ON THE PLATFORM

John: Porter, will you see to our luggage, please?

Porter: What train, sir?

John: We’re going by the 10.35 train to Glazgow. Will you put the suitcases into the luggage van?

The brief-case can go with me.

Porter: Right, sir. What class?

John: First. Try and find us the seats in a non-smoker, facing the engine, if you can. We’ll meet

you on the platform.

Some time later the porter comes back.

Porter: Here you are, sir. I’ve found you the seat next to the corridor. Your carriage is near the

dining-car and you can order lunch when the attendant comes along.

John: Thank you. Here you are.

Porter: Thank you, sir. I hope you’ll find the journey comfortable.

Ex. 8. Act as an interpreter. Translate the sentences from Russian into English and from English into

Russian.

1.

- Какие поезда идут до Москвы?

- There is a through train No. 98 or you can change trains in Simferopol.

2.

- How long does the trip to Kiev take?

- Время в пути примерно 20 часов.

3.

- Когда поезд прибывает во Львов?

- It arrives at Lvov at 7 sharp according to the timetable.

4.

- Is there a dining-car on the train?

- К сожалению, нет, в местных поездах нет вагона-ресторана. Вы можете перекусить в буфете

на вокзале.

5.

-Where is the booking-office?

- Билетные кассы в здании вокзала на первом этаже.

6.

- Где можно сдать вещи в багаж?

- We are going to be late, let’s take them onto the train.

7.

- Где находится камера хранения?

- It is on the ground floor. You should take the lift downstairs.

8.

- What platform does the train No. 98 leave from?

- Он отходит с платформы 5.

9.

- Как пройти на платформу 5?

- It’s the second turning on your left.

10.

- Дайте, пожалуйста, спальное место до Петербурга.

- Sorry, we are all booked up for today.

Ex. 9. Compose a dialogue using the key words for the situations given below.

1. Imagine you are at the information bureau of some railway station and you want some information about the trains.

Key words: leave, arrive, compartment, reserved tickets, express train, through train, lower berth, dining-car, run on schedule, single ticket (one-way ticket), return ticket.

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

THE STRANGER

It was a Saturday afternoon in early December. He ran into Charing Cross Station. The 5.30 train was about to leave. As he arrived on the platform, he saw a girl just ahead him. She was young – about his age. He followed her into a carriage, and sat down opposite her. She was reading a magazine about Sir Francis Chichester, the man who sailed round the world.

He took out a book and pretended to read. After a few minutes he looked up and smiled at her. She didn’t smile back but gave him a look which seemed to say: if you smile at me again in a moment or two< I will smile back. Both returned to their reading, but this time she was pretending, too. A moment later, he looked up and smiled, and sure enough she smiled back.

Her smile was a warm smile, but he was surprised that he found her attractive. In the past, his girlfriends had been tall and slim, with long hair. This girl wasn’t tall, wasn’t all that slim, and had short hair. And yet…

The train reach his stop, Lewisham, in a few moments, and she might get off before he did. He had to work fast; he wanted to see her again. But it was a crowded carriage and she might be embarrassed if he spoke to her, and, besides, she might imagine he was a criminal or a madman, and not a future engineer who had recently left school. She would certainly not gibe him her telephone number if he asked her for it. What could he do?

He had an idea. He took an old envelope out of his pocket, and wrote the following words:

Hallo. My number is 852-8464 and my name is Peter. I would very much like

to see you again. Ring me at nine.

Just as he finished writing, the train arrived at Lewisham. Without looking at the girl, he handed her the envelope, or rather threw it at her, and jumped off the train.

When he got home, he made himself a cup of coffee and wondered whether the girl on the train would ring him. On the one hand, he thought, she would, because for a girl it was an unusual, perhaps even an exciting situation. But, on the other hand, he was a total stranger and she might not like him at all that much; perhaps she was one of those naturally friendly people who smile at everybody. He listened to the radio. Nine o’clock arrived, then 9.30 – and no telephone call. Oh well, he thought to himself, it was worth trying. And, feeling miserable, he went to bed early.

It was a foggy morning. “Hallo, is that Peter? This is Anne. You…” It was two minutes past nine.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16