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статья (английский язык, 5 класс) по теме

THE GOLDFISH

ELEONORE FARJEON

There was once a Goldfish who lived in the sea in the days when all fishes lived there. He was perfectly happy, and had only one care; and that was to avoid the net that floated about in the water now here, now there. But all the fish had been warned by King Neptune, their father, to avoid the net, and in those days they did as they were bid. So the Goldfish enjoyed a glorious life, swimming for days and days in the blue and green water: sometimes low down close to the sand and shells and pearls and coral, and the big rocks where the anemones grew like clusters of gay flowers, and the seaweed waved in frills and fans of red and green and yellow; and sometimes he swam high up near the surface of the sea, where the white caps chased each other, and the great waves rose like mountains of glass and tumbled over themselves with a crash. When the Goldfish was as near the top as this, he sometimes saw swimming in the bright blue water far, far above him a great Gold Fish, as golden as himself, but as round as a jelly-fish. And at other times, when that distant water was dark blue instead of bright, he saw a Silver Fish such as he had never met under the sea, and she too was often round in shape, though at times, when she seemed to swim sideways through the water, he could see her pointed silver fins. Our Goldfish felt a certain jealousy of the other Gold' Fish, but with the Silver Fish he fell in love at sight, and longed to be able to swim up to her. Whenever he tried to do this, something queer happened that

made him lose his breath; and with a gasp, he sank down into the ocean, so deep that he could see the Silver Fish no longer. Then, hoping she might descend to swim in his own water, he swam for miles and miles in search of her; but he never had the luck to find her.

One night as he was swimming about in very calm water, he saw overhead the motionless shadow of an enormous fish. One great long fin ran under its belly in the water, but all the rest of it was raised above the surface. The Goldfish knew every fish in the sea, but he had never before seen such a fish as this. It was bigger than the Whale, and as black as the ink of the Octopus. He swam all round it, touching it with his inquisitive little nose. At last he asked, "What sort of fish are you!"

The big black shadow laughed. "I am not a fish at all, I am a ship."

"What are you doing here if you are not a fish?" "Just at present I am doing nothing, for I am becalmed. But when the wind blows I shall go on sailing round the world."

"What is the world?"

"All that you see and more."

"Am I in the world, then?" asked the Goldfish.

"Certainly you are."

The Goldfish gave a little jump of delight. "Good news! good news!" he cried.

A passing Porpoise paused to ask, "What are you shouting for?"

"Because I am in the world!" "Who says so?" "The Ship-Fish!" said the Goldfish. "Pooh!" said the Porpoise, "let him prove it!" and passed on.

Exercise 1. Read and try to memorize the following words. Study the sentences where they occur.

avoid — избегать

He was perfectly happy, and had only one care; and that was to avoid the net ...

float — плавать, держать(ся) на поверхности воды

... that floated about in the water

warn - предупреждать, предостерегать

But all the fish had been warned by King Neptune, their father, to avoid the net ...

glorious — 1. славный; 2. великолепный, чудесный So the Goldfish enjoyed a glorious life ...

surface — поверхность

and sometimes he swam high up near the surface of the sea ...

chase — гнаться, преследовать

where the white caps chased each other

jealousy — ревность

Our Goldfish felt a certain jealousy of the other Gold Fish ...

queer — странный . - .

Whenever he tried to do this, something queer happened that made him lose his breath ...

descend — опускаться

Then, hoping she might descend to swim in his own water, he swam for miles and miles in search of her ...

calm — спокойный, тихий

One night as he was swimming about in very calm water, he saw overhead the motionless shadow of an enormous fish.

inquisitive — любопытный, любознательный

He swam all round it, touching it with his inquisitive little nose.

rim — край, ободок

The world has a rim you can never see over...

temple — храм

... and temples hung with tinkling bells.

sink — тонуть, опускаться на дно

There he let himself sink like a little gold stone to the bottom of the ocean...

weep — рыдать

where he lay for a week weeping his heart out.

grief — rope

"I am tickled by the grief of the Goldfish there."

possess — владеть, обладать

... but they swelled him with great longings — longings to possess the Silver Moon, to be a mightier fish than the Sun ...

surpass - превосходить

... because he cannot marry tbe Moon, surpass the Sun, and possess the world!"

long - страстно хотеть чего-то

"Not if it will bring me all I long for," said the Goldfish bravely.

sprinkle — посыпать, разбрасывать

... he first bought a globe of glass, and sprinkled sand and shells and tiny pebbles at the bottom, ...

suited — подходящий, соответствующий

"... He needed a world more suited to his size."

bride — невеста

And he gave a little jump of joy, and cried to his Silver Bride ...

shame — стыд, позор

"It was a shame ever to let such a tiny fellow loose in the vast ocean.

Exercise 2. Guess the word by its definition:

a) to prevent from happening

b) deep sorrow

c) not usual or normal, strange

d) a woman at the time she is married or just after she’s married

e) to be greater in extent than smb

f) to own, have smth as one’s property

g) the state of feeling jealous

h) to inform someone of a possible danger or problem

i) the outside or top of the object

j) a painful emotion which results when you’ve done smth wrong or foolish

k) too curious about other people’s business

l) to move down

m) to cry

n) to go below the surface of water