Продолжаем чтение английской классики, на этот раз мы подготовили для вас адаптированный короткий рассказ на английском языке «Лампа» (уровень средний — pre-intermediate), автором которого является Агата Кристи. (Все книги и рассказы Агаты Кристи — полный список). Сюжет рассказа повествует о семье, которая арендовала за подозрительно низкую плату старинный мрачный особняк. Радость от выгодной сделки постепенно сменяется чувством недоумения, а потом и страхом… Как вы уже заметили рассказ в стиле Агаты Кристи. Мы же совмещаем приятное с полезным и читаем это захватывающее и будоражащее кровь произведение на английском языке, учим и запоминаем новые слова. Напоминаем, что все сложные выражения вы найдете в списке слов для понимания. А список слов для изучения советуем выучить до того, как приступите к чтению.
Short Stories by Agatha Christie
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Содержание (the Contents):
Agatha Christie. The Lamp (part 1)
Слова и выражения для понимания:
- a haunted house — дом с привидениями
- «To Be Let or Sold” — «Сдается или продается»
- house agent — агент по продаже недвижимости
- I suppose the house is haunted? — Я полагаю, этот дом с привидениями?
- unfortunately — к сожалению
- starved to death — умер от голода
- get nothing as good for the price — ничего не найду лучше за эту цену
The house No. 19 was very old. People said that there lived ghosts but nobody had ever seen them. However, it wasn’t called a «haunted» house; year after year it remained:»To Be Let or Sold.”
The house agent Mr. Raddish was glad to see that Mrs. Lancaster was interested in this house. But her question: «How long was it empty?» made him a little worried: «Er—er—some time,» he answered.
«I thought so,» said Mrs. Lancaster.
There was something unpleasant in the air, it felt cold in the hall. Mrs Lancaster went over the house and asked questions from time to time. After that she asked: «What is the matter with the house?»
It seemed that Mr. Raddish didn’t know what to say. «Of course, a house without furniture is always a little gloomy,» he answered.«Nonsense,» said Mrs. Lancaster. «The rent is very low for such a house. I want to know why. I suppose the house is haunted?»
Mr. Raddish said nothing.
After some time Mrs. Lancaster spoke again: «Of course, that is all nonsense. I don’t believe in ghosts or anything of that sort, and I don’t see the reason why I shouldn’t buy this house; but servants… They are easily frightened. Tell me exactly what—what thing haunts this place.»
«I—er—really don’t know,» said the house agent.
«You must,» said the lady quietly. «I cannot take the house without knowing. What was it? A murder?»
«Oh, no», cried Mr. Raddish. «It’s—it’s— only a child.»
«A child?»
«Yes.»«I don’t know the story exactly,» he continued. «Of course, there are different versions of it, but I know that about thirty years ago a man, whose name was Williams, took No. 19. Nobody knew anything about him; he kept no servants; he had no friends; he seldom went out in the daytime. He had one child, a little boy. After he had been here about two months, he went to London and never came back. People said that he was wanted by the police. The child lived on here, alone in the house. He had food for a little time, and he waited day after day for his father’s return. Unfortunately, his father had told him not to go out of the house or to speak to anyone. He was a weak, little creature and did not want to disobey this command. In the night the neighbors often heard him sobbing.»
Mr. Raddish paused.«And—er—the child starved to death,» he said.
«And it is the child’s ghost that haunts the place?» asked Mrs. Lancaster.
«There’s nothing seen only people say, ridiculous, of course, but they say they hear — the child — crying, you know.»
Mrs. Lancaster moved towards the front door.
«I like the house very much,» she said. «I think I will get nothing as good for the price. I will let you know.»
* * *
Agatha Christie. The Lamp (part 2)
Слова и выражения для понимания:
- Don’t talk nonsense. — Не говори чепухи.
- consisted of – состоять из
- It’s more like rain. — Похоже на дождь.
- pitter-patter – “топ-топ-топ, тук-тук-тук”,
- downstairs – вниз
- on the stairs – на лестнице
- no doubt – без сомнения
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«It really looks great, doesn’t it, Papa?»
Mr. Winburn was Mrs. Lancaster’s father. An old man with a dreamy face was opposite to his practical daughter.
«Yes,» he answered with a smile, «the house doesn’t look haunted.»
«Papa, don’t talk nonsense!»
Mr. Winburn smiled.
«Very well, my dear, we will agree that there are no such things as ghosts.»
«And please,» continued Mrs. Lancaster, «don’t say a word before Geoff. He’s so imaginative.»
Geoff was Mrs.’ Lancaster’s little boy. The family consisted of Mr. Winburn, his widowed daughter, and Geoffrey.
Rain had begun to beat against the window— pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
«Listen,» said Mr. Winburn. «Is it not like little footsteps?»
«It’s more like rain,» said Mrs. Lancaster, with a smile.
«But that, that is a footstep,» cried her father.
Mrs. Lancaster laughed. «That’s Geoff coming downstairs.»
Little Geoffrey came down without a child’s fear of a strange place. He stood by his mother. But Mr. Winburn distinctly heard another pair of footsteps on the stairs, as of someone following Geoffrey. «The rain, no doubt,» he thought.
«Well, Geoff, how do you like your new home?» she asked.
«Lots,» answered Geoffrey.»Oh, Mummy! There’s attics here, Jane says; and can I go at once and explore them? And there might be a secret door. Jane says there isn’t, but I think there must be!
«We’ll see about the attics tomorrow, darling,» said Mrs. Lancaster. «Go and bring your bricks and build a nice house?»
Geoffrey ran away happily to bring his bricks. The rain was still falling. Mr. Winburn listened. Yes, probably it was the rain; but it sounded like footsteps.
* * *
Agatha Christie. The Lamp (part 3)
Слова и выражения для понимания:
- had a dream – видеть сон
- shook his head – покачал головой
- turned on the light – включить свет
- trick of his imagination – игра воображения
- the wind was howling – ветер завывал
- find out how by yourself – самому узнать как
- Do you see? – Понимаешь? (здесь see – понимать)
- get big — взрослеть
- believe tales — верить сказкам
- a blind understanding — слепая вера
- set free — освободить
Mr. Winburn had a strange dream that night. He dreamt about a great city. It was a children’s city; there were no grown-up people there, nothing but children, crowds of them. In his dream they all ran to the stranger crying: «Have you brought him?» It seemed that he understood what they meant and shook his head sadly. When they saw this, the children turned away and began to cry.
The city and the children disappeared and he woke up but the sobbing was still in his ears. He remembered that Geoffrey slept on the floor below, but the sound of a child’s weeping came from above. He turned on the light. Suddenly the sobbing stopped.
Mr. Winburn did not tell his daughter of the dream. That it was no trick of his imagination, he was sure; indeed, soon he heard it again in the daytime. The wind was howling in the chimney, but this was a separate sound— distinct, unmistakable: little sobs.He found out too, that he was not the only one to hear them. He heard that the housemaid said that Geoffrey was crying that very morning.» But Geoffrey was very happy when he came down to breakfast; and Mr. Winburn knew that it was not Geoff who was crying.
Only Mrs. Lancaster never heard anything. Yet one day she also was shocked.
«Mummy, I wish you’d let me play with that little boy,» said Geoff once.
Mrs. Lancaster looked up from her writing table with a smile.
«What little boy, dear?»
«I don’t know his name: He was in the attics, sitting on the floor crying, but he ran away when he saw me. I think he was shy and then, when I was in the nursery, I saw that he was standing in the door watching me build and looked so lonely. I said: «Come and build with me but he didn’t say anything, just looked as — as if he saw a lot of chocolates, and his mummy had told him not to touch them.» Geoff sighed. «But when I asked Jane who he was and told her I wanted to play with him, she said there wasn’t a little boy in the house. She lied to me. I don’t love Jane at all.»
Mrs. Lancaster got up.
«Jane was right. There was no little boy.»
«But I saw him. Oh! Mummy, do let me play with him, he did look so lonely and unhappy.
I do want to do something to «make him better.»
Mrs. Lancaster wanted to say something, but her father shook his head.
«Geoff,» he said, «that poor little boy islonely, and perhaps you may do something to help him; but you must find out how by yourself — like a puzzle — do you see?»
«Is it because I am getting big I must do it all alone?»
«Yes, because you are getting big.»
As the boy left the room, Mrs. Lancaster turned to her father. «Papa, this is silly to let the boy to believe the servants’ tales!»
«That’s not servants’ tales,» said the old man. «He sees — what I hear, what I could see perhaps if I were his age.»
«But it’s such nonsense! Why don’t I see it or hear it?»
Mr. Winburn smiled, but did not answer.
«Why?» asked his daughter. «And why did you tell him he could help the— the— thing. It’s— it’s all so impossible.»
The old man looked thoughtfully.
«Why not?» he said. «Do you remember these words:
«What Lamp has Destiny to guide.
Her little Children stumbling in the Dark?»
«A Blind Understanding,» Heaven replied.«Geoffrey has that — a blind understanding. All children have it. It is only as we grow older that we lose it. The Lamp burns brightest in childhood. That is why I think Geoffrey may help.»
«I don’t understand,» said Mrs. Lancaster.
«No more do I. That— that child is in trouble and wants — to be set free. But how? I do not know.”
Перевод стихотворения на русский язык:
Что же за лампа в темноте осветит путь
Тем детям, что во тьме бредут?
И молвят небеса: «Их вера!»
* * *
Agatha Christie. The Lamp (part 4)
Слова и выражения для понимания:
- a grave case – серьезный случай
- lung trouble – легочное заболевание
- The child would never have lived to grow up – Ребенок не поправится.
- dead calm – мертвая тишина
- There was nothing to do but wait and watch. – Ничего не оставалось, как ждать.
- half-breathed words – на последнем издыхании
A month after this conversation Geoffrey fell very ill. The doctor shook his head and said that it was a grave case as the child had had a serious lung trouble for a long time.
«The child would never have lived to grow up,» he explained.
Mrs. Lancaster was at Geoff’s bed when she heard — the other child. At first the sobs were a part of the wind, but soon they became more distinct, more unmistakable. Finally she heard them in moments of dead calm; a child’s sobs—hopeless, pitiful.
Day by day Geoff grew worse and he spoke of the «little boy» again and again. «I do want to help him get away, I do!» he cried.
He lay very still, hardly breathing. There was nothing to do but wait and watch. Then there came a quiet night, clear and calm, without a wind. Suddenly the child opened his eyes. He looked towards the open door. He tried to speak and Mrs. Lancaster heard his half-breathed words.
«All right, I’m coming,» he whispered.
The mother felt suddenly terrified; she looked around. Somewhere near the other child was laughing. А happy laughter was heard in the room.
«I’m frightened; I’m frightened,» she cried.
A sudden gust of wind passed and left the air quiet as before.
Then they heard a faint sound, a sound of footsteps. Footsteps — light footsteps, going away. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, they ran — those well-known little feet. Yet —surely — now other footsteps suddenly could be heard, moving quicker and lighter. They went to the door.
Down, down, down, past the door, close to them, pitter-patter, pitter-patter, went the unseenfeet of the little children together.
Mrs. Lancaster looked up wildly.
«There are two of them—two!”
Grey with sudden fear, she turned towards the bed in the corner, but her father pointed away.
«There,» he said. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter—fainter and fainter. And then — silence.
THE END
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я не понял ,а ребёнок-то их умер ?
Да, мальчик умер. Чтобы играть с тем, другим… Они теперь вместе… Грустный рассказ. Совсем не похоже на Агату КРисти, которая, в основном, писала детективы. Но вы можете почитать и смешные рассказы http://englishstory.ru/korotkie-smeshnyie-istorii-na-angliyskom-yazyike-s-perevodom.html
Я не совсем понял — разве мальчик умер чтобы играть с другим ребенком?
Он умер чтобы помочь ему?
Конечно, можно трактовать смерть как помощь от одиночества, но по контексту вроде так.
Да, именно так…
Мне понравился рассказ, и то. что все адаптировано хорошо, так как оригинал сложноват для моего уровня, а так легко читать. Спасибо за замечательный сайт)))))