He was stretched on the floor of the cave (он лежал, растянувшись на полу пещеры) , and too weak to rise up (и был слишком слаб, чтобы встать) . He was a very old fellow (он был очень старым: «старым парнем») , and perhaps had gone in there to die (и, возможно, зашел 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 (она была лишь дырой в скалах) , and was neither round nor square (и не была ни круглой, ни квадратной) .

But at the end of this little chamber there seemed to be a passage that led farther in (но в конце этой маленькой комнаты, казалось, был проход, который вел дальше внутрь; to lead — вести) . This passage was very narrow and dark (этот проход был узким и темным; to pass — проходить) , and as my torch had burned out (и поскольку мой факел выгорел) , I did not try to follow it (я не попытался последовать по нему) .

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

discovery [dI'skVv(@)rI], suppose [s@'p@uz], upon [@'pOn], charcoal ['tSA:k@ul], brush [brVS], aside [@'saId], sigh ['saI], chamber ['tSeImb@], passage ['p&sIdZ]

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 in this space. I piled it up until it was almost as high as my shoulders. I covered it a foot deep with earth and turf, leaving a small open place at the bottom.

When this was done, I set fire to the wood through the hole in the bottom. It burned slowly. The wood became charcoal.

One day, while cutting wood for my charcoal pit, I happened to see a hollow place in the rock close by a tree I was chopping.

It was half covered with brush. I pushed this aside and looked in. I saw a little cave just large enough for me to creep into on my hands and knees.

But, a little farther in, it was larger. It was so high that I could stand upright, and it was so wide that two men could have walked in it side by side.

It was a very dark place, and I stood still a moment till my eyes should become a little used to it.

All at once I saw something in the darkness that made me scramble out of that place much faster than I had come into it.

What do you think it was? Two big shining eyes that glowed like coals in the darkness. Whether they were the eyes of a man or of some fierce beast, I did not stop to see.

I stood a little while by the mouth of the cave and then I began to get over my fright.

What could there be in this cave that would do me harm? No man could live there in the darkness. As for any animal, I knew there was nothing fiercer on the island than one of my cats.

So, with a blazing stick for a torch, I crept back into the cave. But I had not gone three steps before I was frightened almost as much as before.

I heard a loud sigh, like that of a man in trouble. Then there were low moans, and sounds as of some one trying to speak.

I stopped short. Cold chills ran down my back. My hair seemed to stand on end. But I would not allow myself to run out again.

I pushed my little torch forward into the darkness, as far as I could. The blaze lit up the cave. And what do you suppose I saw then?

Why, nothing but a shaggy old goat that I had missed from my flock for nearly a week past.

He was stretched on the floor of the cave, and too weak to rise up. He was a very old fellow, and perhaps had gone in there to die.

I gave him some food and water, and made him as comfortable as I could. But he was too far gone to live long.

I found that, although I could stand up in the cave, it was very small. It was only a hole in the rocks, and was neither round nor square.

But at the end of this little chamber there seemed to be a passage that led farther in. This passage was very narrow and dark, and as my torch had burned out, I did not try to follow it.

I went back to my wood chopping.

(я исследую мою пещеру дальше)

THE next day I brought out with me six big candles (на следующий день в вынес с собой шесть больших свечей) .

For you must know that I was a candle maker (так как вы должны знать, что я был создателем свечей = делал свечи) as well as a baker (равно как и пекарем) . Indeed, I made very good candles of goats' tallow, using some bits of old ropes for the wicks (в самом деле, я делал очень хорошие свечи из сала коз, использую куски веревки для фитилей) .

As I have just said, I took six candles with me, for I had made up my mind to learn more about the cave I had found (как я только что сказал, я взял шесть свечей собой, так как я решил узнать больше о пещере, которую я нашел) .

I lit two of the candles (я зажег две свечи; to light — зажигать) , and went in (зашел внутрь) . The poor old goat was dead (бедный старый козел был мертв) , and it was no easy work to dig a hole right there and bury him (и было нелегкой работой выкопать яму прямо там и похоронить его; hole — дыра; отверстие; яма) .

After this unpleasant task was done (после того как это неприятное задание было сделано) , I went into the back part of the cave (я пошел в заднюю часть пещеры) . The flame of the candles lighted up the darkness (пламя свечей освещало темноту) , and I could see quite plainly (и я мог видеть довольно сносно; plainly — ясно, различимо, отчетливо; plain — плоский, ровный /уст./; очевидный, явный, ясный) .

The narrow passage of which I have told you was no less than thirty feet long (узкий проход, о котором я рассказал вам, был не меньше тридцати футов длиной) . In one place it was so low that I had to creep through on all fours (в одном месте он был таким низким, что мне пришлось ползти на четвереньках: «на всех четырех»; through — через, сквозь, по) .