Лучшие смешные рассказы / Best Funny Stories

Джером Клапка Джером

Легко читаем по-английски

Произведения Дж. К. Джерома по праву считают классикой английской литературы. Его рассказы известны своим тонким интеллектуальным юмором и оригинальностью образов. В эту книгу вошли лучшие из его коротких рассказов: «Следует ли женатому человеку играть в гольф?», «Почему мы не любим иностранцев», «Падение Томаса-Генри» и другие. Все тексты сопровождаются упражнениями на понимание прочитанного, комментариями и словарем, облегчающим чтение. Предназначается для продолжающих изучать английский язык нижней ступени (уровень 2 – Pre-Intermediate).

Джером К. Джером / Jerome K. Jerome

Лучшие смешные рассказы / Best Funny Stories

© Матвеев С. А., адаптация текста, коммент., упражнения и словарь

© ООО «Издательство АСТ»

Should Married Men Play Golf?

People know that we Englishmen attach too much importance to sport, it is well-known, indeed. One can wait: some day some English novelist[1 - some English novelist – некий английский романист] will write a book, showing the evil effects of over-indulgence in sport:[2 - over-indulgence in sport – чрезмерное увлечение спортом] the ruined business, the ruined home, the slow but sure[3 - slow but sure – медленный, но верный] destroying of the brain, which leads to foolishness.

I once heard of a young couple. They went for their honeymoon[4 - They went for their honeymoon – Они отправились на медовый месяц] to Scotland. The poor girl did not know he was a golfer (he won her heart when his shoulder was broken). They decided to make a tour. The second day the man went out for a walk. At dinner-time he noticed that it seemed a pretty place they had found, and suggested to stay there another day. The next morning after breakfast he borrowed a club from the hotel porter, and remarked that he would take a walk. He returned in time for lunch and seemed angry all the afternoon. He said the air was good for him, and urged that they should stay another day.

She was young and did not know much, and thought, maybe, he had a liver-ache. She had heard much about liver from her father. The next morning he borrowed more clubs, and went out, this time before breakfast, returning late and even more angry than before. That was the end of their honeymoon. He meant well,[5 - he meant well – у него были лучшие намерения] but the thing had gone too far.[6 - the thing had gone too far – дело зашло слишком далеко] The vice had entered into his blood.

Many people, I think, heard about the golfing priest, who was always swearing when he lost.

“Golf and the ministry don’t seem to go together,” his friend told him. “Take my advice before it’s too late, and give it up, Tammas.[7 - give it up, Tammas – брось это, Тэммас]”

A few months later Tammas met his friend again.

“You were right, Jamie,[8 - Jamie – Джейми]” cried the priest, “golf and the ministry are not friends, I have followed your advice: I have given it up.”

“Then what are you doing with that sack of clubs?” inquired Jamie.

“What am I doing with them?” repeated the puzzled Tammas. “I am going to play golf with them! Great Heavens,[9 - Great Heavens! – О Боже!] man!” he continued, “you don’t think it was the golf that I’d given up?”

The Englishman does not understand how to play. He makes a life-long labour of his sport, and to it sacrifices mind and body. The health resorts of Europe draw half their profits from the playing fields of Eton[10 - Eton – Итон] and everywhere. In Swiss and German resorts enormously fat men come to you and explain to you that once they were the champions or the best sportsmen of their university – men who now cannot go upstairs. Fat men, between paroxysms of coughing,[11 - between paroxysms of coughing – между приступами кашля] tell you of the goals they scored when they were extraordinary forwards. Unhappy sportsmen – you can meet them everywhere.

They are pitiable people. They can read only sport news, books are of no use to them. They never trained much thei