Джеймс Болдуин – Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо (в пересказе для детей) (страница 57)

Tom Smith answered at once, "Is that you, Robinson?" for he knew the voice.

"Yes," the other answered, "and for God's sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and yield, or you will all be dead men the next minute."

"To whom must we yield?" cried Tom Smith. "Where are they?"

"Here they are," was the answer. "Here's our captain at the head of a whole army of fighting men. The boatswain is dead, and Bill Fry is dead, and all the rest of us are prisoners. If you don't yield, you are lost."

"If they'll give us quarters, we'll yield," said Smith.

Then the captain himself spoke up. "You, Smith," he said, "you know my voice. If you lay down your arms at once, you shall have your lives — all but Will Atkins."

Upon this, Will Atkins cried out: "For God's sake, Captain, give me quarter! What have I done? I have been no worse than the rest."

Now this was not true. For it was Will Atkins who had first laid hold of the captain, and it was he who had tied the captain's hands.

"Nay, Will Atkins," said the captain. "You know what you have done, and I can promise you nothing. You must lay down your arms and trust to the governor's mercy."

By "the governor" he meant me, Robinson Crusoe — for they called me governor.

The upshot of the whole matter was that they all laid down their arms and begged for their lives.

Then I sent three of my men to bind them with strong cords, which they did, much to my joy.

After that I sent my great army of fifty men — which, after all, were only five besides the three who already had them in charge — to lead them to prison.

I told the captain that it would be better to put some of our prisoners in one place and some in another, as then they would be less likely to try to escape.

He and Friday therefore took Atkins with two others who were the worst to my cave in the woods. It was a dismal place, but very safe. There the rough fellows were left with their hands and feet tied fast, and the door blocked up with a huge stone.

Late as it was, I sent the rest of them to my bower. As they also were bound, and as the place was fenced in and was very strong, they were quite safe there.

They were all much frightened. For they believed that the island was inhabited by Englishmen, and that the governor had really a large army. They felt that the better they behaved the safer they would be.

The captain went out to talk with them.

"My men," he said, "you all know what a great crime you have committed. You are now in the power of the governor of this island. He will send you to England. There you will be tried, and you will be hanged in chains."

At these words they turned pale and groaned. For they were but young men and had been led into this by the four or five ruffians who were the ringleaders.

"Now, my men," the captain went on, "you know that I have always been kind to you."

"Certainly you have," said Tom Smith.

"Aye, aye!" cried all the rest.

"Well, then," said the captain, "it grieves my heart to see you in this hard case. The ship, as you know, still lies at anchor off the shore. It is still held by some of the ruffians who brought this trouble upon us. If I should persuade the governor to set you free, what say you? Would you help me retake the ship?"

"Aye, aye!" they all cried. "We would stand by you to the end, for we should then owe our lives, to you."

"Well, then," said the captain, "I will see what I can do. I will go and talk with the governor."

The matter was soon arranged.

The captain was to choose five of those he thought would be most faithful. These were to help him retake the ship. But the rest were to stay in prison as hostages.

If the five behaved themselves well, then all were to be set free. If they did not behave, then all were to be put to death.

These were the governor's orders.

It was then agreed that the captain, with all the men he could trust, should go out to the ship. I and my man Friday were to stay on shore to watch the prisoners.

The hole in the bottom of the long boat was soon mended. Four men, with the passenger as their leader, went out in this. The captain, with five men, went out in the other boat.

It was after midnight when they reached the ship.

The men on board were taken by surprise, for they thought that these were their friends who were but just then returning to the ship.

They even threw a rope to them and helped them on board, never suspecting that anything was wrong.

The whole business was managed well. The second mate and the carpenter, who were among the leaders in the plot, were soon overpowered.

The rebel captain, the worst of the crew, was asleep in his berth. He sprang up and showed fight. He shot three times at the captain's party, wounding the mate but touching no one else.

The mate, wounded as he was, raised his musket and fired. The rebel captain fell to the deck with a bullet through his head.

The rest, seeing that they were without leaders, fell upon their knees and begged for their lives.

Thus the captain became again the master of his own ship.

I HAVE A NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES

(у меня новый костюм)

THE next morning I slept quite late in my hammock (я спал до позднего утра в своем гамаке), for the night had been full of toil (потому что ночь была полна тяжелого труда; toil — тяжелый труд) and I had had but little rest (и у меня был лишь небольшой отдых = мне удалось отдохнуть совсем немного).

All at once I was awakened by the sound of a gun (неожиданно я был разбужен звуком ружья).

Then I heard some one calling me (затем я услышал, как кто-то зовет меня; to call — кричать; окликать; звать), "Governor! Governor!" It was the captain's voice (это был голос капитана).

I hurried out (я поспешил наружу).

He grasped my hand and pointed to the sea (он схватил мою руку и указал на море). There, a little way from our beach, was the ship (там, на некотором расстоянии от прибрежной полосы, был корабль).

The weather being fair (поскольку погода была хорошей), the men had brought her around (моряки привели его /поближе к берегу/; to bring around — повернуть лодку или корабль обратно) and anchored her near the mouth of the river (и поставили корабль на якорь около устья реки).

"My dear friend (мой дорогой друг)," cried the captain (воскликнул капитан), "there is your ship (вот ваш корабль)! She is all yours (он полностью ваш), for we owe our lives to you (ибо мы обязаны вам жизнью). We also are yours (мы также полностью ваши). Everything on board of her is yours (все, что на борту корабля, — ваше)."

I was ready to sink down with surprise (был готов упасть: «опуститься вниз» от удивления).

For here was a large ship, at last (потому что вот он, наконец, большой корабль), ready to carry me wherever I wished to go (готовый отвезти меня, куда бы я ни пожелал).

At first I could not answer him (сначала я не мог ответить ему = не находил сил для ответа).

We stood for some minutes with our arms around each other (мы постояли несколько минут, обняв друг друга: «с нашими руками вокруг друг друга»), and neither of us could speak (и никто из нас не мог говорить).

At last I broke out (наконец я разразился /плачем/; to break out — вспыхивать, разражаться /о грозе, огне и т. п./), crying like a child (плача как ребенок). Then we rejoiced together (затем мы вместе порадовались).

When he had talked awhile (после того, как он проговорил какое-то время), the captain told me that he had brought me a present (капитан сказал, что он принес мне подарок).

"Bring up the box for the governor (принесите сюда ящик/коробку для губернатора)!" he cried to his men (крикнул он своим матросам).

They came up the hill (они поднялись на холм), carrying a wooden chest (неся деревянный ящик). When it was put down in my castle (когда он был поставлен на землю в моем замке) the captain bade me open it (попросил меня открыть его; to bid — просить /уст./) and help myself to all that was inside it (и воспользоваться всем, что было внутри него).

I did so (я так и сделал).

I found first two pounds of good tobacco (я нашел, прежде всего, два фунта хорошего табака), then twelve pieces of beef (затем двенадцать кусков говядины), six pieces of pork (шесть кусокв свинины), a bag of peas (мешок гороха), a box of sugar (ящик сахара), a box of flour (ящик муки), a bag full of lemons (мешок, полный лимонов), and two bottles of lime juice (и две бутылки сока лайма).

But under these was the greatest surprise (но среди всего этого было самое большое удивление = сюрприз). There I found six new shirts (я обнаружил шесть новых рубашек), six neckties (шесть галстуков), two pairs of gloves (две пары перчаток), a pair of shoes (пару туфель), a pair of stockings (пару чулок), a hat (шляпу), and a very good suit of clothes (и очень хороший костюм).

I could now dress like a man again (теперь я мог вновь одеться как человек).

I went about it at once (я принялся за это сразу же). It had been so long since I had worn such clothes (прошло столь долгое время с тех пор, когда я носил такую одежду; to wear — носить /одежду, обувь/) that I was very awkward at putting them on (что я был очень неловок, одевая ее).