The Witch of Blackbird Pond / Ведьма с пруда Черных Дроздов. 10-11 классы - Элизабет Джордж Спир

Suddenly Kit was crying. She tried to remember her dream again and how it had felt to stand on the deck of the Dolphin in the harbor of Barbados. Why hadn’t she seen the true meaning of the dream? The happiness of that moment had come not from the sight of the harbor at all, but from the one she loved who stood beside her! If only she could go with Nat, she realized now, it wouldn’t matter where they went, to Barbados or just up and down this river. The Dolphin would be home enough. It was not escape that she had dreamed about, it was love. And love was Nat. It must have been Nat from the very beginning! Nat is New England, too, just like the Meadows, John Holbrook or Uncle Matthew. Was it too late? He asked her to go, but did he mean it? Was it only because she was in trouble? And then he came back again to help her…

From that moment Kit stopped planning at all and only waited. She met every ship that came up the river. How beautiful these proud little sailing ships were! Yet every new ship brought only disappointment. Why did the Dolphin not come?

On the first day of May, Kit saw a nice little ketch, fresh-painted, with clean white canvas. It must have been new. A sailor in a blue coat bent to check something, and, as he straightened up, even before he turned, Kit recognized him immediately and started running. “Nat!” she shouted on the way. He turned and saw her, and then he was running, too. When they stopped facing each other, he caught her hands, “Kit? It is Kit, isn’t it? Not Mistress Ashby?”

“Oh no, Nat! No! How is Hannah?”

“Fine. She and Grandma have been a nice company for each other.”

“And the Dolphin? Did something happen to her?”

“Nothing serious. She’s being repaired at the shipyard. What do you think of this new ketch?”

“She’s lovely. She’s beautiful, even more beautiful than the Dolphin! But Nat, do you mean she’s yours?”

“Just a few more payments and by the end of the summer she’ll be mine. Have you noticed her name?”

Kit turned to see the painted letters. “The Witch! How did you dare? Does Hannah know?”

“Oh, she’s not named after Hannah. I hadn’t gone far down the river that day before I knew I’d left the real witch behind.”

Kit’s cheeks turned red, and she asked quietly, “Will you take me on board?”

“No, not yet! I want to see your uncle first. Kit, will he think it is good enough? There’ll be a house someday, in Saybrook, or here in Wethersfield if you like. I’ve thought of nothing else all winter. In November we’ll sail south, to the Indies. And in the summer…”

“In the summer Hannah and I will have a garden!”

“As you wish. Must we stay here any longer? Aren’t you going to invite me home with you?”

“Captain Eaton, I’d be happy to invite you,” Kit laughed with happiness. She took the arm he offered, but yet she looked back again. “I want to see the ketch. Please, Nat, before we go! I just can’t wait to see it!”

“No,” Nat said again, turning toward the road. “Now you’ll have to wait a little more. When I take you on board the Witch, it’s going to be for ever.”

Vocabulary

adj – adjective (прилагательное)

adv – adverb (наречие)

n – noun (существительное)

v – verb (глагол)

амер. – американизм

бот. – ботанический термин

зоол. – зоологический термин

ист. – исторический термин

мор. – морской термин

A

accept v соглашаться, принимать

accuse (of) v обвинять

acquainted adj знакомый

admire 1) v восхищаться, любоваться; 2) n ~ation восхищение

admit v признать

advantage n преимущество, выгода, польза; take – of воспользоваться

advise v советовать

alarm 1) n тревога, волнение; 2) ~ed adj встревоженный, взволнованный

alleged adj предполагаемый, мнимый

allow v разрешать, позволять

aloud adv вслух

amaze 1) v поражать, удивлять; 2) n ~ment изумление, удивление

ambitious adj честолюбивый

anchor n якорь

anger 1) n гнев, злость; 2) v сердить

angrily adv сердито, злобно

annex v присоединять, включать в состав

announce v объявлять, сообщать

anxiously adv тревожно, взволнованно

apologize v извиняться

appoint 1) v назначать; 2) ~ed adj назначенный

approve 1) v одобрять; 2) ~al n одобрение

arrest 1) n арест; 2) v арестовывать, задерживать

arrive 1) v прибывать, приезжать; 2) ~al n приезд, прибытие

ashamed adj пристыженный

aside adv в сторону

assembly n собрание

assist v помогать

astonish 1) v поражать, удивлять; 2) ~ed adj поражённый, изумлённый; 3) ~ment n удивление, изумление

atmosphere n обстановка, атмосфера

attend v посещать

attention n внимание

attic n чердак

avoid v избегать

awkward adj неловкий, неудобный

B

bachelor n холостяк

banish v изгонять, прогонять

bear v (bore, borne) терпеть, выносить

beg v умолять, просить

bell n колокол

bench n скамья

bend v (bent, bent) нагибаться, сгибаться

bewitched adj околдованный

biblical adj библейский

blackbird n (зоол.) чёрный дрозд

blame v винить, обвинять

blanket n одеяло

bless v благословлять

blister n волдырь

bloodshed n кровопролитие

blueberry n черника

bonnet n шляпка, капор

bow 1) n бант; 2) n поклон; 3) v кланяться

bowl n миска

brand v выжигать клеймо, клеймить

bravely adv храбро, отважно

breathing n дыхание

bride n невеста

briefly adv коротко, кратко

brigantine n (мор.) бригантина, двухмачтовое судно

bronze adj бронзовый

brook n ручей

bulb n (бот.) луковица

bunch n букет

burn 1) v (burnt, burnt) жечь, гореть; 2) n ожог

buyer n покупатель

C

cabin 1) n (мор.) каюта; 2) n хижина

cancel v отменять

candle n свеча; ~light n свет от свечи; ~stick n подсвечник

canvas n (мор.) парус

captive 1) n пленник; 2) ~ate v пленять, очаровывать; 3) ~ity n плен

capture v захватывать в плен

carding n чесание шерсти

carefully adv осторожно, аккуратно

cargo n груз

case n дело, случай

cause 1) n причина; 2) v причинять

certainly adv несомненно, безусловно

chain n цепь

charge 1) v (with) обвинять; 2) n обвинение