Английский язык с Дж. Уэбстер. Длинноногий Папочка

Don't be outraged, Daddy. I am not intimating that the John Grier Home was like the Lowood Institute. We had plenty to eat and plenty to wear, sufficient water to wash in, and a furnace in the cellar. But there was one deadly likeness. Our lives were absolutely monotonous and uneventful. Nothing nice ever happened, except ice-cream on Sundays, and even that was regular. In all the eighteen years I was there I only had one adventure — when the woodshed burned.

We had to get up in the night and dress (нам пришлось встать ночью и одеться) so as to be ready in case the house should catch (чтобы быть готовыми на тот случай, если дом загорится; to catch — поймать, схватить; to catch fire — загореться, воспламениться). But it didn't catch (но он не загорелся) and we went back to bed (и мы вернулись в кровати).

Everybody likes a few surprises (каждому нравятся неожиданности; surprise — удивление, изумление; неожиданность, сюрприз); it's a perfectly natural human craving (это совершенно естественное человеческое стремление). But I never had one until Mrs. Lippett called me to the office (но со мною не случалось ни одной /неожиданности/ до тех пор, пока миссис Липпетт не вызвала меня в свой кабинет) to tell me that Mr. John Smith was going to send me to college (для того, чтобы сказать мне, что мистер Джон Смит собирается отправить меня в колледж). And then she broke the news so gradually (но и тогда она сообщала мне эту новость настолько медленно: «постепенно»; to break — ломать; сообщать /известия/) that it just barely shocked me (что она едва ли поразила меня; to shock — поражать, потрясать).

You know, Daddy, I think (знаете ли, Папочка, мне кажется) that the most necessary quality for any person to have is imagination (что самое необходимое качество, которым каждый человек должен обладать, — это воображение).

craving ['kreIvIN], gradually ['grxdZVqlI], quality ['kwOlItI]

We had to get up in the night and dress so as to be ready in case the house should catch. But it didn't catch and we went back to bed.

Everybody likes a few surprises; it's a perfectly natural human craving. But I never had one until Mrs. Lippett called me to the office to tell me that Mr. John Smith was going to send me to college. And then she broke the news so gradually that it just barely shocked me.

You know, Daddy, I think that the most necessary quality for any person to have is imagination.

It makes people able (оно позволяет людям: «оно делает людей способными») to put themselves in other people's places (ставить себя на место других людей). It makes them kind (это делает их добрыми) and sympathetic (и сочувствующими) and understanding (и чуткими; understanding — понимающий; отзывчивый, чуткий). It ought to be cultivated in children (его следовало бы развивать в детях; to cultivate — пахать, обрабатывать; развивать, совершенствовать). But the John Grier Home instantly stamped out (но Приют Джона Грира немедленно вытаптывал) the slightest flicker that appeared (малейшую искорку /воображения/, которая появлялась). Duty was the one quality that was encouraged (чувство долга — вот единственное качество, которое поощрялось; to encourage — ободрять; поощрять, поддерживать). I don't think children ought to know the meaning of the word (мне кажется, что дети не должны знать значение этого слова); it's odious, detestable (оно отвратительное, мерзкое). They ought to do everything from love (им следует делать все из /чувства/ любви).

Wait until you see the orphan asylum (подождите, пока не увидите сиротский приют) that I am going to be the head of (руководителем которого я собираюсь быть; head — голова; глава, руководитель, начальник)! It's my favourite play at night (это моя любимая игра по ночам) before I go to sleep (прежде чем я засну).

cultivate ['kAltIveIt], flicker ['flIkq], encourage [In'kArIdZ], odious ['qVdIqs], detestable [dI'testqbl]

It makes people able to put themselves in other people's places. It makes them kind and sympathetic and understanding. It ought to be cultivated in children. But the John Grier Home instantly stamped out the slightest flicker that appeared. Duty was the one quality that was encouraged. I don't think children ought to know the meaning of the word; it's odious, detestable. They ought to do everything from love.

Wait until you see the orphan asylum that I am going to be the head of! It's my favourite play at night before I go to sleep.