Graham: Margot, I don’t know if you were a terrible child, but do you know the story I’m talking about where, like, you do not win any awards for being a good daughter?

Margot: There are many stories where I don’t win awards. I was not a great daughter. I’m forever in my mum’s debt because I was such a brat! (паршивец) I feel really bad about it.

Graham: Tell us the story about when you were on your computer and she wanted your help.

Margot: Oh, yes. She … yes! OK, so … I was on MSN (The Microsoft Network) – obviously the most important thing at the time!

Graham: God’s in the details!( выражая мысль о том, что все, что человек делает, должно быть сделано тщательно)

Margot: And we lived out, (прожить пережить) like, you know, out in the sticks.( an area in the country that is far away from towns and cities)  And often snakes would get into the house. And, you know, it wasn’t a big deal but you just have to, like, chase them around and get it out. It was kind of time-consuming and annoying. And so, my mum yelled out and she was like, ‘Can you come help me? There’s … this snake’s really big, like, I can’t get it on my own, can you come help me?’ And I was like, ‘I’m so busy, Mum! No! I can’t!’ Like, just being a brat and I was on MSN. And she was like, ‘Oh, I just … OK … Are you? … please!’ And I was like, ‘Be gone!’ And … (to express an order of dismissal).

(Audience laughs.)

Margot: And then, she was gone for, like, ten minutes. And I was like, ‘Oh, she’s been gone for ages.’ And then I, like, got up from the computer. I could hear, like, this ‘Mm! Mm!’ And I was like, ‘Oh God, what’s happening?’ And I see Mum. She’s, like, made it halfway down the stairs. And the snake … she’d tried to, like, pick this big python up with a … with a broom  (метла) and a stick. But it had wound its way up around her arm and was going around her neck!

(Audience laughs.)

Margot: It was trying to choke her! задыхаться

Woman 1: I love Australia but I would never be able to live there.

Margot: Well, no, I’m painting a bad picture, it’s really not bad. But, um …

(Audience laughs.)

Margot: It wasn’t a poisonous snake, but they do strangle you. задушить

(Graham laughs.)

Margot: I know, yeah! I felt so bad, and …

Woman 2: How did you get it off her?

Margot: You’ve just got to give it something else to climb on. So you get a stick or something, it starts weaving its way around that. And then you can transfer its weight … and get it off.

Woman 2: Good to know.

Graham: Yeah, that is a top tip.

Margot: Or you just, you grab it behind its head. You grab it behind its jaw.

Graham: Oh, they hate that. They hate it.

Margot: You just don’t want it to bite you.

(Graham laughs.)

Graham: But was your mother OK?

Margot: Yeah, she was fine. I felt bad and I tried not to be such a brat. When Mum asked for help in future, I kind of did it.

Graham: A lesson learned.

Margot: A lesson learned.

Graham: Very good.