Добавил:
ivanov666
Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз:
Предмет:
Файл:США. Этические проблемы. Учебное пособие на английском языке.pdf
together. I kissed the little girls and went outside to wait for Charley,
holding the bag of pie reverently.
In a minute Charley’s ancient cab limped to the curb. I plopped
into the seat next to him, and we headed downtown. Soon we were
assailed by the garish lights of New York on a sultry spring night. We
chatted as Charley skillfully managed the heavy traffic. I looked at his
long hands on the wheel and wondered what they could have done
with artists’ brushes.
We stopped a bit down the street from my hotel. I invited him in,
but he said he had to get on with his evening run. But as I opened the
door to get out, he commanded in the old familiar voice, “Buddy, you
wait!”
For a moment I thought my fly was open or something. “What’s
wrong?”
“What’s that you got there?'”
I was bewildered. “That? You mean this bag? That’s a piece of
sweet potato pie Bea fixed for me.”
“You ain’t going through the lobby of no big hotel carrying no
brown paper bag.”
“Man, you crazy! Of course I’m going— Look, Bea fixed it for
me— That’s my pie—“
Charley’s eyes were miserable. “Folks in that hotel don’t go
through the lobby carrying no brown paper bags. That’s country. And
you can’t neither. You somebody, Buddy. Now, gimme that bag.”
“I want that pie, Charley. I’ve got nothing to prove to anybody—“
I couldn’t believe it. But there was no point in arguing. Foolish as
it seemed to me, it was important to him.
“You got to look right, Buddy. Can’t nobody look dignified
carrying a brown paper bag.”
So finally, thinking how tasty it would have been and how seldom
I got a chance to eat anything that good, I handed over my bag of
sweet potato pie.
I tried not to show my irritation. “Okay, man — take care now.” I
slammed the door harder than I had intended, walked rapidly to the
hotel and entered the brilliant crowded lobby.
181
“That Charley!'” I thought. Walking slower now, I crossed the
carpeted lobby toward the elevator, still thinking of my lost snack. I
had to admit that of all the herd of people who jostled each other in
the lobby, not one was carrying a brown paper bag. Or anything but
expensive attache cases or slick packages from exclusive shops. I
suppose we all operate according to the symbols that are meaningful
to us, and to Charley a brown paper bag symbolizes the humble life he
thought I had left. I was somebody.
I don’t know what made me glance back, but I did. And suddenly
the tears and laughter, toil and love of a lifetime burst around me like
fireworks in a night sky.
For there, following a few steps behind, came Charley, proudly
carrying a brown paper bag full of sweet potato pie.
NOTE
sharecroppers — farmers who received shelter, food, and credit
for purchasing seeds in return for working as farmers. After the
harvest, they shared the profits with the owner of the land.
CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS
Look up the following entries in the Dictionary of U. S. Life and
Culture (Жизнь и культура США: Лингвострановедческий
словарь) or other dictionaries and encyclopedias:
Baptist Church
brown paper bag
commencement
Fifth Avenue
GI Bill
Harlem
hummingbird
sweet potato
uptown
valedictory address
182
COMPREHENSION CHECK
1. The narrator is in New York City for a visit. What are the
famous NYC places mentioned in the text?
2. How does the narrator feel about Charley? Why?
3. Why was it a special occasion when the crops were in?
4. How did Buddy manage to get a college education? Would he
have been able to do so without his family’s support?
5. What changes took place in the family over the years? How did
Buddy change?
6. What is the general tone of the story? Does it change when the
narrator remembers about his early years and speaks about his family?
7. Why didn’t Buddy tell Charley that he was coming to visit?
8. Why didn’t Charley want Buddy to carry the bag of sweet
potato pie into his hotel?
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
to scurry (v) — to move hastily, esp. with short quick steps; hurry
ginger (n) — 1. (a plant with) a root with a very hot strong taste,
which is used in cooking or covered with sugar and eaten as a
sweet: preserved ginger; crystallized ginger 2. an orange-brown
color
gingerly (adv) — in a way that is careful and controlled in
movement so as not to cause harm
shabby (adj) — 1. untidy and of low quality because of long use or
lack of care: a shabby old hat 2. (of a person) wearing shabby
clothes 3. ungenerous, dishonorable; unfair: shabby treatment
to hover (v) — 1. (of birds, certain aircraft, etc.) to stay in the air in
one place 2. (of people) to stay around one place, esp. in a way that
annoys other people 3. (between) to be in an uncertain state: He’s
hovering between life and death
to season (v) — (with) to give special taste to (food) by adding salt,
pepper, a spice, etc. (also fig.): love seasoned with gratitude.
183
seasoning (n) — something that adds zest, esp. salt, pepper, etc.
added to food to make it more tasty
radiant (adj) — 1. sending out light or heat in all directions; shining:
the radiant sun 2. (with) (of a person or his/her appearance)
showing love and happiness: her radiant face.
radiance (n)_
edifice (n, fml or pompous) —a large fine building, such as a palace or
church
frail (adj) — 1. weak in body or health: frail elderly people; frail
physique; mentally/physically frail 2. easily damaged or broken;
fragile
recess (n) — 1. a pause for rest during the working day or the working
year: summer recess 2. AmE a short pause between classes in a
grade school 3. (often pl) a secret inner part or a place that is hard
to reach: the inmost recesses of the cave/of her mind
dim (adj) — 1. (of a light) not bright 2. not easy to see; indistinct
3. (of the eyes) not able to see clearly 4. not clear in the mind: a
dim awareness that something was wrong
to take a dim view of — infml to regard with disapproval
to screech (v) — 1. to make an unpleasant high sharp sound, esp.
because of terror or pain
screech (n) — a screeching sound: a screech of brakes
futile (adj) —useless, vain because they have no chance of being
successful; pointless: a futile effort; a futile attempt to save the
paintings from the flames. My efforts to go back to sleep proved
futile. It was futile to continue the negotiations.
valedictorian (n) — (in the U.S.) the student who has received the
best grades overall in his/her years in high school, college, or
university and who gives the farewell speech at commencement
184
saucy (adj, infml) Br. cf. AmE sassy — 1. harmlessly, and perhaps
amusingly disrespectful. 2. producing sexual interest in an amusing
way; risqué
to assail (v, fml) – 1. to attack physically and violently, to assault.
2. to attack with arguments, questions, doubts, etc. 3. to have a
forceful effect on: The smell of rotten meat assailed her nostrils.
4. to criticize someone or something severely: He was assailed for
gross misconduct.
assailant (n, fml) — attacker
easy prey — 1. an animal which is easily caught by another: Fish at
the surface of the water are easy prey for eagles. 2. someone
who can be easily deceived or harmed: He was easy prey for the
two conmen who called at his house.
to fix (v) — 1. to repair something that is broken or not working
properly: Ellis was able to quickly find and fix the problem.
2. to decide on a limit for something, especially prices, costs,
etc., so that they do not change: The interest rate has been fixed
at 6.5%. 3. to decide on a particular time etc. when something
will happen: Have you fixed a date for the wedding yet? 4. to
make arrangements for something: ‘So when do I get to meet
them’ — ‘Tomorrow, if I can fix it.’ 5. to attach something
firmly to something else, so that it stays there permanently: The
shelves should be fixed to the wall with screws. 6. infml, esp.
AmE to prepare a meal or drinks: I’ll watch the kids and you fix
dinner. Can I fix you a snack?
there is no point in — there is no sense in (doing) something; it is not
sensible to do something: There’s no point in getting upset about it
now.
to take care — 1. to be careful: Take care when driving in icy
conditions.
to take care to do something: Take care to ensure that the ladder
is steady before you climb it.
to take care (that): Take care that the meat is cooked properly.
2. used when saying goodbye, esp. to family and friends: Take
care!
See you next week!
185
EXERCISES
I. Translate into Russian paying special attention to the active:
1. I was assailed by doubts.
2. Your new girlfriend is actually very sassy.
3. I wish you’d stop hovering around and let me get on with some
work.
4. We hovered around our guide.
6. I reached out gingerly to touch the snake.
7. She sat down in a rather gingerly fashion on the old frail bench.
9. It would be horribly shabby of you to desert us now.
10. This shabby present was an insult to us.
11. All my attempts to unlock the door were futile because I was
using the wrong key.
12. It’s futile to complain.
14. Is this meat seasoned with onion salt?
15. He seasoned his lecture with a bit of humor.
16. “Leave me alone!” she screeched.
17. Prospects for any early settlement of the dispute are dim.
18. The old man’s eyesight was dim.
19. I have most dim apprehensions of the four great monarchies.
20. She is now eighty and becoming too frail to live alone.
21. What a frail excuse!
22. The charms are frail.
24. The old house stood gaunt and empty, a complete ruin.
25. He had gaunt cheeks and hollow eyes after his long illness.
26. The young soldiers are inexperienced and an easy prey for
terrorists.
27. Tourists are easy prey for thieves.
28. Gale waited while Seldon fixed the projector.
29. He fixed the lamp to the wall above the bed with a couple of
screws.
30. I’ll need to fix the boat before we can go out in it.
31. I don’t think the chandelier is fixed to the ceiling very securely.
32. I have to fix lunch now.
186
33. I must get my camera fixed before we go to France.
34. There’s no point in worrying.
35. He had spent two hours taking care of his tires in the rain.
II. Paraphrase using the active vocabulary:
1. His frantic behavior can ruin our plan.
2. There is a very serious drawback in your proposal — our boss
always regards such suggestions with disapproval.
3. Strange as it may seem, she has always been indifferent to her
family life and never concentrated on the routine activities.
III. Decide which is a synonym and which is an antonym to the
word in bold type by referring to the way it is used in the story
Sweet Potato Pie:
1) aromatic: fragrant, balmy, rank, fetid, moldy, putrid, perfumed,
rancid, musty, scented;
2) boisterous: moderate, turbulent, disorderly, tumultuous, calm,
measured, irrepressible, wild, rampant, temperate, tranquil;
3) gaunt: lean, lanky, thickset, slim, squat, dumpy, skinny,
emaciated, meager, ample;
4) saunter: scurry, plod, trudge, sprint, scamper, hasten, creep,
linger, drag, speed.
IV. Give as many synonyms as possible to the following words:
ginger, radiant, futile, scorn, season, dim, hover.
V. Define the following notions:
valedictorian, shabby, edifice, screech, apex.
VI. Consult a dictionary and explain the following phrases;
make up sentences with them to show their use in a context.
love surges through me
not until years later did…
187
come into sharp focus
have a different perspective
the apex of one’s entire life
swing into the reminiscences
to be nuts
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think the author chose the flashback technique of
beginning the story in the present and then suddenly moving to the
past?
2. What are the narrator’s feelings about Harlem? Why?
3. Are Charley and his wife envious of Buddy’s success? What
makes you think so?
4. Discuss the meaning of each of the following statements taken
from the story:
“… I thought of how quickly dry timber becomes a roaring fire
from a single spark.”
“I suppose we all operate according to the symbols that are
meaningful to us …”
“… but my spirit was still hungry for sweet potato pie.”
“… I’ve got nothing to prove to anybody —“
5. What do the brown paper bag and the sweet potato pie
symbolize in the story?
6. What is the message of the story?
7. Characterize the family described in the story.
CULTURE QUEST
Find information about the peculiarities of Black English.
Support it by examples in the text.
188
TEXT 2
PATTERNS OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY LIFE
Diversity of Patterns
The diversity of patterns of American family life is really
remarkable. Various things account for this: ethnic background,
immigration date of their forebears, social background, religion, and
other factors.
Social Problems
People’s living standards vary greatly — from the affluence of the
rich in the upper income bracket and the moderate but satisfying
living standards of the so-called “middle class” to the very low
incomes of those who are on official subsistence using welfare
because they are either unemployed or lack the necessary means for
day-to-day living.
Welfare and poverty problems have been a central issue for many
years. Many are inclined to treat welfare recipients as “undeserving
poor” who are alleged to have low intelligence or low ambition.
President John F. Kennedy was the first to generate programs directed
toward services for the welfare poor. The subculture of poverty is
sometimes seen as motivation for success, thrift and stable family life.
recipients. But in fact, their economic plight can be combated only
through dealing with flaws in the surrounding social and economic
system, such as racial discrimination or high rates of unemployment.
As a matter of fact, the poor, both blacks and whites, never have had
freedom of choice. Their education for the most part has been
inadequate and the market has been unable to absorb all the working
hands. The solution to the problem of poverty lies in the change of the
culture and values of the poor by means of expanding social work,
education, and training programs.
Though some people claim that welfare recipients do not try to
work, many surveys have found that for most welfare recipients work
189
patterns are seasonal or irregular; for many work and welfare are
alternative means of economic existence; for some welfare
supplements low wages; there are also such reasons as poor health, the
lack of child care, the inability to find work. Attitudes of typical
welfare recipients in fact are not anti-work or oriented toward laziness
and delight with welfare living. Seven in ten would rather work for
pay than stay at home on welfare. Many mothers have no good place
to leave their children all day. It is obvious that the poor, young and
old, black and white — are very work-oriented and usually have as
high aspirations as the nonpoor. Studies have also found a negative
attitude toward being on welfare among many recipients. Most people
think that getting money from welfare makes a person feel ashamed.
This feeling may account for the fact that a large proportion of those
who have not found decent-paying jobs have not gone on welfare even
though they qualify. Suggestions that the majority of welfare
recipients live as well as the average American worker seem
ludicrous. Many recipients are unable to afford medical or dental care;
many put off paying the rent in order to buy enough food. The short of
it is: welfare is the “good life only for those who have not lived it.”
Marriage
Marriage in the United States is considered a matter of individual
responsibility and decision. American marriages are usually based on
romantic love, rather than on social class, education, money, or
religion. On the other hand, marriages between blacks and whites are
rare. They probably account for fewer than 1 percent of all marriages
each year.
Marriage is preceded by dating. Casual dating usually begins in the
early teens, and by the late teens a pattern of steady dating develops. It
is acceptable for a friend to arrange a “blind date” that is a date
between two young people who have not met before. Steady dating is
often followed by marriage.
The “new morality” practiced largely by the young is a pattern
which accepts close relationships and even living together before
marriage. However, many Americans do not approve of this behavior
pattern and uphold a double standard in sexual behavior, which means
190