To be brilliant (good, clever, skilful, poor, slow) at smth or doing smth

Some adjectives take an object expressed by a noun or a gerund with the preposition at.

My friend is good at phonetics.	У моей подруги хорошо идет (ей дается) фонетика.
Jerome thought he was good at packing things.	Джером думал, что он хорошо умеет упаковывать вещи.
1 am afraid 1 am no good at solving cross-word puzzles.	Боюсь, что я совершенно не умею решать кроссворды.

Note: To be good (quick, slow) at doing something expresses a permanent characteristic feature of a person; to be slow (quick) in doing something characterizes a person's action in a given situation.

Dennis was quick in seeing the joke.	Деннис сразу понял шутку.
He was slow in taking the hint.	Он не сразу понял намек.

After the adjectives quick and slow we often find an infinitive instead of the gerund.

Dennis was quick to see the joke. He was slow to take the hint.

6. Why did you not call attention to the fact that...

to call (smb's) attention to smth - show; point out; cause smb to notice - обратить (чье-л.) внимание на что-л.

I'd like to call your attention to the following facts.	Мне бы хотелось обратить ваше внимание на следующие факты.
He called my attention to a group of students and said: "They've come to help us."	Он обратил мое внимание на группу студентов и сказал: "Они пришли помочь нам".

to pay attention to - give one's mind to - обращать (свое) внимание на что-л., на кого-л.

Не paid no attention to her words.	Он не обратил никакого внимания на ее слова.
Pay attention to what is being said.	Слушайте, что сейчас говорят.

to attract (smb's) attention - make people notice one; arouse interest - привлекать чье-л. внимание

I shouted to attract attention.	Я крикнул, чтобы привлечь к себе внимание.
Suddenly my attention was attracted by a strange-looking man.	Вдруг мое внимание привлек человек странной наружности.

7. Jackson was trying to save the machinery from being damaged.

to damage vt - make less useful or valuable (applied mostly to things) - повредить

The car was badly damaged in a crash.

Машина была сильно повреждена при столкновении.

damage n (uncountable) - вред, ущерб, убыток, урон

to do (cause) damage to - нанести, причинить ущерб чему-л.

The storm did great damage to the port.	Шторм произвел большие разрушения (нанес большой ущерб) в порту.
The fire caused no damage to the pictures.	Пожар не причинил вреда картинам.

8.... that Jackson should have got damages.

// damages n pl (legal) money that is paid in compensation for a loss or injury - убытки, компенсация за убытки to claim damages - взыскивать убытки

• to pay smb damages - возмещать кому-л. убытки
• to get damages - получать компенсацию за убытки
• to bring a suit for damages or to sue smb for damages возбудить дело о возмещении убытков//

9. I testified to the effect that Jackson injured himself by neglect and carelessness.

to injure vt - hurt; do or cause harm or damage to - ушибить, ранить; повредить

Nobody was injured in the accident.	Никто не пострадал в аварии.
He injured his knee playing football.	Он ушиб колено, играя в футбол.
The fruit was injured by hail.	Фрукты пострадали от града.

// injury п - a wound, a hurt; harm, Damage - ушиб, рана; повреждение//

10.... the company was in no way to blame.

to be to blame (for smth) - быть виноватым в чем-л.

Who is to blame for the accident?	Кто виноват в аварии?
He is in no way to blame.	Он ни в коей мере не виноват.

to blame smb for smth - fix on smb the responsibility for smth - обвинять, порицать, винить кого-л. за что-л.

You should not blame him for what had happened.	Вам не следует винить его в том, что произошло.
I have nothing to blame myself for.	Мне не в чем себя упрекнуть.

EXERCISES

I. Translate the following sentences from the text:

1. They successfully fought the damage suit that he brought when he came out of hospital. 2. He was making some sort of a basket and toiled on steadily while I talked with him. 3. He looked at me in a slow and pondering way... 4. His mind was rather hazy concerning the suit for damages. 5. The testimony of the foremen and the superintendent had brought about the adverse decision of the court. 6. Jackson's lawyer was a weak and inefficient-looking man. 7. It dawned upon me that of course the company could afford finer legal talent than could a working-man like Jackson. 8. The witnesses... knew which side their bread was buttered on. 9. Jackson had been

confused by Colonel Ingram, who was brilliant at cross-examination. 10. He had made Jackson answer damaging questions. 11. He waved his hand towards the crowded shelves of books in his tiny office. 12. The company's policy was to fight to the bitter end all suits for damages. 13. I testified to the effect that Jackson injured himself by neglect and carelessness. 14. He outlined the evidence I was to give.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27