Смерть чиновника — The Death of a Clerk
A clerk sneezes on a general, and cannot survive having done it. Below is the entire story in Russian, with the English translation under each sentence.
Read it in the reader instead — same text, but every word is glossed where it stands: tap any word for its dictionary form, its meaning and where the stress falls, and the English stays out of your eyeline until you ask for it. That is the version that teaches; this page is the version a search engine can read.
One fine evening the no less fine usher Ivan Dmitrich Chervyakov was sitting in the second row of the stalls, gazing through his opera glasses at «The Bells of Corneville».
Он глядел и чувствовал себя на верху блаженства.
He gazed and felt himself at the very height of bliss.
Но вдруг…
But suddenly…
В рассказах часто встречается это «но вдруг».
In stories one often comes across this «but suddenly».
Авторы правы: жизнь так полна внезапностей!
The authors are right: life is so full of the unexpected!
But suddenly his face puckered up, his eyes rolled, his breathing stopped… he lowered the opera glasses from his eyes, bent down, and…. atchoo!!!
Чихнул, как видите.
He sneezed, as you can see.
Чихать никому и нигде не возбраняется.
Sneezing is forbidden to no one and nowhere.
Чихают и мужики, и полицеймейстеры, и иногда даже и тайные советники.
Peasants sneeze, and police chiefs, and sometimes even privy councillors.
Все чихают.
Everybody sneezes.
Chervyakov was not in the least embarrassed; he wiped himself with his handkerchief and, like a polite man, looked around him: had he by chance disturbed anyone with his sneezing?
Но тут уж пришлось сконфузиться.
But now he really did have to feel embarrassed.
He saw that a little old man sitting in front of him, in the first row of the stalls, was carefully wiping his bald head and neck with his glove and muttering something.
В старичке Червяков узнал статского генерала Бризжалова, служащего по ведомству путей сообщения.
In the little old man Chervyakov recognized Brizzhalov, a civil-service general who served in the Department of Ways of Communication.
«Я его обрызгал!
«I spattered him!
— подумал Червяков.
thought Chervyakov.
— Не мой начальник, чужой, но все-таки неловко.
Not my superior, someone else's, but all the same it's awkward.
Извиниться надо».
I must apologize.»
Червяков кашлянул, подался туловищем вперед и зашептал генералу на ухо:
Chervyakov cleared his throat, leaned his torso forward, and whispered into the general's ear:
— Извините, ваше —ство, я вас обрызгал… я нечаянно…
— Excuse me, Your Ex'cy, I spattered you… it was an accident…
— Ничего, ничего…
— Never mind, never mind…
— Ради бога, извините.
— For God's sake, excuse me.
Я ведь… я не желал!
I really did… I didn't mean to!
— Ах, сидите, пожалуйста!
— Oh, do sit still, please!
Дайте слушать!
Let me listen!
Червяков сконфузился, глупо улыбнулся и начал глядеть на сцену.
Chervyakov grew embarrassed, smiled foolishly, and began to look at the stage.
Глядел он, но уж блаженства больше не чувствовал.
He looked, but bliss he felt no longer.
Его начало помучивать беспокойство.
Uneasiness began to torment him.
В антракте он подошел к Бризжалову, походил возле него и, поборовши робость, пробормотал:
During the intermission he went up to Brizzhalov, walked about near him and, mastering his timidity, mumbled:
— Я вас обрызгал, ваше —ство…
— I spattered you, Your Ex'cy…
Простите…
Forgive me…
Я ведь… не то чтобы…
I really… it's not as though…
— Ах, полноте…
— Oh, enough of that…
Я уж забыл, а вы всё о том же!
I've already forgotten it, and you keep on about the same thing!
— сказал генерал и нетерпеливо шевельнул нижней губой.
said the general, and twitched his lower lip impatiently.
«Забыл, а у самого ехидство в глазах, — подумал Червяков, подозрительно поглядывая на генерала.
«Forgotten it, yet there's spite in his own eyes,» thought Chervyakov, glancing suspiciously at the general.
— И говорить не хочет.
And he won't even talk.
I ought to explain to him that I never meant it at all… that it's a law of nature, or else he'll think I meant to spit.
Теперь не подумает, так после подумает!..»
He doesn't think so now, but he'll think so later!..»
Придя домой, Червяков рассказал жене о своем невежестве.
On reaching home, Chervyakov told his wife about his want of manners.
His wife, as it seemed to him, took what had happened too lightly; she was only frightened at first, but then, when she learned that Brizzhalov was «a stranger», she was reassured.
— А все-таки ты сходи, извинись, — сказала она.
— But all the same you go and apologize, — she said.
— Подумает, что ты себя в публике держать не умеешь!
— He'll think you don't know how to conduct yourself in public!
— То-то вот и есть!
— That's just the trouble!
Я извинялся, да он как-то странно…
I did apologize, but he was somehow strange…
Ни одного слова путного не сказал.
He didn't say a single sensible word.
Да и некогда было разговаривать.
And besides, there was no time to talk.
На другой день Червяков надел новый вицмундир, подстригся и пошел к Бризжалову объяснить…
The next day Chervyakov put on his new uniform coat, had his hair trimmed, and went to Brizzhalov to explain…
Going into the general's reception room, he saw there a great many petitioners, and among the petitioners the general himself, who had already begun receiving petitions.
Опросив несколько просителей, генерал поднял глаза и на Червякова.
Having questioned several petitioners, the general raised his eyes to Chervyakov as well.
— Yesterday at the Arcadia, if you will recall, Your Ex'cy, — the usher began to report, — I sneezed, sir, and… accidentally spattered you…
Изв…
I beg your par…
— Какие пустяки…
— What nonsense…
Бог знает что!
Goodness knows what!
Вам что угодно?
What is it you want?
— обратился генерал к следующему просителю.
— the general turned to the next petitioner.
«Говорить не хочет!
«He won't talk!
— подумал Червяков, бледнея.
thought Chervyakov, turning pale.
— Сердится, значит…
He's angry, then…
Нет, этого нельзя так оставить…
No, this can't be left like this…
Я ему объясню…»
I'll explain it to him…»
When the general had finished his talk with the last petitioner and set off toward the inner apartments, Chervyakov stepped after him and mumbled:
— Ваше —ство!
— Your Ex'cy!
Ежели я осмеливаюсь беспокоить ваше —ство, то именно из чувства, могу сказать, раскаяния!..
If I make bold to trouble Your Ex'cy, it is precisely out of a feeling, I may say, of repentance!..
Не нарочно, сами изволите знать-с!
Not on purpose — you are graciously pleased to know that yourself, sir!
Генерал состроил плаксивое лицо и махнул рукой.
The general made a tearful face and waved his hand.
— Да вы просто смеетесь, милостисдарь!
— Why, you're simply making fun of me, my good sir!
— сказал он, скрываясь за дверью.
— he said, vanishing behind the door.
«Какие же тут насмешки?
«What mockery is there in it?
— подумал Червяков.
thought Chervyakov.
— Вовсе тут нет никаких насмешек!
There's no mockery in it at all!
Генерал, а не может понять!
A general, and he can't understand!
Когда так, не стану же я больше извиняться перед этим фанфароном!
Well, if that's how it is, I shan't go apologizing to this braggart any more!
Чёрт с ним!
The devil take him!
Напишу ему письмо, а ходить не стану!
I'll write him a letter, but go in person I shall not!
Ей-богу, не стану!»
By God, I shan't!»
Так думал Червяков, идя домой.
So thought Chervyakov as he walked home.
Письма генералу он не написал.
The letter to the general he did not write.
Думал, думал, и никак не выдумал этого письма.
He thought and thought, and could in no way think that letter up.
Пришлось на другой день идти самому объяснять.
He had to go the next day and explain in person.
— I came yesterday to trouble Your Ex'cy, — he began to mumble, when the general raised his questioning eyes to him, — not in order to laugh, as you were pleased to say.
Я извинялся за то, что, чихая, брызнул-с…, а смеяться я и не думал.
I was apologizing for having spattered you while sneezing, sir…, and to laugh was the last thing in my mind.
Смею ли я смеяться?
Would I dare to laugh?
Ежели мы будем смеяться, так никакого тогда, значит, и уважения к персонам… не будет…
If we are going to laugh, then, it means, there'll be no respect at all for persons of rank… there won't be…
— Пошел вон!!
— Get out!!
— гаркнул вдруг посиневший и затрясшийся генерал.
— barked the general, suddenly gone blue and shaking all over.
— Что-с?
— What, sir?
— спросил шёпотом Червяков, млея от ужаса.
— asked Chervyakov in a whisper, swooning with terror.
— Пошел вон!!
— Get out!!
— повторил генерал, затопав ногами.
— repeated the general, stamping his feet.
В животе у Червякова что-то оторвалось.
Something snapped loose in Chervyakov's belly.
Ничего не видя, ничего не слыша, он попятился к двери, вышел на улицу и поплелся…
Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, he backed toward the door, went out into the street, and trudged off…
Придя машинально домой, не снимая вицмундира, он лег на диван и… помер.
Arriving home mechanically, without taking off his uniform coat, he lay down on the sofa and… died.
Where to go next
The other thirteen books are graded by level, and the numbers on how much Russian you need are measured on these very texts. If «Смерть чиновника» was comfortable, the reading order says what to take next.