No one passing by (ни один проходящий мимо) would ever think there was a house behind this matted row of trees (никогда бы не подумал, что там был дом за этим переплетенным рядом деревьев; to mat — сбивать, спутывать, сваливать в ком /траву, шерсть и т. п./; плести /циновки, подстилки и т. п./; mat — рогожа; циновка; /спорт./ мат).
Near this dwelling of mine (около этого моего обиталища), but a little farther within the land (только немного дальше вглубь местности), were my two barley fields (были два моих ячменных поля). These I cultivated with care (их я возделывал с заботой), and from them I reaped a good harvest (и с них я получал хороший урожай; to reap — жать, пожинать, собирать урожай). As often as I felt the need of more barley I made my fields larger (как только я чувствовал необходимость в большем количестве ячменя, я расширял свои поля).
Farther away was what I called my country seat (дальше было то, что я называл своим деревенским пристанищем/деревенской резиденцией; seat — сиденье; местонахождение). There was my pleasant summer house or bower (мой приятный/симпатичный летний дом или беседка), where I liked to go for rest (куда мне нравилось уходить отдохнуть; rest — покой, отдых).
In the middle of my bower (в центре беседки) I had my tent always set (для меня всегда был установлен навес). It was made of a piece of sail spread over some poles (он был сделан из куска паруса, натянутого на колья; to spread — развертывать; раскидывать; расстилать).
Under the tent I had made a soft couch (под навесом я устроил мягкую кушетку) with the skins of animals and a blanket thrown over them (из шкур животных и одеяла, накинутого на них; to throw — бросать). Here, when the weather was fair, I often slept at night (здесь я часто спал ночью при хорошей погоде).
A little way from the bower was the field (в некотором удалении от беседки было поле) in which I kept my cattle (на котором я держал мой скот) — that is to say (то есть), my goats (коз).
I had taken great pains to fence and inclose this field (я приложил много труда, чтобы обнести забором и огородить это поле). I was so fearful, lest the goats should break out (я так боялся, как бы козы не вырвались наружу; fearful — испытывающий страх, испуганный; fear — страх), that I worked many a day planting a hedge all around (что я проработал много дней, высаживая /живую/ изгородь вокруг). The hedge grew to be very tall and was as strong as a wall (/живая/ изгородь выросла и стала крепкой, как стена: «чтобы стать крепкой…»; to grow — расти).
On the shore of the sea (на берегу моря), some distance beyond my summer house (на некотором расстоянии от моего летнего дома), was the little inlet where I had laid up my canoe (был /узкий/ залив, где я хранил мое каноэ; to lay up — откладывать, копить; выводить временно из строя).
prosperous [ˈprɔsp(ǝ)rǝs], pestle [pesl], dough [ˈdǝu], shallow [ˈʃælǝu], square [ˈskweǝ], hearth [hɑ:Ɵ], contented [kǝnˈtentɪd], enlarge [ɪnˈlɑ:ʤ, enˈlɑ:ʤ]
I LEARN TO BAKE AND AM PROSPEROUS I HAVE already told you about farming, and of the difficulties under which I did my work. The thing which I wished to do most of all to make good bread. I tried many plans, but it was several years before I could think of myself as a really good baker.
My barley was very fine. The grains were large and smooth. When boiled a long time with a bit of goat"s meat, they made good food.
But they did not take the place of bread. Before bread could be made, the grains of barley must be ground into meal.
I tried pounding them with a stone. But that was slow work. The stone crumbled into sand. My meal was worth nothing.
I looked all over the island for a harder stone. All were alike.
So at last I cut a large block of very hard wood. I rounded it on the outside with my hatchet. Then, partly by chopping, partly by burning, I made a hollow place in the end of it.
Out of a piece of ironwood I made a heavy pestle or beater.
I had now a very good little mill. In a short time I had crushed enough barley to make meal for a large loaf.
It was easy to make the dough. I had only to mix the meal with water and knead it with my hands. I must not think of yeast to make the dough light.
The baking part was the main thing, and the hardest to learn.
At first I put my biscuits of dough in the hot ashes and left them there till they were baked. But I did not like these ash cakes very well.
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