Разговорный английский

G. No other.

E. Let me shake your crab.

G. Yes, and let me do the same.

E. What good wind brings you here?

G. I’m here on business.

E. What a small place the world is, after all!

G. Indeed it is.

E. I could have never thought of meeting you here in this out of the way place.

G. Same me. How are you, anyway?

E. Middling, and you?

G. Pretty well, thank you.

E. Well, well, George! It’s good to see you again after all these years.

G. Yes, and I am glad to meet you too.

E. You have changed a great deal.

G. In what respect?

E. You are thinner.

G. Yes?

E. Older, too.

G. I wouldn’t say that you look younger, eh?

E. Well, where have you put up?

G. I haven’t got fixed up yet. I’m right from the station.

E. How long do you intend to stay here?

G. For a day or two, I suppose.

E. Well, that’s fine. What about staying at my house? We could talk to our heart’s content then.

G. I’d be only too glad if —.

E. If what?

G. I wouldn’t be in your way. You are married, I suppose?

E. Yes, I’m a family man in the full sense of that word — I have a wife and a daughter.

G. Really! Well, I’d like to get acquainted with them.

E. Come along then.

G. All right. Thanks.

3. AN APPOINTMENT

TOM: Hello, George! What luck running into you.

GEORGE: Hello, Tom! Where did you spring from?

T. From the nowhere. And where have you been hiding all this time?

G. I was away.

T. I extremely wished to meet with you, you know.

G. Did you?

T. Yes, I tried to get you on the phone, but I was told you were out.

G. When was that?

T. Oh, about an hour ago.

G. Oh, yes, I’d (had) left by then.

T. Are you engaged this evening?

G. What made you ask?

T. I was just wondering if you could help me in a piece of work that I have to do?

G. Something on your diploma work?

T. Yes.

G. All right. When will you come round?

T. I’d rather you come round to me, if you don’t mind.

G. When would you like me to call?

T. Any time in the evening.

G. If it’s convenient I’ll call round at 8.

T. Couldn’t you possibly come a little earlier?

G. Will six do?

T. Yes, I think that would be all right.

G. So it’s 6 then.

T. Yes. Do try to come.

G. I’ll come without fail. So long.

T. See you by and by.

III. Education

1. A LESSON IN ENGLISH

TEACHER. Well, children, we shall review the last week’s lesson now.

PUPIL. Please, ma’am, may I come in?

T. Oh, Edward Hamilton! Late as usual.

E.H. I am sorry, ma’am. Our clock —.

T. You always have a ready excuse, Edward Hamilton. You may take your seat. Now, are you done with talking, Mary Swan?

M.S. Yes, ma’am, excuse me, please.

T. You may sit down, Mary Swan.

M.S. Yes, ma’am.

T. Open your books, all of you, at page 81. We shall read lesson 12. Nancy Brown, read, please.

N.B. Yes, ma’am. (Nancy B. reads.)

T. That’ll do. You read quite well. Name the parts of the last sentence, please. (Nancy B. names them.) Any remarks, children? None. You did very well, Nancy. 1 shall give you an excellent mark. Now, you read, Edward Hamilton.

E.H. I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’ve left my book at home.

T. No wonder. Nancy Brown, give him your book, please. {Nancy B. gives it to him and Edward H. reads.) Your reading is not very good, Edward — you stumbled three times. Read over again the second line from the bottom of the paragraph, please. {Edward H. reads.) There, you have made the same mistake again! How do you pronounce the second word in that sentence?

E.H. Exercise.

T. You pronounce it with a roll to the “r”. George Western, how do you pronounce it? {George W. pronounces it correctly.) That’s right. Now, you repeat it, Edward. {Edward H. says it right.) There, that’s better! Go to the blackboard, please.

E.H. Must I -.

T. No, you needn’t take your book. {Edward H. goes to the blackboard.) Face the pupils, please. {He turns towards the pupils.) Now, tell us what is the past tense of the verb “to work”.

E.H. The verb “to work” is a regular verb and the past tense is formed by adding “-ed” to it.

T. Good. Now, construct a sentence with that word, please. {Edward H. writes a sentence on the blackboard.) Very good. You may take your seat. I’ll give you “four”, Edward.

E.H. Yes, ma’am.

T. There goes the bell! The lesson is over.

2. BOOKS

a)      A Dialogue

A. Good afternoon, Mary! What! Again you are reading?

M. Oh you, Ann! I was so absorbed in my book that I didn’t hear you knock. Come in, please.

A. Whenever I come I always find you sitting deep in a book.

M. Well, I take great delight in books, you know.

A. And so do I. But the way you read, well, you are simply a bookworm, you are. What are you reading?

M. “Jane Eyre” by Bronte. Have you read it?

A. “Jane Eyre”? No, I don’t think I have. Is it a good book?

M. Very. And moving, too. Want to read it?

A. I should like to. Are you through with it?