The serenade

by G.B. Shaw

1. Transcribe and practise reading the given words, learn their Russian equivalents.

adieu, aloe, amateur, auditorium, baritone, colonel, to compass, decanter, effeminate, entombed, extremity, to exult, to forestall, guinea, heroine, infamous, jocosity, minutely, penultimate, pianoforte, regiment, serenade, tedium, uncouth

2. Vocabulary

1) to turn (up)on sth; 2) to plead sth; 3) to comply (with); 4) hitch (also: without a hitch, a technical hitch); 5) no end (of sth); 6) to do sb/sth justice (cf: to do oneself justice); 7) groundless(ly); 8) to persevere; 9) to make light of sth (cf: to make light work of (doing) sth); 10) to be on at sb for sth/to do sth; 11) to excel in/at (also: to excel oneself).

3. Find in the story the English for:

1) любительский спектакль; 2) замурованный злой волшебницей; 3) играть роль главной героини; 4) заглянуть за кулисы; 5) но, умоляю, ничего не трогайте; 6) с развязной веселостью; 7) холодные и влажные руки; 8) шляпы посыпались с вешалок; 9) сыграть от начала до конца; 10) это победило его сомнения; 11) исполнение серенады; 12) сыграть серенаду для Линды;

13) подкупить слугу; 14) не иметь мужества сделать ч-л; 15) обрести уверенность в себе; 16) заключительные такты; 17) дать к-л слово офицера

Make up 1 sentence with any of the items for oral translation in class.

4. Find words and phrases in the story with the following meanings:

1) noticeably, exceptionally; 2) to be brave enough to say or to do sth; 3) a large crowd of people; 4) a strong protest, complaint, criticism; 5) to put sth into one’s pocket; 6) to get off a train, bus, or other vehicle; 7) to agree with or officially give permission for something; 8) just before the last in a series; 9) a moral principle that prevents you from doing something you think is bad; 10) happy laughter; 11) to consider doing something in the future; 12) to send a letter, parcel, email etc that has been sent to your address to someone else at another address.

5. Give Russian equivalents of the words and phrases/sentences below:

A. 1) a loadstone mountain; 2) a young man of amiable disposition; 3) playing the concluding bars with commanding sonority;

B. 1. He grunted, made a drunken blow at me, and relapsed into insensibility. 2. Then I grasped the horn like a vice, inflated my lungs, jammed the mouthpiece against my lips and set my teeth until it nearly cut me; and spat fiercely through it. 3. …the soldier reeled out, pale as though the last trumpet had aroused him.

6. Explain what is meant by:

a) serenade; adept (n); hansom; pleasure ground;

b) fidgety, flippant, conscientious.

Which characters of the story possessed these personal qualities?

7. Say what you know about:

1) Park Lane; 2) the Marble Arch.

8. Rephrase or interpret the given sentences (without using the underlined parts).

1. The next chair … was taken (rather coolly) by Porcharlester. 2. … my attention was curiously arrested by the gleaming brass curves of the instrument on the table.

3. I stole to the table… 4. When the completed phrase revealed to her what air I was playing, she laid down her book. 5. Gaining confidence, I partly atoned for the imperfection of the beginning by playing the concluding bars with commanding sonority. 6. … he is unconscious of having given her the slightest ground for offence.