I build a big canoe (большое каноэ)

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WHILE I was doing these things I was always trying to think of some way to escape from the island (пока я делал эти вещи, я постоянно пытался подумать о каком-то пути /как/ сбежать с острова).

True (правда), I was living there with much comfort (я жил там с большим удобствами). I was happier than I had ever been while sailing the seas (был счастливее, чем когда я плавал по морям).

But I longed to see other men (очень хотел увидеть других людей). I longed for home and friends (очень хотел увидеть дом и друзей; to long for … — очень хотеть, стремиться, страстно желать).

You will remember that when I was over at the farther side of the island (вы должны помнить, что когда я был на дальней стороне острова) I had seen land in the distance (я видел землю на расстоянии). Fifty or sixty miles of water lay between me and that land (50-60 миль воды лежало между мной и той землей). Yet I was always wishing that I could reach it (но я всегда желал, чтобы я мог достичь ее).

It was a foolish wish (глупое желание). For there was no telling what I might find on that distant shore (трудно было предположить, что я мог бы найти на том далеком берегу).

Perhaps it was a far worse place than my little island (возможно, это было намного худшее место, чем мой маленький остров). Perhaps there were savage beasts there (дикие звери). Perhaps wild men lived there who would kill me and eat me (дикие люди жили там, которые убьют и съедят меня).

I thought of all these things (думал обо всех этих вещах); but I was willing to risk every kind of danger rather than stay where I was (я желал /скорее/ рискнуть любой опасностью = пойти на любую опасность, чем оставаться, где я был).

At last I made up my mind to build a boat (наконец я решил построить лодку). It should be large enough to carry me and all that belonged to me (должна быть достаточно большой, чтобы перевезти меня и все, что принадлежало мне). It should be strong enough to stand a long voyage over stormy seas (достаточно крепкой, чтобы выдержать долгий вояж по штормящим морям).

I had seen the great canoes which Indians sometimes make of the trunks of trees (я видел большие каноэ, которые индейцы иногда делают из стволов деревьев). I would make one of the same kind (такого же вида).

In the woods I found a cedar tree (нашел кедр) which I thought was just the right thing for my canoe (который, я думал, был как раз подходящим для моего каноэ).

It was a huge tree (огромное дерево). Its trunk was more than five feet through at the bottom (ствол был более пяти футов в диаметре у нижней части).

I chopped and hewed many days before it fell to the ground (рубил много дней, прежде чем он упал на землю). It took two weeks to cut a log of the right length from it (потребовалось две недели, чтобы вырезать бревно нужной длины из него).

Then I went to work on the log (приступил к работе над бревном). I chopped and hewed (рубил и вырубал) and shaped the outside into the form of a canoe (придал снаружи форму каноэ). With hatchet and chisel I hollowed out the inside (топориком и долотом выдолбил полость).

For full three months I worked on that cedar log (полных три месяца я работал над этой кедровым бревном). I was both proud and glad when the canoe was finished (был горд и рад, когда каноэ было закончено). I had never seen so big a boat made from a single tree (я никогда не видел такой большой лодки, сделанной из одного дерева).

It was well shaped and handsome (хорошей формы и красивая). More than twenty men might find room to sit in it (более 20 человек могли бы найти место и сесть в ней).

But now the hardest question of all must be answered (но теперь самый сложный из всех вопросов должен быть отвечен).

How was I to get my canoe into the water (как я смогу доставить каноэ на воду)?

It lay not more than three hundred feet from the little river (лежало не более чем в 300 футах от реки) where I had first landed with my raft (где я впервые причалил с моим плотом).

But how was I to move it three hundred feet, or even one foot (но как я должен был сдвинуть его на триста футов, или даже на один фут)? It was so heavy that I could not even roll it over (было таким тяжелым, что я не мог даже перевернуть его).

I thought of several plans (придумал несколькох планов). But when I came to reckon the time and the labor (но когда я подошел к подсчету времени и труда), I found that even by the easiest plan it would take twenty years to get the canoe into the water (обнаружил, что даже при самом простом плане потребовалось бы 20 лет, чтобы спустить каноэ на воду).

What could I do but leave it in the woods where it lay (что мог я сделать, кроме как оставить его в лесу, где оно лежало)?

How foolish I had been (каким глупым, неразумным я был)! Why had I not thought of the weight of the canoe before going to the labor of making it (почему я не подумал о весе каноэ, перед тем как начать работу по созданию его)?

The wise man will always look before he leaps (мудрый человек всегда посмотрит, прежде чем прыгнет). I certainly had not acted wisely (определенно не действовал мудро).

I went back to my castle (вернулся в замок), feeling sad and thoughtful (чувствуя себе грустным и задумчивым).

Why should I be discontented and unhappy (почему я должен быть таким неудовлетворенным и несчастным)?

I was the master of all that I saw (я был владельцем всего, что я видел). I might call myself the king of the island (я мог назвать себя королем острова).

I had all the comforts of life (я имел все удобства жизни).

I had food in plenty (еду в изобилии).

I might raise shiploads of grain (мог бы вырастить корабли зерна; shipload — судовой груз), but there was no market for it (не было рынка для него).

I had thousands of trees for timber (для древесины) and fue (топлива), but no one wished to buy (но никто не хотел покупать).

I counted the money which I had brought from the ship (пересчитал деньги, которые я принес с корабля). There were above a hundred pieces of gold and silver (свыше 100 монет золота и серебра); but of what use were they (но какая польза от них)?

I would have given all for a handful of peas or beans to plant (я отдал бы все за горсть гороха и бобов /которые можно было бы/ посеять). I would have given all for a bottle of ink (отдал бы все за бутылку чернил).

custom [‘kΛstəm] spread [spred] umbrella [Λm’brelə]

I BUILD A BIG CANOE

WHILE I was doing these things I was always trying to think of some way to escape from the island. True, I was living there with much comfort. I was happier than I had ever been while sailing the seas.

But I longed to see other men. I longed for home and friends.

You will remember that when I was over at the farther side of the island I had seen land in the distance. Fifty or sixty miles of water lay between me and that land. Yet I was always wishing that I could reach it.

It was a foolish wish. For there was no telling what I might find on that distant shore.

Perhaps it was a far worse place than my little island. Perhaps there were savage beasts there. Perhaps wild men lived there who would kill me and eat me.

I thought of all these things; but I was willing to risk every kind of danger rather than stay where I was.

At last I made up my mind to build a boat. It should be large enough to carry me and all that belonged to me. It should be strong enough to stand a long voyage over stormy seas.

I had seen the great canoes which Indians sometimes make of the trunks of trees. I would make one of the same kind.

In the woods I found a cedar tree which I thought was just the right thing for my canoe.

It was a huge tree. Its trunk was more than five feet through at the bottom.

I chopped and hewed many days before it fell to the ground. It took two weeks to cut a log of the right length from it.

Then I went to work on the log. I chop and hewed and shaped the outside into the form of a canoe. With hatchet and chisel I hollowed out the inside.

For full three months I worked on that cedar log. I was both proud and glad when the canoe was finished. I had never seen so big a boat made from a single tree.

It was well shaped and handsome. More than twenty men might find room to sit in it.

But now the hardest question of all must answered.

How was I to get my canoe into the water?

It lay not more than three hundred feet from the little river where I had first landed with my raft.

But how was I to move it three hundred feet, or even one foot? It was so heavy that I could not even roll it over.

I thought of several plans. But when I came to reckon the time and the labor, I found that even by the easiest plan it would take twenty years to get the canoe into the water.

What could I do but leave it in the woods where it lay?

How foolish I had been! Why had I not thought of the weight of the canoe before going to the labor of making it?

The wise man will always look before he leaps. I certainly had not acted wisely.

I went back to my castle, feeling sad and thoughtful.

Why should I be discontented and unhappy?

I was the master of all that I saw. I might call myself the king of the island.

I had all the comforts of life.

I had food in plenty.

I might raise shiploads of grain, but there was no market for it.

I had thousands of trees for timber and fuel, but no one wished to buy.

I counted the money which I had brought from the ship. There were above a hundred pieces of gold and silver; but of what use were they?

I would have given all for a handful of peas or beans to plant. I would have given all for a bottle of ink.

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