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Файл:Практический курс первого иностранного языка (английский язык) для студентов 4 курса. Учебно-методическое пособие
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Atherton looked awkwardly at the ground, ‗He w…wasn‘t when I left him,‘
he said. ‗But he looked in a pretty bad way.‘
In a pretty bad way? Oh, dear God, no!
There had been no room in the tub for Ted Taylor to lie down, and the
makeshift stretcher to which he was strapped hah had to be up-ended for the
journey from the rock face. Once on the surface, however, willing hands soon
returned the stretcher to its correct position.
A crowd had gathered round the winding house. At first, Mary found it
impossible to get through, but once people realized that she was the injured man‘s
wife – ‗his widow‘, someone said!- a path was soon made for her.
Mary looked down at her husband. His face was ashen and he seemed to be
finding breathing difficult. One of his legs was twisted at an unnatural angle.
‗Hello, Mary, love,‘ he said weakly.
Well, at least he was conscious, his wife thought. That was something.
‗Clear a way!‘ Mr. Finch, the manager, shouted with authority.
The onlookers shuffled backwards and Ted Taylor‘s work-mates carried his
stretcher to a waiting wagon.
‗Be careful with him,‘ Mary implored. ‗For God‘s sake, be careful with
him.‘
‗We‘ve sent for the doctor, Mrs. Taylor,‘ the manager told her. ‗And don‘t
worry – the company will pay the bill.‘
Don‘t worry! Mary Taylor thought. There was her husband, her big strong
husband, lying helplessly on the back of a wagon, and she was supposed not to
worry!
‗Shall I go now, Mr. Finch ?‘ the wagon driver asked.
‗Yes, but take it slow,‘ the manager said. ‗We don‘t want him jogged about
any more than we can help.‘ He turned to Mary. ‗Do you want to go with him?‘
Mary nodded and climbed up on the wagon beside her husband.
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‗Look at you!‘ she said, adopting a tone of mock severity though her heart
was breaking. ‗I just can‘t trust you out on your own, can I?‘
Taylor smiled thinly. ‗I‘ve always been a bit of a mad bugger, haven‘t I?‘ he
said with effort. ‗But I‘ve already overdone it this time.‘
The horse started off at a gentle trot, and Taylor winced with pain.
‗We‘ll soon have you home,‘ Mary said comfortingly, ‗and the doctor‘ll
patch you up good as new.‘
If Taylor could have shaken his head he would have done. As it was he
merely whispered, ‗I‘m a goner – and we both know it.‘
‗You‘re not!‘ his wife said fiercely. ‗You‘re not! In three months it‘ll be as if
this had never happened.‘
But though she spoke the words she didn‘t believe them. Her husband might
– with luck – pull through, but he would never be able to work down the mine
again. And if he couldn‘t work as a miner, what could he do?
‗We should do something to help Mr. Taylor,‘ Michael Worrell said towards
the end of dinner. ‗Or if it‘s too late to help him, we should at least do something
for his family.‘
‗Should we, now?‘ asked his father, reaching for the port. ‗And what makes
you say that?‘
‗Because what happened to him was all Richard‘s fault.‘
Len Worrell turned to look at his elder son. Richard Worrell had been
unnaturally pale at the start of the meal, but the large amounts of wine he had
managed to knock back had done something to return the colour to his cheeks.
‗Was it your fault, Richard?‘ Len asked.
‗Was it hell!‘ Richard said, in a voice which was half angry and half
defensive.
‗You‘re not down the mine now,‘ his father said sternly, ‗and I didn‘t send
you to that fancy school to hear language like that across me own table.‘
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‗I‘m sorry, Father,‘ Richard said. ‗I think I‘m still in shock. That man Taylor
nearly got me killed.‘
‗Did he?‘ Worrell said. ‗And now do you work that out?‘
‗He never wanted us down the mine in the first place,‘ Richard explained. ‗I
heard him talking to his ―mates‖ about having to waste his time dealing with
toffee-nosed kids.‘
His older brother sounded so plausible, Michael thought. Ted Taylor had
complained to the other workers about having to train the Worrell boys – or, at
least, Richard – and now Richard was using Taylor‘s dislike in his own defence
because he knew, like all good liars, that the closer you keep to the truth the more
convincing you appear.
‗So he didn‘t take to you,‘ Len Worrell said. ‗That‘s not the same as almost
getting you killed, is it?‘
‗He couldn‘t be bothered to explain the job properly,‘ Richard ploughed on.
‗At the very best, I think he wanted us to make fools of ourselves – and of you. At
worst, I think he was hoping we‘d get hurt, just because we‘ve got more money
than he has.‘
Worrell nodded. ‗There are people like that about,‘ he agreed, ‗though I‘d
not have thought Ted Taylor was one of them.‘ He turned back to his younger son.
‗You look as if you disagree with your brother, Michael,‘ he said.
‗Mr. Taylor may not have liked us very much, but he did his best to teach us
all he knew,‘ Michael said. ‗Richard didn‘t make a mistake because of what Mr.
Taylor told us – he made it because he was careless.‘
Len Worrell munched thoughtfully on his new piece of information.
‗Even if Richard was careless, is that any reason I should go playing Lord
Bountiful to the whole of Ted Taylor family?‘ he asked finally.
‗I think so – yes,‘ his younger sin replied.
‗I like Ted – always have,‘ Worrell said. ‗But it wasn‘t me who asked him to
go to down the mine in the first place, and it wasn‘t me who forced him to work
with explosives instead of settling for being a ferrier and getting his hands dirty.‘
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‗But…‘ Michael said.
‗I haven‘t finished,‘ Worrell told him.
‗Sorry, Father,‘ Michael said, restraining himself only with effort.
‗Suppose I do pay him off - a man who doesn‘t even work for me – I‘ll just
be storing up trouble for myself, won‘t I?‘ Worrell continued.
‗I don‘t see why,‘ Michael said.
‗Then think about it,‘ his father urged him. ‗If I give something to Ted
Taylor, what‘s going to happen the next time a waller gets careless at my works
and splashes himself with a bit of brine?‘
‗I expect he‘ll…‘
‗I‘ll tell you what is going to happen. Instead of wiping the brine off with a
bit of rag and carrying on working, he‘ll be straight up to the office demanding
compensation, won‘t he?
You must understand that if you get a reputation for being soft in my
business, Michael, it won‘t be long before you‘re up in the bankruptcy courts.‘
‗Whatever it costs you, you have to do what‘s right,‘ Michael Worrell said
stubbornly.
‗Oh, I will,‘ his father agreed. ‗I‘ll do what‘s right for me and mine.‘
‗No!‘ Michael said, banging the palm of his hand down on the table so hard
that the wine glasses jangled together.
‗You what?‘ asked his astounded father.
‗Don‘t do it for me!‘ Michael shouted, his face as red with rage as his
brother‘s was with alcohol. ‗Don‘t you dare do something dishonest and
dishonorable and then say that you‘re doing it for me!‘
‗I‘ll not have this,‘ Worrell said, pointing his thick, strong index finger at his
youngest son. ‗You‘ll apologize. This minute.‘
Michael stood up. ‗I will not apologize.‘
‗Sit down, Michael,‘ Worrell said sternly.
‗And I will not sit down,‘ Michael replied hotly. ‗I won‘t share the same
table with you a second longer.‘
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With that he turned and rushed towards the floor.
Worrell stood up, sending his chair flying backwards.
‗Come back here, you young bugger,‘ he bawled. ‗Come back right now.‘
Michael opened the door and dashed down the corridor, almost knocking the
silver tray out of the hands of Chivers the butler.
For the first time in years Worrell was at a loss as to what to do next. He
knew that his own father would have done in his place – chased the lad round the
house and given him a leathering when he‘d caught him. But his old dad hadn‘t
been a gentleman like he was supposed to be.
Even if he did drop his carefully cultivated dignity and chase after the boy,
was there any guarantee he‘d catch him? And if he caught him, was he sure that
Michael would stand passively while he received his thrashing? Five minutes
earlier none of these thoughts would have occurred to Worrell, but five minutes
earlier he‗d never thought that Michael would openly defy him, either.
He was frightened of his own son, he realized. Not physically – though for
all that Michael was only sixteen, he was a strapping boy and could probably stand
up for himself quite well if he chose to fight back. No, it wasn‘t Michael‘s physical
strength which intimidated him, it was the power of his previously hidden passion.
‗Shall I clear away now, Sir?‘ Chivers asked.
Worrell glanced at his butler and in the split second before Chivers had time
to rearrange his features caught the expression on his face.
I‘m used for better than this, the expression said. I‘m used to dealing with
people with a little more class.
Showing me up in front of the servants, Worrell thought angrily. You young
bastard, Michael.
Sod it! He would go after the boy, and when he found him he‘d give him the
beating of his life – even if the grooms had to hold Michael down while he did it.
‗You can go, Chivers,‘ Richard Worrell said with an air of authority his
father might have shown in front of his workers, but could never have achieved
with his servants.
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The butler, his tray only half full, wheeled smartly and left the room.
‗What the hell… ‘ Len Worrell asked as Chivers closed the door behind him.
‗Don‘t do it, Father,‘ Richard advised.
‗Don‘t do what?‘
‗Don‘t reduce all this to the level of a common brawl. If you want to get
revenge on Michael for the way he‘s humiliated you in front of the servants, there
are better ways to do it.‘
Len Worrell sank back into his chair defeatedly.
Revenge? That wasn‘t he wanted.
But what exactly did he want?
He wanted to be able to like Michael more.
He wanted to look at the boy without being reminded of Caroline, his wife –
the woman who had given up her life to bring Michael into this world.
He waned… he wanted.
If only Michael would make it a little easier for him, he thought. If only the
boy would bend a little and try to see the world the way he did, as a place where
weakness was always exploited – a place where one moment‘s carelessness could
cost you your inventions, the only thing you‘d ever really been proud of.
Worrell sighed. Was Michael ever going to turn into the son he wanted him
to be? Or was he going to have to hand the whole business over to Richard?
II. Comprehension check.
1. Say true or false to the following statements and correct the false
ones.
1) Len Worrell wanted their young sons to get experience of going down
the mine.
2) Michael Worrell and Richard Worrell were both willing to work.
3) Taylor considered Richard Worrell to be a bit thick.
4) Ted Taylor didn‘t like his surname being used by this whippersnapper
because he had always been ‗Ted‘ to Richard Worrell‘s father.
5) Len Worrell didn‘t treat workers as if they were dirt and he was
always willing to take their advice.
6) Ted Taylor knew the meaning of the word ‗graduate‘ perfectly well.
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7) Ted Taylor was going to let the young men do some blasting of their
own.
8) A good explosives man should always leave himself time to get away.
9) People said to one another that Ted Taylor was not the most
experienced blaster in the mine.
10) After the accident Ted Taylor was sure that he was a goner.
11) Mary really believed that in three months it would be as if that
accident had never happened.
12) Michael Worrell tried to persuade his father to help somehow Taylor‘s
family.
13) Richard knew that what had happened to Taylor was his fault and he
didn‘t try to shift the blame on Ted Taylor.
14) Richard sounded so plausible that his father easily believed in his
innocence.
15) Len Worrell preferred to believe his elder son.
16) Len Worrell was sure that he should pay the compensation to Ted
Taylor‘s family.
17) Len Worrell and his son Michael had a very serious brawl.
18) Len Worrell realized that he wasn‘t frightened of his younger son.
19) Len Worrell was angry because Michael had humiliated him in front
of the servants.
20) Richard tried to persuade his father to forgive Michael and forget
about that quarrel.
21) Len Worrell wanted to be able to like Michael more.
2. Prepare the following passage for a good reading and literary
translation: ―For the first time in years Worrell was at a loss…. It was the power
of his previously hidden passion‖.
III. Vocabulary work.
1. Match the words on the left with the words on the right.
1) fancy a) brawl
2) ignorant b) glasses
3) iron c) tray
4) blasting d) finger
5) waiting e) man
6) wine f) boy
7) thick, strong g) area
8) common h) school
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9) silver i) wheels
10) strapping j) wagon
Make up sentences incorporating these word combinations.
2. Find in the text synonyms for the following words and phrases:
two weeks;
a small boy;
the lost man;
to shout loudly;
rough fight or struggle;
examine, look carefully;
to sound true or valid;
strong and healthy.
3. Explain the meaning of the following phrases and word-combinations
in English and use them in situations of your own.
1) to scratch the back of another person
2) to be thick
3) to be a different kettle of fish
4) to be blue in the face
5) to regain one‘s self-control
6) to pay smb off
7) to stand up for oneself
8) to get revenge on smb
4. Make up a list of the verbs and adverbs denoting speech (e.g. to admit,
to say stubbornly, etc.). How do such words characterize the emotional state of the
characters? Define the difference in their meanings.
IV. Discussion.
1. Explain what is meant by the following statements:
1) ―If you get the reputation for being soft in my business it won‘t be long
before you‘re up in the bankruptcy courts‖
2) He knew like all good liars, that the closer you keep to the truth the more
convincing you appear.‖
2. Answer the questions and do the following assignments.
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A. 1. What were Ted Taylor and Harry Atherton talking about while going
to mines? 2. What were Ted Taylor‘s reflections about young generation of
managers? 3. What was Ted Taylor going to teach Worrell‘s son? 4. What
happened to the explosives in the mine that day? 5. How did Mary Taylor perceive
that something wrong had happened? 6. How did Mary and Ted Taylor try to calm
each other down? 7. What was the point of the talks at the Worrell‘s that
afternoon? 8. Why did Len Worrell get rattled with his younger son? 9. Did they
come to some conclusion? 10. Act out the conversations after the accident in the
mine between: a) Richard Worrell and his father; b) Richard Worrell and Michael
Worrell; c) Ted Taylor and Mary Taylor.
B. 1. Give sketch-portraits of the main characters of the extract:
a) Ted Taylor: his attitude to his work, attitude to Len and his sons;
b) Richard Worrell: appearance, his attitude to his work in mine and to
workers, his reaction to the accident;
c) Michael Worrell: appearance, his attitude to work, his reaction to the
accident;
d) Len Worrell: attitude to the accident, his principles of upbringing.
2. Describe the relations between Mary and Ted Taylor, Len Worrell and
Richard Worrell, Len Worrell and Michael Worrell, Richard Worrell and Michael
Worrell. 3. How can you prove that Mary and Ted Taylor loved and supported
each other? 4. What are the main principles of Len Worrell as a businessman; as a
father? Do you approve of his different attitude towards his sons? 5. What would
you do after the accident if you were in Len‘s shoes? 6. What is your attitude to
Richard and Michael Worrell? Who of two brothers appeals to you most and why?
7. What problems are touched in the story? 8. What is the role of the inner speech
of the characters? Why did the author use it? 9. What is the role of words in italics?
What role do they play in the extract? 10. Characterize the speech of the
personages? 11. Point out stylistic devices and comment on their use. 12. Analyse
the extract according to the suggested plan (see Appendix).
“LONG WALK TO FOREVER”
by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (pronounced /ˈvɒnɨɡət/; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007)
was an American novelist who wrote works blending satire, black comedy, and science
fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of
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Champions (1973). He was known for his humanist beliefs as well as being honorary
president of the American Humanist Association. He is widely considered one of the most
influential American writers of the 20th century.
I. Pre-reading task. Look at the title and the introduction. What do
you think the story will be about?
II. Read the extract, divide it into logical parts and entitle each.
They had grown up next door to each other, on the fringe of a city, near
fields and woods and orchards, within sight of a lovely bell tower that belonged to
a school for the blind.
Now they were twenty, had not seen each other for nearly a year. There had
always been playful, comfortable warmth between them, but never any talk of love.
His name was Newt. Her name was Catharine. In the early afternoon, Newt
knocked on Catharine's front door.
Catharine came to the door. She was carrying a fat, glossy magazine she had
been reading.
The magazine was devoted entirely to brides. ―Newt!‖ she said. She was
surprised to see him.
―Could you come for a walk?‖ he said. He was a shy person, even with
Catharine. He covered his shyness by speaking absently as though what really
concerned him were far away—as though he were a secret agent pausing briefly on
a mission between beautiful, distant, and sinister points. This manner of speaking
had always been Newt's style, even in matters that concerned him desperately.
―A walk?‖ said Catharine.
―One foot in front of the other,‖ said Newt, ―through leaves, over bridges—‖
―I had no idea you were in town,‖ she said.
―Just this minute got in,‖ he said.
―Still in the Army, I see,‖ she said.
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