He was an honest man (он был честным человеком), and when he heard that I was still alive (и когда услышал, что я еще жив) he wrote me a long, kind letter (написал мне длинное, доброе письмо; to write — писать). In this he gave me a full account of the business (в нем он дал полный отчет о бизнесе).
He also sent me a large amount of money (он также послал мне большую сумму денег), which I was very glad to get (которую я был очень рад получить).
I was now a rich man (теперь я был богатым человеком). I might have settled down to a life of ease and idleness (я мог бы теперь вести жизнь, полную беззаботности и праздности; to settle /down/ — поселить/ся/, водворить/ся/, обосноваться; перейти к оседлому образу жизни; остепениться); but such was not my wish (но не таково было мое желание).
Soon I was wandering from one place to another (вскоре я начал ездить/путешествовать с одного места в другое), seeing more of the world (видя больше от мира = чтобы посмотреть мир еще больше). I had many surprising adventures (у меня было много удивительных приключений), I assure you (уверяю вас); but I need not tell you about them (но мне не нужно = не стоит рассказывать вам о них). You would think any account of them very dry reading (всякий отчет = рассказ о них покажется вам очень сухим) compared with the story I have already related (по сравнению с историей, которую я уже рассказал).
And so (и так = и на этом), looking back with regretful memories (оглядываясь назад с полными сожаления воспоминаниями; regret — сожаление) to the years which I spent on my dear desert island (на годы, провел на моем милом /сердцу/ пустынном острове), I bid you a kind good-by (я говорю вам доброе прощайте = позвольте мне попрощаться с вами).
birth [ˈbǝ:Ɵ], perfect [ˈpǝ:fɪkt], father [ˈfɑ:ðǝ], mother [ˈmʌðǝ], account [ǝˈkaunt], amount [ǝˈmaunt], idleness [ˈaɪdlnǝs], assure [ǝˈʃuǝ], compare [kǝmˈpeǝ], regretful [rɪˈɡretful], memory [ˈmem(ǝ)rɪ], desert [ˈdezǝt], island [ˈaɪlǝnd]
I BRING MY TALE TO A CLOSE
AND SO on the 19th of December, 1687, we set sail for England. I had been on the island twenty-eight years, two months, and nineteen days.
I took on board with me the money that had been by me so long and had been so useless. I took also my big goatskin cap and my umbrella. Neither did I forget my good Poll Parrot.
As for my man Friday, nothing in the world could have parted him from me. He would have gone to the ends of the earth with me.
The voyage was a long and hard one. But on the eleventh day of June we at last reached London. Once more I was in England, the land of my birth.
I was as perfect a stranger as if I had never been there.
I went down to York. My father and mother had been dead a long time. The friends of my boyhood had forgotten me.
I was alone in the world. Where should I go and what should I do?
By chance I learned that my plantation in Brazil was doing well. The man whom I had left in charge of it had made much money from the tobacco he had raised.
He was an honest man, and when he heard that I was still alive he wrote me a long, kind letter. In this he gave me a full account of the business.
He also sent me a large amount of money, which I was very glad to get.
I was now a rich man. I might have settled down to a life of ease and idleness; but such was not my wish.
Soon I was wandering from one place to another, seeing more of the world. I had many surprising adventures, I assure you; but I need not tell you about them. You would think any account of them very dry reading compared with the story I have already related.
And so, looking back with regretful memories to the years which I spent on my dear desert island, I bid you a kind good-by.
Примечания
1
фут — мера длины, равная 30,48 см, составляет одну треть ярда
2
галлон — мера жидких и сыпучих тел; английский галлон = 4,54 л
3
ярд — мера длины, равная 3 футам или 914,4 мм
4
дюйм — мерв длины, равная 2,5 см
5
бушель — мера емкости = 36,3 л
6
пинта — мера емкости = 0,57 л
7
галлон — мера жидких и сыпучих тел, равная 4,54 л
8
ярд — мера длины, равная 3 футам или 914,4 мм
9
корд — 128 кубических футов
10
шпринтов — /голланд. springtow/ шест, опирающийся одним концом в низ мачты, а другим концом прикрепленный к внешнему верхнему углу паруса для растягивания его
11
док — сооружение для осмотра, ремонта и постройки судов; искусственный портовый бассейн для стоянки судов в районах больших приливов
12
баркас — большая многовесельная корабельная шлюпка
13
фунт — мера веса, равная 453,6 г