Читаем «Высшая мера» и другие рассказы на английском языке полностью

«Высшая мера» и другие рассказы на английском языке

I didn’t believe that Michael was going to show his face. But miracles do happen. After ten or fifteen minutes, Michael’s face appeared. Then he waved his hand and disappeared inside his suite. A few minutes later, a little kid looked out of the same window. Then Michael appeared again. This time he was holding a piece of paper in his hands. On the paper there were three words: ‘I LOVE YOU’. The crowd roared with excitement. Michael folded up the paper and threw it down into the crowd.

I didn’t expect Hungarians to be so crazy about M.J. The crowd converged round the spot where the paper had landed. There were screams and shouts as people fought over the precious souvenir. This time I managed to take a few pictures of Michael looking out of the window. I still have those pictures in a special album.

Looking back on those crazy days I feel kind of nostalgic. Since that time I have seen a lot of different stars, but I’ve never felt such awe and excitement as when I saw Michael.

Словарик

feel dizzy чувствовать головокружение

pinrups плакаты

catch one’s eye привлечь чьё-то внимание

at all costs любой ценой

coverздесь освещать в СМИ

give up отказываться

info информация

pedesrian zone пешеходная зона

backpack рюкзак

pop газированная вода

come in handy пригодиться

limo лимузин

hang around бродить

stick around здесь не уходить

‘cos because

were gonna killздесь погубят (мой шанс)

cramздесь заполнять до отказа

gut feeling чутье

gave me a real fright здесь поeнастоящему напугала

bullshit груб чепуха

faint терять сознание

suite номер «люкс»

roar

реветь

converge здесь сжиматься

Вопросы и задания

Have you ever taken pictures of a famous person?

Did you behave in the same manner as the storyteller?

Do you know anyone who can be called a fan?

Do you support the storyteller’s wish to take pictures of M.J.?

Do you think that such behavior is only characteristic of teenagers?

Are you a fan of any famous person? Why?

Read aloud and translate any paragraph you like.

Look into his Eyes

(a religious parable, 438 words)

I heard this story while on a train. I was coming back home from my college. A middle-aged man sitting next to me was speaking with his companion. I don’t remember what they were talking about when suddenly they started to discuss some religious matters. It turned out that the man next to me was a priest. He was a man of about forty-five with a neatly trimmed beard and long hair. He had a nice low timbre and his voice kind of hypnotized me.

He began telling his companion a very interesting story. I think it was some kind of religious story with an insight. It impressed me so much that I tried to put it down on paper.

Here it is.

Once upon a time there was a little mountain village in a country that was occupied by the enemy forces.

One day the commander of the occupation troops came to the mayor of the village and said: ‘We know you are hiding a traitor. You should give him up to us or you will pay a dear price for it.’

The village was, indeed, hiding a man who seemed good and innocent. Everyone in the village loved him. But what could the mayor do now that the welfare of the whole village was at stake?

The Village council discussed the situation for a few days but all the discussions led to no conclusion. Finally, the mayor took the matter up with the priest.

They stayed at the mayor’s office and spent there a whole sleepless night searching the scriptures. When the sun went up they found a text that said: ‘You had better sacrifice one man to save the nation.’

So, when the commander came to the village the mayor handed over the innocent man. Later the man was put to death.

Years passed and one day a prophet came to that village. He immediately went to the mayor and said: ‘How could you have done that

? The man was sent by God to be the savior of this country. And you handed him over to killed.’

‘But where did I go wrong?’ pleaded the mayor. ‘The priest and I looked at the scriptures and did what they commanded.’

‘That’s where you went wrong,’ said the prophet. ‘You looked at the scriptures. You should have also looked into his eyes.’

Well, I liked that story and since the day I heard it I have been retelling it very many times. And you know what? Every time I feel like I retell it for the first time.