Jack London. To Build a Fire (in English, adapted for intermediate)

Рассказ «Развести костер» — один из лучших рассказов Джека Лондона, американского писателя самобытные рассказы которого до сих пор производят сильное впечатление на людей. Они не только поражают воображение его читателей. Они вдохновляют.

Видимо благодаря той огромной жизненной силе, которой обладал автор при жизни. Сила духа, любовь к жизни — это то, чем пронизаны все его произведения. Невероятный писатель, и невероятный человек. Мы в России любим и читаем Джека Лондона, чуть ли не больше, чем в самой Америке.

Сегодня мы начинаем читать один из самых интересных рассказов Джека Лондона на английском языке.— это рассказ «To Build a Fire» (Развести костер). Рассказ адаптирован до уровня INTERMEDIATE (средний). К рассказу прилагается аудио и слова для изучения.

Jack London. To Build a Fire (in English, intermediate)

Слова и выражения, которые вы запомните, если прочитаете этот рассказ:

  1. trail — тропа
  2. cover — покрывать
  3. expected to reach — ожидал, что достигнет
  4. to freeze— замерзать
  5. frozen stream— замерзший ручей
  6. snow-covered ice — покрытый снегом лед
  7. underground springs — подземные источники
  8. to break through — провалиться
  9. sharp pain — острая боль
  10. wet — мокрый
  11. dry — сухой
  12. to dry — высушить
  13. branches — ветки
  14. matches — спички
  15. flame — пламя
  16. heavy load — тяжелый груз
  17. tremendous cold — страшный холод
  18. the fear of death — страх смерти
О чем этот рассказ? — Посмотрите Видео к рассказу Джека Лондона «Развести костер»

Слушать рассказ «To Build a fire» (Развести костер)

The man walked down the trail on a cold, gray day. Pure white snow and ice covered the Earth for as far as he could see. This was his first winter in Alaska. He was wearing heavy clothes and fur boots. But he still felt cold and uncomfortable.

  • as far as he could see — насколько он мог видеть
Джек Лондон. Интересные рассказы на английском языке

Карта Аляски и северной Канады

The man was on his way to a camp near Henderson Creek (ручей Гендерсона). His friends were already there. He expected to reach Henderson Creek by six o’clock that evening. It would be dark by then. His friends would have a fire and hot food ready for him.

  • It would be dark by then. — К  тому времени уже стемнеет.
  • would have a fire — разожгут костер

A dog walked behind the man. It was a big gray animal, half dog and half wolf. The dog did not like the extreme cold. It knew the weather was too cold to travel.

The man continued to walk down the trail. He came to a frozen stream called Indian Creek. He began to walk on the snow-covered ice. It was a trail that would lead him straight to Henderson Creek and his friends.

As he walked, he looked carefully at the ice in front of him. Once, he stopped suddenly, and then walked around a part of the frozen stream. He saw that an underground spring flowed under the ice at that spot. It made the ice thin. If he stepped there, he might break through the ice into a pool of water. To get his boots wet in such cold weather might kill him. His feet would turn to ice quickly. He could freeze to death.

  • If he stepped there, he might … — Если бы он наступил туда, он мог бы …
  • would turn — превратиться в
  • could freeze — мог бы замерзнуть

At about twelve o’clock, the man decided to stop to eat his lunch. He took off the glove on his right hand. He opened his jacket and shirt, and pulled out his bread and meat. This took less than twenty seconds. Yet, his fingers began to freeze.

He hit his hand against his leg several times until he felt a sharp pain. Then he quickly put his glove on his hand. He made a fire, beginning with small pieces of wood and adding larger ones. He sat on a snow-covered log and ate his lunch. He enjoyed the warm fire for a few minutes. Then he stood up and started walking on the frozen stream again.

A half hour later, it happened. At a place where the snow seemed very solid, the ice broke. The man’s feet sank into the water. It was not deep, but his legs got wet to the knees. The man was angry. The accident would delay his arrival at the camp. He would have to build a fire now to dry his clothes and boots.

He walked over to some small trees. They were covered with snow. In their branches were pieces of dry grass and wood left by flood waters earlier in the year. He put several large pieces of wood on the snow, under one of the trees. On top of the wood, he put some grass and dry branches. He pulled off his gloves, took out his matches, and lighted the fire. He fed the young flame with more wood. As the fire grew , he gave it larger pieces of wood.

He worked slowly and carefully. At sixty degrees below zero, a man with wet feet must not fail in his first attempt to build a fire. While he was walking, his blood had kept all parts of his body warm. Now that he had stopped, cold was forcing his blood to withdraw deeper into his body. His wet feet had frozen. He could not feel his fingers. His nose was frozen, too. The skin all over his body felt cold.

Now, however, his fire was beginning to burn more strongly. He was safe. He sat under the tree and thought of the old men in Fairbanks.

The old men had told him that no man should travel alone in the Yukon when the temperature is sixty degrees below zero.  — Старики говорили, что нельзя путешествовать по Юкону при температуре -60 градусов ниже нуля.

Yet here he was. He had had an accident. He was alone. And he had saved himself. He had built a fire.

Костер на снегуThose old men were weak, he thought. A real man could travel alone. If a man stayed calm, he would be all right. The man’s boots were covered with ice. The strings on his boots were as hard as steel. He would have to cut them with his knife.

  • If a man stayed calm, he would be all right. — Если сохранять спокойствие, то все будет как надо.

He leaned back against the tree to take out his knife. Suddenly, without warning, a heavy mass of snow dropped down. His movement had shaken the young tree only a tiny bit. But it was enough to cause the branches of the tree to drop their heavy load. The man was shocked. He sat and looked at the place where the fire had been.

The old men had been right, he thought. If he had another man with him, he would not be in any danger now. The other man could build the fire. Well, it was up to him to build the fire again. This time, he must not fail.

  • If he had another man with him, he would not be in any danger now.— Если бы с ним был еще кто-то, он не был бы сейчас в опасности.

The man collected more wood. He reached into his pocket for the matches. But his fingers were frozen. He could not hold them. He began to hit his hands with all his force against his legs.

After a while, feeling came back to his fingers. The man reached again into his pocket for the matches. But the tremendous cold quickly drove the life out of his fingers. All the matches fell onto the snow. He tried to pick one up, but failed.

The man pulled on his glove and again beat his hand against his leg. Then he took the gloves off both hands and picked up all the matches. He gathered them together. Holding them with both hands, he scratched the matches along his leg. They immediately caught fire.

He held the blazing matches to a piece of wood. After a while, he became aware that he could smell his hands burning. Then he began to feel the pain. He opened his hands, and the blazing matches fell on to the snow. The flame went out in a puff of gray smoke.

The man looked up. The dog was still watching him. The man got an idea. He would kill the dog and bury his hands inside its warm body. When the feeling came back to his fingers, he could build another fire. He called to the dog. The dog heard danger in the man’s voice. It backed away.

  • would kill the dog — убьет собаку
  • could build — сможет разжечь

The man called again. This time the dog came closer. The man reached for his knife. But he had forgotten that he could not bend his fingers. He could not kill the dog, because he could not hold his knife.

  • could not kill — не сможет убить
  • could not hold — не сможет держать нож

Бегом от смертиThe fear of death came over the man. He jumped up and began to run. The running began to make him feel better. Maybe running would make his feet warm. If he ran far enough, he would reach his friends at Henderson Creek. They would take care of him.

  • If he ran far enough, he would reach his friends at Henderson Creek.— Если он будет бежать далеко, он сможет достичь своих товарищей у ручья Гендерсона.
  • would take care — позаботяться о нем

It felt strange to run and not feel his feet when they hit the ground. He fell several times. He decided to rest a while. As he lay in the snow, he noticed that he was not shaking. He could not feel his nose or fingers or feet. Yet, he was feeling quite warm and comfortable. He realized he was going to die.

Well, he decided, he might as well take it like a man. There were worse ways to die.

  • he might as well take it like a man. — раз уж так случилось, надо принять это как подобает мужчине.

The man closed his eyes and floated into the most comfortable sleep he had ever known.

The dog sat facing him, waiting. Finally, the dog moved closer to the man and caught the smell of death. The animal threw back its head. It let out a long, soft cry to the cold stars in the black sky.

And then it turned and ran toward Henderson Creek…where it knew there was food and a fire.

37 thoughts on “Jack London. To Build a Fire (in English, adapted for intermediate)
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  7. максим says:

    вот! сейчас текст чёрный на белом фоне! очень хорошо всё читается! спасибо ! я читаю с оперы мини!

  8. Анна says:

    Большое спасибо ! Сайт отличный !

  9. Кристина says:

    Спасибо за прекрасный рассказ. Очень здорово, что все понятно с первых строк.

    • Tatiana says:

      Очень рада, что Вам рассказ понравился! Хотя конец у него тяжелый…

  10. English the Best says:

    Для обучения студентов и для практики учителей этот сайт как раз то, что нужно !

    • Tatiana says:

      Отлично! Спасибо за Ваше мнение!

  11. максим says:

    Грустный рассказ ! Я думал , что мужик выживет !

    • Tatiana says:

      Грустный — это правда, но в то же время жизненный… Спасибо, что читаете Джека Лондона!

  12. Bakhyt says:

    Хороший сайт. Отличный рассказ. Много бы таких рассказов сюда поставить.

    • Tatiana says:

      Спасибо! Рассказы есть. Читайте))

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  14. шахзод says:

    really good. I read this story and i liked it. really comfortable

    • Tatiana says:

      I like it that you find reading English stories on the website really convenient. Good luck!

  15. Али says:

    )) Я тоже нашёл случайно. 🙂 сайт шикарно плюсы и плюсы. Спасибо за упорный труд…

    • Tatiana says:

      Спасибо! Рада, что нравится)

  16. Margarita says:

    Молодцы! Большое спасибо!

  17. Лилия says:

    Спасибо огромное за сайт. Я о таком просто мечтала .чтобы читать классику и переводить .Так ловишь сразу много зайцев. Джек Лондан мой любимый писатель. Хотя многие его не любят из-за пессимизма в его рассказах. Еще будут такие рассказы? Я уже все перепробовала . но Вас сайт самый удачный и уютный!

    • Tatiana says:

      Я очень рада, что нашли наш сайт! Читайте, переводите! Конечно, будут еще рассказы Джека Лондона. И они есть в рубрике «Джек Лондон», но не все адаптированы. А какие рассказы посоветуете адаптировать в первую очередь?

  18. ksen20 says:

    Здорово,что можно не только читать на английском,но еще и слушать.Пожалуйста продолжайте в том же духе.Спасибо,успехов!

    • Tatiana says:

      И Вам спасибо за отзыв о моем любимом проекте! Читайте и слушайте английскую и американскую литературу на английском языке))

  19. Елена says:

    Опечатка в тексте: And then it tuned and ran (последнее предложение)
    Должно быть And then it turned and ran

    Огромное спасибо за сайт!!

    • Tatiana says:

      Большое спасибо за отзыв и помощь!

  20. Лиза says:

    Спасибо большое, Ваш сайт — просто находка.

  21. Вера says:

    Большое Вам спасибо за такой сайт- это просто находка. Отличный материал, отличная навигация, отличный интерфейс. Вы нас балуете )). Спасибо Вам.

  22. Дмитрий says:

    Браво! Отличная идея и реализация. Удивительно, но я читаю Джека Лондона в оригинале 🙂 Спасибо за Ваш труд!

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