Language through Literature

The Malefactor


Без грузила только уклейку ловят, а на что хуже пескаря, да и тот не пойдёт тебе без грузила.

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Without a sinker there's nothing to be caught but bleak, and what could be poorer than a gudgeon — yet even he won't come to you without a sinker.

Where it stands

— Зачем врать? — Why should I lie?

Спросите на деревне, коли не верите… Ask in the village, if you don't believe me…

The words in this sentence

без
without
грузи́ла
sinkers, net weights (nom/acc pl) — грузило
то́лько
only, just
укле́йку
bleak, a small river fish (acc sg) — уклейка
ло́вят
they catch (3pl) — ловить
а
and, but (conjunction)
на
on, onto; at
что
what; that (conjunction)
ху́же
worse (comparative)
пескаря́
gudgeon (a small fish, gen/acc sg) — пескарь
да
yes; and
и
and; also, even
тот
that (m nom)
не
not
пойдёт
will go (3sg) — пойти
тебе́
to you (dat/prep, informal) — ты

А. П. Чехов, «Злоумышленник», 1885 · sentence 57 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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