The Shipwreck

from Kidnapped by R. L. Stevenson

David Balfour, a sixteen-year-old boy, is on board a brig bound for America. The brig meets with a violent storm off the coast of Scotland. During the shipwreck that follows David is cast overboard. He cannot swim and is being carried along by the waves and choked until, fortunately, he manages to get hold of a floating board. After a desperate struggle he is flung upon the shore.

He spends the first night walking to and fro upon the beach for fear he might be frozen. At dawn he finds to his horror that he has been cast on a rocky island, cut off from the mainland by a strait. All his attempts to get across the strait end in failure. Completely exhausted, David gives himself up for lost.

In all the books I have read of people cast away on a desert island, they had either their pockets full of tools or a chest of things would be thrown upon the beach as if on purpose. My case was very different. What with the cold and hunger, I felt more miserable than words can tell. I stood shivering in the rain, wet and bare foot, and wondered what to do till it occurred to me that shellfish, of which there were plenty on the island, might be good to eat. I ate them cold and raw; and they seemed to me delicious. They must have poisoned me, for I had no sooner eaten my first meal, than felt miserably sick and lay for a long time no better than dead.

In fact as long as I was on the island I never could distinguish what particular shellfish it was that hurt me: sometimes the shellfish restored my strength, and sometimes I felt sick for hours.

The second day I explored the entire island and chose a place on a hillside to be my home. I had a good reason for my choice: from there I could distinguish the top of a great ancient church and the roofs of houses on the mainland. Morning and evening I saw smoke go up. I used to watch this smoke when I was wet and cold and lonely. It kept hope alive and saved me from the sense of horror I had when I was alone with the dead rocks and the rain, and the sea.

It seemed impossible that I should die on the shores of my own country and within view of men's houses.

But the second day passed; and though I kept a look out for boats or men, no help came. It had been raining for more than twenty-four hours. My clothes were beginning to rot; my throat was so sore that I could hardly swallow; the very sight of shellfish sickened me. I felt completely exhausted.

It did not clear until the afternoon of the third day; this was the day of incidents. As soon as the sun came up, I lay down on the top of the rock to dry myself. My mood changed, I was hopeful and searched the sea with a fresh interest. All of a sudden a boat with a pair of fishers came flying round the corner of the isle. I shouted out and ran along the shore from rock to rock.

There was no doubt they had observed me, for they cried out something and laughed. But the boat never turned aside and flew on. It was unbelievable that they should have seen me and left me to die! I could not believe in such wickedness! Even after they were out of reach of my voice, I still cried and waved to them; I thought my heart would burst. But all was in vain. If a wish could kill men, those fishers would have died.

On the fourth day of this horrible life of mine I observed a boat heading for my island. Unable to hold myself back, with my heart beating wildly and my legs shaking under me, I ran to the seaside. It was the same boat with the same men as yesterday. But now there was a third man with them. As soon as they were within hearing, they let down their sail and lay quiet. They drew no nearer and, what increased my fear, the new man roared with laughter as he looked at me. Then he addressed me, speaking fast and waving his hand towards the mainland. Was he suggesting that I should try and make my way across the strait? I picked out the word " tide." I had a flash of hope! " Do you mean when the tide is out..." I cried and could not finish.

" Yes, yes, " said he. " Tide."

At that I set off running as I had never run in my life. Before long I came out on the shore of the strait; and sure enough, it had become a little stream of water, through which I dashed, splashing, not above my knees, and landed with a shout on the mainland.

A sea-bred boy would not have stayed a day on the isle which is only a tidal islet, and can be entered and left twice in every twenty-four hours.

Even I, if I had sat down to think, might have guessed the secret. But for the fishers, I might have left my bones there.

I have seen wicked men and fools; and I believe they both get paid in the end; but the fools first.

Упражнения и Задания по Тексту

Assignment # One – Задание № 1

Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих слов, выраж

ений и оборотов:

1. кораблекрушение – _________________________________________;

2. выброшен на берег – _________________________________________;

3. схватиться за бревно – _________________________________________;

4. отчаянная борьба – _________________________________________;

5. необитаемый остров – _________________________________________;

6. чем можно описать словами – _________________________________________;

7. пришло в голову – _________________________________________;

8. казались необыкновенно вкусными – _____________________________________;

9. никогда не мог отличить – _________________________________________;

10. это подбадривало меня – _________________________________________;

11. с трудом глотал – _________________________________________;

12. был совершенно без сил – _________________________________________;

13. не могли слышать мой голос – _________________________________________;

14. напрасно – _________________________________________;

15. не в силах сдержать себя – _________________________________________;

16. усилило мой страх – _________________________________________;

17. прилив – _________________________________________;

18. проблеск надежды – _________________________________________;

19. не выше колен – _________________________________________;

20. мальчик, выросший на море – _________________________________________;

21. если бы не рыбаки – _________________________________________;

22. и тем, и другим достается по заслугам – ___________________________________.

Assignment # Two – Задание № 2

Дайте русские эквиваленты следующих слов, выражений и оборотов из текста; Составьте по три предложения с каждым их этих оборотов:

on board a brig (ship) – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

at dawn – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

to one’s horror – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

end in failure – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

on purpose – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

no sooner … than … – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

used to do smth. – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

there is (was) no doubt that… – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

address smb. – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

suggest that smb. should do smth. – _________________________________________;

__________________________________________________________________________

Assignment # Three – Задание № 3

Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1) Explain how David found himself on a desert island.

_______________________________________________________________________.

2) What made him feel miserable?

_______________________________________________________________________.

3) What did the boy feed on and why was this food dangerous for health?

_______________________________________________________________________.

4) Why did David choose a place on a hillside for his home?

_______________________________________________________________________.

5) What kept David’s hope alive?

_______________________________________________________________________.

6) Describe the weather on the third day of David’s stay on the islet.

_______________________________________________________________________.

7) What did the boy feel when the fishermen sailed past the islet without stopping?

_______________________________________________________________________.

8) Why did the third fisherman roar with laughter when he saw David?

_______________________________________________________________________.

9) What word did David pick out from what the man was saying?

_______________________________________________________________________.

10) What idea occurred to him?

_______________________________________________________________________.

11) Explain the words “a sea-bred boy” and “a tidal islet”.

_______________________________________________________________________.

12) What would have happened to David if the fisherman had not seen him?

_______________________________________________________________________.

Assignment # Four – Задание № 4

Перескажите рассказ от лица: 1) Дэвида; 2) одного из Рыбаков.

Assignment # Five – Задание № 5

Подготовьтесь к обсуждению с преподавателем и другими членами Вашей группы следующих тем. Составьте план:

1. Was David observant? What makes you think so? What did he himself think about the incident? Did it teach him a lesson?

2. Would " pockets full of tools" have been of any use to David? Why? What would you do under these circumstances?

3. What books do you think David remembered when he was cast away on the island? Have you read any books which describe similar events? What are they?

4. Have you read the book " Kidnapped" by R.L. Stevenson? What other books by this author do you know? Why are children of many generations fond of Stevenson's books?

Assignment # Six – Задание № 6

Кратко перескажите рассказ по плану. Вы должны уложиться в 15 предложений.

Assignment # Seven – Задание № 7

Найдите в тексте все Глаголы неправильного спряжения и Заполните таблицу, давая их формы. Перед выполнением Упражнения Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 48, 49, 50 и 51 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях «Таблица Времен Активного и Пассивного залогов». Проверить употребление форм причастий 1 и 2 (Participles 1 & 2) (вторая, третья и четвертая формы глаголов) можно по Таблицам “Спряжение Неправильных глаголов». Обращаю внимание на то, что таблиц две: в одной дается список неправильных глаголов в алфавитном порядке – ее я рекомендую применять для быстрого поиска необходимого слова, во второй глаголы даны по типам образования формы – на эту таблицу необходимо ориентироваться при заучивании наизусть:

Assignment # Eight – Задание № 8

Найдите в тексте все Модальные глаголы (Modal verbs). Перед выполнением Упражнения Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 88-94 «Модальные глаголы в Современном английском языке» 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях «Таблица Времен Активного и Пассивного залогов».

Assignment # Nine – Задание № 9

Найдите в тексте все предложения, начинающиеся с оборота “It is necessary, that you should…”.

Assignment # Ten – Задание № 10

Отработайте следующие модели, используя Условное наклонение (Subjunctive Mood):

1) It seemed impossible that…_________________________________________________.

2) Is not it natural that…______________________________________________________?

3) It was unbelievable that…__________________________________________________.

4) It seems strange that…_____________________________________________________.

5) It was absolutely necessary that… ___________________________________________.

6) Why is it so important that…________________________________________________?

Assignment # Eleven – Задание № 11

Задайте вопросы к словам, выделенным подчеркнутым наклонным шрифтом:

1) The second day he explored the entire island.

_______________________________________________________________________?

2) As soon as the sun came up, David lay down on the top of the rock to dry himself.

_______________________________________________________________________?

3) The new man reared with laughter as he looked at the boy.

_______________________________________________________________________?

Assignment # Twelve – Задание № 12

Найдите в тексте все предложения, содержащие Прямую речь (Direct Speech) и переделайте их в Косвенную речь (Indirect Speech). Перед выполнением Упражнения Вам необходимо ознакомиться с параграфами 69, 70 и 71 «Прямая и Косвенная речь» 5 Главы «Глагол» 1 Части «Части Речи в Английском языке» Первого тома Единого Грамматического комплекса. Всю необходимую Вам справочную информацию Вы можете найти во Втором томе в Приложениях.