Looking back on Eighty years

In my long life I have seen many changes in our habits and customs.

The world I entered when at the age of eighteen I became a medical student was a,world that knew nothing of planes, motor-cars, movies, radio or telephone.

When I was still at school a lecturer showed us boys a new machine which reproduced the human voice. It was the first gramophone. The world I entered was a world that warmed itself with coal fires, lit itself by gas and looked upon a bathroom as a luxury out of the reach.

It was a very cheap world. When I entered St Thomas's Hospital I took a couple of furnished rooms for which I paid 18s a week. My landlady provided me with a solid breakfast before I went to the hospital and high tea when I came back at half-past six, and the two meals cost me about 12s a week. I was able to live very comfortably, pay my fees, buy my necessary instruments, and clothe myself.

I had enough money to go to the theatre at least once a week. The pit, to which I went, was not the orderly thing it's now.

There were no queues. The crowd collected at the doors, and when they were opened there was a struggle, with a lot of pushing and elbowing and shouting to get a good place. But that was part of the fun.

Travelling was cheap, too, in those days. When I was twenty I went to Italy by myself for the six weeks of the Easter vacation.

I spent five years at St Thomas's Hospital. I was an unsatisfactory medical student, for my heart was not in it. I wanted, I had always wanted, to be a writer, and in the evening, after my tea, I wrote and read.

I wrote a novel, called Liza of Lambeth sent it to a publisher, and it was accepted. It appeared during my last year at the hospital and had something of a success. It was of course an accident, but naturally I did not know that. I felt I could afford to chuck medicine and make writing my profession; so three days after passing the final examinations which gave me my medical qualifications, I set out for Spain to learn Spanish and write another book. Looking back now, after these years, and knowing as I do the terrible difficulties of making a living by writing, I realise that I was taking a fearful risk. It never occurred to me. I abandoned the medical profession with relief, but I do not regret the five years I spent at the hospital, far from it.

They taught me pretty well all I know about human nature, for in a hospital you see it in the raw. People in pain, people in fear of death, do not try to hide anything from their doctor, and if they do he can generally guess what they are hiding.

(After S. Maugham)

 

1 a luxury ['lAkJari] out of the reach недосягаемая роскошь

2 18$ a week 18 шиллингов в неделю

3 high tea "большой чай", ранний ужин с чаем

4 pay fees зд. платить за обучение

3 by myself сам, один

6 Liza of Lambeth "Лиза из Ламберта" (одно из ранних произведений Моэма)

7 to chuck разг. бросить, оставить

8 to make a living by writing зарабатывать на жизнь писательским трудом

9 far from it зд. наоборот

10 in the raw [ro:] без прикрас, в чистом виде, как есть

 

 

THE COP AND THE ANTHEM

On his bench in Madison Square, Soapy moved uneasily. Winter was coming and it was the time for him to look for shelter. Soapy's desires were not great. Three months in prison was what he wanted. There he was sure of a little food and a bed, safe from the winter wind and the cold.

For years prison had been his shelter during the winter. Now the time had come again. And that is why he moved uneasily on his bench.

Having decided to go to prison, Soapy at once set about fulfilling his desire.

There were many easy ways of doing this. The most pleasant was to dine well at some expensive restaurant, and then, after saying that he could not pay, be quietly arrested by a policeman and sent to prison by the judge.

Soapy got up and walked out of the square and across the level sea of asphalt, where Broadway and Fifth Avenue flow together. He stopped at the window of a brightly lit cafe. Soapy was shaven, and his coat and tie were decent. But his boots and trousers were shabby. If he could reach a table in the restaurant and nobody saw him, he thought, success would be his. The upper part of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter's mind. A roasted duck, two bottles of wine, a cup of coffee, and a cigar would make him happy for the journey to his winter quarters.

But just as Soapy entered the restaurant door, the head waiter's eyes fell upon his shabby trousers and boots. Strong hands turned him round and pushed him to the sidewalk.

Soapy turned off Broadway.

He had to think of another way of getting to prison. At a corner of Sixth Avenue he saw a brightly lit shop window. Soapy took a stone and threw it at the glass and broke it. People came running around the corner, a policeman at their head. Soapy stood still, with his hands in his pockets, and smiled when he saw the policeman's blue coat.

"Where is the man that has done it?" shouted the policeman.

"Do you think I have done it?" said Soapy in a friendly way.

The policeman did not understand Soapy's hint.

Men who break windows do not usually remain to speak to policemen. They run away. Just then the policeman saw a man who was hurrying to catch a car. Club in hand, he rushed after that man. Soapy had failed again.

On the opposite side of the street was a small and cheap restaurant. Soapy came in, sat down at a table, and ate a beefsteak and an enormous apple-pie. "Now call a policeman. I cannot pay. I have no money," said Soapy. "And don't keep a gentleman waiting."

"No cop for you," said the waiter, and seizing Soapy by the collar threw him out of the restaurant. Soapy got up and beat the dust from his clothes. He was in despair.

His last hope was to be caught for "disorderly conduct". Soapy began to yell at the top of his voice. He danced and cried like a madman. A policeman who was standing nearby turned his back to Soapy, and remarked to a passer-by: "It's one of those University lads. They are celebrating their traditional holiday. They are noisy; but they mean no harm". Soapy stopped in despair. He buttoned his thin coat against the cold wind and the rain, and walked on.

At last he reached a street where there was little traffic and few pedestrians. At a quiet corner he suddenly stopped. There was an old church in front of him.

Through one window a soft light shone, and he heard the sweet music of the organ which made him come closer. The moon was above, cold and beautiful, and the music made Soapy suddenly remember those days when his life was full of such things as mothers and roses, and ambitions and friends, and pure thoughts, and clean collars.

The organ music set up a revolution in him. There was time yet. He was still young. He would get out of the mire. He would be somebody in the world. He would — Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Soapy.

"Then come along," said the policeman.

"Three months' imprisonment," said the judge in the Police Court next morning.

(After O. Henry)

 

1 The Cop and the Anthem ['аепЭэт] "Полицейский и хорал"

2 Having decided to go to prison... Решив попасть в тюрьму...

3 set about fulfilling his desire приступил к осуществлению своего плана (желания)

4 to flow together сливаться

5 would raise no doubt [daut] in the waiter's mind не вызовет никаких сомнений у официанта

6 quarters ['kwo:t8z] зд. квартира, убежище

7 sidewalk ['saidwoik] амер. тротуар

8 Club in hand С дубинкой в руке

9 to keep waiting заставлять ждать

10 beat the dust from his clothes стряхнул пыль с одежды

11 disorderly conduct [dis,o:dali 'kondekt] нарушение общественного порядка, хулиганство

12 to yell at the top of his voice вопить во все горло

13 they mean no harm они безобидны

14 mire['maia] трясина, болото

15 Police Court [pa'li:s,ko:t] полицейский суд (по мелким делам)

 

 

THE PROBLEM OF THOR BRIDGE

It was a cold morning in October. I went down to breakfast and found that Sherlock Holmes' had already finished his meal.

"I am going to have a visitor," my friend said. "It's Neil Gibson, the Gold King. He wants to speak to me about the tragic end of his wife. You have probably read about it in the papers. The man is an American, but he bought a large estate in Hampshire some years ago. Here is a letter I received from him in the morning."

I took the letter and read the following:

"Dear Mr Sherlock Holmes, I can't see the best woman I have ever met go to her death.I must try to save her. I can't explain what has happened. But I know Miss Dunbar is innocent. She has a kind heart, she has never killed a fly. I'll come at eleven tomorrow. I'll give you all the money I have if only you can save her.

Yours truly, J. Neil Gibson"

"Now, Watson," said Sherlock Holmes after I finished reading the letter, "a few words about the story. This man is a great financier and a man of violent temper. He had a wife, a middle-aged woman, who died tragically some weeks ago.

There was also a young and very attractive governess in the house who looked after the two small children. These are the three people who are connected with the tragedy. And the place where the woman met her death is an old English estate. The wife was found in the garden, nearly half a mile from the house, late at night, with a revolver bullet through her brain. No revolver was found near her. No revolver near her, Watson — remember that."

"But why suspect the governess?" I asked.

"A revolver was found on the floor of her wardrobe with one bullet missing." He paused and repeated slowly, "On-thefloor-of-her-wardrobe."

Then he was silent for some time. "Yes, Watson, it was found. What do you say to that? Then the dead woman had a note asking her to come" to that place in the garden near the bridge. The note was signed by the governess.

Do you like that? And, at last, there's the motive.

Gibson is a millionaire. If his wife dies... she will have everything — love, money, power. Remember, Watson, she is young and beautiful."

"Anything else against her?"

"She could not prove an alibi. She herself said she had been near Thor Bridge, the place where the woman was killed. Some passing villager had seen her there too, at about eleven o'clock. And here is our client, I think."

But it was not the client. The man who entered the room was a Mr Bates. We had never heard of him before. He was a thin, nervous man with frightened eyes.

He told us that he was the manager of Mr Gibson's estate, that Mr Gibson was a villain and a hard man; that he had treated his wife cruelly, and she had been very unhappy; that she had been a Brazilian, a creature of the Tropics, and she had loved him as such women could love.

"We all liked her and were sorry for her," he said, "and we hated him. He didn't love her. And one thing more. He is a liar.

Don't believe his words. That's all I have to say. Now I must go. I don't want to meet him here."

With a frightened look our strange visitor ran to the door and disappeared.

At eleven o'clock we heard heavy steps upon the stairs and the famous millionaire entered the room. As I looked at him I understood the fear and dislike of his manager. He was very tall, his face was hard and cruel, with deep lines upon it. Cold grey eyes looked at us each in turn.

"Let me tell you, Mr Holmes," he began, "that money is nothing to me in this case. This woman is innocent and this woman must be cleared. You must do it. Name the sum."

"I am not interested in money," my friend answered coldly.

"Well, if dollars are nothing to you, think of your reputation. Your name will be in every paper in England and America."

"Thank you, Mr Gibson. We are wasting time. It will probably surprise you to know that I prefer to work anonymously. Sit down, please, and give me the facts."

(After A. Conan Doyle)

 

1 Sherlock Holmes [J3:lok 'haumz]

2 Neil Gibson [,neil 'gibsan]

3 Hampshire ['haempjia] Гемпшир

4 I can't see the best woman I have ever met go to her death Я не могу допустить, чтобы лучшей из женщин, которых я когда-либо встречал, грозила смерть.

5 Dunbar ['dAnba:]

6 she has never killed a fly она и мухи не обидит

7 Yours truly Преданный Вам (обычная форма вежливости в конце письма)

8 Watson ['wotsan]

9 with a revolver bullet through her brain с простреленной головой

10 A revolver... with one bullet missing. Револьвер..., в котором не хватало одной пули.

11 a note asking her to come записка, в которой ее просили прийти

12 She could not prove an alibi ['aelibai] Она не могла доказать свое алиби (т.е. что ее не было на месте преступления в момент совершения убийства)

13 a Mr Bates некто мистер Бейтс

14 a Brazilian [bra'ziljan] бразилианка

15 the IVopics ['tropiks] тропики

16 with deep lines upon it испещренное глубокими морщинами

17 this woman must be cleared с этой женщины надо снять подозрение

18 I prefer to work anonymously [a'nonimasli] я предпочитаю работать так, чтобы мое имя оставалось неизвестным

 

 

A SOUND OF THUNDER

The sign on the wall read:

TIME SAFARI.

SAFARIS TO ANY YEAR IN THE PAST.

YOU NAME THE ANIMAL.

WE TAKE YOU THERE.

YOU SHOOT IT.

Eckels put his hand into his pocket and slowly took out a check for ten thousand dollars.

"Does this safari guarantee I come back alive?" he asked the man behind the desk.

"We guarantee nothing," said the official, "except the dinosaurs." He turned.

"This is Mr Travis, your Safari Guide in the Past.

He'll tell you what and where to shoot. If he says no shooting, no shooting."

"Hell and damn," Eckels said, looking at the flickering Time Machine.

"A real Time Machine! If the election had gone badly yesterday, I might be here now running from the results. Thank God, Keith won. He'll make a fine President of the United States."

"Yes," said the man behind the desk. "We're lucky. If Deutscher had won, we'd have the worst dictatorship. People came to us, you know, joking but not joking.

Said if Deutscher became President they wanted to go live in 1492. Of course, our business is to organize Safaris, not Escapes. Anyway, Keith's President now.

All you've got to worry about is — "

"Shooting my dinosaur," Eckels finished it for him.

"A Tyrannosaurus rex. The Thunder Lizard, the most terrible monster in history.

Sign this paper. Anything happens to you, we're not responsible.

Those dinosaurs are hungry".

Eckels flushed angrily.

"You're trying to scare me! "

"Frankly, yes. We don't want anyone here who'll panic at the first shot. Six Safari Guides were killed last year, and a dozen hunters. We're here to give you the biggest thrill a real hunter ever had. Travelling you back sixty million years!"

First a day and then a night and then a day and then a night, then it was day-night-day-night-day.

A week, a month, a year, a decade! AD 2055. AD 2019. 1999. 1957. Gone!

The machine roared.

They put on their oxygen helmets and tested the intercoms.

The Machine slowed, then stopped.

They were in an old time, a very old time indeed, three hunters and two Safari Guides with their blue metal guns across their knees.

"Christ isn't born yet," said Travis.

"Moses has not gone to the mountain to talk with God. The Pyramids are still in the earth. Remember that, Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler — none of them exists."

The men nodded.

"That" — Mr Travis pointed — "is the jungle of sixty million two thousand and fifty-five years before President Keith."

He indicated a metal path running across the steaming swamp, among giant ferns and palms.

"And that," he said, "is the Path laid by Time Safari for your use. It is six inches above the earth. It's made of an anti-gravity metal. Its purpose is to keep you from touching" this world of the past in any way. Stay on the Path. Don't go off it. I repeat. Don't go off. For any reason! And don't shoot any animal we don't okay."

"Why?" asked Eckels.

"We don't want to change the Future.

We don't belong here in the Past."

"That's not clear," said Eckels.

"All right," Travis continued, "say you step on a mouse here and kill it. That means all the future families of this one mouse are destroyed, right?"

"Right."

"And all the families of the families of that one mouse! You destroy one, then a dozen, then a thousand, a million, a billion possible mice!"

"So they're dead," said Eckels. "So what?"

"So what? Well, what about the foxes that'll need those mice to survive? For want often mice, a fox dies. For want of ten foxes, a lion starves. For want of a lion, thousands of insects and billions of other life forms are thrown into destruction".

Fifty-nine million years later, a cave man, one of a dozen in the entire world, goes hunting saber-tooth tigers for food. But you, friend, have stepped on all the tigers in that region. By stepping on one single mouse. So the cave man starves. And the cave man is an entire future nation. Destroy this one man, and you destroy a race, a nation, an entire history of life. Perhaps Rome never rises on its seven hills. Perhaps Europe is forever a dark forest. Perhaps there'll never be a United States at all. So be careful. Stay on the Path. Never step off!"

(After R. Bradbury)

 

1 Hell and damn [daem] разг. Черт возьми

2 Deutscher f'doitja] нем. немец ("говорящая" фамилия кандидата является намеком на Гитлера и немецкий фашизм)

3 Tyrannosaurus rex [tiraena,so:ras 'reks] тираннозавр

4 Thunder Lizard ['0лпс1э lizad] Громогласный Ящер

5 Travelling you back sixty million years! Отправляя вас в путешествие на шестьдесят миллионов лет назад!

6 AD [.ei'di:] сокр. от лат. Anno Domini ['aenau 'dominai] нашей эры

7 intercom [Intakom] переговорное устройство

8 Moses ['mauziz] Моисей

9 Alexander [,aelig'za:nda] Александр Македонский

10 Caesar ['si:za] Цезарь

11 to keep you from touching чтобы вы не коснулись (прошлого)

12 For any reason! Ни при каких обстоятельствах!

13 are thrown into destruction обречены на гибель

14 saber-tooth f'seibatu:©] tiger саблезубый тигр

 

A NAME ON THE WALL

Steve Mason had lived in New York for three years. His address book was filled with the phone numbers of girls he knew and had dated. Then why, he wondered, was he sitting in a phone booth about to dial PL 1-2450 — the phone number of a girl he had never seen or even heard about?

Because he was curious.

He had seen the name Pam Starr and the number PL 1-2450 twice in one week.

The first time had been on the wall of a phone booth on 42nd Street. Then a minute ago he saw the name and number again — this time near a phone in a drugstore.

The name Pam Starr was the same. The handwriting was the same. And below it the same person had written, "Quite a chick".

Steve was so curious that he decided to call. He wanted to find out what would happen. It could be an interesting adventure.

He could hear himself telling the whole story to his friends and laughing about it when it was over.

So he took a deep breath and dialled PL 1-2450.

He heard two rings; then a soft, pleasant, girl's voice said, "Hello".

"May I speak to Pam Starr?" Steve asked.

"This is Pam," she answered. "Who is this?"

"Steven Wordsley," he said using a phoney name. "You don't know me," he added quickly. "I've just moved to New York from Chicago. But before I left, a friend of a friend of mine gave me your name... So how about a date?" He paused.

"Come on. Gamble.I swear I don't have two heads."

She laughed and said, "I'm sure you don't. I've got an idea. I like your voice, and I think I'll like you. But I might not.

And then again, you might not like me.

So why don't we go to a movie? You pick one out and call me back. Then we'll go out, and even if we don't like each other at least we can both enjoy the show."

"Uh, all right, sure," Steve answered. He felt proud of himself. There was no question in his mind that this chick knew her way around with men.

Steve found a movie that sounded good, but he didn't call her back right away. He waited two days so he wouldn't seem too eager. Then he called and made a date for the next Saturday evening.

At seven-thirty Saturday night Steve went to her address. For a moment he hesitated. But he was too curious to give up now.

She opened the door, and Steve knew he was a loser. The girl had tried to make herself look attractive, but she couldn't hide her homeliness. She wasn't really ugly, but she was no gorgeous chick.

Steve covered up his disappointment with a friendly smile. "Hello, Pam. I'm Steve."

She laughed and said, "I know I'm not the most beautiful girl in the world, but —"

"I wasn't looking for the most beautiful girl in the world," Steve lied. "Come on, let's go see the movie."

He smiled as cheerfully as he could.

This homely girl probably accepted a lot of blind dates just so she could go out.

And someone probably thought it was a good joke to write her name and number on the walls of phone booths.

"Do you go out often?" Steve asked.

"It's probably luck," she said, "but I get enough phone calls to keep me busy. I get a lot of calls from guys I don't know. I'm not sure where they get my name. Maybe from a friend, like you did. I don't know. Some are nice and some aren't."

"Well, which am I?" Steve asked.

"Nice," she laughed.

On their way back to her apartment, Steve lied again and told Pam that his company was sending him back to Chicago the next week and that he didn't know when he would return to New York.

Steve couldn't decide if she believed his story, but he didn't really care. He had taken her out and shown her a good time.

That was all she could expect with her looks.

When they got to her apartment, they stood in the doorway and said goodnight.

"Thanks for the lovely evening," she said. She seemed to know that she wouldn't be asked for another date.

Suddenly Steve felt very sorry for her.

He decided that it wouldn't hurt him to fake an interest in her, and it would probably mean a lot to her if she thought someone wanted to see her again.

"I'm sorry I have to leave town," he said. "There's just a chance that I'll get back to New York soon. For a day or so. Maybe we can go out again. Could I call you?"

For a minute she looked as if she didn't believe what she had heard. Then her smile got brighter. "Could you? I'd love that! Do you think they'll send you back soon?"

"Sure, sure, you never know," Steve said.

"You won't lose my number, will you? But if you're here only for a day, you could call me at my office. I'll write down my office number for you right now. Wait just a second."

She ran into her apartment to get a pencil and some paper. As she ripped a sheet from a pad, she dropped the pencil on the floor. She got down on her hands and knees and scrambled after the rolling pencil. Finally she grabbed the pencil and then quickly wrote her name and office phone number.

Steve watched her sadly. Even before she handed him the piece of paper, he knew that her handwriting would be the same as the handwriting on the phone booth walls.

(After R. Marmorstein)

 

1 drugstore ['diwgsto:] амер. аптека

2 quite a chick [tjik] зд. классная девчонка

3 Chicago [Ji'kaigau] Чикаго

4 Gamble ['gaembl] зд. Рискни

5 knew her way around with men умела обращаться с мужчинами

6 blind date [.blaind 'deit] свидание вслепую (с человеком, которого раньше не видел)

 

 

THE MODEL MILLIONAIRE

If you are not wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be charming. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realised. Poor Hughie! He was wonderfully good-looking, but poor.

To make matters worse, he was in love. The girl he loved was Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired colonel. Laura adored him, and he was ready to kiss her shoestrings.

They were the handsomest couple in London, and had not a penny between them. The Colonel was very fond of Hughie, but would not hear of any engagement.

"Come to me, my boy, when you have got ten thousand pounds of your own, and we'll see about it," he used to say; and that made Hughie very unhappy.

One morning, as he was on his way to Holland Park, where the Mertons lived, he dropped to see his friend Alan Trevor, a painter.

When Hughie came in he found Trevor putting the finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing on a raised platform in a corner of the studio. He was a wizened old man, wit!) a wrinkled face, and a most piteous expression.

"What an amazing model!" whispered Hughie, as he shook hands with his friend.

"An amazing model?" cried Trevor. "I should think so! You don't meet such beggars every day. What an etching Rembrandt would have made of him!"

"Poor old man!" said Hughie, "how miserable he looks!"

"Certainly," replied Trevor, "you don't want a beggar to look happy, do you?"

At this moment the servant came in, and told Trevor that the framemaker wanted to speak to him.

"Don't run away, Hughie," he said, as he went out, "I'll be back in a moment."

The old beggar-man took advantage of Trevor's absence to rest for a moment on a wooden bench that was behind him. He looked so miserable that Hughie could not help pitying him, and felt in his pockets to see what money he had. All he could find was a sovereign and some coppers. "Poor old fellow," he thought to himself, "he wants it more than I do", and he walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar's hand.

The old man got up, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Thank you, sir," he said, "thank you."

Then Trevor arrived, and Hughie took his leave, blushing a little at what he had done.

The next day he met Trevor again.

"Well, Alan, is your picture finished?" he asked.

"Finished and framed, my boy!" answered Trevor. "By the way, the old model you saw is quite devoted to you. I had to tell him all about you — who you are, where you live. What your income is, what prospects you have — "

"My dear Alan," cried Hughie, "I'll probably find him waiting for me when I go home. But of course, you are only joking.

Poor old man! I wish I could do something for him. I have heaps of old clothes at home — do you think he would care for them? His rags were falling to bits."

"But he looks splendid in them," said Trevor. "I wouldn't paint him in a frock coat for anything. What you call rags I call romance. However, I'll tell him of your offer."

"And now tell me how Laura is," said Trevor. "The old model was quite interested in her."

"You don't mean to say you talked to him about her?" said Hughie.

"Certainly I did. He knows all about the retired colonel, the lovely Laura, and the 10,000 pounds."

"You told that old beggar all my private affairs?" cried Hughie, looking very red and angry.

"My dear boy," said Trevor, smiling, "That old beggar, as you call him, is one of the richest men in Europe. He has a house in every capital, dines off gold plate, and could buy all London tomorrow if he wished."

"What on earth do you mean?" exclaimed Hughie.

"What I say," said Trevor. "The old man you saw in the studio is Baron Housberg. He is a great friend of mine, buys all my pictures, and he paid me a month ago to paint him as a beggar."

"Baron Hausberg!" cried Hughie.

"Good heavens! I gave him a sovereign!"

"Gave him a sovereign!" cried Trevor, and he burst into laughter. "My dear boy, you'll never see it again."

, Hughie walked home, feeling very unhappy, and leaving Alan Trevor in fits of laughter.

The next morning, as he was at breakfast, the servant handed him an envelope.

On the outside was written, "A wedding present to Hughie Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar," and inside was a cheque for 10,000 pounds.

When they were married Alan Trevor was the best man, and the Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast.

(After O. Wilde)

 

1 Hughie Erskine [,hju:i siskin]

2 Laura Merton [,lo:ra 'тз:1п]

3 Baron Housberg [,Ьзегэп 'hausbaig]

4 best man шафер, свидетель на свадьбе

 

 

TOPICS

 

 

The English Language

 

ENGLISH TODAY

The modern world is becoming smaller all the time. Every day distances between different countries seem less. For this reason it's becoming more and more important to know different languages, especially English.

One billion people speak English today. That's about 20% of the world's population.

400 million people speak English as their first language. For the other 600 million people it's either a second language or a foreign language.

English is the first language in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the official languages in Canada, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa.

As a second language English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by the government, businessmen and universities.

English is the language of politics and diplomacy, science and technology, business and trade, sport and pop music.

80% of all information in the world's computers is in English.

75% of the world's letters and faxes are in English.

60% of all international telephone calls are made in English.

More than 60% of all scientific journals are written in English.

To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist. Learning a language is not an easy thing. It's a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But it's a must.

English is taught throughout the world and a lot of people speak it quite well. In our country English is very popular: it is studied at schools (sometimes even at nursery schools), colleges and universities.

Everyone will speak English soon — I'm sure of it. We all need to understand each other. To do that we need an international language, and that's English.

 

 

Names

the United Kingdom [ju:,naitid 'kirjdam] Соединен- Canada ['kaenada] Канада

ное Королевство (Великобритании и Северной the Irish ['aiarij] Republic Ирландская Республика

Ирландии) the Republic of South Africa Южно-Африканская

Australia [os'treilia] Австралия республика

New Zealand [,nju: 'zi:land] Новая Зеландия

 

Vocabulary

distance f'distans] расстояние

reason [Ti:zn] причина

especially [is'pefali] в особенности

billion ['biljan] миллиард

population [,popju'leijn] население

official [a'fijal] language государственный язык

government ['gAvanmant] правительство

politics f'politiks] политика

diplomacy [di'plaumasi] дипломатия

science ['saians] наука

technology [tek'noladji] техника

trade [treid] торговля

fax [faeks] факс

scientific [saian'tifik] научный

educated ['edjukeitid] образованный, культурный

process ['preusas] процесс

patience ['peifnsj терпение

it's a must это просто необходимо; без этого нельзя

throughout [6ru:'aut] the world no всему миру

nursery ['пз:зэп] school детский сад

 

Questions

1. Why is it necessary to know English today?

2. English is a world language, isn't it?

3. How many people speak English?

4. In what countries is English the official language (one of the official languages)?

5. Is English popular in Russia?

6. Is learning languages an easy thing?

7. When did you begin learning English?

8. How long have you been learning English?

9. Have you read any books in English?

10. Have you seen any films in English?

11. Have you ever visited an English-speaking country?

12. What other languages would you like to know?

 

Hot Issues

 

LIFE IN THE 21^ST CENTURY

We've entered a new era: the twenty-first century. Of course, it's exciting and we are trying to predict what our life will be like in the future.

It will certainly become better — I'm sure of it.

Robots will do all the dangerous and dirty work for us and our daily life will become easier. They'll sweep the floor, dust the furniture, wash the dishes and even cook! It doesn't mean we'll become lazier, no. When everything is automated, we'll be able to do more creative jobs.

We'll be able to call our friends on a videophone and type up homework by talking to a small gadget that understands the human voice.

Scientists (or probably computers?) will find solutions to our most urgent problems. People will stop dying from cancer and AIDS and will live to be 150 years old.

There will be no more famine on our planet and no more hungry children.

Our cities will become cleaner, greener and safer. We'll drive electric cars and live in houses with lots of plants and special air-cleaning gadgets.

Atmospheric pollution will be stopped and our planet will be saved.

There will be no more wars, no more criminals and no more terrorists.

People will learn to live in peace and understand each other.

We'll have more free time and longer holidays. We'll be able to travel in space and — who knows? — one day we'll be able to spend our holidays on Mars.

I'm really optimistic about the future. After all, we are becoming wiser.

The superpowers are disarming, governments are waking up to Green issues...

Anyway, it's up to us to look after our planet and try to make it a better place to live.

 

Names

Mars [ma:z] Mapc

 

Vocabulary

era [lore] эра robot ['raubot] робот

exciting [ik'saitiQ] волнующий dangerous f'deir^aras] опасный

to predict [pri'dikt] предсказывать daily ['deili] повседневный

to sweep ['swi:p] (swept) подметать

to dust [d/vst] вытирать пыль

furniture ['f3:nitj8] мебель

lazy [leizi] ленивый

to automate [-o:tameit] автоматизировать

creative [krh'eitiv] творческий

videophone ['vidiafaun] видеотелефон

to type up ['taip 'лр] печатать

gadget ['gaed3it] приспособление

scientist ['saiantist] ученый

solution [sa'luijn] решение

urgent ['3:d3ant] неотложный

cancer ['kaensa] рак

AIDS[eidz] спид

famine ['faemin] голод

safe [self] безопасный

atmospheric pollution [,setma'sferik pa'lujn]

атмосферное загрязнение

criminal ['kriminl] преступник

terrorist ['terarist] террорист

optimistic [ppti'mistik] оптимистический

wise [waiz] мудрый

superpower f'suipa.paua] сверхдержава

to disarm [dis'a:m] разоружаться

government ['gAvanmant] правительство

are waking up to начинают осознавать, понимать

Green issues [1Ju:z], ['isju:z] экологические проблемы

it's up to us это зависит от нас; это наше дело

 

Questions

1. Are you optimistic about the future?

2. Do you believe that robots will do all the dangerous and dirty work for us?

3. What will robots do for us?

4. Do you think children will go to school in the future?

5. What's the difference between a telephone and a videophone?

6. Will writing by hand become the thing of the past?

7. Why do you think people will become healthier?

8. Will our planet become cleaner or more polluted?

9. Pessimists say that one day we'll have to pay for clean air just like we do now for clean water. Do you think it's possible?

10. Will there be wars in the future?

11. Have you ever seen an electric car?

12. Do you think the world will become more democratic?

 

COMPUTER REVOLUTION

50 years ago people didn't even heard of computers, and today we cannot imagine life without them.

Computer technology is the fastest-growing industry in the world. The first computer was the size of a minibus and weighed a ton. Today, its job can be done by a chip the size of a pin head. And the revolution is still going on.

Very soon we'll have computers that we'll wear on our wrists or even in our glasses and earrings.

The next generation of computers will be able to talk and even think for themselves. They will contain electronic "neural networks". Of course, they'll be still a lot simpler than human brains, but it will be a great step forward. Such computers will help to diagnose illnesses, find minerals, identify criminals and control space travel.

Some people say that computers are dangerous, but I don't agree with them.

They save a lot of time. They seldom make mistakes. It's much faster and easier to surf the Internet than to go to the library.

On-line shopping makes it possible to find exactly what you want at the best price, saving both time and money.

E-mail is a great invention, too. It's faster than sending a letter and cheaper than sending a telegram.

All in all, I strongly believe that computers are a useful tool. They have changed our life for the better. So why shouldn't we make them work to our advantage?

 

Vocabulary

computer technology [tek'nolad3i] комгаотерные generation [,d3ena'reijn] поколение

технологии to contain [kan'tein] содержать

industry [Indastri] отрасль промышленности, neural network [,njuaral 'netwa:k] нейронная сеть

индустрия human ['hju:man] человеческий

minibus ['minib/\s] микроавтобус brain [brein] мозг

to weigh [wei] весить step [step] шаг

ton [1лп] тонна to diagnose f'daiagnauz] ставить диагноз

chip [tjip] чип, микросхема to identify [ai'dentifai] опознавать

pin head ['pin hed] булавочная головка criminal ['kriminl] преступник

wrist [rist] запястье dangerous f'deir^aras] опасный

to save [seiv] экономить e-mail [1: meil] электронная почта

to surf [sa:f] the Internet ['intanet] искать, invention [in'venjn] изобретение

"бродить" по Интернету all in all в общем

on-line [pn'lain] shopping покупки через Интернет tool [tu:l] инструмент

(интернет- магазины) So why shouldn't we make them work to our

exactly [ig'zaektli] именно то advantage [ed'va:ntid3]? зд. Почему бы их не за-

price [prais] цена ставить работать на нас?

 

Questions

1. Have you got a computer?

2. Do you think it's a useful tool?

3. Will computers become smaller in the future?

4. Can the Internet help you to do your homework?

5. Can computers help us to learn foreign languages?

6. Do you play computer games?

7. What are the advantages of on-line shopping?

8. What are the advantages of e-mail?

9. Do you think that computers are bad for health?

10. Some people have made friends through the Internet. What about you?

11. Some people say that computers make us less sociable. Do you agree?

12. What will the next generation of computers be able to do?

 

WILL WE LIVE IN SPACE?

People have dreamed of travelling in space for thousands of years. But it was not until 1957 that it became a reality.

On October 4, 1957 Russia launched the first man-made satellite into space. It was called Sputnik 1.

On April 12, 1961 the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth.

The first spacewoman in the world was Valentina Tereshkova. She made 48 orbits in 1963 in her Vostok 6.

On July 20, 1969 the American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon.

In 1986 the Russian space station Mir was launched.

Progress is inevitable and soon we'll be able to visit and even live on other planets. The 21st century may turn science fiction into science fact.

Scientists are already at work on the International Space Station, a "city of space". It will be the size of a football field and will weigh over 200 tons. A team of 10-15 spacemen will probably be able to live and work at the International Space Station in 2005.

The next step will be the first moonbase. 20 or 30 scientists will live inside a dome with an artificial atmosphere. This will make it possible for them to live and work without spacesuits. It also means that they will be able to grow food.

If the moonbase is a success, the first lunar city will be built. It will have schools and universities, cinemas and discos, scientific laboratories and hospitals. Even babies will be bom on the moon!

The next great step will be when people land on our nearest planet Mars.

Scientists say that the planet once had water on its surface. If that water is now frozen underground, humans will be able to use it someday. By the end of the 2Г' century, scientists hope, it will be possible to "terraform" Mars — transform the planet into an earthlike place with air and water.

Space awaits the 21st century's pioneers.

 

Vocabulary

reality [ri'aeliti] действительность, реальность man-made [,maen'meid] искусственный

to launch [b:ntj] запускать satellite ['ssetalait] спутник

cosmonaut [,kozma'no:t] космонавт

to orbit ['o:bit] зд. облететь вокруг

astronaut [,aestra'no:t] астронавт

to set foot on ступить на

inevitable [in'evitabl] неизбежный

science fiction [,saians 'fikjn] научная фантастика

to weigh [wei] весить

team [ti:m] команда

step [step] шаг

moonbase ['mumbeis] лунная база

dome [daum] купол

artificial |>:ti'fi;i] искусственный

atmosphere ['setmasfia] атмосфера

spacesuit ['speis(j)u:t] скафандр

to be a success [sak'ses] иметь успех

lunar [1u:na] лунный

surface ['S3:fis] поверхность

frozen f'frauzn] замёрзший, замороженный

humans ['hju:manz] люди

to terraform ['terafo:m] сделать похожим на Землю

earthlike ['3:9laik] похожий на Землю

to await [a'weit] ждать, ожидать

 

Questions

1. Do you believe that one day we'll be able to live in space?

2. When was Sputnik 1 launched?

3. Who was the first man to orbit our planet?

4. Who was the first spacewoman in the world?

5. Who was the first man to land on the Moon?

6. What do you know about the International Space Station?

7. What will the first lunar city be like?

8. Would you like to live on Mars?

9. Is there water on Mars?

10. Do you think it will be possible to "terraform" Mars?

11. Do you think that one day it will be possible to travel to other galaxies?

12. Do you believe that there's life on other planets?

 

 

OUR PLANET EARTH

The planet Earth is only a tiny part of the universe, but it's the only place where human beings can live.

Today, our planet is in serious danger. Acid rains, global warming, air and water pollution, overpopulation are the problems that threaten human life on Earth.

Who is to blame for the disaster? The answer is simple: all of us.

Our forests are disappearing because they are cut down or burnt. If this trend continues, one day we won't have enough oxygen to breathe.

The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas.

Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out for ever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today may soon become extinct.

Air pollution is another serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is dangerous — equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for many Russian cities.

Factories emit tons of harmful chemicals. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.

An even greater threat are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.

Fortunately, it's not too late to solve these problems. We have the time, the money and even the technology to make our planet a better, cleaner and safer place. We can plant trees and create parks for endangered species. We can recycle litter. We can support green parties and put pressure on those in power. Together we can save the planet and all of us with it.

 

Names

the Mediterranean [,medit8'reinian] Средиземное the Aral [a:'ra:l] Sea Аральское море

море Cairo ['kairau] Каир

the North Sea Северное море Chernobyl [tjai'nobl] Чернобыль

 

Vocabulary

tiny ['taini] крошечный

universe ['ju:niv3:s] вселенная

human being [,hju:man 'bi:io] человек

acid f'aesid] rains кислотные дожди

global ['gteubl] warming глобальное потепление

pollution [pa'lu:Jn] загрязнение

overpopulation [,auvapopju'leijn] перенаселение

to threaten ['6retn] угрожать

to blame ['bleim] винить

disaster [di'za:sta] несчастье, беда

to cut down ['k/\t 'daun] рубить, срубать

trend тенденция

oxygen ['oksid3an] кислород

to breathe ['britd] дышать

poison ['poizn] яд, отрава

industrial and nuclear ['nju:klia] waste промышлен-

ные и ядерные отходы

fertilizer [;f3:tilaiza] удобрение

pesticide f'pestisaid] пестицид

on the brink of extinction [ik'stiijkjn] на грани

исчезновения

to die out вымирать

species ['spi:fi:z] вид, род

to become extinct [ik'stiQkt] вымирать

equivalent [tkwivalant] равноценный, равнознач-

ный

the same holds true for это справедливо для, это

касается и...

to emit [i mit] выбрасывать

harmful ['ha:mfal] вредный

chemicals ['kemikalz] химикалии

emission [i'mijn] выброс

disastrous [di'zarstras] чудовищный

consequence ['konsikwans] последствие

greenhouse effect ['gri:nhaus i,fekt] парниковый

эффект

threat ['9ret] угроза

nuclear power station [,nju:klia 'paua,steijn]

атомная электростанция

tragic ['traedjik] трагический

technology [tek'nolad3i] технология

endangered [in'deindjad] вымирающий (вид)

to recycle [,ri:'saikl] утилизировать

litter [lite] мусор

to support [sa'po:t] поддерживать

to put pressure ['preja] on оказывать давление на

those in power те, кто находится у власти

 

Questions

1. Why is our planet in danger?

2. Who is to blame for the disaster?

3. What is happening to our forests?

4. Why are the seas in danger?

5. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. Do you think it's possible to save it?

6. A lot of animals are dying out. But people wear fur coats, crocodile handbags, leather shoes, etc. Are you for or against hunting?

7. Is air pollution a serious problem? Why?

8. The car is now the world's number one polluter. Do you think it's possible to make it cleaner and safer? Have you heard about electric cars?

9. Why are nuclear power stations dangerous? What were the tragic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?

10. What is the main cause of the greenhouse effect and acid rams?

11. What will happen to our planet if the present trends continue? Do you think that one day it may become uninhabitable?

12. What can we do to save the planet?

 

 

CAN WE LIVE LONGER?

Scientists say that in the future people will live longer. With healthier lifestyles and better medical care the average person will live to 90 or 100 instead of 70 and 75 like today. When the human genome is decoded, we'll probably live up to 150. Incurable diseases will be cured and "bad" genes replaced.

But that's tomorrow. And today, we continue to stuff ourselves with fast food — chips and pizzas, hamburgers and hot dogs. We are always in a hurry.

We have no time to enjoy a home-cooked dinner with family and friends. We want to eat now and we want to eat fast.

What is tasty is not always healthy. Doctors say that chips and pizzas are fattening, cola spoils our teeth and coffee shortens our lives.

If we eat too much, we'll become obese, and obesity leads to heart disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses. But the world today is getting fatter and fatter. America is the world's leader in obesity, but Europe is quickly catching up.

Lack of exercise is another serious problem. We spend hours in front of our computers and TV-sets. Few of us do morning exercises. We walk less, because we prefer to use cars or public transport.

Research shows, however, that young people who don't take enough exercise often suffer from heart attacks.

It's common knowledge that smoking and drinking can shorten our lives dramatically. Cigarette-smoking, for example, kills about 3 million people every year. Many of them die from lung cancer. Some aren't even smokers. They are people who live or work with heavy smokers.

Yet many young people smoke and drink. Why? One answer is that tobacco and drinks companies invest enormous sums of money in advertising their products. For them cigarettes and alcoholic drinks mean money. For us they mean disease and even death.

We all know that the healthier we are, the better we feel. The better we feel, the longer we live. So why not take care of ourselves?

 

Vocabulary

scientist ['saiantist] ученый healthy ['helSi] здоровый

lifestyle [laifstail] образ жизни

medical care ['medikl,kea] медицинское обслуживание

average ['aevarids] средний

human ['hju:man] человек; человеческий

genome ['d3i:naum] генетический код, геном

to decode [,di:'kau<3] расшифровывать, декодировать

incurable [in'kjuarabl] неизлечимый

disease [di'zi:z] болезнь

to cure ['kjua] лечить, излечивать

gene ['d3i:n] ген

to replace [ri'pleis] заменять

to stuff [sUf] oneself with зд. набивать желудки

pizza ['pi:tsa] пицца

hamburger ['haembaiga] гамбургер

fattening ['faetnirj] способствующий ожирению,

жирный

cola f'kaula] кола

to spoil [spoil] портить

obese [au'bi:s] тучный

diabetes [,daia'bi:ti:z] диабет

to catch up догонять

lack [laek] нехватка

to prefer [pri'fa:] предпочитать

research [ri'saitj] исследование

to suffer f'SAfa] страдать

heart attack ['ha:t a,taek] сердечный приступ

it's common knowledge ['nolidj] общеизвестно

dramatically [dra'maetikali] резко

lung cancer ['!AQ,kaensa] рак легких

heavy smoker заядлый курильщик

tobacco [ta'baekau] табак; табачный

to invest [invest] инвестировать, вкладывать

enormous [i'no:mas] огромный

to advertise ['aedvataiz] рекламировать

product ['prodAkt] продукт, товар

alcoholic [,aelka'holik] алкогольный

 

Questions

1. Do you think people will live longer in the future?

2. Do you believe that one day genetic engineers will be able to correct "gene" mistakes?

3. Do you like fast food? Is it tasty?

4. Why is fast food bad for us?

5. What illnesses does obesity lead to?

6. Are Europeans getting fatter?

7. The USA is the world's leader in obesity, isn't it?

8. Do you take regular exercise?

9. How often do you go for a walk?

10. Do you spend much time in front of your TV-set?

11. Why is smoking dangerous?

12. In some countries tobacco and alcohol advertising has been banned (to ban запрещать). Do you think it's a good idea?

13. Is passive smoking dangerous?

14. Would you like to live a long life?

 

Mass Media

 

 

MASS MEDIA

The mass media play an important part in our lives. Newspapers, radio and especially TV inform us of what is going on in this world and give us wonderful possibilities for education and entertainment. They also influence the way we see the world and shape our views.

Of course, not all newspapers and TV programmes report the events objectively, but serious journalists and TV reporters try to be fair and provide us with reliable information.

It is true that the world today is full of dramatic events and most news seems to be bad news. But people aren't interested in ordinary events. That is why there are so many programmes and articles about natural disasters, plane crashes, wars, murders and robberies. Good news doesn't usually make headlines. Bad news does.

Some people say that journalists are given too much freedom. They often intrude on people's private lives. They follow celebrities and print sensational stories about them which are untrue or half-true. They take photos of them in their most intimate moments. The question is — should this be allowed?

The main source of news for millions of people is television. People like TV news because they can see everything with their own eyes. And that's an important advantage. Seeing, as we know, is believing. Besides, it's much more difficult for politicians to lie in front of the cameras than on the pages of newspapers.

Still, many people prefer the radio. It's good to listen to in the car, or in the open air, or when you do something about the house.

Newspapers don't react to events as quickly as TV, but they usually provide us with extra detail, comment and background information.

The Internet has recently become another important source of information.

Its main advantage is that news appears on the screen as soon as things happen in real life and you don't have to wait for news time on TV.

 

Vocabulary

mass media [,maes 'mhdia] средства массовой what's going on что происходит

информации possibility [posa'biliti] возможность

to inform [irrfo:m] сообщать, информировать entertainment [.enta'teinment] развлечение

to report [ri'po:t] сообщать, писать (о)

event [i'vent] событие, происшествие

objectively [ab'd3ektivli] объективно

fair [fee] честный, справедливый

to provide [prepaid] обеспечивать

reliable [rilaiabl] надежный

ordinary ['o:dnri] обычный, заурядный

disaster [di'za:ste] бедствие

crash [kraej] авария

murder ['тз:йэ] убийство

robbery ['robari] грабёж

to make headlines ['hedlainz] попасть в заголовки

газет, вызвать сенсацию

freedom ['fitdam] свобода

to intrude [in'tru:d] вторгаться

private ['praivit] частный, личный

to follow [fblau] преследовать

celebrity [si'lebriti] знаменитость

to print [print] печатать

sensational [sen'seijanl] сенсационный

untrue [Airtru:] ложный, неверный

half-true ['ha:ftru:] полуправдивый

intimate [Intimit] интимный

source [so:s] источник

advantage [ad'va:ntid3] преимущество

Seeing is believing. Лучше раз увидеть, чем сто

раз услышать.

besides [bi'saidz] кроме того

politician [,poli'tijn] политик

to He [lai] лгать