Занимательное лингвострановедение. Текст 7

Long time ago, when America was not more than a plane, naked space, covered by sand and mountains, people of the Old World started invading it. Everyone who ever came to the New World landed at the very eastern coast of the USA what is now the State of Maine. That is why the nick name of this state has always been Old Dirigo.

Each country is famous for something that was given by mother-nature. In Russia we are very proud of endless Taiga, in GB Scotland is the subject of pride and in the USA it is The Great Lake District in the State of Michigan, which is the world greatest reservoir or fresh water;

The Americans are very much proud of their history and especially the episodes connected with the establishment of democracy. Each year millions of tourists from everywhere come to that mountain to bow and pray for four greatest people, four presidents of America who gave it its freedom and independence. We know this mountain as Mount Rushmore.

Now, when many years passed we regret that Catherine II sold the land of Alaska, the land of forests, blue mountains, deep lakes and world beautiful nature. The famous hills and picks of Alaska are being the national pride of America, besides the fact the highest pick of the USA is situated there. It is Mount McKinley.

It is curious but the world widest and tallest waterfall is situated not in America but in Africa, it is called Victoria. Still the second according to its size and power is located in the USA. People know it as the Niagara Falls. It has such a strange shape that Americans call it the Turnpike.

Донская М.М. – Язык и культура. Лингвострановедение Великобритании и США. – МОСА. – 2005

Ключи:

• Old Dirigo (dirigir – исп. управлять)
• Great Lake District – пять озер Eire, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, Superior (Niagara Falls)
• Mount Rushmore – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt
• The Turnpike – шуточное название реки Миссисипи (the Mississippi) – рогатка (форма реки напоминает рогатку, которая покрывает собой практически всю территорию США, вбирая в себя семь других рек)
• Niagara Falls – Ниагарский водопад (словосочетание имеет фразеологическое значение: Niagara of tears, Niagara of smiles, Niagara of Laughs)