Language through Literature

Chameleon


Их благородие умный господин и понимают, ежели кто врёт, а кто по совести, как перед богом…

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Their Honour is a clever gentleman and they understand who is lying and who speaks by his conscience, as before God…

Where it stands

— Врёшь кривой! “You’re lying, one-eye!

Не видал, так, стало быть, зачем врать? You didn’t see it, so what do you want to lie for?

А ежели я вру, так пущай мировой рассудит. And if I’m lying, then let the justice of the peace decide it.

У него в законе сказано… It is laid down in his law…

The words in this sentence

их
their; them (gen/acc of они) — они
благоро́дие
Your Honour (in ваше благородие) (arch.)
у́мный
clever/smart
господи́н
mister, gentleman
и
and; also, even
понима́ют
they understand (3pl) — понимать
е́жели
if (archaic/colloquial for если)
кто
who
врёт
he lies, is lying (3sg of врать) — врать
а
and, but (conjunction)
по
along, by, according to (+dat)
со́вести
conscience (gen/dat/prep sg) — совесть
как
how; as, like
пе́ред
before, in front of (+instr)
Бо́гом
by God (instr sg) — бог

А. П. Чехов, «Хамелеон», 1884 · sentence 31 of 53

This is one sentence of «Хамелеон» — 53 sentences long, and the whole story reads like this: every word glossed where it stands, the English out of your eyeline until you ask for it. Free, no account.

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