Методические указания по работе с книгой У.С. Моэма ''Луна и грош'': для студентов языковых специальностей, изучающих английский язык

Министерство образования и науки Российской Федерации Омский государственный университет им. Ф.М. Достоевского

М 54 Рекомендованы к изданию редакционно-издательским советом ОмГУ Рецензент Н.Ю. Цыганкова

М 54

МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ УКАЗАНИЯ ПО РАБОТЕ С КНИГОЙ У.С. МОЭМА «ЛУНА И ГРОШ» ДЛЯ СТУДЕНТОВ ЯЗЫКОВЫХ СПЕЦИАЛЬНОСТЕЙ, ИЗУЧАЮЩИХ АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Изд-во ОмГУ

Методические указания по работе с книгой У.С. Моэма «Луна и грош»: для студентов языковых специальностей, изучающих английский язык / Сост. Д.Ю. Малетина. – Омск: Изд-во ОмГУ, 2004. – 40 c. Методические указания предназначены для работы по аспекту «Домашнее чтение» и содержат тексты, посвященные биографии, творчеству, эстетическим взглядам У.С. Моэма, систему упражнений тренировочного и творческого характера, направленных на усвоение лексико-грамматического материала, проверку понимания и обобщения прочитанного, а также элементов аналитического чтения. Цель заданий – закрепить навыки чтения и перевода художественного произведения, активизировать умения и навыки устной речи. В приложении приведен лингвострановедческий материал, способствующий более полному пониманию книги, и критическая статья. Для студентов факультета иностранных языков и отделения регионоведения исторического факультета, изучающих английский язык.

© Омский госуниверситет, 2004

Омск 2004 2

Read W.S. Maugham’s biography and say what occupations and facts of his life, in your opinion, were of benefit to him as a writer.

WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM (born Jan. 25, 1874, Paris, Fr. - died Dec. 16, 1965, Nice)

William Somerset Maugham is an English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer whose work is characterised by a clear unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature. When Maugham was born – in the British Embassy in Paris in 1874 – he was destined to become a lawyer. His father and grandfather had been prominent attorneys, and his oldest brother went on to become England's Lord Chancellor. However, Maugham had a severe stammer, which left him afraid to speak; so there were no plans for him to follow the family tradition. Furthermore, he was orphaned by the age of 10 and was sent to England to be raised by an uncle, a clergyman. These circumstances led the young Maugham to be shy and withdrawn; consequently he became an observer rather than an active participant, but he was able to turn this to his advantage as a writer. After a year at Heidelberg, he entered St. Thomas' medical school, London, and qualified as a doctor in 1897. He drew upon his experiences as an obstetrician in his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), and its success, though small, encouraged him to abandon medicine. 3

He travelled in Spain and Italy and in 1908 achieved a theatrical triumph – four plays running in London at once – that brought him financial security. During World War I he worked as a secret agent. In 1917 Maugham took the first of many long trips to the Pacific Islands and the Far East, which resulted in some of his finest writing. The first of these stories was The Moon and Sixpence (1919), a novel based on the life of Gauguin. He wrote highly readable travel books – On a Chinese Screen (1923) and The Gentleman in the Parlour (1930) – and several collections of short stories. The Trembling of a Leaf (1923) contained his most recognized story, "Rain," and The Casuarina Tree (1926). Sometimes Maugham's stories were thinly disguised episodes involving his host or others he had met on his travels – circumstances that occasionally resulted in threats and lawsuits. The Painted Veil (1925) was revised at least twice to eliminate references to people still living in Hong Kong, and the various issues of this book remain of great interest to Maugham collectors. In 1927, Maugham left England amid scandal and moved to France, where he spent the rest of his life. He enjoyed a royal lifestyle at the Villa Mauresque, and an invitation by Maugham to spend a few weeks there was highly prized by the literary and social elite. In spite of his relocation, he continued his disciplined habit of writing several hours every morning and his love of travel. His reputation as a novelist rests primarily on four books: Of Human Bondage (1915), a semi-autobiographical account of a young medical student's painful progress toward maturity; The Moon and Sixpence (1919), an account of an unconventional artist, suggested by the life of Paul Gauguin; Cakes and Ale (1930), the story of a famous novelist, which is thought to contain caricatures of Thomas Hardy and 4

Hugh Walpole; and The Razor's Edge (1944), the story of a young American war veteran's quest for a satisfying way of life. Maugham's plays, mainly Edwardian social comedies, soon became dated, but his short stories have increased in popularity. Many portray the conflict of Europeans in alien surroundings that provoke strong emotions, and Maugham's skill in handling plot, in the manner of Guy de Maupassant, is distinguished by economy and suspense. In The Summing Up (1938) and A Writer's Notebook (1949) Maugham explains his philosophy of life as a resigned atheism and a certain scepticism about the extent of man's innate goodness and intelligence; it is this that gives his work its astringent cynicism. He died in 1965 at the age of 91. The Maugham persona of the sophisticated world traveler and story teller, rather than the social dramatist, is his legacy. GLOSSARY: ¾ unadorned – lacking embellishment or decoration: plain, simple; ¾ obstetrician – a physician specializing in obstetrics, a branch of medical science that deals with birth; ¾ disguised – furnished with a false appearance or an assumed identity; ¾ lawsuit – a case before a court; ¾ maturity – the quality or state of being mature; especially: full development; ¾ unconventional – being out of the ordinary; ¾ astringent – rigidly severe, austere, pungent, caustic; ¾ sophisticated – having a refined knowledge of the ways of the world cultivated especially through wide experience. 5

Now study some of Maugham’s quotations. What deductions about his world outlook can you draw? Do they correspond to the portrait below?

µ "I've always been interested in people, but I've never liked them." µ "It was such a lovely day I thought it was a pity to get up" µ "At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely." µ "When you choose friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character." µ "It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by censure than by praise." µ "Money is like sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five." µ "People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise." µ "You can do anything in this world if you're prepared to take the consequences." µ "Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it."

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ASSIGNMENT 1: chapters I–V, pp. 4–22

4. Find in the text passages where Maugham speaks about:

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

быть предметом насмешек (4); нелепейшее заблуждение (5); шокировать почтенное семейство (7); оправдывать, обелять кого-то (9); перипетии войны (10); глупый как баран (12); скрывать замешательство (14); быть всецело поглощенным собственными делами (16); тяга к «светским львам» (17); подстраивать свое поведение под кого-л.(19); разумный совет (20); до смерти наскучить (22)

2. Give the synonyms to the following words and expressions:

9 authentic 9 insignificant 9 extravagant 9 notoriety 9 hazardous 9 bashful 9 malicious. Make up the longest possible sentence using these words. 3. Translate the passage into Russian:

¾ art and artists; ¾ the behaviour of young generation; ¾ the receptions in the houses of the literary; ¾ the gift of sympathy. Comment upon them. 5. Find sentences and paragraphs with a touch of humour, irony, sarcasm; and comment upon them.

ASSIGNMENT 2: chapters VI–X, pp. 22–41 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

невзрачная внешность (24); принять приглашение с готовностью (25); продолжать здоровые традиции своей расы и сословия (26); высокомерие ранней юности (29); чрезвычайно неловко (30); соблюдать светские условности (31); навязчивый женский недостаток (32); супружество (34); увлечься, позволить вскружить себе голову (37); судорожно сжимать и разжимать руки (39); забыть о прошлом (40); женщина широких взглядов (40).

pp. 17–18 "My engagements were few"……. "…seemed simple and unaffected." 7

8

2. Give the synonyms to the following words and expressions:

5. Give character sketches of:

а) Mrs Amy Strickland; b) Mr Charles Strickland; c) Colonel MacAndrew.

9 commonplace 9 average 9 thick-witted 9 agitated 9 indiscreet 9 draw in one's horns 9 not to have a bob 9 prosperous.

6. Find sentences and paragraphs with a touch of irony, sarcasm; the examples of metaphors (pp. 26, 41) and comment upon them.

ASSIGNMENT 3: chapters XI–XVI, pp. 42–68

Make up a short story using these words. 3. Translate into Russian:

pp. 24–25 "I had nothing to say and so sat silent"………. "…to waste one's time over him." pp. 40–41 "It was known where Strickland was staying…" ……….. " in her breast with misery." 4. Answer the following questions:

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

роскошное, великолепное место (43); чувствовать себя в своей тарелке (45); красноречивая фраза (47); нелепое положение (47); громогласно рассмеяться (50); быть одержимым бесом (53); оставаться безмятежным, хладнокровным (55); совсем свихнулся (61); каприз, прихоть (63); говорить задыхаясь (64); распространиться среди… (67) .

1) Why did Maugham think of the Stricklands' family life with a touch of envy? 2) Why was Maugham slightly shocked when he came to know that Strickland had run away from his family? 3) Do you think it natural that Mrs Strickland should be so particular about what people talked? 4) Do you believe that Mrs Strickland was sincere when she tried to assure Maugham that she and Strickland got on very well and their married life was perfectly happy? 5) Why was Mrs Strickland so determined never to divorce her husband?

Furtive eyes (44); a hat much in need of brushing (45); abandoned luxury (45); a thronging vitality (46); to carry out one's embassy (48); straightened / easy circumstances (50); necessary grounds (50); an

9

10

2. Read the following word combinations and suggest the way of translating them into Russian:

awful sell (52); an utter blackguard (53); stout refusal (54); pidgin French (55); to break with irksome ties (57); not to care a row of pins for (58); to make head or tail of (61) ; housewifely instincts (61); to strike home (64); to be more of piece (65). 3. Translate into Russian:

pp. 42–43 "During the journey…" …….. "… goodness in the reprobate." p. 53 "There was real passion…" ……… "… I could not have placed him." p. 60 "When I reached London…" ……… "… dowdy and expensive." 4. Answer the following questions:

1) Why did Maugham feel that his position was complicated when he spoke with Strickland in his shabby abode in Paris? 2) Why did Strickland feel no remorse towards his wife and children? How does it characterize him? 3) Do you think Strickland really did not care what people would think? 4) Did Strickland take any interest in women? 5) Why was the appeal to conscience ineffective to Strickland? 6) Did the MacAndrews' manner of speaking reflect their characters? 7) Why could Mrs Strickland have forgiven her husband if he had fallen in love with somebody, but not if he had left her for the idea? 8) Was Amy Strickland a woman of character? Why was it so important for her that people should think her husband had eloped with a French dancer? 11

5. Find in the text words and phrases describing the appearance and character of:

a) Mrs MacAndrew; b) Charles Strickland in Paris. 6. Give a description of:

a) Strickland's shabby hotel; b) the poorest parts of Paris (the avenue de Clichy).

ASSIGNMENT 4: chapters XVII–XXII, pp. 68–91 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

приобрести репутацию благодаря чему-л. (69); шут, фигляр (70); постоянно задевать чьи-то чувства (72); точное понимание, оценка (72); скрывать глубокое чувство (75); почувствовать неловкость (77); душевная мука (79); чрезвычайная худоба (80); способность к экспрессии (83); полное безразличие к комфорту (83); заработать кругленькую сумму (84); вызывать восторг в душе (86);

2. Read the following word combinations and suggest how they can be translated into Russian:

To grow stale (68); derisive laughter (70); a genuine enthusiasm for the commonplace (70); the needy (71); a rare treat (72); 12

gesticulating conversation (72); to bombard smb with questions (73); vulgar beyond belief (76); obviously picturesque things (76); a sluggishness of habit (79); to seek for some gibe (81); to appeal to one's sardonic temper (84); a man possessed (85); verbose frankness (89); Is merit enough to bring success? (90). 3. Translate into Russian:

p. 70 "But I knew it was not…" …….. "… petty and vindictive." pp. 71–72 "It was because I felt…" ……… "… of incomparable value." p. 75 "She had quiet grey eyes…" ……… "… her manners were natural." 4. Answer the following questions:

1) Did Mrs Strickland change much 5 years later? Why did she try to prove her exclusiveness? 2) What was the tragedy of Dick Stroeve's life? 3) Why didn't Maugham know whether Blanche loved her husband? 4) What kind of man was Dick Stroeve? What did he think of Strickland? 5) What changes did Maugham notice in Strickland and what did those changes suggest? 6) Why did Strickland paint with great difficulty? Was he really indifferent to fame? 7) Was Strickland a clever man? Why was he so cruel to other people? 5. Dwell upon the characters of:

a) Mrs Strickland 5 years later; 13

b) Dirk Stroeve; c) Strickland as a painter. 6. Comment upon the following passages:

a) Dirk Stroeve speaks about beauty (p. 79); b) Strickland and Maugham speak about fame (p. 85) c) The picture-dealer says how he recognizes the real merit of an artist (p. 90) 7. Find sentences and paragraphs containing similes, humour, irony, sarcasm and comment upon them.

ASSIGNMENT 5: chapters XXIII–XXVIII, pp. 91–116 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

быть равнодушным к уязвимым местам других людей (91); бахвалиться, кичиться (92); нежная привязанность (94); приписывать кому-то собственные переживания (95); простой, банальный план (97); сильный жар (98); быть сиделкой, ухаживать за больным (100); осязаемое присутствие (104); наблюдать по очереди (106); убитый горем (108); помешательство, безрассудство (111); ревновать к кому-то (111); умолять кого-то не делать что-л. (113); страдать от лишений (115). 14

2. Read the following word combinations and suggest how they can be translated into Russian:

A comfortable eye (92); to run aimlessly hither and thither (94); an exuberant soul (94); to frequent the same cafe (96); a voice cracking with emotion (98); to be on the verge of tears (101); to pull oneself together (102); smb's doggedness(104); a ragged red beard (106); injurious calm (113); to abandon one's self-respect (115).

6. Retell the scene of Blanche's leaving her husband from the part of:

9 Blanche 9 Strickland. 7. Find sentences and paragraphs containing metaphors, similes, irony, sarcasm and comment upon them.

3. Translate into Russian:

p. 95 "Shortly before Christmas…" …….. "… on which he was determined." pp. 103–104 "She was panting now…" ……… "… I'll do my best for him." 4. Answer the following questions:

1) Was Maugham right thinking that the Stroeves' life was in its own way an idyll? 2) Why was Stroeve so eager to take Strickland to his studio? 3) What made Blanch get amazingly agitated? Why did she consent later? 4) Comment on the author's attitude towards Strickland after his illness (p. 107). 5) Do you think Blanche was really in love with Strickland? 5. What new traits did you find in the characters of:

a) Blanche Stroeve; b) Dirk Stroeve; c) Strickland?

15

ASSIGNMENT 6: chapters XXIX–XXXV, pp. 116–137 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

малодушие (117); недостойные подозрения (118); предпочитать мучения ревности мукам разлуки (118); беззащитный против страсти (120); подстерегать кого-то (123); хранить аромат счастливого прошлого (125); проявлять такт (126); дать подсказку (127); бесплотный дух (128); предвидеть ужасную катастрофу (129); глубокое безразличие (130); выйти из себя (132); слышать как кто-то стонет (133); бесцеремонные манеры (134); быть полным сострадания (136).

16

2. Read the following word combinations and suggest

6. Develop the following situations ( make up a dia-

how they can be translated into Russian:

logue):

To stomach smb's weakness (116); to sound casual (118); physical appeal (120); fashioning fingers of the artist (121); a man without any conception of gratitude (122); an insane irritation (124); to inflict torture (124); tell-tale flash (127); a readiness for the hand-tomouth (128); woeful eyes (130); sun-baked streets (131); immediate danger (134).

1) Blanche speaks to a friend about pros and cons of her family life and explains why she felt she had to be with Strickland (pp. 120– 121) 2) Two psychiatrists discuss the phenomenon of Dirk Stroeve's behavior after his wife's leaving (pp. 123–124)

3. Translate into Russian:

p. 122–123 "I could not believe…" …"… to seek the analysis of his emotion." pp. 127–128 "Her face was a mask…" ……… "… draw subtle inferences." 4. Explain what the author means by:

a) She ceased to be a woman, complex, kind and petulant, considerate and thoughtless; she was a Maenad.(121) For more information look up Appendix 1. b) Dirk Stroeve had the passion of Romeo in the body of Sir Toby Belch (126). For more information look up Appendix 1. c) What a cruel practical joke old Nature played when she flung so many contradictory elements together, and left the man face to face with perplexing callousness of the universe (126). 5. Comment on the following passages:

9 Stroeve speaks about conjugal unfaithfulness (117); 9 Maugham gives his opinion on the essence of love (122); 9 The doctor's attitude to suicide attempts (134).

17

7. Find sentences and paragraphs containing metaphors, irony, sarcasm and comment upon them.

ASSIGNMENT 7: chapters XXXVI–XLII, pp. 137–164 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

соболезнования (137) единственное пристанище (140) откладывать каждую копейку (142) пугающее самообладание (144) продуманно артистичная обстановка (145) любопытство в нем взяло верх (145) иметь другие дела, планы (148) не лезть за словом в карман (151) незамедлительно (154) рискнуть, отважиться (156) бесчувственный, бесчеловечный (157) ненаглядные сокровища (161) странно дразнящий и мучительный (162) найти избавление в любви (164). 18

2. Read the following word combinations and suggest

6.

Find

sentences

and

paragraphs

containing

how they can be translated into Russian:

metaphors (e.g. p. 140, 152, 155), irony (150), a hyperbole

To gather together the threads (139); something of buffoonery (140); to have a knack for smth (141); to summon up courage (143); a nude (145); Fire away (146); to be dumbfounded (148); a lamentable business (149); to laugh at smb up in one's sleeve (151); social intercourse (159); That is the lot (160); the clumsiness of smb's technique (161).

(140) and comment upon them.

3. Translate into Russian:

p. 147 "Stroeve tried to talk to me…"…….."…the discovery of new mysteries." p. 148 "I felt that his chance…" ……… "… before he died." p. 157 "When a woman loves you…" ………. "… to leave me alone." p. 163 "Each of us is alone…" ……… "…is in the house." 4. Write out the words and expressions connected with painting. 5. Comment on the following passages:

9 Stroeve's and Maugham's reflections about the world and fate (141+163). What's your point of view on this problem? 9 Strickland expresses his attitude towards: a) women (156–157); b) Blanche's suicide. How does it characterize him? Can you find anything rational in his words? 9 "Is it possible for any man to disregard others entirely?" Give your reasons.

ASSIGNMENT 8: chapters XLIII–XLVII, pp. 164–189 1. Mind the French names for some places in the story:

¾ Asile de Nuit = ночлежный дом ¾ “Bouchee de Pain” = «Ломоть хлеба» ¾ “Cuillere de Soupe” = «Ложка супа» 2. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

оставаться отстраненным (168) первостепенный интерес (169) отличаться оригинальностью (171) снова пробудить интерес к… (173) море темнокожих лиц (174) женатый холостяк (178) своеобразная внешность (180) моряк, сидящий на мели (182) преследовать, часто появляться где-л. (182) портовый грузчик (183) напрашиваться на скандал (187) приступ белой горячки (188)

3. Translate into Russian:

p. 166 "He must have acquired…" …….. "… more single-hearted than Strickland." 19

20

p. 168 "She was afraid to leave him alone…" ……… "… awake an equal love." p. 170 "He lived more poorly…" ………. "… he was a great one." p. 172 "I suppose no artist…" ……… "…here he found himself." 4. The author uses a number of historical and literary allusions. Point them in the text and give brief information about:

¾ Prometheus ¾ Titian, Rembrandt ¾ Chardin, Van Gogh 5. Comment on the following:

9 Strickland’s attitude towards the old masters (p. 171) 9 "Perhaps both were trying to put down in paint ideas which were more suitable to literature” (p.172) 6. Find and present information concerning Tahiti. 7. Give a character sketch of Captain Nichols. Com-

▪ делать поблажки (191) ▪ быть чьей-то страстью (194) ▪ почувствовать себя дома (196) ▪ приступить к исполнению новых обязанностей (197) ▪ ощутить ликование (198) ▪ занимать второстепенное положение, "играть вторую скрипку" (200) ▪ остепениться (202) ▪ обмануться, ошибиться в ком-то (204) ▪ страстно желать, стремиться (205) ▪ здорово смахивать на туземца (210) ▪ несправедливо поступить с кем-то (212) 2. Translate into Russian:

p. 193–194 "But Tiare Johnson would never….." …….. "… is a privilege." p. 196–197 "I have an idea…" ……… "… he finds rest." p. 201 "I wondered if Abraham…" ………. "… the claim of the individual." p. 209 "So, I went. …" ……… "…and by the world forgotten."

ment upon the relations with his wife. 8. Find sentences and paragraphs containing metaphors, irony, oxymoron, similes and comment upon them.

ASSIGNMENT 9: Chapters XLVIII–LIII, pp. 189–213 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

3. Comment on the following:

9 The way the Tahitians began to value Strickland's pictures (pp.192, 193, 210). 9 "Some men are born out of their due place". Speak about the phenomenon of deja-vu (p. 196). 9 The theme of happiness in the story of Abraham (chapter L). 9 “It’s a terrible thing the way some men treat women!” The ideal of married life from the Tahitian point of view (p. 204).

▪ важный, выдающийся человек (190) 21

22

4. Give a character sketch of Tiare Johnson. 5. Make up dialogues (choose the situation you like):

a) Ata speaks to her relative about Strickland as her husband (how she met him, the way he treats her, her notion of an ideal husband, his everyday routine, etc.); b) The old woman, who helped Ata give birth to her child, discusses Strickland's household and family with the village people; c) Abraham discusses his decision to change his life with his girlfriend (acquaintance, etc) – reasons, the impression of Alexandria, the sense of life, etc. 6. Find sentences and paragraphs containing irony, sarcasm, similes and comment upon them.

ASSIGNMENT 10: Chapters LIV–LVIII, pp. 213–238 1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the situations.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

причуда, выходка (213) напряженно работать (215) удрученный вид (218) негодовать по поводу чьего-то вторжения (219) необъяснимое молчание (220) нелепые иллюзии (222) отвратительный, тошнотворный (224) напугать до смерти (227) варварский поступок (231) идти в ногу со временем (235) внутренняя убежденность (237) беспечный паренек (238) 23

2. Translate into Russian:

p. 214 "What on earth can it be….." …….. "… a profound compassion." p. 224 "When Dr Coutras arrived…" ……… "… it was deserted." p. 228–229 "For a long time I could not…" ………. "… you saw yourself." 3. Strickland's disease: explain why all the islanders were

horrified about it; speak about their reaction, the doctor's visits and the end of Strickland's life. For more information about leprosy look up Appendix 2. 4. Give your opinion on the following:

9 "Perhaps neither of us knew it, but we were both aiming at one and the same thing – beauty." Comment on the ways Captain Brunot and Strickland understood beauty and tried to create it (p. 214–216). 9 Captain Brunot claims to be a happy man. Compare his story with that of Abraham (chapter L) and give your point of view on a person's happiness. 9 Dr Coutras compares Strickland's works with Michael Angelo's Sistine Chapel in Rome. Do you agree with such a parallel? 5. Give character sketches of:

ΠDr. Coutras ΠMrs Strickland (compared with her image in the previous chapters) ΠMrs Strickland's children.

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6. Summarize all your knowledge about Tahiti and the way of living of its inhabitants. 7. Find sentences and paragraphs containing irony (228, 236), metaphors (213 228, 233), similes (214, 217, 228), periphrases (227) and comment upon them.

REVISE YOUR VOCABULARY Translate into English using the words and expressions from the novel.

***** 1) Он не был выдающимся человеком, и ничего необычного в нем тоже не было. Он был одиноким человеком лет тридцати пяти. Ему очень хотелось остепениться, обзавестись семьей, и поэтому он решил найти избавление в любви. Однажды он прогуливался по парку и услышал, как кто-то прерывисто вздыхает. На скамейке сидела молодая женщина и плакала. Глаза ее были полны скорби. Это была женщина выдающейся внешности. Что-то подсказывало ему, что она иностранка, и еще его поразило физическое притяжение, которое, казалось, она излучала. Он не обладал талантами светского общения, но все же любопытство в нем пересилило, и, собравшись с духом, он спросил, что за скорбная история с ней приключилась. Девушка незамедлительно обо всем ему рассказала. В 13 лет она осталась сиротой и пошла работать прислугой.

она решила напряженно работать и откладывать каждую копейку. Некоторые люди полагали, что в этом ее стремлении было что-то шутовское, но она продолжала свои усилия. Потом тайная убежденность в собственном таланте заставила ее уехать из родного городка в Париж. Она надеялась выставить свои картины, но все салоны отвергли их из-за грубой техники исполнения. Все ее нелепые иллюзии развеялись, и вот она осталась без денег и без надежды на будущее... Девушка закончила свою историю, и воцарилось неловкое молчание. Молодой человек был полон сострадания и с пугающим его самого самообладанием предложил ей свою помощь. Make up your own continuation of this story.

***** 2) Считается, что художник – это своего рода одержимый человек, который равнодушен к комфорту и роскошным местам. Он часто претерпевает ужасные лишения и ни в грош не ставит возможность заработать кругленькую сумму. Говорят, что его, в отличие от обычных людей, вдохновляют стесненные обстоятельства. Для многих творцов особенное удовольствие – быть наедине с природой, которая вызывает в их душе восторг и помогает созда-

Так она прожила шесть лет. Но душа ее стремилась к большему, ей хотелось стать художницей, работать в собственной студии с подчеркнуто артистической обстановкой, ходить на приемы. Что-то в таком стиле жизни странно дразнило и притягивало ее, поэтому

вать живописные пейзажи. Возможно, талантливые люди большую часть времени так погружены в свою работу, что им нет дела до окружающих, даже если их близкие питают к ним нежную привязанность. Люди искусства могут невольно ранить чувства других, потому что они равнодушны к их уязвимым местам. Но, с другой стороны, у художников есть своя миссия, которую надо выполнить, хоть это иногда и приводит общество в замешательство. Иногда эти люди

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становятся объектами для насмешек и даже шутами, потому что они не хотят ни под кого подстраивать свое поведение. И все же, гениям тоже нужна семья, друзья – словом, такое окружение, где они могут чувствовать себя в своей тарелке и сохранять душевное равновесие. Однако, если семейные узы или друзья наскучат им до смерти, они могут легко разорвать надоевшие путы и сказать: "Что прошло, то быльем поросло". Часто случается, что публика готова делать поблажки и обелять человека, заработавшего себе репутацию выдающимися работами и тонким пониманием искусства, потому что общество благодарно творцам за их шедевры. (По мотивам студенческих сочинений)

APPENDICES Appendix 1 MAENADS

In the 6th century BC, or perhaps very much earlier, the orgiastic religion of the god Dionysus, probably originating in Thrace and Phrygia, was established in Greece. In the Dionysian rites the Maenads (female attendants) became possessed by the spirit of Dionysus by means of tumultuous music and dancing, the free use of wine, and an orgiastic meal (the tearing to pieces and devouring of animals embodying Dionysus Zagreus with their bare hands as the central act of the Bacchanalia). Though not necessarily sacramental, these rites enabled the Maenads to surmount the barrier that separated them from the supernatural world and to surrender themselves unconditionally to the mighty powers that transcended time and space, thus carrying them into the realm of the eternal. (from “Encyclopaedia Britannica”) SIR TOBY BELCH

A fictional character, the boisterous uncle of Olivia in W. Shakespeare’s comedy “12th Night”, whose alcohol-induced wit produces much of the humour for the play’s subplot. Appendix 2 Leprosy (Hansen's disease)

Leprosy is one of the most feared of diseases, a dread that stretches back into antiquity, the leper being considered as “unclean.” Yet it is not a highly infectious disease, prolonged intimate family contact being needed for its spread from one person to another. Most 27

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adults in areas in which leprosy occurs appear to be immune, but children are very susceptible. The disease has almost disappeared from most temperate countries, but it is still common in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. At least 2,000,000 people are known to have the disease, and the actual number of infected people may be as high as 15,000,000. In sheer numbers, leprosy presents a serious problem, not lessened by the fact that it is a disabling, deforming disease, slowly progressing throughout the life of the leper but not usually cutting that life short. Management of leprosy involves social,

power in the muscles of the area, loss of sense of pain, and loss of circulation in the affected part. This is most commonly seen in the forearm or lower leg, and it leads to claw hand and gross deformity of the foot, but paralysis of muscles of the face, eye, and neck may also occur. The patient is unable to feel pain and minor injuries pass unnoticed. Large eroding ulcers can form, causing loss of fingers and toes; sometimes the condition of the limb is so bad that amputation is necessary. The progress of leprosy is slow. It may be years before a child infected by a parent shows the first sign of the disease, often a vague,

vocational, medical, rehabilitative, orthopaedic, and reconstructive surgical services. The disease is caused by the leprosy (or Hansen) bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae, and has two principal forms, the tuberculoid and the lepromatous. How the bacillus gets into the human body is not clearly known. It can be discharged in enormous quantities from the nose or broken-down sores of an infected person and, therefore, can be inhaled or spread from skin to skin. It seems that prolonged, close physical contact with an infected person usually (but not invariably) precedes active infection in those who are susceptible. Congenital leprosy is unknown; infants born of infected parents do not develop the disorder if separated from them at birth The human body's first reaction to the leprosy bacillus takes place in the deep layers of the skin. The intense cellular reaction involves all of the thicknesses of the skin and the tissues under it, the sweat glands, the hair follicles, and the nerve fibrils that end in the skin. All of this

scarcely noticed spot on the skin. Years may pass before any change is noticed, and the child has often grown to an adult before the disease is recognized. Lepers suffer occasionally from bouts of fever, but the course of the disease is mainly one of increasing disability and disfiguration. Lepers often do not die of leprosy; they can live a normal span of years and, with proper medical and rehabilitative care, can live in some measure of comfort. Apart from the use of drugs, the management of the disease is a vast human problem. The leper must be helped in his disfigurement and his paralysis. The greatest problem is the prevention of infection. A baby born to a leprous mother has little chance of escape unless it is separated from her. A father is almost bound to infect some members of his family unless taken away from them. The fear of separation makes the family conceal the disease and thus increases the danger of its spread. The ideal must be not a colony for lepers but village or community groups in which whole families can live in good conditions

shows up on the infected person's skin as a firm dry spot in which there is no sense of heat, cold, or touch. The cellular reaction continues to spread into the main trunk of the involved nerve, tending to strangle it so that impulses cannot get up or down and thereby causing loss of

and the leper can be given necessary treatment and the encouragement and help to work within the disease's limitations.

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Appendix 3 Read and compare two reviews of this novel written 80 years one after the other. What are the opinions and impressions of the authors? Why are they so different? Which one do you share? a) “The Moon and Sixpence” by W.S. Maugham reviewed in the Guardian, May 2 1919.

From the archives

Drawing down the moon The character of a man insensible to ordinary human relations, who lives the life of pure selfishness which is sometimes supposed to produce great art, has always had its fascination for novelists inspired only by the unusual. Accordingly there have been novels in plenty depicting the conflict of (by ordinary standards) brutal genius with uncongenial environment and Mr. Maugham has followed a recognized convention in this story of an imaginary artist of posthumous greatness. He treats him throughout with mock respect, and surrounds his affairs with contributory detail. Mr. Maugham's story is that of a respectable stockbroker who deserts his wife after seventeen years of marriage and goes alone to Paris to follow a new ideal – the ideal of great and for a time unrecognizable art. The break is succeeded by privation and industry, by long periods of work and outbursts of savage sexual conquest; and the artist at length dies, blind and leprous, in Tahiti. The book revolves throughout around the character of Strickland and the quality of his art. Does Mr. Maugham so convince us that his Strickland is a real man and a real artist that we can absorb his traits as 31

parts of the essential human creature who lives eternally by his work? It seems to us that he does not. Where every detail should be pungently real, one is constantly checked in belief by the sense of calculated and heightened effect, and by the passion of Mr. Maugham for what is odd and "strong." Such a passion has always defeated its object. Here once more one is repelled, not by Strickland's monosyllabic callousness, but by the knowledge that this callousness is seen and represented without subtlety. The callousness of the artist is something more complex than it is here shown to be. The callousness of Strickland is merely the conventional brutality employed by other novelists of an older generation, the generation which first found in the behaviour of artists a theme to be exploited in fiction. That Mr. Maugham uses the elaborations of a modern technique does not create the illusion of reality that he is pursuing. It simply emphasizes the cleverness, the clever unconvincingness, of his portrait – not at all the vigour and personality of one who will starve and suffer for the sake of his artistic ideal. All the minor drawings in the book are extremely effective, and the simplicity of the narrative is notable. Technically the whole thing has great interest. But as an illumination of the nature of bizarre and uncompromising genius, ready to sacrifice every person and every association that stands in the way of its fulfillment, "The Moon and Sixpence" fails through its literary accomplishment and its lack of true creative inspiration. b) Review by Edward Tanguay published in the Guardian, August 13, 2002

Before reading this I was a bit afraid that Maugham's fictional Strickland would somehow distort my conception of Paul Gauguin. Whether this is true or not, Gauguin's paintings now glow with that vast 32

hollowness of possessed genius with which Maugham instills Stickland in the book. In a plummeting step-by-step fall you get to know Strickland. Maugham begins with what is a super ordinary man ("He was null. He was probably a worthy member of society, a good husband and father, an honest broker; but there was no reason to waste one's time over him.") Maugham spends a calculated amount of time describing to you the ordinariness of Strickland's life and character, here, of Strickland and his wife:

He is so dry it makes you laugh. But then you realize that Strickland is seriously empty and the emotions waver to sadness and then disgust for him. You are not expecting how removed Strickland is from normal social behavior and you begin guessing what has happened inside of him. Maugham has a way of letting you identify with the narrator ("I could not struggle against his indifference."). Strickland has "the directness of the fanatic and the ferocity of the apostle." He becomes not so much an intricate character but a fantastically unbelievable character. In fact, describing Strickland the man

They would grow old insensibly; they would see their son and daughter come to years of reason, marry in due course – the one a pretty girl, future mother of healthy children; the other a handsome, manly fellow, obviously a soldier; and at last, prosperous in their dignified retirement, beloved by their descendants, after a happy, not unuseful life, in the fullness of their age they would sink into the grave. This builds you up for the descending into Strickland's empty soul. And one day in a natural Sartrian movement of absolute freedom, Strickland just leaves. Something must have smoothly and silently broken inside of him to make him just move away. He has no more emotion, and Maugham spends the rest of the book expertly showing us this in contact after contact between the narrator and Strickland. In meeting after meeting, Strickland proves himself to be nothing else but empty of normal response ("Then, what in God's name have you left her for?" – "I want to paint.") He "just wants to paint," which is an extremely mild way of putting that he needs to madly pursue a gen-

becomes the goal of the book. Does Strickland not have the same morals as the pursuer of Lolita? It is an all-out pursuit of beauty, and that is the only moral rule. When confronted that if everyone acted like him, "the world couldn't go on," Strickland replies, "That's a damned silly thing to say. Everyone

ius demon inside of him. Strickland simply repeats, "I've got to paint" until finally he is confronted with "You are a most unmitigated cad" to which he replies, "Now that you've got that off your chest, let's go and

commitment and responsibility towards others. I enjoyed seeing how those back in England responded to the news of him in Paris. They try to understand him ("Charles Strickland

doesn't want to act like me. The great majority are perfectly content to do the ordinary thing." This is not really impressive reasoning, but reasoning is not what Strickland does well. "You evidently don't believe in the maxim: Act so that every one of your actions is capable of being made into a universal rule." – "I never heard it before, but it's rotten nonsense." – "Well, it was Kant who said it." – "I don't care; it's rotten nonsense." The narrator (does the narrator have a name?) continues to reason with Strickland, but to no avail, there is no end to his depth of indifference, he simply doesn't feel those feelings that others feel about social

have dinner." 33

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had become infatuated with a French dancer"), yet they have no paradigms with which to understand the man. No one seems to. Dirk Stroeve and his wife come into the story as perfect foils to show us the next set of depths to which Strickland's fate binds him. That Stroeve forgives Strickland in the end for ruining his wife to her death brings out Strickland's character even more so. Strickland becomes a paradox ("He was a sensual man, and yet was indifferent to sensual things") yet you begin to get a better picture of him from description to description ("He did not seem quite sane. It

Strickland was indifferent to his surroundings, and he had lived in the other's studio without thinking of altering a thing. When I imagined that on seeing his pictures I should get a clue to the understanding of his strange character I was mistaken. They merely increased the astonishment with which he filled me. With Strickland the sexual appetite took a very small place. It was unimportant. It was irksome. His soul aimed else where. He had violent passions, and on occasion desire seized his body so that he was driven to an orgy of lust, but hated the instincts that robbed him of his

seemed to me that he would not show his pictures because he was really not interested in them. I had the idea that he seldom brought anything to completion, but the passion that fired him, he lost all care for it.") The more possessed Strickland appears, the more you understand him. An important distinction that surprised me was that Strickland was not an elegant speaker:

self-possession. I think, even, he hated the inevitable partner in his debauchery. When he had regained command over himself, he shuddered at the sight of the woman he had enjoyed. Strickland was an odious man, but I still think he was a great one. When Stroeve's wife stated that she was in love with Strickland we get one level deeper. This episode shows a nice love/hate attraction, which emphasizes Strickland's paradoxal nature. The shift to the island gave the book a new dimension and kept it fresh. This is a nicely balanced book, you do not get bored in any setting of it, it has a motion all the way through. As strange as the island is, it was a place which Strickland needed:

He used gestures instead of adjectives, and he halted. He never said a clever thing, but he had a vein of brutal sarcasm which was not ineffective, and he always said exactly what he thought." He is shut in a tower of brass, and can communicate with his fellows only by signs, and signs have no common value, so that their sense is vague and uncertain. Like a sculptor, Maugham reveals Strickland's character piece by piece: For choice he sat on a kitchen chair without arms. It often exasperated me to see him. I never knew a man so entirely indifferent to his surroundings. The emotions common to most of us simply did not exist in him, and it was as absurd to blame him for not feeling them as for blaming the tiger because he is fierce and cruel. 35

Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen bfore, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest. He painted and he read, and in the evening, when it was dark, they sat together on the veranda, smoking and looking at the night. 36

He was an extraordinary figure, with his red beard and matted hair, and his great hairy chest. His feet were horny and scarred; so that I knew he went always barefoot. He had gone native with a vengeance.(!) The ending has a Dorian Grey touch, as if Strickland's looks and leprous condition began to show the deterioration of his soul. Then a visitor comes to the house and finds that Strickland, even though blinded from leprosy, had painted the inside walls of his cabin as he died. Here you get the last clues into the depths of Strickland's possessed soul: His eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, and now he was seized by an overwhelming sensation as he stared at the painted walls. He knew nothing of pictures, but there was something about these that extraordinarily affected him. From floor to ceiling the walls were covered with a strange and elaborate composition. It was indescribably wonderful and mysterious. It took his breath away. It filled him with an emotion which he could not understand or analyze. He felt the awe and the delight which a man might feel who watched the beginning of a world. It was tremendous, sensual, passionate; and yet there was something horrible there too, something which made him afraid. It was the work of a man who had delved into the hidden depths of nature and had discovered secrets which were beautiful and fearful too. It was the work of a man who knew things which it is unholy for men to know. There was something primeval there and terrible. It was not human. It brought to his mind vague recollections of black magic. It was beautiful and ob-

The characters are sharp in this book. Maugham is a master at this. For instance, you get full, bright concepts of Stroeve's character in descriptions like this: I suggested that he should get a thermometer, and a few grapes, and some bread. Stroeve, glad to make himself useful, clattered down the stairs. He looked like an overblown schoolboy, and though I felt so sorry for him, I could hardly help laughing. Stroeve stopped again and mopped his face. I begged Stroeve to behave more wisely. Fine writing. Enjoyed the book. Edward Tanguay

scene. The moral issue comes up again. Strickland was a bastard of a person, but was his life complete? Was he true? 37

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CONTENTS WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM .............................................................. 3 ASSIGNMENT 1: CHAPTERS I–V, pp. 4–22.................................................. 7 ASSIGNMENT 2: CHAPTERS VI–X, pp. 22–41............................................. 8

Учебно-методическое издание

ASSIGNMENT 3: CHAPTERS XI–XVI, pp. 42–68....................................... 10 ASSIGNMENT 4: CHAPTERS XVII–XXII, pp. 68–91 ................................. 12 ASSIGNMENT 5: CHAPTERS XXIII–XXVIII, pp. 91–116.......................... 14

Составитель Дина Юрьевна Малетина

ASSIGNMENT 6: CHAPTERS XXIX–XXXV, pp. 116–137......................... 16 ASSIGNMENT 7: CHAPTERS XXXVI–XLII, pp. 137–164 ......................... 18 ASSIGNMENT 8: CHAPTERS XLIII–XLVII, pp. 164–189.......................... 20 ASSIGNMENT 9: CHAPTERS XLVIII–LIII, pp. 189–213 ........................... 21 ASSIGNMENT 10: CHAPTERS LIV–LVIII, pp. 213–238 ............................ 23

МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ УКАЗАНИЯ ПО РАБОТЕ С КНИГОЙ У.С. МОЭМА «ЛУНА И ГРОШ»

REVISE YOUR VOCABULARY ................................................................... 25

ДЛЯ СТУДЕНТОВ ЯЗЫКОВЫХ СПЕЦИАЛЬНОСТЕЙ,

APPENDICES.................................................................................................. 28

ИЗУЧАЮЩИХ АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

Технический редактор Н.В. Москвичёва Редактор Л.М. Кицина Подписано в печать 13.11.04. Формат бумаги 60х84 1/16. Печ. л. 2,5. Уч.-изд. л. 2,2. Тираж 40 экз. Заказ 585. Издательство Омского государственного университета 644077, г. Омск-77, пр. Мира, 55а, госуниверситет

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