Короткий английский текст для практики чтения и перевода.
There was little in this man’s background to foreshadow his eventual fame. He was the son of a prosperous landowner in New York State, and like so many sons of wealthy fathers he showed no real desire for a career of his own. He was sent to Yale, but soon got into some kind of trouble and was expelled from school. So he shipped out to sea on a merchant vessel, where he spent the next year. He found the life at sea to his liking and joined the United States Navy, spending five years in the service. After leaving the navy he returned to New York, got married and settled down to the life of a country squire.
Always fond of books, he would often read aloud to his wife. One evening, while reading an English novel, he impatiently threw the book aside and said, «I could write you a better book than that myself.» His wife merely laughed at him, so to prove his point, he actually wrote a story. It turned out so well that he decided to try a novel, but the result was less than encouraging. He had given his story an English setting, for this brand-new nation was still under the influence of British authors such as Sir Walter Scott, whose Ivanhoe was at the peak of its popularity.
The country gentleman-turned author was not discouraged. He decided to make a second attempt, only this time he would write an American novel, calling on his own background and experiences. His tale of the Revolution, published in 1821, became an instant success, not only in the USA, but around the world as well.
Now he began to write in earnest, awakening an interest in America all over the world with his romantic tales of the early American frontier. He wrote stories about the rugged backwoodsmen who had struggled against the land to create a new nation out of a wilderness. This man, who had never written anything until he was thirty years old, produced such classics as The Deerslayer, The Pathfinder, The Last of the Mohicans, and many more. He was James Fenimore Cooper, America’s first great novelist.
| There was little in this man’s background to foreshadow his eventual fame. He was the son of a prosperous landowner in New York State, and like so many sons of wealthy fathers he showed no real desire for a career of his own. | Мало что в происхождении этого человека предвещало его возможную славу. Он был сыном процветающего землевладельца в штате Нью-Йорк и, как многие сыновья богатых отцов, он не проявлял желания делать собственную карьеру. | |
| He was sent to Yale, but soon got into some kind of trouble and was expelled from school. So he shipped out to sea on a merchant vessel, where he spent the next year. | Он был отправлен в Йель, но вскоре попал в неприятности и был отчислен из учебного заведения. Так, он отправился в море на торговом судне, на котором он провел следующий год. | |
| He found the life at sea to his liking and joined the United States Navy, spending five years in the service. After leaving the navy he returned to New York, got married and settled down to the life of a country squire. | Жизнь на море пришлась ему по душе, и он вступил в морфлот Соединенных Штатов, проведя пять лет на службе. Покинув морфлот, он вернулся в Нью-Йорк, женился и начал жизнь сельского помещика. | |
| Always fond of books, he would often read aloud to his wife. One evening, while reading an English novel, he impatiently threw the book aside and said, «I could write you a better book than that myself.» | Всегда любящий книги, он часто читал вслух своей жене. Однажды, читая английский роман, он в негодовании откинул книгу в сторону и сказал: «Я сам могу написать тебе книгу получше этой». | |
| His wife merely laughed at him, so to prove his point, he actually wrote a story. It turned out so well that he decided to try a novel, but the result was less than encouraging. | Его жена просто над ним посмеялась, и для доказательства своих слов он действительно написал рассказ. Он вышел настолько хорош, что он решил попробовать роман, но результат оказался менее, чем обнадеживающим. | |
| He had given his story an English setting, for this brand-new nation was still under the influence of British authors such as Sir Walter Scott, whose Ivanhoe was at the peak of its popularity. | Он поместил место действие своей истории в Англию, так как его совершенно новая нация был все еще под влиянием британских авторов, таких как Вальтер Скотт, у которого Айвенго переживал пик популярности. | |
| The country gentleman-turned author was not discouraged. He decided to make a second attempt, only this time he would write an American novel, calling on his own background and experiences. | Но достопочтенный деревенский автор не был обескуражен. Он решился на вторую попытку, но в этот раз написав американский роман, обращаясь к собственному жизненному фону и опыту. | |
| His tale of the Revolution, published in 1821, became an instant success, not only in the USA, but around the world as well. | Его рассказ о революции, опубликованный в 1821 году, приобрел мгновенный успех не только в США, но и во всем мире. | |
| Now he began to write in earnest, awakening an interest in America all over the world with his romantic tales of the early American frontier. | Теперь он начал писать по-серьезному, пробуждая интерес к Америке во всем мире своими романтическими рассказами о ранней американской земле. | |
| He wrote stories about the rugged backwoodsmen who had struggled against the land to create a new nation out of a wilderness. | Он написал рассказы о крепких обитателей лесной глуши, которые боролись с условиями, чтобы из непролазных дебрей создать поселение. | |
| This man, who had never written anything until he was thirty years old, produced such classics as The Deerslayer, The Pathfinder, The Last of the Mohicans, and many more. He was James Fenimore Cooper, America’s first great novelist. | Этот человек, который никогда не писал ничего до тридцати лет, создал такие классические вещи как Зверобой, Следопыт, Последний из Могикан и многие другие. Это был Джеймс Фенимор Купер, первый великий американский романист. | |
From «Americas Great» by Gene Moss