I become a potter (становлюсь гончаром)

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WHEN it came to making bread (когда предстояло делать хлеб), I found that I needed several vessels (несколько сосудов). In fact, I needed them in many ways (на деле, они нужны были мне по многим причинам).

It would be hard to make wooden vessels (было бы тяжело делать деревянные сосуды). Of course it was out of the question to make vessels of iron or any other metal (конечно, не стояло вопроса = было совершенно невозможно сделать сосуды из железа или любого другого металла). But why might I not make some earthen vessels (но почему не мог я сделать несколько глиняных сосудов)?

If I could find some good clay (если бы я смог найти хорошую глину), I felt quite sure that I could make pots strong enough to be of use (я чувствовал полную уверенность, что я смогу делать горшки достаточно крепкими, чтобы быть годными к использованию, полезными).

After much trouble I found the clay. The next thing was to shape it into pots or jars (придать форму горшков или кувшинов).

You would have laughed to see the first things I tried to make (вы бы посмеялись, увидев первые вещи, которые я сделал). How ugly they were (какими уродливыми они были)!

Some of them fell in pieces of their own weight (некоторые их них распадались на кусочки от собственного веса). Some of them fell in pieces when I tried to lift them (когда я пытался поднять их).

They were of all shapes and sizes (всех форм и размеров).

After I had worked two months I had only two large jars (после того, как я проработал два месяца, у меня было только два больших кувшина) that were fit to look at (на которые можно было смотреть; fit — подходящий, подобающий). These I used for holding my rice and barley meal (их я использовал для хранения рисовой и ячменной еды).

Then I tried some smaller things, and did quite well (попытался /сделать/ несколько более мелких вещей, и сделал довольно хорошо).

I made some plates (тарелок), a pitcher (кувшин), and some little jars that would hold about a pint (и несколько маленьких кувшинов, которые удерживали около пинты /мера емкости = 0,57 л/).

All these I baked in the hot sun (обжег а горячем солнце). They kept their shape (они сохранили свою форму), and seemed quite hard (казались довольно крепкими). But of course they would not hold water or bear the heat of the fire (не удержали бы воды и не выдержали бы жара огня).

One day when I was cooking my meat for dinner (мясо на ужин), I made a very hot fire (сделал очень жаркий огонь). When I was done with it (когда я закончил это = приготовление ужина), I raked down the coals (разгреб угли) and poured water on it to put it out (налил воды на них, чтобы загасить его).

It so happened that one of my little earthenware jars had fallen into the fire and been broken (так случилось, что один из моих глиняных кувшинов упал в огонь и разбился). I had not taken it out (я не вытащил его), but had left it in the hot flames (оставил его в горячем пламени).

Now, as I was raking out the coals (когда я разгребал угли), I found some pieces of it and was surprised at the sight of them (был удивлен при виде их), for they were burned as hard as stones and as red as tiles (спеклись крепкими, как камни, и красными, как черепица).

"If broken pieces will burn so (если разбитые куски обжигаются так)," said I, "why cannot a whole jar be made as hard and as red as these (почему целый кувшин не может быть сделан таким же твердым и красным, как эти)?"

I had never seen potters at work (гончаров за работой). I did not know how to build a kiln for firing the pots (как построить печь для обжига горшков). I had never heard how earthenware is glazed (как глина глазируется).

But I made up my mind to see what could be done (но я решил посмотреть, что может быть сделано).

I put several pots and small jars in a pile (я поставил несколько горшков и кувшинов кучей), one upon another (один на другом). I laid dry wood all over and about them (положил сухое дерево над и вокруг), and then set it on fire (поджег это).

As fast as the wood burned up (как только дерево прогорало), I heaped other pieces upon the fire (я бросал новые деревяшки в огонь). The hot flames roared all round the jars and pots (пламя кружило вокруг кувшинов и горшков). The red coals burned beneath them (красные угли горели за ними).

I kept the fire going all day (я поддерживал огонь весь день). I could see the pots become red-hot through and through (я мог видеть, как горшки становятся красными совершенно; through — насквозь; совершенно). The sand on the side of a little jar began to melt and run (песок в стороне от маленького кувшина начал плавиться и течь).

After that I let the fire go down (после этого я позволил огню потухнуть), little by little (мало-помалу). I watched it all night (смотрел за ним всю ночь), for I did not wish the pots and jars to cool too quickly (не хотел, чтобы горшки и кувшины остывали слишком быстро).

In the morning I found that I had three very good earthen pots (обнаружил, что я имел три очень хороших глиняных горшка). They were not at all pretty (вовсе не были красивыми), but they were as hard as rocks (тверды как камень; rock — скала) and would hold water (и будут удержать воду).

I had two fine jars also, and one of them was well glazed with the melted sand (хорошо глазированный расплавленным песком).

After this I made all the pots and jars and plates and pans that I needed (сделал все горшки и тарелки и кружки, которые были нужны). They were of all shapes and sizes (они были всех форм и размеров).

You would have laughed to see them (вы бы посмеялись, увидев их).

Of course I was awkward at this work (конечно, я был неуклюжим при этой работе = делал неуклюже). I was like a child making mud pies (как ребенок, делающий пироги из грязи).

But how glad I was when I found that I had a vessel that would bear the fire (но как рад я был когда обнаружил, что я имел сосуд, который бы вынес огонь)! I could hardly wait to put some water in it and boil me some meat (я едва мог ждать, чтобы налить воды в него и сварить себе мясо).

That night I had turtle soup (черепаховый суп) and barley broth for supper (ячменную похлебку на ужин).

turtle [tə:tl] child [tʃaild] earthen [ə:θən]

I BECOME A POTTER

WHEN it came to making bread, I found that I needed several vessels. In fact, I needed them in many ways. It would be hard to make wooden vessels. Of course it was out of the question to make vessels of iron or any other metal. But why might I not make some earthen vessels?

If I could find some good clay, I felt quite sure that I could make pots strong enough to be of use.

After much trouble I found the clay. The next thing was to shape it into pots or jars.

You would have laughed to see the first things I tried to make. How ugly they were!

Some of them fell in pieces of their own weight. Some of them fell in pieces when I tried to lift them.

They were of all shapes and sizes.

After I had worked two months I had only two large jars that were fit to look at. These I used for holding my rice and barley meal.

Then I tried some smaller things, and did quite well.

I made some plates, a pitcher, and some little jars that would hold about a pint.

All these I baked in the hot sun. They kept their shape, and seemed quite hard. But of course they would not hold water or bear the heat of the fire.

One day when I was cooking my meat for dinner, I made a very hot fire. When I was done with it, I raked down the coals and poured water on it to put it out.

It so happened that one of my little earthenware jars had fallen into the fire and been broken. I had not taken it out, but had left it in the hot flames.

Now, as I was raking out the coals, I found some pieces of it and was surprised at the sight of them, for they were burned as hard as stones and as red as tiles.

"If broken pieces will burn so," said I, "why cannot a whole jar be made as hard and as red as these?"

I had never seen potters at work. I did not know how to build a kiln for firing the pots. I had never heard how earthenware is glazed.

But I made up my mind to see what could be done.

I put several pots and small jars in a pile, one upon another. I laid dry wood all over and about them, and then set it on fire.

As fast as the wood burned up, I heaped other pieces upon the fire. The hot flames roared all round the jars and pots. The red coals burned beneath them.

I kept the fire going all day. I could see the pots become red-hot through and through. The sand on the side of a little jar began to melt and run.

After that I let the fire go down, little by little. I watched it all night, for I did not wish the pots and jars to cool too quickly.

In the morning I found that I had three very good earthen pots. They were not at all pretty, but they were as hard as rocks and would hold water.

I had two fine jars also, and one of them was well glazed with the melted sand.

After this I made all the pots and jars and plates and pans that I needed. They were of all shapes and sizes.

You would have laughed to see them.

Of course I was awkward at this work. I was like a child making mud pies.

But how glad I was when I found that I had a vessel that would bear the fire! I could hardly wait to put some water in it and boil me some meat.

That night I had turtle soup and barley broth for supper.

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