Вопрос № 348536 - Английский язык

Jonathan Swift, the famous English writer and the author of “Gulliver’s Travels”, was not very generous. He seldom gave anything to the servants or those who sent him presents. But once he received a lesson from a boy who very often carried him hares, partridges, and other game.

One day the boy arrived with a heavy basket containing fish, fruit, and game. He knocked at the door and Swift by chance opened it himself. “Here”, said the boy gruffly, “my master has sent you a basket full of things”.

Swift, feeling displeased at the boy’s rude manner, said to him: “Come here, my boy, and I will teach you how to deliver a message a little more politely; come, imagine yourself Jonathan Swift, and I will be the boy”. Then taking off his hat very politely, and addressing himself to the boy, he said. “Sir, my master sends you a little present, and begs you will do him the honour to accept it”.

“Oh, very well, my boy”, replied the boy, “tell your master I am much obliged to him, and there is half a crown for yourself”. Swift laughed heartily, and gave the boy a crown for his wit.

Once there was a man whose wife was dumb, and this made him very sad because he loved her very much. After some time he went to see a doctor and said. “Can you make my wife speak?” “Perhaps I can”, said the doctor, “the operation is difficult, but if I try, I’ll do my best”. “Of course, you may try”, said the husband, “I’ll bring her tomorrow”.

The next day the doctor made the operation and the dumb wife began to speak. She spoke so much and so loudly that in a few hours her husband ran back to the doctor and said,

“Can you make my wife dumb again?” “No”, said the doctor, “there are many ways to make a dumb woman speak, but no ways to make a woman stop talking”.

“What must I do?” said the man, “I shall soon die if I have to listen to her all day long”. “Well”, said the doctor, “I can’t make her dumb, but I can make you deaf and you will not have to listen to her”. “Very well”, said the man, “you may do so. It will be better than the other way”.

Every day in one of the streets of Vienna you could see a blind man playing the violin. His dog sat near him with a cap in its mouth. People, who were passing them, dropped coins into the cap.

One day, when the weather was very cold, the man was playing for a long time, but nobody wanted to give him anything. The poor man thought that he would have to go to bed without supper. He was so tired and so weak that he stopped playing.

At the moment a young man came up to him and said: “Give me your violin. I shall help you”. And with these words he began to play. He played so well that people began to gather and soon there was a big crowd. Everybody was eager to listen to the fine music and to thank the young man for the pleasure.

Soon the cap was full of money. “I don’t know how to thank you”, said the blind man”. “Who are you?” “I am Paganini”, was the answer.

It was in 1620, in the time of King James the First. English people did not like their king and they called him “The foolish King of England”. Many of them even left England and went to live in other countries.

In November, 1620 a small ship, the Mayflower, left England. There were about one hundred people aboard the ship. For seven long weeks the Mayflower was in the waves and storms of the Atlantic Ocean, and at last the people saw the land. It was America.

It was already autumn. It was raining and a cold wind was blowing. Sixteen men left the Mayflower and went ashore. In the evening they came back to the ship. Sometimes they did not come back for many days; they were looking for a good place to live. There was a good harbour for ships there, some fields and forests near it and even a small river. The people began to build a village there.

On January, 1621 there were already two streets in this village, and they called it “New Plymouth”.

Once there was a man whose wife was dumb, and this made him very sad because he loved her very much. After some time he went to see a doctor and said. “Can you make my wife speak?” “Perhaps I can”, said the doctor, “the operation is difficult, but if I try, I’ll do my best”. “Of course, you may try”, said the husband, “I’ll bring her tomorrow”.

The next day the doctor made the operation and the dumb wife began to speak. She spoke so much and so loudly that in a few hours her husband ran back to the doctor and said,

“Can you make my wife dumb again?” “No”, said the doctor, “there are many ways to make a dumb woman speak, but no ways to make a woman stop talking”.

“What must I do?” said the man, “I shall soon die if I have to listen to her all day long”. “Well”, said the doctor, “I can’t make her dumb, but I can make you deaf and you will not have to listen to her”. “Very well”, said the man, “you may do so. It will be better than the other way”.

Jonathan Swift, the famous English writer and the author of “Gulliver’s Travels”, was not very generous. He seldom gave anything to the servants or those who sent him presents. But once he received a lesson from a boy who very often carried him hares, partridges, and other game.

One day the boy arrived with a heavy basket containing fish, fruit, and game. He knocked at the door and Swift by chance opened it himself. “Here”, said the boy gruffly, “my master has sent you a basket full of things”.

Swift, feeling displeased at the boy’s rude manner, said to him: “Come here, my boy, and I will teach you how to deliver a message a little more politely; come, imagine yourself Jonathan Swift, and I will be the boy”. Then taking off his hat very politely, and addressing himself to the boy, he said. “Sir, my master sends you a little present, and begs you will do him the honour to accept it”.

“Oh, very well, my boy”, replied the boy, “tell your master I am much obliged to him, and there is half a crown for yourself”. Swift laughed heartily, and gave the boy a crown for his wit.