N. Kryazheva - The United States and the United Kingdom. Past and Present (doc) (798446), страница 17
Текст из файла (страница 17)
No lady should cross her knees when wearing knee-length skirts. An arm akirrv bo is not a graceful attitude nor is twisted spine. The proper way for a lady is to sit in the centre of her chair or slightly sideways in the corner of a sofa. She may lean back, of course, and easily her hands relaxed in her lap, her knees together or jf crossed her foot must not be hooked around the chair leg in a vine fashion.
A gentleman may even on very formal occasions lean against the back of his chair but he must give the appearance of sitting on a chair not lying at ease on a sofa.
People should be taught how to wear clothes. Fashion has the power to appear temporarily, but there is one unchanging principle which must be followed by everyone who would be well dressed suitably and not being dressed to a minute and following every turn of the latest fashion blindly. Vulgar clothes are those which are too exaggerated in style or have accessories out of harmony with the dress and the wearer.
All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness. To let anyone see what you have in your mouth is offensive; so is to make a noise, to make a mess is disgusting. Elbows are never put on the table while one is eating. There are others table don'ts. Don't encircle a plate with the left arm while eating with the right hand. Don't push back your plate when finished. Don't lean back and announce, "I am through". The fact that you have put your fork and spoon down shows that you have finished. Don't ever put liquid into your mouth if it is already filled with food. Don't wait until all plates are served, after a few guests have been served, it is perfectly all right to start eating.
If food has been taken into your mouth, no matter how you hate it, you must swallow it. It is offensive to take anything out of your mouth that has been put in it, except dry fish bones and equally dry fruit seeds.
Peaches and other very juicy fruits are peeled and then eaten with the knife and fork, but dry fruits such as apples may be cut and then eaten with fingers. Never wipe hands that have fruit juice on them on a napkin without first using a finger-bowl, because fruit juices leave stains. All juicy or soft fruit or cake is best eaten with a fork or a spoon without getting it all over your fingers. Napkins should match the table linen and lunch napkins must be much smaller than dinner ones.
The bread and butter plate must be put at the left side of each plate just above the forks. They are always removed immediately before dessert with salt-cellars and pepper-boxes. There are a lot of table manners and children are taught by their mothers every day. Teachers explain the order of the lunches service, afternoon teas without dancing and other afternoon parties, parties in the garden, how to set the table and the places and so on and so forth.
Words and Phrases:
slightly . слегка suitability - удобство
to display _ выражать blindly - слепо
gracefully . грациозно accessaries - дополнительные украшения
fullness _ полнота to exaggerate - преувеличивать
akimbo . подбоченясь ugliness - уродство, безобразие
sideways . сбоку, боком offensive - оскорбительный
to lean back - отклониться disgusting - отвратительный, противный
lap - подол elbows - локти
to hook around - обвивать twisted spine - изогнутая, сгорбленная спина
in a vine fashion - как лиана napkin - салфетка
at ease - свободно in queue - в очередь
Tasks:
1. Make up short dialogues.
a. Imagine that you invited guests to a party. Speak about: a) seating at the
table; b) about toasts; c) about table furnishing.
2. Say what information you've learnt from this text.
3. Agree or disagree with the statements:
a. The proper selection of guests is the first essential in all entertainments; I b. Very silent people should be sandwiched between good talkers; Ic. Dull people should never be put near clever ones.
4. Finish the sentences: I a. If you don't know, whether to put on a ball dress or a dinner dress, wear... ;
b. Whether to wear wool or velvet to a lunch wear... ;
c. The duration of a formal visit should be ... .
New Year and Christmas holiday
The celebration of New Year Eve is one of the oldest rites known to many. jU|ju$ Caesar had set January 1 as a starting date of the New Year. The symbol of the incoming year is the New Year Baby and New Year Tree. The Celebrations are surprisingly similar to our own ones composed of equal parts of noise, songs and hard drinks. Many people spend New Year's Day resting. That is because they stayed up most of the night greeting the New Year. Some went to parties at friends' homes or at night-clubs. Jolly fellow by the name Santa Claus usually brings gifts
This fellow gets his name from a man known as St. Nickolas. He lived in the North Pole, or may be in the Western Europe, during the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the poor. After he had died his feast day was celebrated with gift giving. The Dutch brought this legend to England and soon his Dutch name "Sinter Klaas" became "Santa Claus".
But Santa Claus begins to visit every house on Christmas Eve. He climbs down the chimney and leaves a lot of presents. Some people leave something for him too: a glass of wine and some biscuits, for example.
Traditionally people decorate their New Year Trees on Christmas Eve. They take down the decorations twelve days later on Twelfth Night.
Hanging wreaths at Christmas probably goes back to an ancient Roman custom of presenting wreaths as gifts.
An old tradition is Christmas mistletoe. People put a piece of this green plant with its white berries over the door. They say mistletoe brings good luck. At Christmas British people kiss their friends and family under the mistletoe. There is another tradition on the Eve of Christmas. Some people light candles in the window. The Bible says that Mary (Jesus mother) had troubles in finding shelter on the night Jesus was born. Now candles symbolize a welcome to cold and weary travellers.
In Britain the most important meal on December 25th is Christmas dinner. Nearly all the Christmas food is traditional, but a lot of traditions are not very old. For example, there were no turkeys in Britain before 1800. And even in the nineteenth century, goose was the traditional meat at Christmas. But not now. British Christmas dinner is roast turkey with carrots, potatoes, peas, Brussels sprouts. There are sausages and bacon too. Then after the turkey, as usual there's Christmas pudding. Crackers are also usual at Christmas dinner. These came to Britain from China in the nineteenth century.
December 26th is Boxing Day. Traditionally boys from the shop in each town asked for money at Christmas. They went from house to house and took boxes made of wood with them. At each house people gave them money. So, Boxing Day comes from the boys' wooden boxes and is an extra holiday after Christmas Day
St. Valentine's Day. St. Valentine is the saint of people in love, and St. Valentine's Day is February 14th. On that day, people send V.cards and presents to their husbands, wives, boy-friends and girl-friends. One can also send a card to an unknown person. But traditionally it is not recommended to write somebody's name on it. Some British newspapers have a whole page for Valentine's Day
messages on February 14th.
April Fool's Day is linked with the whole marvelous business of spring, the «turn of the sun and warmth. In Scotland an old name for April Fool's Day was jKjckoo. For some reasons the cuckoo is a symbol of daftness. The return of the cuckoo and arrival of spring is connected with all this fooling. It is a day for jokes and tricks. All jokes are very old, but still they make people laugh.
In some places tricks are played only in the morning of April 1st. Then, if anyone tries to fool someone later that day, or on the next he is met with these words: ''April Fool is past, and you are the biggest fool at last!"
Hallowe'en is celebrated on the 31st of October. You are expected to meet witches and ghosts that night. Halloween is an old word for "Hallows Evening", the night before "All Hallows or All Saint's Day".
Guy Fawkes' Day is marked on November 5th. All over the country people build wood fires, or "bonfires", in their gardens. People make guys with straw, old clothes and newspapers. On top of each bonfire is a guy. That's a figure of Guy Fawkes. Who was Guy Fawkes? On November 5th 1605, he tried to kill King James I, but he was caught and beheaded in the Tower of London.
Every August, Edinburgh in Scotland has the biggest art festival in Europe. There are plays, concerts and exhibitions from countries all over the world. That's the official festival. Hundreds of artists of international reputation from all parts of the world are invited to the Festival. It has risen after World War II.
The Shakespeare Festival in Stratford was held in 1769. It had no particular chronological significance, but it was to become the prelude to all the festivals that followed. A wooden amphitheater was built, two wagons arrived with fireworks, and medals were issued in copper, silver or gold with Shakespeare's likeness on one side. There were ringing of bells, firing of cannons, breakfast in the Town Hall, Speeches, Oratoria in church and so on for three days. Only in 1864 it was decided to produce Shakespeare's plays. Now in the Festival season from April to September people flock to Stratford to pack its theatres.
May 1 was an important day in Middle Ages. In the very early morning young girls went to the fields and washed their faces with dew. They believed this made them very beautiful. Also on May Day the young men of each village tried to win prizes with their bows and arrows. People danced round the maypole. This holiday has nothing in common with May 1st (International Day of Solidarity of Workers).
Words and Phrases:
rite - обряд, ритуал ghost - приведение
feast - празднество bonfire - фейерверк
to go back - восходить prelude - вступление
wreath -венок fire-work -фейерверк
mistletoe - омела белая to issue - выпускать
Whit Monday - духов день cannon - пушка
haggis - бараний рубец to flock - скапливаться
scone - пшеничная лепешка dew - роса
bun -.сдобная булочка maypole - майское "дерево"
Tasks:
1. Answer the following questions:
a. What is the most popular holiday in Great Britain ?
b. What is your hobby?
c. What is your favourite holiday?
2. Ask your group-mate about any holiday he(she) likes.
3. Make up short dialogues about English holidays.
4. You are given 5 minutes. Look through the text and speak about the holidav you are fond of.
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