Самые лучшие английские сказки / The best english fairy tales

Самые лучшие английские сказки / The best english fairy tales

Сергей Александрович Матвеев

Легко читаем по-английски

В книгу вошли всемирно известные английские сказки. Тексты сказок подготовлены для уровня 2 (Pre-Intermediate) и снабжены комментариями к словам и выражениям, вызывающим затруднения. Для проверки восприятия текстов предлагаются упражнения, а в конце книги дается англо-русский словарь. Это издание будет интересно тем, кто хочет читать на английском языке.

Самые лучшие английские сказки / The Best English Tales

© Матвеев С. А., подготовка текста, комментарии, упражнения, словарь

© ООО «Издательство АСТ»

The Master and His Pupil

There was once a very learned man in the north-country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of the world. He had one big book bound in black calf and clasped with iron, and with iron corners, and chained to a table on the floor. When he read this book, he unlocked it with an iron key. This famous book contained all the secrets of the spiritual world. It told how many angels there were in heaven, and how they marched in their ranks, and sang, and what were their several functions, and what was the name of each great angel of might. And it told of the demons, how many of them there were, and what were their several powers, and their labours, and their names, and how they might be summoned,[1 - how they might be summoned – как их можно вызвать] and how tasks might be imposed on them,[2 - how tasks might be imposed on them – как им приказывать] and how they might be chained to be as slaves to man.[3 - to be as slaves to man – чтобы стали рабами человека]

Now the master had a pupil who was a foolish lad, and he acted as servant to the great master. The boy was never allowed[4 - the boy was never allowed – мальчику никогда не дозволялось] to look into the black book, hardly to enter the private room.

One day the master was out. The lad was very curious. So he hurried to the chamber where his master kept his wonderful apparatus for changing copper into gold, and lead into silver. There was his magic mirror in which he could see all that was passing in the world. There also was the shell which when held to the ear[5 - which when held to the ear – которая, если её приложить к уху] whispered all the words that were spoken by anyone the master desired to know about.