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

With that they gave it up (на этом они оставили это /занятие/) and all strolled out into the country again (и вновь ушли гулять по местности; to stroll — прогуливаться, бродить) .

master ['mA:st@], haste ['heIst], mutton ['mVt(@)n], foe ['f@u], cautious ['kO:S@s], purpose ['p@:p@s], untie ['Vn'taI]

I PASS over some wonderful things that happened during my last year on the island. For I must not make this story too long.

I was fast asleep in my castle one morning when Friday came running in. "O master, master!" he cried, "a boat, a boat!"

I jumped up and went out as quickly as could. I was in such haste that I forgot to carry my gun with me.

I looked toward the sea. About three miles from the shore I saw a strange boat coming to the island. It carried a leg-of-mutton sail and was coming swiftly with the wind. "Surely," I thought, "this is not the kind of boat that savages sail in."

Then I saw that it was coming not from the open sea on my side of the island, but from around a point on the south shore.

I ran back to my castle and told Friday to stay inside and keep quiet till we could learn whether the people in the boat were friends or foes.

Then I climbed up to my lookout on the top of the great rock.

I looked out toward the south shore, and there I saw a ship lying at anchor. As nearly as I could guess, it was about five miles from my castle and at least three miles from the shore.

It looked just like an English ship, and the boat was surely an English longboat.

I cannot tell you how glad I was at the thought that some of my own countrymen were so near. Yet I felt strange fears, and so made up my mind to be very cautious.

In the first place, what business could an English ship have in these seas? The English had no lands in this part of the world. They would not come here to trade. There had been no storms to drive the vessel to this place.

The more I thought of the matter, the more I doubted. If these people were indeed English, they must be here for no good purpose.

By this time the boat was quite near the shore. I could see the men in it quite plainly. They looked like Englishmen.

As they came in the tide was at its highest, and so they ran the boat far up on the beach about half a mile from me.

I now counted eleven men, and all but three were armed with swords. As soon as the boat touched the land, the most of them jumped out.

Then I saw that the three unarmed men were prisoners. Their hands were tied behind them and they were closely guarded.

As they were led on shore, they seemed in great distress as though begging for their lives.

When Friday saw all this, he cried out to me, "O master! the white mans do just like savage mans with their prisoners."

"Why, Friday," I said, "do you think they are going to eat them?"

"Yes, yes," he answered, "they are going to eat them."

The prisoners were led far up on the beach, and I expected every moment to see them killed.

But soon their guards seemed to change their minds. They talked together for a little while. Then they untied the prisoners' hands and let them go where they pleased.

The seamen scattered, some going this way, some that, as though they wished to see the country. But the men who had been prisoners sat down on the ground and seemed very sad and full of despair.

I thought then of the time when I had first landed on that shore — how I had no hope, and how I gave myself up for lost.

As I have said, the tide was at its highest when the men came on shore. They rambled around till it had flowed out and left their boat high and dry on the sand.

They had left two men with the boat to guard it. But the weather being very warm, these men had fallen asleep.

When one of them awoke and found the water far out from the boat, he began to hello for help. All the men came running and tried to drag the boat out to the water.

But it was so heavy they could not move it. They tugged and pulled for a long time. Then I heard one of them shout: "Let her alone, boys! She'll float all right when the next tide comes up.

With that they gave it up and all strolled out into the country again.

(я совершаю отважное спасение)

I KNEW that the tide would not be at its highest again before night (я знал, что прилив не будет на своем самом высоком /уровне/ до ночи) . So I thought that I would arm myself (поэтому я подумал, что я вооружусь) , and, as soon as it was dark (и, как только станет темно) , would venture out (решусь сделать вылазку) and learn more about my strange visitors if I could (и выясню больше о моих странных гостях, если смогу) .

I looked at my guns and got everything ready (я осмотрел мои ружья и все подготовил) , and then sat down to wait (а затем сел и стал ждать) .

The day, as I have said, was very hot (день, как я уже говорил, был жарким) . The three men who had been prisoners still sat under a tree by the shore (трое моряков, которые были пленниками, все еще сидели под деревом на берегу) . But all the rest were in the woods (но остальная часть была в лесу; rest — остаток, остальная часть) . No doubt they would rest in some shady place (без сомнения,они будут отдыхать в каком-либо тенистом месте) until the sun went down (пока не зайдет солнце) .

At about two o'clock I became so uneasy (примерно в два часа я стал столь беспокойным = почувствовал такое беспокойство) that I could wait no longer (что не мог больше ждать) .

"Friday," I said, "let us go out and see what we can do (давай выйдем и посмотрим, что мы можем сделать) ."

You should have seen us as we marched out of the castle (вам следовало бы видеть нас, как мы шествовали из замка) .

I had two guns on my shoulders (у меня было два ружья на плечах) and Friday had three (и Пятница нес три) . I had on my goatskin coat (на мне была куртка из козлиной шкуры) and my great hat that I have told you about (и моя большая шляпа, о которой я вам рассказывал) . At my side was a naked sword (у моего бока была /подвешена/ обнаженная шпага) , and in my belt were two huge pistols (а за поясом были два огромных пистолета) .

I must have looked very fierce (я, должно быть, выглядел очень свирепым) .

We went quietly down the hill (мы тихонько спустились по холму) , keeping ourselves hidden among the trees (скрываясь: «держа нас скрытыми» за деревьями) . At last, when we were quite near the three men (наконец, когда мы были довольно близко от трех моряков) , I jumped suddenly out before them and cried (я выпрыгнул вдруг перед ними и выкрикнул) , "What are you, gentlemen (кто вы, господа) ?"

Never were men more surprised (никогда люди не бывали удивлены больше) .

They sprang to their feet (они вскочили на ноги; to spring — прыгать, скакать) , but they could not speak a word (но не могли выговорить ни слова) . In fact, they were on the point of running away from me when I cried (на самом деле, они были готовы убежать от меня, когда я крикнул) : "Hold, gentlemen (стойте, господа) ! Do not be afraid (не бойтесь) . I am a friend (я друг) . I bring help (я несу помощь) ."

"Then, indeed (тогда, в самом деле) ," said one of them (сказал один из них) , "you must have been sent from heaven (вы, должно быть, посланы с небес; to send — посылать) ; for our case is hopeless (ибо наша участь безнадежна) ."

"All help is from heaven, sir (любая помощь — с небес, сэр) ," I said; and then I briefly told them (а затем кратко рассказал им) how I had seen them brought to the shore (как я видел, как их привезли на берег) .

"I am an Englishman (я англичанин) ," I said, "and I stand ready to help you (и готов помочь вам: «стою готовым…») . I have one servant (у меня есть слуга) , and we are well armed (и мы хорошо вооружены) . Tell us what is your case (расскажите нам, в чем ваше дело = что случилось; case — случай, обстоятельство, дело, положение) , and how we may serve you (и чем: «как» мы можем служить вам) ."

"Our case (наш случай) ," said the foremost of the three men (сказал передний/главный из трех человек) , "is too long to tell you now (слишком долог, чтобы рассказывать вам сейчас) ; for our enemies are very near (ибо наши враги очень близко) . I was the captain of the ship that lies at anchor offshore (я был капитаном корабля, который стоит: «лежит» на якоре в море) . Three days ago the sailors all rose against me (три дня назад моряки все восстали против меня; to rise — подниматься; поднимать восстание, восставать) . They made me their prisoner (они сделали меня их пленником) . They seized upon the ship (они захватили корабль; to seize — хватать; завладевать, захватывать) , for they wanted to become pirates (ибо они хотели стать пиратами) .

"They were about to kill me (они собирались убить меня) ; but this morning they decided to leave me on this island to die (но этим утром они решили оставить меня погибать на острове) . The men who are with me, they are doomed to the same fate (люди, которые со мной, приговорены к той же участи) . One is my mate (один из них мой помощник) , the other a passenger (другой — пассажир) .