TEXT. ROSE AT THE MUSIC-HALL From "They Walk in the City" by J. B. Priestley
Priestley, John Bointon (1894-1984) is the author of numerous novels, plays and literary essays well-known all over the world. Of his pre-war novels the most famous are "The Good Companions", "Angel Pavement", "They Walk in the City", and "Wonder Hero". His war novels "Blackout in Greatley", "Daylight on Saturday" and "Three Men in New Suits", were very popular with the readers during and after the Second World War. The daring and unusual composition of some of his plays (such as "Dangerous Corner", "Time and the Conways") is a device for revealing people's real selves hidden under conventional masks.
Priestley loves people. His favourite character is a little man, an unimportant shy person, lost in the jungle of the big city, helpless in the face of forces which he cannot combat. In the description of an elderly comic actor in the given extract you will find something of the sad tenderness and compassion characteristic of Priestley's attitude towards "little men".
When they arrived at the music-hall,73 the doors for the second house were just opening,74 and they walked straight into the stalls, which were very cheap. The audience made a great deal of noise, especially in the balcony. Mrs. Burlow led the way to the front and found two very good seats for them. Rose bought a programme for twopence, gave it to Mrs. Burlow, then looked about her brightly.
It was a nice friendly little place, this music-hall, warmer and cosier and altogether more human than the picture theatres75 she usually attended. One thing she noticed. There were very few young people there. They were nearly all about Mrs. Burlow's age. So were the attendants. So were the members of the orchestra, who soon crept into their pit, wiping their mouths. Very few of the turns76 were young; they themselves, their creased and fading scenery, their worn properties, their jokes and many of their songs were getting on in years. And the loudest applause always came when a performer said he would imitate "our dear old favourite" So-and-so, and named a music-hall star that Rose had never heard of, or when a singer would tell them that the new songs were all very well in their way but that the old songs were best and he or she would "endeavour to render" one of their old favourite ditties. The result of this was that though the whole place was so cosy and friendly, it was also rather sad. Youth had fled from it. There was no bloom on anything here. Joints were stiff, eyes anxious behind the mask of paint.
One turn was an eccentric fellow with a grotesque makeup, a deadwhite face and a very red nose, and his costume was that of a ragged tramp. He made little jokes, fell over himself, and then climbed on to the back of a chair, made more little jokes and played the accordion, Rose thought him quite funny at first, but very soon changed her mind about him. She was sitting near enough to see his real face, peering anxiously through that mask. It was old, weary, desolate. And from where she sat, she could see into the wings and standing there, never taking her eyes off the performer, was an elderly woman, holding a dressing gown in one hand and a small medicine glass in the other. And then Rose wanted him to stop clowning for them, wanted the curtain to come down, so that he could put on that dressing gown, drink his medicine or whatever it is, and go away with the elderly woman, and rest and not worry any more.
But she said nothing to Mrs. Burlow, who was enjoying herself, and laughing and clapping as hard as anyone there, perhaps because she too was no longer young and was being entertained by people of her own age.
VOCABULARY NOTES
1. way n 1. путь, дорога, е.g. The way we took lay through the forest. Syn. road, path, track.
2. направление, е.g. Can you show me the way to Trafalgar Square? (Как пройти...?)
N o t e : way is but seldom used to denote a specially built means of communication between two places, the usual word for which is road; way is more often used to denote direction, е.g. 1 can show you the way to the nearest village (i. e. I can tell you what direction you should take in order to get to the village). But; I can show you a very good road to the village.; path denotes a track made by the feet of people who pass along (тропа, тропинка) as a path through the woods. Of the three synonyms abstract usages are most typical of way, е.g. way to knowledge, way to happiness, etc., path is also sometimes used in such combinations, as "The Path of Thunder", dangerous path, etc.
to make one's way идти вперед, проходить, е.g. They made their way through the silent streets of the sleeping city.
to lead the way вести за собой, идти во главе, е.g. The guide led the way through the forest till we reached a narrow path. This way, please. Пожалуйста, пройдите сюда.
on the way по дороге, е.g. Let's discuss it on the way home.
to lose one's way заблудиться, е.g. The children lost their way in the forest.
by the way кстати, между прочим, е.g. By the way, what was it she told you?
to be (stand) in smb.'s way мешать, стоять поперек дороги, е.g. Let me pass, don't stand in my way. They couldn't even talk in private: there was always someone in the way. What was it that stood in the way of her happiness?
to be (get) out of smb.'s way не мешать, не препятствовать, уйти с дороги, е.g. Get out of my way! I shall get her out of the way for ten minutes, so that you can have an opportunity to settle the matter.
in one's (own) way в своем роде, е.g. The music was unusual but quite beautiful in its own way.
to have (get) one's own way настоять на своем, добиться своего, е.g. She likes to have her own way in everything. Have it your own way.
way out выход из положения, е.g. That seems to me a very good way out. Proverb: Where there's a will there's a way.
2. attend υt/i 1. посещать, присутствовать, е.g. All children over seven attend school in our country.
2. прислуживать, обслуживать, е.g. She was tired of attending on (upon) rich old ladies who never knew exactly what they wanted.
attendant n служитель (в театре — билетер, капельдинер), е.g. The attendant will show you to your seats.
attendance n 1. присутствие, посещаемость, е.g. Attendance at schools is compulsory. The attendance has fallen off. Your attendance is requested.; 2. обслуживание; уход; услуги, е.g. Now that the patient is out of danger the doctor is no longer in attendance.
3. wear (wore, worn) υt/i 1. носить (одежду), быть одетым во что-л., е.g. At the party she wore her wedding dress and he said she looked like a lily-of-the-valley. You should always wear blue: it matches your eyes.
Syn. to have smth. on
to wear make-up (paint, rouge) употреблять косметику, краситься
to wear scent душиться
2. изнашивать, протирать, е.g. I have worn my shoes into holes. The carpet wss worn by the many feet that had trodden on it.
3. носиться (о платье, обуви и т.д.), е.g. This cloth wears well (badly).
wear n, е.g. This style of dress is in general wear now. Сейчас все носят платья этого фасона. Clothes for everyday wear. Одежда на каждый день. Shoes for street wear. Туфли для улицы.
footwear обувь
underwear белье
4. anxious adj 1. озабоченный, тревожный, беспокойный, е.g. I am anxious about his health. Her face was calm, but the anxious eyes betrayed something of what she felt.
Syn. worried, troubled, е.g. She always gets worried about little things.
2. сильно желающий чего-л., е.g. Не works hard because he is anxious to succeed. The actor was anxious to please the audience.
Syn. eager, е.g. Isn't he eager to learn?
anxiety n 1. беспокойство, тревога, опасение, забота, е.g. We waited with anxiety for the doctor to come. All these anxieties made him look pale and tired.
Syn. worry
2. страстное стремление к чему-л., е.g. That anxiety for truth made Philip rather unpopular with some of his schoolmates.
anxiously ado с беспокойством, с волнением, е.g. We anxiously waited for his arrival.
Note: Cf. the synonyms to be anxious, to worry, to trouble, to bother. The range of meaning of worry is wide: it can denote emotional states of different intensity whereas its synonyms are narrower in meaning. In the sentence "His long absence worried his mother very much" worry expresses a strong feeling of anxiety. It is also possible to say: "It made her very anxious." The intensity of feeling is slightly weaker here; trouble denotes a still weaker emotion; bother describes rather a state of irritation and dissatisfaction than of anxiety. Sometimes either of the synonyms can be used in one and the same sentence. The difference lies in the intensity of the emotion expressed by each verb, е.g. Don't let that bother you (= don't think about it: it is unimportant). Don't let that trouble you (nearly the same, but also: Don't get nervous about it). Don't be anxious about it. (The feeling of fear and anxiety is stronger here than in the previous example.) Don't let that worry you (= don't let that spoil your mood; don't fear that smth. bad will happen).
5. make (made, made) υt/i 1. делать, производить; готовить, е.g. What is the box made of?
2. становиться, оказываться, е.g. I'm sure she'll make an excellent teacher.
3. заставлять, е.g. We'll have to make him take the medicine.
N о t e: In this meaning make is followed by a complex object. (Observe the absence of to with the infinitive!)
to make a mistake делать ошибку, ошибаться
to make a report делать доклад
to make (a) noise шуметь
to make a (the) bed стелить постель
to make friends with smb. подружиться с кем-n., е.g. Soon she made friends with her fellow-passengers. She easily makes friends.
to make oneself at home чувствовать себя как дома, е.g. Come in and make yourself at home.
to make a joke (jokes) шутить, острить, е.g. Why do you always make jokes? Can't you be serious?
N o t e : Make is also used with numerous adjectives giving emotional characteristics, as to make smb. happy (angry, sad, etc.).
to make up 1. составлять (рецепт, список и т.д.), е.g. Before packing make up a list of things you are going to take.; 2. выдумывать, е.g. You are a fool to listen to his story. He has made it all up. Make up your own sentences using the new words.; 3. гримировать(-ся), краситься, е.g. How long will it take the actors to make up? She was so much made up that I didn't recognize her at first; 4. мириться, as I am sorry for what I said. Let's make it up. You'd better make it up with Ann.; 5. возмещать, компенсировать, е.g. We must make up for lost time. Won't you let me try to make up for all I've failed to do in the past?
to make up one's mind = to decide
make-up n грим, косметика, е.g. Why should you spoil your pretty face with all this make-up? The woman uses too much make-up (...слишком сильно красится).
6. hold (held, held) υt/i 1, держать, е.g. She was holding a red rose in her hand.
to hold on to smth. держаться за что-л., е.g. Holding on to a branch, he climbed a little higher. Hold on to the railing, it's slippery here.
to hold a meeting проводить собрание, е.g. A students' meeting was held in our department yesterday.
2. вмещать, содержать в себе, е.g. How many people will this lecture-hall hold?
3. держаться (о погоде), е.g. Will this weather hold?
hold n
to catch (get) hold of smth. ухватиться за что-л., схватить что-л., завладеть чём-n., е.g. Не nearly fell down, but managed to catch hold of his companion's arm. The child got hold of a bright flower.
to keep hold of smth. удерживать, не выпускать, е.g. With every minute it became harder and harder to keep hold of the slippery ropes.
to lose hold of smth. выпустить (из рук), е.g. It wasn't her nature to lose hold of anything she had got hold of.
7. entertain υt/i 1. принимать гостей (rather formal), е.g. We are entertaining a lot.; 2. развлекать, занимать, е.g. We were all entertained by his tricks.
entertaining adj развлекательный, занимательный, е.g. The conversation was far from entertaining. In fact, it was horribly dull.
Syn. amusing
entertainment n развлечение, зрелище, представление, е.g. There are many places of entertainment in any big city.
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY (I)
Words
anxiety n attendant n imitate υ anxious adj
audience n make υ anxiously adv entertain υ
make-up n attend υ entertainment n wear υ
attendance n hold υ, n wings n, pl wipe υ
Word Combinations
to make (a) noise a long way from
to lead the way (to) to lose one's (the) way
to look about oneself to be (get) out of the way
about (of) smb.'s age to have one's (own) way
members of the orchestra to catch hold of smth.
anxious (worried) about smth. to keep hold of smth.
to make jokes to lose hold of smth.
to make oneself at home to hold a meeting
to make up smth. to hold on to smth.
to make one's way
EXERCISES
1. Bead the text and explain the following points (A. Grammar, B. Word usage, С. Style):
A. 1. Explain the use of tenses in: a) "...a performer said he would imitate 'our dear old favourite' So-and-so, and named a music-hall star that Rose had never heard of"; b) "Youth had fled from it"; c) "She was sitting near enough..."
2. Explain the use of all the articles in the fragment beginning with "One turn was an eccentric fellow", and ending with "played the accordion."
B. 1. How do you understand the word human in "...altogether more human than the picture theatres..."?
2. a) Explain the meaning of the italicized words in the following: "Very few of the turns were young; they themselves, their creased and fading scenery, their worn property were getting on in years"; b) What kind of atmosphere is created by this description? Which characteristic feature of the place is specially emphasized?
3. What is the meaning of the word bloom in "There was no bloom on anything here"? What kind of image is created by the sentence?
4. Explain the meaning of the words anxious in "eyes anxious behind the mask of pain" and anxiously in "his real face peering anxiously through that mask." (Anxious implies fear. Why is the emotion of fear emphasized in these two sentences?)
C. 1. Explain the effect achieved by inversion in: a) "One thing she noticed"; b) "...Standing there, never taking her eyes off the performer, was an elderly woman..." (See Notes on Style, p. 277).
2. a) What is the effect achieved by the syntactical parallelism in: "...So were the attendants. So were the members of the orchestra"? b) Find another case of syntactical parallelism in the last passage but one and comment on it.
II. Transcribe the following words and translate them into Russian:
anxiety, arrival, attendance, imitate, altogether, twopence, properties, creased, wearing, weary, audience, straight, desolate, joint, anxious, grotesque, ragged, perhaps, endeavour.
III. a) Find in the text sentences with:
a great deal of, very few, very few of, many of
and write your own sentences with the same word-combinations, b) Find in the text sentences with:
altogether, nearly, usually, then, at first, soon, whatever it is, any more, no longer
and write your own sentences with the same words and phrases. IV. Answer the questions:
1. When did Rose and Mrs. Burlow arrive at the music-hall? 2. Where were their seats? 3. Were the stalls expensive? 4. In what way did the audience behave? 5. What kind of place was the music-hall? What was its most characteristic feature? 6. Were the attendants and the members of the orchestra young or elderly people? 7. What did the scenery and the properties look like? 8. When did the loudest applause come? Why? 9. Why does the author say that the music-hall was rather sad though it was cosy and friendly? 10. Why were the actor's eyes anxious behind the mask of paint? 11. What did the man in the costume of a tramp do on the stage? 12. Did Rose like his acting? 13. What did she see in the wings? 14. Why did she say nothing to Mrs. Burlow? 15. How does this episode characterize Rose? 16. What does the author want to tell us by this episode?
V. Search the text for adjectives and classify them into two groups according to "positive" and "negative" qualities as suggested by the context (e.g. 1) great, good, nice... and 2) cheap, creased...). When the list is ready, describe some place and its atmosphere using the adjectives of each group. VI. Tell the story of Rose as your own experience in the past. VII. Study Vocabulary Notes and a) translate the examples; b) give synonyms of:
road n, eager a, amusing a, wear υ;
c) give antonyms of:
to find one's way, to lose hold of;
d) give derivatives of:
attend, entertain, wear.
VIII. Fill in with: a) be anxious, worry, trouble, bother.
1. She always ... when she doesn't get my letters for a long time. 2. The letter that informed us of her unexpected departure greatly ... me. 3. I knew that he would willingly help me, but I didn't like to ... him. 4. Don't...! Dinner will be ready on time. 5. The child is very weak, and I can very well understand that it... you. 6. Don't ... about the taxi. I'll get you home in my car. 7. I felt that he didn't pay any attention to what I was saying. I decided that he ... about something. 8. I shouldn't like to ... you with my tiresome affairs. 9. The climate is very bad there, and I ... about her health. 10. I'm sorry to ...you, but I need his address badly.
b) anxious and its derivatives:
1. What are you so ... about? 2. Her ... face was pale. 3, We were full of ... and worry. 4. Michael was ... to find a job. 5. I was ... waiting for his answer. 6. His ... for success made him many enemies. 7.... makes people older.
с) attend and its derivatives:
1. From the age of seven till seventeen I... school. 2. The ... at lectures has fallen off. 3. In this hotel you will be well... on. 4. Your... is requested.
d) entertain and its derivatives:
1. Who(m) are you ... at dinner tonight? 2. His jokes didn't ... us much. 3. The play was not very ... 4. Do you know any places of... in this town? 5. Do they often ...?
IX. Translate these sentences into Russian:
1. What makes you think he knows the truth? — Everything. His look. The way he talked at dinner. 2. She smiled in that charming way of hers. 3. He spoke on one note. It gave Kitty the impression that he was speaking from a long way off. 4. He had particularly congratulated us on the way we had done the difficult job. 5. I didn't know which way to look. 6. I really can't get used to the new ways. 7. Is that the way you feel towards us? 8. She threw my slippers into my face. She behaved in the most outrageous way. 9. Isabel didn't want to stand in Larry's way. 10. Sophie pushed her way through the dancers and we lost sight of her in the crowd. 11. I made way for him to go up the stairs. 12. Suzanne's mother could hardly live on her pension with prices the way they were. 13. They had been to Chartres and were on their way back to Paris. 14. I saw the waiter threading his way through the tables. 15. The room had a narrow iron bed and by way of furniture only the barest necessities.
X. Translate these sentences into English, using the word way.
1. Детям не разрешали ходить одним на озеро. Но они однажды сделали по-своему и все-таки пошли туда, не сказав никому ни слова. По дороге домой они чуть не заблудились. К счастью, они встретили старого лесничего (forester), который помог им добраться домой. 2. Она рассказала об этом весело, в своей обычной очаровательной манере. 3. Не сказав ни слова, он направился к двери. 4. Я не знаю этих мест, не могли бы вы повести нас туда? 5. Какой же выход из положения вы предлагаете? 6. Боюсь, что стол здесь будет вам мешать.
XI. Make up dialogues:
a) between Rose and Mrs. Burlow (after the performance);
b) between the old clown and his wife (before he went on to the stage);
c) between two readers (about the episode described in the passage and the author of the story).
ХII. Insert prepositions or adverbs where necessary:
1. Don't worry your pretty little head ... the mysterious visitor. 2. By arranging good marriages for her daughters she expected to make......all the disappointments of her own career. 3. He sat quite still and stared with those wide immobile eyes of his ... the picture. 4. He has a bath ... cold water every morning. — Oh! He is made ... iron, that man. 5. Are we ... the way? — No, you couldn't have come more fortunately. 6. I suppose it was natural... you to be anxious ... the garden party. But that's all... now. There's nothing more to worry ... . 7. He arrived ... the Lomond Hotel, vегу hot and sweaty and exhausted and had an obscure feeling that they would take one look ... him and then ask him to go ... .
ХIII. Make up a story, using the words and phrases from Essential Vocabulary I. XIV. Translate the following sentences into English:
1. Войдя в холл, она посмотрела вокруг и направилась к зеркалу. 2. Она ухватилась за мою руку, чтобы не упасть. 3. Мы спускались к реке, держась за ветки деревьев. 4. Целый вечер мальчуган не выпускал из рук игрушку. 5. Больной был настолько слаб, что выпустил из рук чашку, она упала и разбилась вдребезги. 6. Дети в соседней комнате подняли страшный шум, и он никак не мог сосредоточиться на письме. Конечно, он мог заставить их пойти в сад, но ему не хотелось показывать жене, что дети мешают ему. 7. Сильно взволнованный, он искал выхода из неприятного положения, но не мог прийти ни к какому решению. 8. Мама очень беспокоится о твоем здоровье. И я тоже. 9. Она была сильно накрашена, и то, как она говорила и смеялась, привлекало общее внимание. 10. «Я всегда знал несколько способов разбогатеть. Но для меня, между прочим, всегда было проблемой удержать деньги в руках». Пожилой пассажир говорил еще много, все в том же духе, и к удовольствию всех находившихся в вагоне. 11. Мистер Вебб носил высокие каблуки, чтобы компенсировать свой маленький рост. 12. Нельзя, чтобы всегда все было по-твоему. Если ты будешь так себя вести, ты только наживешь врагов.
XV. Test on synonymy. Consult Notes on pp. 18 and 201.
1. Prove that the following words are (or are not) synonyms:
way — road — path — track — highway — street;
to be anxious — to be sorry — to worry — to trouble — to bother — to be upset;
to want — to be eager — to be anxious.
2. Point out the synonymic dominant of each group.
3. Explain how synonyms of each group differ one from another according to differentiations suggested in Notes on Synonyms.
4. Synonyms within the following pairs differ by style. Point out which of them are bookish, colloquial or neutral.
(Consult the context in which they are used in the text.)
picture house — cinema to get on in years — to age to endeavour — to try
to sing (perform) — to render desolate — sad to clap — to applaud
XVI. Go over the text again and try to discuss the following:
1. How does the author describe the music-hall? Point out the contrasting characteristics. What kind of atmosphere is created by the author in the fragment? By what devices is the effect achieved?
2. How does the author make the reader understand that Rosa is a kind-hearted girl, capable of understanding and compassion? Which method of characterization does the author use?
3. Comment on the selection of words in the fragment.
4. Comment on the syntax of the fragment and its stylistic value.
XVII. a) Translate the text into Russian:
It was time to go. Francis Woburn put on his enormous hat, started talking about himself again, and they walked down to the Coliseum. He was much taller than she had supposed him to be — though perhaps it was the absurd hat — and she felt a little dumpy thing, though a nice sensible little dumpy thing, as she trotted along by his side, pretending to listen, but busy all the time telling herself that here she was, Rose Salter, going to the Russian Ballet at the Coliseum, with a tall, superfine, very Londonish young man. It was all very strange indeed.
They climbed to one of the balconies of the gigantic theatre, which seemed to Rose the most splendid and exciting place she had ever seen. Dozens of players down below were tuning up. All round them, superfine persons, not unlike Francis Woburn, were studying their programmes. Then the lights died away, except those that illuminated the curtain so beautifully. The music began, and Francis Woburn stopped talking. Rose instantly forgot his very existence. The music was very strange, not like any she had heard before, and not at all comfortable and friendly and sweet. Rose did not know whether she liked it or not; she could not keep it at a distance to decide about it; she was simply carried away and half drowned by the colossal waves of sound; she was overwhelmed by its insistent beat and clang. The curtain was magically swept away, and the stage blazed at her. She was staring at a new country, a new world. It was as if the last great wave of music had taken her and flung her over the boundaries of this world. The little people77 in these new countries lived their lives only in movement. Sometimes they were dull. Sometimes they were silly. But at other times they were so beautiful in their energy and grace, so obviously the creatures of another and better world than this, a world all of music and colour, that Rose choked and ached at the sight of them.
People clapped. Francis Woburn clapped. But Rose did not clap. Just putting her hands together, making a silly noise, was not good enough for them. She gave them her heart.
(From "They Walk in the City" by J. B.Priestley)
b) Comment on the following aspects of the fragment:
1. How does the author describe the music? What does he mean by saying that the music was "not at all comfortable and friendly and sweet" ? How do you understand the words "She could not keep it at a distance to decide about it"? Does music ever affect you in the same way? What kind of music does? 2. Explain the words: "The stage blazed at her." "The little people in these new countries lived their lives only in movement." "...the creatures of another and better world than this, a world all of music and colour."
c) Comment on the literary merit and style of the fragment. Do you think that the author has managed to create a vivid and emotionally charged picture of a ballet performaAcet (Give reasons for whatever you say.) Which lines do you consider especially expressive? Why? What stylistic devices can you point out in the extract? XVIII. Write an essay describing a person's first visit to a ballet (opera, drama) performance or to a symphony concert. Try to imitate the style and manner of the fragment above (you may borrow some phrases from it).
LABORATORY EXERCISES (I)
1. Listen to the text "Rose at the Music-Hall", mark the stresses and tunes. Repeat the text following the model.
2. Re-word the given sentences, making all the necessary changes.
3. Extend the following sentences according to the model.
4. Write a spelling-translation test: a) translate the phrases into English; b) check them with the key.
5. Listen to the text "Chaplin" or the story of another famous actor. Pick out the main points from each paragraph, write a summary of the text In not more than 10 sentences. Discuss the text in class.
|
