Assignment 2

(pp.43-61)

I. Find English equivalents of the following words and phrases,recollect the situations in which the author used them:

организовать, устроить (р.43), быть обязанным (р.43), позволить себе (р.44), шпионить за кем-либо (р.45), предрассудок (р.47), осознавать, понимать (р.47), самопожертвование (р.49), винить кого-либо за что-либо (р.49), угрызения совести (р.50), обманывать кого-либо (р.51), облегчить боль (р.54), удрученный (р.57), так ей и надо (р.59), непослушные дети (р.61).

II. Answer the questions:

1. How did Anthony get to the Stormhoek school for white children?

2. Who of the School Committee was against Hundt and why?

3. How did George behave when he came to see Anthony's first teacher?

4. Why did Hundt ask George to be at the bar some extra hours instead of him?

5. What did Mary feel spending time with Hundt, practising deception on her husband?

6. Why did Hundt stop visiting Mary?

7. What were Mary's thoughts about her second child? Did she love him as dearly as her first child?

8. Why did George take to drinking again?

9. How did Anthony begin to realize that there was something wrong with his brother?

10.Who were the Shorts?

11.Who of the people of Stormhoek was happy knowing about Mary's misery? Why?

12.Why did the MacGregors make up their minds to move to a new place?

13.Why was it a relief for Mary when the MacGregors' house was occupied by the Thompsons? How does it characterize Mary?

III. a) Work out from the context an approximate meaning for the italicized phrases:

1. "You are making a mountain from (out of) a molehill,Mr. Thomas," said Hundt. "Do you wish to admit the child?(p43)

2. "Yes, but there is no doubt that she is Coloured. If we admit her son, we may be obliged to admit other Coloureds, and the status of the school will fall. I'm afraid it may be the thin edge of the wedge." (pp.43, 44)

3. "I wonder why Hundt asked me to take over tonight. Said he'd give me off on Friday night instead. Some important business, he says. He's got a lot of irons in the fire these days." (p.46)

4. "Oh yes, of course, Mary. Well, she is in the family way."(p52)

5. He reflected on his position and felt miserable. This Coloured child - there could hardly be two ways about it, it was Coloured. His wife was eating her heart out in despair. (p.55)

6. "Have I seen it?" she replied. "No, I have not seen it, nor am I likely to. You see, I do not live cheek by jowl with the family, as you do." (p.60)

b) Check with your teacher, or an English-English dictionary, that you have guessed correctly:

- to be pregnant;

- very close;

- to make a fuss about something which is really trivial;

- the first stage of a change that could become more serious;

- to suffer silently;

- to have many activities at one and the same time.

c) Now write sentences of your own using the six phrases.

IV. Fill in the gaps with prepositions:

1. The question ... Anthony appeared last ... the long agenda when everybody was tired.

2. Hundt was aware that Mrs. Ferreira has spied ... his hotel ...Saturday afternoons.

3. Mary became Hundt's mistress but she did not blame herself... it. It was an act... self-sacrifice.

4. Of course, Mary was well aware ... the fact that she was practising deception ... George.

5. When Ruby got to know that Mary was going to have another baby she said: "She must be ... tenterhooks."

6. Mary's second child was born... a cold sunny day. His skin was... no means as fair as Anthony's. It was a Coloured child, and it would never be taken ... anything else ... South Africa.

V. Translate into Russian in writing:

(p.53) "She grew thin ... more often."

VI. Translate into English in writing:

Грэхемы жили в небольшом городке в Южной Африке. Джордж, англичанин из хорошей семьи, женился на Мери, которая принадлежала к капским цветным. Джордж работал в баре Хундта, он был его помощником.

Хундт хорошо понимал, что в Южной Африке любой белый, который женился на цветной, готовил себе неприятности. Поэтому, хотя Хундт и не любил свою жену, потому что она не могла родить ему ребенка, он предпочитал не разводиться с ней.

Мери родила чудесного мальчика. Он был белокожим и очень смышленым. Мери гордилась своим сыном и была честолюбива ради него. Она была готова на любое самопожертвование. Вот почему она стала любовницей Хундта, когда пришло время устраивать Энтони в школу для белых. Хундт шантажировал Мери, но помог устроить Энтони в эту школу.