"Of myself," repeated each of the Town Councillors, and they quarrelled. When I last heard of them, they were still quarrelling.
"What a strange thing!" said the supervisor of the workmen. "This broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace. We must throw
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So they threw it in a pile of dust where the dead Swallow |
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"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one of His Angels, and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.
"You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of |
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this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of |
gold the |
Happy Prince shall praise me." |
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Commentary |
1 |
fine gold — золото высокой пробы |
2 |
Charity Children — приютские дети; их обучали в школе для |
бедных детей, которая содержалась на благотворительные сред ства
3 I am off to the Pyramids. — Я лечу к пирамидам. (Имеются в виду пирамиды в Египте.)
4 the Palace of Sans-Souci (sans souci (фр.) — беззаботный) — СанСуси, дворец в стиле барокко, построенный в Потсдаме в 1747 году прусским королем Фридрихом, которого называли философом из Сан-Суси
5 |
and happy, indeed, I was, if pleasure be happiness — и я действи |
тельно был счастлив, если только в наслаждениях счастье |
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I cannot choose but weep — зд. я не могу удержаться от слез |
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What! Is he not solid gold?— А, так он не весь золотой? |
8 |
Memnon — Мемнон, согласно древнегреческой мифологии, |
царь Эфиопии в Троянской войне, сражался против греков и был убит Ахиллесом. Его мать Эос, богиня утренней зари, вымолила у Зевса бессмертие для Мемнона. Именем Мемнона греки назвали статую Египетского фараона Аменхотепа III в Фивах; при восходе солнца она издавала жалобный звук, напо минающий человеческий голос; считалось, что так Мемнон при ветствует Эос.
9 Heave a-hoy! (мор.) — Взяли!
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10the Temple of Baalbec — храм в Баальбеке. Баальбек — извес тный в древности город в Ливане, который приобрел особое значение во времена римского владычества; в нем сохранились остатки замечательных сооружений, среди них развалины ог ромного храма Юпитера.
11people always think that gold can make them happy — зд. люди всегда думают, что золото может сделать их счастливыми
12The fact was that the leaden heart had broken in two. — Дело было
в том, что оловянное сердце раскололось.
Exercises
Reading Comprehension
1Re-arrange the sentences from the tale in the right order.
1The statue of the Happy Prince was much admired in the city.
This time the Happy Prince wanted to help the poor young poet.
The Swallow promised the Happy Prince to return in spring and bring back from Egypt two beautiful jewels to replace those the Prince had given away.
But the Happy Prince asked the Swallow to stay one night longer.
The Swallow agreed to stay and be his messenger.
All the day the Swallow flew, and at night he arrived at the city and decided to settle between the feet of the Happy Prince.
When they saw the dead bird at the feet of the statue they issued a proclamation that birds were not allowed to die there. But at last he knew he was going to die.
The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave the Prince.
They melted the statue in a furnace.
He kissed the Happy Prince on the lips and fell down dead at his feet.
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When the Mayor and the Town Councillors saw the shabbylooking statue of the Prince, they decided to pull it down. The leaden heart would not melt in the furnace; so they threw it in the dust.
The Happy Prince asked the Swallow to stay one night longer and be his messenger.
The Happy Prince asked the Swallow to pick out the great ruby from his sword and pass it to the boy and his mother. The Happy Prince asked the Swallow to stay with him one night longer and the Swallow agreed again.
The Happy Prince asked him to pluck out one of his eyes which were made of rare sapphires.
He asked him to pluck out his other eye and bring it to the girl who sold matches.
The little Swallow agreed again and flew with it to the girl.
The little Swallow stayed behind his friends.
2Answer the following questions.
1)What remarks did the people make about the statue of the Happy Prince?
2)Why did the Swallow stay behind while his friends flew away to Egypt?
3)Where did the Swallow decide to stay for the night and what did he think about the place?
4)What kind of story did the Happy Prince tell the Swallow about himself?
5)Who gave the statue the name of the Happy Prince and why?
6)Why was the Happy Prince weeping?
7)Why did the Happy Prince ask the Swallow to be his messenger?
8)Whom did the Happy Prince want to give away his ruby and why?
9)Whom did the Happy Prince have to give away his sapphires?
10)Why didn't the Swallow hurry to leave the Happy Prince?
11)What did the Swallow see in strange lands?
12)What did the Swallow see when he flew over the great city?
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13)Why did the Mayor and the Town Councillors decide to pull down the statue?
14)What did the Angel choose as the most precious things in the city and why?
Vocabulary and Grammar Tasks
1 Find in the tale the English for:
прекрасный как флюгер-петух; прослыть за тонкого це нителя искусств; требовать невозможного; увлечься чемлибо, кем-либо; низко поклониться; ухаживание; стран ная привязанность; возлюбленная; приготовиться к чемулибо; чистое золото; делать замечание; проявление непочтительности; алый как гранат; старый как мир; черный как черное дерево; сражаться с кем-либо; издать постановление; согреваться чем-либо; занести предложе ние в книгу
2Complete the chart of the nationality words in the following order: country — adjective — person — nation.
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3Complete the words in each sentence by adding the correct prefix meaning "not": un-, in-, il-, im-, ir-.
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He may come, but it's very |
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Using other people for your own profit |
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You are asking me to do the |
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It was a detail which seemed |
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4 Write in the plural form of the nouns in brackets.
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They have got five |
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We need some more |
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You should have written |
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We caught three little |
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Do you know these |
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(Sheep)
11) The gown was embroidered for the loveliest of the Queen's
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5Identify the kind of phrase. Write "C" if the italicised phrase is a comparative, "S" if the phrase is a superlative, and "E" if the phrase is an expression of equality or inequality.
1) The Swallow was in love with the most beautiful Reed.
2)He is as beautiful as a weathercock.
3) The Reed made the most graceful curtseys.
4)The satin gown is for the loveliest of the Queen's maids-of- honour to wear.
5)The sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea.
6)The ruby shall be redder than a rose.
7)The children's faces grew rosier.
8)He told him of the Sphinx who is as old as the world itself.
9)He told him of the King of the Mountains of the Moon who is as black as ebony.
10)There is no Mystery so great as Misery.
11)The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder.
12)In fact he is little better than a beggar.
13)Bring me the the two most precious things in the city.
6 Fill in the blanks with correct prepositions.
1) |
The Mathematical Master didn't approve |
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2) |
All the day the Swallow flew, and |
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3) |
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5)Egypt the sun is warm, and the crocodiles lie
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He kissed the Happy Prince |
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9) The Town Clerk made a note |
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10) They melted the statue |
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7Find these words and phrases in the text, and notice the way in which they are used. In each case circle a), b) or c) to show which one you think is the best equivalent of the italicised word.
1) "the flutter of the bird's wings"
a)agitation
b)tremble
c)motion
2)"hauling big boxes ouf
a)dragging out
b)carrying on
c)pulling out
3)"pluck out my other eye"
a)take off
b)pull out
c)gather
4)"starving children"
a)hungry and thirsty
b)sick
c)dying of hunger
5)"issue a proclamation"
a)write a regulation
b)produce an official statement
c)give a public order
6)"pulled down the statue"
a)remove
b)destroy
c)ruin
7)"have been trifling with me"
a)have been neglecting
b)have been joking
c)have been playing the fool
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8)"cooing to each other"
a)taking care
b)making soft lovely noises
c)consoling
8Translate the following sentences into English.
1)Городской Советник жаждал прослыть за тонкого ценителя искусств.
2)Пролетая над городскими трущобами, Ласточка уви дела старых евреев, которые заключали между собой сделки и взвешивали монеты на медных весах.
3)Профессор орнитологии напечатал об увиденном про странное письмо в местной газете.
4)Ласточка пробралась в каморку и положила рубин на стол рядом с наперстком швеи.
5)Ласточка посетила все памятники и долго сидела на шпиле соборной колокольни.
6)Глаза Счастливого Принца были сделаны из редкост ных сапфиров, привезенных из Индии тысячу лет на зад.
7)Ласточка пообещала Принцу вернуться весной и при нести из Египта два драгоценных камня вместо тех, которые он отдал.
8)Целый день Ласточка сидела у него на плече и расска зывала о том, что видела в далеких странах.
9)Бедная Ласточка мерзла все сильнее и сильнее, но не хотела покидать Принца, так как очень любила его.
10)Городской Совет решил издать указ, запрещающий птицам умирать на этом месте.
Discussion Tasks
1Discuss the following.
1)Prove that the Happy Prince was compassionate and understood the needs of the poor.
2)Find some facts in the tale to show that the Swallow loved the Happy Prince.
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3)Who do you feel most sorry for at the end of the tale: the Happy Prince or the Swallow? Why?
4)Discuss the moral of the tale.