Суд над Джейсоном... Вернон Сканнелл

По мотивам стихотворения
“Jason’s trial” by Vernon Scannell


Джейсон в спорте был находкой,
Страстно он любил футбол,
И уверенной походкой
К Кубку мира споро шёл:
По полдня играл в запале,
Мяч гоняя и во сне,
Его форвардом избрали
В школьном клубе по весне.
Лет двенадцать было только,
Время птицей пролетит,
Вот и ярких матчей сколько!–
Молодёжь идёт в зенит!
Как-то раз игру такУю
Он один с мячом сыграл,
Стадион порвал вчистую,
И в отбор крутой попал...
Важно молвил председатель:
?Есть и скорость, и контроль!
Крепких мышц ты обладатель!
Нарекания? Изволь!
Ты слабак по части плёвой
В чём любой здесь преуспел:
Вдаль плевался ты нулёво,
Да и близко не посмел!
Практикуйся в точном деле,
Упражняйся, время есть,
Будет дух в здоровом теле,
Тест принять почту за честь!



Jason was a football freak;
He really loved the game:
To be a first – class footballer
Was his one aim.
He practiced every day and played
Again each night in dream;
When he was twelve they choose him for
The School’s first team.
He was quite brilliant. Five years passed
And - though rarely this occurs –
It seemed his dreams all come true:
He was given a trial by Spurs.
He played a blinder *on the day;
The spectators cheered and roared.
And after the match he was asked to appear
Before the Selection Board.
The Chairman said, ‘I’ve got the reports
From our experts who watched your play:
Your speed and and ball-control were fine;
For tackling you get an A !
And when our striker scored his goal
You were just to jump on his back,
And when you scored you punched the air
Before you resumed the attack.
So far, so good; but you were weak
On the thing our lads do best’
It seems you hardly spat at all,
So your failed the spitting test.
But don’t despair. If you go home
And practice every day
You still might learn to spit with style
In the true professional way.
*an excellent performance in a game
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