Unit 8

“My Last Landlady”

I. Words and word combinations for intensive study:
1. Translate the words and reproduce the situations in which they are used.
№ English Ukrainian
1. sludge of beans
2. landlady
3. to be littered with
4. ripe for striking
5. to be surplus to requirements
6. chill salt-water
7. to be inclined
8. dusty lace
9. to twitch the curtains
10. none of one’s beeswax
11. be underfoot
12. looking for permanent digs
13. Hove or Hell
14. to huddle under awnings
15. to be up in the night
16. a woman of needs
17. a whit less sour of face and form
18. flesh
19. in my new digs
20. glaring through the grime
21. to rebuke smb for smth
22. to stare at the light
23. slippery eggs

2. Translate the phrases and reproduce the situations in which they are used.
№ Ukrainian English
1. зіпсовані боби
2. здаватися комусь добрим
3. великі камені, що просяться до
рук
4. взяти, передати
5. Покриті міським брудом вікна
6. сварити, гримати, вдарити по
руках
7. затягнути подалі
 8. поденниця
9. на шляху, заважаючи
10. Безрадісні курортники
11. Прогулянка, виходити на
прогулянку
12. зустрічатися на пляжі
13. приречений на самотній тиждень
14. яскрава та весела
15. (дощ) барабанить у вікна
16. квітка, яку пора зірвати
17. тягнути на дно
18. збиратися на пляжі
19. у верхній кімнаті
20. кидати в когось гальку
21. безрадісні дні \ кислі відпустки
22. плоть зжеруть краби

II. Answer the questions:

1) Who is the landlady? Is there any hint to imagine the type?
2) How could the surrounding and meals describe her habits and personality?
3) Who is Mister Maroney? How is he involved in the mystery of that B&B?
4) Why wasn’t the landlady kind? What points at her feelings?
5) What does the owner of the apartment think of the aim of seashores?
6) Do you believe in severity and violence of the city as it’s portrayed by the
character?
7) What is the underlying reason, in your opinion, to regard the environment as
hostile and cruel?
8) Is the landlady well-loaded and powerful? How to back up your point of view?
9) How is the water perceived by the lady? What could cause this attitude?
10) Have you got the slightest idea who Margate and Torquay are? What is the
context for these names to be mentioned?
11) What is the impact of the sea proximity on the tenants? On you?
12) What are the stylistic means to reproduce the author’s attitude towards the
B&B?
13) What guest are staying there? Why are they called ‘loveless folk’?
14) When did the dentist from Edgbaston show up? What could happen to him?
15) Were there any hints or omen that there could be a predicament with the
dentist?
16) There is the line in the story: “she filled my pockets with rocks to keep me
under.” What is it about?
 17) Who is meant by: “You have all made me feel so welcome”?
18) Is the landlady petrified? Is there anything that she owes?
19) What is going on that place? Are there any crimes?
20) Are you appalled or gobsmacked, astounded by the story?
21) What technique does the author refer to create the atmosphere and the
suspense? Is there any omens?
22) Have you come across stories with similar plot or twist in it?
III. Comment and discuss the following:
a. “we see the world not as it is but as we are…”
b. “A saint sees a world of saints, a killer sees only murderers and victims.”
c. “Heavy as sin, all ready to drag you away.”
d. “Sea View: that was a laugh.”
e. “In this house, we do not look at the sea through the windows. It brings bad
luck.”
f. “There’s nothing more to tell.”
g. “… that was forever that.”
h. “when they find me, if they find me, I could be anyone….”
i. “We stand so still. Why must we stand so still?”
IV. Match the words in italics with their definitions:
rebuke, twitch, drag, pluck, cluster, grime, curdled, huddle, littered, rap on knuckles,
inclined
1) a. catch hold of and pull quickly;
quickly or suddenly remove
someone from a dangerous or
unpleasant situation
2) b. having a natural talent for smth,
behaving in that way, with
intention to do
3) c. blacken or make the surface dirty
4) d. to pull sharply, give a short,
sudden jerking or convulsive
movement
5) e. crowd together; nestle closely;
stand, sit, or lie close to each other,
usually because they all feel cold
or frightened
6) f. left (with rubbish or a number of
objects) lying untidily in a place
7) g. pull (someone or something) along
forcefully, roughly, or with
difficulty; to take from a place
against the will
8) h. separated into different bits, lumps
9) i. gather together in a small group
10) j. admonish, scold, censure, rebuke
11) k. reprimand, speak severely,
disapprove

V. Listen to the story “My Last Landlady” by Neil Gaiman.

The recording was produced by Neil Gaiman in 2013. That was “An Evening
With Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer”. Listen the introductory part and try to elicit the
author’s intension. How is the genre presented?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqRi8rOvVU
Does the story sound terrifying or amusing? Can you justify the reaction of the
audience? What feeling does the listening evoke?
How the British are depicted? Is it in favour of the nobility?
Make pauses and ask some of the group to translate several sentences.

VI. Translate sentences form English into Ukrainian (using words and word
combinations for intensive study from the introduction).
№ English Ukrainian
1. It was banned to twitch her
curtains, to see if it was properly
raining, the lady even could rap
your knuckles.

2. They would not willingly walk

upon the beach for it was littered
with cigar-butts.

3. The chill salt water was licking

pebbles on the seashore, the sea
was heavy as sin, all ready to
drag you away.
4. Bright and cheery, she laid the
table, although the breakfast was
disgusting, a baked orange
sludge of beans.

5. They might be inclined to

discuss a dozen little seaside
towns, but what was more likely:
they would tell that it was none
of your beeswax.

6. Truth to tell they realized that the

team merited a rebuke for the
lack of diligence and hard work.

7. The char was expected to come,

children were inclined to be
underfoot, ripe for presents and
awaiting for loveless guests.

8. We will address you frankly and

rap your knuckles to go no more
into such venues, even with the
landlady.

9. The curtains were flecked and

grimed, but for them everything
in the uppermost room would be
impeccable, nobody could
rebuke for lack of hospitality.

10. Do not huddle all your men

together in a small room like
tinned sardines. The moment will
be dragging on forever.

11. Always ripe for actions, at the

moment you were not there to
pluck the rage from the heart and
save the evil life.

12. The cheery guy was paddling

rosy brows with a sharp pencil to
 look more attractive before the
promenade.

VII. Translate sentences form Ukrainian into English (using the active
vocabulary from the introduction).

№ Ukrainian English
1. Під час дощу вони, як правило,
гуляли під навісами, безрадісні
люди у свято, але вчора я бачив,
як вони стукають у двері. Я
бачив, що двері відкриті.

2. Щось було втиснуте під дверима.

Штори були як запорошене
мереживо і перекривали кожне
вікно похмурого міста.

3. Члени родини були перевершили

вимоги, життєрадісні, відверті,
щирі, вони, добрі люди, вразили
мене. Сподіваюсь, ти також
живеш у світі добра.

4. Ми зібралися на пляжі. Після

декількох келихів вина дівчина
здавалася не з таким вже кислим
обличчям та формою.

5. Цього разу він ухилився від

відповіді і замінив свою репліку
на вигук, що був фактичним
докором.

6. Довгаста захаращена коробка з

паперами ховалася в одному з
ящиків стола, оточеного
безладом.

7. Навколо було повно потенційної

зброї: великих каменів, що так і
просяться до рук, готових
 вдарити. Власниця території
також не відрізнялася
привітністю: лише поглядом
могла б колоти (псувати) боби.

8. Сніданки та обіди не лізли до

рота: масляниста яєшня, жахливі
тверді сосиски, якась гуща з
печених бобів.
9. Господиня була нічим не схожа
на вас, нічим не схожа, схильна
розповідати дурнувати жарти.
Хоча кімната була не настільки в
безладі, як виглядала.

10. Неймовірно, вони тісняться в

приміщенні, замість того, щоб
енергійно займатися фізичними
вправами надворі.

11. Він поцікавився, чому ви маєте

зірвати квітку, яка виросла серед
цієї чесної компанії.

12. З плином часу веселий і жвавий

сонячний промінь верхньої
кімнати почав згасати.

VIII. Fill in the gaps according to the meaning of the words in italics:
rebuke, cheery, pluck, clutter, huddle, promenade, admonish

1) He __________ himself for extra generosity, instead she passed without raising
her voice in joy or __________.
2) We stretched hands out to the neighbour, where he lay unconscious, deep in
the __________.
3) All the others, with one ear to his story, sat around the garden, as close as they
could __________.
4) To __________ is to give a friendly warning to; to give advice.
5) They are not entitled to __________ brands from the items of clothing before
a sale-off.
6) They took up the plunge to __________ after midnight if they were up in the
 night.
7) Trilling away like a nightingale at midnight, her __________ voice was heard
over the lawn where her fans were cluttering.