Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Pickwick’s Papers
Charles Dickens’s books are read by all - by learned and simple, by rich and poor alike. The chief cause of his popularity is the great-heartedness of Dickens. He was one who loved his fellow-men. His kindly, humorous, understanding eye looked with tolerance on good and bad alike. His characters are more real to us than the characters of any other novelist, English or foreign.
In 1833 the first book by Ch. Dickens under the title «Sketches by Boz» was published. In 1836 «Pickwick Papers» were published, and Dickens became famous at once. The story was rather strange. A firm of publishers, «Chapman and Hall», had a number of pictures by a humorous artist, Seymor. They wanted to get some short articles to illustrate them and to publish in a magazine in fortnightly parts. Someone suggested that the young newspaper reporter, Charles Dickens, could do the job. It was a job after his own heart, and Dickens accepted the offer. He only asked for more freedom in writing than had been planned. The publishers agreed - and so «Pickwick Papers» came into being. For the first fortnightly part of the book the publishers printed 400 copies. But such was its popularity that for Part 15 more than 40 000 copies had to be printed. At one stride Dickens became the most popular living novelist.
The book is about Mr. Pickwick and his three friends, Mr. Tupman, Mr. Snodgrass, and Mr. Winkle. Mr. Pickwick is a stout, good-natured, very simple-hearted old gentleman. He is the General Chairman of the Pickwick Club, and he and his friends decide to travel about England and send to the Pickwick Club in London an account of their journeys. The humour of the book consists chiefly in the awkward situations that Mr. Pickwick and his friends get themselves into. They are deceived, put into prison for debt, etc. Though we laugh at Mr. Pickwick, we in fact love him all the more. That is what we mean by «humour». Mr. Pickwick is perhaps the greatest comic figure in English literature.
Topical Vocabulary
Answer the questions:
- What is the chief cause of Dickens’s popularity?
- What is the story of publishing «Pickwick’s Papers»?
- What is the book about?
- What does the humour of the book consist in?
- Why is Mr. Pickwick the greatest comic figure in English literature?
Translate into English:
- Главная причина популярности Чарльза Диккенса в том, что он с терпимостью относится к людям.
- Книги этого знаменитого писателя-романиста читают все - образованные и необразованные, богатые и бедные.
- Когда были опубликованы «Записки Пиквикского клуба», Диккенс в одно мгновение стал самым популярным писателем того времени.
- Одна издательская фирма предложила Диккенсу написать тексты к комическим картинкам.
- Работа пришлась Диккенсу по сердцу, и он принял предложение.
- Популярность первых частей «Пиквикского клуба» была так велика, что часть 15 была напечатана в 40 000 экземплярах.
- Мистер Пиквик, простодушный и добрый пожилой джентльмен, был председателем Пиквикского клуба.
- Мистер Пиквик и его друзья посылали в Пиквикский клуб отчеты о своих путешествиях и ситуациях, в которые они попадали.
- Мы любим Пиквика, хотя и смеемся над ним.
Посмотреть ответы
2. The books by this famous novelist are read by all - by learned and simple, rich and poor alike.
3. When «Pickwick Papers» were published, at one stride Dickens became the most popular living novelist.
4. A firm of publishers suggested that Dickens could write texts to illustrate humorous pictures.
5. This was a job after his own heart, and he accepted the offer.
6. Such was the popularity of the first parts of Pickwick’s Papers, that part 15 was printed in 40 000 copies.
7. Mr. Pickwick, a simple-hearted and good-natured old gentleman, was the General Chairman of the Pickwick club.
8. Mister Pickwick and his friends sent to the Pickwick Club accounts of their journeys and of the situations they got themselves into.
9. We love Mr. Pickwick, though we laugh at him.