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Огороды назывались вдовьими потому, что их содержали две вдовы, мать и дочь.

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The kitchen gardens were called the widows' because they were kept by two widows, a mother and her daughter.

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Where it stands

Костер горел жарко, с треском, освещая далеко кругом вспаханную землю. The bonfire burned hot and crackling, lighting up the ploughed earth far around.

Вдова Василиса, высокая, пухлая старуха в мужском полушубке, стояла возле и в раздумье глядела на огонь; ее дочь Лукерья, маленькая, рябая, с глуповатым лицом, сидела на земле и мыла котел и ложки. The widow Vasilisa, a tall, plump old woman in a man's sheepskin coat, stood beside it gazing pensively into the fire; her daughter Lukerya, a small woman, pockmarked, with a rather stupid face, sat on the ground washing the pot and the spoons.

The words in this sentence

огоро́ды
kitchen gardens (nom/acc pl) — огород
называ́лись
were called (past pl) — называться
вдо́вьими
the widows' (instr pl) — вдовий
потому́
therefore (потому что = because)
что
because (in потому, что) (conj.)
их
their; them (gen/acc of они) — они
содержа́ли
to keep, maintain (v., impf.) — содержать
две
two (f) — два
вдовы́
widow (gen sg, after две) — вдова
мать
mother
и
and; also, even
дочь
daughter (nom/acc sg)

А. П. Чехов, «Студент», 1894 · sentence 12 of 52

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