Лекция: In the restaurant

— It’s high time to have a bite. Why not go to the refreshment room? Don’t you mind?

— I don’t mind. But I’m hungry enough to go to the restaurant and to have a very substantial dinner. I’d prefer a great deal to have a good meal than to have a snack.

— I think that to have substantial meal is a very good idea. Oh! What a long queue! I’m starving; I positively can’t stand in it.

— Here’s a meat sandwich for you to satisfy your hunger while we are waiting. Take a glance at the menu: there’s a wide choice of tasty dishes on it. I believe we shall take fish and vegetable salad to begin with. I’d rather take either jellied fish or smoked sturgeon.

— I’d better take red caviar. And I wouldn’t say anything against sprats in oil.

— What do you say to vegetable salad? I’d like to take either cucumber and tomato salad dressed with sour cream or cabbage and carrot salad dressed with sunflower oil.

— Dill and parsley as well as onions are out of the question I suppose.

— By the way, you are very particular about food. Now, what shall we take for the first course?

— I’d love to have either chicken noodle soup or milk soup.

— As for me I want neither beet soup nor clear soup because it doesn’t leave sufficient room for the more important meat course.

— What about the main course? I’m hungry enough to take meat dumplings, macaroni and mutton cutlets.

— You can eat anything you like, the slim thing you are! But I’m afraid to put on weight. That’s why I shall have neither beefsteak with mashed potatoes nor spaghetti with stewed duck.

— I see that you are on the slimming diet. Why not take buckwheat porridge with chops or fried potatoes with ham?

— Goodness! How could I? No, I’m likely to have a hard-boiled egg and a piece of sausage. And I’d rather take two hunches of rye bread because I keep to a strict diet.

— And I’d better take a slice of white bread though it is rather stale I should say.

— As for drinks I shall definitely take strong tea with cream and a glass of apple-juice.

— I’m thirsty enough to drink a glass of hot black coffee with some chocolate. Look! There’s a wide choice of pastry on the menu. Why not have cheesecakes or pancakes? They make my mouth water because they look so-o-o tasty.

— I’d better take a scone or some biscuits because I’m on the slimming diet.

— What do you say to marmalade or honey or, maybe, strawberry jam?

— You seem to have a sweet tooth! But I don’t like to put on weight and I’ll take some oranges or apricots and peaches if they’ve got them on the menu.

— I wouldn’t object to taste plums or grapes. But it’s next to impossible to get them in this season.

— You would say! I would be grateful if they had peanuts on sale.

— As for berries, we are sure to eat them only in summer. My dream is to taste strawberries and raspberries.

— Let’s sit down at that table and have our dinner. Let’s have fish and vegetable salads first. Aren’t they tasty?

— My salad is delicious! Will you pass me a piece of white bread and two pieces of rye bread?

— Here you are! May I trouble you for the salt-cellar? My soup lacks salt.

— Here it is! The beet soup is oversalted. Now let’s have the main course, shall we? This stewed duck seems to be juicy.

— The beefsteak is very tough. Will you pass me the mustard-pot and the pepper-box?

— I never take mustard or pepper. It goes against my stomach.

— As for me, I prefer to have highly seasoned food.

— These pancakes and cheesecakes seem to be very appetizing. They make my mouth water.

— May I treat you to these chocolates?

— Thank you! Help yourself to these apples. Don’t stand on ceremonies.

— They are very delicious!

— Will you have some more?

— No more, thank you! I’ve had enough, our dinner has been very substantial.

— Let’s pay for it and be off.

Find in the dialogue the English equivalents for:

очень острая пища; очень разборчивый в еде; слюнки текут; перекусить (2 variants); быть недосоленным; худеть; пересоленный; не стесняйтесь; быть сладкоежкой; заморить червячка; почти невозможно; жесткий как подошва; оставить достаточно места для; очень плотно пообедать; заправленный чем-либо; пополнеть; скажешь тоже; умирать с голоду; сидеть на строгой диете; вредно для желудка, быть сочным.