1.1 An Astrologer's Day by R. K. Narayan (ICE BREAKERS)

                            XII [English] - 1.1 An Astrologer's Day by R. K. Narayan

(ICE BREAKERS)

Ø Discuss with your partner and complete the activity. What are your strengths?

Ø तुमच्या सहकाऱ्यांशी चर्चा करा आणि तक्ता पूर्ण करा. तुमची ताकद/सामर्थ्य काय आहे?

Strengths	Why do you feel so?	Dream career
Painting and drawing	Can visualize, express	Commercial artist, cartoonist
Reading	Take knowledge, awareness	Writer, Poet, Editor
Sport	Maintain health	Sportsman
Dance	For relaxation	Dancer
Music	passion for musical instruments	Musician/composer
Cook / chef	love to make food	chef
Weaving / sewing	can design clothes	dress designer
Teaching	love and passion to educate	teacher
singing	passion for singing /voice modulation	singer

 

Ø The scene in a local market of a village/town/city is very attractive. People with different occupations sell their wares. Discuss with your partner the variety of activities at the local market. 

Ø  गाव/नगर/शहरातील स्थानिक बाजारपेठेतील दृश्य अतिशय आकर्षक आहे. वेगवेगळे व्यवसाय असलेले लोक त्यांच्या वस्तू विकतात. तुमच्या सहकाऱ्यांशी स्थानिक बाजारपेठेतील विविध हालचालीबद्दल चर्चा करा.

1. Bargaining with vendors   2. Transportation of goods and stuff  3. Shouting at each other   4.Taking, selling and buying, fruits and vegetables, sweets, utensils, artificial things  5. Bartering and making jokes 6.Asking the price  7. Selling flowers, selling grocery   8.Use of different languages

Ø In a village / town / city it is quite a common sight to see an astrologer sitting by the roadside with his professional equipment. Discuss with your partner and list the requirements for his trade.

Ø एखाद्या खेड्यात/नगरात/शहरात एखाद्या ज्योतिषाला त्याच्या व्यावसायिक उपकरणांसह रस्त्याच्या कडेला बसलेले पाहणे अगदी सामान्य आहे. तुमच्या जोडीदाराशी चर्चा करा आणि त्याच्या व्यापाराच्या आवश्यकतांची यादी करा.

1. Parrot, cards, etc.  2. Few charts- mythical charts, like panchang and magical stick 3. Mat   4. Sacred ash   5. Saffron clothes   6.Tilak, thread 7. Neck wares / Malas 8 Cowrie shells 9. Photos of god and goddess 10. Cowrie shells

 

Ø There are certain unreasonable beliefs among people living in our society. Certain common events are linked with superstitions. List such events, discuss the superstitions linked with them and the means of their eradication.

Ø आपल्या समाजात राहणाऱ्या लोकांमध्ये काही अवास्तव समजुती आहेत. काही सामान्य घटना अंधश्रद्धेशी जोडल्या जातात. अशा घटनांची यादी करा, त्यांच्याशी निगडित अंधश्रद्धा आणि त्यांच्या निर्मूलनाच्या साधनांची चर्चा करा.                                            

1. A cat crossing your path 2. Eat curd before heading out 3. Sweeping home at night 

4. To touch trees at night 5. Not to stay near trees at night 6. To take salt on hand 

7. Breaking a mirror 8. Wearing gemstones brings good fortune 

9. The sacrifice of animals. 10. Not cutting nails after sunset.  11. To kill cat 

12. Eat curd before heading out 13. Beliefs in supernatural powers 

14. Adding one rupee to gift money is lucky. 

15. To blink the left eye of a man and the right eye of women

Short introduction of R.K. Narayan From coursebook

R. K. Narayan (1906 to 2001)

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami was one of the best-known novelists among Indian English writers.

    रसीपुरम कृष्णस्वामी अय्यर नारायणस्वामी हे भारतीय इंग्रजी लेखकांपैकी एक प्रसिद्ध कादंबरीकार होते.

          He is the author of fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories, and a number of travelogues, and has a collection of non-fiction to his credit.

    ते चौदा कादंबर्‍या, लघुकथांचे पाच खंड आणि अनेक प्रवासवर्णने यांचे लेखक आहेत आणि त्यांच्याकडे गैर-काल्पनिक कथांचा संग्रह आहे.

He also wrote his memoir ‘My Days’ (1975).Narayan created the imaginary town of Malgudi, where realistic characters in a typically Indian setting lived amid unpredictable events,

    त्यांनी त्यांचे चरित्र ‘माय डेज’ (1975) देखील लिहिले. नारायण यांनी मालगुडी हे काल्पनिक शहर तयार केले, जिथे सामान्यतः भारतीय वातावरणातील वास्तववादी पात्रे अप्रत्याशित घटनांमध्ये राहत होती.

His stories are grounded in a compassionate humanism and celebrated the humor and energy of ordinary life. His stories are characterized by a simple style and subtle humor.

त्याच्या कथा दयाळू मानवतावादावर आधारित आहेत आणि सामान्य जीवनातील विनोद आणि ऊर्जा साजरी करतात. साधी शैली आणि तरल विनोद हे त्यांच्या कथांचे वैशिष्ट्य आहे.

Narayan was introduced to American readers in 1952 by the Michigan State University Press. मिशिगन स्टेट युनिव्हर्सिटी प्रेसने 1952 मध्ये अमेरिकन वाचकांना नारायण यांची ओळख करून दिली.

    These include, ‘Swami and Friends’, ‘The Bachelor of Arts’ (1937),  ‘The Dark Room’ (1938), ‘An Astrologer’s Day and Other stories’(1947),‘Mr Sampath ‘(1949), The Financial Expert’ (1954), ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ (1955), ‘The Guide’ (1958), and many other books.

            His novel, ‘The Guide’, won him The Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961, the most coveted literary honour in India. His writing is distinguished by humour and unoffending irony, a unique Indianness and a simplicity which is utterly charming and authentic. Narayan typically portrays the peculiarities of human relationships and the ironies of Indian daily life. His style is graceful, marked by genial humour, elegance and simplicity.

    ‘द गाइड’ या त्यांच्या कादंबरीने त्यांना १९६१ मध्ये भारतातील सर्वात प्रतिष्ठित साहित्य अकादमी पुरस्कार दिला. त्यांचे लेखन विनोद आणि अपमानजनक व्यंग, एक अद्वितीय भारतीयत्व आणि एक साधेपणा द्वारे वेगळे आहे जे पूर्णपणे मोहक आणि प्रामाणिक आहे. नारायण विशेषत: मानवी नातेसंबंधांची वैशिष्ठ्ये आणि भारतीय दैनंदिन जीवनातील विडंबनांचे चित्रण करतात. त्याची शैली मोहक आहे, जी सभ्य विनोद, अभिजात आणि साधेपणाने चिन्हांकित आहे.

VOCABULARY:

1) pies - a former monetary unit of India and Pakistan equal to 1/12 of an anna

2) tilting - move or causing to move in sloping position 

3) bluffing - trying to deceive someone as to someone's abilities or intentions 

4) glimpse - a momentary or partial view

5) passer-by - a person who happens to be going past something, especially on foot 

6) peep - look quickly and furtively at something especially through a narrow opening 

7) overwhelmed - overpowered or have strong emotional effect on

8) groaned- made a deep, inarticulate sound conveying despair or pain

9) surging – (crowd) moving suddenly and powerfully forward 

10) cosmos - coloured flowers and pinnate leaves (Mexican herb)

11) dahlia - name of a flower plant (a tuberous-rooted Mexican plant of the daisy family, which is cultivated for its brightly coloured single or double flowers.)

12) din - a loud,  unpleasant and prolonged noise 

13) transacted - carried out  or conducted (business dealings)

14) careworn - tired or unhappy because of prolonged worry 

15) gasped - panted, catch one's breath with an open mouth, owing to pain or astonishment.