Language through Literature

Chameleon


Она, может быть, дорогая, а ежели каждый свинья будет ей в нос сигаркой тыкать, то долго ли испортить.

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She may well be a valuable dog, and if every swine goes poking a cigar at her nose, it won't take long to ruin her.

Where it stands

Скажешь, что я нашёл и прислал… Say that I found her and sent her along…

И скажи, чтобы её не выпускали на улицу… And tell them not to let her out into the street…

Собака — нежная тварь… A dog is a delicate creature…

А ты, болван, опусти руку! And you, blockhead, put your hand down!

The words in this sentence

она́
she
мо́жет
can; может быть = perhaps (3sg of мочь) — мочь
быть
to be
дорога́я
dear, expensive (nom f sg) — дорогой
а
and, but (conjunction)
е́жели
if (archaic/colloquial for если)
ка́ждый
each, every (nom m sg)
свинья́
pig, swine
бу́дет
will be (3sg of быть) — быть
ей
to her (dat of она) — она
в
in, into
нос
nose (nom/acc sg)
сига́ркой
small cigar (instr sg) — сигарка
ты́кать
to poke, jab, shove at
то
that; then (если... то)
до́лго
for a long time
ли
whether; question particle
испо́ртить
to spoil, ruin (pf inf)

А. П. Чехов, «Хамелеон», 1884 · sentence 45 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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