CLIMATE AND WEATHER IN GREAT BRITAIN 2 страница
"Manson! I'd like to see you. Can you come to my place at three o'clock? It's important."
"Very well. I'll be there!"
On the way to Denny's house he saw Doctor Bramwell.
"Ah, Manson, my boy! I'm so glad to see you."
Andrew smiled. Doctor Bramwell, unlike Lewis, had been friendly towards Manson all that month. "Of course, we have all heard of your work with the typhoid cases, and we are proud of you, my dear boy. You must come to see us one evening."
Andrew promised to come.
When Andrew entered Denny's room, he saw immediately that something was wrong with Denny. He was very sad.
After a moment he looked up.
"One of my patients, a boy, died this morning," he said coldly. "And besides, I have two new typhoid cases. What shall we do?"
Andrew stood at the door, hardly knowing what to say.
"We have to do something about it," he began. "We must write to the Ministry of Health."
"We could write a dozen letters but it won't help much, I tell you. No! There's only one way to make them build a new sewer."
"How?"
"Blow up the old one. And let's do it tonight!"
"But there will be a lot of trouble if it becomes known."
Denny looked up angrily.
"You needn't take part in it if you don't want to."
"I'll go with you," Andrew answered.
He understood it was a crime, a dangerous game with the police. They might even strike him off at the very beginning of his beautiful career. Yet, he himself did not know why he could not refuse.
At eleven o'clock that night Denny and he started in the direction of Glydar Street. It was very dark. There was nobody in the street. The town was sleeping.
The two men moved quietly. In the pocket of his coat Denny had six small boxes of dynamite; each box had a hole in it, and a fuse." There was an electric torch in Andrew's hand.
Soon they reached the first manhole of the sewer in Glydar Street. Andrew's heart was beating fast. It was very difficult for them to open the cover, but after a short struggle it was done. Andrew took the electric torch out of his pocket. They saw a dirty stream running on the broken stone floor.
"Nice, isn't it?" Denny whispered.
"Take a look at the terrible holes in the floor. Take a last look, Manson. People are dying because of this, but the Council doesn't want to do anything."
No more was said. Andrew's hands trembled, but he worked quickly. They set fire to the fuses, then threw the boxes into the dirty stream, put the manhole cover back in its place and ran into the darkness.
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They heard an explosion, two, three, four, five and the last.
"By God!" Andrew shouted. "We have done it, Denny."
He felt it was the best moment in his life. He almost loved the other man now.
They saw people running out of their houses and started walking home by the back ways.
(After A. Cronin)
1 explosion [iks'plau3n] взрыв
2 epidemic [,epi'demik] эпидемия
3 unlike Lewis [1u:is] не в пример Льюису
4 typhoid ftaifoid] брюшной тиф
5 Ministry of Health Министерство здравоохранения
6 sewer ['sju:a] канализационная труба
7 Blow up the old one. Взорвать старую.
8 strike him off лишить звания врача
9 Glydar Street ['glaida stn:t]
10 dynamite fdamamait] динамит
11 fuse [fju:z] бикфордов шнур, фитиль
12 manhole ['maenhaul] люк
13 Council ['kaunsl] муниципальный совет
14 set fire to поджечь
15 by the back ways окольными путями
ADVENTURE
It was a fine night when Hubert climbed the steps of a bus. He was returning from the Tumbersomes, pleasant but dull people who were friends of his family. They had given him a fairly good dinner but they had left him dissatisfied.
From the top of his bus which carried him along brilliantly-lighted but now deserted streets, Hubert sighed for adventure.
There is something theatrical about these streets when the hour is approaching midnight.
They suggest that at any moment the most unusual drama might begin. Hubert, a reader of fiction, a playgoer, a lover of film shows, always hoped that something mysterious, romantic would happen to him. But somehow it never did.
In a few minutes, he would leave the bus, walk down one street and arrive at the little flat in which he lived with his friend, John Langton. They would make some tea, talk for about half-hour, and then go to bed. The evening would be over, finished, and the next morning he would go to the office.
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Meanwhile time was flying. Hubert was twentythree, and it seemed to him that he was nearly middle-aged.
He looked around at the other passengers on the bus. It was difficult to see their faces, but they were dull, as usual.
No men with scars stared at him, no beautiful girls with tears in their eyes asked for help. Then he saw a golden light which came from the coffee-stall at the corner.
From fiction Herbert knew that there was something romantic about coffee-stalls. He decided to leave the bus at the corner.
He went to the coffee-stall and ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.
There were only two or three men there. Hubert tried the coffee and found that it was hotter and more tasteless than ever. What a life!
But at that moment a taxi came and stopped at the stall. The door opened and a man almost fell out of it. He came zigzagging over the stall and passing Hubert he pushed him so that his coffee and cake went flying.
"Sorry, old man," said the newcomer. "Very, very sorry. What was it?"
"It doesn't matter,"
Hubert told him. "I really didn't want that coffee."
The man looked at him, laughing, "Then why order it, why pay for it, if you don't want it?"
Hubert smiled and said, "Oh, I just stopped here — on my way home, you know —just for something to do."
"Too early to go home, eh?"
"Well, you know how you feel sometimes," said Hubert. The man patted Hubert on the shoulder.
"I do. I feel like it all the time. Now I'll tell you what. You come with me, old man. I am just going to a little club. You come with me. I'll show you something."
Hubert hesitated. The man was obviously drunk, and a visit to some night club in his company was not very attractive.
"Well, I don't know..." he began.
"The only thing is," said the man seriously, coming nearer, "can you keep a secret? That's important. If not, I can't invite you."
This decided Hubert. There was a real adventure! So.he thanked the man, and agreed to accompany him.
They got into the waiting taxi. In another minute they were moving along some dark and deserted street.
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(AfterJ. B.Priestley)
1 Hubert ['hju:bat]
2 Tumbersome [ЧлтЬэзэт]
3 But somehow it never did. Но это как-то никогда не случалось.
4 meanwhile f'mi:nwail] между тем
5 coffee-stall ['kofisto:!] кафе
6 went flying полетели (на поп)
7 I'll tell you what знаете что; послушайте меня
8 This decided Hubert. Это заставило Хьюберта решиться.
UNDER THE DECK AWNINGS
Part I
"Can a man — I mean, a gentleman — call a woman a pig?"
The little man spoke to the whole group. Nobody answered.
The little man looked at each of the men in turn and spoke to one of them.
"I ask you, Mr Treloar, can any man call any woman a pig?"
Treloar, who was sitting next to him, did not answer at once.
"I think," he began slowly, "that it - it depends on the lady."
The little man looked angrily at him: "You mean ..."
"Yes, I mean that I have met a woman who was worse than a pig. If you wish, I shall tell you the story and then ask you what you think of her.
"Miss Caruthers shall » call her (though that is not her real name). It was on a boat sailing the Southern seas and it happened a few years ago. Her father was a high official whose name you all know very well, and that is the reason why I don't mention it.
"Miss Caruthers was charming. No, that is not the word. She was wonderful.
She was a beautiful young woman, and a lady.
She was with her mother and two maids at that time. They were going East to join her father there.
"She — excuse me for repeating it — was wonderful. There was nothing she could not do better than any woman and — most of the men. She could sing, play, dance, swim! Nobody could compete with her.
"But her swimming! She was very beautiful, as I have told you, small and thin. But she also had strength. She could stay under water for two minutes. No man on board, except Dennitson, could get as many coins with one dive. On the deck there was a big tank filled with six-feet sea water. We used to throw small coins into it. She would dive from the bridge — this was not an easy thing to do — and fetch up not less than forty-seven coins from the bottom of the tank.
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"She was a sea-woman, really. But she was a landwoman too. She could ride, she could play tennis, she could do anything. She was a wonder. And she was clever, witty, charming.
All the men were in love with her. I myself was in love with her. She was always surrounded by men, young and old, who were ready to do everything she wished.
"She ran the ship, she ran the voyage, she ran everything, and she ran Dennitson. He was in love with her like all of us. But she liked him better than the others, and that feeling was growing.
What would have happened we shall never know, because we came to Colombo" and something else happened.
"You k'now Colombo, and how the native boys' dive for coins in the bay full of sharks. Of course they risk to do it only with the smaller and less dangerous sharks. It is really surprising how they know sharks and can feel the presence of a real killer — a tiger shark, for instance.
Whenever such a shark appears, all the boys get hurriedly out of the water.
"It was after lunch, and Miss Caruthers was as usual surrounded by her admirers. Old Captain Bentley had just been whistled up " and had given her permission (he had never allowed this before ... nor since14 for the boys to come up on deck. You see, Miss Caruthers was a swimmer, and she was interested. She took all our small coins and herself threw them into the water. She gave extra rewards to the best swimmers, in short, she ran the whole show.
(After J. London)
1 Under the Deck Awnings ['o:niijz] "Под палубным тентом"
2 Treloar [tri'laua]
3 Caruthers [кэ'глЭэг]
4 on a boat sailing the Southern ['злЭэп] seas на пароходе, который плыл по южным морям
5 that is the reason why I don't mention it поэтому-то я и не называю его имени
6 a big tank filled with six-feet sea water большой бассейн глубиной в шесть футов, наполненный морской водой
7 used [ju:st] to throw имели обыкновение бросать
8 would dive обычно ныряла
9 She ran the ship, she ran the voyage Она управляла кораблем, она командовала путешествием
10 What would have happened Чем бы все это кончилось
11 Colombo [ka'l/vmbou] Коломбо
12 native boys мальчики-туземцы
13 had just been whistled up его только что подозвали (свисткам — намек на то, что Мисс Карутерс стоило только свистнуть, чтобы он явился)
14 he had never allowed this before... nor since он никогда этого не разрешал ни до... ни после этого случая
UNDER THE DECK AWNINGS
Part II
That was a pretty sight. Among the boys there was a little fellow who could dive wonderfully, much better than the other boys. He could make the swallow-dive more beautifully than I had ever seen it. He dived again and again. We all watched him with delight, especially Miss Caruthers. He was not older than twelve or thirteen, but he was certainly the cleverest among the boys. He was their favourite and leader, though some of them were older than he. He was a beautiful boy, active and brave. He was so healthy, fresh and young, so full of life, that it was a pleasure to look at him.
"This was the boy. And it was he who gave alarm in the middle of the sport.
All the boys hurried to get out of the water. They were all frightened and swam towards the ship as quickly as they could.
They hurriedly climbed onto the deck. Now all of them were standing near the rail and looking down into the water.
"What's the matter?" asked Miss Caruthers.
"A shark, I think," Captain Bentley answered.
"Are they afraid of sharks?" she asked.
"Aren't you?" he asked back.
She shuddered, looked down into the water.
"Not for the world would I risk to dive if there was a shark nearby," she said and shuddered again. "They are terrible! Terrible!"
"Captain Bentley made a sign to the boys to go away. But Miss Caruthers stopped him.
"One moment, please, Captain."
"And then she turned to us and asked: "Who will lend me a half-crown and a sovereign?"
"Immediately all of us were holding out the coins to her.
"She held up the halfcrown so that the boys could see it. But none of them moved. She offered the coin to each of the boys, and each of them shook his head and smiled. Then she threw the coin into the sea. With sad faces they watched its silver flight through the air, but not one moved to follow it.
"Don't do it with the sovereign," Dennitson said to her in a low voice.
"But she held up the gold coin before the eyes of the boy who had made the swallow-dive.
"Don't do it," Dennitson said. If s a fortune to him. He may risk his life to get it."
"Wouldn't you?" she asked.
"Dennitson shook his head.
"She was silent for a moment. She had forgotten the boy, and was thinking of Dennitson.
"For me?" she said in a low voice.
"To save your life — yes. But not to get the coin."
"She turned back to the boy. Again she held the coin before his eyes.
"It is difficult to say why she did it. It was unexpected for all of us. Suddenly the gold coin flashed in the sunshine. Before a hand could stop him, the boy was over the rail and making a beautiful swallowdive after the coin.
"In the clear water from the high deck, we saw everything. The shark was very big and in an instant it cut the boy in half.
"There was a murmur among us and then there was silence. Miss Caruthers was the first to speak. Her face was very white.
"I ... never thought," she said, and laughed a short, hysterical laugh.
"She turned to Dennitson, and then from one to another of us. Her lips were trembling. But nobody moved. "Mr Dennitson," she said, "please take me to my cabin."
"He did not even change the direction of his look. His face was dark. Captain Bentley made a strange sound in his throat. That was all, that and the silence.
"She turned away and began to walk slowly down the deck."
Treloar had finished his story. He turned his head, looked at the little man and asked coldly.
"Well, what can you say to that?"
The little man opened his mouth and then closed it.
"I have nothing to say," he said.
"Absolutely nothing."
(After J. London)
1 a pretty sight красивое зрелище
2 could make the swallow-dive мог нырять "ласточкой"
3 it was he who gave alarm in the middle of the sport и именно он дал сигнал тревоги в самом
разгаре игры
4 he asked back ответил он вопросом на вопрос
5 Not for the world would I risk to dive, if there was a shark nearby Ни за что на свете я бы не
рискнула нырнуть, если бы поблизости была акула
6 Who will lend me a half-crown and a sovereign fsovrin]? Кто мне одолжит полкроны и соверен?
(полкроны — серебряная монета достоинствам в 2,5 шиллинга; соверен — золотая монета
достоинством в 1 фунт стерлингов; обе монеты вышли из употребления)
7 shook his head отрицательно покачал головой
8 watched its silver flight следили за полетом серебряной монеты
9 in a low voice тихо
10 It's a fortune ['fo:tjan] to him. Для него это целое состояние.
11 Wouldn't you? ... А вы бы рискнули? ...
12 cut the boy in half перекусила мальчика пополам
13 was the first to speak заговорила первой
HOW WE KEPT MOTHER'S DAY
We decided to have a special celebration of Mother's Day. We thought it a fine idea. It made us realise how much Mother had done for us for years, and all the efforts and sacrifices that she had made for our sake.
So we decided that we'd make it a great day, a holiday for all the family, and do everything we could to make Mother happy. Father decided to take a holiday from his office, so as to help in celebrating the day, and my sister Ann and I stayed home from college classes, and Mary and my brother Will stayed home from High School.
It was our plan to make it a day just like Christmas or any big holiday, and so we decided to decorate the house with flowers. We asked Mother to do it, because she always does it.
The two girls thought it would be a nice thing to dress in our best for such a big occasion, and so they both got new hats. Father had bought silk ties for himself and us boys. We were going to get
Mother a new hat too, but it turned out that she liked her old hat better than a new one.
After breakfast we decided that we would hire a motor car and take Mother for a beautiful drive away into the country.
But on the very morning of the day we changed the plan a little bit. We all felt that it would be nicer to have a definite purpose. It turned out that Father had just got a new rod the day before, and he said that Mother could use it if she wanted to: in fact, he said it was practically for her, only Mother said she would rather watch him fish than fish herself.
So we got everything arranged for the trip. Mother cut up some sandwiches and packed all up in a basket for us.
When the car came to the door, it turned out that we couldn't all get in.
Father said that he could stay at home and work in the garden. The girls said that Mother had only to say the word and they'd gladly stay at home and work.
In the end it was decided that Mother would stay at home and have a lovely restful day round the house. It turned out anyway that Mother didn't care for fishing and also it was just a little bit cold and fresh out-of-doors, though it was lovely and sunny, and Father was afraid that Mother might take cold if she came.
We had the loveliest day. Father and the boys fished, the girls met quite a lot of people. We all had a splendid time.
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