From: to Kill a mockingbird by harper Lee

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in the state of Alabama. In 1945-1949 she studied law at the University of Alabama. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is her first novel. It received almost unanimous critical acclaim and several awards, the Pulitzer Prize among them (1961). A screen play adaptation of the novel was filmed in I9fi2.

This book is a magnificent, powerful novel in which the author paints a true and lively picture of a quiet Southern town in Alabama rocked by a young girl's accusation of criminal assault.

Atticus was half-way through his speech to the jury [1]. He had evidently pulled some papers from his briefcase that rested beside his chair, because they were on his table. Tom Robinson was toying with them.

Absence of any corroborative evidence, this man was indicted on a capita! charge and; is now on trial for his life...

I punched Jem. "How long's he been at it?"

"He's just gone over the evidence," Jem whispered...

We looked down again. Atticus was speaking easily, with the kind of detachment he used when he dictated a letter. He walked slowly up and down in front of the jury, and the jury seemed to be attentive; their heads were up, and they followed Atticus's route with what seemed to be appreciation. 1 guess it was because Atticus wasn't a thunderer.

Atticus paused, then he did something he didn't ordinarily do. He unhitched his watch and chain and placed them on the table, saying, "With the Court's permission — ".

Judge Taylor nodded, and then Atticus did something I never saw him do before or since, in public or in private: he unbuttoned his vest, unbuttoned his collar, loosened his tie, and took off his coat. He never loosened a scrap of his clothing until he undressed at bedtime, and to Jem and me, this was the equivalent of him standing before us stark naked. We exchanged horrified glances.

Atlicus put his hands in his pockets, and as he returned to the jury, I saw his gold collar button and the tips of his pen and pencil winking in the light.

"Gentlemen," he said. Jem and I again looked at each other: Atticus might have said "Scout". His voice had lost its aridity, its detachment, and he was talking to the jury as if they were folks on the post office corner.

"'Gentlemen," he was saying, "I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time with you to remind you that this case is not a difficult one, il requires no minute sifting of complicated facts, but it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white.

The state has not produced one iola of medical evidence to the effect that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious question on cross-examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the defendant. The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this court-room is.

I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she had done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt. I say guilt, gentlemen, because it was guilt that motivated her. She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white. She knew full well the enormity of her offense, but because her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking, she persisted in breaking it. She persisted, and her subsequent reaction is something that all of us have known at one time or another. She did something every child has done-she tried to put the evidence of her offense away from her. But in this case she was no child hiding stolen contraband: she struck out at her victim-of necessity she must put him away from her-he must be removed from her presence, from this world. She must destroy the evidence of her offense.

What was the evidence of her offense? Tom Robinson, a human being. She must put Tom Robinson away from her. Tom Robinson was her daily reminder of what she did. What did she do? She tempted a Negro.

She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered

to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.

Her father saw it, and the defendant has testified as to his remarks. What did her father do? We don't know, but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left. We do know in part what Mr, Ewell did; he did what any God-fearing, persevering, respectable white man would do under the circumstances-he swore out a warrant, no doubt signing it with his left hand, and Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses his right band.

And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to "feel sorry" for a white woman has to put his word against two white people's. I need not remind you of their appearance and conduct on the stand — you saw them for yourselves. The witness for the state, with the exception of the sheriff of Maycomb County, have presented themselves to you, gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident (hat you, gentlemen, would go along with them on the assumption — the evil assumption — that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber.

Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson's skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women — black or white. But this is a trulh that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this court-room who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.

Atticus paused and took out his handkerchief. Then he took oil his glasses and wiped them, and we saw another "first": we had never seen him sweat — he was one of those men whose faces never perspired, but now it was shining tan.

One more thing, gentlemen, before 1 quit. Thomas Jefferson [2] once said that all men are created equal, a phrase that the Yankees [3j and the distaff side |4] of the Executive branch in Washington are fond of hurling at us. There is a tendency in this year of grace, [or certain people to use this phrase oul of context, to satisfy all conditions. The most ridiculous example I

can think of is that the people who run public education promote the stupid and idle along with the industrious — because all men are created equal, educators will gravely tell you, the children left behind suffer terrible feelings of inferiority. We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe — some people arc smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they're born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others — some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men.

But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal — there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, arid the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the Unites States or the humblest.). P. court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve.

Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.

I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you, gentlemen, will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty."

Atticus's voice had dropped, and as he turned away from the jury he said something I did not catch. He said it more to himself than to the court. I punched Jem.

"What'd he say?"

"In the name of God, believe him, I think that's what he said."...

What happened after that had a dreamlike quality; in a dream I saw the jury return, moving like underwater swimmers, and Judge Taylor's voice came from far away and was tiny. I saw something only a lawyer's child could be expected to see, could be expected to watch for, and it was like watching Atticus walk into the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but watching all the time knowing that the gun was empty.

A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted, and when this jury came in, not one of them looked at Tom foreman handed a piece of paper to Mr Tate who handed it to the clerk who handed it to the judge....

I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: "Guilty... guilty... guilty... guilty... "I peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each "guilty" was a separate stab between them.

Judge Taylor was saying something. His gavel was in his fist, hut he wasn't using it. Dimly, I saw Atticus pushing papers from the table into his briefcase. He snapped it shut, went to the court reporter and said something, nodded to Mr Gilmer, and then went to Tom Robinson and whispered something to him. Atticus put his hand on Tom's shoulder as he whispered. Atticus took his coat off the back of his chair and pulled it over his shoulder. Then he left the court-room, but not by his usual exit. He must have wanted to go home the short way, because he walked quickly down the middle aisle toward the south exit I followed the top of his head as he made his way to the door. He did not look up.

Someone was punching me, but 1 was reluctant to take my eyes from the people below us, and from the image of Atticus's lonely walk down the aisle.

"Miss Jean Louise?"

I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet. Reverend Sykes's voice was as. distant as Judge Taylor's:

"Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing."

Commentary

1. a jury: a body of persons, in the USA and Great Britain,
12 in number, who have to decide the truth of a case tried before
a judge. The jury brings in a verdict of guilty (not guilty). The
verdict is valid only if the decision of the jurors is unanimous. If
not, the jury is dismissed and a new jury is made up. That
procedure may be repeated several times until the jury comes to
the unanimous decision.

2. Thomas Jefferson: {1743—1826), the third President of the
USA (1801 — 1809), drafted the Declaration of Independence,
which was adopted and proclaimed on July 4th, 1776 to the
whole world that a great new nation was born after a heroic
peoples' War for Independence that lasted more than six years.
The former 13 English Colonies had won their independence
and set up their new United States Government.

3. Yankee: originally, this term meant "a native of New
England*. During the Civil War, however, the Southerners used
it to refer, often derisively, to inhabitants of any Northern States.
Nowadays the term is used outside the US to natives of the US.
In the South of the USA, it is still used (derisively) to refer to
Northerners, and in New England it is still used in reference to
Native New Engianders (non-derisively).

4. the distaff side: the female branch in a family as opposed
to the male branch. The Executive branch is the legislative body
of the government. Here, the distaff side means the women
members of the US government, the more sentimental and
moralistic part of the staff, who are fond of hurling the phrase
"all men are created equal" in order to be brought to the notice
of the public.

SPEECH PATTERNS

1. a) Whenever a white man does that to a black man, no
matter who he is,... that white man is trash. No matter who
the man might be, you had no riglit to act in this way. No
matter who the boy is, they shouldn't have been so rude. No
matter who she is, she oughtn't to have done it

b) No matter what she says, don't take it for granted. No
matter what she said, they seldom agreed. No matter what Betsy
may suggest, they usually find fault with it. No matter what he
might do, you shouldn't interfere.

c)No matter how hard the boy tried, he could find no job.

d)No matter how dull the book seemed, he always read it
through.

2. I have nothing but pity... for the chief witness for the
state.

He deserves nothing but sympathy. We heard nothing but a slight noise. He felt nothing but despair. Mary's son gave her nothing but trouble.

Phrases and Word Combinations

smb' word against another's to get a square deal (a fair deal)

in private and in public in itself

stark naked (stark raving mad) no better (worse, etc.) than...

the (one's) remaining time to be reluctant to do smth (fml)

(money, etc.) (fml)

(at) one time or another (fml) (to be) half way (through, down,

up)

in part (fml) under the circumstances

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

1. smart a 1) quick in movement, brisk, as a smart walk
(pace, trot, etc.). He gave him a smart rap over the knuckles. 2)
clever, quick-witted, skilful, as a smart man (boy, lad, writer,
student, lawyer, businessman, talker); a smart idea (retort,
saying, device, invention, etc.). He's too smart for me. I can't
prove his guilt. You are smarter than I am, I suppose.

You know more about the world than I do. You've made a smart job of it 3) clever, often in an impudent way, shrewd, as а smart answer (reply, etc.). Don't get smart with me, young man, or I'll slap your face. 4) bright in appearance, new looking, as a smart house (car, garden, ship, etc.). They've painted their cottage yellow and it looks so smart. 5) elegant, as a smart dress (hal, shoes), smart clothes (society). I say, you do look smart.

a smart alec(k) an impudent person who thinks he is clever. He's a smart alcc(k).

smarten up v to get you act together. The manager told the workers!o smarten up and increase their weekly output.

2. exchange v giving one tiling and receiving another in its
place. That was a fair exchange. There was an exchange of
notes between the two countries. Our flat was small, so we got
an exchange.

in exchange. You've lost my book, so I'll take yours in exchange.

to get (give) smth in exchange (for smth). Roberta expected to get Fred's obedience in exchange for all her care. They were given a better flat in exchange for their old one.

exchange vt to give one thing and receive another thing for it, as to exchange glances (views, classes, greetings, opinions, prisoners, etc.). As the coat was a bad fit, he decided to exchange it Let's exchange seats.

to exchange words (blows) lo quarrel, to fight The boys exchanged blows and went their ways.

syn. swap / swop (inf.). I want to sit where you're sitting, we swap round? I'll swap you 3 of mine for one of yours.

3. guilt n. the fact of having done wrong. There is no evidence
of his guilt A strong sense of guilt was written all over his face.

a guilt complex. With such strict parents it's no surprise thai Ihe boy has a guilt complex.

Syn. blame. He is the kind of man who always tries to shift the blame onto Ihe others.

Syn. fault. She loves him in spite of his faults.

to find fault with smb (smth) to find smth wrong with smb. She's always finding fault (with every Syn. to pick on smb responsibility for smth wrong. Whose fault is it? It is entirely your fault that we are late.

through no fault of one's own. It happened through no fault of my own.

through no fault of mine (her, his, ours, etc.). Your Honour, I've been out of work through no fault of mine for two years.

Ant. merits

guilty a having committed a crime, having done wrong. It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.

Ant. innocent, guiltless

to be guilty of (doing) smth. The woman was guilty of giving false testimony.

to find smb guilty (innocent). The jury found the prisoner guilty.

(to have) a guilty look (smile, conscience, etc.). No matter how hard he tried to prove (hat he was innocent, his guilty look betrayed him.

to look (feel, sound, etc.) guilty. Though Tom did not look guilty, Aunt Polly was sure he was telling a lie.

to plead (not) guilty (not) to admit the charge at a law-court. Why should I plead guilty to something I didn't do? The defendant pleaded (not) guilty.

4. trust n I) belief in the goodness, justice, strength of a person or thing

to have (put, repose) trust in smb (smth). A child usually complete (perfect) trust in Ms mother. Put no trust him.

Ant. mistrust

2) a combination of business or commercial firms. "Shell
Oil" is a powerful oil trust

betray smb's trust, win smb's trust

trust vt/i 1) lo have faith and confidence in. 1 trust him completely. He's not a man to be (who is to be) trusted too far. Don't trust him an inch. I don't trust him at all.

to trust to chance (to luck). Don't trust to chance.

to trust to one's memory. A forgetful man should not trust to his memory but should write things down in his notebook.

3) to give into the care of Sun. to entrust

to entrust smb with smth (fml). Can I (en) trust the keys to Jack? We entrusted our life to a physician.

4) to give as a task or duty. I am afraid he is too young to be
entrusted with the job. Can we entrust ihe task to him? (Can we
entrust him with the task?

5) to allow a person without misgivings or feeling of doubt to do smth

to trust smb to do smth. Can we trust him to finish the experiment?

trustful a full of trust; not suspicious. It's a good thing to be trustful, but only up to a point.

Syn. (rusting

trustingly adv in a trustful manner. The child trustingly put his hand in mine.

trustworthy a worthy of trust; reliable. He is an honest and trustworthy fellow. You can always rely on him.

effect n 1) immediate result, that which is produced by a
cause. She turned pale at Ms words and he was frightened by
the effect they had produced.

to be of little (much, no) effect. The protest was of no effect, to be to no effect. My persuasion was (n no effect; she refused to go.

influence. The cMldren were suffering from the effects of
the heat. Scientists study the effect of chemicals on each other.

to have (produce) an effect on smb. I think the medicine will have no effect (a good effect) on Mm.

performance, execution, as to take effect, go into effect.
The law (treaty) will take effect in May.

to be in effect (o be in operation (of a rule or law). The law is still in effect.

to bring (carry) into effect (about a plan, a law, a decision). The plan was brought (carried) into effect.rtf

impression produced, as a pretty effect (of a painting);
wonderful cloud effects.

to be calculated for effect to be intended to impress people. His whole behaviour is calculated for effect.

to talk for effect to impress the hearers. Don't lay much store by Ms words, he only talked for effect

effective a 1) having effect (эффективный), as effective measures, an effective action, remedy. The method has proved effective. 2) producing a striking impression, as an effective picture (hat, scheme of decoration, etc.)

Ant. ineffective

efficient a competent, performing duties welt, as an efficient secretary (workman, officer, army, staff of teachers, etc.)

efficiently adv The business is efficiently run.

6) jerk vt/i to pull or move suddenly. The door jerked open.
The boy jerked the fish out of the water.

Ant. shove. He shoved the door open and walked in. The fisherman shoved the boat into the water.

Syn. twitch vt/i to move jerkily and usually uncontrollably, to pul! at smth with a sudden jerk. Jane's face twitched with, terror at the sight of the crazy woman. The wind twitched the paper out of her hand. Jane's long lip twitched angrily.

jerk n a sudden quick pull; spasmodic movement. The old car started with a jerk. The irain made a jerk and stopped.

physical jerks (cotioq.) physical exercises. Do you do your physical jerks regularly?

Ant. shove n a vigorous push. Fred gave the boat a shove which sent it far out into the water.

Syn. twitch n a sudden pull or jerk, a sudden and usually uncontrollable movement of some part of the body. The twitch of her lips suggested a state of extreme annoyance,

jerky adv (with sudden stops and starts). He walked down {he street in a queer jerky way. Ant. smooth, even

promote vt 1) to give higher position or rank. He promoted
lieutenant (or to be lieutenant). A pupil is promoted from one
form (grade, class) to the next if his ess is satisfactory. 2) to
encourage; to support; to help to grow or develop. We promoted
the campaign for banning nuclear tests. I think we ought to
promote that scheme.

promotion n 1) advancement to higher rank. He was given a promotion and an increase in salary. He hopes to gel (win, gain) a promotion soon. 2) support, helping along to success. The doctors were busy in the promotion of a health campaign.

8. sound a 1) healthy; in good condition, as a sound mind,
body, heart, person, constitution; sound teeth, fruit, etc. A sound
mind in a sound body. In spite of her age every tooth in her head
is sound. James Forsyte was composed of physiological mixture
so sound that if he had an earache he thought he was dying.

(as) sound as a bell quite healthy. There's nothing the matter with me, I'm as sound as a bell.

safe and sound not harmful or injured. We reached home safe and sound. Her father returned safe and sound from the war.

2) not worn out; free from injury or defect, as a sound ship, wine, wall, construction, machine, etc. The building is of sound construction. 3) dependable; reliable; free from error, as sound morals, views, people, relationships, criticism, common sense; a sound person, reason, etc. My friend gave me a piece of sound advice. Soames had a reputation for sound judgement. I am convinced that sound-thinking citizens will never vote for this

candidate. 4) safe, as a sound economy, business, business firm, financial position, investment, etc. The economy of the country is sound.

5) capable and careful; competent, as a sound lawyer, scholar, tennis player, etc. 6) complete; thorough, as a sound whipping (thrashing, flogging), sleep, knowledge, etc. I am such a sound sleeper that sometimes I don't hear the alarm clock.

soundly adv in a sound manner. I slept soundly all night.

9. stake n that which is pledged. In this dangerous affair
the stake was his own life.

to put smth at stake (very rare) to expose to the possibility of injury or loss. The accusation put the man's life at stake.

to be at stake to be risked. Keith Darrant knew that his own career was at stake. I cannot do it, my reputation is at stake.

stake v to stake one's life on smth. I know he is guilty but I wouldn't stake my life on it

10. look v; also, look here inter} used for drawing attention
before making a statement, often angry. Look,! don't mind you
borrowing my books, but you ought to ask me first

to look about to look in several different directions. Looking about (the room) I could see no sign of life.

to look down on/upon to have or show low opinion. The school looks down on such behaviour.

to look on to watch instead of doing something. Two men stole the jewels while a large crowd looked on.

to look out to take care. You'll catch cold if you don't look out.

one's own look-out (infml) smb's own concern or responsibility. It's your own look-out whether you pass or fail.

to look up (infml) to find and visit someone. If I'm ever here on business again I'll look you up.

to look up to to respect someone. Every child needs someone to look up to and copy.

EXERCISE I. Read and translate the words:

a) Unanimous, corroborative, appreciation, naked, aridity,
iota, subsequent, contraband, sheriff, circumstantial, persevering,
unmitigated, aisle, exit, caliber, perspire, distaff, executive,
inferiority, gavel, conduct (v, n)

b) Listen to your partners' reading of the above exercise.
Correct their mistakes.

EXERCISE II. Read and translate the following phrases:

Where a man ought lo get a square deal; the enormity of her offense; so long in a case like that; putting a man's life at stake; the jury seemed to be attentive; to get rid of her own guilt; no doubt signing it with his left hand; while men cheat black men; and placed them on the table; I was reluctant to take off my eyes; received almost unanimous critical acclaim; unbuttoned his vest, loosened his tie; it came crashing down on her afterwards; one more thing before I quit; watching Atticus walk into the street; indicted on a capital charge

EXERCISE III. Read and translate the following sentences: I. When Judge Taylor appointed Alticus Finch, an experienced smart lawyer and a very clever man, he was sure that Atticus would not win the case, he could not win it... 2. "In our courts, when it is a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins." 3. "... whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash..." 4. "The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this court-room is." 5. "I have nothing but pily in my heart for the chief witness for the state." 6. "We know al! men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe — some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they were horn with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others, some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men."

EXERCISE IV. Complete the following sentences: 1. No matter who he is, he.... 2. No matter who told you that.... 3.... no matter who you are. 4. No matter what I do.... 5. No matter what it may seem.... 6. No matter how well he knows the facts.... 7. No matter how fine the weather was.... 8.... no matter what it might be. 9. No matter how hard she tried.... 10. I feel nothing but.... II. The girl was conscious of nothing but.... 12. They were afraid they would have nothing but....

EXERCISE V. Translate the following sentences into English using the phrases and word combinations:

1. Прежде чем давать показания, свидетель поклялся, что будет говорить только правду, 2. Само по себе его предложе­ние интересно, но оно не лучше вашего. 3. Я хочу использовать оставшееся время, чтобы обсудить с вами этот вопрос с глазу на глаз. 4. Надо быть совершенно сумасшедшим, чтобы отка-

заться от такой о возможности. — Я частично с вами согласен, но при данных обстоятельствах мне не хотелось ею воспользо­ваться. 5. Вы выступаете против того, что утверждает он, но это все слова, вы не приводите никаких доказательств. 6. В чем вы его обвиняете? — Он солгал и не желает в этом при­знаться, что плохо само по себе; более того, он упорно продол­жает повторять эту ложь.

7. Не делайте замечание своему сыну при людях, погово­рите с ним наедине. 8. Финч хотел, чтобы с обвиняемым по­
ступили справедливо.

EXERCISE VI. Answer the questions:

a) 1. Where is the scene set? 2. What was Tom Robinson charged with? 3. Why did Judge Taylor appoint Atticus Pinch to defend him? 4. In what way did Atticus Finch speak to the jury and why? 5. What did Atticus Finch say about the case? 6. What did Atticus Finch say about Mayella Ewell? 7. What did the girl do to get rid of her own guilt?

8. What were the witnesses for the state sure of when giving
their testimony? 9. What was the evil assumption of the witnesses
for the state? 10. What did Atticus Finch say about people not
being created equal? 11. Why didn't Atticus Finch believe firmly
in the integrity of their courts and in the jury system?

EXERCISE VII. Give a summary of the text.

EXERCISE VIII. Retell the text a) close to the text; b) as if yon were one of the characters present in the court-room.

EXERCISE IX. Make up and act out dialogues between:

1.Atticus Finch and Judge Taylor before the trial.

2.Atticus Finch and Judge Taylor after the trial.

3.Scout and Jem discussing the trial.