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Are you in love with her ? Oh yes !
You want to marry her, you do.
C h a t s k y
It's my affair.
F a m u s o v
You have to reckon with me, too.
I am related to her, am I not ?
And note:
I'm a father. At least they've always called me so.
C h a t s k y
If I propose to her, will you say no ?
F a m u s o v
Well, first, I should say this:
You don't be reckless. Think of your estate,
And what is most important: take up service.
C h a t s k y
I'd love to serve. Servility is what I hate.
F a m u s o v
That's it !
You're all puffed up with pride and aspiration ! You'd better ask me what your fathers did
And learn from our generation.
People like us or late Maxim Petrovich,
My uncle, he would drive on a tandem coach,
A hundred men on hand, he ate
From a gold and from a silver plate.
He had awards, lived like a lord,
And he attended at the highest court.
Those were the days ! So much unlike the present !
He was in service in Catherine's days. And
Everybody felt important then,
Your bow and scrape they would disdain.
A courtier was even better off,
He'd eat and drink what others didn't dream of.
My uncle, with his haughty temper, serious look,
Compared with him, what is a count or a duke ?
To please superiors he was happy,
He'd creep and crawl like a snake.
Once at a reception it so happened
That he fell down and nearly broke his neck.
The old man groaned in a husky voice
Which won him an imperial smile. Now !
Everybody laughed. What did he do ? He rose
And straightened up to make a bow.
Then suddenly he flopped. This time with aim,
Again a laughter. And a fall again.
Well, what do you think of it ? I think it's nice.
He hurt himself but he was quick to rise.
And ever since, like no one else,
In the royal house he was a welcome guest.
Maxim Petrovich ! A man of high esteem!
Maxim Petrovich! The life's mischievous pranks !
Who fixes pensions and gives people ranks ?
Maxim Petrovich ! Not one of you is a match for him !
C h a t s k y
Exactly ! You may sigh complaining
That our society's degrading.
But if I look comparing the present
With the glorious past, to me it's evident:
Fresh is the story, yet it is doubtful to me
For glorified and famed was he
Who showed the greatest zeal in bending the knee,
Who fought and won at peace, not in a war,
Hitting his forehead at the floor.
And those in need were in the gutter,
Those at the top were praised and flattered.
It was the age of timidness and fright
Under the mask of loyalty to tsarist might.
I do not mean your dear uncle,
About him I hate to wrangle.
But who would want in our days,
To sacrifice his neck just for the sake
Of fun, or just to make
The crowd laugh, as in that case ?
It seems to me, some aged man,
On seeing that courageous jump,
Must have confessed that, to his shame,
He was unable to do the same.
Although there're rascals everywhere
To be a laughing stock they do not dare.
And hence no favour of the sovereigns they expect.
F a m u s o v
My Lord ! Good heavens ! He is a suspect !
C h a t s k y
To-day the world is different, really.
F a m u s o v
He's dangerous.
C h a t s k y
One can breathe freely.
Nobody wants to join the foolish crowd.
F a m u s o v
He's talking like a book ! What is he talking about ?
C h a t s k y
They gather at the patron's house to gape and yawn,
To sit in silence, dine and dance a waltz,
To show their courteously, sit up till dawn.
F a m u s o v
Now. To preach liberties, that's what he wants.
C h a t s k y
Some travel. Others live in a country-house.
F a m u s o v
He doesn't recognize the government of ours.
C h a t s k y
Well, he who serves a noble cause ...
F a m u s o v
For such a gentleman I'd close all doors
And keep them miles away from our city.
C h a t s k y
I'll give you rest. Just out of pity . . .
F a m
I cannot bear it. I'm vexed, impatient.
C h a t s k y
I have abused your generation;
I give you my authority:
You may cut off part of my commentary
Or, if you want , you may apply
It to the present time — I shall not cry. F a m u s o v
I've had enough! For you I'll shut the door,
I shall not tolerate all this perversion any more ! C h a t s k y
I've had my say.
F a m u s o v
All right. I have my ears shut.
C h a t s k y
Why should you ? I mean no insult.
F a m u s o v (pattering)
These idlers! Roam around the world,
And on return they order us about.
C h a t s k y
I've finished now . . .
F a m u s o v
Have mercy, my patience's running out.
C h a t s k y
I don't feel like disputing things.
F a m u s o v
You might as well repent of sins.
Scene 3
E n t e r F o o t m a n
Colonel Skalozub.
F a m u s o v (hears and sees nothing)
You will be put to trial, mind.
C h a t s k y
Somebody wants to see you. A man of note.
F a m u s o v
I don't hear anything. He must be tried !
C h a t s k y
There's a man with a report.
F a m u s o v
I am not listening. He must be tried, tried, tried !
C h a t s k y
There's a man behind.
F a m u s o v (he turns round)
What's that ? A mutiny ? I should expect so !
F o t m a n
Colonel Skalozub. He's here I mean.
F a m u s o v (stands up)
You stupid asses! I told you a hundred times or more !
Do let him in ! Invite him ! Tell him I'm in !
Tell him I'm glad to see him. Go! be quick !
(The footman goes out)
He's coming now, sir. No more of you cheek.
He's a man of high respect,
Has grabbed a heap of orders, I should say,
He has a rank, as high as you would not expect,
He may be a general any day.
So please be modest when he's there.
Too bad, Alexander Andreyich, dear.
He often comes to see me — I don't care,
You know, I welcome anybody here.
In Moscow tongues are wagging. Well, for instance,
They say, he wants to marry Sofia. Its nonsense !
At heart he may be overjoyed enough,
But I do not intend to marry off
My daughter now, tomorrow or today,
She's too young. Though it's God's will anyway.
Don't argue in his presence, please,
And leave off joking, don't be a tease.
Where is he ? I presume,
He's waiting there in my room.
( hurries away)
Scene 4
C h a t s k y
He's so fussy. There's so much vim
And Sofia? Can she be engaged to him?
They've been avoiding me as if I were a stranger.
Oh, how I wish that she were here, my angel.
Who is this colonel whom he is so infatuated with?
And maybe Famusov is not the only one who is?
Oh, he who goes for three long years away
A fare well to love is doomed to say.
Scene 5
Chatsky, Famusov, Skalozub.
F a m u s o v
Sergey Sergeyich ! You're welcome, dear.
You must be cold. Come here, get warm,
Please join us, it is warmer here;
We'll open up the vent. Just make yourself at home.
S k a l o z u b (in a low voice)
Don't do it. Let me do it, please.
An officer of honour, I'm feeling ill at ease.
F a m u s o v
Sergey Srgeyevich, my dear,
Let me do something for a friend;
Your hat, your sword, just put them here,
You may stretch out on this bed.
S k a l o z u b
It doesn't matter where I sit.
(all sit down, Chatsky at a distance)
F a m u s o v
My dear friend, before it slips my mind
I'll tell you: we are relatives of a kind.
Not close, and no inheritance behind.
I didn't know it, nor did you,
I learned it from your cousin, dear,
Nastasya Nikolaeyevna — is she related to you, too ?
S k a l o z u b
I'm sorry, I have no idea,
We never served together, for all I know.
F a m u s o v
Sergey Sergeyich ! You don't say so !
Oh no! There's nothing I won't do for relatives,
They won't escape me by any means.
I have no outsiders working with me,
I take on children from my family tree.
Exceptions? Well, Molchalin is the only one,
He's business-like, that's why I took him on.
Now when it comes to offering a vacancy or giving an award.
It's natural that for my relatives I should put in a word.
Your cousin happened once to mention
That he had gained a lot from your protection.
S k a l o z u b
In 1813 we cut our teeth,
First in the 13-th regiment, then in the 45-th.
F a m u s o v
One should be proud of a son like you.
You have an order, haven't you ?
S k a l o z u b
It's for the August fight. We were in a trench,
He got one on a band, I got this for a change.
F a m u s o v
He's amiable, smart, as for as I can see.
A brilliant man your cousin seems to be.
S k a l o z u b
He follows some new rules he has acquired;
He was to get promotion but suddenly retired,
He took to reading in his country-house and . . .
F a m u s o v
The youth! They read, then all of a sudden, bump, the end.
You're doing well, you can't be wrong,
You're a colonel though you haven't served too long. S k a l o z u b
I'm a lucky man, you see ?
There's right now a vacancy.
Some seniors fall in battle,
Others are cast out of saddle.
F a m u s o v
Yes, God gives everyone his due.
S k a l o z u b
Some people get on better that I do;
In the fifteenth division there's a man,
The brigadier general, to mention only one.
F a m u s o v
You have got everything, haven't you ?
S k a l o z u b
I can't complain. Though it's two years, my friend,
That I have strived for the regiment.
F a m u s o v
There's no occasion for regret
For I should say, in some respect Your rivals you have outdone.
S k a l o z u b
No, in my corps I'm not the oldest one,
I've been in service now for years,
I know there are so many ways
To be promoted. All I say:
I wish I'd be a general some day.
F a m u s o v
I share your judgement, and I wish you health,
I also wish your generalship wealth.
And then . . . why should you put it off ? -
It's time to think of your better half.
S k a l o z u b
To marry? I don't care if I do.
F a m u s o v
People have daughters, sisters, nieces, too;
There're many marriageable women here.
Indeed, they multiply with every passing year.
Of all the capitals, big or small,
Moscow is surely best of all.
S k a l o z u b
A city of tremendous size and space.
F a m u s o v
Good manners, elegance and grace;
Our life is governed by the laws;
We judge the children by the parents,
"The father makes the son" — the saying goes.
He may be bad but if he inherits
Two thousand hands, then people say:
"He makes a perfect fiancй."
And if a man is not of noble birth,
However smart and full of self-respect,
No blessing from the family he should expect.
Or take the bread-and-salt reception,
I welcome all without expectation,
My doors are open to all. Yes.
Especially to foreign guests.
No matter, honest or dishonest, a gentleman or lady,
I always keep my dinner ready.
Look at the people of our city,
They have an imprint of peculiarity.
Look at our youngsters look at these
Boys — our sonnies and grand sonnies,
We scold them and we think them green,
While they can teach their grannies at fifteen.
As for the elders their word is law,
Once they start talking, they let it go,
They always talk with a knowing air,
To contradict them you don't dare,
They're old gentry, they make no bones
About talking on the government's wrongs.
If someone overheard them, they'd be done for.
Not that they put forward new ideas, no !
It's mere finding fault. That is the thing !
Making a noise about nothing.
They carry their arguments too far,
Retired chancellors they think they are.
I'll tell you what: the time has not yet come, — Some day quite indispensable they may become.
As for the ladies they are hard to win.
Don't try to judge them, They will judge everything.
When they come out like one at a table game,
Have patience! I have myself been married. Wait:
They will command an army on the front, they claim,
And will attend the senate to debate.
Irina Vlasyevna! Lukerya Alexevna!
Tatyana Yuryevna! Pulkheria Andryevna !
And if you saw their daughters, you would blush with shame.
His majesty the king of Prussia here once came,
It wasn't girls and their pretty faces that attracted him,
They were well bread and had good manners in his esteem.
They can wear a veil and paint the face,
They never say a word without a grimace,
They sing a French romance
Forcing the highest notes,
With military men they take a chance
Because they say are patriots.
Of all the capitals, big or small,
Moscow is surely best of all.
S k a l o z u b
As far as I can judge,
To a large extent the fire made it such.
F a m u s o v
Don't talk about the fire. Don't tease.
So much has changed ever since:
The roads, the houses, the pavements and all . . .
C h a t s k y
The houses are new, the prejudices are old.
You should be pleased because a prejudice never dies,
It will survive the years, the fashions and the fires.
F a m u s o v (to Chatsky)
Ah you! Just keep your mouth shut,
Do me a favour, it isn't hard.
(to Skalozub)
Well, let me introduce to you this gentleman:
The son of Chatsky, of the late friend of mine.
He doesn't serve, though if he did, he would succeed.
It is a pity, I regret, for he is bright.
How well can he translate and write!
I can't help feeling sorry for this man.
C h a t s k y
Can't you feel sorry for some other one ?
I am annoyed to hear all your praise.
F a m u s o v
Well, anybody would condemn you in my place.
C h a t s k y
I wonder who the judges are !
With age they show hostility to freedom,
They read the press that dates as far
Back as the Crimean war. They call it wisdom.
They're quick to criticize and curse
And always sing the same old song,
They never think they can be wrong.
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