By G. C. Thronley. As in the past, the efforts of the town crier were helped by trade signs in England and other European countries

As in the past, the efforts of the town crier were helped by trade signs in England and other European countries. Signboards with pictures on them were placed or hung in front of the shops. They were often roughly painted, but some were of high artistic value. Famous artists like Hogarth might be asked to paint the boards; the tradesmen had to pay more for such work, but extra trade that came this way increased his profits.

These boards helped the buyer as well as the shopkeeper at the time when neither houses nor shops were numbered. A man who wished to buy some new chairs might have difficulty in finding the right shop unless he knew the town well. But if he looked along the street and saw a board with a chair painted on it, he knew where to go. In the eighteenth century Thomas Chippendale, the famous maker of furniture, had his place of business in London at the sign the chair.

In the fourteenth century in England there was a law according to which every innkeeper had to show his sign whether he wanted to do so or not; and in 1393 an innkeeper was arrested and taken to court for failing to do this. But most tradesmen and innkeepers were glad to show their signs and took a pride in them. The chosen names were very different. " The Sun" and " The Moon" were very common in his day. Other inns were named after animals, real or unreal, or after things or men: " The Bell", " The Elephant", " The Old Ship", " The Carriage and Horses", " The Green Man". It was easy enough to advertise a fish shop by using a large picture of a fish; and if anyone wanted to describe " The Silent Woman" could put up a painting of a woman with no head.

It was more difficult to show a name without writing it out in letters and a shopkeeper's name is important, at least to himself. A picture could be painted giving the sounds of the name, as in the sign for the town of Chester, which was a chest (box) with a star above it — chest-star. This way of showing words by pictures of things is called a rebus — Latin for " by things".

In the towns where shopkeepers had their signs close together, each one partly hid the next. The boards themselves grew bigger and bigger, and the time came when it was difficult and even dangerous for a carriage to drive along the narrow streets under the immense boards hanging over the middle. Some signs were real things and not painted boards, and sometimes when they were old, they fell off the holders from which they hung, thus bringing danger to those who walked below. In the wind too they swung backwards and forwards, making terrible and quite unnecessary noises at night while the neighbors were trying to sleep. In the eighteenth century the troubles caused by swinging boards had become so noticeable that laws were passed (1762-1770) to make the shopkeepers place their signs flat against the wall.

The rough forms of advertisement which had been brought into use by this date did little more than give plain information. They told the man who wanted a table where he could buy a table, but they did little to persuade him that one table was better than another. They were merely reminders.

2. Выпишите незнакомые слова и выучите их. Затем переведите следующие слова:

глашатай, вывеска, торговец, лавочник, владелец гостиницы, рекламное объявление, напоминание, прибыль, увеличить, убеждать, заметный, огромный, плоский, изготовитель мебели, судить, не преуспеть, художник, усилия, покупатель, частично, ввести в обиход, шуметь, вызывать, описать, издать закон, писать вывески.

3. Ответьте на вопросы по тексту.

1. Where were trade signs in England placed?

2. What facts prove that some signboards were of high artistic value?

3. How could one find the right shop at the time when neither houses nor shops were numbered?

4. Who had the place of business in London at the sign the chair?

5. What was the law on signs in the fourteenth century in England?

6. Give examples of the names on the signs.

7. How could the sign of " The Silent Woman" be painted for those who could not read?

8. What was the way to show a name giving the sounds?

9. Why were laws passed in 1762-1770 to make the shopkeepers place their signs flat against the wall?

10. Did these rough forms of advertisement persuade the customer that one table was better than another?

4. Образуйте нужную часть речи из другой части речи в колонке справа и вставьте в пропуски. Переведите предложения.

5. Translate the following into English.

1. Чем больше компания рекламирует товар, тем легче его узнают покупатели.

2. Чем больше, тем лучше.

3. Чем больше мы смотрим телевизор, тем больше видим рекламу.

4. Чем больше летаю, тем больше скидка на билет.

5. Чем менее известна фирма, тем труднее ей продавать товары или услуги.

6. Подберите слова из левой колонки, сочетающиеся со всеми словами из соответствующей строки правой колонки:

7. Подберите слова из строк А и В, чтобы получились словосочетания. Переведите их на русский язык.

A. a series of; advertising; be responsible; the head of; all the activities; a promotion; you are recommended; exchange; as part; member; support.

B. of a promotion; these points; to buy another product; the salesforce; medium; advertisements; agency; the sale of a product; for a particular region; describes.

ВАРИАНТ 3

1. Прочитайте и письменно переведите текст.

" THE TOWN CRIER"