Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich - Чехов Антон Павлович
Taganrog - Таганрог
Motley Stories - Пестрые рассказы
Ivanov - Иванов
Ward No. 6 - Палата № 6
The Seagull - Чайка Uncle
Vanya - Дядя Ваня
the Alexandrinsky Theatre - Александрийский театр
the Moscow Art Theatre - Московский Художественный театр
The Three Sisters - Три сестры
the Crimea - Крым
The Cherry Orchard - Вишневый сад
in my opinion - по-моему
dramatist - драматург
humorous stories - юмористические рассказы
medicine - медицина
lifetime - (вся) жизнь
to be proud of- гордиться чем-либо
sketch - зарисовка, набросок
comic - комический
to support - поддерживать, содержать
volume - том
to attract attention - привлечь внимание
to contribute - сотрудничать (в газете, журнале), писать (для газеты, журнала)
regularly - регулярно
established - признанный, известный
to develop - развивать
a style of one's own - собственный стиль
to give up - бросить, отказаться (от чего-либо)
vein - стиль, направление
from then on - с тех пор, с той поры, с того времени
to concentrate on - концентрироваться, сосредоточиваться
tuberculosis – туберкулез (сокр. форма: ТВ)
estate - поместье
one-act comedy - одноактная комедия
masterpiece – шедевр
it was a complete failure - пьеса провалилась
dull - скучный, монотонный
clumsy - неуклюжий, грубый, неудачный
production - постановка
It was a cruel blow to Chekhov. - Это был страшный удар для Чехова.
to perform - исполнять, играть
to go from bad to worse - ухудшаться, становиться все хуже и хуже
spa - курорт (с минеральными водами)
to produce - ставить (о пьесе)
first night - премьера
immense - огромный
influence - влияние
drama - драма
generation - поколение
to imitate - подражать
to perfect - совершенствовать .
literary - литературный
5.9.9 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text
1 Do you like Chekhov's humorous stories?
2 When and where was he born?
3 When did he begin writing his first humorous sketches?
4 Who helped Chekhov in his writing career?
5 What made Chekhov move to Melikhovo?
6 The Seagull was first staged in the Alexandrinsky Theatre. Why was it a complete failure?
7 What was Chekhov's last play?
8 Do you know any English or American writers who were influenced by Chekhov?
5.9.10 Text. Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov, an outstanding scientist and public figure, was born on the 21st of May,: 1921, into the family of teachers. He graduated from Moscow University in 1942. In 1947 he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Science. In 1953 he defended his Doctorate thesis and was elected member of the Academy of Sciences.
When he was a graduate student Sakharov began to work on the Soviet nuclear weapons programme and soon he suggested a totally new idea for a hydrogen bomb design. But he was getting more and more worried about the consequences of his work. He understood better than anybody else what nuclear weapons meant and he thought about his own responsibility and about the responsibility of the states which possessed such weapons.
In 1968 he wrote an article attacking Soviet political system. He wrote that people needed a democratic society, free of dogmatism.
Sakharov is often called the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, but he became more known as a champion for human rights and freedom. For this work the Nobel Committee awarded him the Peace Prize in 1975. The Committee called him "the conscience of mankind". The Soviet authorities, however, did not allow him to go to Norway to receive the award.
In 1966 he took part in his first human rights demonstration, a one-minute silent protest in Pushkin Square. A year later, he wrote a letter to Communist Party leader Leonid Brezhnev defending imprisoned dissidents.
His international repute as a scientist kept him out of jail, but in 1980 when he protested against Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, he was deprived of all his titles and orders and exiled to the city of Gorky. In 1986 Michail Gorbachev invited Sahkarov to return to Moscow. He was given back all his titles and orders.
Andrei Sakharov died in 1989. He is remembered by everybody as an outstanding humanist, who could teach and inspire and who foresaw the changes that are taking place now.
5.9.11 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words
Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov - Андрей Дмитриевич Сахаров
the Academy of Sciences - Академия наук
Nobel Committee - Нобелевский комитет
Peace Prize - Премия мира
Norway - Норвегия
Afghanistan - Афганистан
Gorky - г. Горький
outstanding - выдающийся
public figure - общественный деятель
to defend one's thesis - защищать диссертацию
degree of Candidate of Science -ученая степень кандидата наук
Doctorate thesis - докторская диссертация
to elect - выбирать, избирать
graduate student - студент-старшекурсник
nuclear weapons - ядерное оружие
to suggest - предложить
totally - полностью, совершенно
hydrogen bomb - водородная бомба
design - конструкция
consequence - последствие
responsibility - ответственность
to possess - владеть
to attack - нападать, критиковать
democratic - демократический
dogmatism - догматизм
champion - защитник, борец
human rights - права человека
to award - награждать, присуждать
conscience - совесть
mankind - человечество
authorities - власти
protest - протест;
to protest - протестовать
to defend - защищать
to imprison - заключать в тюрьму
dissident - диссидент
repute - репутация
jail - тюрьма
intervention – насильственное вмешательство, интервенция
to deprive of - лишать чего-либо
title - зд. титул, звание
order - орден
to exile - ссылать, изгонять
humanist - гуманист
to inspire - вдохновлять, воодушевлять
to foresee (foresaw, foreseen) - предвидеть
5.9.12 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text
1 When was Andrei Sakharov born?
2 What were his parents?
3 What university did he graduate from? When?
4 What is Sakharov famous for as a scientist?
5 When did he defend his Doctorate thesis?
6 What conclusion did he come to while working on the bomb?
7 When did he take part in his first human rights demonstration?
8 What prize was he awarded?
9 Why was he exiled to Gorky?
10 Who helped him to come back to Moscow?
11 Why is Sakharov known all over the world?