Oxford and cambridge

For most people in Great Britain the word "University" means either Oxford or Cambridge although there are 45 universities in the country.

The city of Oxford lies not far from London,, There is no single building which is the University in Oxford. There are 30 colleges instead which are spread all over the city and which together make up a University where 10 000 students study.

The head of the University as a whole is the Chancellor. He is usually a well-known figure in public life, an M. P. who lives in London and plays only a small part in the running of the University.

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the of finance, staffing, relations with trade-unions, with government and outside world. The Vice-Chancellor is chosen from among the heads of the 30 colleges who are called the principals of colleges.

Each of the 30 colleges specializes in a different field. Religion, however, is a compulsory subject in every college.

The names of the colleges show this close link of the University with the Church: Christ Church College, All Souls College, Jesus College, St. Anne's College, St. Catherine's College and so on.

Note: When both universities are mentioned the order is "Oxford and Cambridge". It is a custom of speech since Oxford is the older of the two universities.

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Most colleges are independent of the British government and must have their own financial resources to draw upon since the government allocates none. Colleges' money comes from the students' tuition fees which are very high in Oxford as well as from investments, wills, gifts, "generosity and benefaction" of the wealthier members of a particular college. For instance, Christ Church college accepts annually gifts from the Queen thankful to the College for her father, King Charles I who lived here during the war. Because of the lack of adequate financial backing no new buildings were errected on the campuses of most colleges during several centuries and no repair was done.

In Britain the university year is from October to June, with three terms from eight to twelve weeks. Both in Oxford and Cambridge each student has a tutor to whom he goes every week: for a tutorial. At the tutorial they discuss the work in hand –generally an essay which the student has written that week. He also has some eight lectures a week which are not compulsory.

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Graduating or gaining a degree, is the aim of all University students. To get a degree, students usually have to stay at the University for at least three years, during which time they have to sit preliminary examinations as well as the final ones at the end of the course.

The first degree given a person by a college is that of a Bachelor. The Bachelor's degree which is most common in Britain can be taken in a number of subjects. Arts degree, for instance, may be taken in subjects ranging from English literature, classics and

history to foreign languages. A person who has obtained the first Arts degree will be known as a Bachelor of Arts. A Science degree can be taken in physics, mathematics, engineering and economics. A person who has been given this degree is called a Bachelor of Science.

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Same graduates then go on to more specialised research work in their own subject, and after submitting the results of their work in the form of a thesis they may obtain either the Master's degree or a Doctorate - the highest degree given by a University.

College graduates are not guaranteed any jobs. They have to recourse to public and private employment agencies to get a job which with unemployment in the country is not an easy thing.

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The professors and lecturers of the University ("fellows") as well as the students ("undergraduates") must wear academic dress at lectures, in the University dining-room, in Chapel and in the town streets after dark..

There is a special official in Oxford known as the "Proctor", whose duty is to see that this rule is obeyed.

Wearing his academic dress he walks about the chief streets of the town, accompanied by two college servants who are known as his "bulldogs". If a student is seen: without his cap or gown the "bulldogs" are told to catch him. When caught the student is taken to the Proctor who asks, "Your name and college, sir?". The student has to visit the principal of his college later, who orders him to pay a fine. If the rule is disobeyed several times the principal may rusticate a student.

Note: The academic dress includes such necessary articles as a cap, a black gown and a white

tie. The origin of the dress goes to the middle ages.

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The English are great lovers of sports. So each college has its teams for all main sports, the most popular of which are rowing and cricket.

T he University Boat Races are the oldest of the sporting competitions between Oxford and Cambridge. The name given to the race competitions in the Summer Term is "May Week". Somebody once observed that it .is called May Week because it's held in June and lasts a fortnight.

The cricket sporting competitions between Oxford and Cambridge are held in September (Michaelmas Term).

BySARANCASSlDV

Education Correspondent

Упражнение II. Текст 6 для абзацно-фразового перевода с листа:

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Banker is told he cannot buy son a place at Oxford

THERE WAS a time when each year a number of places at Oxford University were reserved for the offspring of major benefactors. But money no longer appears to provide any such guarantee after it emerged that one of the university's most generous donors had withdrawn a pledge of £100,000 and severed links with his old college after it rejected his son.

Philip Keevil, a prominent City banker who has already given more than £100,000 to the university over the past 15 years, expected his generosity to be rewarded with preferential treatment for his children.

"Universities have perhaps not yet realised that they can only really raise money from the old members. That means they have to feel they belong and they are being fairly treated", he said.

Today his son, a British state school pupil won a scholarship to study at Harvard University in the United States.

The Independent

September, 2 2003

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Упражнение III. Прочтите вслух вопрос и ответ, переведите их с листа:

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FOR HIS 21ST BIRTHDAY PRINCE WILLIAM WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE PRESS ASSOCIATION ABOUT HIS LIFE AT ST ANDREWS

Q. William, how do the University dons treat you?

W. "Once they stopped trying to spy me at lectures then it was all very relaxed. I try to attend as many lectures as I can but inevitably there are certain times when I never make them for lots of reasons. But I go to all my tutorials"

Q. We beard things were not always easy for you?

W. No, I thought about quitting university after a year. But I was like most people, I think, when you first come to university.

"It's new surroundings, new scenery, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's the same as starting school really and I was a little uneasy.

"But I went home and talked to my father during the holidays and throughout that time debated about whether to come back - not seriously debating it - but it did cross my mind.

"My father was very understanding about it and realised I had the same problems as he probably had. He was very good about it and we chatted a lot and in the end we both realised, I definitely realised, that I had to come back.

Q. Is you room similar to that of the other students?

W. "I'm not particularly fussy about my room. I just want it to be somewhere I can relax, my own space. But I do have drapes up in my room. I like that because it makes it more cosy.

I've got to have a stereo - got to have music, I love my music. I don't like to play it loud.

I have a good view from my window of the dramatic coastline.

Q. Why dramatic? Don't you like to swim in the sea?

W. "I do swim in the sea but that really doesn't last very long. It's usually in and out, and I make a big fuss and shout how cold it is and then don't do it again for a while."

Q. Academically you are taking an unexpected path?

W. "Yes, I am teaching myself an East African language. I'm trying to teach myself Swahili which is something that has proved a little harder than I thought."

Q. Why such a choice?

W. "It's because of my love of Africa. It's an odd language to learn but I wanted to do something that was very specialised. I love the people of Africa and I'd like to know more about them - and to speak to them.

"I've got a book and a book-tape. Like I say, I'm teaching myself. I have them in _my room and they're collecting dust quite rapidly but I am trying to make progress." I might drop history of art to specialize in geography for the final two years of the degree course. I am torn between the two. But I have to decide soon."

Q. You often praised your father's talent as a painter?

W. Yes, he's brilliant. He's very modest about it and he's always criticizing his own work. But I do actually really like it.

Harry can paint but I can't. He has our father's talent while I am about the biggest idiot on a piece of canvas. I did a couple of drawings at Eton which were put on display. Teachers thought they were examples of modern art but in fact I was just trying to paint a house. I like traditional art. I love the Renaissance. It's fascinating because it's just so detailed and precise.

More modern people - Picasso and his blue period, I do like that. He was revolutionary.

I did do my A-level history of art dissertation on Leonardo da Vinci's drawings which are in the Royal Collection, so I was very lucky".

Q. What about your future?

W. "I really haven't thought much about that. I'm really just concentrating on getting through the next two years, I honestly haven't thought about what I'm going to do next

The media have been particularly good up here and I hope that continues. It's probably because of the media's considerate attitude that I've been able to have such a good time."

Q. Are you somehow involved in student politics?

W. I am aware of issues such as student loans and university fees. I do listen to what goes on and I know there are sensitive issues. There are some students who have just cause to be worried about loans and fees but most students here, as far as I know, don't get involved."

Q. Are you ever nervous? (His reply was unexpected.)

W. Little do you know.

The Guardian

Friday, May 30, 2003

Note : St Andrews [snf a:ndri:z]-приморский город-курорт в графстве Файф, Шотландия; там находится старейший в Шотландии университет, основанный в 1411 году, а также известное поле для игры в гольф (golf course).

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Упражнение IV. Текст для зрительно-устного перевода с листа по абзацам без предварительной подготовки: