17. drive (drove, driven) —сгонять
Inhabitant—житель
19. fate—судьба
20. death [deθ] — смерть
Hawk-eye—Соколнный Глаз
22. skin — кожа
23. equipment [I'kwipment]— зд. снаряжение
24. scalping tuft—пучок волос на скальпе
25. eagle's plume [pla:m] — орлиное перо
26. chief—вождь
27. tomahawk ['tomeho:k] — томагавк
Girdle—пояс
29. rifle ['raifl]—винтовка
30. pouch—кисет
31. horn — рог
32. the setting sun — заходящее солнце; ад. запад
33. the big rive— имеется в виду река Миссисипи
34. the salt lake—имеется в виду Атлантический океан
35. stone-headed arrow—стрела с каменным наконечником
36. leaden ['led(ə)n] bullet [bulit] — свинцовая пуля
37. wise [waiz]—мудрый
Dangerous—опасный
39. bow [bou]—лук (оружие)
40. step by step—постепенно
41. dead [ded] — мертвый
42. spirit ['spirit]—дух
Womanish—женский
Curiosity—любопытство
45. impatience нетерпение
Dare—осмеливаться
Finger—палец
48. hide (hid, hidden) — прятаться, скрываться
49. talk of the devil and he will come — поел. Легок на помине
Bush—- куст
I. Find sentences in the text to prove that the following statements are true.
Read them aloud.
1 Chingachgook was an Indian chief.
2 The tribe of Chingachgook came from the West.
3 The white people came from the East.
4 The white hunter was interested in the history of the Mohicans.
5 The Indian tribes fought each other and took each other's land.
6 The Indians were driven from the sea-shore.
7 The last of the Mohicans, Chingachgook's son, was a brave young man.
II. Describe the appearance of Chingachgook, Uncas and the white hunter,
1. skill—мастерство; умение
2. wounded [wundid] —раненый
3. throat [6rout] —горло
4. bend (bent, bent) — сгибать(ся)
HARRIET BEECIIER-STOWE (1811-1896)
Harriet. Beecher-Stowe was born in the State of Connecticut in the North of the USA in the family of a poor clergyman.1 The Beechers were a large and hard working family. Harriet Beecher began to teach in a school for girls when she was thirteen. She helped her elder sister Catherine Beecher, who had opened the school.
In 1836 she married Calvin Stowe, a professor of theology.5 They were not rich and Harriet had much work to do in the house, as well as looking after her children. She had four sons and three daughters. When she had time, she attended a literary club and tried to write short stories. Some of the stories were printed 1 in newspapers. In 1843 her best stories were published in the book "Mayflower".
Revolutionary democrats in Russia used the novel in their struggle against the Russian landowners. In 1858 Sovremennik, a progressive magazine published a Russian translation of "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
Some American critics attacked the book saying that the facts in the novel were not true. H. Beecher-Stowe then published another book, "Key 5 to Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1853). It was a collection of the documents used in her novel.
H. Beecher-Stowe's next anti-slavery novel was "Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp" 0 (1856), which tells about an uprising 7 of slaves.
When the Civil War between the North and the South began, Beecher-Stowe wrote leaflets 8 to the soldiers of the North. She was proud of her son, who was a soldier in the army of the North. In 1862 Abraham Lincoln, President of the USA, received her at the White House and said, "You are the little lady that provoked 9 the great war."
When the writer died in 1896, flowers were laid on her grave 10 with the following words: "From Uncle Tom's Children."
UNCLE TOM'S CABIN
Part I
[Mr. Shelby had a large plantation and many slaves in the South of America. He never had enough money. lie borrowed 1 large sums from a man named Haley, whose business was to buy and sell slaves. Mr. Shelby could not pay the money back, and Haley said he would take Shelby's house or some slaves. Mr. Shelby decided to soil Tom, who helped him to look after the farm.]
"Tom is a good man," said Mr. Shelby; "ho helps me on the farm and I trust 2 him."
"Well, I'll take your Tom if you add a boy or a girl to him," answered Haley.
"I don't think I have a boy or a girl that I could sell. If I could pay the money back I wouldn't sell slaves at all."
Here the door opened and a small Negro boy, between four and five years of age, entered the room. Mr. Shelby gave him some fruit and said, "Now, Harry, show this gentleman how you can dance and sing." The boy began to sing one of the most popular Negro songs in a clear voice.
"Bravo!" said Haley, throwing 8 the boy a piece of an orange.4
"Now, boy, walk like an old man!" said Mr. Shelby. The boy began walking about the room, his master's stick 5 in his hand, in imitation 6 of an old man.
"Hurrah! Bravo! What a boy!" said Haley. "Shelby, I like that boy, if you add him, the business i3 done." At this moment the door opened and a young Negro woman about twenty-five entered the room. You could tell immediately, that she was the mother of the boy. The same beautiful dark eyes and silky black hair.
"Well, Eliza?" asked her master as she stopped and looked at him.
"I was looking for Harry, please, Sir."
The boy ran to his mother showing her the nice things which he had got from the men for his performance.
"Well, take him away, then," said Mr. Shelby; and she quickly left the room, carrying the child in her arms.
"I say, Shelby," said the trader,1 "that is a fine woman. You could get much money for her in New Orleans, any day. I've seen a thousand dollars paid for a girl like that."
"I don't want any money for her. My wife likes her and wouldn't part 2 with her, I don't want to speak about it."
"Well, you'll let me have the boy, won't you?" said the trader.
"What do you want the boy for?" asked Shelby.
"I have a friend who sells good boys in the market. lie sells them to rich people. Boys can be waiters,8 open doors and help in the house."
"I don't want to take the boy from his mother," said Mr. Shelby.
"Oh, you can send the woman away for a day or a week; then your wife can give her a new dress or some other thing to make it up 4 with her."
"I'll think it over and talk to my wife," said Mr. Shelby.
"But I want to know the result as soon as possible," said Haley, rising and putting on his coat.
"Well, come this evening between six and seven, and you shall have my answer," said Mr. Shelby, and the trader loft the house.
Part II
[In the evening Mr. Shelby told his wife that he had sold Tom and little Harry to Haley. Eliza was in the next room and heard the conversation. She decided to take her boy and run away to Canada, where Negroes were free. She packed some of her things, took the boy in her arms and quietly left the house. She ran to Uncle Tom's cabin and told him everything. In Canada she would wait for her husband who would follow her. Eliza advised Tom to do the same, but he did not want to go against his master.]
To get to Canada Eliza had to cross the Ohio River. She knew the road to the river, as she had often gone with her mistress 5 to visit some friends in the little village near the Ohio River. Eliza walked all the night. In the morning, when people and horses began to move along the toad, she sat down behind the trees and gave little Harry something to eat. After a short rest they continued their way. In the afternoon she stopped at a small farm-house to rest and buy some dinner for the boy and herself.
When the sun was already low, they came to the Ohio River. Eliza was tired 1 but strong in heart. She looked at the river that was on her way to freedom. It was spring and the river was swollen,2 large pieces of ice were floating 3 in the water. She understood that it would be difficult to get a boat and cross the river at such a time.
At a small inn 4 she asked about the boats. The woman there told Eliza that the boats had stopped running, and she looked with curiosity at the woman and her child.
"My boy is dangerously ill, I walked the whole day in the hope to get to the boat," said Eliza. The woman was sorry for the poor mother and asked her husband for advice.
"lie said he would try. There is a man who crosses the river very often will be here to supper in the evening, so you may stay here and wait," said the woman. "Take the child into this room," continued she, opening the door into a small bedroom, where stood a comfortable bed.
Eliza put the tired boy upon the bed, and held his hands in hers till lie was asleep. There was no rest for her. She was afraid that the trader and her master would follow her and take little Harry away from her. Eliza stood at the window looking at the river. "How can 1 get to the other side?" she thought. "I must get over the river with my child, then no one will be able to catch us."
Suddenly she heard men's voices and saw Haley. Her room had a door opening to the river. She caught up the boy and ran down to the river. The men saw her and started running after her. She heard their shouts. In a moment she jumped onto a large piece of ice in the river. It was a dangerous jump. Haley and the men cried something to her and lifted their hands. The piece of ice creaked 1 as Eliza jumped onto it, but she did not stay there. She jumped to another and still another piece, falling and jumping again. She lost her shoes, her stockings were cut from her feet, blood marked her every step on the ice; but Eliza saw nothing, felt nothing, till, as in a dream, she saw the other bank of the Ohio, and a man helping her up the bank.
Part III
[Tom was sold to a Mr. St. Clare and lived in his house for more than two years. St. Clare liked Tom and promised to free him. But Mr. St. Clare died suddenly and all the servants 2 were sent to the slave-market.]
A slave-market! You may think that this is a horrible 3 place without light and air.
But no, my friend; in those days men have learned to do crimes with great art, so as not to shock 4 respectable 6 society. The prices of human 0 goods are high in the market and the slaves are well fed,7 washed and looked after. They must come to the auction strong and shining. A slave-market in New Orleans is like many other such markets. Every day you may see lines of Negro men and women in front of the market building. They stand there to show that people are sold in the market. Then you will be invited to come in and examine the Negroes and you will find a great choice of husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and young children to be sold separately 8 or in lots, as you wish.
It is morning. Orders are given to every one to put on their best faces 9 and be lively.10 Then they are marched up to the auction.
Tom was standing with the other slaves near one of the platforms. A man came up to Tom and began to examine him. He opened Tom's mouth to see his teeth; made him show his muscles; 1 turned him round, made him jump.
"Where were you born?" he asked.
"In Kentucky, master," said Tom, looking about, as if for help. "What have you done?" "Looked after the master's farm," said Tom. When the auction began, Tom went on the platform. The trader called the price in French and in English; the buyers shouted their prices. Then the final 2 price was called and Tom was sold and had a new master—the man who had examined him before the auction.
borrow -занимать
trust—доверять
throw (threw, thrown) — бросать
orange— апельсин
stick—палка
imitation—подражание
trader—торговец
part.—расставаться
waiter—официант
make up—мириться
mistress ['mistris] — хозяйка
swell (swilled, swollen) — вздуваться; подниматься (о воде)
float [flout] — плавать 4 inn—гостиница
creak—трещать
Servant — слуга
horrible ['horibl] — ужасный
shock — возмущать, шокировать
respectable [ris'pektebl]—порядочный
human ['hju:men]—человеческий
feed (fed, fed) — кормить
separately ['sepritli] — отдельно
put on a good face—сделать приятное лицо
lively ['laivli] —веселый
I. Find the answers to the following questions in Part I, and read them aloud.
1 Why did Mr. Shelby decide to sell his slaves?
2 What was Haley's business?
3 Why did Haley like little Harry?
4 Why did Haley buy little boys?
5 Did Mr. Shelby want to sell the little boy?
6 Why did Mr. Shelby promise to give the answer only in the evening?
II. Read the Introduction to Part II and retell it using the following key-words:
Heard; decided; to run away; wore free; packed; took; left; ran; told; advised; did not want.
10 Find and read aloud sentences from Part II describing the following:
1. The way to the Ohio River.
2. The Ohio River in spring.
3. Eliza's rest at a small inn.
4. Crossing the Ohio River.
11 Find facts In Part III, which explain or illustrate the following statements:
1. The slave-traders did not want to shock respectable society.
2. The members of a family could be sold to different masters.
3. The buyers examined the slaves like cattle.
muscle [masl]—мускул
final ['fainl] — окончательный
MARK TWAIN
(1835-1910)
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known to the world as Mark Twain, was the son of a small-town lawyer in the State of Missouri. In different stories Mark Twain showed race discrimination and false democracy ("Goldsmith's Friend Abroad Again"). In the story "A Defence of General Funston" hе criticized the imperialist policy of the American Government. Chernishevsky said that "American satirical 9 and critical literature began with Mark Twain".
In 1876 the writer published "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and in 1884 "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" — the novels that are now known to children and grown-ups all over the world. The writer showed boys and girls in the novels with such sympathy and understanding that readers always see themselves in these characters. Mark Twain protested there against slavery and one of the main characters in the novel "Huckleberry Finn" is a Negro, Jim, who is honest, brave and kind.
The profession of a writer did not bring much money to Mark Twain and he had to give lectures on literature and read his stories to the public. He visited many countries, and for a long time lived in England. In 1907 the Oxford University gave Mark Twain an honorary doctorate of letters.1
Ernest Hemingway once wrote: "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called 'Huckleberry Finn'."
IS HE LIVING OR IS HE DEAD?
I was spending the month of March, 1882, in Europe at Mentone. It is a quiet and restful place with much sunshine and bright blue sea. Usually rich people do not come there. Now and then a rich man comes and I happened to make friends with one of them, an Englishman. I shall call him Smith. One day in the hotel at the second breakfast he suddenly said:
"Look at the man going out at the door." "Why?"
"Do you know who he is?"
"Yes. He spent several days hero before you came. He is an old, retired 2 and very rich businessman from Lyons, they say, and I think he is alone in the world, for he always looks sad and dreamy, and doesn't talk with anybody. His name is Theophile Magnan."
Smith did not explain the large interest he had shown in Magnan, but sat thinking for some minutes and then began to talk about something else.
That evening I met Smith and he asked me up to his room to smoke.1 The room looked nice with comfortable chairs and a friendly fire.
We talked a little and then he told me his story.
"A long time ago I was a young artist and came to France where I was travelling from place to place making sketches. One day I met two French artists who were also moving from place to place making sketches and I joined them. We were as happy as we were poor, or as poor as we were happy, as you like it.
"Claude and Carl—these are the names of those boys—were always in good spirits and laughed at poverty.2 We were very poor. We lived on the money which we got from time to time for our sketches. When nobody wanted to buy our sketches we had to go hungry.
"Once, in the north of France, we stopped at a village. For some time things had been very difficult for us. A young artist, as poor as ourselves, lived in that village. He took us into his house, and saved 8 us from starvation.4 The artist's name was François Millet." ï
"What! The great François Millet?"
"Great? He wasn't greater than we were, then. He wasn't famous even in his own village; and he was so poor that very often he hadn't anything for dinner but cabbage, and sometimes he could not even get cabbage. We lived and worked together for over two years. One day Claude said;
"'Boys, we've come to the end. Do you understand that? Everybody is against us. I've been all around the village and they do not want to sell food until we pay all the money.' There was a long silence." At last 7 Millet said, 'What shall we do? I can't think of anything. Can you, boys?'
"We made no answer. Then Carl began to walk up and down the room. Suddenly he stopped in front of a picture and said: 'It's a shame! 8 Look at these pictures! They are good, as good as the pictures of any well-known artist. Many people had said so too.'
"'But they don't buy our pictures,' said Millet.
"'They said it and it's true too. Look at your 'Angelus' there!'
"'My 'Angélus'! I was offered five francs for it.'
"'When?'
"'Who offered it?'
"'Where is he?'
"Why didn't you take it?'
'Don't all speak at once. I thought he would give more—I was sure of it—so I asked him eight.'
'"Well—and then?'
"'He said he would come again.1
"'Why, François—'
"'Oh, I know—I know! It was a mistake. Boys I meant for the best, you must understand, and I—'
"Why, certainly, we know that, but don't do it again.'
"'I wish that somebody came along and offered us a cabbage for it,; and you will see!'
"'A cabbage! Oh, don't speak of it, I'm hungry. Let's talk of some other things.'
'"The pictures are good,' said Carl again, 'and a well-known artist could sell them at a high price, couldn't he?'
"'Of course he could,' said Claude.
"Carl sat down and said, '1 know now how we can become rich.'
"'Rich! You have lost your mind.' 1
'"No, I haven't.'
"'Yes, you have—you've lost your mind. What do you call rich?'
"'A hundred thousand francs for a picture.'
"'He has lost his mind. I knew it.'
"'Yes, he has. Carl, these troubles have been too much for you, and-'
'"Carl, you must take some medicine and go to bed.'
"'Stop it!' said Millet seriously, 'and let the boy say what he wants to. Now, then—go on with your plan, Carl. What is it?'
'"Well, then, to begin with, I will ask you to note this fact in human history: many great artists die of starvation. And only after their death people begin to buy their pictures and pay large sums of money for them. So the thing is quite clear,' he added, 'one of us must die, Let us draw lots.' 2 We laughed and gave Carl some medical advice, but he waited quietly, then went on again with his plan.
"'Yes, one of us must die, to save the others—and himself. We will draw lots. He will become famous and all of us will become rich. Hero is the idea. During the next three months the man who must die will paint as many pictures as he can, sketches, parts of pictures, fragments of pictures with his name on them, and each must have some particulars 3 of his, that could be easily seen. Such things are sold too and collected at high prices for the world's museums, after the great man is dead. At the same time the others of us will Inform 1 the public that a great artist is dying, that he won't live over three months.'
"'But what if he doesn`t die?' we asked Carl.
"'Oh, he won't really die, of course; he will only change his name and disappear,2 we bury a dummy and cry over it and all the world will help us. And—' But he wasn't allowed 4 to finish. Everybody applauded him, we ran about the room, and fell on each others' necks, and were happy. For hours we talked over the great plan and quite forgot that we were hungry.
"At last we drew lots and Millet was elected to die. We collected the few things we had left and pawned them. So we got a little money for travel and for Millet to live on for a few days. The next morning Claude, Carl and I left the village. Each had some of Millet's small pictures and sketches with him. We took different roads. Carl went to Paris, where he would begin the work of building Millet's fame.* Claude and I were going abroad.
"On the second day I began to sketch a villa near a big town because I saw the owner standing on the veranda. He came down to look on. I showed him my sketch and he liked it. Then I took out a picture by Millet and pointed to the name in the corner.
"'Do you know the name?' I said proudly. 'Well, he taught me!" I finished.
"The man looked confused.7
"'Don't you know the name of François Millet?' I asked him.
"'Of course it is Millet. I recognize it now,' said the man, who had never heard of Millet before, but now pretended 8 to know the name. Then he said that he wanted to buy the picture. At first I refused 8 to sell it, but in the end I let him have it for eight hundred francs. Yes, Millet would sell it for a cabbage. I got eight hundred francs for that little thing. I wish I could get it back for eighty thousand. But that time is gone by. I made a very nice picture of that man's house and wanted to offer it to him for ten francs, but remembered that I was the pupil of such a master, so I sold it to J for the eight hundred francs straight back to a day. I always said to the man who bought it, 'I'm a fool 1 to sell a picture by François Millet. The man won't live three months. When he dies, his pictures will be sold at a very high price.'
"The plan of selling pictures was successful with all of us. I walked only two days. Claude walked two—both of us afraid to make Millet famous too near the village where he lived—but Carl walked only half a day and after that he travelled like a king. In every town that we visited, we met the editor 2 of the newspaper and asked him to publish a few words about the 'master's' health. We never called Millet a genius.5 The readers understood that everybody knew Millet. Sometimes the words were hopeful, sometimes tearful. We always marked 4 these articles and sent the papers to all the people who had bought pictures of us.
"Carl was soon in Paris. He made friends with the journalists and Millet's condition was reported 6 to England arid all over the continent, and America, and everywhere.
"At the end of six weeks from the start, we three met in Paris and decided to stop asking for more pictures from Millet. We saw that it was time to strike. So we wrote Millet to go to bed and began to prepare for his death. We wanted him to die in ten days, if he could get ready. Then we counted the money and found that we had sold eighty-five small pictures and sketches and had sixty-nine thousand francs. Carl had sold the last picture and got the largest sum. He sold the 'Angelus' for twenty-two hundred francs. How happy we were! We did not know then that a day was coming when France would struggle to buy it and a stranger 1 would take it for five hundred and fifty thousand francs.
"Claude and I packed up and went back to the village to look after Millet in his last days and keep people out of the house. We sent daily bulletins to Carl in Paris for the papers of several continents with the information for a waiting world. The sad end came at last, and Carl came to the village to help us. Large crowds of people from far and near attended the funeral.2 We four carried the coffin.8 There was only a wax 4 figure in it. Millet was disguised 5 as a relative and helped to carry his own coffin.
"After the funeral we continued selling Millet's pictures. We got so much money that we did not know what to do with it. There is a man in Paris today who has seventy Millet's pictures. He paid us two million francs for them."
When Smith finished his story, I asked him if he knew what had become of Millet.
"He lives under a new name. Do you remember the man I pointed out to you in the dining-room today? That was François Millet."
honorary doctorate of letters—почетный доктор филологических наук (звание)
retired— ушедший от дел
lose one's mind —сойти с ума
lot—жребий
particular— разг. характерная особенность Si
fool—дурак
editor ['edito] —редактор
genius— гений
mark — отмечать
condition - состояние
report [ri'port] — сообщать
I. Find and read aloud sentences describing:
1. François Millet;
2. Smith, Claude and Carl;
3. the life of the four artists;
4. Carl's plan to become rich and famous.
II. Choose the correct ending to each sentence.
1. Mark Twain heard the story
a. from a man he called Smith;
b. from François Millet;
c. from a Frenchman.
2. The poor young artists travelled
a. from Europe to America;
b. from place to place in America;
c. from place to place in France.
3. The artists were very poor,
a. and people never bought their pictures;
b. but sometimes people bought their pictures;
c. but they did not want to sell their pictures.
4. The people in the village
a. gave them food and didn't take any money;
b. gave them food but took their pictures instead of money;
c. refused to sell them food until they paid money for it.
5. The artists decided that one of them
a. must stop painting pictures;
b. must become a writer;
c. must become a famous painter.
6. They drew lots and
a. Carl was elected to die and become famous;
b. Claude was elected to die and become famous;
c. François was elected to die and become famous.
7. They travelled in France and abroad and
a. sold Millet's pictures at low prices;
b. sold Millet's pictures at high prices;
c. could not sell any of Millet's pictures.
8. François Millet stayed in the village,
a. painted pictures and sent them to his friends;
b. painted pictures and sold them in the village;
c. but did not paint any pictures.
9. The newspapers informed the public that
a. Millet had left France and gone to America;
b. Millet was ill and would soon die;
c. Millet had got well and was painting pictures again.
10. When the time for the death came,
a. Claude and Smith packed and went to Millet;
b. Carl and Claude went to Millet and Smith stayed in Paris;
c. Claude stayed in Paris and Smith went to Millet.
11. Large crowds of people attended the funeral and
a. the four young artists carried the coffin;
b. the relatives carried the coffin;
c. Carl, Claude and Smith carried the coffin.
12. After the funeral Millet lived
a. in America under his old name;
b. in the same little village under a new name;
c. in France under a new name.
III. Retell the story. The following key-words will help you:
1. heard; travelled; were poor; sold; must die and become famous; drew lots; elected to die; stayed; informed; packed and went; attended; lived.
HENRY
(1862-1910)
The real name of the writer was William Sydney Porter. He was born in Greenboro, North Carolina, USA, in the family of a doctor. He was brought up by his aunt because his mother died when he was a small boy. After finishing school at the age of fifteen, Porter worked as a clerk for five years in his uncle's chemist, shop in Greenboro. Then he went to Texas because he wanted to see new places.
Soon he married and when a daughter was born to them, Porter was a happy husband and father, but his happiness did not last long.
In 1901, when he was released 3 from prison, he settled in New York, and continued writing short stories for different magazines. Very soon he became one of the most popular short-story writers in America.
0. Henry's stories won great popularity and have been translated into many languages. Most of them have unexpected endings and the reader is always taken by surprise.
During the short period of his literary activity, 0. Henry wrote 273 short stories and one novel, "Cabbages and Kings" (1904).
Taken as a whole, the work of 0. Henry is bourgeois in its spirit.
WITCHES' LOAVES
Miss Martha Meacham kept the little bakery7 on the corner. Miss Martha was forty, she had two thousand dollars in a bank, two false teeth and a kind heart.
Many people have married who had less possibilities to do so than Miss Martha.
Two or three times a week a man came into her shop to buy bread and very soon she began to take an interest in him. He was a man of middle ago with spectacles 1 and a short brown beard.2 His clothes were poor, but he looked clean and had very good manners.
He always bought two loaves of stale 3 bread. Fresh 4 bread was five cents a loaf. Stale loaves were two for five. He never bought anything but stale bread.
Once Miss Martha saw red and brown stains on his fingers. She was sure then that he was an artist and very poor. Of course he lived in a little room, where he painted pictures and ate stale bread, and thought of the good things in Miss Martha's bakery.
Often when Miss Martha sat down to eat her good dinner, she thought about the poor artist and wanted him to share her meal instead of8 eating his stale bread.
Miss Martha's heart, as you have been told, was a very kind one.
In order to find out7 his profession, she brought from her room one clay a painting that she had once bought and put it against the shelves behind the bread counter.
It was an Italian painting. A beautiful palace stood near a lake. Miss Martha was sure that an artist would notice it.
Two days later the man came into the shop.
"Two loaves of stale bread, if you please."
"You have a fine picture here, madam," he said while she was getting the bread.
"Yes?" said Miss Martha. "I love art and" (she could not say 'artists') "and paintings," she added. "You think it is a good picture?"
"The palace," said the man, "is not in good drawing. The perspective of it is not true. Good morning, madam."
He took his bread and hurried out.
Yes, he must be an artist. Miss Martha took the picture back to her room.
How kind his eyes were behind his spectacles! What a broad forehead he had! To be an artist—and to live on stale bread! But genius often has to struggle before it is recognized.
How good would it be for art if genius was helped by two thousand dollars in the bank, a bakery, and a kind heart too—but these were only dreams, Miss Martha.
Often now when he came, he talked for some time with Miss Maltha. And he continued buying stale bread, never anything else.
She thought he was looking thinner. She wanted to add something good to eat to his stale bread, but she had no courage 1 to do it. She knew the pride 2 of artists.
Miss Martha began to wear her best blue silk blouse almost every day. In the room behind the shop she cooked some mixture 9 for her face.
One day the man came as usual, and asked for his stale loaves. While Miss Martha was getting them, there was a great noise in the street and the man hurried to the door to look. Suddenly Miss Martha Lad a bright idea.
On the shelf behind the counter was some fresh butter. With a bread knife Miss Martha made a deep cut in each of the stale leaves put a big piece of butter there, and pressed 4 the loaves together again.
When the man turned to her, she was putting the loaves into a paper bag.
When he had gone, after a very pleasant little talk, Miss Martha smiled 5 to herself, and her heart beat 8 very fast.
For a long time that day she could not think of anything else. She imagined 7 his face when he would discover her little secret. He would stop painting and lay down his brushes. " There would stand his picture in which the perspective was perfect. He would prepare for his meal of stale* bread and water. He would take a loaf—ah!
Miss Martha blushed. Would ho think of the hand that had put it there as ho ate? Would he —
The front bell rang loudly. Somebody was coming in, making very much noise.
Miss Martha hurried into the shop. Two men were there. One was a young man smoking a pipe—a man she had never seen before. The other man was her artist.
His face was very red, his hat was on the back of his head, his hair was falling all over his face. He shook his two fists1" angrily 11 at Miss Martha. At Miss Martha! "Fool!" he shouted very loudly. The young man tried to draw him away.
"I shall not go," he said angrily, "before I told her." He beat his fists on Miss Martha's counter. "You have spoilt my work," he cried, "I will tell you. You are a stupid12 old cat!"
Miss Martha stood back against the shelves and laid one hand on her heart. The young man took his companion by the arm. "Come on," lie said, "you have said enough." He drew the angry man out into the street, and then came back. "I think I must tell you, ma'am," he said, "why he is so angry. That is Blumberger. He is a draughtsman.1 I work in the same office with him.
"He worked very hard for three months drawing a plan for a new City Hall. It was a prize competition. He finished it yesterday. You know, a draughtsman always makes his drawing in pencil first. When it is finished he rubs 2 out the pencil lines with stale bread. That is hotter than indiarubber.3
"Blumberger always bought the bread here. Well, today—well, you know, ma'am, that butter isn't—well, Blumberger's plan isn't good for anything now."
Miss Martha went into the bock room. She took off the blue silk blouse and put on the old brown one she had worn before, then she poured 4 the mixture for her face out of the window.
"Whistling Dick's Christmas Present" — «Рождественский подарок Свистуна Дика»
sign |sain]—подписывать
release [ri'li:s] —освобождать; выпускать
amusing— забавный
incident ['insident]—случай, происшествие
witch — ведьма
bakery ['beikeri]—пекарня
spectacles ['spektaklz] —очки
beard— борода
stale—черствый
fresh—свежий
slain [stein] — пятио
instead [in'sted] —вместо
find out—узнавать
courage—смелость
pride—гордость
mixture—смесь
press—сжимать
smile — улыбаться
beat [bi:t] (beat, beaten)—бить; биться (о сердце)
imagine— воображать, представлять
brush — кисть
blush — красиоть
fist—кулак
angrily — гневно
stupid ['stu:pid]—глупый
draughtsman—чертежник
rub—тереть
indiarubber—резинка для стирания
pour [рз:] — лить
I. Find in the text and read aloud sentences describing:
1 Miss Martha Meacham;
2 Blumbergcr-the draughtsman.
II. Prove that the following statements are true:
1 Miss Martha Meacham had a kind heart.
2 Miss Martha Meacham decided that the middle-aged man was a painter.
3 Miss Martha Meacham wanted to marry this man.
111. Ask your classmates:
1 why Miss Martha decided to put some butter into the stale bread;
2 if the man saw Miss Martha putting the butter into the breadj
3 what Miss Martha thought after the man had gone;
4 what Blumberger said to Miss Martha;
5 who explained things to Miss Martha.
JACK LONDON (1876-1916)
Jack London, the famous American novelist and short-story writer, was born in San Francisco, California.
After graduating from a grammar school at the age of thirteen, he continued working as a newspaper boy and did other small jobs. His father was seriously ill at that time and Jack had to feed the family. He found work in a factory, but his wages were so low that ho worked overtime, 3 standing at his machine for eighteen hours a day. When Jack was a boy, he dreamed of being a sailor and now, when he had a little free time, he spent it near the sea. On one such day he was offered work as a sailor on board a ship going to Japan. Jack London worked on that ship for a year and in 1893 came back to San Francisco.
In 1898 Jack London returned home and found his father dead. Again he had to take different jobs — washing windows, cleaning carpets. At the same time he continued to write, and in 1898 his story "To the Man on Trail"" was published and was a success.
In the next four years the writer published his northern stories "The Son of the Wolf',' "Children of the Frost",8 "A Daughter of the Snows" and others,; which made Jack London famous and brought him enough money to devote himself to literature.
The years 1905-1909 were most successful for the writer. He published "White Fang",2 "The South Sea Tales",«"Martin Eden" and many other works which brought the author great fame.
MARTIN EDEN
Part I
[Martin Eden, a strong man and talented worker, belongs to a working- class family. He meets Ruth Morse, a girl from a rich bourgeois family, and falls in love 1 with her. He decides to become her equal in knowledge and culture. lie must make a career 2 for himself and become famous. He begins to read and study and Ruth helps him.]
A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening lie first met Ruth Morse, and still he did not dare to go and see her. He was afraid of making mistakes in speech and manners.
Martin tried to read books that required 3 years of preparatory work. One day he read a book on philosophy, and the next day a book on art. He read poetry, he read books by Karl Marx. He did not understand what he was reading but lie wanted to know. He had become interested in economy, industry and politics.-He sat up in bed and tried to read, but the dictionary was in front of him more often than the book. He looked up so many new words that when he saw them again, he had forgotten their meaning and had to look them up again. He decided to write the words down in a note-book, and filled page after page with them. And still he could not understand what he was reading. Poetry was not so difficult. He loved poetry and beauty, and there he found beauty, as he found it in music.
At last Martin Eden had enough courage to go and see Ruth. She met him at the door herself and look him into the living-room. They talked first of the books ho had borrowed from her, then of poets. He told her of his plans to educate himself.
"You should go back and finish grammar school, and then go through the high school 1 and university," Ruth said.
"But that takes money," he said.
"Oh!" she cried, "I had not thought of that. But then you have relatives,; somebody who could help you?"
He shook his head.
"My father and mother are dead. I've two sisters and some brothers,— I'm the youngest,— but they never helped anybody. The oldest died in India. Two are in South Africa now, and another is on a fishing-boat at sea. One is travelling with a circus. And I think I am just like them, I've taken care of myself since I was eleven— that's when my mother died. I think I must study by myself, and what I want to know is where to begin."
"I should say the first thing of all would be to get a grammar. Your grammar is not particularly good."
He got red. "I know I talk a lot of slang.1 I know words, picked them up from books, but I cannot say them correctly, so 1 don't use them."
"It isn't what you say, so much as how you say it. You don't mind my saying that, do you? I don't want to hurt you."
"No, no," he cried. "Tell me everything. I must know, and I had better hear it from you than from anybody else."
"Well, then, you say 'You was'; it must be 'You were'. You say 'I seen' for 'I saw'."
"That is clear," said Martin. "I never thought of it before."
"You'll find it all in the grammar," she said and went to the bookcase. She took one of the books from the shelf and gave it to Martin.
Several weeks went by, during which Martin Eden studied his grammar and read books. During those weeks he saw Ruth five or six times and each time he learned something. She helped him with his English, corrected his pronunciation 2 and taught him arithmetic.
Part II
[A few months after Martin had started to educate himself, he had to go to sea again as all his money was spent. He went as a sailor on a ship that was going to the South Sea.]
The captain of the ship had a complete 9 Shakespeare, which he never road. Martin had washed his clothes for him and in return was allowed to read the books. For a time all the world took the form of Shakespearean tragedy or comedy; even Martin's thoughts were expressed in the language of Shakespeare. This trained 4 his ear and gave him a feeling 6 for good English.
The eight months were spent well; he learned to understand - Shakespeare and speak correctly, and what was most important, he learned much about himself. Now he knew that he could do more than he had done. He wanted to show.Ruth the beauty of the South Sea and decided to do it in his letters.
And then the great idea came to him. He would describe the beau-
| ty |
of the world not only for Ruth but for other people as well. He could do it. He would be one of the eyes through which the world saw, one of the ears through which the world heard, one of the hearts through which it felt. He would be a writer. He would write—everything—poetry and prose, novels and descriptions, and plays like Shakespeare. There was career and the way to win Ruth.
For the first time he saw the aim of his life, and saw it in the middle of the great sea. Martin decided to begin writing when he comes back. He would describe the voyage to the South Sea and sell it to some San Francisco newspaper. He would go 011 studying, and thon, after some time, when he had learned and prepared himself, ho would write great things.
Part III
[When Martin Eden returned to San Francisco, he began to write. He sent his works to newspapers and magazines, but the editors sent his manuscripts 1 back. Martin continued to write and study at the same time.]
Martin lived in a small room where he slept, studied, wrote and cooked his meals. Before the window there was the kitchen table that served as desk and library. The bed occupied 2 two-thirds of the room. Martin slept five hours; only a man in very good health could work for nineteen hours a day. He never lost a moment. On the looking-glass were lists of words: when he was shaving 3 or combing his hair, he learned these words. Some lists were on the wall over the kitchen table, and he studied them while he was cooking or washing the dishes. New lists were always put there in place of the old ones. Every new word he met in his reading was marked and later put down on paper and pinned to the wall or looking-glass. He even carried them in his pockets and looked them through in the street or in the shop.
The weeks passed. All Martin's money was spent and publishers continued to send his manuscripts back. Day by day he worked on and day by day the postman delivered to him his manuscripts. He had no money for stamps, so the manuscripts lay on the floor under the table. Martin pawned his overcoat, then his watch.
One morning the postman brought him a short thin envelope. There was no manuscript in that envelope, therefore, Martin thought, they had taken the story. It was "The Ring of Bells". In the letter the editor of a San Francisco magazine said that the story was good. They would pay the author five dollars for it. And he would receive the check when the story was published.
Martin thought that five dollars.for five thousand words was very little. After a few weeks the story was published but the check did not arrive. Martin wrote to the editor asking him for the money. But when answering his letter the editor asked for more of his works and did not send any money.
One morning Martin decided to go and get the five dollars from the editor of the magazine. He entered the office and said that he wanted to see Mr. Ford—the editor. He was taken to the editor's room.
"I—I am Martin Eden," Martin began the conversation. He wanted to ask for his five dollars, but it was his first editor and he did not want to scare 1 him. To his surprise Mr. Ford quickly stood up with the words "You don't say sol" and the next moment, with both hands, was shaking Martin's hand.
"Can't say how glad I am to see you, Mr. Eden!" Here he held Martin at a distance and looked at his suit which was old and past repair.2
"I thought you were a much older man than you are. Your story, you know, showed such maturity. 3 A masterpiece, that story—I knew it when I had read the first lines. Let me tell you how I first read it. But no; first let me introduce you to the staff." 4
Still talking, Mr. Ford led him into the office, where he introduced him to the assistant editor, Mr. White.
"And Mr. Ends, Mr. Eden, is our business manager,5 you know."
The three men were now standing round Martin and talking all together.
"I'll tell you what I came for," Martin said finally. "To be paid for that story all of you like so well. Five dollars, I think, is what you promised me would be paid after publication."
Mr. Ford started to put his hand into his pocket, then turned suddenly to Mr. Ends and said that he had left his money at home. It was clear that Mr. Ends did not like that.
"I am sorry," said he, "but I paid the printer an hour ago." Both men looked at Mr. White, but he laughed and shook his head.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Mr. Ford. "We'll send you a check the first thing in the morning. You have Mr. Eden's address, haven't you, Mr. Ends?"
Yes, Mr. Ends had the address.
"Then it is understood, Mr. Eden, that we'll send you the check tomorrow," Mr. Ford said.
"I need the money today," Martin answered firmly.
"Mr. Ford has already explained the situation," Mr. Ends said. "And so have I. The check will be sent."
"I also have explained," said Martin, "and I have explained that I need the money today."
"It's too bad —" Mr. Ford began.
At that moment Mr. Ends turned as if to leave the room. At the same time Martin turned and caught him by the throat with one hand. To the horror 1 of Mr. White and Mr. Ford they saw Martin shake their business manager.
"Lay out, you killer of young talent," Martin ordered. "Lay out, or I'll shake it out of you, even if it's all in nickels." 2 Then, to Mr. White and Mr. Ford: "You stand there, or somebody will get hurt." Mr. Ends found in his pockets four dollars and twenty-five cents.
"You next!" Martin shouted at Mr. Ford. "I want seventy-five cents more."
Mr. Ford did not wait, but searched his pockets with the result of sixty cents.
"Are you sure that is all?" Martin asked. "What have you in your vest 3 pockets?"
Mr. Ford quickly turned two of his pockets inside out.4 A ferry i ticket fell to the floor from one of them. lie took it and was going to put it back in his pocket, when Martin cried:
"What's that? A ferry ticket? Here, give it to me. It Is ten cents. I've now got four dollars and ninety five cents. Five cents is needed." He looked at Mr. White and the man gave him a nickel.
"Thank you," Martin said addressing all three of them. "I wish you a good day."
fall in love—влюбляться
career - карьера
require - требовать
high school —средняя школа
slang—жаргон
pronunciation— произношение
complete [kom'pli:t| — полный
train—тренировать
feeling—чувство
manuscript— рукопись
occupy— занимать
shave—бриться
scare - пугать
past repair - который ужо нельзя починить
maturity — зрелость
staff (stall — штат (служащих и т. п.) 6
manager—управляющий
horror ['hore] — ужас
nickel I'nikl] — амер. разг. монета в пять центов
vest — жилет
inside out — наизнанку.
ferry—переправа; паром
"The Financier" [fai'nsensio]— «Финансист»
"The Titan" ['taitón] — «Титан»
"The Stoic" ['stouik] — «Стоик»
wealth [welθ]—богатство
crisis l'kraisis]—кризис
misery ['mizeri] — нищета
logic— логика
besides— кроме
mention—упоминать
I. Find and read aloud sentences from Part I to prove that the following statements are true:
1 Martin had very little education and reading books was difficult for him.
2 Martin read books without any system.
3 Ruth helped Martin to educate himself.
4 Martin made grammar mistakes when be spoke.
II. Find answers to the following questions in Part II:
1 How did reading Shakespeare help Martin to educate himself?
2 How did he come to the idea of becoming a writer?
3 What did he want to write?
4 When did he start writing?
III. Add two or three sentences for each point in the outline using Part III.
1. Martin's room was small and poor.
2. Martin studied very much, never losing a moment.
3. Martin's story "The Ring of Bells" was published.
4. Martin went to the editor to get the five dollars promised for the story.
5. The editors tried to lead Martin away from the question of money.
6. Martin got angry and made them give him the money.
THEODORE DREISER1 (1871-1945)
Theodore Dreiser was born in a small town in the State of Indiana, USA, in a poor family. After his school years he had to support himself by doing different jobs, lie worked at a laundry, then for several years he was a newspaper reporter in Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Later he moved to New York, where he found work as a magazine editor.
In his first two novels, "Sister Carrie"(1900) and "Jennie Gerhardt"4 (1911), Dreiser described the life of two young women in the capitalist world.
In 1927 Dreiser was a guest of the Soviet Government. He described his visit to the USSR in "Dreiser Looks at Russia" (1928). Dreiser began to take an active part in the struggle of the progressive people in America, and supported the working-class movement. He became a member of the Communist Party of the USA in August, 1945. This was the "logic 7 of my life", as he expressed it in his letter to the leader of the Communist Party of the USA.
Dreiser's literary work occupies an important place in American critical realism. His novels and short stories give a true picture of American bourgeois society and its influence upon the life of the people.
Theodore Dreiser— Теодор Драйзер
idealize— идеализировать
truth [tru: θ]—правда
"Jennie Gerhardt"—«Дженни Герхардт»
I. Speak about Theodore Dreiser.
1 Say a few words about Theodore Dreiser's family and his way to literature.
2 Why didn't the publishers want to publish his books?
3 Name some of the novels by Th. Dreiser and say what they are about.
4 What was Th. Dreiser's opinion of the Soviet Union and where did the writer express it?
5 What was the "logic" of Th. Dreiser's life?
II. Read the names that you will meet In the text,
Clyde Griffiths I'klaid 'grifiθs]
Squires ['skwaiez]
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY
[This novel is Dreiser's masterpiece. It was published in 1925. It is the life story of a young American, Clyde Griffiths from the days of his childhood till his tragic end on the electric chair. Clyde came a Poor family and his life's dream was to become a rich and important man in capitalist society.
The extracts given below 1 tell how Clyde looked for a job, and how he started working at a big hotel in Kansa City.]
Part I
Clyde began to think harder than ever about himself. And the result of his thinking' was that must do something for himself and soon. Up to this time the best he had been able to do was to work at such jobs as all bays between their twelfth and fifteenth years take up: selling newspapers during the summer months of one year, working in a poor little shop all one summer long, and on Saturdays, for a period during the winter, opening boxes and unpacking 2 goods, for which he received the great sum of live dollars a week, a sum which at the time seemed almost a fortune.4 He felt himself rich and could sometimes go to the theatre or to the cinema though his parents were against it. But Clyde felt that he had a right to go with his own money, also to take his younger brother Frank, who was glad enough to go with him and say nothing.
Later in the same year, wishing to get out of school and start a regular 5- job, he got a place as an assistant to a soda-water 0 clerk in one of the cheaper drugstores 7 of the city which was near a theatre. A sign "Boy Wanted", 8 which was directly on his way to school, first interested him. Later, in conversation with the young man whose assistant he would be and from whom he would learn the trade, he found out that he might make as much as fifteen and even eighteen dollars a week.
But to learn the trade, as he was told, needed time and the friendly help of an expert. If he wished to come here and work for five or six dollars to begin with, he might soon know enough about the art of making sweet drinks, like lemonades, coca-colas and so on. While he was learning, he would have to wash and rub all the machinery of the soda-water counter and also to sweep out and dust the store at so early an hour as seven-thirty and then deliver such orders as the owner would send out by him.
Yet this interesting job he decided to take after a talk with his mother. For one thing, ho could drink as many ice-cream sodas as he wanted free. In the next place, as he thought, it was an open door to a trade. In the third place, he would have to work there sometimes at night, as late as twelve o'clock. And this took him out of his home where his father and mother held religious 1 meeting. They could not ask him to attend any meetings, not even on Sundays, because he would work Sunday afternoons and evenings.
Clyde soon found out to his pleasure,2 that the place was much visited by girls, who sat at the tables and laughed and talked. For the first time in his life, while Clyde was busy washing glasses and making drinks, he studied these girls with great interest. How well- dressed they were, and what interesting things they discussed- parties, dances, the shows they had seen, the places in or near Kansas City to which they were soon going, the different actors or actresses—mostly actors—who were now playing or soon coming to the city. And to this day, in his own home he had heard nothing of all this.
But very soon Clyde understood that this job was not quite what he had expected. For Albert Sieberling, whose assistant he wast kept his knowledge about the trade to himself and did all the more pleasant tasks. Clyde had very little money and he did not make any friends.
Clyde was already sixteen and old enough to make his own way in life. And yet ho 1 p earning almost nothing—not enough to live on, if he were alone.0 he decided to find something better.
Part II
Looking here and there, Clyde thought one day that he would speak to the manager of the soda-water counter, that was connected^ with the drugstore in the biggest hotel in Kansas City, the Green- Davidson Hotel. One day he entered the drugstore. He came up to a short well-dressed man of about thirty-five. "Well!" the man asked when he saw the boy.
"You don't happen to need a soda-counter assistant, do you?" Clyde said, looking at the man with hope.
"No, no, no," answered the man quickly and turned away. But seeing the look of disappointment 3 in Clyde's face, he turned his head and added:
"Did you ever work in a place like this before?"
"No place as fine as this. No, sir," answered Clyde, looking around. "I'm working now at Mr. Klinkle's store at 7th and Brooklyn Street but it isn't anything like this one and I would like to get something better if 1 could."
"Ah," said the man, rather pleased 1 by Clyde's words about his store. "Well, you are quite right. But there isn't anything here that I could offer you. But if you'd like to be a bell-boy,2 I can tell you where you might get a place. They're looking for an extra3 boy in the hotel inside 4 there now. The captain of the boys was telling me he was in need of one. I should think that would be as good as helping about a soda counter."
Then he quickly added: "But you mustn't say that I sent you, because I don't know you. Just ask for Mr. Squires inside there and he can tell you all about it."
Part III
Thanking his advisor for his kindness," Clyde