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The Student


Василиса, женщина бывалая, служившая когда-то у господ в мамках, а потом няньках, выражалась деликатно, и с лица ее всё время не сходила мягкая, степенная улыбка; дочь же ее Лукерья, деревенская баба, забитая мужем, только щурилась на студента и молчала, и выражение у нее было странное, как у глухонемой.

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Vasilisa, a woman who had seen something of life, who had once been a wet nurse in a gentleman's household and afterwards a nanny, expressed herself delicately, and a soft, sedate smile never once left her face; but her daughter Lukerya, a village woman beaten down by her husband, only screwed up her eyes at the student and said nothing, and her expression was strange, like that of a deaf-mute.

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Поговорили. They talked a while.

The words in this sentence

Васили́са
Vasilisa (name)
же́нщина
woman (nom sg)
быва́лая
experienced, worldly-wise (nom f sg) — бывалый
служи́вшая
who served (f past participle) — служить
когда́-то
once, at one time
у
at, by; belonging to
госпо́д
gentlemen, masters (gen/acc pl) — господин
в
in, into
ма́мках
wet nurses (prep pl, arch.) — мамка
а
and, but (conjunction)
пото́м
then, afterwards
ня́ньках
nursemaids (prep pl; в няньках = working as a nanny) — нянька
выража́лась
was expressed (past f of выражаться) — выражаться
делика́тно
delicately, tactfully (adv)
и
and; also, even
с
from, off (prep.)
лица́
face; personage (gen sg of лицо) — лицо
её
her (poss.) — она
все
everyone, all (pl) — весь
вре́мя
time (nom/acc)
не
not
сходи́ла
to leave, come off (v., impf.) — сходить
мя́гкая
soft, gentle (f nom sg) — мягкий
степе́нная
sedate, dignified (nom sg f) — степенный
улы́бка
smile
дочь
daughter (nom/acc sg)
же
emphatic/contrastive particle: but, however, indeed
Луке́рья
Lukerya (name)
дереве́нская
village, country (nom f sg) — деревенский
ба́ба
peasant woman (nom sg)
заби́тая
downtrodden, cowed (f sg) — забитый
му́жем
husband (instr sg) — муж
то́лько
only, just
щу́рилась
she squinted, narrowed her eyes (past f) — щуриться
на
on, onto; at
студе́нта
student (gen/acc sg) — студент
молча́ла
she was silent (past f of молчать) — молчать
выраже́ние
expression
неё
her (gen of она after preposition) — она
бы́ло
was (past n of быть) — быть
стра́нное
strange (n) — странный
как
how; as, like
глухонемо́й
deaf-mute (nom m sg / f obl sg)

А. П. Чехов, «Студент», 1894 · sentence 19 of 52

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