I MAKE ME A CALENDAR (я делаю себе календарь)

IT was now just one year since I was cast upon this lonely island (теперь был = прошел как раз один год с того времени, когда я был выброшен на этот необитаемый остров; to cast — бросать; lonely — одинокий; пустынный).

Do you wonder how I have kept an account of the time (вам интересно, как я вел счет времени)? I will tell you (я расскажу вам).

A few days after the ship wreck (несколько дней спустя после кораблекрушения) it came into my mind that I should lose track of the days and the seasons (мне пришло на ум, что я потеряю = могу потерять счет дней и сезонов = времен года). For I had neither almanac nor notebook (так как у меня не было ни альманаха = календаря, ни записной книжки; almanac — календарь; альманах, сборник). It would be hard always to remember the days of the week (будет трудно всегда помнить дни недели) and I might even forget when it was Sunday (и я могу даже забыть, когда воскресенье).

So I set up a large post by my door (поэтому я установил большой столб у двери). At the top of this post I cut in large letters these words (на верхушке столба я вырезал большими буквами эти слова; post — мачта, подпорка, свая, стойка, столб, кол, шест):

I CAME ON SHORE HERE (я высадился на берег здесь)
SEPTEMBER 30, 1659.

Every morning I cut a little notch on the side of the post under these words (каждое утро я вырезал зарубку на боку шеста под этими словами).

Every seventh notch was twice as long as the rest (каждая седьмая зарубка была в два раза длиннее других; rest — остаток, остальное), and this showed me that the day was Sunday (и это показывало мне, что этот день был воскресеньем).

Every thirtieth notch was longer and broader (каждая тридцатая зарубка была длиннее и шире). This showed me that a full month had gone by (это показывала мне, что прошел полный месяц).

It was thus I made my calendar (вот так я сделал календарь).

One morning I found, on counting up (одним утром я нашел, подсчитывая), that there were three hundred and sixty-five notches (что на столбе было 365 зарубок). I knew, therefore, that it was just one year since my landing (я узнал/понял, таким образом, что прошел уже год со времени моей высадки).

I sat in my castle and thought of the goodness of God in thus keeping me alive (я сидел в моем замке и думал о великодушии Бога /который/ так сохранил мне жизнь; to keep alive — сохранять в живых; goodness — доброта; великодушие) and safe in the midst of so many perils (и /к тому же/ посреди столь многих опасностей)

I humbled myself (я смирился; humble — смиренный), and thanked him for his many mercies (и поблагодарил его за его многие милости).

For twelve hours I tasted nothing (двенадцать часов я ничего не ел: «не пробовал»; to taste — попробовать /на вкус/, отведать). When, at last, the sun went down (когда, наконец, солнце зашло), I ate a biscuit and a bunch of grapes and went to bed (я съел печенье и гроздь винограда и лег спать: «пошел в постель»).

Having now been on the island a whole year (пробыв на острове уже целый год), I had learned that the seasons there were not the same as in England (я узнал, что времена года не были такими, как в Англии).

They were not to be spoken of as spring, summer, autumn, and winter (не приходилось говорить о весне, лете, осени и зиме). They were rather to be called the wet season and the dry season (скорее их нужно было называть дождливым и сухим сезонами). Indeed, there were two wet seasons and two dry seasons, in the year (в самом деле, было два влажных сезона = сезона дождей и два сухих сезона в году).

year ['jq:], since [sIns], account [q'kaunt], wreck [rek], neither ['naIDq], almanac ['O:lmqnxk], full [ful], month [mAnT], therefore ['DeqfO:], solemn ['sOlqm], peril ['perIl], autumn ['O:tqm]

I MAKE ME A CALENDAR

IT was now just one year since I was cast upon this lonely island. Do you wonder how I have kept an account of the time? I will tell you.

A few days after the ship wreck it came into my mind that I should lose track of the days and the seasons. For I had neither almanac nor notebook. It would be hard always to remember the days of the week and I might even forget when it was Sunday.

So I set up a large post by my door. At the top of this post I cut in large letters these words:

I CAME ON SHORE HERE
SEPTEMBER 30, 1659.

Every morning I cut a little notch on the side of the post under these words.

Every seventh notch was twice as long as the rest, and this showed me that the day was Sunday.

Every thirtieth notch was longer still and broader. This showed me that a full month had gone by.

It was thus I made my calendar.

One morning I found, on counting up, that there were three hundred and sixty-five notches on the post. I knew, therefore, that it was just one year since my landing.

I kept this day as a solemn fast.

I sat in my castle and thought of the goodness of God in thus keeping me alive and safe in the midst of so many perils.

I humbled myself, and thanked him for his many mercies.

For twelve hours I tasted nothing. When, at last, the sun went down, I ate a biscuit and a bunch of grapes and went to bed.

Having now been on the island a whole year, I had learned that the seasons there were not the same as in England.

They were not to be spoken of as spring, summer, autumn, and winter. They were rather to be called the wet season and the dry season. Indeed, there were two wet seasons and two dry seasons, in the year.