×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

image

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Part 6. Chapter 8.

Part 6. Chapter 8.

Next day, before the ladies were up, the wagonette and a trap for the shooting party were at the door, and Laska, aware since early morning that they were going shooting, after much whining and darting to and fro, had sat herself down in the wagonette beside the coachman, and, disapproving of the delay, was excitedly watching the door from which the sportsmen still did not come out. The first to come out was Vassenka Veslovsky, in new high boots that reached half-way up his thick thighs, in a green blouse, with a new Russian leather cartridge-belt, and in his Scotch cap with ribbons, with a brand-new English gun without a sling. Laska flew up to him, welcomed him, and jumping up, asked him in her own way whether the others were coming soon, but getting no answer from him, she returned to her post of observation and sank into repose again, her head on one side, and one ear pricked up to listen. At last the door opened with a creak, and Stepan Arkadyevitch's spot-and-tan pointer Krak flew out, running round and round and turning over in the air. Stepan Arkadyevitch himself followed with a gun in his hand and a cigar in his mouth.

"Good dog, good dog, Krak!" he cried encouragingly to the dog, who put his paws up on his chest, catching at his game bag. Stepan Arkadyevitch was dressed in rough leggings and spats, in torn trousers and a short coat. On his head there was a wreck of a hat of indefinite form, but his gun of a new patent was a perfect gem, and his game bag and cartridge belt, though worn, were of the very best quality.

Vassenka Veslovsky had had no notion before that it was truly chic for a sportsman to be in tatters, but to have his shooting outfit of the best quality. He saw it now as he looked at Stepan Arkadyevitch, radiant in his rags, graceful, well-fed, and joyous, a typical Russian nobleman. And he made up his mind that next time he went shooting he would certainly adopt the same get-up.

"Well, and what about our host?" he asked.

"A young wife," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, smiling. "Yes, and such a charming one!" "He came down dressed. No doubt he's run up to her again." Stepan Arkadyevitch guessed right. Levin had run up again to his wife to ask her once more if she forgave him for his idiocy yesterday, and, moreover, to beg her for Christ's sake to be more careful. The great thing was for her to keep away from the children—they might any minute push against her. Then he had once more to hear her declare that she was not angry with him for going away for two days, and to beg her to be sure to send him a note next morning by a servant on horseback, to write him, if it were but two words only, to let him know that all was well with her.

Kitty was distressed, as she always was, at parting for a couple of days from her husband, but when she saw his eager figure, looking big and strong in his shooting-boots and his white blouse, and a sort of sportsman elation and excitement incomprehensible to her, she forgot her own chagrin for the sake of his pleasure, and said good-bye to him cheerfully.

"Pardon, gentlemen!" he said, running out onto the steps. "Have you put the lunch in? Why is the chestnut on the right? Well, it doesn't matter. Laska, down; go and lie down!" "Put it with the herd of oxen," he said to the herdsman, who was waiting for him at the steps with some question. "Excuse me, here comes another villain." Levin jumped out of the wagonette, in which he had already taken his seat, to meet the carpenter, who came towards the steps with a rule in his hand.

"You didn't come to the counting house yesterday, and now you're detaining me. Well, what is it?" "Would your honor let me make another turning? It's only three steps to add. And we make it just fit at the same time. It will be much more convenient." "You should have listened to me," Levin answered with annoyance. "I said: Put the lines and then fit in the steps. Now there's no setting it right. Do as I told you, and make a new staircase." The point was that in the lodge that was being built the carpenter had spoiled the staircase, fitting it together without calculating the space it was to fill, so that the steps were all sloping when it was put in place. Now the carpenter wanted, keeping the same staircase, to add three steps.

"It will be much better." "But where's your staircase coming out with its three steps?" "Why, upon my word, sir," the carpenter said with a contemptuous smile. "It comes out right at the very spot. It starts, so to speak," he said, with a persuasive gesture; "it comes down, and comes down, and comes out." "But three steps will add to the length too…where is it to come out?" "Why, to be sure, it'll start from the bottom and go up and go up, and come out so," the carpenter said obstinately and convincingly. "It'll reach the ceiling and the wall." "Upon my word! Why, it'll go up, and up, and come out like this." Levin took out a ramrod and began sketching him the staircase in the dust.

"There, do you see?" "As your honor likes," said the carpenter, with a sudden gleam in his eyes, obviously understanding the thing at last. "It seems it'll be best to make a new one." "Well, then, do it as you're told," Levin shouted, seating himself in the wagonette. "Down! Hold the dogs, Philip!" Levin felt now at leaving behind all his family and household cares such an eager sense of joy in life and expectation that he was not disposed to talk. Besides that, he had that feeling of concentrated excitement that every sportsman experiences as he approaches the scene of action. If he had anything on his mind at that moment, it was only the doubt whether they would start anything in the Kolpensky marsh, whether Laska would show to advantage in comparison with Krak, and whether he would shoot well that day himself. Not to disgrace himself before a new spectator—not to be outdone by Oblonsky—that too was a thought that crossed his brain.

Oblonsky was feeling the same, and he too was not talkative. Vassenka Veslovsky kept up alone a ceaseless flow of cheerful chatter. As he listened to him now, Levin felt ashamed to think how unfair he had been to him the day before. Vassenka was really a nice fellow, simple, good-hearted, and very good-humored. If Levin had met him before he was married, he would have made friends with him. Levin rather disliked his holiday attitude to life and a sort of free and easy assumption of elegance. It was as though he assumed a high degree of importance in himself that could not be disputed, because he had long nails and a stylish cap, and everything else to correspond; but this could be forgiven for the sake of his good nature and good breeding. Levin liked him for his good education, for speaking French and English with such an excellent accent, and for being a man of his world.

Vassenka was extremely delighted with the left horse, a horse of the Don Steppes. He kept praising him enthusiastically. "How fine it must be galloping over the steppes on a steppe horse! Eh? isn't it?" he said. He had imagined riding on a steppe horse as something wild and romantic, and it turned out nothing of the sort. But his simplicity, particularly in conjunction with his good looks, his amiable smile, and the grace of his movements, was very attractive. Either because his nature was sympathetic to Levin, or because Levin was trying to atone for his sins of the previous evening by seeing nothing but what was good in him, anyway he liked his society.

After they had driven over two miles from home, Veslovsky all at once felt for a cigar and his pocketbook, and did not know whether he had lost them or left them on the table. In the pocketbook there were thirty-seven pounds, and so the matter could not be left in uncertainty.

"Do you know what, Levin, I'll gallop home on that left trace-horse. That will be splendid. Eh?" he said, preparing to get out.

"No, why should you?" answered Levin, calculating that Vassenka could hardly weigh less than seventeen stone. "I'll send the coachman." The coachman rode back on the trace-horse, and Levin himself drove the remaining pair.

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

Part 6. Chapter 8.

Next day, before the ladies were up, the wagonette and a trap for the shooting party were at the door, and Laska, aware since early morning that they were going shooting, after much whining and darting to and fro, had sat herself down in the wagonette beside the coachman, and, disapproving of the delay, was excitedly watching the door from which the sportsmen still did not come out. The first to come out was Vassenka Veslovsky, in new high boots that reached half-way up his thick thighs, in a green blouse, with a new Russian leather cartridge-belt, and in his Scotch cap with ribbons, with a brand-new English gun without a sling. Le premier à sortir fut Vassenka Veslovsky, dans de nouvelles bottes hautes qui atteignaient la moitié de ses cuisses épaisses, dans un chemisier vert, avec une nouvelle cartouche en cuir russe, et dans sa casquette écossaise avec des rubans, avec un tout nouveau Canon anglais sans élingue. Laska flew up to him, welcomed him, and jumping up, asked him in her own way whether the others were coming soon, but getting no answer from him, she returned to her post of observation and sank into repose again, her head on one side, and one ear pricked up to listen. At last the door opened with a creak, and Stepan Arkadyevitch's spot-and-tan pointer Krak flew out, running round and round and turning over in the air. Enfin, la porte s'ouvrit avec un grincement, et le pointeur spot-and-tan Krak de Stepan Arkadyevitch s'envola, tournant en rond et se retournant dans les airs. Stepan Arkadyevitch himself followed with a gun in his hand and a cigar in his mouth.

"Good dog, good dog, Krak!" he cried encouragingly to the dog, who put his paws up on his chest, catching at his game bag. cria-t-il encourageant au chien, qui posa ses pattes sur sa poitrine, attrapant son sac de gibier. Stepan Arkadyevitch was dressed in rough leggings and spats, in torn trousers and a short coat. Stepan Arkadyevitch était vêtu de jambières et de guêtres rugueux, d'un pantalon déchiré et d'un manteau court. Stepan Arkadyevitch was gekleed in ruwe beenkappen en slobkousen, in een gescheurde broek en een korte jas. On his head there was a wreck of a hat of indefinite form, but his gun of a new patent was a perfect gem, and his game bag and cartridge belt, though worn, were of the very best quality. Sur sa tête, il y avait une épave d'un chapeau de forme indéfinie, mais son pistolet d'un nouveau brevet était un joyau parfait, et son sac de jeu et sa ceinture de cartouches, bien qu'usés, étaient de la meilleure qualité. Ant jo galvos buvo neapibrėžtos formos skrybėlės nuolauža, tačiau naujo patento ginklas buvo puikus perlas, o žaidimų krepšys ir užtaisų diržas, nors ir dėvėti, buvo pačios geriausios kokybės.

Vassenka Veslovsky had had no notion before that it was truly chic for a sportsman to be in tatters, but to have his shooting outfit of the best quality. Vassenka Veslovsky n'avait aucune idée auparavant qu'il était vraiment chic pour un sportif d'être en lambeaux, mais d'avoir sa tenue de tir de la meilleure qualité. He saw it now as he looked at Stepan Arkadyevitch, radiant in his rags, graceful, well-fed, and joyous, a typical Russian nobleman. Il le vit maintenant en regardant Stepan Arkadyevitch, radieux dans ses haillons, gracieux, bien nourri et joyeux, un noble russe typique. And he made up his mind that next time he went shooting he would certainly adopt the same get-up. Et il a décidé que la prochaine fois qu'il tirerait, il adopterait certainement le même look. Ir jis nusprendė, kad kitą kartą eidamas šaudyti tikrai priims tą patį pakilimą.

"Well, and what about our host?" he asked.

"A young wife," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, smiling. «Une jeune femme», dit Stepan Arkadyevitch en souriant. "Yes, and such a charming one!" "He came down dressed. No doubt he's run up to her again." Nul doute qu'il a de nouveau accouru vers elle. " Stepan Arkadyevitch guessed right. Levin had run up again to his wife to ask her once more if she forgave him for his idiocy yesterday, and, moreover, to beg her for Christ's sake to be more careful. The great thing was for her to keep away from the children—they might any minute push against her. Then he had once more to hear her declare that she was not angry with him for going away for two days, and to beg her to be sure to send him a note next morning by a servant on horseback, to write him, if it were but two words only, to let him know that all was well with her.

Kitty was distressed, as she always was, at parting for a couple of days from her husband, but when she saw his eager figure, looking big and strong in his shooting-boots and his white blouse, and a sort of sportsman elation and excitement incomprehensible to her, she forgot her own chagrin for the sake of his pleasure, and said good-bye to him cheerfully. Kitty était affligée, comme toujours, de se séparer pendant quelques jours de son mari, mais quand elle a vu sa silhouette enthousiaste, paraissant grande et forte dans ses bottes de tir et son chemisier blanc, et une sorte d'exaltation et d'excitation de sportif. incompréhensible pour elle, elle oublia son propre chagrin pour son plaisir, et lui dit joyeusement au revoir.

"Pardon, gentlemen!" he said, running out onto the steps. "Have you put the lunch in? «Avez-vous mis le déjeuner? Why is the chestnut on the right? Pourquoi la châtaigne est-elle à droite? Kodėl kaštonas yra dešinėje? Well, it doesn't matter. Laska, down; go and lie down!" "Put it with the herd of oxen," he said to the herdsman, who was waiting for him at the steps with some question. «Mettez-le avec le troupeau de bœufs», dit-il au berger, qui l'attendait sur les marches avec une question. "Excuse me, here comes another villain." "Excusez-moi, voici un autre méchant." Levin jumped out of the wagonette, in which he had already taken his seat, to meet the carpenter, who came towards the steps with a rule in his hand. Levin sauta du wagonette, dans lequel il s'était déjà assis, pour rencontrer le charpentier, qui s'approcha des marches avec une règle à la main.

"You didn't come to the counting house yesterday, and now you're detaining me. «Vous n'êtes pas venu hier au comptoir, et maintenant vous me détenez. Well, what is it?" "Would your honor let me make another turning? «Votre honneur me laisserait-il faire un autre virage? It's only three steps to add. And we make it just fit at the same time. Et nous le faisons juste en même temps. It will be much more convenient." "You should have listened to me," Levin answered with annoyance. "I said: Put the lines and then fit in the steps. «J'ai dit: mettez les lignes et ensuite insérez les marches. „Aš sakiau: įdėkite linijas ir tada tilpkite į laiptelius. Now there's no setting it right. Maintenant, il n'y a pas de réglage correct. Do as I told you, and make a new staircase." The point was that in the lodge that was being built the carpenter had spoiled the staircase, fitting it together without calculating the space it was to fill, so that the steps were all sloping when it was put in place. Le fait était que dans la loge en construction, le charpentier avait abîmé l'escalier, l'assemblant sans calculer l'espace à remplir, de sorte que les marches étaient toutes en pente lors de sa mise en place. Now the carpenter wanted, keeping the same staircase, to add three steps. Maintenant, le menuisier voulait, en gardant le même escalier, ajouter trois marches.

"It will be much better." "But where's your staircase coming out with its three steps?" "Mais d'où sort ton escalier avec ses trois marches?" "Why, upon my word, sir," the carpenter said with a contemptuous smile. «Pourquoi, sur ma parole, monsieur,» dit le charpentier avec un sourire méprisant. - Kodėl, mano žodžiu, pone, - paniekinamai šypsodamasis tarė stalius. "It comes out right at the very spot. "Il sort juste à l'endroit même. „Tai pasirodo pačioje vietoje. It starts, so to speak," he said, with a persuasive gesture; "it comes down, and comes down, and comes out." Cela commence, pour ainsi dire, "dit-il d'un geste persuasif," il descend, descend et sort. " Tai prasideda, galima sakyti, - sakė jis įtikinamai gestais; - nusileidžia, nusileidžia ir išeina. "But three steps will add to the length too…where is it to come out?" "Mais trois étapes ajouteront de la longueur aussi… où est-ce que ça va sortir?" "Why, to be sure, it'll start from the bottom and go up and go up, and come out so," the carpenter said obstinately and convincingly. "It'll reach the ceiling and the wall." "Upon my word! Why, it'll go up, and up, and come out like this." Levin took out a ramrod and began sketching him the staircase in the dust.

"There, do you see?" "As your honor likes," said the carpenter, with a sudden gleam in his eyes, obviously understanding the thing at last. "It seems it'll be best to make a new one." "Well, then, do it as you're told," Levin shouted, seating himself in the wagonette. "Eh bien, fais-le comme on te le dit," cria Levin en s'asseyant dans la voiture. "Down! Hold the dogs, Philip!" Levin felt now at leaving behind all his family and household cares such an eager sense of joy in life and expectation that he was not disposed to talk. Levin avait maintenant envie de laisser derrière lui toute sa famille et sa maison avec un tel sentiment de joie de vivre et d'attente qu'il n'était pas disposé à parler. Besides that, he had that feeling of concentrated excitement that every sportsman experiences as he approaches the scene of action. If he had anything on his mind at that moment, it was only the doubt whether they would start anything in the Kolpensky marsh, whether Laska would show to advantage in comparison with Krak, and whether he would shoot well that day himself. S'il avait quelque chose en tête à ce moment-là, c'était seulement le doute s'ils commenceraient quoi que ce soit dans le marais de Kolpensky, si Laska montrerait un avantage par rapport à Krak, et s'il tirerait bien ce jour-là lui-même. Not to disgrace himself before a new spectator—not to be outdone by Oblonsky—that too was a thought that crossed his brain. Ne pas se déshonorer devant un nouveau spectateur - ne pas être en reste par Oblonsky - c'était aussi une pensée qui lui traversait la tête. Negalima gėdytis savęs prieš naują žiūrovą - kad jo nepajudintų Oblonsky - tai irgi buvo mintis, peržengusi jo smegenis.

Oblonsky was feeling the same, and he too was not talkative. Vassenka Veslovsky kept up alone a ceaseless flow of cheerful chatter. Vassenka Veslovsky entretenait seul un flot incessant de bavardages joyeux. As he listened to him now, Levin felt ashamed to think how unfair he had been to him the day before. Vassenka was really a nice fellow, simple, good-hearted, and very good-humored. If Levin had met him before he was married, he would have made friends with him. Levin rather disliked his holiday attitude to life and a sort of free and easy assumption of elegance. Levin n'aimait pas vraiment son attitude de vacances vis-à-vis de la vie et une sorte d'assomption libre et facile d'élégance. It was as though he assumed a high degree of importance in himself that could not be disputed, because he had long nails and a stylish cap, and everything else to correspond; but this could be forgiven for the sake of his good nature and good breeding. C'était comme s'il prenait en lui-même une grande importance qui ne pouvait être contestée, car il avait de longs ongles et une casquette élégante, et tout le reste pour correspondre; mais cela pourrait être pardonné à cause de sa bonne nature et de son bon élevage. Tarsi jis įgijo didelę svarbą savyje, dėl kurios nebuvo galima ginčytis, nes jis turėjo ilgus nagus, stilingą kepurę ir visa kita, kad atitiktų; bet tai buvo galima atleisti dėl jo geros prigimties ir gero veisimo. Levin liked him for his good education, for speaking French and English with such an excellent accent, and for being a man of his world.

Vassenka was extremely delighted with the left horse, a horse of the Don Steppes. Vassenka était extrêmement ravi du cheval gauche, un cheval des Don Steppes. He kept praising him enthusiastically. Il a continué à le féliciter avec enthousiasme. "How fine it must be galloping over the steppes on a steppe horse! Eh? isn't it?" he said. He had imagined riding on a steppe horse as something wild and romantic, and it turned out nothing of the sort. Il avait imaginé monter sur un cheval des steppes comme quelque chose de sauvage et de romantique, et cela ne s'est avéré rien de tel. But his simplicity, particularly in conjunction with his good looks, his amiable smile, and the grace of his movements, was very attractive. Mais sa simplicité, particulièrement en conjonction avec sa beauté, son sourire aimable et la grâce de ses mouvements, était très séduisante. Either because his nature was sympathetic to Levin, or because Levin was trying to atone for his sins of the previous evening by seeing nothing but what was good in him, anyway he liked his society. Soit parce que sa nature était sympathique à Levin, soit parce que Levin essayait d'expier ses péchés de la veille en ne voyant rien d'autre que ce qui était bon en lui, de toute façon il aimait sa société.

After they had driven over two miles from home, Veslovsky all at once felt for a cigar and his pocketbook, and did not know whether he had lost them or left them on the table. In the pocketbook there were thirty-seven pounds, and so the matter could not be left in uncertainty. Dans le portefeuille, il y avait trente-sept livres, de sorte que la question ne pouvait pas être laissée dans l'incertitude.

"Do you know what, Levin, I'll gallop home on that left trace-horse. «Tu sais quoi, Levin, je vais galoper chez moi sur ce cheval-trace de gauche. „Ar žinai ką, Levinai, aš šoksiu namo su tuo kairiuoju žirgu. That will be splendid. Eh?" he said, preparing to get out.

"No, why should you?" answered Levin, calculating that Vassenka could hardly weigh less than seventeen stone. répondit Levin, estimant que Vassenka pouvait à peine peser moins de dix-sept pierres. "I'll send the coachman." The coachman rode back on the trace-horse, and Levin himself drove the remaining pair. Le cocher est revenu sur le cheval de trace, et Levin lui-même a conduit le couple restant. Keleivis grįžo ant žirgo, o pats Levinas varė likusias poras.