She put on one of her best dresses to please him, and waited for evening with the utmost impatience. When the clock struck nine, the Beast didn’t appear. Beauty then feared she had been the cause of his death; she ran crying all about the palace in despair. She looked for him everywhere, but couldn’t find him. Then she recollected her dream, and ran to the garden, where she dreamed she saw him. There she found poor Beast stretched out, quite senseless, and, as she imagined, dead. She threw herself upon him without any dread,[65] and finding his heart beat still, she fetched some water from the canal, and poured it on his head. Beast opened his eyes, and said to Beauty, “You forgot your promise, and I was so afflicted for having lost you, that I resolved to starve myself, but since I have the happiness of seeing you once more, I die satisfied.”
“No, dear Beast,” said Beauty, “you must not die. Live to be my husband; from this moment I give you my hand, and swear to be none but yours. I thought I had only a friendship for you, but the grief I now feel convinces me, that I cannot live without you.” When Beauty said these words, she saw the palace sparkle with light;[66] and fireworks, instruments of music, everything seemed to give notice of some great event.[67] She turned to her dear Beast, for whom she trembled with fear; but how great was her surprise! Beast disappeared, and she saw, at her feet the loveliest prince; who returned her thanks for having put an end to the charm,[68] under which he had so long resembled a Beast. Though this prince was worthy of all her attention, she could not forbear asking where Beast was.[69]
“You see him at your feet, said the prince. A wicked fairy had condemned me to remain under that shape until a beautiful girl should consent to marry me.”
Beauty, agreeably surprised, gave the charming prince her hand to rise; they went together into the castle, and Beauty was overjoyed to find, in the great hall, her father and his whole family, whom the beautiful lady, that appeared to her in her dream, had conveyed there.
“Beauty,” said this lady, “come and receive the reward of your judicious choice; you have preferred virtue before either wit or beauty, and deserve to find a person in whom all these qualifications are united. You are going to be a great queen. I hope the throne will not lessen your virtue, or make you forget yourself. As to you, ladies,” said the fairy to Beauty’s two sisters, “I know your hearts, and all the malice they contain. Become two statues, but, under this transformation, still retain your reason. You shall stand before your sister’s palace gate, and be it your punishment; and it will not be in your power to return to your former state,[70] until you own your faults, but I am very much afraid that you will always remain statues. Though pride, anger and idleness are sometimes conquered.[71]”
Immediately the fairy gave a stroke with her wand,[72] and in a moment all that were in the hall were transported into the prince’s dominions. He married Beauty, and lived with her many years, and their happiness was complete.
Exercises
1. Translate into English:
вздохнуть, рядом с изголовьем кровати, одеться, завидовать, одетая как принцесса, задержать на неделю, плакала от радости, тем временем, умирающим голосом, ценный, благодарность, в крайнем нетерпении, причина смерти, заморить себя голодом, клясться, получить вознаграждение, наказание, владения.
2. Answer the questions.
1. Where did Beauty find herself in the morning?
2. What did she learn about her sisters?
3. Why did Beauty’s sisters decide to detain her above a week?
4. Did Beauty miss the Beast?
5. What was Beauty’s dream about?
6. Where did Beauty find the Beast?
7. What did the Beast tell her?
8. What happened when Beauty said she would not live without the Beast?
9. Whom did Beauty see at her feet instead of the Beast?
10. How did the fairy punish Beauty’s sisters?
3. True or False?
1. When Beauty returned home she learnt that her sisters were happily married.
2. Beauty’s sisters were glad to see her dressed like a princess.
3. The tenth night Beauty spent at her father’s, she dreamed she was in the palace garden, and that she saw Beast lying on the grass, who, in a dying voice, reproached her with her ingratitude.
4. Beauty didn’t want to make the Beast miserable.
5. When the clock struck nine, Beast appeared.
6. Beauty feared she had been the cause of the Beast’s death.
7. Beauty said she was ready to be the Beast’s wife.
8. Beauty couldn’t believe the prince’s words about the wicked fairy.
9. Beautiful lady, that appeared to Beauty in her dream, conveyed her family to the castle.
10. When the fairy gave a stroke with her wand, all that were in the hall were transported into Beauty’s father’s house.
Vocabulary
Словарь
a – adjective – прилагательное
adv – adverb – наречие
cj – conjunction – союз
int – interjection – междометие
n – noun – имя существительное
pl – plural – множественное число
prp – preposition – предлог
v – verb – глагол
A
accept v принимать
account n отчет
acquaintance n знакомый, окружение
admire v восхищаться, обожать
adventure n приключение
affable n вежливый, учтивый
affectionally adv нежно
afflicted a опечаленный, огорченный
again adv снова
agreeably adv довольно, радостно
Alas! Боже!
aloud adv громко
amazement n изумление
amiable a приятный, добрый, милый
among prp среди
amuse oneself развлекаться, веселиться
anger n злость
apartment n апартаменты, покои
appear v появляться
arbour n беседка (из зелени)
astonished a изумленный, потрясенный
65
She threw herself upon him without any dread – Она бросилась к нему без какого бы то ни было страха
67
seemed to give notice of some great event – казалось, объявили о каком-то важном событии
68
who returned her thanks for having put an end to the charm – который благодарил ее за то, что она сняла заклятие
69
she could not forbear asking where Beast was – она не могла не спросить о том, куда подевалось Чудовище