Language through Literature

The Malefactor


Вы вот и рассудили, как и что, а сторож тот же мужик, без всякого понятия, хватает за шиворот и тащит…

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You, now, you reasoned it out, the how and the what of it, but the watchman is a peasant like the rest of us, with no understanding at all — he grabs you by the scruff of the neck and hauls you off…

Where it stands

— На то вы и образованные, чтобы понимать, милостивцы наши… — That is just what you are educated for, to understand, our gracious benefactors…

Господь знал, кому понятие давал… The Lord knew to whom He gave understanding…

Ты рассуди, а потом и тащи! First reason it out, and then haul away!

Сказано — мужик, мужицкий и ум… As the saying goes — a peasant, and a peasant's wits…

The words in this sentence

вы
you (pl/formal)
вот
here (is), there
и
and; also, even
рассуди́ли
judged, decided (past pl) — рассудить
как
how; as, like
что
what; that (conjunction)
а
and, but (conjunction)
сто́рож
watchman, guard (nom)
тот
that (m nom)
же
emphatic/contrastive particle: but, however, indeed
мужи́к
peasant, muzhik (nom sg)
без
without
вся́кого
every, any (gen/acc m) — всякий
поня́тия
notion, idea (gen sg or nom/acc pl) — понятие
хвата́ет
grabs; is enough (3sg) — хватать
за
behind, beyond; for (+ acc/instr)
ши́ворот
«за шиворот» by the scruff of the neck
та́щит
drags, hauls (3sg) — тащить

А. П. Чехов, «Злоумышленник», 1885 · sentence 41 of 73

This is one sentence of «Злоумышленник» — 73 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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