XVI. Translate the following situations paying careful attention to the words and word combinations in bold type:
Бекки не могла не расплакаться, когда узнала, что они заблу дились в пещере. «Зачем только я пошла с тобой, Том!» - сказала она, плача. - «Возьми себя в руки, Бекки! Нас скоро найдут. Должно быть, они уже ищут нас». На третий день, когда дети потеряли всякую надежду выбраться из пещеры, Том увидел дневной свет. Тетя Полли не могла не гордиться Томом. Это он спас Бекки.
Когда миссис Пирс ввела Элизу в кабинет, Хиггинс очень удивился: он не ожидал увидеть цветочницу, с которой разго варивал накануне. «Интересно, зачем она пришла? Она, должно
быть, решила брать у меня уроки английского языка!» Эта мысль так поразила его, что он не мог не рассмеяться.
Пикеринг предложил Хиггинсу научить Элизу правильно го ворить по-английски. Он даже вызвался оплатить все рас ходы, связанные с ее обучением.
Миссис Хиггинс не могла не посочувствовать Элизе, когда узнала, что случилось в доме Хиггинса. «Не плачьте, Элиза, - ска зала она. - Возьмите себя в руки. Вспомните, бывало вы пола гались только на себя (to rely on oneself). А теперь, когда вы хорошо говорите по-английски, у вас есть все возможности опять стать независимой и зарабатывать себе на жизнь больше, чем когда-либо (to earn a better living)».
Отец Карди (Father Cardi) поздоровался с Артуром (Arthur) за руку и начал расспрашивать его о занятиях в университете. «Я уверен, что вы оправдаете рекомендацию Монтанелли, - сказал Карди. - Теперь, когда он уехал, мы с вами часто будем встре чаться. Надеюсь, мы станем друзьями. Приходите в следую щую пятницу. Я вас буду ждать». С этими словами он отпустил Артура.
XVII. Read the text and retell it following the points in the outline given below. Make a list of the words and word combinations in the text which you could use to develop each point:
Joseph Conrad wrote to a friend to this effect: that life made him feel like a cornered blind rat waiting to be clubbed. This simile could well describe the appalling circumstances of our family; nevertheless, some of us had a stroke oFTuck, and this is what happened to me.
I had been a newsboy, printer, toymaker, glass blower, doctor's boy, etc., but changing from one job to another I never lost sight of my ultimate aim to become an actor. So between jobs I would polish my shoes, brush my clothes, put on a clean collar and make periodical calls at Blackmore's theatrical agency in Bedford Street off the Strand. I did this until the state of my clothes forbade any further visits.
One day I was standing in a far corner near the door of the agency, painfully shy, trying to conceal my weatherworn suit and shoes slightly budding at the toes, when the clerk saw me. He stopped abruptly and asked: «What do you want?»
I felt like Oliver Twist asking for more. «Have you any boys' parts?» I gulped. «Have you registered?» I shook my head.
To my surprise he ushered me into the adjoining office and took my name and address and all particulars, saying that if anything came up he would let me know. I left with a pleasant sense of having performed a duty, but also rather thankful that nothing had come of it.
A month later I received a postcard. It read: «Would you call at Blackmore's Agency, Bedford Street, Strand?»
In my new suit (Sidney had outfitted me with new clothes) I was ushered into the very presence of Mr.Blackmore himself, who was all smiles and amiability. Mr.Blackmore, whom I had imagined to be almighty and scrutinizing, was most kindly and gave me a note to deliver to Mr.Hamilton at the office.
Mr.Hamilton read it and was amused and surprised to see how small I was. Of course I lied about my age, telling him I was fourteen - I was twelve and a half. He explained that I was to play Billie, the pageboy in Sherlock Holmes, for a tour of forty weeks, which was to start in autumn.
«In the meantime», said Mr.Hamilton, «there is an exceptionally good boy's part in a new play, Jim, The Romance of a Cockney written by Mr.H.A.Saintsbury, the gentleman who is to play the title role in Sherlock Holmes on the forthcoming tour”.
The salary was two pounds ten shillings a week, the same as I would get for Sherlock Holmes.
Although the sum was a windfall I never batted an eye.
«I must consult my brother about the terms», I said solemnly. Mr.Hamilton laughed and seemed highly amused, then brought out the whole office staff to have a look at me.
«This is our Billie! What do you think of him?»
Everybody was delighted and smiled beamingly at me. What had happened? It seemed the world had suddenly changed, had taken me
into its fond embrace and adopted me. Mr.Hamilton gave me a note to Mr.Saintsbury, whom he said I would find at the Green Room Club in Leicester Square, and I left, walking on clouds.
The same thing happened at the Green Room Club, Mr.Saintsbury calling out other members to have a look at me. Then and there he handed me the part of Sammy, saying that it was one of the important characters in his play. I was a little nervous for fear he might ask me to read on the spot, which would have been embarrassing as I was almost unable to read; fortunately he told me to take it home and read it at leisure, as they would not be starting rehearsals for another week.
I went home on the bus dazed with happiness, and began to get the full realization of what had happened to me. I had suddenly left behind a life of poverty and was entering a long-desired dream - a dream my mother had often spoken about. I was to become an actor! It had all come so suddenly, so unexpectedly. I kept thumbing the pages of my part - the most important document I had ever held in my life. During the ride on the bus I realized I had crossed an important threshold. No longer was I a nondescript of the slums; now I was a personage of the theater. I wanted to weep.
Sidney's eyes were filmy when I told him what had happened. He sat crouched on the bed, thoughtfully looking out of the window, shaking and nodding his head, then said gravely, «This is the turning point of our lives. If only Mother was here to enjoy it with us».
The rehearsals of Jim took place in the upstairs foyer of the Drury Lane Theatre. Those first rehearsals were a revelation. They opened up a new world of technique. I had no idea that there was such a thing as stagecraft - timing, pausing, a cue to turn, to sit - but it came naturally to me. Only one fault Mr.Saintsbury corrected: I moved my head and mugged too much when I talked.
After rehearsing a few scenes he was astonished and wanted to know if I had acted before. What a glow of satisfaction, pleasing Mr.Saintsbury and the rest of the cast! However, I accepted their enthusiasm as though it were my natural birthright.
Jim was not a success. The reviewers criticized the play unmercifully. Nevertheless, I received favorable notices. One, which Mr.Charles Rock, a member of our company, showed me, was exceptionally good.
«Young
man», said he solemnly, «don't get a swollen head when you read
this». And after lecturing me about modesty and graciousness he read
the review of the London
Topical Times, which
I remember word for
word. After writing disparagingly of the play it continued, «But
there
is one redeeming feature, the part of Sammy, a newspaper boy, a smart
London street Arab, much responsible for the comic part. Although
hackneyed
and old-fashioned, Sammy was made vastly amusing by Master
Charles Chaplin, a bright and vigorous child actor. I have never
heard
of the boy before, but I hope to hear great things of him in the near
future».
Sidney bought a dozen copies.
From «My Autobiography» by Charles Chaplin