Владимир Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 3 курс [calibre 2.43.0]

there was an English doctor in the town. He said there was and gave me the address. I took a cab and as I drove up to the house a little

fat man came out of it. He hesitated when he caught sight of me.

"Have you come to see me?" he said. "I'm the English doctor."

I explained_my_£irand and he asked me to come in. He lived in an ordinary Spanish house, with a patio,4 and his consulting room

which led out of it littered with papers, books, medical appliances, and lumber. The sight of it would have startled a squeamish

patient. We did our business and then I asked the doctor what his fee was. He shook his head and smiled.

"There's no fee."

"Why on earth not?"

"Don't you remember me? Why, I'm here because of something you said to me. You changed my whole life for me. I'm Stephens."

I had not the least notion what he was talking about. He reminded me of our interview, he repeated to me what we had said, and

gradually, out of the night, a dim recollection of the incident came back to me.

"I was wondering if I'd ever see you again," he said, "I was wondering if ever I'd have a chance of thanking you for all you've

done for me."

"It's been a success then?"

I looked at him. He was very fat now and bald, but his eyes twinkled gaily and his fleshy, red face bore an expression of

perfect good-humour. The clothes he wore, terribly shabby they were, had been made obviously by a Spanish tailor and his hat

was the wide- brimmed sombrero of the Spaniard. He looked to me as though^ he knew a good bottle of wine when he saw it. He

had a dissipated, though entirely sympathetic, appearance. You might have hesitated to let him remove your appendix, but you

could not have imagined a more delightful creature to drink a glass of wine with.

"Surely you were married?" I asked.

"Yes. My wife didn't like Spain, she went back to Camberwell, she was more at home there."

"Oh, I'm sorry for that."

His black eyes flashed a bacchanalian smile. He really had somewhat the look of a young Silenus.5

"Life is full of compensations," he murmured.

The words were hardly out of his mouth when a Spanish woman, no longer in her first youth, but still boldly and voluptuously

beautiful, appeared at the door. She spoke to him in Spanish, and I could not fail to perceive that she was the mistress of the

house.

As he stood at the door to let me out he said to me:

"You told me when last I saw you that if I came here I should earn just enough money to keep body and soul together, but that

I should lead a wonderful life. Well, I want to tell you that you were right. Poor I have been and poor I shall always be, but by

heaven I've enjoyed myself. I wouldn't exchange the life I've had with that of any king in the world."

EXPLANATORY NOTES

1. Victoria Station:a railway terminus in the southern part of London.

2. Infirmary:a hospital; sick quarters at school.

3. Sevillef'sevil]: a town in the province of Andalusia [.aenda'lixzja] in the south of Spain.

4. patio['paeti3o]: an open courtyard within the walls of a Spanish house.

5. Silenus[sai'liings]: a Greek mythological character, the tutor and companion of Dionysus [.daia'naisss], the God of wine.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY Vocabulary Notes

1. confide vi/t 1) to feel trust in smb., e. g. I can confide in him. 2) to tell secrets to, e. g. He confided his troubles (secret, plans, fears) to me.

confidence n 1) strong trust, e. g. I have no confidence in such people (in his ability, in his opinion). He enjoys everybody's

confidence. What she says does not inspire confidence. I shan't betray your confidence. She took me into her confidence. 2)

assurance, belief that one is right or that one will succeed, e. g. He has too much confidence in himself (self- confidence). His lack of

confidence is most annoying. His comforting words gave me confidence. 3) secret which is confided to smb. ( often in pi.), e. g. 1

listened to the girl's confidences with a mixed feeling of pity and disapproval.

confident adj 1) sure, e. g. We were not confident of success. 2) showing confidence, as a confident manner, smile, voice, tone.

confidential adj private or secret, as confidential information, matter, correspondence, voice, etc.

2. start vi/t 1)to begin to move; to set out; to begin a journey, as to start early (late, at 6 p. m., etc.); to start on a trip (a journey, an excursion) for the mountains; 2) to begin to do smth., as to start work (business, conversation); to start working, running, crying; 3) to

cause, to enable, to begin, e. g. How did the war (the fire, the quarrel) start? 4) to set going, as to start a car (a motor, a newspaper); 5)

to make a sudden movement (from pain, shock, etc.), e. g. He started at the noise.

starting-point n a place at which a start is made, e. g. The incident turned out to be a starting-point that set everything afloat.

start n 1) the act of starting, as the start of a race; at the journey's start, e. g. That gave her a start in life, from the startfrom the very beginning, e. g. Everything went wrong from the start, from start to finish.,e. g. This is the whole story from start to finish. 2) a sudden movement caused by pain (shock, etc.), e. g. He sprang up (awoke) with a start. You gave me a s^rt, I must say. by fits and starts

irregularly, e. g. Research work cannot be done by fits and starts.

3. confuse vt 1) to mistake one thing or person for another; to mix up, as to confuse names (words or persons); to confuse facts

(dates), e. g. They look so much alike that I always confuse them. Old people often confuse dates and figures. 2) to make a person

feel uncomfortable, e. g. Everybody's attention confused her and she was at a loss for words. syn. embarrass; to be (feel, seem, get)

confused (embarrassed),e. g. He

seemed a trifle confused (embarrassed).

confusion n 1)the state of being confused; disorder, as to lie (be, be thrown about) in confusion, e. g. His things lay in confusion on the sofa. His thoughts were in confusion. He remained calm in the confusion of battle, syn. mess;2) shame, embarrassment, e. g.

His confusion was obvious. 3) mistaking one thing for another, as the confusion of sounds, letters.

confusing adj embarrassing, e. g. An examiner must not ask confusing questions (not to put the student out). Don't ask embarrassing questions (not to make one uncomfortable).

confused adj 1)embarrased, e. g. The girl looked confused. 2) inconsistent or muddled, e. g. His tale (answer) was confused. He was unable to put his confused ideas into shape.

4. drop vt/i 1) to allow to fall, as to drop a glass (a handkerchief, etc.); to drop bombs; to drop a letter in a pillar-box (a coin in a

slot); 2) to give up, to stop doing smth., as to drop one's work (studies, a habit); to drop smoking, e. g. Let's drop the argument (the