James Baldwin - Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо (в пересказе для детей)

If things kept on this way I should soon lose my grain (если так будет продолжаться, я вскоре потеряю мое зерно) .

There was nothing to be done but to build a fence or hedge around the field (ничего не оставалось делать, как только построить забор или устроить живую изгородь вокруг поля; hedge — /живая/ изгородь; ограда) . This was easy, for the field was not large (это было легко, так как поле не было большим) .

I drove tall stakes into the ground all around my growing crops (я вбил длинные колья в землю вокруг моего растущего урожая; to drive — гнать; вгонять, вбивать) . These stakes were so close together (они были так близко вместе = друг к другу) that not even a rabbit could get between them (что даже кролик не мог пробраться между них) .

Then I tied my dog near the gate of the little field (затем я привязал собаку у ворот маленького поля) , so that he would bark whenever any animal came near (так, чтобы она бы залаяла, когда какое-либо животное приблизится; whenever — всякий раз когда; когда бы ни) .

My grain was now safe from the beasts (мое зерно было = мои злаки были теперь в безопасности от зверей) . It grew fast (оно росло быстро) . The barley sent out large heads (ячмень выпустил большие головки = колосья) which soon began to ripen (которые скоро начали зреть) .

But now the birds came down in great flocks to rob me (но теперь птицы спускались большими стаями, чтобы грабить меня) . They sat on the fence (они сидели на заборе) , they flew among the stalks of grain (они летали между стеблями зерна; to fly — летать) , they carried away all the ripe barley they could find (они уносили весь зрелый ячмень, который могли найти) .

This troubled me very much (это беспокоило меня очень сильно) . The most of the grain was still green (большая часть зерна была еще зеленой) . But I feared that as soon as it ripened I should lose it all (но я боялся, что как только оно созреет, я потеряю его полностью) .

I loaded my gun (я зарядил ружье) and went out to the field (и вышел в поле) . There I saw the thieves (там я видел воров) , sitting on the fence and watching me (сидящих на заборе и наблюдающих за мной) . I was so angry (я был таким сердитым/раздраженным) that I fired right among them and killed three (что выстрелил прямо между ними и убил троих) .

"Now I will show you how to steal my grain (сейчас я покажу вам, как воровать мое зерно) !" I cried.

I put up a long pole in the center of the field (я установил длинный шест в центре поля) , and on top of it I hung the three dead birds (и на верхушке его повесил три мертвых птицы; to hang — вешать) .

"This will I do to all that venture to come into my field (это я сделаю со всеми, кто решится зайти на мое поле) ," I said.

Strange to say, this ended all my troubles (странно сказать, но это прекратило все мои горести) . Not another bird came to that place so long as my scarecrows hung there (ни одна другая птица не приходила = не прилетала на это место, пока мои пугала висели там; scarecrow — пугало; to scare — пугать; crow — ворона) . In fact, the birds went away from that part of the island, and I did not soon see another (на самом деле, птицы покинули эту часть острова, и я не скоро увидел другую = не скоро увидел других птиц) .

thus [ðʌs], parrot [ˈpærǝt], delight [dɪˈlaɪt], lose [lu:z], angry [ˈænɡrɪ], scarecrow [ˈskeǝkrǝu]

I CANNOT tell you how glad I was to get to my old house again and lie down in my good hammock bed.

I had been away for nearly a month. I was so tired from my long journey that I stayed in my castle nearly a week.

While I was thus resting myself, I made a cage for my parrot which I named Poll. He was very gentle for a parrot, and soon became very fond of me.

Then I began to think of the kid that I had left in my summer bower. So I went with my dog to fetch it.

I found it where I had left it. It had eaten all the grass inside of the fence and was now very hungry.

I gave it as much as it wished, and then I tied the string to it to lead it away. But there was no need of that, for it was quite tame.

It followed me everywhere. It was very gentle and loving.

I had now a number of pets and was no longer lonesome.

My life was much happier than it had been while I was sailing the seas. I took delight in many things that I had never cared for before.

My barley and rice had grown well and in another month would be ready to be harvested.

But one day I saw that some animals had been in the field. Goats and rabbits had trampled upon the green stalks and had eaten the long blades of barley.

If things kept on this way I should soon lose my grain.

There was nothing to be done but to build a fence or hedge around the field. This was easy, for the field was not large.

I drove tall stakes into the ground all around my growing crops. These stakes were so close together that not even a rabbit could get between them.

Then I tied my dog near the gate of the little field, so that he would bark whenever any animal came near.

My grain was now safe from the beasts. It grew fast. The barley sent out large heads which soon began to ripen.

But now the birds came down in great flocks to rob me. They sat on the fence, they flew among the stalks of grain, they carried away all the ripe barley they could find.

This troubled me very much. The most of the grain was still green. But I feared that as soon as it ripened I should lose it all.

I loaded my gun and went out to the field. There I saw the thieves, sitting on the fence and watching me. I was so angry that I fired right among them and killed three.

"Now I will show you how to steal my grain!" I cried.

I put up a long pole in the center of the field, and on top of it I hung the three dead birds.

"This will I do to all that venture to come into my field," I said.

Strange to say, this ended all my troubles. Not another bird came to that place so long as my scarecrows hung there. In fact, the birds went away from that part of the island, and I did not soon see another.

(я работаю в трудных условиях: «под многими сложностями»)