Любимые герои. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Oliver Twist

The Dodger pushed the door of a house open1 and the boys went in. The Dodger whistled.

“Who’s there?” cried a voice. A man with a candle appeared at the end of the corridor.

“Is Fagin2 upstairs?” asked the Dodger. “Yes, go up.”

Oliver and the Dodger went up the dark and broken steps and entered a room.

The walls and ceiling of the room were black with age and dust3. There was a table before the fire. A very ugly old man was cooking some saus- ages over the fire. Near him many handkerchiefs were hanging on a line. Four or five boys not older than the Dodger were sitting round the table. They were smoking and drinking gin. The Dodger went up to Fagin and whispered something to him.

“We are very glad to see you, Oliver, very,” said the old man. “Dodger, put a chair near the fire for

Oliver.”

After supper the old man gave Oliver a glass of gin and water. Oliver drank it and immediately fell asleep.

It was late next morning when Oliver woke up. There was nobody in the room except Fagin who was making some coffee for breakfast. Soon the Dodger and another boy, whose name was Charley Bates4, came home.

1pushed the door of a house open — толчком открыл дверь одного дома

2Fagin ['feIMIn] — Фейгин

3with age and dust — от старости и пыли

4Charley Bates ['tSC:lI'beIts] — Чарли Бейтс

31

Charles Dickens

After breakfast the old man and the two boys played a very strange game. The old man put a to- bacco-box in one pocket of his trousers, his spectacles and handkerchief in another pocket, and a watch in his waistcoat pocket. Then he took his stick and began to walk up and down the room1. He imitated the manner in which old gentlemen walk about the streets. The two boys followed him and tried to take the things which were in his pockets. If Fagin felt a hand in one of his pockets, he cried out where it was, and the game started again.

QUESTIONS AND TASKS

1.Why did Oliver decide to go to London?

2.Using the text, describe the Dodger.

3.How did the Dodger help Oliver?

4.What did Fagin’s room look like?

5.What strange game did Fagin and the boys play?

Part II

I

(Every day the Dodger and Charley Bates went out to work. Oliver did not know what kind of work it was. They brought home handkerchiefs and sometimes pocket-books. Oliver thought that they made them. He asked Fagin to let him go to work with the boys, and one day Fagin agreed.)

1 up and down the room — взад и вперёд по комнате

32

Oliver Twist

The three boys went out. They walked about the streets so slowly that Oliver began to think that the Dodger and Bates had decided not to go to work at all. Suddenly the Dodger stopped and put his finger to his mouth.

“What’s the matter?” asked Oliver.

“Hush,” replied the Dodger. “Do you see that old man at the bookstall?”

“Yes, I see him,” said Oliver. “He’ll do1,” said the Dodger.

“That’s right,” said Charley Bates. To Oliver’s great surprise, the two boys crossed the street and stopped behind the old gentleman. The Dodger put his hand into the man’s pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to Charley Bates. Then they both ran away round the corner.

Now Oliver understood the game which Fagin and the boys played every morning. He stood for a moment, surprised and frightened, then, not knowing2 what he did, he started running too.

Just at that moment the old gentleman put his hand to his pocket. He did not find his handker- chief and quickly turned round. When he saw Oliver who was running away, he thought that the boy was the thief. He shouted, “Stop thief!” and started running after him.

Very soon a lot of people were running after Oliver and shouting, “Stop thief!” They stopped him at last. A policeman appeared and took the poor boy to the police-station.

1He'll do — Он подойдет

2not knowing — не понимая, не отдавая себе отчета

33

Charles Dickens

II

The old gentleman, whose handkerchief was stolen, was sorry for Oliver when he saw how pale and frightened the boy was. At the police-office he said that he hoped the boy would not be punished.

“He is already punished,” he said. “And I am afraid that he is ill.”

“Oh,yes,”saidtheofficer.Helaughedandturned to Oliver:

“What’s your name?”

Oliver tried to reply, but he was so frightened that he could not speak.

“What’s your name, you scoundrel?” shouted the officer.

“Take care of him, officer,” said the old gentle- man, “he will fall down.”

Oliver could not stand any more and fell onto the floor. At this moment the door opened and a man ran into the office.

“Stop, stop! Don’t take him away! Stop a moment!” cried the man.

“What is this? Who is this? Go away!” cried the officer.

“I will speak1,” cried the man, “I will not go away2. I saw it all. I keep the bookstall. You must hear me.”

“All right, man, what can you say?” said the of- ficer.

1I will speak — Я обязательно буду говорить

2I will not go away — Я ни за что не уйду

34

Oliver Twist

“This,” said the man: “I saw three boys: two others and the prisoner here. They were standing on the other side of the street when this gentleman was reading. The handkerchief was stolen by another boy. I saw how he did it; and I saw that this boy was very surprised and frightened.”

“Why didn’t you come before?” asked the offi- cer.

“I had nobody to leave in the shop.”

So at last Oliver was allowed to go, but he could not get up. The poor boy lay on his back, his face white as paper.

“Poor boy, poor boy,” said the old gentleman, looking1 at him. “Call a coach, somebody, please. At once!”

A coach was brought. Oliver was put on one seat, the old gentleman got in and sat himself on the other, and they drove away.

III

(Theold gentleman, whose name was Mr. Brownlow2, took Oliver to his house and asked his housekeeper Mrs. Bedwin3, to prepare a bed for him. The boy was put into bed and the doctor was called.

Oliver was ill for a long time. During his illness Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin, who was a very

1looking — глядя

2Brownlow ['braunlAu] — Браунлоу

3Bedwin ['bedwIn] — Бедвин

35

Charles Dickens

kind old lady, took great care of him, and by and by he began to get better.)

For many days Oliver was seriously ill. The sun rose and set, and rose and set again, and many times after that; and still the boy lay on his bed and did not get any better.

Weak and thin, he opened his eyes at last. He raised himself in the bed, rested his head on his arm1 and looked around in surprise.

“What room is this? This is not the place I went to sleep in.”

He said these words in a weak voice, but they were heard. A kind-looking old lady rose from a chair and came up to him.

“Hush, my dear,” she said softly. “You must be very quiet, or you will be ill again. Lie down, there’s a good boy2.”

The old lady gave Oliver something to drink and then told him again that he must be very quiet.

Soon Oliver fell asleep. When he woke up, it was evening. A gentleman with a very large gold watch in his hand was standing near the bed and holding Oliver’s hand. It was the doctor.

“You are much better now, are you not, my dear?” said the doctor.

“Yes, thank you, sir,” replied Oliver.

“Yes, I know you are,” said the doctor. “You are hungry too, aren’t you?”

1rested his head on his arm — оперся головой на руку

2there’s a good boy — вот молодец

36

Oliver Twist

“No, sir,” answered Oliver.

“Hm,” said the doctor. “No, I know you’re not. He is not hungry, Mrs. Bedwin,” said the doctor, and he looked very clever.

“You want to sleep, don’t you, my dear?” said the doctor.

“No, sir,” replied Oliver.

“No,” said the doctor, “you don’t want to sleep. And you don’t want to drink. Do you?”

“Yes, sir, I want to drink,” answered Oliver. “Just as I thought, Mrs. Bedwin.” said the doc-

tor. “It’s very natural that he wants to drink. You may give him a little tea, ma’am1, and some dry bread without any butter.”

Then the doctor went away, and soon after this Oliver fell asleep again. When he woke up the next morning, he felt cheerful and happy. In three days’ time he could sit up. Soon he began to get up to breakfast. As soon as he was strong enough to put his clothes on, Mr. Brownlow bought him a new suit, and a new cap, and a new pair of shoes.

Those were very good days. Everything was so quiet, everybody was so kind and gentle, and Oliver was happy.

QUESTIONS AND TASKS

1.Why did Oliver think that the Dodger and Charley Bates did not want to go to work?

2.What was the boys’ “work”?

3.How did it happen that Oliver was taken for a thief?

1 ma’am [mBm] сокр. от madam ['mBdAm] — мадам

37

Charles Dickens

4.What did the bookstall-keeper explain to the police?

5.Say why Oliver was happy in Mr. Brownlow’s house.

Part III

I

One evening Mr. Brownlow sent for Oliver. He wanted Oliver to tell him1 the story of his life. Oliver was just beginning to do that when somebody knocked at the street door. The servant came in and announced Mr. Grimwig2.

Mr. Brownlow turned to Oliver and said that Mr. Grimwig was an old friend of his and Oliver must not mind his being a little rough in his manners3 because he was a kind man.

“Shall I go downstairs, sir?” asked Oliver. “No,” replied Mr. Brownlow, “I want you to re-

main here4.”

At that moment Mr. Grimwig walked into the room. He was a stout old gentleman, rather lame in one leg.

“Hallo! What’s that?” he said when he saw Oliver.

1He wanted Oliver to tell him — Он хотел, чтобы Оли-

вер рассказал ему

2Grimwig ['MrImwIM] — Гримвиг

3must not mind his being a little rough in his man- ners — не должен обращать внимания на то, что у него немного грубые манеры

4I want you to remain here — я хочу, чтобы ты оста-

вался здесь

38

Oliver Twist

“This is young Oliver Twist, whom we were speaking about,” said Mr. Brownlow.

Mr. Grimwig looked at Oliver. Oliver bowed to the old gentleman.

“That’s the boy, is it?” said Mr. Grimwig. “That is the boy,” replied Mr. Brownlow. “How are you, boy?” said Mr. Grimwig.

“Much better, thank you, sir,” replied Oliver. Mr. Brownlow felt that his friend was going to

say something unpleasant. So he asked Oliver to go downstairs and tell Mrs. Bedwin that they were ready for tea.

“He is a nice-looking boy, is he not?” asked Mr. Brownlow.

“I don’t know,” replied Mr. Grimwig. “Don’t know?”

“No, I don’t know. I never see any difference in boys. Where does he come from?1 Who is he? What is he? He has had a fever. What of that?2 Not only good people have fevers. Bad people also have fevers sometimes, don’t they, eh? I knew a man who was hung in Jamaica3 for murdering4 his master. He had had a fever six times. Pooh! Nonsense! Maybe this boy is deceiving you, my good friend.”

At that moment Mrs. Bedwin entered the room and put a small parcel of books on the table which the bookstall-keeper had brought.

1Where does he come from? — Откуда он?

2What of that? — Ну и что из этого?

3Jamaica [dZA'meIkA] — остров Ямайка

4for murdering — за убийство

39

Charles Dickens

“Stop the man, Mrs. Bedwin,” said Mr. Brownlow, “I must send some books back.”

“He has gone, sir,” replied Mrs. Bedwin. “Dear me1, I am very sorry for that,” exclaimed

Mr. Brownlow. “I wanted these books to be returned2 today.”

“Send Oliver with them,” said Mr. Grimwig with an ironical smile.

“Yes, let me take them if you please, sir,” said Oliver, who had just entered the room. “I’ll run all the way, sir.”

“All right,” said Mr. Brownlow. “You must say that you have come to give these books back and to pay for the books which I have bought. Here is a five-pound note.”

“I’ll be back in ten minutes, sir,” replied Oliver and ran out of the room.

“Let me see, he’ll be back in twenty minutes at the longest3,” said Mr. Brownlow, as he pulled out his watch and put it on the table. “It will be dark by that time.”

“Oh, do you really think he will come back?” asked Mr. Grimwig.

“Don’t you?” asked Mr. Brownlow and smiled. “No,” said Mr. Grimwig, “I do not. The boy has a new suit of clothes on him, some valuable books

under his arm, and a five-pound note in his pocket.

1Dear me — возглас сожаления

2I wanted these books to be returned — Я хотел, что-

бы эти книги вернули

3at the longest — самое большее

40