(я установил мачту на носу каноэ) and made a sail for it of a piece of the ship's sail that I had kept with great care (и сделал парус для нее из куска корабельного паруса, который я хранил с большой заботой).
Then at each end of the little vessel I made lockers or small boxes (на каждой оконечности маленького судна я сделал отсеки, или маленькие ящики; locker — запирающийся шкафчик; ящик; рундук; to lock — запирать ключом, запирать на замок; lock — замок), in which I put a supply of food (в которые я поместил припасы еды) and other things that I would need on my voyage (и другие вещи, которые могли пригодиться мне во время путешествия).
On the inside of the vessel (внутри судна) I cut a little, long, hollow place or shelf (я вырезал маленькую длинную полость, или полку) where I could lay my gun (куда я мог положить ружье); and above this I tacked a long flap of goatskin (а над ней прикрепил большой кусок козьей шкуры; tack — гвоздик с широкой шляпкой; кнопка; to tack — прикреплять гвоздиками, кнопками, клепками; flap — хлопок, шлепок, удар /чем-л. гибким и широким/; нечто широкое, плоское, свободно свешивающееся, болтающееся; широкий, плоский кусок или часть /любого материала/; to flap — хлопать, шлепать, ударять /чем-л. гибким и широким/) to hang down over it and keep it dry (чтобы она свисала над ним и сохраняла его сухим).
In the stern I set up my umbrella (на корме я установил зонтик), so that it would keep the hot sun off of me while I was steering the canoe (так, чтобы он защищал меня от солнца, пока я правил каноэ).
Then every day I made short trips (затем каждый день я совершал короткие путешествия) down the river to the sea and back again (вниз по реке к морю и обратно: «и обратно снова»). Sometimes, when the wind was fair (иногда, когда ветер был попутным), I sailed a little way out (я выходил немного в море); but I was afraid to go far (но я боялся выходить далеко).
At last I made up my mind for a voyage around the island (в конце концов я решил /совершить/ путешествие вокруг острова).
I filled my lockers with food (я наполнил ящики едой). In one I put two dozen barley cakes (в один я положил две дюжины ячменных лепешек) and a pot full of parched rice (и горшок, полный поджаренного риса; to parch — слегка поджаривать, подрумянивать). In the other I stored the hind quarters of a goat (в другой я положил заднюю часть /бёдра/ козы; quarter — четверть, четвертая часть; задняя часть /животного/; hind quarters — задняя часть /туши/).
I also put in powder and shot enough to kill as much game as I would need (я также положил достаточно пороха и дроби, чтобы убить так много дичи, сколько бы мне понадобилось).
On a day in November I set sail on my voyage (в один ноябрьский день я отправился в плавание: «поставил парус»; to set sail — отправляться в плавание). It proved to be a harder voyage than I had bargained for (оно оказалось более тяжелым, чем я ожидал; to bargain — торговаться, заключать сделку; рассчитывать).
In the first place (во-первых), there were so many rocks along the shore (было столь много скал/рифов вдоль берега) that I sometimes had to sail for miles out into the sea to get around them (что я иногда должен был выходить на несколько миль в море, чтобы обогнуть их).
Then, when I was on the farther side of the island (затем = к тому же/во-вторых, когда я был на дальней стороне острова), I struck a furious current of water (я наткнулся на быстрый поток воды; to strike — ударять; направляться, сворачивать; furious — взбешенный, неистовый, яростный; fury — неистовство; бешенство, ярость) that was pouring round a point of land like the sluice of mill (который лился = бурлил вокруг возвышения земли, как водовод мельницы; sluice — шлюз; перемычка; ворота шлюза; канал, водовод).
I could do nothing in such a current (я не мог ничего делать в таком течении). My canoe was whirled along like a leaf in a whirlwind (мое каноэ крутило, как листок в вихре; to whirl — вертеться; кружиться). The sail was of no use (парус был бесполезным). The little vessel spun round and round in the eddies (это маленькое судно вертелось в воронках; to spin — прясть, сучить /шерсть/; крутиться, вертеться, выписывать круги) and was carried far out to sea (и было вынесено далеко в море).
I gave myself up for lost (я сдался и думал, что пропал). I was so far out that I could hardly see the low shores of my island (я был так далеко в открытом море, что едва мог видеть низкие берега моего острова).
Suddenly I noticed that the canoe was only a little way from the edge of the current (вдруг я заметил, что каноэ было лишь на небольшом расстоянии от края течения). Just beyond it the water was quite calm and smooth (прямо за ним вода была довольно спокойной и ровной; smooth — гладкий).
I took up my paddle again (я взял весло опять) and paddled with all my might (и греб со всей своей силой). With great joy I soon found myself floating in quiet water (к большой радости я вскоре обнаружил себя плывущим в тихой воде; to float — плавать; держаться на поверхности воды).
The wind was fair for the shore (ветер дул к берегу), and I set my sail again (и я вновь поднял парус). The canoe sped swiftly back toward the island (каноэ поспешило быстро назад к острову; to speed — двигаться поспешно; мчаться).
I saw then that I was sailing midway between two strong currents (я увидел затем, что я плыл посредине между двумя сильными течениями). If I should be caught in either (если бы я попал: «был пойман» в одно из них; to catch — ловить), I would again be carried out to sea (я бы опять был вынесен в море).
I needed all the skill I had to steer the canoe aright (мне нужно было все мое умение, которое у меня было, чтобы направить каноэ в нужном направлении; aright — верно, правильно). At last, when the sun was almost down (наконец, когда солнце почти зашло), I brought it into a quiet little cove (я завел его в маленькую бухточку) where the shore was green with grass (где берег был зеленым от травы).
perilous ['perIl@s], given ['gIv(@)n], idea [aI'dI@], trial ['traI@l], failure ['feIlj@], succeed [s@k'si:d], person [p@:sn], river ['rIv@], supply [s@'plaI], afraid [@'freId], furious ['fju@rI@s], current ['kVr(@)nt], sluice [slu:s], whirl [w@:l], edge [edZ], calm [kA:m]
I HAD never given up the idea of having a canoe.
My first trial, as you have seen, was a failure. I had made too big a boat, and I had made it too far from the water. I could do better another time. One day after I had harvested my grain, I set to work.
There was no tree near the river that was fit for a canoe. But I found a fine one nearly half a mile away.
Before I began to chop the tree, I made all my plans for taking the canoe to the water.
I worked now with a will, for I felt sure that I would succeed.
In a few weeks the little vessel was finished. It was a very pretty canoe, and large enough for only two or three persons.
Small as it was, it was quite heavy. For you must remember that it was a part of the tree, hollowed out and shaped like a boat. It was as much as I could do to lift one end of it.
How should I ever get it to the river?
I have already told you that I had made plans for this.
Through the soft ground between the river and the canoe I dug a big ditch. It was four feet deep and six feet wide and nearly half a mile long.
I worked at this ditch for nearly two years. When it was done and filled with water from the river, I slid my canoe into it. It floated, as I knew it would.
As I pushed it along to the end of the great ditch and out into the river, it looked very small. I could never hope to make a long voyage in it!
But I could sail round the island, and make little journeys close to the shore.
Before starting out, I put up a mast in the prow of the canoe and made a sail for it of a piece of the ship's sail that I had kept with great care.
Then at each end of the little vessel I made lockers or small boxes, in which I put a supply of food and other things that I would need on my voyage.
On the inside of the vessel I cut a little, long, hollow place or shelf where I could lay my gun; and above this I tacked a long flap of goatskin to hang down over it and keep it dry.
In the stern I set up my umbrella, so that it would keep the hot sun off of me while I was steering the canoe.
Then every day I made short trips down the river to the sea and back again. Sometimes, when the wind was fair, I sailed a little way out; but I was afraid to go far.
At last I made up my mind for a voyage around the island.
I filled my lockers with food. In one I put two dozen barley cakes and a pot full of parched rice. In the other I stored the hind quarters of a goat.
I also put in powder and shot enough to kill as much game as I would need.
On a day in November I set sail on my voyage. It proved to be a harder voyage than I had bargained for.
In the first place, there were so many rocks along the shore that I sometimes had to sail for miles out into the sea to get around them.
Then, when I was on the farther side of the island, I struck a furious current of water that was pouring round a point of land like the sluice of mill.
I could do nothing in such a current. My canoe was whirled along like a leaf in a whirlwind. The sail was of no use. The little vessel spun round and round in the eddies and was carried far out to sea.