You will remember the fence that I built around my summer house, or bower as I called it. It was made of two rows of tall stakes, with brush between.
Well, I now found that the stakes were still green, and that long shoots or twigs were growing from them. Some of these branches were already two or three feet long.
This pleased me very much. I cut and trained the growing branches into just such shapes as I wished.
They grew very fast, and soon the whole fence was covered with green leaves. Then I trained the long branches toward the top of a pole which I set up in the center of my bower.
In a few months the whole inclosure was covered with a green roof.
You cannot think how beautiful it was. The place was shady and cool, the pleasantest spot one could wish to have.
I did not know what kind of tree it was that grew in this wonderful way. But I cut some more stakes of the same sort and carried them home to my castle.
I set these stakes in a double row, about twenty inches outside of my first wall. In a few weeks they began to grow. They grew so fast that in two years they covered the whole space in front of my castle.
They were not only handsome to look at, but they helped to protect my castle.
I MAKE A LONG JOURNEY
(я предпринимаю длинное путешествие)
I HAD long wished to see the whole of my island (я уже давно желал увидеть весь мой остров: «целое моего острова»). So, one fine morning (так что, одним прекрасным утром), I set out to travel across to the other side of it (я пустился путешествовать через /него/ до другого берега).
Of course I carried my gun with me (конечно, я нес мое ружье с собой). In my belt was my best hatchet (на ремне у меня был мой лучший топорик). In my pouch (в /патронной/ сумке) I had plenty of powder and shot (у меня было много пороха и дроби). In my pocket were two biscuits and a big bunch of raisins (в кармане было два печенья и большая горсть изюма; bunch — связка, пучок, пачка). My dog followed behind me (моя собака следовала за мной).
I went past my summer house (я прошел мимо летнего дома), or bower (или беседки), and toward evening came to a fine open place close by the sea (и к вечеру пришел на красивое открытое место близко к морю).
It was a beautiful sight (это был красивый вид). The sky was clear, the air was still (небо было ясным, воздух спокойным). The smooth waters (тихие воды; smooth — гладкий) stretched away and away toward the setting sun (тянулись вдаль и вдаль /по направлению/ к заходящему солнцу).
Far in the distance (далеко на расстоянии) I could see land (я мог видеть землю). I could not tell whether it was an island or some part of the mainland of America (я не мог сказать, был ли это остров или часть континента Америки). It was at least fifty miles away (она /земля/ была по меньшей мере в пятидесяти милях).
If it were the mainland (если бы это был материк), I felt quite sure (был совершенно уверен; to feel — чувствовать) that I would at some time or other see a ship sailing hither to it or from it (что когда-нибудь: «в какое-либо время или другое» я увижу корабль, плывущий сюда к нему или от него; hither — сюда). If it were an island (если это был остров), there might be savages (там могли быть дикари) whom it would not be safe for me to meet (которых для меня было бы небезопасно встретить). But it would do no good to worry my mind about such matters (не было смысла беспокоить мой ум /вопросами/ о подобных вещах: «материях»).
I found this side of the island much more beautiful than that where my castle was (я обнаружил, что эта сторона острова была намного красивее, чем та, где был мой замок).
Here were large, open fields, green with grass (здесь были большие, открытые поля, зеленые от травы = покрытые травой) and sweet with flowers (и красивы от цветов; sweet — сладкий; приятный). Here, too, were fine woods, with many strange trees and vines (здесь также были красивые рощи с множеством странных деревьев и вьющихся растений).
I saw many green parrots among the trees (я увидел много зеленых попугаев среди деревьев), and I thought how I would catch one and teach it to talk (и подумал, как бы мне поймать одного и научить его говорить).
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