Shopping

My friend will have a birthday party in a week, so I have decided to look for a birthday present for her. I went to the Central Department Store which is situated in the centre of our city. It’s a multistoried building where one can get everything in the way of food and manufactured goods. I must confess it was so difficult to make a suitable purchase in such a huge shop with a lot of counters and shelves. When I arrived at the Central Department Store I first admired the window-dressing. Then I went along the ground floor and looked into the shop-windows of the grocery, where I could see all kinds of food stuffs: meat, fish, tinned food, sausage, fruit, wine, sweets, chocolates, etc.

There were some commercial counters on the ground floor and I found myself in a fantastic motley city of different things. Then I went upstairs to the first floor, where I couldn’t help admiring at seeing various goods. There were on sale: haberdashery, stationery, hosiery, leather-wear, knitwear. To tell the truth, I was impressed by a great choice of silk skirts and shirts, different kinds of frocks and coats, leather boots and shoes, woolen pullovers and sweaters, jeans and suits, jackets and blouses, bags and wallets. There one can get everything in the way of clothes wanted by men, women and children: footwear, knitwear, ready-made clothes, furs and what not.
I admired the cut and the style of a light summer frock. It was the latest fashion and I made up my mind to try it on. A pleasant-looking shop-assistant proposed me to put the frock on and look in the mirror. But unfortunately, it was a bit loose on me and didn’t suit me perfectly. On the second floor of the Department Store I could see all kinds of household utensils: crockery, china, electric appliances, cutlery, pots and pans, vacuum-cleaners, washing machines, cameras, radio and television sets, computers, DVD-recorders and many other things one may want in the house. Besides, there were perfumery, florist’s, gift and souvenir departments.

The shop-assistant suggested looking at a beautiful water-color. I liked that nice picture very much and I was sure my friend would like it too. The price of the present wasn’t very high, I must admit. So I have paid the money at the shop-assistant with it again. I produced my receipt and obtained wrapped-parcel with a string. She thanked me and added they were always glad to see ne at their shop. I felt very excited at the thought that I had bought a very nice birthday present, and left the shop.
On my way home I suddenly remembered that that my mother had given me a few errands. We’ve run out of bread and I had to drop in at the baker’s to buy a loaf of white bread, a loaf of brown one, five rolls and half a dozen small cakes. There was a long queue at the grocer’s but I had nothing to do but stand in the line for half an hour to buy a kilo of sugar and some sausage. Then I bought some fruit (bananas and apples) at the vegetables stall near the bus stop.

I was lucky to buy everything I wanted. Frankly speaking, I like to go shopping.

to look for – искать
Central Department Store – центральный универсальный магазин
multistoried - многоэтажный
in the way of – в смысле, по части
a purchase – покупка
a counter – прилавок
a window dressing – убранство витрины
a shop-window – витрина магазина
grocery – гастрономия
foodstuffs – пищевые продукты
to be on sale – продаваться
haberdashery – галантерея
stationery – канцелярские принадлежности
hosiery – чулочные изделия
leather-wear – кожаные изделия
a wallet – бумажник
fur – мех
footwear – обувь
knitwear – трикотажные изделия
ready-made clothes – готовая одежда
what not – все, что угодно
cut – покрой
style – стиль, фасон
to be the latest fashion – быть в моде
to make up one’s mind – решить
to try on – примерить
shop-assistant, salesperson, salesman – продавец
to suit smb. perfectly – прекрасно подходить
household utensils – предметы домашнего обихода
crockery – фаянсовая посуда
china – фарфоровая посуда
electric appliances – электрические приборы
pots and pans – горшки и кастрюли
a vacuum-cleaner – пылесос
a washing machine – стиральная машина
a camera – фотоаппарат
perfumery – парфюмерия
florist’s – цветочный отдел
gift and souvenir department – отдел подарков, сувениров
to suggest – предлагать
a water-color – акварель
a price – цена
a cash-desk – касса
a receipt – кассовый чек
a cashier – кассир
to feel excited at the thought – волноваться, думая
on the way home – по дороге домой
an errand – поручение
to run out of smth. – истощить запас
to drop in at smth. to call at smth – заходить в, заглянуть
a queue – очередь
to stand in a line – стоять в очереди
frankly speaking – откровенно говоря