Exercise 8. Translate the following phrases into Russian. Use them in sentences of your own.

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Exercise 8. Translate the following phrases into Russian. Use them in sentences of your own.

to design a mousetrap, to invent many useful things, to catch flies, one’s bleeding finger, a cardboard box, to go through this hole in the side of the box, to remain silent, to be still alive, to take out one’s handkerchief, to wipe one’s forehead, to depends on something, to cut the mouse’s neck, to express amazement

Exercise 9. Practice the pronunciation of the following proper names.

Jake Allsop ['ʤeɪk 'ɔːlsəp] Oxford ['ɔksfəd] Liverpool ['lɪvəpuːl]

Herbert Mandini ['hɜːbət mæn'dɪnɪ]

Exercise 10. Read the text.

A Better Mousetrap

(by Jake Allsop)

After graduating from Oxford and Liverpool Universities, Jake Allsop taught English and participated in educational reform projects in different countries. He has been a prolific author¹ specializing in such areas as English grammar, examination preparation courses and short story writing.

J. Allsop is also well known for his work in wildlife conservation².

The design of the mousetrap has not changed in centuries. Every inventor wants to design a better one. This is the story of one such inventor, a man called Herbert Mandini. Mandini had already invented many useful things: an automatic teaspoon, a hearing aid for deaf fish, and so on. But, none of his inventions made him rich or famous. That is why, one morning, he thought about mousetraps. Actually he thought about mousetraps because he had just taken the end of one of his fingers⁴ in a mousetrap which he was using to catch flies. “There must be a better design than this”, he thought to himself as he wrapped a bandage round⁵ his bleeding finger.

Three weeks and several injuries later, Mandini found himself in the waiting room of the Patent Office⁶ with a cardboard box on his lap. When it was his turn to go in, he greeted the Patent Officer and put the box on the desk.

“I present ‘The Mandini Mousetrap’!” Mandini said proudly. “Show me.”

Mandini took out the model of his new mousetrap and waited.

“Yes, I see,” said the Patent Officer. “Well, erm, actually, I don’t see⁷.

Explain to me how it works.”

“Very well, sir. It’s quite simple. The mouse goes through this hole in the side of the box...”

“The hole with the word DOOR written over the top?” the Patent Officer asked.

“Exactly, sir.”

The Patent Officer suddenly felt very tired. “Do go on⁸, Mr, er, Mandini,” he said.

“So, the mouse goes through the door and up these stairs to the balcony.”

The Patent Officer remained silent. Mandini looked at him and then went on: “So, the mouse is on the balcony, it looks over the balustrade⁹ and down on to the floor on the other side. And what does it see?”

“I don’t know,” said the Patent Officer.

“A piece of cheese on the floor below!” said Mandini triumphantly. “Hm. But the mouse is still alive, is it not?”

“Ah, but this is the clever bit¹⁰. If you notice, set into the top of the balustrade is… a razor blade!¹¹ The mouse rests its neck on the razor blade, and, hey presto!¹² Throat is cut. Mouse is dead.”

The Patent Officer took out his handkerchief and wiped his forehead. He was getting too old for this job. “Mr Mandini, I can see three things wrong ¹³ with your mousetrap: one, it still depends on having a piece of cheese in it; two, I doubt if the blade will cut the mouse’s neck; and three, even if it does, people might find it a rather cruel trap. Good day, Mr Mandini.”

Three weeks later, Mandini was back at the Patent Office. “Ah, Mr Mandini. Not another mousetrap, I hope?” “Indeed yes!¹⁴ I present the Mandini Mousetrap Mark II.” It looked exactly like the Mandini Mousetrap Mark I. “Show me,” the Patent Officer said.

“The mouse goes in through the hole marked DOOR and up the stairs to the balcony,” Mandini said.

“Let me guess,” said the Patent Officer wearily. “The mouse then looks over the balustrade on to the floor below.”

“Right!” Mandini smiled at him. “But here is the difference. Instead of a razor blade, I have fitted a hacksaw blade¹⁵.”

“I don’t quite see how...”

“This is the really brilliant part, sir. There is no cheese on the floor below.” Mandini waited for the Patent Officer to express amazement at this stroke of genius¹⁶.

“Mr Mandini, I still don’t quite see how...”

“It's obvious, sir! The mouse rests its neck on the hacksaw blade, looks down, and then quickly moves its head left-to-right, left-to-right, saying: ‘Where’s the cheese? Where’s the cheese?’ ”

The world is still waiting for a better mousetrap.

NOTES

1. prolific author[prə'lɪfɪk] плодовитый писатель, автор многих работ

2. wildlife conservation['waɪldlaɪf ˌkɔnsə'veɪʃn] охрана живой природы

3. hearing aid['hɪərɪŋ ˌeɪd] слуховой аппарат

4. he had just taken the end of one of his fingersему прижало кончик пальца

5. as he wrapped[ræpt] a bandage['bændɪʤ] aroundкогда он перевязывал

6. Patent Office['pætənt ˌɔfɪs] патентное бюро

7. Well, erm, actually['ækʧuəlɪ], I don’t seeНу, на самом деле я не понимаю

8. Do go onпожалуйста, продолжайте

9. balustrade[ˌbæləs'treɪd] балюстрада, парапет

10. but this is the clever bitв этом как раз и суть

11. set into the top of the balustrade is… a razor blade['reɪzəbleɪd]!В верхнюю часть балюстрады вставлено… лезвие бритвы!

12. hey presto!['heɪ 'prestəu] вуаля!

13. three things wrongтри недостатка

14. Indeed yes!Так и есть!

15. I have fitted['fɪtɪd] hacksaw['hæksɔː] bladeя прикрепил полотно ножовочной пилы

16. stroke of geniusгениальная идея READING COMPREHENSION

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