| 目 录 上一节 下一节 
如上所述,八月初,我建好了茅舍,准备在里面享受一番。八月三日,我发现我原先挂在树枝上的一串串葡萄已完全晒干了,成了上等葡萄干。我便动手把它们从树上收下来。我庆幸自己及时收下了葡萄干,要不,后来马上大雨倾盆,葡萄干肯定会全毁了。那样我就会失去冬季一大半的食物。事实上,我差不多晒了两百来串葡萄,而且每串都很大。我刚把葡萄干全收下来,并把大部分运到旧居山洞里贮藏起来,就下起了雨。从这时期,也就是从八月十四日期,一直到十月中旬,几乎天天下雨;有时滂沱大雨,一连几天无法出门。 In this Season I was much surpriz'd with the Increase of my Family; I had been concern'd for the Loss of one of my Cats, who run away from me, or as I thought had been dead, and I heard no more Tale or Tidings of her, till to my Astonishment she came Home about the End of August, with three Kittens; this was the more strange to me, because tho' I had kill'd a wild Cat, as I call'd it, with my Gun; yet I thought it was a quite differing Kind from our European Cats; yet the young Cats were the same Kind of House breed like the old one; and both my Cats being Females, I thought it very strange: But from these three Cats, I afterwards came to be so pester'd with Cats, that I was forc'd to kill them like Vermine, or wild Beasts, and to drive them from my House as much as possible. 在这个雨季里,我的家庭成员增加了,这大大出乎我的意料之外。在此之前,有一只猫不见了,不知是死了呢,还是跑了,我一无所知,所以心里一直十分挂念。不料在八月底,它忽然回来了,还带回来了三只小猫。这使我惊讶不已。更使我感到奇怪的是,这些小猫完全是家猫,与大猫长得一模一样,它们是怎么生出来的呢?因为,我的两只猫都是母猫。岛上确实有野猫,我还用枪打死过一只。但那种野猫完全是另外一种品种,与欧洲猫不一样。后来,这三只小猫又繁殖了许多后代,闹得我不可开交。最后,我把这些泛滥成灾的猫视为害虫野兽,不是把它们杀掉,就是把它们赶出家门。 From the fourteenth of August to the twenty sixth, incessant Rain, so that I could not stir, and was now very careful not to be much wet. In this Confinement I began to be straitned for Food, but venturing out twice, I one Day kill'd a Goat, and the last Day, which was the twenty sixth, found a very large Tortoise, which was a Treat to me, and my Food was regulated thus; I eat a Bunch of Raisins for my Breakfast, a Piece of the Goat's Flesh, or of the Turtle for my Dinner broil'd; for to my great Misfortune, I had no Vessel to boil or stew any Thing; and two or three of the Turtle's Eggs for my Supper. 从八月十四日到二十六日,雨下个不停,我无法出门。现在我不敢淋雨了。在此期间,一直困在屋内,粮食贮备逐日减少。我曾冒险两次外出。第一次打杀了一只山羊,第二次,最后一天,即二十六日,找到了一只大鳖,使我大享口福。我的粮食是这样分配的:早餐吃一串葡萄干,中餐吃一块烤羊肉或烤鳖(不幸的是,我没有蒸东西或煮东西的器皿),晚餐吃两三个鳖蛋。 During this Confinement in my Cover, by the Rain, I work'd daily two or three Hours at enlarging my Cave, and by Degrees work'd it on towards one Side, till I came to the Out-Side of the Hill, and made a Door or Way out, which came beyond my Fence or Wall, and so I came in and out this Way; but I was not perfectly easy at lying so open; for as I had manag'd my self before, I was in a perfect Enclosure, whereas now I thought I lay expos'd, and open for any Thing to come in upon me; and yet I could not perceive that there was any living Thing to fear, the biggest Creature that I had yet seen upon the Island being a Goat. 在我被大雨困在家里时,每天工作两三个小时扩大山洞。我把洞向另一边延伸,一直开通到围墙外,作为边门和进出口。于是,我就可从这条路进出。但这样进出太容易,我晚上就睡不安稳;因为以前,我总是把自己围起来,密不透风。 September the thirtieth, I was now come to the unhappy Anniversary of my Landing. I cast up the Notches on my Post, and found I had been on Shore three hundred and sixty five Days. I kept this Day as a Solemn Fast, Setting it apart to Religious Exercise, prostrating my self on the Ground with the most serious Humiliation, confessing my Sins to God, acknowledging his Righteous Judgments upon me, and praying to him to have Mercy on me, through Jesus Christ; and having not tasted the least Refreshment for twelve Hours, even till the going down of the Sun, I then eat a Bisket Cake, and a Bunch of Grapes, and went to Bed, finishing the Day as I began it. 而现在,我感到空荡荡的,什么野兽都可来偷袭我。当然,至今还没有发现有什么可怕的野兽,我在岛上见到过的最大的动物,只不过是山羊而已。九月十三日到今天我正好来到荒岛一周年。这是一个不幸的日子。我计算了一下柱子上的刻痕,发现我已上岸365天了。我把这天定为斋戒日,并举行了宗教仪式,以极端虔诚谦卑的心情跪伏在地上,问上帝忏悔我的罪行,接受他对我公正的惩罚,求他通过耶稣基督可怜我,饶恕我。从早到晚,十二小时中我不吃不喝,直到太阳下山,我才吃了几块饼干和一串葡萄干,然后就上床睡觉。 
我很久没守安息日了。最初,我头脑里没有任何宗教观念;后来,我忘记把安息日刻成长痕来区别周数,所以根本就不知道哪天是哪天了。现在,我计算了一下日子,知道已经一年了。于是,我把这一年的刻痕按星期划分,每七天留出一个安息日。算到最后,我发现自己漏划了一两天。 A line after this my Ink began to fail me, and so I contented my self to use it more sparingly, and to write down only the most remarkable Events of my Life, without continuing a daily Memorandum of other Things. 不久,我的墨水快用完了,就只好省着点用,只记些生活中的大事,一些其他琐事,我就不再记在日记里了。 The rainy Season, and the dry Season, began now to appear regular to me, and I learn'd to divide them so, as to provide for them accordingly. But I bought all my Experience before I had it; and this I am going to relate, was one of the most discouraging Experiments that I made at all: I have mention'd that I had sav'd the few Ears of Barley and Rice, which I had so surprizingly found spring up, as I thought, of themselves, and believe there was about thirty Stalks of Rice, and about twenty of Barley; and now I thought it a proper Time to sow it after the Rains, the Sun being in its Southern Position going from me. 这时,我开始摸到了雨季和旱季的规律,学会了怎样划分这两个季节,并为此做好相应的准备。但这个经验来之不易,是花了代价的。下面我将告诉你们我最糟的一次试验。前面提到过,我曾收藏了几颗大麦穗和稻穗;这些麦穗和稻穗,开初我还以为是平空从地里长出来的呢。我估计大约有三十颗稻穗和二十颗麦穗。当时,雨季刚过,太阳逐渐问南移动,我认为这该是播种的时机了。 Accordingly I dug up a Piece of Ground as well as I could with my wooden Spade, and dividing it into two Parts, I sow'd my Grain; but as I was sowing, it casually occur'd to my Thoughts, That I would not sow it all at first, because I did not know when was the proper Time for it; so I sow'd about two Thirds of the Seed, leaving about a Handful of each. 于是,我用木铲把一块地挖松,并把这块地分成两部分播种。在播种时,我忽然想到,不能把全部种子播下去,因为我尚未弄清楚什么时候最适宜下种。这样,我播下了三分之二的种子,每样都留了一点下来。 It was a great Comfort to me afterwards, that I did so, for not one Grain of that I sow'd this Time came to any Thing; for the dry Months following, the Earth having had no Rain after the Seed was sown, it had no Moisture to assist its Growth, and never came up at all, till the wet Season had come again, and then it grew as if it had been but newly sown. 值得庆幸的是,我做对了。我这回下的种子,一颗也没长出来。因为种子下地之后,一连几个月不下雨,土壤里没有水份,不能滋润种子生长,一直到雨季来临才冒了出来,好像这些种子刚播种下去似的。 
发现第一次播下去的种子没有长出来,我料定是由于土地干旱之故。于是我想找一块较潮湿的土地再试一次。二月份的春分前几天,我在茅舍附近掘了一块地,把留下的种子通通播下去。接下去是三四月份的雨季,雨水滋润了种子,不久就欣欣向荣地长了出来,获得了一个好收成。但因为种子太少,所收到的大麦和稻子每种约半斗而已。 But by this Experiment I was made Master of my Business, and knew exactly when the proper Season was to sow; and that I might expect two Seed Times, and two Harvests every Year. 这次试验,使我成了种田好手,知道什么时候该下种。现在我知道一年可播种两次,收获两次。 While this Corn was growing, I made a little Discovery which was of use to me afterwards: As soon as the Rains were over, and the Weather began to settle, which was about the Month of November, I made a Visit up the Country to my Bower, where though I had not been some Months, yet I found all Things just as I left them. The Circle or double Hedge that I had made, was not only firm and entire; but the Stakes which I had cut out of some Trees that grew thereabouts, were all shot out and grown with long Branches, as much as a Willow-Tree usually shoots the first Year after lopping its Head. I could not tell what Tree to call it, that these Stakes were cut from. I was surpriz'd, and yet very well pleas'd, to see the young Trees grow; and I prun'd them, and led them up to grow as much alike as I could; and it is scarce credible how beautiful a Figure they grew into in three Years; so that though the Hedge made a Circle of about twenty five Yards in Diameter, yet the Trees, for such I might now call them, soon cover'd it; and it was a compleat Shade, sufficient to lodge under all the dry Season. 在庄稼成长时,我有一个小小的发现,对我后来大有用处。大约十一月,雨季刚过,天气开始转晴,我去了我的乡间茅舍。我离开那儿已好几个月了,但发现一切如旧。我修筑的双层围墙,不仅完好无损,而且,从附近砍下来的那些树桩都发了芽,并长出了长长的枝条,仿佛是去年被修剪过的柳树一样。我不知道这些是什么树,但看到这些小树都成活了,真是喜出望外。我把它们修剪了一番,尽可能让它们长得一样高。三年后,这些树长得体态优雅,简直令人难以置信。虽然篱笆的直径长达25码,然而这些树很快把篱笆遮住了。这儿真可谓是绿树成荫,整个旱季住在里面十分舒适。 This made me resolve to cut some more Stakes, and make me a Hedge like this in a Semicircle round my Wall; I mean that of my first Dwelling, which I did; and placing the Trees or Stakes in a double Row, at about eight Yards distance from my first Fence, they grew presently, and were at first a fine Cover to my Habitation, and afterward serv'd for a Defence also, as I shall observe in its Order. 由此得到启发,我决定在我原来住地的半圆形围墙外,也种一排树。我在离篱笆大约八码的地方,种了两排树,或者也可以说打了两排树桩。树很快长期来。开始,树木遮住了我的篱笆,使我的住所完全隐蔽起来;后来,又成了很好的防御工事。关于这些,我将在后面再叙述。 I found now, That the Seasons of the Year might generally be divided, not into Summer and Winter, as in Europe; but into the Rainy Seasons, and the Dry Seasons, which were generally thus, 现在我知道,在这儿不像欧洲那样,一年分为夏季和冬季,而是分为雨季和旱季。一年之中的时间大致划分如下: 
二月后半月三月四月前半月多雨,太阳在赤道上,或靠近赤道。 Half April, May, June, July, Half August, Dry, the Sun being then to the North of the Line. 四月后半月五月六月七月八月前半月干旱,太阳在赤道北面。 Half August, September, Half October, Rainy, the Sun being then come back. 八月后半月九月十月前半月多雨,太阳回到赤道上。
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