П. Трэверс: Mary Poppins / Мэри Поппинс. Книга для чтения на английском языке

This is a book about a family who lives at Number Seventeen in Cherry-Tree Lane 1 1 Cherry-Tree Lane ['tʃerı tri: leın] – переулок Вишневых деревьев (Вишневый переулок) . The family consists of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks and their four children: Jane, who is the eldest, Michael 2 2 Michael [maıkl] – Майкл , who is the second, and the Twins John and Barbara 3 3 Barbara ['bɑ:brə] – Барбара , who are the youngest. They have Mrs. Brill, who cooks for them, and Ellen, who lays the table 4 4 lays the table ['leız ðə'teıbl] – накрывает на стол for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper.

They also had a nurse, who took care of the children, but she has just left the house.

“What shall I do without a nurse?” said Mrs. Banks.

“Write into the newspaper,” said Mr. Banks, “and say that you want a very good nurse for Jane and Michael and John and Barbara Banks. And then wait, and the nurses will come. Oh, I must go to the City. How cold it is today! The East Wind is blowing. I must put on two overcoats.” And Mr. Banks kissed his wife on the side of her nose, waved his hand 5 5 waved his hand ['weıvd hız'hænd] – помахал рукой to the children, and went to the City.

Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays. In the City he sat on a large chair in front of a large desk and made money.

Mrs. Banks went into the drawing-room and wrote letters to the newspapers. In the letters she asked to send her a nurse at once 6 6 at once [ət'wʌns] – сейчас же because she was waiting. Upstairs, in the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood at the window and looked into the street. They were waiting for the nurse.

In the evening Jane and Michael stood at the window again. They were waiting for Mr. Banks to come from the City. The strong East Wind was blowing, and the trees were bending. It was already dark.

“There he is! 7 7 There he is! ['ðɛə hi:'ız] – Вон он! ” said Michael.

“That is not Daddy,” said Jane. “It is somebody else.”

And really it was not Mr. Banks. It was a woman. She was holding her hat with one hand and was carrying a bag in the other. And then something curious happened. When the woman opened the gate of the garden, the East Wind caught her and carried her quickly to the door of the house.

“How funny!” said Michael.

“Let’s go and see who it is!” said Jane. The children went out of the Nursery to the landing. They looked down into the hall.

The door of the drawing-room opened, and their Mother came out with the visitor. The woman had very black hair, large feet and hands and small blue eyes.

“They are very good children,” said Mrs. Banks. The woman did not answer. She only sniffed. 8 8 She only sniffed. [snıft] – Она только пренебрежительно хмыкнула (потянула носом).

“The Nursery is upstairs,” said Mrs. Banks. She went upstairs, and the woman followed her. And at that time Jane and Michael saw another curious thing. The woman did not go upstairs. She slid up the banisters!9 9 She slid up the banisters! ['bænıstəz] – Она проехала вверх по перилам! Jane and Michael could slide down the banisters and often did it, but slide upstairs – no! They could not do that ! They were looking at their new nurse with great surprise.

“Children,” said Mrs. Banks, “this is your new nurse, Mary Poppins. Jane, Michael, say how do you do!” Mrs. Banks turned to Mary Poppins. “And these are the Twins,” she said to her and pointed to the babies in their cots.

Mary Poppins looked at the babies, then looked at Jane and Michael. Then she sniffed loudly.

“All right,” she said, “I’ll stay with you.”

Mrs. Banks left the Nursery. Mary Poppins was standing in the middle of the room. Jane and Michael went up to her.

“How did you come?” asked Jane. “Did the Wind blow you here? 10 10 Did the Wind blow you here? – Вас принес сюда ветер? ”

“Yes, it did,” said Mary Poppins and took off her hat. Then she opened her bag. And again Jane and Michael were very surprised, because the bag was empty!

“Why 11 11 Why – Ой ,” said Jane, “there is nothing in the bag!”

Mary Poppins looked at her. “Did you say ‘nothing’?”

And then she took out of the empty bag an apron and tied it round her waist 12 12 round her waist [weıst] – вокруг талии . Then she took out a piece of soap, a toothbrush, a bottle of scent, and a small folding armchair 13 13 a small folding armchair ['fəuldıŋ'ɑ:mtʃɛə] – маленькое складно́е кресло .

“But I saw,” whispered Michael. “It was empty.”

Mary Poppins turned to the children.

“Now,” she said, “quick! Into bed!”

In a minute she undressed them and put them into bed.

Jane and Michael were sitting in their beds and watching how Mary Poppins was unpacking her bag.

She took out of the bag ten night-shirts, a pair of boots, a box of dominoes, two caps. Then she took out a folding bed with pillows and blankets and put it on the floor between John’s and Barbara’s cots.

“Mary Poppins,” said Michael, “will you never leave us?” Mary Poppins looked at him.

“One more word from you,” she said, “and I’ll call the Policeman.”

“I only want to ask,” said Michael, “we hope you won’t go away soon?”

Mary Poppins sniffed.

“I’ll stay till the Wind changes 14 14 I’ll stay till the Wind changes ['tʃeındʒız] – Я поживу (у вас), пока не переменится ветер ,” she said. Then she turned off the light 15 15 turned off the light – выключила свет and got into bed.

And that is how Mary Poppins came to live at Number Seventeen, Cherry-Tree Lane.

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.

2. Agree or disagree.

1. The family consists of Mr. Banks, Mrs. Banks and their three children.

2. Mr. Banks went to the City every day except Sundays.

3. Mrs. Banks went into the drawing-room and read a book.

4. Upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael stood at the window and looked into the street.

5. When the woman opened the gate of the garden, she quickly walked to the door of the house.

6. The children went out of the Nursery to the corridor.

7. The woman had blond hair, small feet and hands, and large blue eyes.

8. Mrs. Banks went upstairs, and the woman followed her.

9. Jane and Michael could slide up the banisters and often did it.

10. She took out of the empty bag an apron and tied it round her waist.

3. Put the following sentences in the right order.