Classic Literature English-Chinese Contrast - Robinson Crusoe

Author: Liu Wenjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-09
Features: Robinson Crusoe was born into a respectable merchant family, eager to sail and experience life overseas. He secretly set sail without his father's knowledge. On his first voyage, he encountered a fierce storm, his ship sank, and he barely escaped with his life. On his second voyage to Africa for trade, he made a fortune. On his third voyage, he met misfortune again and was captured by Moors, becoming a slave. Later, he escaped in the master's small boat and was rescued by a Portuguese merchant ship. Upon arriving in Brazil, he bought an estate and became a landowner. Unsatisfied with his sudden wealth, he set sail again, this time to Africa to trade slaves. During the journey, the ship encountered a storm and ran aground, resulting in the death of all crew and passengers, except for Robinson Crusoe, who survived and drifted alone to a deserted island. Using the ship's mast, he built a raft and repeatedly transported food, clothing, weapons, tools, and other supplies from the ship to the shore, settling in a tent by a small hill. He then built a fence around the tent using sharpened wooden stakes and dug a hole behind the tent for shelter. With simple tools, he made tables, chairs, and other furniture, hunted wild game for food, drank from a stream, and overcome the initial hardships. He began planting barley and rice on the island, making his own wooden mortars, pestles, and sieves, grinding flour, and baking coarse bread. He captured and domesticated wild goats, allowing them to breed. He also made pottery and other necessities to ensure his survival. Despite this, Robinson Crusoe never gave up on finding a way to leave the island. He felled a large tree and spent several months building a single-log boat, but the boat was too heavy to be dragged to the sea. He had to abandon his efforts and start building a smaller one. After living alone on the island for 17 years, one day, he discovered human bones on the coast, signs of a fire, realizing that a group of wild men from a nearby island had held a cannibal feast there. Robinson Crusoe was horrified. From then on, he remained vigilant and paid closer attention to his surroundings. By the 24th year, another group of wild men arrived on the island, bringing captives they intended to kill and eat. Robinson Crusoe rescued one of them. He named the rescued native "Friday." From then on, "Friday" became Robinson Crusoe's loyal servant and friend. Later, Robinson Crusoe and "Friday" rescued a Spanish man and "Friday's" father. Soon after, a British ship stopped near the island, and the crew mutinied, abandoning the captain and two others on the island. Robinson Crusoe and "Friday" helped the captain subdue the mutineers and reclaim the ship. They left the mutineers on the island while Robinson Crusoe, "Friday," and the captain returned to England with them. At this point, Robinson Crusoe had been away from home for 35 years. He married and had three children in England. After his wife's death, Robinson Crusoe set sail again for trade, passing by the island where he had once lived. By then, the crew members and Spanish settlers who remained on the island had established homes and families. Robinson Crusoe brought new settlers to the island, distributing land to them and leaving them with various daily necessities. Satisfied with his efforts, he left the island.