How to Lay the Table

"Men make houses, women make homes", an English proverb says. And what is home? It is a lot of things of course but one of the most important ones is how a housewife can feed her family and her guests. And that is not only food itself bur how it is served.

My mother taught me how to lay the table when I was a child and I have always done it with pleasure. This is what I do before a big family dinner or a party. First of all I choose a tablecloth to cover the table with. Then I put plates, knives, forks and spoons for each person. The knives and the spoons are to the right of the plates and the forks to the left of them. A small plate for bread is on the left of each guest and a glass for wine (if we are having wine) and a glass for water or juice are on the right. I also put a napkin on each plate. In the middle of the table there is a jug of water (I usually put some pieces of ice into it), some other drinks and dishes of all kinds. It's good to put some flowers and candles on the table, too. They make the table nice and cosy. I don't put tea things on the table. But everything is ready for tea or coffee: the cups, saucers and spoons, sugar, lemon, cream and some sweet dishes are on the trays. I will bring them in later together with a big pot of tea and a coffee pot.

Now I am ready for the guests to come.

Vocabulary

to lay the table [lei] — накрывать на стол

a proverb ['prov3:b] — пословица

a housewife — хозяйка

to feed (fed, fed) — кормить

a guest [gest] — гость

to serve — подавать (обед,...)

a tablecloth — скатерть

to cover ['клуэ] — накрывать (стол чем-то)

a plate — тарелка

a knife (knives) [naif naivz] — нож (ножи)

a fork — вилка

a spoon — ложка

a napkin f'naepkin] — салфетка

a jug [cfrvg] — кувшин

a candle — свеча

cosy f'kauzi] — уютный

tea things — посуда для чая

a saucer ['soisa] — блюдце

a tray [trei] — поднос

a tea pot — чайник

a coffee pot — кофейник

EXERCISES

Найдите и прочтите эквиваленты в тексте.

Говорит пословица; многое; одна из важнейших вещей; сама еда; семейный обед; прежде всего; справа от тарелки; слева от каждого гостя; в середине стола; несколько кусочков льда; блюда разных ви­дов; все готово; внести позже; я готова.

А) Ответьте на вопросы.

1. Do you know how to lay the table? What things do you need for it?

2. How many tablecloths have you got?

3. Do you put a tablecloth on the dinner table every day?

4. Where do you put knives and spoons when you lay the table?

5. Where do you put glasses?

6. Do you like to put candles on the table?

7. Are there often flowers on your dinner table?

8. What things do you need on the table at tea time?

9. Do you like to lay the table?

10. Who usually does it in your family?