Download pdf - English Matters_Magazyn Nr 44-2014 Styczeń-luty

8/10/2019 English Matters_Magazyn Nr 44-2014 Stycze-luty

1/44

UCZACYCH

N

, Guns,

e Award-

GAME OF

ECH WOM EN

Extreme Sport for

drenaline Junkies

P o l e s i n t h e U

10 Years After the Opening

of the Labour Market


2/44

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3/44

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This & That

Peview

6 Henryk Sienkiewicz the Famous Polish

Author's Family Life

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12 Techwomen

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by Katarzyna Szpotakowska

Redu plication - the-

one way to skin a cat

sity toity (adj)

hoitdthij

pompo us, self-important

rtsy fartsy (adj.)

used about a person who i s t rying to

show

their knowledge about art;

someone who is artistic in

a pretentious way

ancy schmancy (adj)

fancy

in a pretentious way; expen-

sive, fashionable, meant to impress o thers

anky panky (n./uncountable) - sexual shenanigans

uddy duddy (n.) -

a fass .o person wi th o ld- fash ioned

at

titude

s

traditionalist with no imagination

rgie bargie (n.) -

a vigorous and no isy discussion or argu-

ment

iggiedy piggledy (adjJadv.)

chaotic, disorderly , in a con-

fused manner

o

dilly daily (v.) - to waste time or to dawdle

willy nilly (adv./adj.) -

done in haphazard cgcpjgss ypcy

elter skelter (adj./adv.) - haphazard ly, confusedly, done in

a hurry

amby pamby (adj.) -

childish extremely sensitive and sen-

timental

pell mdl (adv.) -

in a jumbled m anner: in an uncontrolled

way

azzle dazzle (n./adj) -

a lot of noisy and noticeable activ-

i t y , 3 Q w j t l e s s

ibber jabber (n.) -

speaking nonsense; gibberish

there's (always) more than one way to skin a tat Ice[ motnu x siqgrlyf

r O z n y m i s p o s o b o m i

haughty I wyvos

pretentious I pretetsjtnoley

f a n n y I e v 1 5 z u k a n y , w y m y i ln y

shenanigans I wybryki

Pussy

I oybredy.grymatrty

attitudes I poglydy

d i s o r d e r l y I n i e u p o r z y d k x w a r r y

to dawdle I obija

Sig

inahaphazard wag I nacbybiltrafil

careless I beztroski

childish I danx sny

In ajumblad manner I bezladnre,chaotycznie

noticeable I zauwazalny

showiness I popisywatie

sig

gibberish I nonsensowny, bzdurny

Life is foil of coincidences. Below y ou'll hod a selection of

urban legends based on coincidences that English Matters

has collected for its readers,

oseph Piglock was walking down the sweet in Detroit

in

the1930s when he was suddenly hit by a baby that fell

from a window . A year later the man was walking the

same way and the very same baby fell on his head again.

Each time neither of them w as ityjiared.

At the end of the

195

century, Henry Ziegland broke up

syjyj,

h his girlfriend. Out of despair, the girl committed

suicide. Consequently, Ziegland was hunted down by

her rstrggrd brother , who planned to kill Ziegland and

then himself. He found him and took a shot at him. It

was a close call, but fortunately for Ziegland the bullet

just missed him and lodged in a tree. A few years later,

a man decided to cut down the tree. I t turned out to be

too diff icult to chop down, so he decided to blow it up

instead. However, the explosion sent the bullet flying off

at speed, hitting the passing Ziegland and killing him.

So, in this way, Ziegland was eventually shot. It seems

that there is

gtgiti

of truth in the saying: if ounce born

IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIN Lk Twain said the following words: "I came

in wit om et in 1835. It is com ing again nex t

year, and I e5TW to go not with it." Mark Twain was

born in 1831 the year of appearance of Halley's Comet

and passed away in 191 0 when it appeared again. So, he

managed to

.tgyjic the coincidence of his ow n death.

tiglish Swatter

aaIOtla


5/44

Daniel Du Tait gave a lecture in South Africa which was

supposed to warn listeners that death can strike us down

ustainable Sherford

at anytime. No sooner had he sat down than he choked on

a Peppermint and promptly departed this life.

he ecu-paradise Sherford is a town being built in Devon,

coincidence I rung okolicenoici

injured I ranny

to break up with sb I zeiwaf z kinzf

out of despair I z rozpaczy

to commit suicide I pspolnf oanzobdistaco

enraged

I

rozwicieczony

to take a shot atsb I strzeliidokogsf

it was a close call I ma4 o brokowabo

to lodge in sth I utkwif w ozymi

to tarn out I rkazoi boy

to chop sth down

I

idof cof

to blow sth up I uW sadzii cot

eventually I w kobocu,ostatecznre

grain I ziarnko odrobina

if you're born to hang, you won't drown

I

coma wisied tie utonre

to go out with sth I odohtdzit z czymf

appearance I pojawleoie S i 0

to pass away

I

odejft (cmrzef)

to nonage to do sth

I

din rody cod ozobif

to predict sth I przewidziei cot

to strike sb down I zaskoczyf kogod

at any time Is kazdoj died:

to choke or sth I zodbaecii sif czyrzib

peppermint

I

r n i y t d u s k o

promptly I rychlo, szybko

to depart this life I rejif z tegs padobu

England. It is expected to provide

i n s o s i n g

for 12,000 people.

Sherford has been designed in a w ay that will 0500ttos e its resi-

dents louse walkw ays and cycleways l i tnigatof gett ing into the

car. The town is to take pride its its 500-acre community park.

Th e mo st important feature of Sherford will be enem y-efficient

buildings using reriosyitbie sources of energy. T he town will be

equipped w ith two w ind turbines. Anart from being eco-friendly,

Sherford is expected to cherish comm unity values and social co-

hesion. The place is supposed to create an oasis of balance be-

tween work space and green space. Half of its energy needs w ill

be

softti

by simile renewables - windpower, solar thermal en-

ergy, photovoltaic energy. Rainwater will bebcyoteg for flush-

l i s p

toilets, as we ll as watering gardens. Additionally, the tow n

will support gregotg_r recycling. The sine of hou ses w ill

tango

from one-bedroom flats to large family homes, since Sherford

wants to be recognized as a socially-inclusive town. Com munity

gardens, protection of w ildlife habitats may be an o rganic farm,

all gathcrd in one place the town of the future: Sherford.

Ca.

_SO

i s

i

sustainable

prryjeeny dlv irodowrskar zr wrtowoznny(np. rozwfij)

I

nle5zkanla. budyriki mieszkulne

tO

Sb to do oth I ztnhycaf kogod do zrobienia uzegod

sth I zamrastcaegin

Ic

in sth I szczyoif sq czgmt, ityf damnym a czegot

dent I energotszczefny

I odnawialny

I oprdco

tb

I

cesif cod, pielggonwaf mi

tU;ifltegracla

pokolony

ejscsvq, lokaloy

o I

fotounitaicznylprzeksztabcajycy iwiatbo w eriergiy

ru:ptzyskiwany, grsmodzory

I spbskiwaf cot

I zuzyta woda(nip. z unzydzei kuchennyrh

I

azienkowVchi

entttoy

I

rniefzakresodXdoy

I

many

lusine I byctyci roost warsteq spoleczoe

odowisko, siedlrsko

zgrornadznny, skupisny


6/44

ozwiqaanie

ken kursu not najciekawozq recenzjg ksiqdki.

Auto rem zwycigskiej recenz j i jes t Pani Iwona B ujanowska. Serdeczr t ie gratulujerrty wygrenej . Nngrodg p rzedlemy pocz tq.

Zaprnszamy do znpoznoo iu

sip

Ce zwycipskq recenz jq, krdra znajduje s ip po nizej .

H

enryk Sienkiewicz, pseudo-

nym Litwos, is gpgsgded in Po-

land as the m ost popular writer

of the second half of the 19'

century and the first half of the

2O' century. He attained global recog-

nition and his books h ave been translat-

ed into many languages, with the mov ie

adaptations becoming blockbusters,

From the start, readers in a nartitioned

Poland devoured his novels and short

stories. The iatfg_r dealt mo stly with the

extreme

ittloecy

of Polish

flpdyatfi5

in

an enslave country and on pofie in the

19 century. His well-known histori-

cal novels are: 'With Fire and Sword',

'The pjttg_e' and 'Fire in the Steppe'

(alt three of which form The Trilogy)

and 'Quo va dis? ' Th e Trilogy presents

in a picturesq ue and ev ocative, though

idealistic way the heroic events of 17'

In regard sb/sth as I uwazal ktgoi/cof za

to attain sth I zdtbreai cal, osiggai cog

blockbuster I salag:er

to partition sth I prdznlii col, dokosal

rozbioru czegti

to devour sth I poiraloti, pochionyt cot

the latter I te drape

misery I nieszczytcie,cierpieuia

peasant I chiop, wetniuk

enslaved I tu:ciemiqznny

century Poland, with battles, pisfalls

and heroism as well as love and adven-

ture, friendship and rivalry, all with jp

vial humou r and reference to the Polish

struggle for independence, 'written to

raise people's spirits'. The next novel,

'Quo vadis?', shows the spiritual tri-

umph of Christianity over the ytipjpiice

of the Roman Empire. Litwos also

wrote a book for young children: 'In

Desert and Wilderness', a cnntemoo-

caxy novel: 'The Polaniecki Family'

and a series of reports: 'Letters from

America'. For his work, Heuryk Sienk-

iewicz was awarded the N obel Prize in

Literature.

The above is no mystery to the

Polish. Is there a Pole who has not

read or at least watched "Quo vadis?'

or 'Fire in the Steppe'? As Sienkie-

wicz's books teach and entertain, the

exile I zeslanie, nygnanie, emigracja,tutacaka

deluge I pontp

p i c tu r e s q u e I m a l o w n i o z y , b a r w n y

apitfall I tuniebezpieeZeistwn

j o v i a l I j o w i a l i ry , w e s u

v i o l e n c e I p rz e m o c

contemporary I wspitczesny

5

prntagnnist

I bohater

inconspicuous I niepoztrny, nierzucajgcy op

nrnta000ists have become people's

favourites. But what is known about

Sienkiewicz as a person and about his

family? This topic is covered in the ex-

cellent publication: ' In Henryk Sienkie-

wicz's Family Circle. New Docum ents,

Findings and Hypotheses' by Zhigniew

Miszczak. The book, with its incon-

spicuous cover, show s vividly the f ig-

ure of the N obel laureate, of his nearest

and dearest (parents, sisters, brothers-

in-law and nephews) as w ell as his eve-

ryday life.

The author tries to preserve Sienk-

iewicz's family members for pusInc-

jty; Professor Ludorowski, head of

the Sienkiewicz Society, writes that

Miszczak has gathered detailed facts,

fragments of inform ation, scraps of let-

ters, notes from press and photographs

and weaved from them a r ich gpppyr

showing the life of the writer and of h is

kin. It is intimate and lively, with inter-

esting personalities, full of virtues and

weaknesses and their lives filled with

joys and troubles. The au thor presents

them with the scrupulousness of an

eye-witness and the imagination of

a poet. He describes them at times with

affection and sensitivity, at others w ith

humour, always in an honest and fM-

t ivating way. He kno ws Sienkiewicz's

family almost as well as the writer him-

self, who, despite his freq uent journeys,

was ex tremely attached to them. Thus,

we get to know Sieokiewicz's mother

posterity I potumrtaif, przyszle pokolenit

tn weave tth I stkai cot

tapestry I arms (it's all part of Ste's rich

tapestry - to sq aroki lyna)

k i n I r o d z i n a , k r e w n i

eye-witness I nunozoy twiadek

c a p t i v a t i n g I z i r i e w a l a j y c y , o r z e k a i q c y

a overwhelming I tu:pnzemtrty, ngtomny

influence on sth I wplvw no ref

t o i m p a r t s t h I ro z 1 b u d z i t , w y w u l a f c o g

Henryh

Sienhiewicz

I:he P rm ous P oLish RuLhor's

PorniLj LiFe

ylwonaBujanowska

English Matter.

4412014


7/44

who had an overwhelminn influence

on her son and imparted in him a love

for literature. This energetic woman,

mother of six children, who worked

hard to m ake ends m eet and took care

of his

uffuttthtg

during the horrible p e-

r iod of the January Unrisinu found the

strength, enthusiasm and inspiration to

wri te two stories pres ent ing the coun-

try's life, its religiousness and traditions

as well as the fate of the individual. to

the book we also meet the N obel laure-

ate's father; we see the son's attachment

t o m a k e e n d s m e e t I w ry z a f ko n : e c z k o n c e m

offspring I potomek, p000mstwt

J a n u a r y U p r i s in g I p a w s t a r i: e s t y c z n io w e

fate tins

attachment to ab/sth I przywrqzan edo

kognilczagni

situ haw) the gift of the gab I byfwygadun5m

to multiply 5th I pornnoiyf cal

rozmnozyf

youth I mindoff

IQ and care for the inadeq uate e lderly

man, whose only saving graces were,

possibly, a charming gift of the nab and

a knack for story-telling. T his talent, as

his only inheritance, would fal l to Hen-

ryk. But how he w ould m tijgfgtly it

T he author also presents the dissimi-

larit ies in the features and fates of Lit-

wos's three sisters. T he eldest was Hen -

ryk's companion during his childhood

and youth and, after her premature

death, the writer supported her hus-

band both mentally and materially. The

brother-in- law was an

dbifl

poet, often

in a q uandary, often in love; his output

and characters developed, but l ife was

unpredictable and often cruel. The mo-

t i f describing this is a masterpiece, as

can be said of m any in the book.

At this point we notice that literary

talents are frequent in Sieokiewicz's

family. The middle sister is also tal-

ented, she translates French novels

and is very attached to her siblings.

The youngest one is gifted at poetry

and sometimes has inspirations and

visions in her dreams; she published,

probably thanks to her brother's aid,

'The Religious Poems'. In addition

to all that, she was still busy with the

farm, the household and the cluster of

chi ldren, often suffering poverty at the

side of a husband who was not a

Data-

gm

of littift. It is good then that at

least Henryk helped her, usher toil and

hardship f i lls one with m elancholy, just

as they m oved Sienkiewicn who, af ter

she nassed away, writes a poetical short

story entitled 'Two

Meadows',

about

human troubles, life passing by and

posthumous happiness. It shows that

premature I przedwczesria

able I ozdoirnony

in aquandary 1w rozterce

siblings I rndzenstwo

cluster I tu:grnmadku

paragon I wtir n i p . c e n t y l

thrift I nnznz ydnnii,gospndarnoii

to pass away I unorzef

meadow I lyka

posthumous I poimierthy

Litwos, so close to his parents an d sib-

l ings, w as deep ly moved by thei r lives

and deaths, and that this had an inf lu-

ence on his fee lings, att itude and work.

Zbigniew Mszczak rightly pays at-

tention to the unusual familiarity of

the author of 'The Deluge' who, with

the sam e dedication as in writ ing, sup-

ports his family. Henryk is, in fact,

the 'family mint' he generously fi-

nances his family when in need, as

well as founding scholarships and or-

ganising and contributing to collec-

tions for the needy in his partitioned

homeland.

Sieokiewicz is a familiar, warm-

hearted and hospi table man by nature

and such features of his are promoted in

this book. It praises a q uiet and grdonsis

family life as conducive to outstand-

ing achievements, in this case l i terary

ones. Sienkiew icu led such a life: l iving

among people close to him, avoiding

the publicity that accompanies fume.

He is a very

heaou

man, helpful, pa-

tient, calm, with a subtle charm and

inborn

sell

and smile. He engages his

guests with interesting stories, anec-

dotes and countryside past imes. A nd he

enjoys playing with kids as well .

To conclude, the book about Sienk-

iewicz is both captivating and factual,

and thanks to the know ledgeable and

omnipresent author, we get to know all

the secrets about the writer's family. A s

a side-effect, the honk also inspires on e

to cultivate family

kutido

and preserve

family tradit ions and customs, and en-

courages one to read H enryk Sienkie-

wicz's fabulous novels and shuts stories,

as well as other grins of literature.

U

mint I Inituna, maiytek, mennica

homeland I ycryzna

to praise sob I nhwauf cti,eqchwaini cod

arduous I tradny, ciyki

humane t iudzki

wit I hum or, tnteligencja

omnipresent I wszechobetny

side-effect I efekt ubnczny

bond I

g e m I s k u r b . p e r e i h a

E.sgIIe,

..ss...a4i2n14


8/44

eopLe and LifesLijLe

-J

AW

-

C E O

od dostepu:2.

by Urszula Gruszecka

m.colorfulmedia.pI

G A M E o F

I

R-ONES

E,.gIifl M.tte.-s :112014


9/44

In the last couple of years,

the industry connected

with 1'V series production

has bloomed. Th e simple,

linear, one-plot focused

story telling has turne d into

multi-layered, time-shifting

creation of different.

In this variety of choices,

such as a m ysterious island,

teenage werewolves, and

demo n hunters, we have

been given a chance to enter

the realm created by G eorge

R.R. M artin portrayed in

the aw ard-winning series

"Gam e of Thrones".

F

or hours of thrillinganticipa-

tionand nail biting tension

all the fans, both readers and

viewers, should be titanhtlal

In George Raymond Richard

Martin. This 65 year old man, look-

ing like a grandad in his insenarable

sailor hut, has created one of the most

D industry

I

przemys+, branza

to bloom

I

kaztnqi, razlraataf

one-plot

I

jedrow4tkowy

It turn Into 5th

zamieniaf siq w cot

multi-layered

I

wielowarstaooy

t ine-shift ing

I

tunielinearny,w roziieJ

prZeStrzefll rzasowej

realm I kr lestwn, pahstvcn

variety of sth

I

nfznorodnotf czegot

rnarnaitnii czegos

werewolf

I

sikofak

a thrilling

I

ekscytujqcy

anticipation I oczekiwanie

nail biting

I

uipasjonsjfcy, poryuajycy

tension I naplycie

thankful to sb wdziqczny komoi

inseparable

I

niendly cony

rrecogniaable I rnzpoznawalny

recognizable fantasy realms in the

world.

Born in 1948, George spent most of

his young years immersed in a world of

fantasy. The quiet town in New Jersey

where he grew op was the perfect place

for a boy with a

sisiti

imagination. He

started to write when he was at IlciloalT

school becoming the provide

of excit-

ing short stories for his school mates.

He used to write fan fiction based on his

favourite comic books, which apggx,

gntly gh1ye_d him to master the art of

storytelling. When he started studying

at Northwestern University of Illinois,

his passion led him to a Master's De-

glue in Journalism.

Aft er nradnation. George aittiets

lank

many different projects, among

which he advocated an anti-Vietnam

war

aggtihr,

held a teaching position at

Clarke University from 1978 to 1979.

However just as the wind, water, and

sun

shggue

the surface of the earth, all

his experiences shaped George's mind

and led him to one conclusion that be-

ing a ftolltiatte writer is what he really

wanted lneoue in life. His first pro-

fessionally published story

aggeareti

in

Galaxy magazine in 1970. Still, it was

the series "A Song of Ice and Fire" that

has become George's biggest achi8lccn

at.

immersed I zaglybiory, zanarznny

vivid I zyisy, bujny

primary school I nzkola pndstawnwa

provider I dostarczyciel

school mete

I

szkolry kolega

apparently I rajn5rairiiel

to allow oh to do sth I pozwoii kumat no

zrnbienie czegoy

00

master sth I adoskonalif

to lead to sth do/prnwadni do czegot

M asters Degree I stopieri rxagistra

graduation I ukoczenio studiw

to undertake sth pndrjrirnwaf ny czegof

to advocate sth wspierai cot popieraf cot

agenda

I

u

program

to shape sb/sIb I ksztattowai kogot/cod

full-time I peindetatowry

to pursue sth

wykonywaE cot

A Song of Ice and Fire

The book series consists of five vol

-

times no far, with the first one, titled

"Game of Thrones", published in 1996.

Each hook gggnligs such an antanot of

plots and characters that it is simply im-

possible to introduce them all. To cut

a long story short, and at least sketch

out the main plot, sit down comfortably

and let me tell you a story.

The main area of the events are the

continents called Westerns and Essos.

westerns is divided into Seven King-

doms under the rule of King Robert.

The current ruler overthrew the pnevvi-

ous

king, Aerys II Turguryeo, who was

said to have lost his mind and led the

kingdom into

tijoarcay.

The story 18801_s

to be built around a framework of the

House of Stark. In the first few chapters

to appear I pojawiaf se

achievement

I

osiygrriycie

In date I dodzit

6 t cnsist of sob I skiadaf sly z czegnt

volume I to:tom

to contain sth I aavnierai cos

amount I i luR

at least I przynajmniel

to sketch sth not

I

naknetlif cot

to be divided into ott

I

byf podaelonym no coy

under the rule of oh

pod czvimt panowaniem

current

I

obecny

ruler I erlaica, rzydzyry

to overthrow sb

obalid ingot

previous

I

oprzedni

disarray

I

amqt, chaos

to seem

I

wydawat sly

framework I rama,struktura

ngHSfl

Mttr4412014


10/44

we are introduced to Ned Stark, his be-

d wife C alelyn and their children:

Robb, Santa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, and

Jon Snow, known in the whole realm

as "N ed Stark 's bastard". N ed is a Lord

of the Winterfell and the Warden of

the North - the cold and unuleasant

land near the W all - the ancient kggg_r

between the world of humans and the

world of the Others. Life in the North is

not easy but the whole kingdom seem s

to be in a serene time with no major

conflicts or disturbances. The peaceful

atmosphere gigtgut to be only a vefl

thQggh, behind which constant plot-

n

and soiteittin is taking place. T he

attxit that gijgggrs a period of iiptn&r is

ill by N ed himself . Being the Hand o f

King Robert, he discov ers that the igLr

to the I ron T hrone is not Robert 's son.

W hen the king is mortally tettuj ted on

a hunting trip,

gnkiu

about the Queen's

illegitimate son spreads and potential

successors In the throne raise their

voices. Ned Stark's family is at

the whole kingdom under the

i j t g g . g f

of

civil war, and the daughter of Aerys I I

Targaryen gather

s an arm y to f ight for

the throne. As if this wasn't enough, the

mem orable words of the Lord of W in-

terfell: "Winter is coming" transform

into a real peril from beyo nd the W all.

So this is how the story begins. Go-

lest you are an ggntgitt opponent of the

fantasy gonre, y ou will definitely find at

least one character worth going through

the hundreds and hundreds of pages of

the books and hours of the TV series

for. But you have to remember that

with M artin 's slightly morbid sense of

hum our, i t is better not to become too

attached to a character and assume the

worst, and just be content when the

worst doesn't happen.

Adaptation and the

Fandom

It's common knowledge that the

book is always better than its adapta-

tion. Many people would dare to say

that in this particular case, though, the

adaptation does Ju stice to the bunks. Of

course we have to remember that a tel-

evision series is a completely different

medium to written stories , therefore it

focuses on slightly different aspects.

George R.R. Martin is a magnifi-

cent story teller, and the producers and

script writers had to come to terms

with that fact and approach the main

substance with

hgmi1jg.

The pm-

production - casting, script writing,

locations took.ages but was

tttntth

it.

The cast turned out to be an outstand-

jpg group of actors, among which fans

can admire Sean Bean, Charles Dance,

and the young generation in the form

of Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams,

and Emilia Clarke. It seems that there

is no weak point in the series , and it is

really hard to find a fan who would say

that the adaptation isn't impeccable.

Game of Thrones has won mil-

lions of fans all over the world who

are now gathered in one of the biggest

Pandoms in the world. They meet in

huge num bers at different conventions

and lake part in numerous codpjs.

abelouad I okuchsrty

bastard

tabtkart

unpleasant

I

n i a p r a y j e m n y

b o r d e r I g r a n i c a

serene I spokojry

disturbances I zamiasuki

to tarn out

I

o k a z y w a f s ig

t h o u g h I J E d n a k

plotting I spiskowanie

s c h e m i n g I k r s u c ie i n t ry g

to take place I mief mlejsce, dziaf siy

spark I iskra

t o t r ig g e r 5 t h I

wyzwalaf cot, wynotywuf cot

pnwodtwai cot

u p r o a r I z a m i e s z k i, r n z r u c h s y

till zapainny, rnzniecnry

h a i r

I

nustgpcatronu

wounded I runny

gossip I p10th

illegitimate I ro:nietlsbny, a r:eprawego into

to spread I rozprzestrzen:aE sly

to raise ath

I

p o d n o s i f c o t l o p . g l o s i

t u b a a t r is k I b y f zo g m o f o n y m

threat

I

z n g m o z e n i e

to gather sth

I

grtmadzd cot

memorable I pamiytny

peril I rrabezpiaczatstwo

adamant

I

niewzruszoty

genre

gatonek lop literack:)

n s l i g h t l y I le k k o

morbid I mokabBczny

tube attached to sb/sob I byf przywiyzonym

it kotot/czetst

to assume 5th I zakisdaf cot

fandom I spoltornotifaniw

IWIh

Matton

4412014


11/44

George R.R. Martin visits Game of

Thrones panels, and is m ore than will-

ing to take Dart in interviews. The in-

terviews becam e especially nifiotliejo-

ing

after the final plot 1mm t at the end

of the third series which btQughc many

fans to tears. Some people, well emote

of the catastrophe that was about to

happen, recorded their friends' reac-

tions to the bloodcurdling ending and

posted them on YouTube. As soon as

the fan videos appeared on the In-

ternet, interviewers started to show

those pictures of despair to Martin

asking him how he could have done

it to his own fans. In his

defetttle,

he

said - "Well, they would know what

to do justice to sth

I

d o r d w o y w a i c z e r rr u t

therefore I diateto

to focus on sb/sth I koncentrowaf siy flu

knri/czinrrt, skupiad siy on kirni/rzyrrh

t o c o m e t o t e rm s w i t h s t h

I

pogodriinyzczymi

to approach sth I podejif do coego

h u m i l i t y

I

p o k t m a

to take ages I zubrof duto czasu

worth I wart, warty

outstanding

I

wbittv

i m p e c c a b l e I b e z z o r z u t u , rr e n a g a n r m y

convention I nazi

was going to happen if they read the

books". The really amazing thing is

the fact that even though the books

had already been published and were

widely available there aren't any

kolis

or nix sty spoilers within the fandom, so

those who haven't read the books can

enjoy the plot twists and still he sur-

prised by the story's resolutions. It is

said that George has even shared some

tlntcjal information concerning the

main characters' story lines with the

producers, in cute he won't be able to

finish the saga before his death. The

final destinies of the characters are

still unknown. On the one hand there

are fans who h ope that it is going to be

cnsplayfcoetorrre play) I spolkania faniw,

p o d c z a s k t i r y c h u c z e s t n i r y p r z e h i e r a jy s l y o n

p o s t u r e r h l m r m d w , g r e r v i d e o , k o m n i k s i w i tp .

a to take part in sth I brat

w c z V m n d z i n l

entertaining

I

rtzrywktw

twist I zaskakajegy zwrot akrji

t o b r i n g o b I n t e a r s I d o p r o z s a d z a i k o g t t d o l e e

aware of sth I iwmndumi czegoi

b l o o d c a rl in g ) r m r o b c y b r e w w l y la c h

despair ) rozpacz

defence I obrtna

a mailable I dostypry

their favourite character who will fi-

nally survive the war and win the Iron

Throne. On the other there are fans

who are afraid that the last chapter

of the last hook will depict an ice-age

apocalypse in the realm, where only

the Others will survive. Everything is

possible.

So far three volumes have been

made into three seasons of the series.

The fourth is to be

gjj:gd

in 2014. Af-

ter receiving many awards, such as an

Emory Award for Outstanding Main

Title Design, a Golden G lobe for Peter

Dinklage, and n British Academy of

Film and T elevision Award, the series

is doomed to continuing success.

lack

I

p r z f l r i e k

nasty I paskudny

spoiler) tu:przeoek iriformacji

r e s o l u ti o n ) m o z w i y z a n l e

c r u c i a l

I

k l u r z n u e y

d e s t in y I p m z e z n a c z e n i e , lo s

on the one hard I a jedoej strony

ton the other (hand)

I

z d r a g i e j s t r o n y

to depict tb?tth I odmnolowyusai krgoi/ctl,

p r a e d s t a w m o c k o g o i l c o d

In air sth I wy/tnitowat cot

t o b e d o o m e d t o s th I b y d s k a z a r y r m s

flu

cot

English MatterS

44 12014


12/44

eople and LiFesLjLe

E9IiI, Maers 4 044


13/44


14/44

Chieko Asakawa -

Aft

as a blind researcher

she has helped

ytuit-

ally imnairedto

find their bear-

ings in the

computer

ised world.

Among other

things, she built

the groundbreaking practical voice

browser making use of a numeric

keypad. Her extraordinary zeal has let

many people overcome the limitations

of the Internet globally. Her team creat-

ed a tool for web designers to check ac-

cessibility issues on their pages. Tech-

nology still creates stumbling blocks to

disabled users, despite the fact that they

eatyt.tittite one third of the population.

Chieko's research created tremendous

opportunities, not only for visually

impaired but also for giderly and

ff11-

daLe people. As she said in one inter-

view, "Information access has become

so critical for our daily lives. It's not

a

pjyjlggg.

It's a human right."

Sheryl Sandberg - when it comes

Iq a spectacular career as a leader and

being a fulfilled mother and wife, she's

definitely got a lot to say. As the eagrent

COO of Facebook and former leader

r blind

I

riiowidtflly

visually impaired

I

a zaburzeniami percepcjl

wzrokowpj

to find one's bearings

I

ruodnalein siy

browser

I

wy5zukiwarka

keypad

I

kiawiatars

extraordinary

I

nieukly, rudzwyczajnb

zeal

I

rntuzjazm, zapat

to overcome 5th

I

przezvcryzad cos

stumbling block

I

przeszktda, kinds pod rtgi,

u l i v d n a n i v

disabled

I

roepelnospraaurry

despite

I

pomimo

In constitute 5th

I

stonnair rod

tremendous

I

luwielki

elderly

I

starizy

illiterate

I

riepilmierni

privilege

I

p r z y w i l e j

when it comes to

I

j o d l i c h u d z i

of giants like Google,

Starbucks or Walt

Disney, as well as

-

the United States

Secretary of the

Treasury staff

leader, he

joinned last

year's list of

100 most influ-

ential people in the world, according

to Time magazine. Just In add some

spice to her profile, apart from being

a role model for many women, she

wrote a hotly fighuied book tujuitig the

treacherous issue of feminism, blaming

women for the fact that they constitute

only 4% of CEOs of America's 300

Fortune companies. Though it earned

her a lot of criticism, "Lean in" became

an instant bestseller. Anyhow, after she

joined Facebonk, it earned more US

mobile revenue than any other pub-

lisher in 2012, with an 18.4% share of

the whole market. Everything thanks to

the brilliant idea of adding adu to the

mobile news feed.

Ruzena Bajcsy born and raised

in Czechoslovakia, her contribution to

robotics is invaluable. A difficult child-

hood didn't create a hindrance in try-

ing to fulfil her scientific ambitions.

fulfilled

I

sphrooy

current

I

obecny

C O O ( C h i e f O p e r a ti n g O f fi c e r)

I

dyrrktor ds,

operacyjoych

former

I

b y h y

utujoin sIb

I

dulyczyddoczegoi

influential

I

wptywo

apantfrnm

I

opricz

debated

I

truawiany

to raise an issue

I

podnosif kwestry

treacherous

I

to delikatny

to blame ob for nth

I

winif ktgtd 20 cos

C E O ( C h i e f E x e c u t iv e O f f ic e r )

I

dymthroflhonawts

to core sb criticism

I

przysporzyf komut krrjtyki

revenue

I

dtchid

share

I

udzral

ad (adverstisemenl)

I

roklaua

news feud

I

koraly internettwe op yts.ArCM

noised

I

wychtwany

In spite of being edu-

cated in orubanaes

after her Jewish par-

ents were killed

by the Nazis, she

ably

tudent

after get

-

was a re

_

PhD at Slovak

Technical University, she was invited

to Stanford. The

range

of research that

she's been involved in is quite fasci-

nating, spanning from artificial intel-

liggocy, through ecosystems and com-

putational biology, to security. Only in

1979, she hugely supported the creation

of robots which sense their surround-

logo and react to them. As head of a sci-

entific institute, she is working on in-

telligent sensors which can alarm about

forest fires, monitor energy consump-

tion or secure property.

Marissa Mayer -

Presiden andS

h

Yahoo ,

joine

catiisu of

Go

in 1999 as e

numb

20 and be-

came the

contribution to 5th

I

wklad a cut

invaluable

I

niroceniuny

hindrance

I

przeszkoda

to fulfil 5th I

spekiii cod Irp rnarzeriiol

in spite of slh

I

mimo czegoi

orphanage

I

siorocinlac

remarkably

I

riadaczajnie

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

I

stopiod doktsra

range

I

zakres

tube involved in sib

lbi1

wctizaangaowunym

to span from Xt.

vl

rthjuo,szalomooedXdtY

artificial intelligence

I

szlvczoa inteligencia

hugely

I

w durym sttpniu

to sense 5th

I

wycauwaf cod

surroundings

I

tttczerie

rank

I

tv-020reg

employee

I

pracuwnik

atenune

I

urayduwonie, kadencja

array

I

izerey

EelBItSh Mutton 4412t1a


15/44


16/44

O p e n

ml:

U H

by

Katarzyna Szpotakowska

So be free

I ll le t you go

I only said these th ings

because I love you so

So , be f ree

I ll le t you go

I k n o w t h a t w h e n y o u r e

gone

I m g o n n a m i s s y o u s o

Birdy

Rules

Open Mic UK is a music com-

petition and one of the largest talent

searches in the United Kingdom.

It has been broadcast since 2008.

Thanks to the division into three

categories, there is no age group the

competition doesn't include. No mat-

ter if you're under 16, between 16 and

20 or over 21, you're invited to have

g.gg.

Particination is not restricted

Lo solo singers, bands are also w el-

come. Entrants are allowed to sing

covers as w ell as original songs. The

only condition is to pluck on eno ugh

c s u u r s g s

to enter the au ditions.

T he Stake

The idea behind the show is

similar to what has been happening

in The V oice U K, Pop Idol and The

X Factor. Th e overall winner rakes

in 5,000. Anart from the m oney,

the main prize comprises a public-

ity

pocliggo,

as well as a consulta-

t ion and development package. As

a consequence, winning leads to

annearances on the covers of numer-

ous magazines, such as Q m agazine,

other elements of social marketing

and the opportunity to sign a record-

ing contract. Regional winners don't

leave the stage emtev-haoded either.

They receive Exposure Awards, J

cisiihlng time in a recording studio -

worth the ghygient of 210 - and

music lessons,

Bleeding Love

As has been mentioned before,

Open Mic UK is not the only tal-

ent search in the UK. So, English

M atters has derided to take a closer

took st the popularity of each show.

Last place goes to Pop Idol, with

two seasons only, and W ill Young

and M ichelle M cM anus as winners.

The youngest one , The V o ice U K

has been broadcast since 2012 with

its third series starring in 2014 . Hav-

ing Kylie M inogue and Tom Jones

as judges may sou nd like a guaran

tee of the show's success. As for the

winners, there have been two so fan

Leanne Mitchell and partially sig

g d Andrea Begley.

Th e most serious competitor to

Open M ic seems to be The X Fac-

tor. Since 2004, among the judges,

there've definitely been som e beau-

ties, such as Nicole Scherzinger

and Cheryl Cole, as well as some

otmipoketi beasts - Simon Cowell,

as well as Sharon Osbourne. It is

worth mentioning that one of the se-

ries lured the impress

ve number of

200,000 aud utionees os well asiigoijy

20 million viewers in front of their

TV screens. Although some of the

names of X Factor winners, such as

James Arthur and Steve Brookstein,

English Matter. 4412014


17/44

may not ring a bell, Leona Lewis surely

dues. The artist won the X Factor com-

petition in 2006 and since that time she's

been -bleeding love internationally.

Birdy

Is there a winner of Open Mic UK

who could beat Leona? As a matter of

fact, there is - Bicdy. She lsgggU_u vic-

tory in 2008, being only 12 at that time.

Birtly sang her own song So B e Free. Her

version of Skinny Love hit the number

one

poi

in France and was featured in

V ampire Diaries. She has already record-

ed her first album, which has become en-

irgttstl popular in Holland and Belgium.

Her single Just a Game can be heard on

the Hunger Games soundtrack.

Open Mic

The name Open Mic UK stems from

l ive shows open to all members of the

mta

igtice. In traditional open mic contests,

any member of the audience can appear

onstage to perform for an allotted period

of time. 1'pical performances included

singing, reciting pretty or some comedy.

In the case of Open M ic U K, the decision

to participate isn't fully spontaneous, En-

trants have

loyggfetec

in advance via the

Internet and pay a 5 handling fee. For

some - a gitiflitible investment - for oth-

ers - fun and adventure, and most prob-

ably for a certain group of competitors -

a huge disappointment, As Abbu used to

sing, it's all about destiny.

The winner

takes

it all

The loser standing small

Beside

the

victory

That s

her destiny'

Abb.

*Bleeding love - the title of a sung

performed by Leona Lewis

N

a to broadcast sib emitowaf cog

division I prdzial

to include sb/sth I wlyczai kogol/onl,

obejrnowul kogol/rol

to have ago

I

spribtwai

participation I udziat, uczestnictwt

restricted to I ograrczony It

entrant I lurosoba przystypuj000 do

przesluohaf

to be allowed to do sib I nnief zgtdy na

zrrbienre cuegni

to pluck up courage I zebraf sig na tdwagy

audition

I

przestucharoe

stake I stawka

overall I tu.nsluteczrly

In

ake in 5th I ptt agarrial oti (pierriydze)

apartfrom I n pricz

to comprise sib

I

tu:zawieraf

c a l ,

rbejmtwai

onI

package I pakiet

to lead to 5th I prnwudzri do ozegol

appearance I pejawianie S i y

recording contract

I

knrrtrakt nogranirwy

empty-handed I a pustymr rykami

including I

wtycznie

equivalent I okwiwulant, rdwnowartoif

to take a closer lank at sth I przyjrzei

pa

ozamul burr1

guarantee I gwarancja

partially sighted I niedtwidzycg

competitor I rywal, krrrkurent

to seem I wydawaf

5 1 f

outspoken I szctery do lila, mdwlycy baa

ngridek

it is worth mentioning that I w arto

to lure sb/sth I tuprzyoygnyi kogtl/onl

Impressive I nnbiycy wrtienie

audiunnee I asobabroryraudzialwpraothuchariu

as well as I lakjak

nearly I prawie

a to sing a bell

I

kniarzyi siya ozyml

to beat sb/sth I ptkonaf kngol/coi

to sweep to ath I tusiygnyf po cal

to hit the number one spot

I

zostal numcrem

eden na lilrre przebnjtiw

r extremely I wyjytkowt

soundtrack

I

icialka diwyknwa

to stem from sth I auywodaif

Si1

a ozegol

audience I psblrcanoti

allotted I okrnllnny

to register I zarelestrowaf sly

in advance I a wypraedzeniem

via I przez, poprzez

handling feel oplotu monipulucyjno

profitable I aysktwriy, rantewny

dissapointmert I rozozarowanie

fl911h

Matt.fl4412014


18/44

eopLe and Lifestyle

*T he

Skye Is Lhe Um'IL

by Janet Sandford

If you've e ver thought about uooina sticks and living abroad but don't know what to ex pect,

English M atters interview, w ith Polish eV at, M agda Healey will put you in the picture.

She's been there, d one that and go t the T-shirt, so read on a nd find ou t if it 's for you.

What is your background?

I grew up and lived,

emil

my late

twenties in the Tr-City connrbation

of Gdadsk, sopot and Gdynia. I have

a psychology degme but worked for

many years in market and opinion re-

search. I also do a bit of freelance trans-

lation and interpreting.

When did you leave Poland and

Why?

I left Poland in the late 1990s, for

love. I met a British guy and we went to

the UK as he couldn't stay in Poland. It

was possibly the hardest decision I have

ever made in my life, as I had never had

a desine to emigrate. I had a decent ca-

reer and social life; all those things that

make one connected to a place and there

I was, leaving it all for the unknown.

We had no money, no jobs arranged,

no place to live; and as this was before

Poland joiaed the EU, the nracticalities

were also more complex then. At the

otoop sticks I

pot.

przenleif sty przeprow adrii

oxpat = eopatriate I osoba mieszkngca rn

obczyirio

to put ub is the picture I

par. poinlormoevai

kogof o ozymi w prowadzii kogol a teroat

,until I ad do

conarbotinn I zespil miejski, konurbncja

dogree I stopief naukowy

research I badania

dosiro I ohyk pragaienie

decent I przgzwoity

the unknown I nieznane

to join sth I wstypif do ozegaf

same time, I'd always wanted to travel

and had a latent wanderlust, so I think

that was part of it, to get me out of my

comfort zone.

What were your first experiences

of the UK?

My very first experiences in the UK

go back to the early 1990s when I took

a year's sabbatical from the

urn

and

spent time living in London, working in

menial jobs. I left a year later with less

money than I'd taken, at a time when

some Poles had saved enough to buy

a flat back in Poland but I Mjd what

felt like the experience of

seygtel

years

and my English improved massively.

I mined no with my partner again

a few years later with the idea of set-

tling and eventually acquired the right

to work legally; it took a tot of on-spec

applications to get a professional job.

I worked for a market research agen-

cy in the North West of England for

practicalilies I norma praktyczroa

elatent I okryty, otajory

wanderlust I ,amilowartie in podridy

sabbatical I urlop raukooty

an = university I urlorsytet

moniol

I

rirewdzrgczny, podrzgdny

Ingoin 5th I zyskiwof coi.zdobywai cot

soaorol I kilka

to join up with skI spotkai siyz kirni,

przylyrzyisiydokogoi

eventually I w koicu, ustatecznie

In acqaine 5th I zdobywni cot, uzyskaf

on-spec I

pot. w ole

a while and then took a different role

for a multinational in London for

a couple of years.

What difficulties did you

1",

perience?

The hardest thing was the need

to start again close to the bottom

le at

of the pile and be the person ;o

whom boring tasks are delegat

ed rather than the one that del-

egates them.

The differences be-

Iween the UK and

Poland are not

great with both

countries being

in the European

sphere, how

-

ever the nota-

ble lack of the

utilhiog iultu-

ence of reli-

flgIISh Matters

4412014


19/44

on found in Poland, was

attractive to m e.

The pervasiveness

of the class system and

class based orejudices.

particularly in south-

ern England, is cer-

tainly something that

has to be seen to be

believed. It never af-

fected me personally

as my alien status pro-

tected me from being

automatically placed

in a box the moment that

I opened my mouth, but it

was still quite shocking to

watch it.

The other thing that

perhaps has always bothered me is

what I perceive as an alm ost pathologi-

cal avoidance of disagreement and any

controversial or rettmtel intellectual

subjects.

What did you gain from the expe-

rience?

I think immersion yourself in an-

other culture is always advantageous

because it makes you question the as-

sumptions of your own social condi-

tioning. It broadens your repertoire and

increases freedom . On a practical level,

developed near-native proficiency

in English, which opened up a whole

world of com mun ication with billions

of people around the wo rld.

Why and when did you move to

Scotland?

From the initial move to England in

the late 1990s, we went bock and forth

between Poland and the UK a couple

of times, but mostly lived in various

places in Great Britain. We moved to

Scotland seven years ago when t was

eight months' pregrant with my second

child, mostly for family reasons.

We lived in the countryside near

Perth for four years then were lucky

enough to be able to go travelling for

two years before even tually deciding to

settle where w e are now.

Tell us about where you live and

your current lifestyle

We live in a small village on the

mainland on the north-west coast of

Scotland, close to Kinlail, Lochalsh

and the Isle of Skye. We are a few min-

utes' drive from the Isle of Skye B ridge.

It 's a sparsely populated area and fairly

remote, but also quite touristy in sea-

son. The nearest shopping centre and

cinema are two hours' drive away in

Inverness. Skye is a staggeringly beau-

tiful place, possibly the m ost stunning

that I have ever been to, and certainly

top of all the places I hav e lived in. This

somewhat makes up for the bleak win-

ters, the lack of 'civilisation' and the

rniges. Actually, lam not entirely sore

about the midges.

W e are currently renovating the old,

stone house w e bought, white trying to

deal with the day-to-day family stuff

and attemotinu to earn some money

to cover daily gEpgiibes. I do a bit of

freelance writing on the web as well as

occasional pieces of translation w ork,

although that isn't that easy to get re-

motely.

Why have you chosen a lifestyle

that is not 'normal?'

I am not quite sure if there was ever

a conscious decision to lead a non-

mainstream lifestyle but to som e ex tent,

I chose i t because I could. I have some

regrets about the less tangible aspects,

particularly in the academic sense, but

I am not interested in collecting mate-

rial tokens of s tatus and achievem ent,

so as long as we can survive in circum -

stances anprnachino semi-comfort,

that's all I care about. I might regret

i t if I were to f ind m yself in desperate

I

vatthe bottom of the pile I ra da le

d r a b i n y s p r i n c z r r e i

to delegate vth leg. taskul I alecafcat

kornat np.wykonaniezadanial

notable I wybitoy

latkof5th I brakczegoi

o stifle I dash zadasif, zdlawid

pervasiveness I wszechcbecnoti

p r e j u d i c e I u p r z e d z e n r e

alien I lucudauziemiec

nb

b o t h e r S b I m n r t w i i k o g a t , n i e p u k o i f

k o g o t

to perceive sth I zauwaad cat, dnstrzegad

cos

remotely I ru chat trach a riulrnnieJszyrs

ntrpniu

to immerse oneself in sth I pogryzat siy w

rztmt

advantageous I korzystny

assumption I aalaenie, hipoteza,

p r a

y p U

c a r o m i e

to broaden sth I poszerzaf cot

back and forth I tarn i z powrnten

pregnant I w uyzy

to settle I osedbfsq

a sparsely populated I slabo zaludniary,

w y l u d n i a n y

fairly I data, dosyf

staggeringly I zdaroiewajyco

Stunning I oltniewajqcy

to make up for sth I zrekompensowad

c o g

bleak ponary, srrrytny, prrygnybiajycy

midge I musaka

to attempt to do sth I prdbewad cot rrobit

to earn I zarabiat Ipieniydael

expense I wydatek

to some ex tent I do pewnegr stupniu

t a n g i b l e I n u m a c a i r ry , k o n k r e t n y , m a t e r c a ln y

token I symbol, dowid

circumstance I okolicznott.fakt

to approach sth I zbhzaf sly do azegot

English Matters

14 12014


20/44


21/44


22/44

R

modem Britain, a lot of young and

old people still believe in good a nd

bad lock and perform certain irra-

tional actions, which are supposed to

help. So, what are the m ost comm on

symbols of fortune and misfortune in

the UK?

Good Luck

Horseshoes are often hung on peo-

ple's front doors to give protection

against bad lock. In the past horse-

shoes were made of iron, which was

believed to protect against witches,

devils and fairies. It is important how

it is hung - never hang it up with the

opening pointing downwards - or all

the luck w ill run

out

ef

it.

Equal

y

if you come across a horse-

shoe somewhere, then it's thought to

bring you tuck. If you find one tying

around somewhere, you need to follow

certain ritual, picking up the horse-

shoe with your right hand, snittiue on

one of the ends of the horseshoe and

making a wish. Then you

I h u a s s '

itayfit

your Ieft , .yhauider, and leave w ithout

looking hack to see where it landed.

Hopefully, you don' t hit anybody w ho

happens to be walking behind you at

the time. I don't think they'd

cttiasies'

i t lucky

In Britain, it is also lucky to meet

a black cat. You don't need to be

scared if it crosses your path. It just

means that the cat has out n oticed you.

Thai ' s why black Cats are on so many

greetings cards in Britain. If a

tabby

1 t e r fo r m s t h I w y k a n V w a L r o d

fairy

I

srdzka, drszek,

E u

c z a r O w n I c a

o p e n i n g I o t w a r t a S t ro m

pointing I tuskerowany fl. Wfore)

downward, I w dit

to ran out of sib I ta:uriec z czegod

equally I tak sarrrt

to coma across sb/sth I natknyi se na

krgod/coi

to pick up sb/sth

I

podnieid kogtd/cnd

to spit on sb/sth plod ra ko got/crit

or grey cat comes into your house

and wants to stay there, that is a sign

that you will get some money. You

should be careful though if a black

cat follows you. Black cats are sup-

posed tube the fam iliars of witches or

warfociso, so if one is following you,

it is bad luck - a witch is after you.

Cats can also gggjcI the weath-

er . if a cat sneezes, then rain is on

its way. But if a cat is sitting with

its back to the fire, a storm is on its

way. Finally - if a cat is sharneuinn

its claws on a table leg, that is a sign

of a change in the weather, usually

for the better.

It is also considered good luck to

say "wh ite rabbits, white rabbits, white

rabbits on the first day of the month,

before uttering any other word on the

day. Rabbits were believed to bring

good luck in the putt , so many people

wore a rabbit foot round their necks as

a lucky charm.

More Lucky Charms

If you plan to visit the hairdresser,

plan the dale Carefu lly - if you choo se

a date when the moon is

waning,

it

mean s you will have good luck.

I f you buy n ew clothes , i t is recom-

mended to put money in the pockets -

then even more mo ney will come your

way.

A walk in autumn also gives you

chance to attract some luck - if you

catch fatting leaves, every leaf means

a lucky month next year.

t o th r o w s t h o v e r Q u a ' s s h o u l d e r I r z u c r c o d

p r z e z ra m i y

to consider sth 0 I uwazod cot taX

tabby I kot prygawany

a to follow sb/sth ) podyeod za kimd/czymi

w a r l o c k I c z a r o w n r k , c z a r n o k s i y z n i k

to predict sth I przewidzied cot

to sr000e I kicheyd

to sharpen sth I ustrz/t cot

to utter sth

I

w y p o u u a d a d c o d

Bean I przybyaad)kstzyca)

i t is r e c o m m e n d e d I z a l e c a s l y , d u r a d z u s ly

Bad

Luck

One of the

most terrible bad

omens is breaking

a mirror. It means seven

years of had luck. In the old days,

it was believed that a person's soul

is in their reflection, so if you break

a mirror, your soul is damaged too,

uurnjng

you

to

an early death, or even

t o d o o m s b t o s th I s k a z y w o d k o g o d

o to deny sth to sb I s/maniac krrrc,d

c z e g o d , u n io m o z l iw i a d k o m u d z r o b i e n in o z e g o d

to wash sth away

I

z m y d c o t

namely) a mianuwicle

opposite I przeciwieistwo

to pass sb/sth I ru.mlnydkogot/rut

to keep one's fingers crossed for sb/to do sth

O r z y m a d k c r u k i z a k o g a t / z a z r u b ie n i e c z e g o d

to avert sth r d w r d c e c o d , z o p o b e g a f c z e m u d

to stumble) potkrryf sry

English Matters

4012014


23/44

P A P

you access to

heaven.

ow-

r, there is a way

out - if you pick up all

the broken pieces and throw

them into a river or stream, then

the bad luck will be "washed aw ay".

You should also by any means avo id

walking under a ladder. This superst i-

tion originated from the Bible, pggfa,

Jacob's ladder between heaven and

earth. People seem ed to believe that to

climb a ladder o r to walk up the stairs

meant luck, because this is the way

towards God. Going under a ladder

means the opposite. This is similar to

passing someone on the stairs - if that

happens, then you should keeD your

Sneers crossed to avert bad luck. How-

ever, if you stum ble on a staircase, it is

a good om en (assuming, of course, that

you don't then fall all the way down

and break your neck).

It is also unlucky

Io.opjll

salt. If you

do, you most throw it over your left

shoulder to counteract the bad luck.

If you open an umbrella indoors

this might also bring misfortune.

This superstition

arose in Victorian

England. to the 18' and 19

1

century,

unbrellas were made with bard metal

ignites and a spring Irieaer. ifeiesifn

that spring to open the u mbrella could

be dangerous to any ftggjle objects

nearbi not to mention eyeballs and

there were m any jitjnries caused by the

opening mecha nics of umbrellas.

It's also bad luck to put new shoes

on the table, because it invites your

imm inent death, In Elizabethan times,

a miner 's family was u sually informed

of their death by placing the miner's

shoes on the table.

Tea drinking is surrounded by

many superstitions which differ from

one county to another. Wiltshire folk

believed that it was a bad om en if boil-

ing water was poured into an empty

pot - you should not forget to put

the tea-leaves in before the water. In

Worcestershire dry tea-leaves were

sometimes scattered on the front-door-

stop

of a new hom e, to protect it from

evil spirits.

If two wom en pour lea from the same

lea pot, it means one of them will be-

come pggggggg. A female visitor must

not pour tea in another woman's house

either - it also foretells ore000ncv.

Animals and their behaviour are of-

ten considered as good or bad omens.

If a dug is howling at a door, this is

an om en of death, and if a dog sybjates

when a baby is born, that baby will

lead an evil life. If a

ipaggatsyt

enters

a house, it is an omen of death to one

of the people who live there. In some

areas it is believed that to avoid bad

luck, any sparrow caught must be im-

mediately killed, otherwise the person

who caught it will die.

It is believed very unlucky to keep

the feathers of a ggggngk at home, or

handle anything made with them. Th is

is because of the eye shape u pon these

feathers is the evil-eye, associated

with wickedness.

Superstitions refer back to old be-

liefs and might add colour to life, how -

ever sometimes they might be a way of

explaining your own failings - for ex-

ample, wh en you fail your driving test,

you can say "I was unlucky because

I spilt some salt in the morning." Just

don't take it too seriously and make

sure you prepare better next lime.

U

assuming p r z y J m u J y c , it;

z a k l a d a j y c , z e

to spill sth I rszsypai rn

to counteract sth I praeciwdaiaiaf canmul,

zapoblec czenlui

Mono; I w pomieszcaaniu,

p o d d a u h e r s

to arise

I

powstai, narodeid siy

spoke

dratlparasolal

-

springtrigger I spryifflaspustu

to release sb/sth

I

owolnid kogoi/cui; ta

r

awolr,d op. spryzyrltl

fragile I delikatni,kruchy

nearby a peblia

e y e b a l l I g a l k a m a r 1 0

injury I uruz, obruzetie

imminent biski, rychip

miner I girtik

to place sb/sIb I urn;ejsrawiad ku(tiluoi,

stawui kogod/rof

f o l k I l u d , c h b o p ;

to pour sth into sth I nlewatctiwcoi

6 t

catter sth I roasyppaai cot

doorstep I prtg

pregnant I a dydy

to foretell sth I przepowiodoi coy

pregnancy I oi4ia

to howl I oE

towhina I skamlat

sparrow jasktka

peacock I paw

to handle sth I trzlrlai mi

wickedness I podluG, n;egudziwcti

t o r e fe r b e c k t o o t h I o d w o l y w a d s i g d o u z e g u f

f a i l i n g I n ; e p o w o d a e n i e

to fail sth I oblai ctt lop test)

English Matters

4412014


24/44

by K atarzyna Szpotakowska

Almost ten years after Poland joined the European U nion, English

Matters has asked our compatriots what their lives are like in the UK and

in neighbouring Ireland. Has their English dream come true, or are they

deeply disappointed with living in ex ile? T he accou nts presented below

should sat isfy the cu riosi ty o f ev en the m ost inq uisit ive readers.

D compatriot I rodak

n e i g h b o u r i n g I s it s ia d u j q o y

deeply I gltbnkt

in exile I na tbcinie

amount I relacja

inqxisitioe I donekhwy

Marek Kazimierski

London

arrived in the

UK in 1985,

as a young political refugee

escaping Communism. Since

then, I have graduated from

several universities, taught

English and ottt various arts

initiatives. Recently, my book

"Damn the Source" about

Polish migrants in the UK, was

published.

I find life in England quite

different from Poland, which

I visit several times a year.

I love working in the UK, it is

a very orderly and calm place,

where you can get things done.

I taught English in Warsaw

a few years ago, and I did notice

Polish bureaucracy and general

issues around workplace bnllyr

itig and inefficiency much m ore

pronounced than in England.

llgpsigyer, I feel much happier

spending nun-work time in Po-

land. It is a more diverse place,

in terms of h istory, architecture

and cultural activity. I f ind Po-

land seems p.jr my creative

juices more than E ngland. t like

walking, travelling, meeting

people, hearing their stories. In

England, there is a sense of ac-

complishment and stagnation,

whereas in Poland there is mach

yet to he dune, a lot of bad vibes

to eradicate from the national

consciousness. That excites me,

as writer and translator.

Ailbotigh my publishing

house OFF PRESS is now

moving away from publishing

Polish books in English trans-

lation, into new languages and

gettrgp. I want to keep a strung

relationship with Poland. M ay-

be through publishing or mak-

ing films or other projects, such

as working with prison arts -

I also edit Not Shut U p, a prison

arts magazine, and see a lot of

similar initiatives happening

in Poland right now (such as

p d

English

Matters44I2014


25/44

W Kratky, a magazine supported by

Wysokie Obcasy, or a recent exhibi-

t i

o

n

of prison art in Centrum Kultury,

ublin).

yggoll the work and money situ-

ation in the UK is getting worse and

worse, through a recession which is

r e -

fusing to pass (banks, companies and

he government are making recov-

ggy impossible), but great art was

always created in times of trou-

ble. Such times are now ,

i

refugee

I

uchodica

to graduate from sth

I

kobczyf cis, byf

absolwnntem czegoi

to run

sthl

prowadzrf

c o b , z a r z y d z a t c n y m i

bullying

I

erruryzuwanle, zastraszanle

inefficiency

I

nokompoterrcja, niaskatocznoif

pronounced tu:wyraiey

however

I

jednak/in

to stir sob

I

budzd cob, wabudof

a sense of accomplishment I pocucrespelnienra

whereas

I

pcdczos gdy

bad vibes

I

zieflaidy

to eradicate sth

usuwaf cab

consciousness

I

wiadomof& mentalnoff

eltough

I

houoi

to muse away from sth

I

przen. udchodzif od

c z e g o f

genre

I

gatarrek (litaracki, filmon y)

ueuhibition

I

wystawa

overall

I

podsumowujyc

to get worse and worse

I

pogarszaf sly

to refuse to pass

I

tuinie ustypowat

recovery

I

u . ozywrene ekunomiczne,

uzdrowienre gospodarki

Aneta Rapacz

London

m

yname is An-

eta

and I am

recent uni-

versity gtgits

ate. I have

been living in London

since 2007 and t have tosay

that

~e

vertheless

i t However ,

to the U K was

my intention.

one

sunny day just

after school

I was sioing

on the bench with my dearest friend,

who was passionately trying to convince

me

to

come along with her to London to

start studying. I wasn't very keen on

her idea, but then I suddenly thought

"I have nothing to lose, can always come

back". And that's where m y story begins.

I arrived in London in June 2007 and start-

ed looking for a job. It wasn't easy, as my

English was still at a development guano

and I m ade millions of mistakes. But in

order to earn some money had to put my

shyness aside an d start talking. After one

mon th I got a job as a sales assistant in

a high sneer fashion shop in a busy shop-

ping town. The first months weren't easy.

I had to provide excellent customer serv-

ice, which means talking to people and

offering them adv ice. But it was a great

way to practice my E nglish. After a few

months I was able to talk about almost

anything. However, I need to mention

that on my way to and from work was

a graduate

I

absoiwent

nevertheless

I

iemnrej

jednak

to convince

sb

00

do sth

I

przekonaf kogoi do

zrobenia coegni

phase

I ara,ntnp

fervently

I

gorllwie

mixture

I

mraszonko

distance udleg loft

In commerce sth

I

rorpnczyf cob

fentotitly

studying books with En glish

vocabulary and reading newspapers. The

atmosphere in my job was very nice. I was

working with people from Slovakia, the

Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands and

Germ any. A great m iattire of characters

and languages We become good friends

and tried to meet as much as possible after

work, which wasn't easy as everyone lived

in different parts of town and the distance

was

great.

After a year , I com menced

university, while continuing

to

work pact

time in the shop. I graduated in 2011 and

started an M Sc course at a different uni-

versity. I also changed the location of my

job. I m oved to a sm aller shop (still the

same brand) where took vu a position as

part time Assistant M anager. I

gild

that

ggjtion few months after found my first

graduate job as an Administrative Assist-

ant at Imperial College, London, This rote

is totally different to m y

gtuyigias

experi-

ences, as now am working ona lone term

to work part time

I

prarowaf w ninpnlnym

wyrvioran gudzin

MSc M a s t e r of Science)

I

mogister nauk

i c i s l y c h l ub prayrodnicaych

to take up a position

I

bjyf stonowisko

to quit

position

I

r e z y g n o w a f

Ce

stanowiska

p r e v i o u s I

uprzrdni, papraodni,

wcaefniejsay

longterm

I

lugoterrvrnowy

English Manors 04120t4


26/44

project, providing administrative help to

the Project M anager. I and responsible for

answering telephone

gggtits

entering data

intothe database system andgjjjngg

for meet ings with the research

narticlnantto I work Monday to Friday

from 8am to 4pm, which is great, because

I st il l have some t ime for my self. Howe ver,

there are days w hen t need to stay longer,

but t do not mind as I am paid for it. The

atmosphere is great, I have to say that even

i f

have a stressful day, my boss and my

colleagues are very helpful and always give

me a big smile. I strongly believe that the

work culture in the UK is totally different

than in Poland, and a good em ployer really

cams about his workers, as they are very

valuable assets to him. There are m any op-

pnrtnnit ies. Iwish to continue m y career in

the UK and hope to start one of the graduate

schemes, as they are very well designed for

young graduates and offer m any paths for

personal and professional development

To sum up, what I have learned dur-

ing those years is that the working envi-

ronment in London is changing very fast

This is a good and a bad thing. You meet

people; gel to know them and then they

leave. On the other hand, you are exoosed

to new experiences all the time. Talking

about new experiences, the best thing

have found in London agniLfIom a mul-

ticultural community and giygmi was

our own Polish community. Iris amazing

to see how young people are devoted to

their country and

ggggtg

promote P o l ish

values and qualities. I am a member of

the Poland Street Association, which

encourages Poles to participate in initia-

tives and events which aim to strengthen

our national identity whilst building and

maintaining positive relationships with all

communities living in the UK. In March

we organized a fnneloisine concert to

collect money for former Polish WWII

soldiers living in poverty hack in Poland.

In November, for the W time we cleaned

Polish graves at British cemeteries involv-

ing volunteers and Polish schools.

And we celebrated our 8

birthday, inviting every-

one to join us at a Roller

Disco - a club where

you dance while

wearing roller skates.

But there is much

more that we have

already done and are

planning to do. Soil

you live in London,

come and join us to

help a good cause and

have great fun. London

has a lot to offer

-

you

just need to work

hard and eniov

I

uery

zapytanie

to schedule sth

I

za/planowaE cot

appointment I rotorme

research

I

badanie

participant I arzestnis

assets

I

zasoby

path

I

droga, iciezka

a on the other hand I a drugiej strony

to be exp osed truth I doiwiadczyf

czegoi, zoznat czefos

apart from I oproca

Dawid Roczniak

Bracknell

commun ity I spoferzsott

dloersily rornorodnoid

devoted tooth I oddany czemut

ea,gaindnsth I cFytnydozobieoautegsd

ta encourage sbtndosth

I

aachqcaf

Ingot do zrob enia rzegot

to strengthen nIh

I

wzm ucnluf coi

fundraising

charytatywny

rio canine sb/nIh I wIrzaf kogot/rot,

nbejsrowaf kofuf/cud

volunteer I ochotnik

name is Dawid. I am I worked at a buoyancy

27 years old and I started factory,

aking

stxs

m

y

my UK experience buck

for oilrigs. The thing that

in 2007. Alter I finished

was most difficult for me

my studies n

oland

culture-wise was that every-

I went to Scotland io.ggLn some working

body expected you to call them by

experience and test my English pgg

their first name, even people mach older

citicg

The city I chose with my friends

than you. I have rarely heard any of i

-

was Aberdeen. The accent in Scotland cial t it les u sed w hen pe ople address each

is very hard to understand, and it took other. It took some t ime to get used to the

awhile Is gel used to that. At times it idea that I should call people older than

sounded like a completely different Ian-

me, or my manager, by their first name.

gauge. During my time in Aberdeen

After my stay in Scotland I moved to

English ManorS44 2014


27/44

working experience and should help you agency workers are treated worse than say that British people are very polite

gel a job in the future. Unfortunately ftiffgime emniovees. although this is not and helpful. Most of them are used to

V

he

gay is usually around the notional always the case. I am living and work- change and are very tolerant. The bigger

minimum (a minimal wage am ount in ing full t ime in a Wa itrose warehouse in cities , however, are too crowded for me,

the U K that an employer must provide) B racknell near London at present. I t is and I prefer q uiet lit tle towns like Brack-

and there is no guarantee of working on a nice q uiet town and I enjoy living here. nell, where most probably twill stay and

a renular basis. I also experienced how From my personal observations I can live my life.

to gain 5th I zdnbywui aol

prnficienry lb eginhi

it took awhile I uplynIn trochy czasa

a b u o y

I

bog, plawu

n i t r i g

I

platfurma wlertnrcza

to address each other I twracat siq do siebie

a stay I pobyt

a unfortunately I restety

pay I pIaca,satradzenIe

wage amount I n5Okotc zarobkiw

an a regular basis I regu urnre

sCull

time

I

peincetutowy

e m p l o y e e I p ra c o w n i k

warehouse I magazyn, hurtawnia

u crowded I zatisazony

Agnieszka Czekajlo

Newcastle upon Tyne

convinced m e to start my home-based

kindergarten. Before I came to England,

I had worked as an au-pair in Austria

and Holland. W orking with kids has al-

ways been my dream , and a challenge

I've wanted to meet. I started a career

as

professional childminder four years

ago. Before that thud tn,uttottd an

r i o r e y

of courses preparing me to be able to

take care of kids.

Being a childminder is a wonderful,

but, first and foremost, responsible job.

Every day m eans new adventures and

new challenges. The job req uire plan-

ning and supporting the development

processes of kids. It is gyitagiel im-

portant to be able to com municate w ith

parents. At work. I do appreciate that

I get to know very interesting fami-

lies, as we live in England and families

are often multinational. Often parents

want their children to be ex posed to the

Polish language and to be able to use

the language, which is why they choose

4 t

set up sob I zakiadaf cot

trigger Ito prayrzyna. boiziec

kindergarten I przedszkule

c h i l d m i n d e r I o p i a k a n k a d o d z i a c k u

to attend oU r I ucztszaaf nacol

array I szereg

my kindergarten. I do my best to try to

teach kids about Po lish culture. We cel-

ebrate Polish holidays and all the other

important national events. We read

Polish fully tales and poems. I teach

kids Polish songs.

Kids participate in local events. We

visit libraries, museums, playgrounds

and many other places, where we be-

come familiar with the English Ian-

gouge and culture.

T his is very serious job. I play with

the kids, observe their development and

plan an individual approach towards

every child. I also have In deal with

a lot of paperwork. All the documents

are checked every three years by Ofsted

- the English counterpart of the Educa-

tion Office in Poland.

Running my own business gives me

a lot of satisfaction. I ggg all my suc-

cesses In myself, which makes me really

proud. Every day is a challenge, which

is ex tremely interesting.

first and foremast

I

praede wsaystkrro

to require sth I pomagof czegoi

extremely I agtkown

5

p l a y g r o u n d

I

plac aahaw

counterpart I odpowledrik

to owe 5th to oneself

I

z a w d z i q c 2 a t c o d s o b i e

ye been living is

Great Britain for nine

years. Together with

my husband we set-

tled here and

snLlig

or family; we have

two amazing suns.

eing a par

-

ent was the

iriggc_r that

111inglinsh Matters a4 2014


28/44

Marta Jabloska

Hull

m

y adventure with the

UK started nine years

ago, when I was young,

university educated and

a little bit disappointed

with the prospects of life in my coun-

try, where finding a ggngjble job was

nex t to impossible.

When we first came over here, we were

all optimistic and enthusiastically looking

forward to this new experience, though we

felt we might be

facing

a little language

barriecOver the first days in the first Job,

which was then picking and packing toys

and

nfoIfoiiesy

in a warehouse, m ost of us

in no time lost all the confidence we might

have had that we could actually comm u-

nicate in English. It was qu ite humiliation

to find out that having learnt English for,

say, ten years in Poland, w e really sisng

gjggljg understand or speak up (and be

understood ). The strong accent of 'Hull

English' didn't make it easy either.

I t took a fair amount of t ime and ef-

f o t i

to actually settle in, get used to the

left-hand side traffic, local pronunc iation,

English food and a variety of differences

in people's ways of living,

pgg.iigtes

and

mann ers. I t was certainly a good thing

n sensible I twseostwrry

to fore sth zroierzyf siz tayort

stationery

I

artykaly piirriernicze

confidence I pewnttt siebre

humiliating I apakorzajycy

to straggle to do sth I zrrogoi sig by roe

e f f o r t I w y s r t e k

pastime I rtzrywka

to fume Sb into doing sth I zmusii kogtl do

z r o b r e n r o c z e g o i

handful I garstka

to sort out sth I rozwiyzpoai cot

accommodation I zakwatesnwarrie

gradually I strpoiroa

to establish sth I 2alozyt cot, ustasourd ro t

complemented with sth I ozup&nronyo cot

to settle tsiadat, osiedlaf sic

that we didn't have it too easy, like you get

nowadays, with Polish shops, mechanics,

doctors, Polish-speaking staff in hunks,

offices, recruitment agencies and so on,

and we w ere forced into learning English

'the hard way'.

In fact we and our fellows who cam e

over with us at that time were amo ng the

first Poles in the town, and meeting some-

one speaking Polish on the street was rath-

er aram thing those days, but we still man-

aged to get to know a number of ou r fellow

countrymen and q uite a few of those con-

tacts have lasted until now. T here was also

a handful of us, an d friends of ours, that

started organizing all sorts of initiatives

for our fellows, starting from Polish com -

mu