place was so much like home.
I had now been twenty-three years on this island. If it had not been for fear of
savages, I would have been the happiest man in the world.
During all those years I had been very busy. I did not work all the time, as you
know, but I amused myself in various ways.
I spent much time with Poll, the parrot. He soon learned to talk so well that it was
a pleasure to hear him.
My dog had been my best friend and companion. He lived for sixteen years, and
then died of old age.
As for my cats, the woods were full of them. All ran wild except the two that I
kept in my castle. These were good mousers and fine pets.
I had also several tame fowls. These I had caught near the seashore when they
were young. I cut their wing feathers short and taught them to eat from my hand.
I never knew what kind of birds they were, but they were large, almost as large as
chickens. They lived among the hedge trees in front of my castle.
They made their nests there and kept me well supplied with eggs. I did not need to
keep any other poultry.
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Thus I lived very pleasantly in my island home. I would have been content to live
there always if I could have felt safe from savages.
I SEE SAVAGES (я вижу дикарей)
EARLY one morning (рано утром) in harvest time (во время сбора урожая) I
went out to my grain fields to cut down some barley (я выходил в мои зерновые поля
срезать ячмень = собирать ячмень). The days were so very hot that it was pleasanter to
rise before daylight (эти дни были такими жаркими, что было приятнее встать до
восхода) and do the heavier part of my work before the sun was high (и сделать самую
тяжелую часть моей работы прежде, чем солнце будет высоко).
On this morning of which I am telling you (тем утром, о котором я говорю
вам), I started out while it was still quite dark (вышел в путь, когда еще было
довольно темно). I had been to the fields so often that I could have found the way with
my eyes shut (я бывал в полях так часто, что мог бы найти путь с закрытыми
глазами).
As I went along (пока я шел), I was surprised to see a light far over toward my
side of the island (я был удивлен увидеть огонек вдалеке ближе к моей стороне
острова). I stopped and looked. It was plainly the light of a blazing fire (это был явно
свет сверкающего огня).
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Who could have built a fire there (кто мог бы развести огонь там)?
Surely none but savages (определенно никто, кроме дикарей).
I was so much surprised (так удивлен) that I stood still and wondered (стоял как
вкопанный и задумался).
What if those savages should find my grain fields (что если дикари найдут мои
зерновые поля)?
They would know at once that somebody had planted them (они сразу узнают =
поймут, что кто-то их посадил), and they would never rest till they should find me (не
успокоятся, пока не найдут меня).
I could now see the blaze quite plainly (довольно ясно, отчетливо). As the day
dawned (рассветал), I could also see the smoke rising above the trees (дым,
поднимающийся над деревьями). The fire was not more than two miles away (огонь
был не более чем в двух милях).
I hurried back to my castle as fast as I could run (поспешил обратно так быстро,
как только мог бежать). I made everything on the outside of it look as wild as possible
(я сделал все снаружи его /чтобы/ выглядело так дико, как возможно).
I climbed over the wall and pulled up the ladder after me (я перелез через забор
и затащил лестницу за собой).
I loaded all my cannon (зарядил все мои пушки), as I called the guns (как я
называл ружья), that I had placed in the wall (которые установил в стене). I put
everything in order for a siege (привел все в порядок, как надо для осады).
Then I waited to see if any enemy would come near (я «ждал увидеть» если
враг приблизится = стал ждать приближения противника).
Two hours, three hours passed (прошли), and there was no sight nor sound that
was at all uncommon (не было ни вида, ни звука, который был бы необычен). I began
to wonder if, after all, the fire had been kindled by some accident (я начал задаваться
вопросом, был ли = может быть, в конце концов, огонь разведен каким-то случаем
= случайно; accident — /несчастный/ случай) and not by strange men (а не
чужаками).
At last I could wait no longer (наконец не мог больше ждать). I set up my
ladder against the side of the rock and climbed up to a flat place above my castle (я
поставил лестницу к склону скалы и залез на плоское место над замком). I pulled
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the ladder up after me and then mounted to another landing (и затем взобрался на
другую площадку). I pulled it up a second time (во второй раз), and it now reached to
the top of the great rock (она теперь достигала верхушки большой скалы).
Here was the place I called my lookout (смотровой площадкой).
Very carefully I climbed up (очень осторожно я взобрался). I laid myself down
upon the rock and through my spyglass looked over toward the place where I had seen
the fire (я лег на скале и через подзорную трубу посмотрел на место, где я видел
огонь).
I could still see the smoke (я все еще мог видеть дым). Yes, and I could see
some naked savages sitting around a small fire (несколько обнаженных дикарей,
сидящих вокруг маленького костра).
I counted them (посчитал их), and made out that there were no fewer than nine
of the wretches (и вычислил, что там было не менее девяти этих убогих; wretch —
жалкий человек; негодяй).