Красавица и чудовище. Золушка. Спящая красавица. Рапунцель. Волшебная лампа Аладдина / The Beauty and the Beast. Cinderella. The Sleeping Beauty. Rapunzel. The Story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

“Yes, yes,” said the Beast, “my heart is good, but still I am a monster.”

“Among mankind,” said Beauty, “there are many that deserve that name more than you, and I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart.”

“If I had sense enough,” replied the Beast, “I would make a fine compliment to thank you, but I am so dull, that I can only say, I am greatly obliged to you.”

Beauty ate her supper, and had almost conquered her dread of the monster;[40 - almost conquered her dread of the monster – почти перестала бояться чудовище] but she had like to have fainted away,[41 - she had like to have fainted away – чуть не лишилась чувств] when he said to her, “Beauty, will you be my wife?”

She didn’t answer at once, for she was afraid of making him angry, if she refused. At last, however, she said trembling, “no Beast.” Immediately the poor monster went to sigh, and hissed so frightfully, that the whole palace echoed. But Beauty soon recovered her fright,[42 - recovered her fright – преодолела свой страх] for Beast having said, in a mournful voice, “then farewell, Beauty,” and left the room.

When Beauty was alone, she felt a great deal of compassion for poor Beast.

Beauty spent three months very contentedly in the palace. Every evening Beast paid her a visit,[43 - paid her a visit – наносил ей визит] and talked to her, during supper, very rationally, with good common sense,[44 - with good common sense – здравомысляще] but never with what the world calls wit; and Beauty daily discovered some valuable qualifications in the monster, and seeing him often had so accustomed her to his deformity,[45 - so accustomed her to his deformity – настолько привыкла к его жуткому облику] that she would often look on her watch to see when it would be nine, for the Beast never missed coming at that hour. There was but one thing that gave Beauty any concern,[46 - There was but one thing that gave Beauty any concern – Ее беспокоило только одно] which was, that every night, before she went to bed, the monster always asked her, if she would be his wife. One day she said to him, “Beast, you make me very uneasy, I wish I could consent to marry you, but I am too sincere to make you believe that will ever happen; I shall always esteem you as a friend, endeavor to be satisfied with this.”

“I must,” said the Beast. “I know too well my own misfortune, but I love you. However, I ought to think myself happy,[47 - I ought to think myself happy – мне следует думать, что я счастлив] that you will stay here; promise me never to leave me.”

Beauty blushed at these words; she had seen in her glass, that her father had pined himself sick for the loss of her,[48 - had pined himself sick for the loss of her – исстрадался от того, что потерял ее] and she longed to see him again. “I could,” answered she, “indeed, promise never to leave you entirely, but I have so great a desire to see my father, that I shall fret to death, if you refuse me that satisfaction.”

“I had rather die myself,[49 - I had rather die myself – Я скорее сам умру]” said the monster, “than give you the least uneasiness. I will send you to your father, you shall remain with him, and poor Beast will die with grief.[50 - poor Beast will die with grief – несчастное Чудовище умрет от горя]”

“No,” said Beauty, weeping, “I love you too well to be the cause of your death. I give you my promise to return in a week. You have shown me that my sisters are married, and my brothers gone to the army; only let me stay[51 - let me stay – позволь мне побыть] a week with my father.”

Exercises

1. Translate into Russian:

desire, visible, immediately, troublesome, uneasy, mankind, treacherous, corrupt, ungrateful, mournful, compassion, wit, to blush, concern, to remain.

2. Answer the questions.

1. What did Beauty see in the great looking glass?

2. Did Beauty’s sisters look sad?

3. When did Beauty find her dinner ready?

4. What did Beauty hear at night?

5. What did the Beast ask Beauty?

6. Did Beauty agree to be the wife of the Beast?

7. Did Beauty give her answer at once? Why?

8. How many months did Beauty spend in the palace?

9. Did Beauty miss her father?

10. What promise did Beauty give to the Beast?

3. True or False?

1. Beauty had a great desire to see her father.

2. Beauty’s sisters missed her and hoped to see her again.

3. During dinner Beauty was entertained with an excellent concert of music.

4. Beauty was terrified because the Beast was going to eat her.

5. Beast fell deeply in love with Beauty.

6. The Beast hoped that one day Beauty would be his wife.

7. When Beauty was alone, she felt a great deal of compassion for poor Beast.

8. Every Sunday the Beast paid Beauty a visit.

9. Beauty daily discovered some valuable qualifications in the monster.

10. Beauty felt comfortable in the Beast’s castle and didn’t miss her family.

7

“You shall be there tomorrow morning,[52 - You shall be there tomorrow morning – Ты должна будешь вернуться завтра утром]” said the Beast, “but remember your promise. You need only lay your ring on a table before you go to bed, when you have a mind to come back.[53 - when you have a mind to come back – когда захочешь вернуться] Farewell Beauty.” Beast sighed, as usual, bidding her good night,[54 - bidding her good night – желая ей спокойной ночи] and Beauty went to bed very sad at seeing him so afflicted. When she waked the next morning, she found herself at her father’s, and when she rang a little bell, that was by her bedside, she saw the maid come, who, the moment she saw her, gave a loud shriek,[55 - gave a loud shriek – пронзительно закричала] at which her father ran up the stairs, and thought he should have died with joy to see his dear daughter again.

Beauty dressed herself and came down the stairs. Soon she learnt that her sisters were both of them very unhappy. The eldest had married a gentleman, extremely handsome indeed, but so fond of his own person,[56 - but so fond of his own person – но настолько самолюбивым] that he completely neglected his wife. The second had married a man of wit, but he only made use of it to mock at everybody, and his wife most of all. Beauty’s sisters sickened with envy,[57 - sickened with envy – умирали от зависти] when they saw her dressed like a princess, very happy, and more beautiful than ever. They went down into the garden and said one to the other, in what way is this little creature better than us, that she should be so much happier? “Sister,” said the oldest, “an idea occurred to me;[58 - an idea occurred to me – мне пришла в голову идея] let us endeavor to detain her above a week, and perhaps the silly monster will be so enraged at her for breaking her word,[59 - for breaking her word – за то, что она не сдержала слово] that he will devour her.”

“Right, sister,” answered the other, “therefore we must show her as much kindness as possible.” After they had taken this resolution, they went up, and behaved so affectionately to their sister, that poor Beauty cried for joy. When the week was expired, they cried and seemed so sorry to part with her, that she promised to stay a week longer.

In the meantime, Beauty was thinking about the uneasiness she was likely to cause poor Beast,[60 - she was likely to cause poor Beast – она собиралась причинить бедному Чудовищу] whom she sincerely loved, and really longed to see again. The tenth night she spent at her father’s, she dreamed she was in the palace garden, and that she saw Beast lying on the grass, who, in a dying voice, reproached her with her ingratitude. Beauty woke up and burst into tears.[61 - burst into tears – разрыдалась] “Am I not very wicked,” said she, “to act so unkindly to Beast, that has studied so much, to please me in everything? Is it his fault if he is so ugly? He is kind and good, and that is sufficient. Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their husbands; it is neither wit, nor a fine person, in a husband, that makes a woman happy, but virtue, sweetness of temper,[62 - sweetness of temper – добрый нрав] and complaisance, and Beast has all these valuable qualifications. It is true, I do not feel the tenderness of affection for him,[63 - I do not feel the tenderness of affection for him – у меня нет к нему нежной привязанности] but I find I have the highest gratitude, esteem, and friendship; I will not make him miserable, were I to be so ungrateful I should never forgive myself.[64 - were I to be so ungrateful I should never forgive myself – я никогда себя не прощу, если буду такой неблагодарной]” Saying this Beauty rose, put her ring on the table, and then laid down again. When she waked the next morning, she was overjoyed to find herself in the Beast’s palace.

She put on one of her best dresses to please him, and waited for evening with the utmost impatience. When the clock struck nine, the Beast didn’t appear. Beauty then feared she had been the cause of his death; she ran crying all about the palace in despair. She looked for him everywhere, but couldn’t find him. Then she recollected her dream, and ran to the garden, where she dreamed she saw him. There she found poor Beast stretched out, quite senseless, and, as she imagined, dead. She threw herself upon him without any dread,[65 - She threw herself upon him without any dread – Она бросилась к нему без какого бы то ни было страха] and finding his heart beat still, she fetched some water from the canal, and poured it on his head. Beast opened his eyes, and said to Beauty, “You forgot your promise, and I was so afflicted for having lost you, that I resolved to starve myself, but since I have the happiness of seeing you once more, I die satisfied.”

“No, dear Beast,” said Beauty, “you must not die. Live to be my husband; from this moment I give you my hand, and swear to be none but yours. I thought I had only a friendship for you, but the grief I now feel convinces me, that I cannot live without you.” When Beauty said these words, she saw the palace sparkle with light;[66 - she saw the palace sparkle with light – она увидела, что дворец озарился светом] and fireworks, instruments of music, everything seemed to give notice of some great event.[67 - seemed to give notice of some great event – казалось, объявили о каком-то важном событии] She turned to her dear Beast, for whom she trembled with fear; but how great was her surprise! Beast disappeared, and she saw, at her feet the loveliest prince; who returned her thanks for having put an end to the charm,[68 - who returned her thanks for having put an end to the charm – который благодарил ее за то, что она сняла заклятие] under which he had so long resembled a Beast. Though this prince was worthy of all her attention, she could not forbear asking where Beast was.[69 - she could not forbear asking where Beast was – она не могла не спросить о том, куда подевалось Чудовище]

“You see him at your feet, said the prince. A wicked fairy had condemned me to remain under that shape until a beautiful girl should consent to marry me.”

Beauty, agreeably surprised, gave the charming prince her hand to rise; they went together into the castle, and Beauty was overjoyed to find, in the great hall, her father and his whole family, whom the beautiful lady, that appeared to her in her dream, had conveyed there.

“Beauty,” said this lady, “come and receive the reward of your judicious choice; you have preferred virtue before either wit or beauty, and deserve to find a person in whom all these qualifications are united. You are going to be a great queen. I hope the throne will not lessen your virtue, or make you forget yourself. As to you, ladies,” said the fairy to Beauty’s two sisters, “I know your hearts, and all the malice they contain. Become two statues, but, under this transformation, still retain your reason. You shall stand before your sister’s palace gate, and be it your punishment; and it will not be in your power to return to your former state,[70 - to return to your former state – вернуть свое прежнее обличье] until you own your faults, but I am very much afraid that you will always remain statues. Though pride, anger and idleness are sometimes conquered.[71 - are sometimes conquered – иногда бывает можно преодолеть]”

Immediately the fairy gave a stroke with her wand,[72 - gave a stroke with her wand – взмахнула своей палочкой] and in a moment all that were in the hall were transported into the prince’s dominions. He married Beauty, and lived with her many years, and their happiness was complete.

Exercises

1. Translate into English:

вздохнуть, рядом с изголовьем кровати, одеться, завидовать, одетая как принцесса, задержать на неделю, плакала от радости, тем временем, умирающим голосом, ценный, благодарность, в крайнем нетерпении, причина смерти, заморить себя голодом, клясться, получить вознаграждение, наказание, владения.