Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Ray Bradbury

Ray Douglas Bradbury, a prominent American science fiction writer, was born in the Illinois in 1920, but mostly lived in Los Angeles, California. There he graduated from high school, where he put out a school magazine entitled «Future Fantasies». His first story was published in 1941. Since then he has got many national awards and won world-wide recognition. Among his works we find «Dark Carnival» (1947), «The Martian Chronicles» (1950), «Fahrenheit 451°» (1953) and a lot of others. Most of his publications are volumes of collected short stories. Ray Bradbury has also excelled himself as the author of TV and radio plays.

Bradbury’s works belong to science fiction, that is fiction in which scientific discoveries and developments form an element of the plot or the background. Besides, very often works of science fiction are based on future possibilities. In science fiction the impossible is presented as possible. A science fiction writer may carry his characters, and consequently the reader, into remote future and prehistoric past or to unknown worlds.

The beginning of science fiction is associated with the names of Joule Verne in France, Herbert Wells in Britain, Edgar Poe in the United States. The first decades were marked by the increase of science fiction production. Gradually it formed a branch of fiction of its own. Its final establishment as a literary genre was completed in the middle of the century after World War II, thanks to scientific discoveries of the time.

Themes of Ray Bradbury’s writing are extremely various, they comprise earthly affairs and space travelling. His literary credo is «to make the commonplace miraculous, to make the miraculous commonplace», for «there is a bit of the known in the unknown». This approach enables Bradbury to remain a realistic writer, no matter how fantastic the plots or backgrounds of his stories may be. He is not so much interested in technology and scientific developments as in man’s psychology. His dreams of the future are actually warnings; his books are noted for their psychological approach to his characters.

Topical Vocabulary

- a prominent science fiction writer
выдающийся писатель-фантаст
to put out a magazine entitled
выпускать журнал под названием
to be published
быть опубликованным
to get national awards
получить национальные награды
to win world-wide recognition
завоевать всемирное признание
a volume of collected short stories
сборник коротких рассказов
to excel oneself as
блестяще проявить себя в качестве (кого-либо)
- science fiction
научная фантастика
scientific discoveries and developments
научные открытия и достижения науки
to form an element of the plot or the background
составлять элемент сюжета или фона
to carry a character into remote future and prehistoric past or to unknown worlds
перенести героя книги в далекое будущее, доисторическое прошлое или неизведанные миры
- to be marked by smth.
характеризоваться чем-либо
the increase of science fiction production
увеличение выпуска научно-фантастической литературы
establishment as a literary genre
утверждение в качестве литературного жанра
- to comprise earthly affairs and space travelling
охватывать земные дела и космические путешествия
one’s literary credo
литературное кредо
to make the commonplace miraculous
сделать обычное чудесным
to be noted for psychological approach to smth.
отличаться психологизмом подхода к чему-либо

Answer the questions:

  1. What is Ray Bradbury famous for?
  2. What are Ray Bradbury’s most popular works?
  3. What literary genre do Bradbury’s works belong to?
  4. How can science fiction be defined?
  5. How was science fiction established as a literary genre?
  6. What are the major themes of Bradbury’s writing?
  7. What is Bradbury interested in?

Translate into English:

  1. Рэй Брэдбери, выдающийся американский писатель-фантаст, был награжден несколькими национальными наградами и завоевал всемирное признание.
  2. В произведениях научной фантастики научные открытия и достижения составляют элемент сюжета или фона.
  3. В научной фантастике, основанной на возможностях будущего, невозможное выступает как возможное.
  4. Увеличение количества произведений научной фантастики закончилось образованием отдельного литературного жанра.
  5. Окончательно научная фантастика оформилась как жанр благодаря научным открытиям XX века.
  6. Темы творчества Брэдбери охватывают путешествия в космическом пространстве и земные дела.
  7. Брэдбери больше интересует психология человека, чем достижения науки и техники.
  8. Мечты Брэдбери о будущем - это предупреждение.