Золушка. Спящая красавица. Рапунцель / Cinderella. The Sleeping Beauty. Rapunzel

Адаптация текста, упражнения, составление комментариев и словаря Д. Л. Абрагина

© Абрагин Д. Л., адаптация текста, упражнения, комментарий, словарь

© ООО «Издательство АСТ»

Предисловие

Сказка, повествуя о волшебстве и чудесах, вплетенных в реальность, сопровождает нас с самого раннего детства. Захватывая наше воображение, она становится нашим наставником и проводником в запутанных лабиринтах жизни. Сказка учит нас общению с другими людьми, обращению с животными, она помогает нам отличить добро от зла, полезное от вредного, раскрывает перед нами удивительные свойства природы.

Войдя в наше детство, сказка не уходит от нас и тогда, когда мы становимся взрослыми. Читая сказки своим детям, взрослые снова и снова погружаются в сказочный мир, находя в нем столь необходимое для души отвлечение от забот, неудач и горестей, возрождение надежды и веру в счастливый конец.

Все эти замечательные особенности сказки превращают ее в уникальный текстовой материал при обучении иностранному языку. Погружаясь в текст сказки, мы, сами того не замечая, лучше усваиваем иностранные слова, а нравственно-воспитательный аспект сказки дает отличную почву для обсуждения текста произведения на занятиях в группе.

Сюжеты вошедших в предлагаемый сборник сказок хорошо известны читателю, что значительно упростит понимание текста, поэтому книга может быть рекомендована тем, кто не так давно начал изучать английский язык. Наиболее трудные для понимания слова и выражения вынесены в сноски, а словарь, помещенный в конце книги, содержит бо́льшую часть содержащихся в книге английских слов.

Cinderella

Once upon a time, there lived a gentleman[1], who after his beautiful and kind wife died, married the proudest and meanest woman in all the land[2].

She had two daughters from a previous marriage who were just as nasty and haughty as their mother.

The gentleman also had a young daughter by another wife[3] named Cinderella, who was one of the sweetest girls in the kingdom.

Cinderella’s stepmother was extremely jealous of her beauty and charm and made her do[4]

the hardest and most dreadful work in the house.

Cinderella did the dishes[5], scrubbed the floor and made the beds[6] while her step-sisters rested in their beds or had fun playing dress-up.

Now it so happened that the King’s son decided to give a ball, inviting all the young ladies in the land to attend.

Cinderella’s stepmother and step-sisters were delighted, and would talk of nothing but the ball all day long. They sent for the greatest designers in the kingdom to ensure that they looked their best[7].

Cinderella offered to help them get ready for the ball for she had excellent taste and despite how her step-sisters treated her, she always gave them the best advice.

As she helped them, the eldest sister asked, “Cinderella, are you not going to the ball?”

Cinderella sadly lowered her head and said, “No, you’re only teasing me because I have nothing to wear for the ball. Perhaps I could borrow something?”

“Lend our clothes to such a dirty Cinderwench[8]? We’re not fools!” they exclaimed.

And the sisters laughed cruelly.

When the big day finally came, Cinderella accompanied her step-mother and step-sisters to the Court, and couldn’t help but burst into tears as she watched them enter the beautiful ball[9].

As she wept, Cinderella’s fairy godmother appeared.

“Cinderella, why are you crying?” she asked. “You wish to attend the ball, is that not so?”

“Yes,” cried Cinderella, between sobs.

The fairy godmother smiled and said, “Well, run into the garden and bring me a pumpkin.”

Cinderella immediately went to get the finest pumpkin she could find.

When she brought it, her godmother struck the pumpkin with her wand, instantly turning it into a fine coach, plated with gold and silver.

Next, she had Cinderella find some mice[10], and when she brought the furry little creatures back the fairy godmother tapped them each with her wand, turning[11] them into six fine horses and a coachman.

“Well what do you say? Do you still think you are not able to attend the ball?” asked her godmother.

“Oh yes!” cried Cinderella, “but should I go looking like this, in these rags?[12]“

Her godmother only touched her with her wand and instantly Cinderella’s rags turned into a dress of white and silver, sparkling with jewels.