Unit 6. The dinner party

(by N. MONSARRAT)

1. Study these words and wcra-combinations:

to hire - нанимать

to take care of smb's worries–(зд.) заниматься чьими-либо проблемами, решать чьи-либо проблемы

genuine [`dgenuIn]–подлинный, настоящий

behavior [bI`heIvjә] - поведение, манеры

accomplished - воспитанный, изысканный

host - хозяин

rendezvous [`rכּndIvu:] - место встреч

hospitable - гостеприимный

amiable [`eImjәbl] – любезный

as usual - как обычно, как всегда

exquisite [`ekskwIzt]– изысканный, утонченный

concession - уступка

to admit - допускать, принимать

proprietor [prә1praIәtә] - владелец, собственник

intelligence - ум, интеллект

fabulous (зд.) известная, роскошная

distinguished - известный, выдающийся

to guess [ges] –догадываться

to dazzle [daezl] - ослеплять блеском, великолепием

intimate - близкий друг

to lean forward - наклониться, склонить вперед

to admire - восхищаться

magnificent - великолепный, изумительный, прекрасный

gracefully - грациозно, изящно, элегантно

to turn towards smb - поворачиваться к кому-либо

to nod - кивать головой

empress [`emprIs]–императрица

once – (зд.) когда-то; некогда

exclamation - восклицание

delight - восторг, восхищение

palm [pa:m] - ладонь

to gleam - светить, мерцать

splendidly - великолепно, роскошно

to be unused to doing smth - не привыкнуть делать что—либо

practical joke - грубая шутка, розыгрыш

dreadful - ужасный

embarassment - замешательство, смущение

guest [gest] –гость

un­valued - высоко-ценимый

search - обыск, поиск to vanish - исчезать, пропадать

irreplaceable thing - невозместимая вещь, незаменимая вещь

worth - стоящий thief - вор.

`cherished - нежно любимый

to insist on - настаивать на

to bow [bau] – наклонять, склонить голову

to make amends - возмещать ущерб

comparatively - относительно; сравнительно

2. Read and translate the text:

The Dinner Party

by N. Monsarrat

There are still some rich people in the world. Many of them lead lives of particular pleasure. But rich people do have their problems. They are seldom problems of finance, since most rich people have enough sense to hire other people to take care of their worries. But there are other, more genuine problems. They are the problems of behaviour.

Let me tell you a story which happened to my uncle Octavian a full thirty years ago. At that time I myself was fifteen. My uncle Octavian was then a rich man. He was a charming and accomplished host whose villa was an accepted rendezvous of the great. He was a hospitable and most amiable man - until January 3. 1925.

There was nothing special about that day in the life of my uncle Octavian, except, that it was his fifty-fifth birthday. As usual on such a day he was giving a party, a party for twelve people. All of them were old friends.

I, myself, aged fifteen, was deeply privileged. I was staying with my uncle at his exquisite villa, on holiday from school, and as a special concession on this happy day. I was allowed to come down to dinner. It was exciting for me to be admitted to such company, which included a newspaper proprietor of exceptional intelligence and his fabulous American wife, a recent prime-minister of France and a distinguished German prince and princess.

At that age, you will guess, I was dazzled. Even today, 30 years later, one may fairly admit that the company was distinguished. But I should also stress that they were all old and intimate friends of my uncle Octavian.

Towards the end of a wonderful dinner, when dessert had been brought in and the servants had left, my uncle leant forward to admire a magnificent diamond ring on the princess's hand. She was a beautiful woman. She turned her hand gracefully towards my uncle.

Across the table, the newspaper proprietor leant across and said: "May I also have a look?" She smiled and nodded. Then she took off the ring and held it out to him. "It was my grandmother's - the old empress, » she said. "I have not worn it for many years. It is said to have once belonged to Genghis Khan."

There were exclamations of delight and admiration. The ring was passed from hand to hand. For a moment it rested on my own palm, gleaming splendidly. Then I passed it on to my neighbor. As I turned away again, I saw her pass it on.

It was some 20 minutes later when the princess stood up and said: "Before we leave you, may I have my ring back?" . . . There was a pause, while each of us looked expectantly at his neighbor. Then there was silence.

The princess was still smiling, though less easily. She was unused to asking for things twice. The silence continued, I still thought that it could only be a practical joke, and that one of us

- probably the prince himself - would produce the ring with a laugh. But when nothing happened at all, I knew that the rest of the night would be dreadful.

I am sure that you can guess the sort of scene that followed. There was the embarrassment of the guests - all of them old and valued friends. There was a nervous search of the whole room. But it did not bring the princess's ring back again. It had vanished -an irreplaceable thing, worth possible two hundred thousand pounds

- in a roomful of twelve people, all known to each other.

Ho servants had entered the room. No one had left it for a moment. The thief (for now it could only be theft) was one of us, one of my uncle Octavian's cherished friends.

I remember it was the French cabinet minister who was most insistent on being searched, indeed, in his excitement he had already started to turn out his pockets, before my uncle held up his hand and stopped him. "There will be no search in my house." he commanded. "You are all my friends. The ring can only be lost. If it is not found" - he bowed towards the princess - "I will naturally make amends myself."

The ring was never found, it never appeared, either then or later.

To our family's surprise, uncle Octavian was a comparatively poor man. when he died (which happened, in fact, a few weeks ago). .And I should say that he died with the special sadness of a hospitable host who never gave a single lunch or dinner party for the last thirty years of his life.

3. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions:

нести жизнь, состоящую из одних удовольствий; проблемы, связанные с деньгами; очаровательный хозяин; место, где обычно встречались великие мира сего; радушный и хороший человек; устраивал прием на 1.2 персон; мне оказали особую привилегию; человек необычайного ума; я "был ослеплен; общество было избранным; великолепное кольцо с бриллиантом; передавали из рук в руки; выжидательно посмотреть; смущение гостей; старые, проверенные друзья; незаменимая вещь; больше всех настаивал на обыске; выворачивать карманы; ни тогда, ни потом.

4. Give Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions from the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

hire smb, be allowed to do smth. admire smth. have a look at. from hand to hand, turn away, be (un)used to doing smth. insist on, make amends, to smb's surprise, practical .joke, take care of. as usual.

5. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions. Consult the text if necessary.

1. There was nothing special ... that day ... the life of my uncle Octavian. 2. ... usual on such a day he was giving a party. 3. I was staying ... my uncle at his exquisite villa, ... holiday ... school. 4. It was exciting ... me to be admitted to such '/ company. 5. Then she took ... the ring and held it ... to him. 6. The ring was passed ... hand ... hand. 7. Then I passed it ... ... my neighbour. 8. As I turned .... I saw her pass it on. 9. She was unused ... asking for things twice. 10. There was a nervous search ... the whole room. 11. I remember it was the French cabinet minister who was most insistent ... being searched. 12. ... our family's surprise, uncle Octavian was a comparatively poor man. when he died.

6. Say it in one word, basing your answers on the vocabulary of this story:

1. If a man receives and entertains guests, he is said to be a h--- . 2. A place decided on for meeting at a time agreed on is called r . 3. A person, who owns a hotel, store, land or newspapers, is called a p ---. 4. If a person shows high mental abilities he is said to be I --- . 5. If somebody is well-known and famous among other people he is a d person. 6. If you know somebody for a long time and trust him (her), you call such a person an I --- friend. 7. The part of a body a fortune-teller needs to look at to tell your future is a p ---. 8. A careful look in order to find a person or thing is called a s---. 9. If you look for smth and can't find it you say that this thing v . 10. A person who steals, especially secretly and without violence is called a th--- . 11. If the thing you lost cannot be replaced by anything else it is said to be i---.

7. Agree or disagree with the following statements. Correct the wrong ones.

1. Rich people have more genuine problems than problems of finance. 2. When the author of the story was eighteen his uncle was still a very rich man. 3. In 1924 uncle Octavian was a hospitable and most amiable man. 4. On January 3. 1925 the uncle was celebrating his sixtieth anniversary. 5. Most of the guests were not close friends of uncle Octavian. 6. The princess was not very attractive. 7. The princess had a magnificent emerald ring on her hand. 8. The nephew was not allowed to hold the ring. 9. The ring had once belonged to Genghis Khan. 10. The disappearance of the ring was a practical joke of the French cabinet minister.

11. A.s no servants had entered the room there was a nervous search of all guests. 12. When uncle Octavian died, he was a comparatively poor man.

8. Answer the questions on the text:

1. How old was the author when this story happened to his uncle? 2. What kind of man was uncle Octavian? 3. In what way did he want to celebrate his fifty-fifth birthday⁰ 4. Describe the guests. 5. Why did the buy consider himself to be deeply privileged? 6. What was peculiar about all those people present at the party? 7. What did the princess tell the guests about her ring? 8. Why did the boy think it was a joke when the ring had disappeared? 9. What attempts were made to find the ring? 10. Could the servants take the ring? 11. Why didn't the uncle allow to search his guests? 12. What was the outcome of the story?

9. Retell the story on the part of:

1; the nephew, 2} uncle Octavian, 3 5 German princess.

UNIT 7. CAGED с BY L.E. REEVE)