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The Malefactor


Окунь, щука, налим завсегда на донную идёт, а которая ежели поверху плавает, то ту разве только шилишпер схватит, да и то редко…

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Perch, pike, burbot always take at the bottom, and any bait that floats along the top, why, only an asp will snatch that, and even then but rarely…

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Where it stands

— усмехается Денис. — Denis smirks.

— Чёрт ли в нём, в живце-то, ежели поверху плавать будет! — What the devil is the good of it, of the live bait, if it’s going to float along the top!

В нашей реке не живёт шилишпер… In our river the asp doesn’t live…

Эта рыба простор любит. That fish likes open water.

The words in this sentence

о́кунь
perch (a fish, nom sg)
щу́ка
pike (fish)
нали́м
burbot, eelpout (a fish, nom sg)
завсегда́
always (arch./dial. for всегда)
на
on, onto; at
до́нную
bottom (acc f sg); донная удочка = bottom line — донный
идёт
goes, is going; suits (pres 3sg of идти, = идёт) — идти
а
and, but (conjunction)
кото́рая
which, who (nom sg f) — который
е́жели
if (archaic/colloquial for если)
по́верху
along the surface, on top
пла́вает
swims, floats (3sg) — плавать
то
then (conj.)
ту
that (f acc) — тот
ра́зве
really?; unless (particle)
то́лько
only, just
шилишпе́р
asp, a predatory river fish (dial.)
схва́тит
will grab, snatch (3sg of схватить) — схватить
да
and, but (conj.)
и
even (particle)
то
that; then (если... то)
ре́дко
rarely, seldom

А. П. Чехов, «Злоумышленник», 1885 · sentence 17 of 73

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