ROBINSON'S ADVENTURES AT SEA

PART 1

Robinson's Adventures at sea

I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York in England.

My father was of a good family. He was a merchant from Bremen in Germany. He settled in England and made his fortune in trade, then he married. My mother's family name was Robinson. I was baptized Robinson Kreutznaer. However, in England we were always called Crusoe, so my friends call me Robinson Crusoe.

I had two brothers. One became a soldier and was killed in a battle against the Spaniards. I do not know what happened to my other brother. My father hoped I would study law, but I wanted to go to sea. Although my mother and father did not want me to go, my desire was so strong that I ignored their wishes.

My father was a wise and serius man. He said that if I stayed at home my life would be easy and pleasant. Only desperate men or very fortunate men went abroad, he said. I was neither desperate nor very fortunate. Mine was the middle state,* and he thought that the middle state was the best.The poor life had a difficult life, and the rich were hated by the poor,said he.In the middle state a man could be happy.Kings often regretted* that they were not born in the middle state, and wise men prayed to have neither proverty nor wealth*.He said that the greatest misfortunes in life were suffered by the rich and the poor. Only the man in the middle state can live in peace. He said that moderation, quietness,and good health were the conditions of the middle state.

He begged* me not to abandon this happy conditions. He told me that he had begged my brother no to become a soldier for the same rasons. However, my brother has run away to the army, and now he was dead. He said that God would not bless* me if I went to sea, and thet I would be sorry I had ignored my father's advice.

*middle state: neither rich, nor poor.

*regretted: were sorry (past of the verb 'to regret´)

*wealth. a large amount of money.

*begger: asked humbly for something (past of the verb ´to beg´)

*bless: (here) make happy, ask for God's help and protection.