"Ma raison commençait à maîtriser mon abattement, et j'entrepris de me réconforter du mieux que je pus en dressant un bilan de mes fortunes et mes infortunes, afin de pouvoir me convaincre que mon cas n'était pas désespéré. Je notais donc de façon très impartiale, comme si j'inscrivais le crédit contre le débit, les avantage dont je jouissais en face des misères qui m’affligeaient.
[...]
Après m'être persuadé que ma situation présentait quelques avantages, et avoir renoncé à scruter la mer dans l'attente d'un navire, je commençai à chercher à améliorer mon sort et à me rendre l'existence aussi douce que possible.
J'ai déjà décrit mon habitation, une tente accotée au pied d'une paroi rocheuse, entourée d'une solide palissade de pieux et de câbles.
[...]
J'entrepris de me fabriquer les objets dont j'avais besoin, et en premier lieu une chaise et une table, sans lesquelles je ne pouvais jouir des quelques agréments que j'avais en ce monde. Ainsi, sans table, je ne pouvais avoir plaisir à écrire, manger, ou faire quantité de choses.
Daniel Defoe. Robinson Crusoe,
tr. de François du Sorbier. Albin Michel, 2012.
I now began to consider seriously my condition, and the circumstances
I was reduced to; and I drew up the state of my affairs in writing,
not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me-for I was
likely to have but few heirs-as to deliver my thoughts from daily
poring over them, and afflicting my mind; and as my reason began now to
master my despondency, I began to comfort myself as well as I could,
and to set the good against the evil, that I might have something to
distinguish my case from worse; and I stated very impartially, like
debtor and creditor, the comforts I enjoyed against the miseries I
suffered.
Having now brought my mind a little to relish my condition, and
given over looking out to sea, to see if I could spy a ship-I say,
giving over these things, I begun to apply myself to arrange my way of
living, and to make things as easy to me as I could.
I have
already described my habitation, which was a tent under the side of a
rock, surrounded with a strong pale of posts and cables.
And now I began to apply myself to make such necessary things as I
found I most wanted, particularly a chair and a table; for without
these I was not able to enjoy the few comforts I had in the world; I
could not write or eat, or do several things, with so much pleasure
without a table: so I went to work