Полная версия
20 лучших повестей на английском / 20 Best Short Novels
45
the West-end – the fashionable part of London known for its palaces, mansions, parks and shops
46
laudanum – a sedative made from opium
47
delusion – a false opinion that may be a symptom of madness
48
Metz – a city in northeastern France; it was founded by a Gallic tribe and later fortified by the Romans
49
the River Moselle – a river in northeastern France and western Germany, a tributary of the Rhine River
50
Moselle wine – famous wine produced in Germany from the vineyards on the banks of the Moselle River
51
lunatic asylum – a mental hospital for the care and treatment of mental patients
52
delirium – mental excitement during illness (usually fever) accompanied by senseless, incoherent speech
53
pâté = paste
54
demon – a wicked or cruel spirit or supernatural creature
55
Bombay – now Mumbai, a large city in southwestern India, India’s commercial, financial and religious centre, the main port on the Arabic Sea
56
Candahar – Kandahar, a city in south-central Afghanistan on the way to India; the city has a long history of wars and conquests
57
the Berkshires – soldiers from the county of Berkshire
58
Ghazis – hist. warriors for the Islamic faith
59
Peshawur – a city and capital of province in northern Pakistan
60
Portsmouth – a city on the English Channel, in the historic county of Hampshire
61
Barts – Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital, the oldest hospital in London founded in 1123
62
By Jove! – an exclamation of surprise
63
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) – a famous British historian and essayist
64
the Copernican Theory – the heliocentric or Sun-centred system; Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) was a Polish astronomer who said that the Sun is a fixed point, and the Earth and other planets orbit the Sun
65
belladonna – a drug made from a poisonous plant of the same name
66
opium – a narcotic drug made from poppy and used to relieve pain
67
Mendelssohn – Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847), a German composer, conductor and pianist of the Romantic period
68
Lieder – songs (German)
69
Euclid (the 2nd century BC) – an outstanding Greek mathematician of the antique period who is best known for his works in geometry
70
Niagara – the Niagara River flowing from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario on the USA-Canadian frontier; the Niagara Falls lie on the border between Ontario, Canada and New York state
71
deduction – a conclusion made in the process of reasoning from the general to the particular
72
chimerical – unreal; from chimera – a horrible creature of imagination, or some impossible idea or fancy
73
Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) – an American writer and poet who is best known as the author of tales of horror and detective stories
74
Gaboriau – Émile Gaboriau (1833–1873), a French novelist, the father of the detective novel
75
Cleveland – a city and port in northeastern Ohio, the USA, on the southern shore of Lake Erie
76
Ohio – a state in the Middle West of the USA
77
status quo – the situation as it is now
78
Cremona – a city in northern Italy, southwest of Milan, founded in 218 BC by the Romans; the city is famous for its school of violin making
79
Stradivarius – Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737), a famous Italian violin maker whose violins are still considered the best
80
Amati – a family of famous Italian violin makers in Cremona in the 16th-17th centuries; Nicolo Amati was the teacher of Stradivari.
81
cataract – a disease of the eye; the illus at eye
82
Utrecht – a city in the central Netherlands
83
masonic – related to masons, a worldwide esoteric brotherhood; their teaching includes ancient wisdom, mysticism and religious beliefs of the past
84
Boccaccio – Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375), an Italian writer and poet of the early Renaissance period, the author of the famous ‘Decameron’
85
Decameron – a book of tales written by Boccaccio in about 1350, a masterpiece of early Italian prose
86
(the) Strand – one of the main streets in central London, between the West End and the City
87
Trichinopoly – a city in southeastern India
88
Parthian shot – idiom smth. said or done as a final reply at parting
89
Halle – Sir Charles Halle (1819–1895), a British pianist and conductor of German origin, the founder of the famous Halle Orchestra
90
Chopin – Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849), a famous Polish-French pianist and composer of the Romantic period
91
Darwin – Charles Darwin (1809–1882), an English naturalist and biologist, the author of the theory of evolution
92
Liege – a city in eastern Belgium; the place was inhabited in prehistoric times, and in 721, Liege became a town.
93
Houndsditch – a street west of the East End of London
94
ulster – a long overcoat with a belt
95
cravat – folded linen worn as a tie
96
Henri Murger (1822–1861) – a French novelist and poet who depicted the bohemian life in Paris and himself was a part of it
97
Vehmgericht – a Vehmic court, a medieval law tribunal
98
aqua tofana – a poisonous drink without colour, smell or taste
99
Carbonari – members of the Carbonaria, an Italian secret society of the 19th century, advocating patriotic ideas and fighting for freedom and unification of Italy
100
the Marchioness de Brinvilliers (1630–1676) – a French noblewoman who poisoned several members of her family and was executed for the crime
101
Malthus – Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834), an English economist and demographer, the author of the theory of population growth
102
the Metropolis = London
103
Camberwell – a historic village in Southwark, the inner borough of London
104
Euston Station – a main line railway station in London
105
outré – contrary to what is conventionally correct or acknowledged in behaviour
106
portmanteau – a leather case for clothes opening into two equal parts
107
the Sierra Nevada – a major mountain range in the west of the United States, in the states of California and Oregon
108
Nebraska – a state in the Middle West of the United States (198 091 square km)
109
the Yellowstone River – a river in the west of the United States flowing through Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota; the river is noted for its beauty
110
the Colorado – a river in the USA and Mexico; it flows from the Rocky Mountains into the Gulf of California
111
Pawnees – a North American Indian tribe; it lived traditionally in what is now Nebraska
112
Blackfeet – a North American Indian tribe; it lived traditionally in what is now Alberta in Canada and the state of Montana in the USA
113
the Sierra Blanco – a mountain range in Mexico and the USA
114
Illinois – a state in the Middle West of the United States (146 076 square km)
115
the Missouri – a river in the United States, a tributary of the Mississippi River
116
the Rio Grande – the river in North America; it forms the border between Texas and Mexico. The river starts in the Rocky Mountains and flows to the Gulf of Mexico
117
Injuns = Indians
118
Joseph Smith (1805–1844) – an American religious leader, a Mormon prophet and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints (the Mormon Church)
119
Palmyra – an ancient city in south-central Syria, first mentioned in the 19th century BC
120
Nauvoo – a city on the Mississippi River in the state of Illinois; it was founded in 1824, and in 1839 the Mormons came to live there.
121
the Mormons – members of the church founded in the USA in 1830 by Joseph Smith; the Mormons have their own understanding of God, respect for family life, order, authority and labour; they do not use alcohol and tobacco
122
Zion – in the Old Testament, a hill in Jerusalem
123
Brigham Young (1801–1877) – an American religious leader, president of the Mormon Church after Joseph Smith’s death
124
Utah – a state in the west of the United States (212 619 square km), a ‘Mormon state’; the Mormons settled in the area in 1847 and called the state ‘Deseret’; in 1896 the state joined the USA and was given the name Utah after the Indian tribe which inhabited this land
125
the Rocky Mountains – a mountain range in the west of North America; it stretches from Alberta in Canada to New Mexico in the United States
126
Salt Lake City – a city in north-central Utah, the world capital of the Mormon Church
127
the Wahsatch Mountains – the Wahsatch Range, a mountain range in the south-central Rocky Mountains, to the east of Salt Lake City
128
mustang – a North American wild horse; it descended from Spanish horses brought to America in the 16th century. Tamed mustangs are known for their speed and strength
129
St. Louis – the largest city in the state of Missouri, located on the bank of the Mississippi River; it used to be the Gateway of the West at the time of the first settlers. The Missouri River joins the Mississippi to the north of St. Louis
130
sombrero – a broad-brimmed Spanish or Mexican hat made of straw or felt
131
scout – a ranger, a reconnoiter
132
the Inquisition of Seville – the Inquisition is an institution established in Europe in the 13th century by the Catholic Church to combat heresy; Seville is a city in southern Spain, 550 km southwest of Madrid
133
Gentile – Am. not a Mormon
134
heifers – young cows with no calves
135
Washoe – a North American Indian tribe; traditionally, the Washoe were hunters and fishers; they lived around Lake Tahoe in what is now California
136
Carson City – the capital of Nevada, founded in 1858
137
ravine – a narrow valley
138
prairie – a level treeless land covered with grass
139
débris = wreckage, fragments, ruins
140
schism – splitting or separation through difference of opinions
141
aortic aneurism – widening of aorta, a serious and even fatal disease
142
blasé = sophisticated
143
growler – a four-wheeled cab pulled by a horse
144
brougham – a closed carriage pulled by one horse
145
Montpellier – a city in southern France, 12 km from the Mediterranean Sea
146
‘Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo ipse domi simul ac nummos contemplar in arca.’ – A quotation from ‘Satires’ by Horace: ‘People hissed at me but I applauded, I ruled (dominated) and at the same time I also contemplated the money in the chest.’ (Latin)
147
yawl – a sailing boat with two masts
148
Deptford – an area in the borough of Lewicham in London
149
Greenwich – an outer borough of London on the bank of the Thames
150
Erith – an area in Bexley, an outer borough of London on the south bank of the River Thames
151
halos – a halo is a circle of light round the sun and the moon, or above the heads of the saints
152
the Gauls – Celtic tribes known to the Romans as Gauls; they inhabited Europe in 500 BC–500 AD.
153
concertina – a musical wind instrument held in the hands and played by pressing keys
154
Falernian wine – an Italian dark red wine
155
Ravenna – a city in northeastern Italy 10 km from the Adriatic Sea
156
Buddha (6th-4th century BC) – the founder of Buddhism, one of the major world religious and philosophical systems
157
Fleet Street – a street in central London where important newspaper offices used to be located at the time of the events depicted in the story
158
the Channel – or the English Channel, a narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean separating the British Isles from the Continent
159
venetian blinds – a window screen with horizontal strips that can be adjusted as wanted
160
Bon voyage – Happy voyage, Happy journey (French)
161
Morituri te salutant. – ‘Those who are going to die salute you.’ – the words used by Roman gladiators to greet Caesar (Latin)
162
emissary – a person sent with a message (usually a secret one)
163
farcical – absurd
164
catacomb – underground gallery, often used for the burial of the dead
165
inch – measure of length equal to 2.54 cm
166
Deal – a town on the Strait of Dover, 14 km northeast of Dover
167
Gravesend – a town in the county of Kent, in the southeastern England, on the bank of the Thames
168
yokels – simple-minded countrymen
169
lb. – a pound, measure of weight equal to 453.59 grams
170
Zanzibaris – inhabitants of Zanzibar, an island in the Indian Ocean near the coast of eastern Africa
171
philanthropic – kind, helpful, sympathetic
172
papier-mâché – pulped paper used to make boxes, souvenirs, etc.
173
Mephistopheles – a literary character invented in the tradition of magic and demonology by anonymous author in 1587; a fallen angel, a spirit of the Devil.
174
lunatics – mad persons
175
ichthyosaurus – an extinct aquatic reptile
176
Eldorado – an imaginary country rich in gold
177
cannibals – persons who eats humans
178
Winchesters – rifles developed by Oliver Winchester (1810–1880), an American manufacturer of guns
179
hullabaloo – uproar or disturbance
180
apathy – indifference
181
Martini-Henry – a rifle used in the 19th century
182
a black Sahara – the southern part of Sahara, the largest desert of the world, where Negroid peoples live; the north of Sahara is inhabited by the Arabs.
183
harlequin – a character in Italian comedy and English pantomime wearing a mask and multicoloured clothes
184
brown holland – rough linen
185
canoes – light boats moved by one or several persons
