Вызовите, пожалуйста, такси.

The taxi is at the door.

Такси у подъезда.

prepared our breakfast, broke up camp, and started on our way.

B. You had pretty much to carry with you, hadn’t you?

G. Oh, we took only things of necessity, of course. We stowed them away in our rucksacks.

B. Did you cook your own meals?

G. Yes, we did. But when on the move⁵ one has to keep cooking and washing up to the smallest amount possible, you know, otherwise he’d find himself breakfasting at 3 a.m. having dinner at four or five —.

B. And never getting round to supper at all, eh?

G. Quite right. The concentrated type of food comes in very handy in such cases.

B. It does, indeed. Besides it’s tasty, nourishing, varied and easy to cook, isn’t it?

G. Yes, a concentrated soup can be prepared even on a methylated spirit stove⁶.

B. Whom did you go with, if I may ask?

G. There were four of us, three men and a girl.

B. A girl on a tour like that?

G. Why, what fault do you find with girls?

B. As a rule girls are awful drags on such long tours.

G. There you are wrong, I dare say. You wouldn’t believe it, but in many things she did better than the men. Always the first up in the morning and the last in at night.

B. She did the cooking, I suppose.

G. And the washing up as well. A real sport, that’s what she is.

В. I suppose she is. Did you come back the same way?

G. Oh, no. We had two rubber boats with us and we —.

B. Two rubber boats?! You don’t mean to say that you carried the boats on top of all the camping outfit all over the mountains?

G. The idea! Certainly not. Most of the outfit, above all the boats, were sent ahead in a lorry, right up to the lake.

B. And so you came back by water. Why, you must have had a most wonderful time!

G. Oh, yes. You can’t imagine how pleasant it was to drift down the river and watch the changing scenes that float by. There at the lake we had a fine time, too.

В. I can’t tell you how much I envy you. What about going there next year?

G. Well, I don’t mind if we do.

В. I can hardly tell you how much I’m looking forward to that trip! I’m going to dream of nothing but this tour next summer.

Vocabulary Notes

19. AT THE SEASIDE (У МОРЯ)

We have only been back a few days and yet it seems weeks since the holidays have ended. It’s a funny thing, but no matter how long a holiday we have one always feels that he wants a few days more.

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¹      to train — ехать поездом

²      to rough it (coll.) — обходиться

⁴      to pitch (set up) a tent — разбить палатку

⁵      on the move — в пути

⁶      methylated spirit stove — походная спиртовая печка

без обычных удобств

³ to foot it (coll.) — идти пешком

Supplementary List

an experienced forest wanderer —

to tent — жить в палатках

опытный таежник

a complete camping outfit — полное походное снаряжение

to take (lose) one’s bearing in the forest — ориентироваться (заблудиться) в лесу

fishing tackle — рыболовная снасть hunting kit — охотничье снаряжение furniture of the folding type — походная складная мебель

to distribute all the duties according to one’s abilities — распределять обязанности по способностям каждого

a folding boat — складная лодка a camp-fire — бивачный костер an emergency (reserve) supply —

to cook and wash up the dishes alternatively — готовить пищу и мыть посуду поочередно

аварийный запас продуктов to plan an excursion — планировать

to build an open fire in the forest — разводить костер в лесу

экскурсию

to map the route — наносить

to keep a spark in the fire — поддерживать огонь в костре

маршрут на карту

to map out one’s time — распре­

to rig up a table — строить стол наспех

делять свое время

to camp out — ночевать на

to get everything shipshape — при­водить все в полный порядок

открытом воздухе

to camp — устроить место привала to break up camp — свернуть лагерь (палатку)

to inflate a rubber mattress with a pump — накачивать резиновый матрац воздухом при помощи насоса

I spent my holiday in a camp at the seaside this year. There were many boys and girls there.

Our camp was situated in a wood, at the foot of a big cliff protruding a little way out into the sea. The view over the sea from the cliff, which we used to climb now and then, was attractive. In the distance the beautiful beach of N. could be seen. What a number of people one could see there on the beach! The narrow stripe of land along the water edge was covered all over with tents, beach umbrellas of different colours, beach chairs and people in bathing suits and sunglasses¹ sunning themselves out on the sandy beach.

We had hot sunshine almost all the time. The sea was mostly calm and the water was so beautifully clear and blue that one could see the sandy bottom at the depth of some 5—6 feet. It was so shallow that one could walk into the sea for a long distance.

It was wonderfully nice to stretch at full length on the sand and bathe in the sun, gazing into the cloudless sky. But what can be compared with the grand water fights that we had. We used to run into the water and chase each other round and round and, when the opportunity came, trip each other, which greatly increased the fun. Now and then we stood in a group and splashed water in each other’s faces with our palms, gradually approaching each other with averted faces, to avoid the straggling sprays. Closer and closer we approached each other, and finally, gripping and stuggling until one managed to duck his neighbour, we all went down under the water in a tangle and came up blowing sputtering, laughing and gasping for breath. When we were exhausted, we would run out and sprawl on the dry, hot sand, and lie there, and cover ourselves up with it, and by and by break for the water again and go through the performance once more.

There were days when the sea was a little restless. It was great fun then to plunge headlong into a wave and dive out of it just in time to find another wave approaching you. This time you face the wave and try to stand fast, but down you go being swept off your feet by the huge mass of water. It was so wonderful that I could swim in the sea all day round.

After dinner there were all sorts of excursions, pleasure trips in a motor boat and, of course, a dip in the sea again.

In the evening we had just as fine a time as in the day. In addition to the conventional amusements such as games, camp fires with songs and dancing, we had film shows and talent concerts as well.

But who can forget the wonderful night scenes — the full moon riding high in the cloudless sky, the stars twinkling kindly above you

and the mild cool breeze from the sea slightly stirring the leaves in the trees?! Oh, it was simply marvellous! It was, indeed, a lovely picture — very dreamy and beatiful.

By the time we had to go home we were greatly refreshed and were wonderfully tanned². We had a most lovely time indeed.