V. Make up a dialogue on the following situation, get ready to reproduce it.

You have to hire a taxi because you are hurrying to the port. Ask a passer-by where the taxi-stand is. Hire a taxi, explain the driver where you want to get. Ask him to drive faster. Don’t forget to pay.

 

VI. Compose a story about your ship. Use the following words and expressions:

To be launched; draught; the navigating bridge; wheelhouse; hold; cargo-handling facilities; accommodations; air conditioning system; engine-room, comfortable.

 

VII. Home-reading. Read and translate orally and do all tasks in written form.

HARDER

by EDWARD L. BEACH

Edward L. Beach was born in New York in 1918. During World War II he commanded an American submarine. He wrote a book about submarine warfare and some sea stories.

Here are some extracts from his book Submarine!

On May 26, 1944, Harden departed from Fremantle, Australia. Shortly after sunset of the first day in the operating area a convoy was sighted and Harder gave chase. The moon came out during the pursuit, the convoy changed course, and soon it became that the enemy had detected the submarine. The nearest destroyer emitted clouds of black smoke, put on full speed, and began heading directly for her — and there was nothing left to do but run for it.

At full speed Harder could barely exceed 19 knots. The range rapidly reduced to 10,000 yards, then 9,000, then 8,500 — at which point Sam Dealey, the skipper, pulled the plug out from under his ship and dropped her neatly to periscope depth.

The moment the ship was under water, the submarine altered course to the left, drawing away from the path down which she had been running.

But the destroyer suspected nothing, came on furiously down the broad wake left by the sub, blundered right across her stern, and was greeted with two torpedoes which hit him under the bow and under the bridge, and broke his back.

With his bow torn nearly off and gaping holes throughout his stricken hull, the Jap’s stern rose vertically in the air. Clouds of smoke, spray, and steam enveloped him.

Less than two minutes after the detonations of the torpedoes, the long black hull of the submarine boiled to the surface.

Late forenoon of the next day Harder's crew was still resting from the hard previous evening. The ship was patrolling submerged, and everything appeared to be calm and peaceful, when the musical "Bong! Bong! Bong" of the general alarm was heard. The word flashed almost instantly through the ship: “Another destroyer!”

That was a fast one. There had been a slight haze on the surface and the range at sighting was 4,000 yards, angle on the bow port twenty. Harder turned and headed toward the enemy, preparing all torpedo tubes as she did so. At 3,000 yards the destroyer turned and headed directly toward the submarine as though he had sighted the periscope in the glassy smooth sea. He had detected the submarine.

The range closed quickly — 2,000 yards; 1,500 yards; 1,000 yards. Standby forward! Standby one! Angle on the bow ten port, increasing. Angle on the bow port twenty, range, 700 yards.

"Bearing — mark," snapped the skipper. "Standby!" The torpedo officer on the TDC made an instantaneous check of his instrument and observed that the target bearing on the TDC was exactly the same as the periscope bearing.

"Set!" he snapped back at his skipper.

"Fire!" One after the other two torpedoes streamed out toward the destroyer.

Almost simultaneously a heavy explosion was felt by everyone in the submarine.

With full speed Harder had already started to gather way through the water and turn away from the destroyer. Clouds of smoke, steam, and debris rose from the stricken enemy high over the tops of his masts. He was so near that he continued coming, although his directive force and power were both gone, and Harder had to get clear.

Usually, when a submarine failed to return from patrol, there were rumors, wild theories, sometimes a Japanese claim of a sinking, but rarely anything concrete to explain what had happened. Harder was an exception, for she operated in a wolf pack during her sixth and last patrol, and another vessel actually witnessed and reported the circumstances of her loss.

On the morning of August 24, 1944, Harder dived off the west coast of Luzon, in company with Hake. Dealey had decided to make a reconnaissance in this area in the hope that it might give results comparable to those he had achieved only three days before when, as commander of a five-boat pack, he had engaged two convoys in a fierce battle, sinking in all ten ships, and driving the rest into harbour.

Shortly after daybreak on the fateful August 24, two escort-type vessels of about one thousand tons each were sighted. Both submarines immediately began approaching for an attack. However, the larger of the two ships suddenly turned away and entered Dasel Bay. The other stayed outside, and at this time Hake broke off the attack. Harder, however, held on, and Hake sighted her periscope crossing in front, passing between Hake and the convoy and the enemy vessel. The skipper maneuvered Harder between the other two vessels with the result that the Jap, naturally enough, took off after him instead of after Hake. According to the latter's report, the enemy vessel showed some confusion, probably because of the two targets where he had suspected no more than one. It must be pointed out, however, that the enemy vessel was a small anti-submarine type, and that the skipper of the Harder had several times come off victorious in encounters with much more formidable ships. Of the two submarines, Harder was doubtless the better trained and equipped to fight with this particular enemy.

With Hake a fascinated spectator, the Jap made his run. Possibly Harder fired at him, though Hake heard no torpedo on her sound gear. The enemy came on over Sam Dealey, and suddenly dropped fifteen depth charges. Harder's periscope was never seen again after that, nor were her screws heard again.

According to the Japanese report of the incident, the periscope of a submarine was seen at about two thousand yards, and a depth charge attack was immediately delivered. After this single attack, a huge fountain of oil appeared on the surface, and considerable quantities of bits of wood, cork, and other debris came up.

So perished a gallant ship, a gallant captain, and a gallant crew.

 

Ex. I. Answer the following questions:

1. What kind of ship was the Harder?

2. Who was the captain of the Harder?

3. What was her war record?

4. What happened on August 24, 1944?

5. What other submarine accompanied the Harder on that day?

6. Which of these boats was better trained and equipped?

 

Ex. II. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Автор этого рассказа, Бич, был моряком.

2. Он командовал американской подводной лодкой во время второй мировой войны.

3. Скорость подводной лодки «Хардер» едва превышала 19 узлов.

4. Вражеское судно, которое потопило «Хардер», было японским.

 

A SEA CHANGE

by FRANK T. BULLEN

Bullen, Frank Thomas (1857-1915), is an English writer of sea stories. He was born in London in a worker's family. Bullen and his sister lived with their aunt. The death of their aunt turned him on the streets at the age of 9. After 3 years' work as an errand boy he shipped as a cabin boy. At the age of 30 he began to work at the Morning Leader.

Night was coming. The brig was an old one, whose owner was poor. So she had been gradually going from bad to worse. Being a smart model and newly painted, she looked rather attractive when Captain South first saw her lying in the St. Katherine's Docks. Poor man, the command of her meant so much to him. Long out of employment, friendless and poor, he had invested a tiny legacy, just fallen to his wife, in the vessel as the only means whereby he could obtain command of even such a poor specimen of a vessel as the Dorothea.

In order to avoid expense, he lived on board while in dock. The first piece of bad news came when the Dorothea was chartered to carry a cargo of railway iron and machinery to Buenos Aires. With Mary, his wife, on board — the thought was paralysing. A wooden vessel, even of the best construction, burdened with those rigid lengths of solid metal, is like a living creature on the rack, in spite of the most careful stowage. Captain South already knew that the Dorothea was far from being staunch and well-built.

In the selection of his crew he had been unusually careful. Five seamen were all that he was allowed, the vessel being only 500 tons burden, two officers beside himself, and one man for the double function of cook and steward. Therefore, he sought to secure the best possible according to his judgement, and really succeeded in getting a strong little crew. His chief comfort, however, was in his second mate, who was a Finn — one of the phlegmatic race from the eastern shore of the Baltic who seem to inherit not only a natural talent for a sea life, but also the ability to build ships, make sails and rigging, do blacksmithing, etc. — all, in fact, that is necessary on a ship. In Olaf Svensen, then, the skipper felt he had a tower of strength. The mate was a young Londoner, smart and trustworthy. The other six members of the crew — two Englishmen and three Scandinavians — were good seamen.

It was late in October when they sailed, and they had no sooner put to sea than they were greeted by a strong northwester. For fourteen days they fought their way inch by inch down the Channel, when a hard northeaster drove them clear of the land and 300 miles out into the Atlantic. Then a calm fell. Three days it lasted—days that brought no comfort to the skipper. Then one evening there began to rise in the west the familiar sign so dear to homeward-bounders, so dreaded by outward-going ships — the dense dome of cloud uplifted to receive the setting sun. The skipper watched its growth until at midnight it had risen to be a vast screen, hiding one-half of the deep blue sky. The first moaning breath of the coming gale roused him almost as soon as it reached the ship, and as the watchful Svensen gave his first order, they tried to get the Dorothea into that position where she would be best able to stem the rising sea. Silent and anxious, Captain South hung with one elbow over the edge of the companion, his keen hearing taking note of every complaint made by the trembling timbers beneath his feet.

All that his long experience could suggest for the safety of his vessel was put into practice. By eight bells (4 a. m.) the brig showed nothing to the darkness above but the two gaunt masts, with their ten bare yards tightly braced up against the lee backstays. A tiny weather-cloth of canvas only a yard square was stopped in the weather main rigging, its small area amply sufficing to keep the brig’s head up in the wind. There was little said, and only a few looks exchanged. The skipper had, indeed, to meet the pale face of his wife, but she dared not put her fear into words, or he bring himself to tell her that except for a miracle their case was hopeless. He seldom left the deck.

So passed a night and a day of such length that the ceaseless tumult of wind and wave had become normal. Svensen had been preparing their only serviceable boat by stocking her with food, water, etc. The skipper had watched him with a dull eye but felt satisfaction at the evidence of his second mate’s forethought. For all hope of the Dorothea's weathering the gale was now completely gone. Midnight brought a calm, as deep as if there had been no wind, but the old swell still came marching on, making the doomed brig heave clumsily as it passed her. The day broke in perfect splendour, cloudless and pure, with the sun shining brightly. But into that solitary circle, whereof the brig was the centre, came no friendly glint of sails, no welcome strain of trailing smoke across the clear blue. But the calm gave opportunity for a careful launching of the boat. Hardly a word was spoken as the little company left the ship's side and entered the boat. A few faint splashes were heard as the oars rose and fell, and the boat grided away. At a cable's length they ceased pulling, and turned upon the brig. In a painful strained hush, they saw her bow as if bidding good-bye. Silently she disappeared.

Very peacefully passed the night, no sound invading the stillness except the regular plash of the oars. At dawn rowing ceased for a time. Svensen broke that scared quiet by a shout of "Sailho!", and all presently saw, with the vigilant Finn, the unmistakable outlines of a vessel. No order was given or needed. The oars gripped the water, and with a steady rush the boat sped eastward towards that vision of salvation. Even the skipper's face lost its dull shade of hopelessness, in spite of his loss, as he saw the haggard lines relax from Mary's face. Quite a cheerful buzz of chat arose. Hour after hour, the boat sped onward over the bright smoothness. After four hours of extremely hard labour they were near enough to see that she was a steamer lying still, with no trace of smoke from her funnel. As they drew nearer they saw that she had a heavy list to port, and presently came the suggestion that she was deserted. Hopes began to rise, weariness was forgotten, and the oars rose and fell as if driven by steam, until they rounded to under the stern of a schooner-rigged steamer of about 2000 tons burden, without a boat in her davits, and her lee rail nearly at the water's edge. Running alongside, a rope trailing overboard was caught, and the boat made fast. In two minutes every man but the skipper was on board. The discovery was soon made that, although the decks had been swept and the cargo evidently shifted, the engines and boilers were in perfect order except that there was much water in the stokehold. She was evidently Italian by her name, the Luigi C., and her crew must have deserted her in a sudden panic.

 

Ex. I. Answer the following questions:

1. What kind of ship was the Dorothea?

2. What can you say about the captain?

3. What cargo was the Dorothea chartered to carry?

4. What happened to the ship on her way to the portofdestination?

5. How did it happen that the crew did not perish?

 

Ex. II. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Оно могло перевозить только около 500 тонн груза.

2. Все члены экипажа остались живы.

3. Они спустили на воду единственную лодку, нагруженную пресной водой и продуктами.

4. Рано утром они увидели итальянское судно, которое в панике покинула команда.

5. Команда погибшего судна «Доротея» благополучно добралась до Лондона.

 

Вариант

Test paper

 

I. Give the equivalents of the following expressions:

идти под флагом, порт захода, управлять судном, размещать груз, трап,

плавучий маяк, фрахтовать судно, буксир.

II. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Лишь высококвалифицированные моряки могут исполнять свои обязанности должным образом.

2. Вахтенный делал записи в бортовом журнале, когда вошел боцман.

3. Докеры разгружали судно, в то время как мы красили корпус судна.

4. Капитан приказал сбросить скорость.

5. В следующем году эти кадеты собираются работать в рубке в качестве рулевых.

6. Капитан решил изменить курс и стать на якорь в ближайшем порту.

7. Весь груз был упакован в деревянные ящики.

8. Крен произошел из-за того, что груз был плохо закреплен в порту отхода.

 

III. Read the text and translate it in writing:

The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. Although Australia is often loosely said to have been discovered by Royal Navy Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook in 1770, he was merely one of a number of European explorers to have sighted and landed on the continent prior to English settlement, and he did so 164 years after the first such documented encounter. Nor did the exploration of Australia end with Cook; explorers by land and sea continued to survey the continent for many years after settlement.

The first records of European mariners sailing into 'Australian' waters occurs around 1606, and includes their observations of the land known as Terra Australis Incognita (unknown southern land). The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutchman, Willem Janszoon.

Between 1606 and 1770, the estimated 54 European ships from a range of nations made contact. Many of these were merchant ships from the Dutch East Indies Company and included the ships of Abel Tasman. Tasman charted parts of the north, west and south coasts of Australia which was then known as New Holland.

In 1770, Englishman Lieutenant James Cook charted the Australian east coast in his ship HM Barque Endeavour. Cook claimed the east coast under instruction from King George III of England on 22 August 1770 at Possession Island, naming eastern Australia 'New South Wales'. The coast of Australia, featuring Tasmania as a separate island, was mapped in detail by the English mariners and navigators Bass and Flinders, and the French mariner, Baudin. A nearly completed map of the coastline was published by Flinders in 1814.

IV. Answer the questions:

1. Who was the first seafarer who discovered the coasts of Australia?

2. What parts of Australia did Tasman chart?

3. When and by whom was the first map published?