Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays. The exact date of the holiday changes from year to year but it usually falls on April. Preparation for Easter starts seven weeks before the actual holiday. It’s called the advent of Lent. Many Christian people don’t eat meat and animal products during this period. The week before Easter is quite busy because people start thoroughly preparing for the holiday. The traditions of Easter celebration vary from country to country. For example, in our country the Sunday before Easter is called a Willow Sunday. On this day people bring home some willow branches which have been blessed in church. Thursday before Easter is called Clean Thursday. Traditionally people should bathe before sunrise on this day. Houses and flats should be cleaned too. There is also a Good Friday. It’s the day when women bake Easter bread called “paska” or “paskha”. On Saturday children dye Easter eggs, which are called “pysankas”. In the evening people go to church for the Easter mass, which lasts all night. Sunday is the actual day of Easter. People visit each other on this day and exchange colourful “pysankas”. In English-speaking countries the official symbol of this holiday is Easter bunny. Children are especially fond of this day because they get lots of chocolate and fluffy bunnies as a present.
OK, hello!OK, привет!Sarah:Hello!Привет!Todd:Hi, what's your name?Как тебя зовут?Sarah:My name is Sarah.Меня зовут Сара.Todd:OK, and Sarah where are you from?Так, Сара, а откуда ты?Sarah:I'm from the north of England, Newcastle.Я из северной Англии, из города Ньюкасл.Todd:OK, so Newcastle, how far is that from London?Так, значит, ты из Ньюкасла. Это далеко от Лондона?Sarah:Um, it's about 300 miles.Гм... примерно 300 миль.Todd:Uh-huh, do you go to London a lot or have you been to London before?У-гу. А в Лондон ты ездишь или бывала ли ты в Лондоне вообще?Sarah:I live in London. I've lived in London for the past seven years.Я живу в Лондоне. Живу там последние 7 лет.Todd:Oh, really?Вот как, оказывается!Sarah:Almost seven years, yeah.Почти 7 лет, да.Todd:OK. Which do you prefer, London or Newcastle?OK. И где тебе больше нравится: в Лондоне или Ньюкасле?Sarah:Um, like them both. I prefer Newcastle because it's smaller, so it's easier to get around and it's also cheaper. London is very expensive.И там, и там. Ньюкасл лучше тем, что он меньше, до всего там ближе, в тому же там дешевле. А Лондон город очень дорогой.Todd:So all your family is in Newcastle?Значит, все твои родственники живут в Ньюкасле?Sarah:Um, pretty much yeah.Э... в общем, да.Todd:So are they always trying to get you to go back and move back to Newcastle?А пытаются они вновь вернуть тебя в Ньюкасл?Sarah:Ah, no, no, because most of the jobs are in the south, anyway for younger people so it's quite difficult to get a job in the north in teaching.Нет-нет, потому что с работой намного лучше на юге страны, по крайней мере, для молодёжи - поэтому на севере довольно трудно найти место преподавателя.Todd:OK. Um, what do you like about London?OK. Э... чем тебе нравится Лондон?Sarah:Ah, it's a very busy place, there's lots of things going on all the time. There's also lots of things I don't like about London, but all my friends live there, lots of job opportunities.Это очень оживлённый город, постоянно полный разных событий. Многое в Лондоне мне не нравится, но здесь живут все мои друзья, и работу найти легко.Todd:OK, what were you doing before you came to Japan in London?OK, а чем ты занималась в Лондоне до приезда в Японию?Sarah:Ah, I was in Austria for a year. I was teaching in Austria, and then I was in London teaching, in London for a few years.Э... один год я прожила в Австрии. Преподавала там, затем преподавала в Лондоне несколько лет.Todd:What were you teaching in London?А что ты преподавала в Лондоне?Sarah:I was teaching primary school. I was a primary school teacher.
