of it and was surprised at the sight of them (был удивлен при виде их), for they were
burned as hard as stones and as red as tiles (спеклись крепкими, как камни, и
красными, как черепица).
"If broken pieces will burn so (если разбитые куски обжигаются так)," said I,
"why cannot a whole jar be made as hard and as red as these (почему целый кувшин не
может быть сделан таким же твердым и красным, как эти)?"
I had never seen potters at work (гончаров за работой). I did not know how to
build a kiln for firing the pots (как построить печь для обжига горшков). I had never
heard how earthenware is glazed (как глина глазируется).
But I made up my mind to see what could be done (но я решил посмотреть, что
может быть сделано).
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I put several pots and small jars in a pile (я поставил несколько горшков и
кувшинов кучей), one upon another (один на другом). I laid dry wood all over and
about them (положил сухое дерево над и вокруг), and then set it on fire (поджег это).
As fast as the wood burned up (как только дерево прогорало), I heaped other
pieces upon the fire (я бросал новые деревяшки в огонь). The hot flames roared all
round the jars and pots (пламя кружило вокруг кувшинов и горшков). The red coals
burned beneath them (красные угли горели за ними).
I kept the fire going all day (я поддерживал огонь весь день). I could see the
pots become red-hot through and through (я мог видеть, как горшки становятся
красными совершенно; through — насквозь; совершенно). The sand on the side of a
little jar began to melt and run (песок в стороне от маленького кувшина начал
плавиться и течь).
After that I let the fire go down (после этого я позволил огню потухнуть), little
by little (мало-помалу). I watched it all night (смотрел за ним всю ночь), for I did not
wish the pots and jars to cool too quickly (не хотел, чтобы горшки и кувшины
остывали слишком быстро).
In the morning I found that I had three very good earthen pots (обнаружил, что я
имел три очень хороших глиняных горшка). They were not at all pretty (вовсе не
были красивыми), but they were as hard as rocks (тверды как камень; rock — скала)
and would hold water (и будут удержать воду).
I had two fine jars also, and one of them was well glazed with the melted sand
(хорошо глазированный расплавленным песком).
After this I made all the pots and jars and plates and pans that I needed (сделал
все горшки и тарелки и кружки, которые были нужны). They were of all shapes and
sizes (они были всех форм и размеров).
You would have laughed to see them (вы бы посмеялись, увидев их).
Of course I was awkward at this work (конечно, я был неуклюжим при этой
работе = делал неуклюже). I was like a child making mud pies (как ребенок,
делающий пироги из грязи).
But how glad I was when I found that I had a vessel that would bear the fire (но
как рад я был когда обнаружил, что я имел сосуд, который бы вынес огонь)! I could
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hardly wait to put some water in it and boil me some meat (я едва мог ждать, чтобы
налить воды в него и сварить себе мясо).
That night I had turtle soup (черепаховый суп) and barley broth for supper
(ячменную похлебку на ужин).
turtle [tə:tl] child [t a
ʃ ild] earthen [ə:θən]
I BECOME A POTTER
WHEN it came to making bread, I found that I needed several vessels. In fact, I
needed them in many ways. It would be hard to make wooden vessels. Of course it was
out of the question to make vessels of iron or any other metal. But why might I not make
some earthen vessels?
If I could find some good clay, I felt quite sure that I could make pots strong
enough to be of use.
After much trouble I found the clay. The next thing was to shape it into pots or
jars.
You would have laughed to see the first things I tried to make. How ugly they
were!
Some of them fell in pieces of their own weight. Some of them fell in pieces when
I tried to lift them.
They were of all shapes and sizes.
After I had worked two months I had only two large jars that were fit to look at.
These I used for holding my rice and barley meal.
Then I tried some smaller things, and did quite well.
I made some plates, a pitcher, and some little jars that would hold about a pint.
All these I baked in the hot sun. They kept their shape, and seemed quite hard.
But of course they would not hold water or bear the heat of the fire.
One day when I was cooking my meat for dinner, I made a very hot fire. When I
was done with it, I raked down the coals and poured water on it to put it out.
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It so happened that one of my little earthenware jars had fallen into the fire and
been broken. I had not taken it out, but had left it in the hot flames.
Now, as I was raking out the coals, I found some pieces of it and was surprised at
the sight of them, for they were burned as hard as stones and as red as tiles.
"If broken pieces will burn so," said I, "why cannot a whole jar be made as hard
and as red as these?"
I had never seen potters at work. I did not know how to build a kiln for firing the
pots. I had never heard how earthenware is glazed.
But I made up my mind to see what could be done.
I put several pots and small jars in a pile, one upon another. I laid dry wood all
over and about them, and then set it on fire.
As fast as the wood burned up, I heaped other pieces upon the fire. The hot flames
roared all round the jars and pots. The red coals burned beneath them.
I kept the fire going all day. I could see the pots become red-hot through and
through. The sand on the side of a little jar began to melt and run.
After that I let the fire go down, little by little. I watched it all night, for I did not
wish the pots and jars to cool too quickly.
In the morning I found that I had three very good earthen pots. They were not at