Text A Wrecked on a Desert Island

—from Robinson Crusoe(Chapter 3)

Daniel Defoe

[1]Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt when I sank into the water; for though I swam very well, yet I could not deliver myself from the waves so as to draw breath, till that wave having driven me, or rather carried me, a vast way on towards the shore, and having spent itself, went back, and left me upon the land almost dry, but half dead with the water I took in.I had so much presence of mind, as well as breath left, that seeing myself nearer the mainland than I expected, I got upon my feet, and endeavoured to make on towards the land as fast as I could before another wave should return and take me up again; but I soon found it was impossible to avoid it; for I saw the sea come after me as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no means or strength to contend with: my business was to hold my breath, and raise myself upon the water if I could; and so, by swimming, to preserve my breathing, and pilot myself towards the shore, if possible, my greatest concern now being that the sea, as it would carry me a great way towards the shore when it came on, might not carry me back again with it when it gave back towards the sea.

[2]The wave that came upon me again buried me at once twenty or thirty feet deep in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty force and swiftness towards the shore—a very great way; but I held my breath, and assisted myself to swim still forward with all my might.I was ready to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rising up, so, to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands shoot out above the surface of the water; and though it was not two seconds of time that I could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath, and new courage.I was covered again with water a good while, but not so long but I held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and began to return, I struck forward against the return of the waves, and felt ground again with my feet.I stood still a few moments to recover breath, and till the waters went from me, and then took to my heels and ran with what strength I had further towards the shore.But neither would this deliver me from the fury of the sea, which came pouring in after me again; and twice more I was lifted up by the waves and carried forward as before, the shore being very flat.

[3]The last time of these two had well-nigh been fatal to me, for the sea having hurried me along as before, landed me, or rather dashed me, against a piece of rock, and that with such force, that it left me senseless, and indeed helpless, as to my own deliverance; for the blow taking my side and breast, beat the breath as it were quite out of my body; and had it returned again immediately, I must have been strangled in the water; but I recovered a little before the return of the waves, and seeing I should be covered again with the water, I resolved to hold fast by a piece of the rock, and so to hold my breath, if possible, till the wave went back.Now, as the waves were not so high as at first, being nearer land, I held my hold till the wave abated, and then fetched another run, which brought me so near the shore that the next wave, though it went over me, yet did not so swallow me up as to carry me away; and the next run I took, I got to the mainland, where, to my great comfort, I clambered up the cliffs of the shore and sat me down upon the grass, free from danger and quite out of the reach of the water.

[4]I was now landed and safe on shore, and began to look up and thank God that my life was saved, in a case wherein there was some minutes before scarce any room to hope.I believe it is impossible to express, to the life, what the ecstasies and transports of the soul are, when it is so saved, as I may say, out of the very grave: and I do not wonder now at the custom, when a malefactor , who has the halter about his neck, is tied up, and just going to be turned off, and has a reprieve brought to him—I say, I do not wonder that they bring a surgeon with it, to let him blood that very moment they tell him of it, that the surprise may not drive the animal spirits from the heart and overwhelm him.

[5]“For sudden joys, like griefs, confound at first.”

[6]I walked about on the shore lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as I may say, wrapped up in a contemplation of my deliverance; making a thousand gestures and motions, which I cannot describe; reflecting upon all my comrades that were drowned, and that there should not be one soul saved but myself; for, as for them, I never saw them afterwards, or any sign of them, except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes that were not fellows.

[7]I cast my eye to the stranded vessel, when, the breach and froth of the sea being so big, I could hardly see it, it lay so far of; and considered, Lord! How was it possible I could get on shore!

[8]After I had solaced my mind with the comfortable part of my condition, I began to look round me, to see what kind of place I was in, and what was next to be done; and I soon found my comforts abate, and that, in a word, I had a dreadful deliverance; for I was wet, had no clothes to shift me, nor anything either to eat or drink to comfort me; neither did I see any prospect before me but that of perishing with hunger or being devoured by wild beasts; and that which was particularly afflicting to me was, that I had no weapon, either to hunt and kill any creature for my sustenance, or to defend myself against any other creature that might desire to kill me for theirs.In a word, I had nothing about me but a knife, a tobacco-pipe, and a little tobacco in a box.This was all my provisions ; and this threw me into such terrible agonies of mind, that for a while I ran about like a madman.Night coming upon me, I began with a heavy heart to consider what would be my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country, as at night they always come abroad for their prey.

[9]All the remedy that offered to my thoughts at that time was to get up into a thick bushy tree like a fir, but thorny, which grew near me, and where I resolved to sit all night, and consider the next day what death I should die, for as yet I saw no prospect of life.I walked about a furlong from the shore, to see if I could find any fresh water to drink, which I did, to my great joy; and having drank, and put a little tobacco into my mouth to prevent hunger, I went to the tree, and getting up into it, endeavoured to place myself so that if I should sleep I might not fall.And having cut me a short stick, like a truncheon, for my defence, I took up my lodging; and having been excessively fatigued, I fell fast asleep, and slept as comfortably as, I believe, few could have done in my condition, and found myself more refreshed with it than, I think, I ever was on such an occasion.

[10]When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated, so that the sea did not rage and swell as before.But that which surprised me most was, that the ship was lifted off in the night from the sand where she lay by the swelling of the tide, and was driven up almost as far as the rock which I at first mentioned, where I had been so bruised by the wave dashing me against it.This being within about a mile from the shore where I was, and the ship seeming to stand upright still, I wished myself on board, that at least I might save some necessary things for my use.

After You Read

Knowledge Focus

1.Pair work: Discuss the following questions with your partner.

1)Was Crusoe a good swimmer at sea?

2)How did he manage to reach the shore despite the furious waves?

3)What did he do as soon as he reached the shore safely?

4)Did he find any other survivals later on the island?

5)What did he see far off the shore?

6)Why was there very little hope of survival for Crusoe then and there?

7)How did he spend his first night on the island?

8)What was the weather like when he woke up the next morning?

9)What did he wish to do when he found the ship moved nearer to the shore?

10)What might Crusoe get from the ship?

2.Solo work: Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the text.

____ 1)Crusoe had little difficulty in swimming to the shore.

____ 2)Crusoe felt blessed once he got on the shore safely.

____ 3)The island was an agreeable place to live on.

____ 4)If Crusoe stayed on board during the storm, he might have been drowned.

____ 5)Crusoe found three hats, one cap and a pair of shoes after he got on the shore.

____ 6)Crusoe was a very experienced and brave sailor who had boundless courage and energy to overcome challenges.

____ 7)Crusoe was content with his provisions and felt hopeful for his survival on the island.

____ 8)Crusoe had sound sleep on the first night he spent alone on the island.

Language Focus

1.Fill in the blanks with the following words you have learned from the text.

deliver

contend　afflict　reprieve　fury

strangle　bruise

resolve　solace　abate

1)She _____ herself with the thought that the term was nearly over.

2)He was sentenced to death but was granted a last-minute _____.

3)The company _____ to take no further action against the thieves.

4)The fighting in the area shows no sign of _____.

5)He is _____ with severe rheumatism.

6)Is there nothing that can be done to _____ these starving people from their suffering?

7)The minister made no attempt to contain his _____.

8)It’s perfectly natural for her to _____ the opposition to her plans at birth.

9)There are three world-class tennis players _____ for this title.

10)The fact that Cindy left him broke Jamie’s heart, but it certainly _____ his ego.

2.Match the following words with their meanings.

1)mighty

　a.an opening

2)spend

　b.(a period of ) extreme or violent anger

3)stranded

c.the quality of life and the experiences

4)prospect

d.unable to leave somewhere

5)provisions　e.to increase in size or amount

6)breach

　f.very large and powerful

7)lot

g.supplies of food and other necessities

8)ravenous　h.to use up (energy, force, etc.)

9)rage

　i.a possibility or likelihood

10)swell

j.extremely hungry

3.Find the appropriate prepositions or adverbs that collocate with the neighboring words.

1)I could not deliver myself ______ the waves so as to draw breath, till that wave having driven me, or rather carried me, a vast way ______ towards the shore.

2)I saw the sea come ______ me as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no means or strength to contend ______.

3)I held my breath, and assisted myself ______ swim still forward ______ all my might.

4)Twice more I was lifted ______ by the waves and carried forward ______ before, the shore being very flat.

5)______ my great comfort, I clambered ______ the cliffs of the shore and sat me down upon the grass, free ______ danger and quite out of the reach of the water.

6)I walked about on the shore lifting ______ my hands, and my whole being, as I may say, wrapped up ______ a contemplation of my deliverance.

7)Neither did I see any prospect ______ me but that of perishing ______ hunger or being devoured by wild beasts.

8)This was all my provisions; and this threw me ______ such terrible agonies of mind, that ______ a while I ran about like a madman.

9)I believe, few could have done ______ my condition, and found myself more refreshed ______ it than, I think, I ever was ______ such an occasion.

10)I wished myself ______ board, that at least I might save some necessary things ______ my use.

4.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1)Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt when I sank into the water.

2)I believe it is impossible to express, to the life, what the ecstasies and transports of the soul are, when it is so saved, as I may say, out of the very grave.

3)I walked about on the shore lifting up my hands, and my whole being, as I may say, wrapped up in a contemplation of my deliverance.

4)This was all my provisions; and this threw me into such terrible agonies of mind, that for a while I ran about like a madman.

5)When I waked it was broad day, the weather clear, and the storm abated, so that the sea did not rage and swell as before.

5.Error correction: Each of the following sentences has at least one grammatical error.Identify the errors and correct them.

1)My business was to hold my breath, and raise me upon the water if I can.

2)I was ready to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rise up, so, to my immediate relief, I found my head and hands shooting out above the surface of the water.

3)...has it returned again immediately, I must have strangled in the water.

4)I cast my eye to the stranding vessel, when, the breach and froth of the sea be so big, I could hardly see it.

5)Night came upon me, I began with a heavy heart to consider what would be my lot if there were any ravenous beasts in that country, as at the night they always come abroad for their prey.

Comprehensive work

1.Solo work: Fill in the blanks in the text below with the words listed.

journalistic

moral

embellished

colonialism

desolate

mutinous　bourgeois

picaro

accumulating　picaresque　imagination　prosperity

Robinson Crusoe(1719) is based on a real incident.In 1704, Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was left on a 1) is land by the 2) crew of his ship.He lived there alone for 5 years.Defoe read about his adventures in a newspaper and went to interview him to get first-hand information.He then 3) the sailor’s tale with many incidents out of his own 4).

Robinson Crusoe has the appearance of a 5) novel, showing a lowly person’s wanderings over the world.However, there are some fundamental changes in Defoe’s book.A 6) (Spanish for a rogue) is somebody with a doubtful moral character who does not have a goal in life.Nor does he care much about 7) money. Robinson Crusoe is in fact a new species of writing which inhabits the picaresque frame with a story in the shape of a journal and has a strong flavour of 8) truth.

The hero is typical of the rising English 9) class, practical and diligent, with a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges.Defoe attaches great importance to the growth of Crusoe and tries to teach a 10) message through his story.

In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe sings praises of labour, presenting it as the source of human pride and happiness as well as a means to change man’s living conditions from desperation to 11).But at the same time, through relationship with Friday and his activities of setting up colonies overseas, Defoe also beautifies 12) and slavery.

2.Group work: Suppose you are stranded on a desert island after an air-crash.Discuss what you need to do in order to survive and devise a plan of self-rescue.

Some hints are as follows:

hunting for food

building shelters

keeping a fire for rescue signal

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