top of page

London Eye 2017 -  Medium - Lesson 7

Dialogue 7

- Hey, Jeremy, could you do me a favour?
- Sure, what is it?
- Could you give me a lift to the library? I've got a few books to return.
- Oh my god! Look at this pile! It's enormous!
- Yeah, I didn't use to read so much! I used to hate books!
- I know! You've never been such a nerd! So what's changed?
- I don’t know, something's just clicked inside my head, all I want to
do is learn!
- Wow, good for you!
- Ok, I’m just pulling your leg,... I haven't even opened these
books... I just have a crush on the librarian.

Arthur Conan Doyle

  Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859. In fact, Conan was his middle name and Doyle was his surname.

 

Doyle studied medicine in Edinburgh and after graduation started an independent practice in 1882. At first, it was not very successful. So, when he was waiting for patients, he began to write fiction.

 

In the mid-1880s, he wrote his first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet. His  model for Sherlock Holmes was his university teacher Joseph Bell. The writer Robert Stevenson, after reading the story, immediately wrote Conan Doyle that he had recognised Bell's personality easily.

 

Doyle had difficulties publishing A Study In Scarlet. Finally, in 1886, it was published. Doyle received a fee of 25 pounds (around 2900 pounds in today's money). 

 

The Sherlock Holmes series turned out to be an enormous success. In 1893, Doyle decided to stop writing detective stories and focus on historical novels. So, he simply  "killed" Holmes, throwing him from a high cliff (скала) together with Professor Moriarti. However, Sherlock Holmes fans wrote so many indignant letters (негодующих писем) to Conan Doyle that in 1901 Holmes was back - this time in The Hound of Baskervilles. 

 

Altogether, Holmes appears in 56 stories and 4 novels, as well as in many works by other authors. 

 

All his life Doyle had an interest in mystical subjects. For examples, he was sure that five photos of "fairies" were real (although, many years later it was proved that they were a fake).

 

Doyle was friends for some time with Harry Houdini, the American magician. Doyle was sure that Houdini himself had supernatural powers. Houdini tried to persuade Doyle that his magic was just illusion, but he couldn’t. Doyle didn’t believe him - and the two  had a big argument and stopped being friends.

 

Doyle was married twice. In the times of his first marriage to Mary Louise, he was in love with his future second wife, Jean. However, they had only a platonic relationship until Mary Louise's death. Doyle had five children by two wives. Doyle's youngest child, Jean Lena, died in 1997.

 

On 7 July, 1930, Doyle, aged 71, was found clutching his chest (сжимая грудную клетку) in the hall of his house in East Sussex. He died of a heart attack at the age of 71. His last words were directed toward his wife: "You are wonderful."

Song Somethin' Stupid

I know I stand in line until you think you have the time
To spend an evening with me
And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance
You won't be leaving with me
And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two
And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "I love you"

I can see it in your eyes
That you despise the same old lies you heard the night before
And though it's just a line to you, for me it's true
And never seemed so right before

I practice every day to find some clever lines to say
To make the meaning come through
But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late and I'm alone with you
The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and, oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "I love you"

The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and, oh, the night's so blue
And then I go and spoil it all by sayin' something stupid like "I love you"

bottom of page