I make a surprising discovery (совершаю удивительное открытие)

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ONCE every week I went into the woods to see the flock of goats that I had hidden there (один раз каждую неделю я ходил в лес посмотреть на стадо коз, которое я спрятал там).

I always carried my gun (всегда носил = имел при себе ружье), but since my last great fright (с последнего моего большого страха = с тех пор, как я сильно был напуган) I did not dare to fire it off (не осмеливался выстрелить из него). I was afraid even to drive a nail (боялся даже забить гвоздь) or chop a stick of wood (срубить ветку дерева), lest some savages might be near enough to hear the sound (так как дикари могли быть достаточно близко, чтобы услышать звук).

I was afraid to build a fire at my castle (боялся развести огонь у моего замка), lest the smoke should be seen (так как дым мог быть увиден).

At last I carried some of my pots and kettles to my hidden field in the woods (в конце концов я принес несколько чайников на мое спрятанное поле в лесу). I could do my cooking there much more safely than at my castle (я мог заниматься готовкой там намного в больше безопасности, чем в замке).

Hardly had I put things in order there when I found something that made me very glad (едва я разложил вещи в порядке там, как обнаружил нечто, что сделало меня очень радостным). What do you suppose it was (что, вы полагаете, это было)?

It was a cave — a real cave (настоящая пещера). The door into it was through a little hollow place at the bottom of a great rock (дверь в нее была через маленькую дыру: «полое место» у подножия большой скалы). It was so well hidden that no one could have found it even by looking for it (она была так хорошо спрятана, что никто не мог бы найти ее, даже ища ее).

Shall I tell you how I came upon it (должен ли я сказать вам, как как я наткнулся на нее)?

I was afraid to make a smoke near my house (я боялся разводить дым около моего дома), and yet I could not live without cooking meat (но все же не мог жить, не готовя еды). I tried all kinds of dry wood (я испытал все виды сухой древесины), and yet there was always some smoke (но все же всегда был какой-то дым). Then I thought I would try charcoal (древесный уголь). But I must first make the charcoal.

I found a place in the darkest part of the woods (в самой темной части леса) where the smoke would hardly rise to the tops of the trees (где бы дым едва поднялся бы до макушек деревьев). There I built my charcoal pit (яму для древесного угля).

This was done in the following way (это было сделано следующим способом):

First, I cleared off a round space about ten feet in diameter (сначала я расчистил круглое пространство около десяти футов в диаметре). Here I dug out the earth (выкопал землю) till I made a pit about a foot deep (пока не сделал яму около фута глубиной). Then I cut a cord or more of wood (нарубил корд или больше дров; корд – 128 кубических футов) and piled it up in this space (уложил его на этом пространстве). I piled it up until it was almost as high as my shoulders (я укладывал его, пока оно не было почти таким высоким, как мои плечи = на уровне моих плеч). I covered it a foot deep with earth and turf (накрыл слоем земли и дерна высотой в фут), leaving a small open place at the bottom (оставив маленькое открытое место у основания).

When this was done, I set fire to the wood through the hole in the bottom (поджег древесину через отверстие у основания). It burned slowly (горело медленно). The wood became charcoal (древесина стала древесным углем).

One day, while cutting wood for my charcoal pit (пока я рубил дерево для моей ямы для древесного угля), I happened to see a hollow place in the rock close by a tree I was chopping (мне случилось увидеть углубление в скале близко к дереву, которое я рубил).

It was half covered with brush (наполовину закрыто кустарником). I pushed this aside and looked in (отодвинул его в сторону и заглянул внутрь). I saw a little cave just large enough for me to creep into on my hands and knees (увидел маленькую пещеру, достаточно большую только /для того, чтобы/ я пробрался на руках и коленях = на четвереньках).

But, a little farther in (немного дальше вглубь), it was larger (она была больше). It was so high that I could stand upright (мог стоять выпрямившись), and it was so wide that two men could have walked in it side by side (и была такой широкой, что два человека могли идти в ней бок о бок).

It was a very dark place (темное место), and I stood still a moment till my eyes should become a little used to it (пока мои глаза немного не привыкли к ней).

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 (вдруг я увидел что-то в темноте, что заставило меня выкарабкаться из этого места намного быстрее, чем я вошел туда; scramble — продираться, карабкаться).

What do you think it was? Two big shining eyes (блестящих глаза) that glowed like coals in the darkness (пылали, как угли в темноте). Whether they were the eyes of a man or of some fierce beast (были ли этот глаза человека или свирепого животного), I did not stop to see (я не остановился посмотреть = не стал дожидаться ясности).

I stood a little while by the mouth of the cave (постоял немного у входа в пещеру) and then I began to get over my fright (начал превозмогать страх).

What could there be in this cave that would do me harm (что могло быть в этой пещере, что могло причинить мне вред)? No man could live there in the darkness (ни один человек не мог жить там в темноте). As for any animal (что касается любого животного), I knew there was nothing fiercer on the island than one of my cats (я знал, что не было ничего более свирепого на острове, чем мои кошки).

So, with a blazing stick for a torch (со сверкающий факелом), I crept back into the cave (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 также сильно, как раньше).

I heard a loud sigh (громкий вздох), like that of a man in trouble (как /звук/ человека в беде). Then there were low moans (низкие стоны), and sounds as of some one trying to speak (звуки кого-то пытающегося говорить).

I stopped short (остановился как вкопанный). Cold chills ran down my back (холодок пробежал вниз по спине). My hair seemed to stand on end (казалось, волосы встали 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 (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). 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) 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 — обнаружить отсутствие /чего-л./).

He was stretched on the floor of the cave (он растянулся на полу пещеры), and too weak to rise up (слишком слаб, чтобы встать). He was a very old fellow (он был старым: «старым парнем»), and perhaps had gone in there to die (и, возможно, пришел 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 (была только дырой в скалах), and was neither round nor square (ни круглая, ни квадратная).

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

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

caution ['ko:ʃən] quarrel ['kworəl]

I MAKE A SURPRISING DISCOVERY

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.

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