I learn to bake and am prosperous (я учусь печь, и я процветаю; prosperous — процветающий, преуспевающий; удачливый)

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I HAVE already told you about farming (я уже рассказал вам о фермерстве), and of the difficulties under which I did my work (и о сложностях, с которыми я делал свою работу). The thing which I wished to do most of all to make good bread (вещь, которую я хотел сделать больше всего — сделать хороший хлеб).

I tried many plans, but it was several years before I could think of myself as a really good baker (я испробовал много планов, но прошло несколько лет, прежде чем я мог думать о себе как о действительно хорошем пекаре).

My barley was very fine (ячмень был очень хорош). The grains were large and smooth (зерна были большими и гладкими). When boiled a long time with a bit of goat's meat (при варке в течение долгого времени с куском козьего мяса), they made good food (были хорошей едой).

But they did not take the place of bread (но это не занимало места хлеба). Before bread could be made, the grains of barley must be ground into meal (прежде, чем хлеб может быть сделан, зерна ячменя должны быть помолоты в муку).

I tried pounding them with a stone (пытался растирать их камнем; to pound — бить, колотить; толочь). But that was slow work (медленная работа). The stone crumbled into sand (камень рассыпался в песок). My meal was worth nothing (такая еда не стоила ничего).

I looked all over the island for a harder stone (я обыскал весь остров /в поисках/ более твердого камня). All were alike (все были такими же = одинаковыми).

So at last I cut a large block of very hard wood (в конце концов я нашел большой кусок очень крепкой древесины). I rounded it on the outside with my hatchet (закруглил его снаружи топориком). Then, partly by chopping (частично рубкой), partly by burning (выжиганием), I made a hollow place in the end of it (сделал полость на конце его).

Out of a piece of ironwood (из куска железного дерева) I made a heavy pestle or beater (сделал тяжелый пестик, или колотушку).

I had now a very good little mill (мельницу). In a short time I had crushed enough barley to make meal for a large loaf (размолол достаточно ячменя, чтобы сделать муку для большой буханки).

It was easy to make the dough (было легко сделать тесто). I had only to mix the meal with water and knead it with my hands (мне нужно было лишь смешать муку с водой и размять это руками). I must not think of yeast to make the dough light (не приходилось думать о дрожжах, чтобы сделать тесто мягким).

The baking part was the main thing (выпекание было основным), and the hardest to learn (самым сложным, чтобы научиться).

At first I put my biscuits of dough in the hot ashes (вначале я клал куски теста в горячие угли) and left them there till they were baked (оставлял там, пока не испекутся). But I did not like these ash cakes very well (мне не нравились эти пироги с золой).

Then I tried another plan.

I made two large earthen vessels (два больших глиняных сосуда). They were broad and shallow (широкими и неглубокими: «мелкими»). Each was about two feet across and not more than nine inches deep (каждый был около двух футов в ширину и не более девяти дюймов глубиной).

These I burned in the fire (их я обжег на огне) till they were as hard as rocks and as red as tiles (пока они не стали твердыми, как камни: «скалы» и красными, как черепица).

I made also a hearth before my fireplace (очаг перед костром), and paved it with some square tiles of my own making (выложил его квадратными черепицами моего собственного изготовления). But, perhaps I ought not to call them square (возможно, не стоит их называть квадратными: «я не должен бы…»).

The hearth, when finished, was quite level and smooth (очаг, когда был завершен, был довольно ровным и гладким). It was as pretty as I could have wished (он был таким красивым, как я мог желать).

Next I built a great fire of hard wood (затем я развел большой огонь из твердой древесины). When the wood had burned down (когда дерево прогорело), I raked the hot coals out upon my hearth (выгреб /из него/ угли на мой очаг). I left them there till the hearth was hot through and through (я оставил их там пока очаг не прогрелся основательно).

My loaves of dough were all ready (куски теста были готовы). I swept hearth clean (вытер очаг дочиста) and then put the loaves down upon the hottest part of it (положил куски на самую горячую часть очага).

Over each loaf I put one of the large earthen vessels I had made (над каждой буханкой я поставил один из больших глиняных сосудов, которые я сделал). Then I heaped hot coals on the top of the vessel (уложил горячие угли поверх каждого сосуда) and all round the sides of it (и по сторонам его).

In a short time I lifted the vessels and took out my loaves (через короткое время я поднял сосуды и вынул мои буханки). They were baked as well as the best oven in the world could have baked them (были выпечены так, как лучшая печка в мире выпекла бы их).

By trying and trying again (пробуя вновь и вновь), I at last learned to bake almost everything I wanted (наконец научился печь почти все, что я хотел). I baked cakes and rice pudding fit for a king (лепешки и рисовый пудинг, подходящие для короля). But I did not care for pies (не заботился о пирогах).

I now felt quite contented and prosperous (удовлетворенным и процветающим). For did I not have everything that I needed (разве у меня не было всего, что мне нужно)?

I had two homes on the island. I called them my plantations (плантациями).

The first of these was my strong castle under the rock. I had enlarged it until my cave contained many rooms (я расширил его, пока моя пещера не /стала/ содержать много комнат), one opening into another (открыващихся одна в другую).

The largest and driest of these was my storeroom (самая большая и самая сухая из них была складская комната). Here I kept the largest of my earthen pots (самые большие из моих глиняных горшков). Here also were fourteen or fifteen big baskets (корзин), all filled with grain (наполненных зерном).

My sitting room was not large (зал был не большим), but it was made for comfort.

As for the wall in front of the castle (что касается стены перед замком), it was a wonderful thing (это была удивительная вещь). The long stakes which I had driven down had all taken root (длинные колья, которые я воткнул, все укоренились). They had grown like trees (выросли, как деревья), and were now so big and so thick with branches that it was hard to see between them (и были сейчас такими большими и такими толстыми, что было сложно смотреть между ними).

No one passing by (ни один проходящий мимо) would ever think there was a house behind this matted row of trees (никогда бы не подумал, что там был дом за этим переплетенным рядом деревьев).

Near this dwelling of mine (около этого моего обиталища), but a little farther within the land (немного дальше вглубь местности), were my two barley fields (были два моих ячменных поля). These I cultivated with care (возделывал с заботой), and from them I reaped a good harvest (и с них я получал хороший урожай). As often as I felt the need of more barley I made my fields larger (как только я чувствовал необходимость в большем количестве ячменя, я расширял свои поля).

Farther away was what I called my country seat (дальше было то, что я называл своим деревенским пристанищем, деревенской резиденцией; seat — сиденье; местонахождение). There was my pleasant summer house or bower (мой приятный/симпатичный летний дом или беседка), where I liked to go for rest (куда мне нравилось уходить отдохнуть).

In the middle of my bower (в центре беседки) I had my tent always set (я имел мой навес всегда готовым). It was made of a piece of sail spread over some poles (из куска паруса, натянутого на колья).

Under the tent I had made a soft couch (мягкую кушетку) with the skins of animals and a blanket thrown over them (со шкурами животных и одеялом, накинутым на них). Here, when the weather was fair, I often slept at night (здесь я часто спал ночью при хорошей погоде).

A little way from the bower was the field in which I kept my cattle (держал мой скот) — that is to say (то есть), my goats (коз).

I had taken great pains to fence and inclose this field (обнести забором и огородить это поле). I was so fearful, lest the goats should break out (я так боялся, как бы козы не вырвались наружу), that I worked many a day planting a hedge all around (что я проработал много дней, высаживая /живую/ изгородь вокруг). The hedge grew to be very tall and was as strong as a wall (крепким, как стена).

On the shore of the sea (на берегу моря), some distance beyond my summer house (на некотором расстоянии от моего летнего дома), was the little inlet where I had laid up my canoe (/узкий/ залив, где я хранил мое каноэ; to lay up — откладывать, копить; выводить временно из строя).

gorgeous ['go:ʤəs]

I LEARN TO BAKE AND AM PROSPEROUS

I HAVE already told you about farming, and of the difficulties under which I did my work. The thing which I wished to do most of all to make good bread. I tried many plans, but it was several years before I could think of myself as a really good baker.

My barley was very fine. The grains were large and smooth. When boiled a long time with a bit of goat's meat, they made good food.

But they did not take the place of bread. Before bread could be made, the grains of barley must be ground into meal.

I tried pounding them with a stone. But that was slow work. The stone crumbled into sand. My meal was worth nothing.

I looked all over the island for a harder stone. All were alike.

So at last I cut a large block of very hard wood. I rounded it on the outside with my hatchet. Then, partly by chopping, partly by burning, I made a hollow place in the end of it.

Out of a piece of ironwood I made a heavy pestle or beater.

I had now a very good little mill. In a short time I had crushed enough barley to make meal for a large loaf.

It was easy to make the dough. I had only to mix the meal with water and knead it with my hands. I must not think of yeast to make the dough light.

The baking part was the main thing, and the hardest to learn.

At first I put my biscuits of dough in the hot ashes and left them there till they were baked. But I did not like these ash cakes very well.

Then I tried another plan.

I made two large earthen vessels. They were broad and shallow. Each was about two feet across and not more than nine inches deep.

These I burned in the fire till they were as hard as rocks and as red as tiles.

I made also a hearth before my fireplace, and paved it with some square tiles of my own making. But, perhaps I ought not to call them square.

The hearth, when finished, was quite level and smooth. It was as pretty as I could have wished.

Next I built a great fire of hard wood. When the wood had burned down, I raked the hot coals out upon my hearth. I left them there till the hearth was hot through and through.

My loaves of dough were all ready. I swept hearth clean and then put the loaves down upon the hottest part of it.

Over each loaf I put one of the large earthen vessels I had made. Then I heaped hot coals on the top of the vessel and all round the sides of it.

In a short time I lifted the vessels and took out my loaves. They were baked as well as the best oven in the world could have baked them.

By trying and trying again, I at last learned to bake almost everything I wanted. I baked cakes and rice pudding fit for a king. But I did not care for pies.

I now felt quite contented and prosperous. For did I not have everything that I needed?

I had two homes on the island. I called them my plantations.

The first of these was my strong castle under the rock. I had enlarged it until my cave contained many rooms, one opening into another.

The largest and driest of these was my storeroom. Here I kept the largest of my earthen pots. Here also were fourteen or fifteen big baskets, all filled with grain.

My sitting room was not large, but it was made for comfort.

As for the wall in front of the castle, it was a wonderful thing. The long stakes which I had driven down had all taken root. They had grown like trees, and were now so big and so thick with branches that it was hard to see between them.

No one passing by would ever think there was a house behind this matted row of trees.

Near this dwelling of mine, but a little farther within the land, were my two barley fields. These I cultivated with care, and from them I reaped a good harvest. As often as I felt the need of more barley I made my fields larger.

Farther away was what I called my country seat. There was my pleasant summer house or bower, where I liked to go for rest.

In the middle of my bower I had my tent always set. It was made of a piece of sail spread over some poles.

Under the tent I had made a soft couch with the skins of animals and a blanket thrown over them. Here, when the weather was fair, I often slept at night.

A little way from the bower was the field in which I kept my cattle — that is to say, my goats.

I had taken great pains to fence and inclose this field. I was so fearful, lest the goats should break out, that I worked many a day planting a hedge all around. The hedge grew to be very tall and was as strong as a wall.

On the shore of the sea, some distance beyond my summer house, was the little inlet where I had laid up my canoe.

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