Vocabulary:
to forgive somebody at once – простить кого-либо вот так сразу
over-confident – самоуверенный
naïve/credulous – наивный
a wise advice – мудрый совет
to fall asleep – засыпать
to melt away with one’s dreams – раствориться в мечтах
to have one’s head in the clouds – витать в облаках
to tell lies – соврать
to blow one’s own horn – похваляться, хвастаться
to come back from one’s dreams – вернуться/спуститься на землю
knight – рыцарь
to spoil (spoilt, spoilt) – портить
liar – врунишка
to marry a man – выходить замуж
to be a winner of the situation – быть хозяином положения
to stay alone – остаться одной
Task 1.
From Dr. DeLator: Однажды, мой юный друг Чарльз пришёл навестить меня и рассказал о забавном происшествии, случившимся с ним накануне Рождества. Он получил пощёчину и не мог понять почему. Желая произвести впечатление на даму, Чарльз сочинил историю и рассказал девушке о своих приключениях в Арктике. В своём рассказе он сделал ошибку. Я помог ему понять его ошибку. Но сможет ли он её исправить? Гертруда очень горда и красива, не думаю, что она простит Чарльза вот так сразу. Бедный мальчик, он так сильно в неё влюблён. Ах, как глупа молодость! Она самоуверенна и наивна и ей не нужен мудрый совет пока она не получит пощёчину.
From Dr. DeLator: Gertrude is very proud and beautiful and I don’t think that she’ll forgive him at once. It is over-confident and naïve and it doesn’t need a wise advice till it’ll get its face slapped. Once my young friend Charles came to visit me and told me about a funny accident that happened to him at Christmas Eve. Poor boy, he loves her so much. But will he be able to correct it? Having a desire to impress a lady Charles imagined a story and told the girl about his adventures in Arctic. In his story he made a mistake. I helped him to find it out. He got his face slapped and he couldn’t understand why. Ah, how silly the youth is!
Task 2.
From Charles: Гертруда! С этим именем я засыпал и просыпался на следующий день. Я растворился в мечтах и забыл о реальности. Я витал в облаках. А когда я получил пощёчину, то, наконец, вернулся на землю. Мой дорогой друг ДеЛейтор помог мне понять мою ошибку. Но главная ошибка в другом: я соврал, я хвастался. Хотя впрочем, история получилась интересная и будь на месте Гертруды другая глупая девчонка … Но Гертруда совсем не глупая. Наоборот, теперь она думает, что глупый я. Ах, эти умные красавицы, живущие на полюсе недоступности! Думаю, что путь к её сердцу будет труднее, чем в гидрометеорологическую обсерваторию северного флота. Но ни одного шага назад, г-н Мейкин!
From Charles: Ah, those clever beautiful women from the Pole of Inaccessibility! Gertrude! The other way round, now she thinks that I am silly. I had melted away with my dreams and forgotten about reality. But the most serious mistake is that I told her lies I blew my own horn. But when I got my face slapped I came back from my dreams at last. Although the story was interesting and if another silly girl was on Gertrude’s place … I had my head in the clouds. But no one step back, Mr. Makin! My dear friend Dr. DeLator helped me to find out the mistake. I think that the way to her heart will be more difficult than to the Navy’s Arctic Observation Weather Station. I fell asleep and woke up the next day with this name in my mind. But Gertrud is not silly at all.
Task 3.
From Gertrude: Ни героев, ни рыцарей уже не осталось! Этот мальчишка Чарльз Мейкин испортил такой замечательный праздник. Какой врунишка! Да знает ли он как плавать по морям или покорять вершины гор. Нет, никогда я не выйду замуж. Слова, одни слова и те с ошибками. Уж лучше остаться одной навсегда … Хотя впрочем, история у него не получилась, но сам он высок и хорош собой и при деньгах. Может быть, дать ему ещё один шанс? Да и потом так много наврать, чтобы понравиться мне … Думаю это о чём-то уже говорит. Хорошо, я дам ему шанс! Но это увеличительное стекло он будет долго помнить. А я всегда буду хозяйкой любого положения.
From Gertrude: This fellow Charles Makin spoilt such a wonderful party. Words, only words and those with mistakes. It would be better to stay alone forever… Although the story was wrong but he himself is tall and good-looking and has good money. And then, to tell so much lie in order to impress me … I think it says something. If he’d ever known, how to sail in the ocean or how to climb the tops of the mountains. No, I’ll never marry a man. OK, I’ll give him a chance! But this magnifying glass he will remember for a long time. There are no more heroes and no more knights! What a liar! And I’ll always be a winner in any situation. May be I give him another chance?
Exercise 8. Charles was very nervous when he was writing a letter to Gertrude. She’ll forgive him if you help to read it:
Deargertrudeiknowyouareveryangrywithmeiamverysorryaboutthatiwasabsolutelysurethatyouarethesameasothergirlsandthatwasthebiggestmistakeihaveevermadeinmylifeapersonlikemeisnotworthytoberatedwithyouneverthelessiamlookingforwardforyourexcuseyoumaynotbelievemeagainbutiwantedtotellyouthatiloveyouiwaslookingforawayhowtotellyouaboutitdeargertrudeforgivemeifyoucanpleaseanswerasquickaspossibleiwouldliketogetyouranswerbeforemydeparturenextweekiamleavingtothenorthofrussiaandfromtheretoarcticifiambackiwouldtrytoaskyoutomarrymeyourtrulycharles
Exercise 9. React on the other person’s opinion according to the model using the phrases given below:
Phrases for expression opinion: I think …; As far as I know …; As far as I understand …;
As far as I remember …; In my opinion …; To my mind …
Phrases of agreement:
You are quite right
You are absolutely right
I quite agree with you
I am of the same opinion
I’m sure you are right
Phrases of disagreement:
You are wrong
I’m afraid you are wrong
I’m afraid you are mistaken
I’m of another opinion
I can’t agree with you
Model:
As far as I remember Charles had never talked with Gertrude Morgan.
I’m afraid you are wrong he invited her to the dinner on Christmas Eve and told her his Arctic Circle story.
In my opinion Dr. DeLator is a very reliable and respectful person.
I quite agree with you he helped his friends in their problems and they trusted him their secrets.
A. – I think Gertrude was too aggressive in the restaurant.
B. – …
A. – To my mind Charles didn’t expect the unhappy end of his story.
B. – …
A. – As far as I understand Charles was something of a hero.
B. – …
A. – In my opinion Gertrude was too proud of her famous relatives.
B. – …
A. – I think Charles was very sorry when he understood his mistake.
B. – …
A. – As far as I know Gertrude was an open-minded and beautiful woman.
B. – …
Exercise 10. Give the short answers to the following questions:
1. Dr. DeLator was a reliable man, wasn’t he?
2. Did Charles love Gertrude?
3. Charles’s story was wrong, wasn’t it?
4. Is Charles an interesting person?
5. Was Gertrude indifferent to Charles?
6. Had Gertrude’s grandfather been sailing with Admiral Byrd for many years?
7. Have you ever combed icicles from your whiskers?
8. Do you try to impress young ladies sometimes?
9. Do you always tell the truth?
10. Does Charles want Gertrude to forgive him?
11. Do you want Gertrude to forgive Charles?
12. Will she have forgiven him if he writes her a letter of excuse?