A Letter of a Medical Student to his Uncle

Dear Uncle,

I am glad to inform you that I live now in quite comfortable lodgings. My room is a bit small, rather dark and terribly cold, for my landlady requires extra pay for heating it. But I have to put up with it as I can’t afford a better one. I even find my room nice and cosy. Though to tell the truth I can’t call it quiet. Some good-for-nothing young people make an awful noise upstairs. Almost every evening they dance and sing and laugh at silly things. All of it greatly interferes with my study. I spend my days reading for the examinations. I need lots of money to buy books. I hate to ask you to send me an extra sum of money. I think it’s a shame. I hate to trouble you. I hope the postman will lose my letter.

Your affectionate nephew

Harry Jones.

а lodging – жилье, комната

to require – нуждаться

to afford – позволять

quiet – тихий, спокойный

to laugh at – смеяться над

to interfere – мешать, вмешиваться

It’s a shame – стыдно

Learn the proverbs:

My house is my castle.

Men make houses, women make homes.

Exercise 4. Read the dialogue and translate it into Russian.

a)

· I hear you have moved to a new apartment, Steve. Is it true?

· Yes, it is. One of these days we’ll arrange a housewarming party. And I want you and your wife Carol to be present.

· Thank you for the invitation. How do you like your new apartment?

· It’s very comfortable. It’s a five-room apartment with modern conveniences: electric stove and a lot of built-in furniture.

· On what floor is it?

· It is on the tenth floor of a high-rise dwelling house. We’ve got two elevators which work round o’clock.

· Is it far from the city’s centre?

· Rather. It takes me about an hour to get to the centre by bus or by metro. If I drive a car, it takes me thirty minutes.

· I see. Have you bought new furniture?

· We’ve bought wall units, two armchairs and a nice ice-box. We are planning to buy two carpets and a dining set.

· Good luck!

· Thanks. Are you going to move to a new apartment?

· No, I’m not. We’ve been living in our two-room apartment for about eight years and we don’t want to move to anywhere.

· Your apartment is comfortable, isn’t it?

· Yes, very. My wife arranged everything very nicely and I like it very much. We haven’t got much furniture, but we have everything we need.

· I am glad to hear it.