Language through Literature

The Death of a Clerk


— Вчера в «Аркадии», ежели припомните, ваше —ство, — начал докладывать экзекутор, — я чихнул-с и… нечаянно обрызгал…

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— Yesterday at the Arcadia, if you will recall, Your Ex'cy, — the usher began to report, — I sneezed, sir, and… accidentally spattered you…

Where it stands

Изв… I beg your par…

The words in this sentence

вчера́
yesterday
в
in, into
арка́дии
Arcadia (summer theater) (name, prep sg) — аркадия
е́жели
if (archaic/colloquial for если)
припо́мните
recall (imper pl) / you'll recall — припомнить
ва́ше
your (n) — ваш
ство
-ство (noun-forming suffix fragment)
на́чал
began (past m of начать) — начать
докла́дывать
to report, announce
экзеку́тор
executor (arch. office-manager rank)
я
I
чихну́л-с
he sneezed (past m + obsequious -с) — чихнуть
и
and; also, even
неча́янно
accidentally
обры́згал
splashed (past m) — обрызгать

А. П. Чехов, «Смерть чиновника», 1883 · sentence 31 of 46

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