«Тобиас Ужасный» и другие рассказы

Настоящий сборник рассказов и историй на английском языке известного американского писателя Деймона Раньона не только развлечёт вас, но и значительно расширит ваш словарный запас и поможет активизировать его, a также поможет развить навыки устной речи (при пересказе и ответах на послетекстовые вопросы). Каждый рассказ сопровождается списком трудных или непонятных слов и выражений, а также послетекстовыми вопросами и заданиями, которые можно использовать как для самостоятельной работы, так и в учебной группе (если вы преподаватель или репетитор).

Кроме этого, в книге имеется специальное приложение, в котором имеются русские переводы некоторых рассказов сборника (эти рассказы помечены значком*).

Каждый читатель может попробовать свои силы в письменном переводе любого из этих рассказов и сравнить свой перевод с приведенным в книге.

Книга адресована всем, кто желает усовершенствовать навыки чтения и перевода, расширить словарный запас или просто получить удовольствие от чтения на английском языке.

Рассказы подверглись незначительному сокращению и адаптации.

Несколько слов об авторе (из Википедии).

Альфред Дэймон Раньон (4 октября 1880 – 10 декабря 1946) американский газетчик и автор рассказов. Наиболее известен своими рассказами, прославляющими мир Бродвея в Нью–Йорке, выросшего из эпохи сухого закона Википедия.

Он сочинял юмористические и сентиментальные рассказы об игроках, дельцах, актерах и гангстерах.

Его характерный разговорный стиль известен как смесь формальной речи и красочного сленга, почти всегда в настоящем времени и всегда лишенный сокращений.

(4938 words)

In Boston, there is a place where you can get a nice broiled lobster. One evening a character by the name of Horse Thief and me are in there enjoying our meals.

This Horse Thief is called Horsey for short, and not because he ever steals a horse but because everyone from coast to coast knows that he may steal one if the opportunity comes.

Personally, I consider Horsey a very fine character, because anytime he is willing to share his good fortune.

Well, at a table next to us are four or five characters that all seem to be well–dressed, and stout–set, and red–faced, and prosperous–looking, and who all speak with the true Boston accent. Such characters are bound to be politicians, retired cops, or contractors, because Boston is really quite infested with characters of this nature.

I am paying no attention to them, because they are drinking local ale, and talking aloud, and I definitely know that when a Boston character is engaged in aleing himself up, it is a good idea to let him alone, because the best you can get out of him is maybe a boff on the beezer. But Horsey is very much interested in their conversation, and finally I see what is attracting his attention, when one of the characters speaks as follows:

"Well," he says, "I am willing to bet ten thousand dollars that he can outeat anybody in the United States any time."

Now at this, Horsey gets right up and steps over to the table and bows and smiles in a friendly way on one and all, and says:

"Gentlemen," he says, "pardon the intrusion, but," he says, "do I understand you are speaking of a great eater who resides in your fair city?"

Well, these Boston characters all gaze at Horsey in such a hostile manner that I am expecting any one of them to get up and request him to let them miss him, but he keeps on bowing and smiling, and they can see that he is a gentleman, and finally one of them says:

"Yes," he says, "we are speaking of a character by the name of Joel Duffle. He is without doubt the greatest eater alive. He just wins a unique wager. He bets a character from Bangor, Me., that he can eat a whole window display of oysters in this very restaurant, and he not only eats all the oysters but he then wishes to wager that he can also eat the shells, but, it seems that the character from Bangor, unfortunately taps out on the first proposition and has nothing with which to bet on the second."

"Very interesting," Horsey says. "Very interesting, if true, but," he says, "unless my ears deceive me, I hear one of you state that he is willing to wager ten thousand dollars on this eater of yours against anybody in the United States."

"Your ears are perfect," another of the Boston characters says. "I state it, although, I admit it is a sort of figure of speech. But I state it all right," he says.

"Well," Horsey says, "I do not have a tenner on me at the moment, but," he says, "I have here a thousand dollars to put up as a forfeit that I can produce a character who will outeat your party for ten thousand, and as much more as you care to put up."

And with this, Horsey takes out a bundle of coarse notes and tosses it on the table, and right away one of the Boston characters, whose name turns out to be Carroll, slaps his hand on the money and says: "Bet."

Well, now this is prompt action to be sure, and if there is one thing I admire more than anything else, it is action, and I can see that these are characters of true sporting instincts and I start wondering where I can raise a few dibs to take a piece of Horsey's proposition, because of course I know that he has nobody in mind to do the eating for his side but Nicely–Nicely Jones.

And knowing Nicely–Nicely Jones, I am prepared to wager all the money I can possibly raise that he can outeat anything that walks on two legs. In fact, I will take a chance on Nicely–Nicely against anything on four legs, except maybe an elephant, and at that he may give the elephant a photo finish.

I do not say that Nicely–Nicely is the greatest eater in all history, but what I do say is he belongs up there as a contender. Nicely–Nicely eats under the rules of modern civilization, which require that an eater should use a knife and fork, or anyway a knife, while in the old days eating with the hands was a popular custom and was much faster.