Pelham Grenville
WODEHOUSE
SHORT STORIES
(Student’s File)
I. Jeeves Takes Charge
Proper names
Bertie ['bR:tI]
Jeeves [dGi:vz]
aunt Agatha ['WgRYR]
Florence Craye ['flOrRns 'kreI]
uncle Willoughby ['wIlRbI]
Oakshott ['oukSOt]
Edwin ['edwIn]
Meadowes ['medouz]
Easeby ['i:zbI]
Shropshire ['SrOpSR]
Worcester ['wustR]
Lord Worplesdon ['wO:plzdRn]
Aubrey Fothergill ['O:brI 'fOTRgIl]
Meekyn ['mi:kIn]
Stanby Gervase- Gervase ['stWnbI 'dGR:vRs 'dGR:vRs]
Rosherville Gardens ['rOSRvIl 'gQ:dnz]
Riggs and Ballinger
Murgratroyds’ dance ['mR:gItrOIdz 'dQ:ns]
Berkely ['bQ:klI]
Nietzsche
Notes
In the story you will come across some specific words and word-combinations. Note that the usage of such words is stylistically marked.
Eg:
to loot a lot of other things, p. 1 - прибрать что-либо к рукам
blighter, p.1 - злодей
to leg it for France, p. 3 - рвануть во Францию
by Jove!, p. 5 - Черт подери!
Dash it!, p. 6 - Черт возьми!
Damn!, p. 12 - Черт возьми!
What absolute rot! p. 6 - Какая полнейшая чушь!
Have a dash!, p. 9 - А вы попробуйте!
kind of, p. 11 - так сказать
the old bean, p. 3 - башка
the old lemon, p. 13 - черепушка
Very rum! p. 16 - странно
Where the dickens were my evening - Где, черт возьми, мой
things? p. 19 - вечерний костюм?
1. Think and debate.
- Give facts from the story to points 1, 4
2. “Types of Ethical Theory” was/was not the sort of things to spring on a lad with a morning head. / - Give arguments for/against statement 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9.
- In point 7 bring out all the “acts of kindness” done by Edwin.
3. Is the world really small when it comes to the relations between Jeeves, Bertie and Florence Craye?
4. The old buster Worplesdon had the worst temper in the country.
5. The book “Recollections of a Long Life” by uncle Willoughly is so unspeakable. Account for it.
6. Could we look on Florence’s request to destroy her uncle’s book as a resolution to test Bertie’s affection to her?
7. It was young blighted Edwin who …
8. Eventually the delivery of the parcel brought about a lucky escape for Bertie as it was such a catcher being engaged to Florence Craye.
2. Explain and paraphrase the following sentences. Suggest Russian equivalents.
1. “…I could not see eye to eye with his lordship in his desire to dine in dress trousers, a flannel shirt, and a shooting coat.”
(p. 3)
2. “You have to work the good old iron-hand-in-the-velvet-glove wheeze.” (p. 6)
3. “He was always in a sort of fever because he was dropping behind schedule with his daily acts of kindness.” (p. 11)
4. “I found myself getting all on edge’. (p. 15)
5. “Bertie”, he said – he always spoke in a precise sort of pompous kind of way – “an exceedingly disturbing thing has happened.” (p. 15)
3. Explain the contextual meaning of the following phrasals and recall situations from the story to use them. Note that they are mostly used in casual style.
to get after smb., p. 4 / -to look on, p. 10 / -
to carry through, p. 10 / -
to hang about, p. 12 / -
to pop out at smb., p. 14 / -
to hear smb. out, p. 16 / -
to buck smb. up a trifle, p. 18 / -
to nose about, p. 20 / -
to chuck away, p. 21 / -
4. Dwell on the difference between the following synonyms. Recall situations from the story.
- to sneak (p.1), to purloin (p.16), to snaffle (p.16), to pinch (p.19);
- to stagger in (p.2), to stagger along (p.14);
- to float noiselessly (p.2), to flicker (p.2), to shimmer out (p.4);
- to totter forth (p.12), to toddle out of/off (p.12);
- to rip upstairs (p.13), to charge in (p.13), to spring up to (p.19), to leap at smth. (p.19);
- to bound out and legg it for the table (p.13), to curvet out (p.14), to sneak out of (p.19), to pop off (p.23).
5. Find Russian or English equivalents and recall situations from the story.
быть на голову выше всех (p.1) / -бросить злодею перчатку (p.1) / -
to be one of the house-party at Easeby (p.1) / -
to sup with smb. (p.2) / -
to tender one’s registration (p.3) / -
to see eye to eye with smb. (p.3) / -
a stripling of fifteen (p.4) / -
to to call smb. chirpy (p.4) / -
На мне в то утро был костюм в довольно веселенькую молодежную клетку. (p.5) / -
в молодости вести довольно разгульную жизнь (p.8) / -
to turn out smth. pretty fruity (p.8) / -
This sounded rather sporting. (p.9) / -
to cut smb. off with a bob (p.10) / -
It sounded thin to me. (p.10) / -
to be up to all sort of dodges (p.11) / -
to care a snap of the fingers for smb. (p.11) / -
to call on smb. to rally round with smth. (p.12) / -
Life-saver, p.12 / -
to know smb. to cut up rough (p.12) / -
одержать верх над мальчишкой (p.14) / -
to be getting all on edge (p.15) / -
быть глубоко погруженным в высшие материи (p.2) / -
уцепиться за что угодно, что может служить спасением (p.3) / -
бузотер (p.3) / -
вернуться в лоно семьи (p.3) / -
изъян (p.4) / -
так сказать (p.4) / -
что-то (слегка) настораживающее (p.4) / -
быть в услужении у кого-либо (p.4) / -
наступить на мозоль (перен.) (p.4) / -
в профиль хороша собой (p.4) / -
костюм был недурен (p.5) / -
собраться с силами, чтобы настоять на своем (p.5) / -
задушить в колыбели (p.5) / -
заманить кого-либо с какой-либо целью (p.6) / -
ободрать до нитки (p.6) / -
безвылазно сидеть в библиотеке (p.7) / -
быть греховником (p.7) / -
воплощение корректности (p.8) / -
лоботряс и тупица (p.10) / -
передо мной стояла задача попроще (p.12) / -
все еще сидеть в библиотеке (p.12) / -
наткнуться на кого-либо (p.13) / -
быть благодетелем (p.13) / -
сунуть ключ в карман (p.14) / -
выглядеть растерянно (p.15) / -
к моему ужасу (p.16) / -
благоухать (p.17) / -
сделать как лучше (p.23) / -
6. Fill in the gaps with a required preposition. Translate the sentences into Russian.
1. She was particularly keen on boosting me up a bit nearer her plane of intellect.
2. She was a girl with a wonderful profile, but steeped to the gills in serious purpose.
3. I was doing my best to skim through this bright little volume when the bell rang.
4. I would have clutched at anything that looked like a lifeline that morning.
5. Florence was a dear girl, and, seen sideways, most awfully good-looking; but if she had a fault it was a tendency to be a bit imperious with the domestic staff.
6. I’d seen so many cases of fellows who had become perfect slaves to their valets.
7. He went away to collect his kit, while I started in again on “Types of Ethical Theory” and took a stab at a chapter headed “Idiopsychological Ethics”.
8. Easeby wasn’t one of those country houses you read about in the society novels, where young girls are lured on to play baccarat and then skinned to the bone of their jewellery, and so on.
9. Uncle Willoughby had been somewhat on the tobasco side as a young man.
10. I am horrified at the things he did when he was a young man!
11. I wanted to get at that chest of drawers quick, before anyone else came along.
7. Choose a required preposition. Explain the meaning of the prepositional phrase.
1. A kind of darkish sort of respectful Jonnie stood without.
2. He got after me with a hunting-crop just at the moment when I was beginning to realize that what I wanted most on earth was solitude and repose.
3. I was wondering what could be up at the other end.
4. You may look on it as a test, Bertie.
5. But suppose Uncle Willoughby catches me at it? He’d cut me off with a bob.
6. Once and for all, will you do me this quite simple act of kindness?
7. These Boy Scouts are up to all sorts of dodges.
8. I had a much simpler sort of job on hand.
9. I had to hang about waiting for the parcel to be put on the hall table.
10. Uncle Willoughby was a pretty mild sort of old boy, … but he was scheduled to extend himself if he caught me trying to get away with his life work.
8. On writing a Character Sketch.
Presenting a character sketch is an art of transforming numerous data into a laconic portrait of this or that personage described by the author.Thus, outlining the data requires / Strategy Points:
- factual data
- language data
- a draft sketch
- a final sketch
distinguishing between factual data (direct characterization –
the author or another person defines the character for the reader by describing or explaining it, offering his own interpretation on account of some real facts) and language data (indirect characterization through the action and conversation. The author leaves it to the reader to judge the characters by what they do and say). Both factual data and language data work for the benefit of image-making of a personage.
To practise these techniques write out full sentences or short phrases which will evolve into a draft sketch. Let’s take Edwin, for instance, and make an attempt to select some most
telling facts connected with his personality.
Factual data
/Language data
p. 1, 13
/Edwin, the Boy Scout
/p. 1, 13, 18
/young blighted Edwin
p. 11
/Florence’s young brother, spending holidays at Easeby
a ferret-faced kid /p. 17
/ the loathsome voice of young Edwin caused all the unpleasantness/
I disliked him since birth
now fourteentook his responsibili- /
p. 18
p. 11 / spoors, takes cover, creeps about and what notmaking Easeby a
/
ties pretty seriously
always in a sort of / / perfect hell for man and beast/
fever, he was dropping behind schedule with his daily acts of kindness
/p. 13
/ Bertie:a) “This infernal kid must somehow be turned out eftsoons or right speedily”.
p. 13
/to mess about with my ties
a search in Bertie’s / / b) “You must be a comfort to one and all”./
room (“I’ve often done acts of kindness that way.”)
/p. 14
/ c) “If he wanted to do a real act of kindness he would commit suicide.”p. 18
/reporting on Bertie
/In character-drawing the following expressions can be used to connect facts and ideas into a final version of a character sketch:
a) to present factual data – to begin with, in the first/second place, we first see/meet him/her, furthermore , further/on, the author passes on to/goes on from…to/goes on to say, to cause, to bring about, consequently, therefore, moreover, besides, nevertheless, after all, in any case, although, in other words, after all, the story ends with, etc.;
b) to bring about language data – a realistic description, a satirical/ironic/humorous background, a deep psychological analysis, to get smth. across to the reader, traits of character complex personality, convincing, in/consistent, symbolic, main character, minor character, keen observation, the contradiction of, to arouse sympathy/admiration/interest, etc.
Thus, we arrive at drawing a final sketch of Edwin, first relying
on certain factual data which give us a realistic portrait of Edwin.
Edwin, a ferret-faced kid, the Boy Scout, Florence’s young brother, now fourteen, spends his holidays at Easeby .At first glance, he takes his responsibilities pretty seriously and is always in a sort of fever to drop behind schedule with his daily acts of kindness.
Although Edwin is a minor character, the author portrays him in an absolutely bright and eye-catching way. The effect is gained by a
certain contrast of factual and language data. The factual aspect presents all his actions in a neutral way but the language data give an emotional assessment of this loathsome young person whose mean principles bring about his devilish nature and an odd desire to chase everybody around him across the whole story and to assert
himself at the expense of other characters’ repose.
The reader is horrified at Edwin’s messing about with Bertie’s ties, collecting evidence against Bertie, at reporting on Bertie to Uncle Willoughby. This sounds altogether incredible and that is why at this stage factual and language data start to contradict and the reader starts to perceive Edwin as a potential betrayer making Easeby a perfect hell for man and beast. More sarcasm and irony around Edwin is gained by the author’s expressing the directly opposite of what Edwin’s acts denote and the only optimistic conclusion the author draws is Bertie’s words, “If he wanted to do a real act of kindness he would commit suicide.”
✍ 9. Write a character sketch on*
a) Uncle Willoughby
b) b) Jeeves
c) c) Bertie
d) Florence Craye
______
* Note that the main characters will get their evaluation in the coming stories.
✍ 10. Write an essay
“Publicity, of whatever sort, is what nearly everybody desires”.
II. The Artistic Career of Corky
Proper names
Jeeves [dGi:vz]
Aunt Agatha ['Q:nt 'WgRYR]
Gussie* ['gAsI]
Mr Bruce Corcoran (Corky) ['bru:s 'kO:kRrRn]
Mr Alexander Worple [LWlIg'zQ:ndR 'wR:pl]
Miss Muriel Singer ['mjuRrIRl 'sINgR]
Bertram (Bertie) ['bR:trRm] (['bR:tI])