I do not know how many weeks I spent at this work (не знаю, сколько недель я провел за этой работой). It was play work rather than anything else (это была скорее игровая работа = легкая работа/развлечение, чем что-то другое), and I picked it up only at odd times (и я подхватывал ее только в свободное время; odd — нечетный; случайный, нерегулярный).
At last I had an umbrella that opened and shut (в конце концов у меня был зонт, который открывался и закрывался) just as an umbrella should (именно так, как зонт должен = как полагается зонту).
I covered it with skins (я покрыл его шкурами), with the hair on the outside (шерстью наружу). In the rain it was as good as a shed (в дождь он был столь же хорош, как навес). In the sun it made a pleasant shade (на солнце он давал приятную тень).
I could now go out in all kinds of weather (я мог теперь выходить в любую погоду). I need not care whether the rain fell or the sun shone (мне не приходилось беспокоиться, шел: «падал» ли дождь или светило солнце).
For the next five years I lived very quietly (следующие пять лет я жил очень спокойно). I kept always busy (я всегда находил занятие) and did not allow myself to feel lonely (и не позволял себе чувствовать себя одиноким).
I divided each day into parts according to my several duties (я делил каждый день на части в соответствии с рядом моих обязанностей; several — некоторые, несколько).
After reading in my Bible (после чтения Библии), it was my custom to spend about three hours every morning in search of food (моей привычкой было проводить примерно три часа каждое утро в поисках еды). Through the heat of the day (во время дневной жары), I busied myself in the shade of my castle or bower (я занимался = работал в тени замка или беседки).
In the evening, when the sun was low (вечером, когда солнце было низким), I worked in my fields (я работал на полях). But sometimes I went to work very early in the morning (но иногда я шел работать очень рано утром) and left my hunting until the afternoon (и оставлял охоту до послеобеденного времени).
umbrella [ʌmˈbrelǝ], hair [ˈheǝ], pretty [ˈprɪtɪ], whole [ˈhǝul], suit [sju:t], rather [ˈrɑ:ðǝ], common [ˈkɔmǝn], busy [ˈbɪzɪ], divide [dɪˈvaɪd], duty [ˈdju:tɪ], custom [ˈkʌstǝm]
I MAKE AN UMBRELLA AS the years went by the things which I had brought from the ship were used up or worn out. My biscuits lasted more than a year; for I ate only one cake each day.
My ink soon gave out, and then I had no more use for pens or paper.
At last my clothes were all worn out.
The weather was always warm on my island and there was little need for clothes. But I could not go without them.
It so happened that I had saved the skins of all the animals I had killed.
I stretched every skin on a framework of sticks, and hung it up in the sun to dry.
In time I had a great many of these skins. Some were coarse and stiff and fit for nothing. Others were soft to the touch and very pretty to look at.
One day I took one of the finest and made me a cap of it. I left all the hair on the outside, so as to shoot off the rain.
It was not very pretty; but it was of great use, and what more did I want?
I did so well with the cap that I thought I would try something else. So, after a great deal of trouble, I made me a whole suit.
I made me a waistcoat and a pair of knee breeches. I wanted them to keep me cool rather than warm. So I made them quite loose.
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