Everyday English

10. No, they don’t. They have adopted the child.

11.1 was born on the 15-th of May, 1954 in London.

12. No, she is my grandmother.

13. No, I am not from Georgia. I come from Bulgaria, I am Bulgarian.

14. No, he died of an illness.

Text В

The Wedding

(abridged from “Penmarric” by Susan Howatch)

So Jeane¹ too began to wear an engagement ring. She was constantly talking about Helena’s² wedding in July and her own wedding in October.

Helena was busy enough as it was: wedding invitations were sent out, the reception at Polzillan³ House was organized, the trousseati⁴ was bought in London and the design for the bridesmaids’ dresses were chosen.

Since I [Philip] had no close friends of my own class I eventually had to ask Jan-Ives⁵ to be the best man.

The night before the wedding Jan-Ives, William and all my friends from the mine joined me at the pub to cheer me up on my last evening as a bachelor, and the beer and cider flowed until there wasn’t a sober man in the house.

The wedding was set for two o’clock at Zillan. When Jan-Ives and I were ready the chauffeur drove us there in Penmarric car. The rector⁶ appeared for a word with me; Peter Waymark, who was an usher⁷ arrived with his wife. Other guests began to appear.

Jonas’s⁸ sister Deborah⁹, who was the youngest bridesmaid, was by that time at Polzillan House with Esmond, the page, and the two adult bridesmaids, Jeane and Charlotte¹⁰.

My mother arrived, looking beautiful as usual, and set between Marianna and Elizabeth¹¹ [sisters] in the row behind me.

Two o’clock struck and the organ went on playing but at last there was a murmur of excitement by the porch and I knew that Helena had arrived.

The organ changed the key. We all stood up. All I can remember that she looked even more striking than usual, Jeane, Deborah and Helena’s friend Charlotte in long pale blue dresses, Esmond, proud and dignified in his page’s costume.

I can remember Jan-Ives giving me the ring, remember the touch of metal cold against my dry fingers. I can remember the rector saying a few words to us in private before the altar, I remember walking down the aisle¹² and out of the church into the faded sunshine of a cold June afternoon.

All the village had turned out for the wedding. There were cheers and shouts and a storm of confetti, and I remember smiling and waving as I climbed into the car with Helena to drive to Polzillan House.

I can remember the reception, tables of delicacies, champagne in buckets, a wedding cake like an ivory tower. Jan-Ives made a witty speech, but I merely said a few words of thanks and afterward there was only talk and laughter...

We left for Penzance¹³ at 6 o’clock. I had decided against travelling to Torquay¹⁴ on the first night of the honeymoon, so I had booked a suite at the Metropole which had a number of sentimental memories for us.

Notes:

¹ Jeane [c^i:n]

² Helena ['helina]

³ Polzillan [_zpoul'zilan]

⁴ trousseau ['tru:sau] - outfit clothing for a bride

⁵ Jan-Ives ['3a:n'i:v]

⁶ rector - clergyman in charge of a parish

⁷ usher [_AJa] - door-keeper during the wedding who meets the guests

⁸ Jonas [^ounz]

⁹ Deborah ['debars]

¹⁰ Charlotte ['fa:lat]

¹¹ Elizabeth [iTizabaO]

¹² aisle [ail] - passage in church

¹³ Penzance [pep'zmps]

¹⁴ Torquay ['ta:'ki:]

Ex. 10. Comprehension questions.

1. Was it a church or a civil wedding?

2. Who took part in the ceremony?

3. Who were Helena’s bridesmaids? What did they look like?

4. What were the chores Helena had to attend to before the wedding?

5. Why did Philip and Helena leave the Polzillan House that night?

Ex. 11. Give words or phrases for the following definitions:

1. to win the affections with a view of marriage;

2. unsuitable marriage;

3. a woman whose husband died;

4. a woman, who has never been married;

5. a second wife of one’s father;

6. a child of an earlier marriage of one’s stepfather or stepmother;

7. to take a child into one’s family (as a relation);

8. a man, who has never been married;

9. to educate, to raise children;

10. to put an end to a marriage by law;

11. man (woman) to whom one is engaged;

12. your father’s (mother’s) parents;

13. a jubilee after 25 years of marriage;

14. a circular band (often of gold) given as a token of love.

Ex. 12. Fill in the right words.

Ties of Relationship

1. Your relatives on your wife’s side are: your wife’s sister is your ... , and her brother is your... , your parents will refer to your wife as their... while your brothers and sisters will refer to her as ... . Your wife’s parents will speak of you as their....

2. Your brother’s and sister’s sons and daughters are your... and ....

3. Your mother’s and father’s brothers and sisters are your.... The children of your uncles and aunts are your... and the children of your first cousins are your....

4. Your mother’s and father’s parents are your... and the latter will refer to you as their....