Q

a)
HISTORY
THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR
The causes of the war
Af ter Edward I l's def eat
1
at Ban nockbu rn, some vears of
struggle between the king and his barons followed. Finally Ed-
ward was murdered. His son, Edward lll, proved
2
a capable
and popular king.
The new king began to look for a chance
3
to extend lris
power
abroad. England's natural enemy seemed to be her
neighbour, France, where the English kings still had some
lands. Edward's mother was a French princess,
and this gave
him the excuse to claim
4
that he was the rightf ut kin of
France in 1337. The French preferred Philip of Valois and
argued
5
that no woman could have any claim to the French
throne under an old law.
6
82
The Battle of Agincourt.
The English, wearing the
cross of Sf George, in
combat with F rench
knights.
1. defeat
[di'fi:t] =
sconfit-
ta
2. to prove
[pru:v]
=
dimostrarsi
3. chance
[ca:ns]
=
occa-
sione
4. to claim
[kleim]
=
riven-
dicare, reclamare
5. to argue
['a:gju:]
=
ri-
battere.
6. under an old law
=
per
una vecchia legge
So Edward began preparations for war. His people were very
anxious to support him. They were annoyed by the fact that
the French had used their influence to stop the cloth
merchants
7
o Flanders f rom buying English wool. They were
also irritated by the French pirates who attacked ships carry-
ing wine from Gascony to England.
Englsh vctories
The French army, which was made up
8
of a few Swiss cross-
bowmen
e
and a large force of cavalry and men-at-arms
10
fighting on foot,
11
was no match
L2
for the longbowmen
13
of
England. The first great English victory was won at Crcy in
1346. As the French kn ights approached the E nglish I ines,
they were met by a hail
ra
of arrows. The English won without
having to move from their positions and their losses were
small.
It was in this battle that Edward's eldest son, the Prince of
Wales, showed his bravery. He became known as 'the Black
Prince', probably because of
15
the colour of his armour.
ln 1396 Richard ll, the BIack Prince's son, ended this f irst (and
long) part of the Hundred Years War and made peace.
Richard ll died mysteriously probably killed on the orders
of his cousin, Henry lV, who replaced him on the throne. The
new king did not begin war with France again, but his son,
Henry V, Ianded in Normandy in 1415. The French army was
defeated at Agincourt, where seven thousand Frenchmen and
400 Englishmen died. The battle was followed by a treaty in
which it was agreed
16
that any son
t7
of Henry and the
French princess, Katherine, who became his wife, should rule
both England and France. The Dauphin Charles, the real heir
to the French throne, was not allowed to succeed to his
kingdom.
Ioan
of Arc and the end off the war
Soon after the treaty was made, Henry V died, and the
Dauphin Charles claimed the throne. He appeared
spineless
18
and stupid, and was soon defeated by the English
in the country to the south of the Loire. Moreover, the city of
Orleans was besieged
tn
by the English and in great danger. lt
seemed that only a miracle could prevent
20
France from be-
ing completely taken over by the EngJish, and it was at this
point that
Joan
of Arc came forward
2t
to save her country.
"The Mald",22 as
Joan
was now called, Ied the French army
to victory. At Patay the French had their revenge for Agin-
court when 2,000 Englishmen died at the cost of only a few
French lives. ln
July
1439, Charles Vll was crowned at Reims.
Less than a year af ter the coronation
J
oan of Arc was taken
prisoner by the Burgundians
(the
Du(e of Burgundy was
Chartes Vll's great enmy) and handed
23
over to the English.
The Church tried
24
her as a heretic and condemned her to
death. Her king did nothing to save her. By 1453 the war was
ove r
2t
and only Calais was in English hands.
7. cloth merchant
=
mer-
cante di tessuti
8. to be made up
=
essere composto
9. crossbowman
['krcs-
beumenl
=
balestriere
10. man-at-arms
=
ar-
migero
1
'l
. on foot
12. to be no match (for)
=
non poter competere (con)
13. longbowman
['lc4beumen] =
arciere (con
arco lungo)
14. hail
[heil]
1 5. because of
=
a causa
di, per via di
16. lt was agreed (that)
=
fu concordato (che)
17. any son
=
qualsiasi
f iglio
18. spineless
['spainlis] =
senza carattere, molle
19. to besiege
['bi'si:$] =
assediare
20. to prevent
[pri:'vent]
(from)
=
imPedire (che)
21 . to come forward
=
farsi avanti
22. "The Maid"
Pu lzella"
23. to hand (over to)
=
consegnare (a)
24. to try
[trai] =
pro-
cessare
25. to be over
=
essere
f in ito
483
fUIONC Y fI,IRTTC R S R N D COfUIfUI RCC
THE STOCK EXCHANCE
The Stock Exchange is a place where stocks and shares
1
are
bought and sold. lt is usually owned by a private association
who have permission from the government to deal in stocks
and shares. This permission is called a Charter. The two
biggest
2
stock exchanges are in London and New York. The
New York Stock Exchange is in Wall Street; the London Stock
Exchange is in Throgmorton Street in the City, not f ar from
the Bank of England.
All operations in the Stock Exchange must be conducted
through its members who are called
Jobbers
and Brokers. The
stock-jobber buys and sells stocks and shares on his own
account
3
and at his own risk. He always deals with brokers
and never with the public.
The stockbroker, oh the contrary,4 buys and sells stocks and
shares for the public (people
who are not members of the
Stock Exchange). For his services he receives a commission
called "brokerage". He is not allowed to buy or sell on his
own account.
The Stock Exchange is controlled by a committee elected by
the members. At the end of every working day
5
the commit-
tee publishes
a list of prices which is read with interest by
businessmen all over the world. When a lot of people want to
sell their stocks and shares, prices f all. lf the f all is serious it
is called a "slump'1. When people want to buy, prices rise. lf
the rise is great it is called a "boom". People who speculate
on a rise in prices
are called "bulls"; people who speculate on
a fall in prices are called "bears". Of course, bulls want to
buy and bears want to sell.
What is the difference between stocks and shares? Stocks are
issued by the government or by municipal corporations and
the owners receive a f ixed rate on interest, for example 5%.
Shares represent portions of the capital of a company and the
owners receive a corresponding share
6
of the company's pro-
fit. This share of the company's profit is paid every year and
is called a "dividend". The dividend may be 5o/o in 1986 and
1oo/o in 1987. lf a company makes very little prof it, it may
decide to pay no dividend to its shareholders.
1. stocks and shares
=
valori di borsa (titoli)
2. The two biggest
-
Le
due pi grosse
3. on his own account
=
per conto proprio
4. on the contrary
=
in-
vece, al contrario
5. working day
=
giorno
lavorativo
6. share
[fee*]
=
parte,
quota
lnsurance
-1
Banks & Disc Hses
Goode D6dtS. t7
-1
Grindlays 277
Gulnness Pt 58
'flambros
tihn - 160
-1
Hilt Sam e31l +3
'H.fi(.
& Shal aS3
l(ing & rr
142
l(leinwrt
378
Lloyds..,... a457
rMercury Seg 448
Midland . .., 2314
-3
'Minster
As.. 164
-1
.ftat West ., e474
-3
rlea Eros-4. a93
.RllBk Scot .. ZZI
-2
Scfiroders 675
S.6tr Aub 60
Std Shtrd,., a404
Comm & lnd
,
-ll5
8r llloharr. ..
I BPC ..
I tsr Tar Prd..
I Br vendin,r
I Br Vita
I Bronx En .
I Broohe Bond
I Broot< St
I Brown & J
I
gm gY
t(nt..
I Brown lJ)
I
Brown,.T'wsr
I Brunninq
I tsruntons
(fil
i Eryant
I BSG lnU...
I Eullounn
225
93
188
?B
a30
173
1E
115
69
20
a80
23
122
a136
95
59
1s
338
Allied lrish. 131
Ansbacher H 78
ANZ Gp.., .. e30s'-5
Bank lreland 273
-5
Bank Scot 374
Earclays Bnt a482
-2
Erown Ship . e410
Qater A Hld. 459
Gliue Dis...
-,
Sl
First lat. Z6
il
Gerrard r" Nr ZgV
Alcxarder:... frl6lrre
+5re
t3ritarnic..... a518
Comm Un. 185 {
,-(t
l. 191
-5
Genl Accdt". 443 +2
cRE 578
-3
HeathCE. 495+2
'ilo[0
Rob'son a2O2
Lesl & Gn . 516
-2
qn
& Btcr.. 571
-2
Lon Uid .. 245
Marsh & MC .936!
+rre
M,lnet Hld;qs
''179
AAH .
AJ ]arr... ..
AtEts Rei...
.0rl lnd
AIPV Hdss..
Aarottscn
Asrow Ottl...
Acrow. 'At. . .'
Adv SerY...
Adwert ..
a112
+1
5C
a292 -2
3i5,'+1
a?61
ii19.
Susnended
Suependsd
89
156
-1
-l'
+5
-1
484
COI{VERSATION
(A
London pub at lunch-time. Mr
James
Hilford, a companY
director, meets Mr Ceorge Hobson, a stock broker.
Mr Hiltord Hello, Ceorge. l'm glad you were able
What's the news from the Stock Exchange?
Mr Hobson Nothing very important. lsuppose
read the closing prices in the paper this
Nobody wants to sell and nobody wants to
times for stockbrokers.
Mr Hilford Well, you make enough money when
good. I see that car shares rose a little.
Mr Hobson Yes,
J
im, that's right. Some people think that the
government is going to lower purchase tax on cars.
Mr Hilford That would certainly help to improve sales. Do
you think I ought to buy?
Mr Hobson No,
Jim.
Honestly
7
I don't think
bry. This is not the right time for bulls.
you ought to
the government will lower purchase tax
they do so, l'm certain there will be no
Mr Hitford lf you think there wilt be a slump,
8
lshould sell while there's still time.
Mr Hobson No. I didn't say anything about a slump. There's
no need to be a bear. Keep the shares you have. Don't
buy and don't sell. lf you are wise you will wait and
see what happens. The trouble is that the government
has no clear economic policy and so we don't know
what to expect this year.
Mr Hitford The trouble is that even the government doesn't
know what to expect. lf they change economic policy,
then something will happen on the Stock Exchange.
Mr Hobson Yes, of course, we are all waiting for that. But
t'm not going to wait any longer
e
for a drink. What
will you have,
Jim?
to come.
you have
morn ing.
buy. Bad
times are
su bject,
played
7. Honestly
['cnistli] =
sinceramente
8. slump
[slnmp]
sione, depressione eco-
nomica.
9. any longer
=
dell'altro
tempo, ancora
10. centre-forward
['senta-
'fc:ued]
=
centro avanti,
centro attacco
I don't think
and even if
boom.
then perhaps
Mr Hilford A double whisky, please. To change the
did you see the football match yesterday?
Mr Hobson Yes, I saw it on T.V. I think England
very well. At least, there is a boom in football.
Mr Hilford A pity we cannot buy shares in a good centre-
forward.
10
Uocabulary
jobber
['gcba*]
broker
['breuka*]
brokerage
['breukerig]
fall
[fc:l]
rise
lraizl
closing price
purchase tax
policy
['pclisi]
speculatore (in
Borsa)
agente di Borsa
commissione
caduta
aumento
prezzo di
ch iusu ra
tassa d'acquisto
(V.A.T.
=
l.V.A.)
politica, linea
deal dealt
dealt
[di:l
delt]
rise rose
risen
lraiz
rouz
'rizn]
own
[eun]
speculate
['spekjuleit]
issue
['iJu:]
lower
['laue*]
improve
[im'pru:v]
trattare
salire, aumentare
possedere
speculare
emettere
abbassare
migliorare
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
485
next door, to Madame Tussaud's
of the most popu lar attractions in
RROUND
LONDON
Madame Tussaud's /s
the oldest, largest and
besf Wax Exhibition rn
the world. London
Planetariurn is next
door, something
between a spacecraft
and a Time Machine.
f . into outer space
=
nello spazio (esterno)
2. Step inside
(a piedi)
3. to take a trip
=
fare un
viagg io
4. call
=
visita
5. Waxworks
['ureksue:ks]
=
Opere in cera (statue di
cera)
6. death mask
=
masche-
ra mortuaria
7. guillotine
[gila'ti:n]
=
ghigliottina
B. cast
[ka:st]
9. hir
[hir]
10. gruesome
['gru:snm]
=
raccapriciante
11 . tableaux
['treblaul -
quadro plastico
12. fortnight
['fc:tnait] =
quindicina di giorni
.ll
ffi
$
ffi
ffi
tI{.
&
$i
K
ii*
rS
ffi
,$
$
r$
$
:l
,ti,
:l
$
A big adventure is awaiting us today, an adventure into outer
space!
1
We'lt go by tube to Baker Street Station, and then
we'll walk a f ew
yards to the Ptanetarium. Step inside,
2
and
you'll live the most unusual experience. You'll take a trip
3
arou nd the sky thanks to the Zeiss Planetariu m Projector.
This incredible instrument contains 29,000 individual parts,
nearly 2OO optical projectors, and cost seventy thousand
pou nds.
Our next call
4
is
just
famous Waxworks,
5
one
London today.
Madame Tussaud's work started in Paris d u ring the French
Revolution when, as a gill in her uncle's studio, she was forced
to make death masks
6
of her friends who had been vic-
tims of the guitlotine.
T
The figure of Napoleon is one of the
most important in the exhibition, because Madame Tussaud
herself made the cast
8
of his face, as she did for those of
Wellington and Nelson. Madame Tussaud arrived in London
during the reign of King Ceorge the Third, and opened her
first exhibition in the Strand. The present building was
erected in 1884, was seriously damaged by fire in 1928, and
suffered a direct hit
e
by a Cerman bomb in 1940.
Nearly every famous person, living or
-dead,
is found here,
and there are also some gruesome
10
tabteaux
11
in the
Chamber of Horrors.
It takes months to prepare a new mask. And up to a for-
night
12
to put eyebrows and hair on a normal head. You may
not believe it, but every single hair is inserted separately!
500
ADMITONE
This voucher entittes one prson to a speciat
discount of 30p off adult or child admission
to Madame Tussauds. Offervalid untit 31.12.84
Not to be used in conjunction with the
'Famaty
Ticket or any other discount offer
Madame Tussauds. Marylebone Road,
London NWl.
Open every day
486
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
5o'nnets
lf Shakespeare had written nothing but
I
his Sonnefs, he would still have a secure place among
the
great poets. He wrote 154 Sonnets, each of them equalling the best written by other nglish
poets.
I
Some
2
glory
3in
their birth,
a
some in their skitl,5
Some in their wealth,
6
some in their body's force,
Some in their garments,
7
though new-fangled itl,
8
Some in their hawks and hounds,
e
some in their horse;
And every^ hurnour
10
hath his adjunct
11
pleasure,
Wherein
tz
it f inds a
joy
above the rest:
But these particulars
are not my measure
All these I better in one general best,.
13
Thy
t4
love is better than high birth
rs
to ffi,
Richer than wealth, prouder than garments' cost,
Of more delight
16
than hawks or horses be:
And having thee,
L7
of all men's pride
18
lboast.
le
Wretched
20
in this atone, that thou
2L
mayst
"
take
All this away, and me most
23
wretched make.
il
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art
u
more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake
25
thq darl ing'u buds2'of May,
And summer's lease
28
hath
2e
all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold comptexion
30
dimm'd,
31
And every fair f rom air
32
sometime declines,
By chance
33
or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
3a
1 nothing but
=
null'altro che
2. 9ome
=
alcuni
3. to glory
*
gloriarsi
4 birth
[ba:O]
=
nascita
5. skill
=
abilit
6. wealth
[uel0]
7. garments
8. though ,rr
nuovo
9. hawk
[hc:k]
=
falco. Hound
[haund] =
cane
10. humour
['hju:me*] =
inclinazione
11. adiunct
['regnnkt]
12. Wherein
=
in cui
13. All these
=
Tutto questo io miglioro in un
meglio totale
14. Thy
[ai] =
tuo (arcaico)
15. high birth
=
alti natali
16. delight
[di'lait] =
delizia
17. thee
[i:] =
te (arca,co)
18. pride
[praidJ
19. to boast
[baustl
=
vantarsi
20. Wretched
['recid] =
infelice, sconsolato
21 . thou
[au] =
tu (arca ico)
22. mayst
=
may (arcaico)
23. most
[maust]
=
molto
24. Thou art
=
Tu sei (arcaico)
25. to shake (shook
shaken)
=
scuotere
26. darling
=
caro, diletto
27. bud
[brd] =
germoglio
28. lease
[i:s]
=
durata
29. hath
[hre0] =
ha (arcarco)
-30.
complexion
=
aspetto
31. to dim
=
offuscare
32. fair
[fee*] =
belt
33. chance
[ca:ns]
=
caso
34. untrimmed
['rn'trimd] =
spoglio
487
H
tr
di
i{:
ii
,:r
.I
.
But thy eternat summer shatl not fade,
3s
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
36
Nor shall Death brag37 thou wander'st
38
in his shade,
When in eternal lines
3e
to time thou grow'st:
a0
So long as
al
men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
lll
Crabbed age
42
and youth cannot live together,
Youth is full of pleasance,
*3
Age is full of care,44
Youth like summer morne,
4t
Age Iike winter weather,
Youth like summer brave,
46
Age Iike winter bare.
a7
Youth is full of sport,
a8
Age's breath
ae
is short,
Youth is nimble,
to
Ag" is tame
s1
Youth is hot and boti,
t'
Agu is weak and cotd,
Youth is wild, and Age is tame.
53
Age I do abhor thee, Youth I do adore thee,
O my love my love is young:
Age I do defy
sa
thee, Oh sweet Shepherd hie thee:
5s
For me thinks thou staies too long.
,!:
.,r:,
i{
*;
'*
h
F
.$,
,tt
tl;
i*,
IB'
3l
s
i$l
;::
,ti
igi
,F
!b
,[:
ffi
ffi
s
r&..
ffi,
t&'{
ffi
ffi
ffi
ffi,
ff'
i&^
ffi
iS,
,tr,
i&
i$l'
.11:
.i
.i
.f
:l:
:l
:8'
r&
:*
i?
-gl
g
rF
9,
ii..
it'

#i
f"
'$.ji
William Shakespeare as he appeared in the
engraving by Martin Droeshout in the first
collected edition of the
plays, the Folio of
1 623.
35. to fade
[feid] =
aPPassire
36. thou ow'st
=
che tu possiedi (arc aico)
37. to brag
lbrreg] =
menar vanto
38. thou wander'st
=
che tu vaghi
39. line
[ain] =
verso
4A. to time ...
=
ti levi contro il tempo
41 . So long as
=
f intantoch
42. Grabbed ['krrebidJ
age
=
La vecchiaia inacidita
43. pleasance
[,plezans] =
gradevolezza, diletto
44. bare
[kea*] =
affanno, ansiet
45. morne poeticoPer morning
488
Mary Fitton, maid of honour to Elizabeth.
Could she have been the
"dark
tady" of the
Sonnefs?
46. summer brave
[breivl =
la bellezza dell'estate
47. winter bare
[bea*l
=
nudit dell'inverno
48. sport
[spc:t] =
gioco, svago
49. Age's breath
lbreO]
=
il respiro della vecchiaia
50. nimble
['nimbl] =
agile
51. lame
[eim] =
zoppo, zoppicante
52. bold
[bauld] =
coraggioso, audace
53. tame
[teim] =
ammansito
54. to defy
[di'fai] =
sfidare, resistere a
55. hie thee
BRANI DI TRADUZIONE DALL'ITALIANO
1
"Mi scusi, lei dottore?"
"No,
signore, io sono veterinario".
"Che
pccato che lei non sia dottore! Comunque,
1
che cosa prescriverebbe ad un
cavallo che ha il mal di testa?"
"Dipende, mio caro signore. Se il cavallo che ha il mal di testa avesse mangiato troppo,
prescriverei un t al limone.
'
Se avesse bevuto troppo,
gli consiglierei di bere un
poco
meno, e se avesse troppe preoccupazioni, consiglierei una vacanza di due settimane in
un
posticino
3
quieto della Riviera.
a
Lei si interessa di cavalli?"
"Nossignore. Ho solo il mal di capo. Che seccatura! Ma non ho n mangiato troppo, n
bevuto troppo, e sono preoccupato solamente per il mio mal di testa. Che ne dice di una
pillola?"
"lo non prescrivo mai pillole ai miei pazienti, signore! Nessuno di essi
5
crederebbe ad
un rimedio cos banale!"
"E allora che deve fare uno quando ha il mal di testa?'f
"Perch mi fa una domanda simile, signore? lo sono veterinario, gliel'ho detto, e non ho
tempo da perdere

con un esemplare della razza umana. Arrivederla, signore!"
2
Bob ha bisogno di danaro, ma non osa chiederne a Tom perch gliene deve gi. Perch
ha bisogno di un po'
di danaro Bob? Non gli occorre per comprare
qualcosa
di utile,
naturalmente. A Bob il danaro occorre soltanto per comprare giornali, panini, spremute,
dolci ed altre cose non terribilmente necessarie.
"Che-cosa hai oggi, Bob? Non^parli molto. Ti occorre qualcosa?"
ttg"t 7
... no ... effettivamente
8
..."
"Hai bisogno di un piccolo prestito, non vero?"
"Come hai potuto capire che avevo bisogno di un
prestito?"
"C' bisogno che te lo dica? La tua faccia un libro aperto, talvolta. Ecco il danaro, e
non occorre che tu mi assicuri, come fai sempre, che me lo restituirai fra un
paio di gior-
ni. lo non ne ho bisogno, al momento. Ma c'era bisogno che tu fossi cos reticente a
parlare?"
"Grazie, Tom, sei un vero amico. La prossima volta che avr bisogno di un prestito,
te lo
dir subito: preferisci,
non vero?"
3
Quando
Bob si sveglia al mattino, apre gli occhi per un momento, poi li chiude e si ad-
dormenta di nuovo. La mamma lo chiama
per la seconda volta ed egli si alza: si mette le
pantofole e va in bagno. Si lava molto rapidamente perch tardi, si guarda nello spec-
chio, sorride a se stesso, si pulisce i denti e poi ritorna alla sua camera: si sforza di non
guardare il letto e comincia a vestirsi. Si mette la cravatta, si allaccia le scarpe e, dopo
essersi pettinato, si precipita in cucina a fare colazione. Si siede al tavolo e comincia a
nutrirsi a velocit supersonica. Poi esce e si awia tristemente verso la scuola.
1.
Comunque
=
However
2. t al limone
=
lemon tea
3. posticino
=
spot
4. la Riviera
=
the Riviera
5. Nessuno di essi
=
None of them
6. perdere
=
to waste
[ueistJ
7. Be'
=
Well
8. effettivamente
=
as a matter of fact
489
4
llpiccolo Tommy and ad una festa e si divert moltissimo. Si serv di tre enormi fette di
torta, e poi cerc della Coca Cola. Non ce n'era, ed allora si consol con tre bicchieri di
aranciata. Per il resto si comport bene, disse: "Non si disturbi, signora" almeno sei volte
a Mrs Smith, e chiese alla piccola Susie, sempre triste, se si stesse divertendo, almeno tre
volte. Si rese anche utile,
e
quando Mrs Smith gli chiese di asciugare qualche piatto.
Quando
vide Sammy che faceva il noioso, gli disse di finirla.
ro
Quando
si trov solo sul
balcone con
Johnny,
che gli sempre.stato antipatico,
11
non si valse di questa
splendida
occasione
per
cominciare una zuff a
"
con lui come altre volte. Si controll benissimo, e
gli offr solo dell'aranciata con un po'di sale^dentro.
Johnny
si vendic dicendogli poco
dopo che qualcuno lo voleva al telefono.
"
I due bambini non si sono mai piaciuti.
Quando
la festa fu finita, Tommy torn a casa. Si lav le mani, e si prepar per la cena.
5
Donald si svegli alle sette. Si alz subito, e poi
and in bagno. Si lav. poi si guard
nello specchio. Lentamente cominc a sbarbarsi, facendo attenzione
to
a non tagliarsi.
Poi torn in camera e si vest. Si mise una cravatta che gli aveva regalato Pamela. Lei si
vanta
15
di avere buon gusto, ma, per quanto riguarda
16
le cravatte, un disastro. E si ar-
rabbia se Donald non mette mai le sue cravatte.
Donald si ferm per_un momento. Si era innamorato
17
di Pamela un anno prima, ma era
ancora innamorato
18
di lei? Ma non c'era tempo per pensare a questa
cose. Era tardi.
Donald and in cucina e si fece una tazza di t. Non c'era tempo per
una vera
le
cola-
zione. Poi si precipit alla fermata dell'autobus e si mise in coda.20
quando
l'autobus
arriv, si sedette al piano superiore.
21
Poteva concentrarsi ora. Ricomiici a pensare a
Pamela, e si addorment.
6
John
era seduto davanti ad una tazzadi t. Pensava. ll suo t stava raffreddandosi. lm-
provvisamente sent un tuono. Cuard il cielo. Stava oscurandosi.
John
divenne un poco
ansioso. llcielo diventava sempre pi scuro. Cominci a
piovere.
John
guard fuori dalla
f inestra. Si arrabbi alla vista
'"
della pioggia. La pioggia diventava sempre pi pesante.
"Tempo orribile, al solito!" borbott. Voleva andare al parco
con il suo aquilone. C'era
una competizione. Aveva coltivato questo hobby per molto tempo, era un esperto or-
mai.
"
lmprovvisamente il tempo si fece ventoso. "Sta migliorando", pens
John.
ll cielo
divenne blu in alcuni punti.
John
era ancora alla finestra. Vide Lucy e William che cam-
minavano sotto la pioggia. Si erano sposati sei mesi prima,
John
era andato al loro
matrimonio. Si era anche ubriacato, ricord. Camminavano con un ombrello, si erano
bagnati un poco.
John
li chiam. Voleva che si asciugassero, e prendessero
una tazza di
t. ll cielo stava diventando tutto blu, la pioggia
cess.
John
divenne allegro. Mentre
l'acqua stava scaldandosi, chiacchierarono di varie cose. Poi Lucy e William se ne an-
darono, e
John
si prepar ad uscire. Stava facendosi tardi. Prese un taxi ed and a Hyde
Park.
Quando
arriv qui, il cielo divenne scurissimo. Cominci a diluviare.
John
si in-
furi. And in una
pub vicina
3a
per placare la sua collera.2s
9. rendersi utile
=
to make oneself useful.
10. f inirla
=
to stop it
1 1. essere antipatico
-
Si impieghi to dislike o not to
like
12. zulla
=
fight
13. al telefono
=
on the phone
14. lare attenzione
=
to be careful
15. vantarsi (di)
=
to boast (of + forma in 'ing)
lboustl
16. per quanto riguarda
=
as regards
490
17. innamorarsi (di)
=
to fall in love (with)
18. essere innamorato (di)
=
to be in love (with)
19. vero
=
real
20. mettersi in coda
=
to
join
the queue
[kju:]
21 . piano superiore (di autobus)
=
top deck
22. alla vista (di)
=
at the sight (of)
23. ormai
=
by now
24. vicina
=
nearby
['niabai]
25. per placare la sua collera
his temper
JOHS
A motor-cycle
patrolman was amazed to see a woman driver
pass him at 70 mph, calmly
knittingl He set off in pursuit and soon reached the car. "Pull
over!" he shouted. "No",
the lady shouted back. "Pair of socks!"
A lady driver shot past a motor-cycle patrolman at a speed much in excess of the limit.
The policeman gave chase and eventually the lady pulled up. As he took out his
notebook, the policeman
said grimly: "As soon as I saw you flash by, I said to myself
-
65 at least!"
"lt's this hat, constable", said the lady.'lt makes me look older than I am".
A motorist, going one hundred and twenty, tried to beat a fast train at an intersection.
Did the motorist get across? He got
a cross all right
-
a beautiful marble cross.
The drunk definitely wasn't fit to be driving and, as the water sloshed round his ankles,
was beginning to wish that he wasn't in his car.
"l can't understand this
-
hic", he said to himself.
"Floods, and we haven't had any rain
for weeks".
Then, seeing an old farmer staring at him from behind a hedge, he opened
dow and asked: "How far is it to Taunton?"
"lt's about ten miles by road", was the reply.
"But I think it'll be more
river".
the car win-
than that by
Two local magistrates were cycling through a West country village after lighting-up time,
and they had forgotten to put thier lights on. The village policeman stopped them, took
their names and addresses, and told them to be in court the following morning.
The next day they were the only two magistrates on the bench, so they decided to deal
with each other. One sat on the bench and the other stood in the dock. The policeman
read his evidence, the magistrate in the dock pleaded
"Cuilty", and the other magistrate
fined him ten pounds.
The procedure was then repeated after the magistrates had changed roles, except that
the fine was thirty pounds
instead of ten pounds.
"Thirty
pounds!"
exclaimed the magistrate in the dock. "But I only fined you ten
pounds!"
"Yes", agreed the magistrate on the bench. "But this has been the second case of this
kind this morning. There is far too much of it going on, and it's about time it were
stopped".
"Sorry to trouble
you,
but we can't find the
red button we have to
press before we can
commence delivery."
PH"]f]ROI,
491