Разговорный английский
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3. APPEARANCE
(Two young people, George and Ann, meet after a lapse of some eight years.)
GEORGE. Did you receive my letter, Ann?
ANN. Yes, I did.
G. I wished to see you very much, Ann. I hope you will not be displeased with me.
A. No, I’m very glad to meet you. It’s a long time since we have met last.
G. It is, indeed. I think it’s about eight years, isn’t it?
A. It must be eight, I think.
G. You have changed, Ann.
A. Have I?
G. Yes, a great deal.
A. Am I like what you expected me to be?
G. No, Ann. You are much more beautiful than I thought you would be.
A. Am I?
G. Yes. But do you know, last night I was trying to fancy you as a —.
A. Not a fat, blonde girl, with round blue eyes and pigtails dangling down at the back of my head?
G. No, Ann, but as a tall girl with a mop of hair tied up in a bundle, with rouged cheeks —.
A. Oh, yes! That’s just like me, isn’t it? You must have seen me before you came here!
G. No, indeed I was only guessing.
A. Well, go on. You are describing me so well.
G. And do what I would, Ann, those pigtails of yours would come back as the only right thing for you.
A. Well, and now do you like my “mop of hair and rouged cheeks?” You have hit so exactly on my appearance, haven’t you?
G. Oh, Ann, don’t jeer at me. You can’t imagine how glad I am to be mistaken. Your fair heavy braids are —.
H. You know, George, when I got your letter yesterday, I also tried to fancy you.
G. And is there any likeness between me and what you fancied?
A. Yes, and a very striking one, I should say.
G. Well, how did you fancy me?
A. I won’t tell you. At least, not now.
G. When?
A. Sometime later.
4. ENGAGEMENT AND MARRIAGE
At the age of 21, persons of both sexes in England come of age. Boys and girls are permitted to become “engaged” or betrothed, when still in their “teens”. A boy can, with his parents’ consent, propose to a girl and then marry her before he is twenty-one years of age. As a pledge of good faith he presents his bride-elect with an engagement ring, which is worn on the third finger of the left hand.
In ordinary speech, a man who is engaged, but not yet married to a lady, when speaking of her, will say: “My intended,” or “My fiance.” The young lady, on a similar occasion, will say the same.
Generally, English girls receive no marriage portion (weddingdower) on marrying, as a man is obliged to maintain his wife and children himself.
On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom and bride with the best-man and bride’s-maids, family and friends, go to church for the wedding service. There they are joined in matrimony by the
clergyman, who slips a wedding-ring on the bride’s ring-finger. This ring she wears for the rest of her life.
When the ceremony is over, all go back to the house, where the lady has been living, to the wedding-breakfast. The prominent feature of the wedding-breakfast is the highly-decorated “wedding-cake.” After the guests have drunk the bride’s and bridegroom’s healths, the happy newly-married couple take leave and depart on their honeymoon or to their new home.
According to an old English custom, they get pelted, at the moment of leaving the room, with handfuls of rice or with old shoes and slippers, which is supposed to bring them good luck.
5. A FAMILY
When two persons are married, the man is called the husband; the woman becomes his wife. When a child is bom in the family, the father and mother of the child are called parents. A family generally consists of a father, a mother and children — sons or daughters or both. The first bom child is the eldest, the last bom — the youngest. Two children that are bom together are called twins.
The father and mother of the husband become the father-in- law (in law — by marriage), and mother-in-low of the wife. The husband is the son-in-law; the wife — the daughter-in-law; they have brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
The other members of the family are the relatives or relations: uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.
The brothers and sisters of any of the parents become the uncles and aunts of the children. The children of two married brothers or sisters or brother and sister are cousins to each other.
In case of a second marriage, we speak of a step-father or a step-mother, step-son, step-daughter, etc.
IL Meeting People
1. ON WEATHER
P. Hello, Nick! Where have you been hiding all this time?
N. I? I was on vacation down south.
P. Really! Enjoyed the time?
N. Half and half.
P. What do you mean by half and half?
N. Because of the weather, you know.
P. What was it like there?
N. Changeable. During the first 10 days we had all kinds of weather varying from clear, bright days to rain and cold.
P. And later?
N. And later it improved. We had a spell of fine weather for, at least, a fortnight.
P. Bathed in the sea? Where were you, by the way?
N. No, I happened to be in the country this year.
P. Oh, you get less fun in the country than at the seaside, don’t you?
N. Well, in some respects, yes, but on the other hand you have the river, the woods, the —.
P. Went about hunting?
N. Not much. On the eve of my departure we did a bit of rabbiting and got caught in the rain. I was wet like a drowned cat.
P. You should have taken an umbrella.
N. And be the laughing stock of the village, eh?
P. I was just joking, Nick.