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You will be called a rascal and a toady.
K h l y o s t o v a
He is always making fun of us.
He burst out laughing when I mentioned gifts.
M o l c h a l i n
He talked me out of working in the Archives.
C o u n t e s s , the g r a n d d a u g h t e r And as for me I was compared with modistes.
N a t a l y a D m i t r i y e v n a
He told my husband he should settle in the country-house.
Z a g o r e t s k y
All things considered he is mad.
C o u n t e s s , the g r a n d d a u g h t e r
I judge it from his eyes.
F a m u s o v
He takes after his mother. No surprise !
She's known to have lost mind a half a dozen times.
K h l y o s t o v a
Strange things can happen in this world,
A man his age should turn insane !
He must have drunk from young.
C o u n t e s s
It's true ! . .
C o u n t e s s , the g r a n d d a u g h t e r
No, doubt. Upon my word !
K h l y o s t o v a He would drink glasses of Champaign
N a t a l y a D m i t r i y e v n a
He drank it by the bottle !
Z a g o r e t s k y (with passion)
No !
It's by the barrel for all I know.
F a m u s o v
Well, drinking isn't bad as such,
A man may drink a drop too much.
It's education that's to blame
That many people go insane.
There are so many mental cases views, ideas, really!
K h l y o s t o v a
These boarding schools, lyceums and all that,
As well this Lancaster teaching theory,
They all can easily drive you mad.
C o u n t e s s
There is an Institute in Petersburg, I have been told,
The Institute of Pe-da-go-gics, I think it's called.
What the professors do there they propagate
Dissent and unbelief. A relative of mine,
He studied there. He's a graduate,
And any time can be employed
In a pharmacy or somewhere in the line.
A chemist, botanist, he's trying to avoid
The fair sex. He doesn't care
Much for promotion or career,
He's my nephew, my dear and near.
S k a l o z u b
I have good news: there is an education plan, I hear,
For boarding schools, Lyceums and gymnasiums,
They'll teach there simply, like they do it here.
They will use books on some occasions.
F a m u s o v
Sergey Sergeyich! No! To nip it in the bud
I'd take all books and burn them up like that!
Z a g o r e t s k y (speaking humbly)
No, there are books and books. You know, If I were engaged in censorship,
I'd deal with fables: Oh! I Love them so!
The mockery of lions, eagles, sheep,
No matter what one thinks,
They're animals, and yet their kings.
K h l y o s t o v a
It doesn't matter if it's books or drinking
That caused his lunacy. And I'm thinking
With sympathy of Chatsky, I should say,
He really deserves it, in a Christian way.
He had three hundred souls, and he was bright.
F a m u s o v
Four hundred.
K h l y o s t o v a
Three, sir.
F a m u s o v
Four.
K h l y o s t o v a
No! Three. F a m u s o v
My calendar . . .
K h l y o s t o v a
The calendars are never right.
F a m u s o v
Four hundred men! Stop arguing with me!
K h l y o s t o v a
No, three! I know other people property!
F a m u s o v
Four hundred, do you understand me?
K h l y o s t o v a
No, three hundred! Three, three, three.
Scene 22
The same people and Chatsky.
N a t a l i a D m i t r i y e v n a
Now there he is!
C o u n t e s s , the g r a n d d a u g h t e r
Hush!
E v e r y b o d y
Hush!
(Stepping back from him.)
K h l y o s t o v a
He'll make a fuss!
He'll want to have it out with us
F a m u s o v
Good Lord! Forgive our trespass! (With caution.)
You're not yourself, my dear. Let me feel your pulse,
You need a sleep after the journey; you're ill.
C h a t s k y
That's right. I cannot bear the pains I feel.
I'm suffering a million torments
From friendly squeezes, shuffles, exclamations, comments,
( comes up to Sofia.)
My heart is overwhelmed with grief,
I feel out of place, I'm lonely here.
No, Moscow doesn't give relief.
K h l y o s t o v a
He's blaming Moscow, do you hear?
F a m u s o v
We'd better keep away from him.
( makes signs to Sofia )
Hm, Sofia has shut her ears.
S o f i a (to Chatsky)
What makes you angry, tell us, please ?
C h a t s k y
There in that room they have an incidental meeting:
The little Frenchman from Bordeaux, puffed up with pride
Was telling them : he had a fright
To go to the Barbarian Russia. So he came and found
There was caressing all around.
With not a single Russian face,
The language spoken was Francaise.
It looked as though he were in France
Among his friends, in his province,
And if you saw him, he would appear
To you as if he were a petty monarch here,
With clinging ladies, always looking smart,
He's happy here, while we aren't.
There came a storm of exaltation
With screams and moans and violent elation.
"Oh France! The land beyond compare!" -
Two sister countess came out to declare -
The lesson they had learnt in their green years.
There is no arguing with countess.
I said I wanted everyone to hear it,
I wished that god could crush the evil spirit
Of meaningless blind slavish imitation
And fill someone with inspiration,
The one that would be able to
Deter us with a solid hand
From miserable longing for a foreign land.
I may be called
An old-believer, yet I think
Our North is worse a hundredfold
Since I adopted the new mode,
Having abandoned everything :
Our customs and our conditions,
The language, moral values and traditions,
And, in exchange of the grand gown,
Regardless of all trends
And common sense,
We put on this apparel of a clown:
A tail, a funny cut — oh, what a scene !
It's tight and doesn't match the face;
This funny, grey-haired shaven chin !
'Which covers thee discovers thee!'— there's a phrase.
If we adopt traditions from abroad with ease
We'd better learn a little from Chinese,
Their ignorance of foreign lands.
Shall we awaken from the power of alien fashions
So that our wise and cheerful Russians
Might never think us to be Germans?
"Can European culture be compared
With our culture?" — I once heard.
"How can the words such as "Madame", "mademoiselle"
Be turned to Russian? Is it "girl"?
No sooner than I said it, fancy,
They burst out laughing. They laughed at me.
"Ha! Girl! Ha-ha, isn't it wonderful!
Ha— Girl! Ha-ha, isn't it awful!"
I got so angry and I cursed,
I was about to retort,
But they broke up, dispersed.
I'll tell you what:
Both here in Moscow and in Petersburg, you know,
A man that hates pretence and all that's done for show
And is unfortunate to have in mind
A few ideas of some kind
And wants to openly speak out !
Look out..
(looks around, everybody is dancing a waltz. The older people make their ways to card tables)
END OF ACT III
ACT IV
Central hall in Famusov's house; a big stair leading from the first floor and a number of accessory stairs adjoining it from the mezzanines; downstairs on the right (to the people in the play) is the exit to the porch and to the porter's lodge; to the left is Molchalin's room. Night. A faint light. Some footmen are bustling, others sleep in expectation of their masters.
Scene 1 Countess, the grandmother, countess, the granddaughter lead by their footman.
F o o t m a n
The coach of Khryumina !
C o u n t e s s , the g r a n d d a u g h t e r
(while being wrapped up)
Oh, what a ball!
This Famusov! The kind of guests he called !
Some ugly creatures from the other world !
No one to talk to or to dance with. Not a soul !
C o u n t e s s , the g r a n d m o t h e r
I'm tired, darling, let's get under way. I'll go to grass straight from the ball some day.
(Both leave the house) Scene 2
Platon Mikhailovich and Natalia Dmitriyevna. One footman is bustling around, another shouts from the porch:
The coach of Gorich!
N a t a l i a D m i t r i y e v n a
Oh my life, my soul,
My precious one, oh, why are you so sad ?
(kisses her husband on the forehead)
You had some fun at Famusov's, I'm sure you had !
P l a t o n M i k h a i l o v i t c h
I don't like parties but I'm all yours,
And I obey you just because
I want to please you, I just sit
Keeping my vigils. On hearing commands,
However sad, I go to dance.
N a t a l i a D m i t r i y e v n a
You make pretence, you're not good at it; You want to be reputed to be old
Unable to activity.
(goes out accompanied by the footman)
P l a t o n M i k h a i l o v i t c h
(speaking coolly)
There's nothing bad about a ball,
It pains to be in captivity;
Nobody forces us to marry!
For some it is a predetermined thing...
T h e f o o t m a n
The mistress! She's waiting in the coach. She's angry.
P l a t o n M i k h a i l o v i t c h
(with a sigh)
All right, all right, I'm coming.
(goes out)
Scene 3
Chatsky and the Footman accompanying him.
C h a t s k y
Tell them to bring the coach immediately.
(The footman goes out)
The day has passed and with the day
The hazes and illusions are away;
The haze of hope that filled my soul up until recently.
What did I hope to find here after a long absence ?
Where is the beauty of encounters and people's sympathy,
Those cheers, hugs and greetings, — nonsense !
When you are ridding on a coach you see
Vast, boundless plain before you.
Everything's lively, light and blue,
And there is always something new,
You drive an hour, two, a day and then
You reach a stopping place for rest, you look around
And see the same deserted plain.
It makes me sad to think about it.
(The footman comes back)
Ready?
T h e f o o t m a n
Well, the coachman is out of sight.
C h a t s k y
You go and look for him, we cannot stay here for night.
(The footman goes out again )
Scene 4
Chatsky, Repetilov (the latter runs into the hall from the porch, falls down and puts himself straight hurriedly)
R e p e t i l o v
God damn it! Oh my Lord!
My eyes! Where are you from, my friend ?
Mon cher! My dear friend! Just from abroad ?
They used to be so critical of me. They said
I was a chatterer a man of superstitions,
That I indulged in premonitions.
Just now — how do you account for that ? -
I stumbled in the doorway and fell flat.
I hurried here as if I knew
That I was going to see you.
Make fun of me, and say that I,
As always, want to tell a lie.
For you I feel affection of some kind,
A kind of ailment passion and ...
I bet my soul, you'll never find
Another friend
So true to you ! Upon my life !
I do not care, if I lose my wife,
My children, or I'm left alone
In the whole wide world, all on my own.
I do not care if I live or die...
C h a t s k y
Stop talking nonsense! And don't lie !
R e p e t i l o v
It's natural that you should hate me,
I find it easy to talk to other people.
With you I always seem to be
So humble, miserable, stupid, simple.
C h a t s k y
Or what a queer self abasement !
R e p e t i l o v
Do scold me ! I'm far from being complacent,
And when I think about the way
I used to idle... Say, what's the time now ?
C h a t s k y
Since you are here for the ball you may
Go home. It will be over in an hour. R e p e t i l o v
The ball ? Where we are bound
By the decorum, and where we cannot break away
From a heavy burden ? Have you read the book about ? . .
C h a t s k y
And have you read it ? Say,
You, Repetilov ? Tell me really.
R e p e t i l o v
Call me a vandal ! I deserve it, that is.
I highly valued people that were silly,
And all my life I raved about balls and parties,
I would forget my children and my wife.
I'd play and lose, they put me in a ward,
I kept a dancer. One was not enough,
But I had three of them. My God!
I drank like mad! I wouldn't sleep nine days on end, oh my !
I denied everything: the law and honour and belief !
C h a t s k y
I say ! You ought to know the limits when you lie !
There's a reason to be filled with grief.
R e p e t i l o v
You may congratulate me for I know
Most clever people now. I'm not bored any more.
C h a t s k y
Do you feel bored tonight ?
R e p e t i l o v
Not just tonight. Do you know where I was ?
C h a t s k y
Well, I suppose,
You were in a club.
R e p e t i l o v
That's right.
The English Club, and, frankly speaking,
I'm now straight from a noisy meeting.
I promised them to hold my tongue. So mums the word, agreed ?
We have a circle. A society. And that's a secret.
We have our sessions Thursdays, see ?
C h a t s k y
My dear friend, you scare me.
Where is it ? In the Club ?
R e p e t i l o v
Oh yes.
C h a t s k y
There are extraordinary measures
About chucking all of you with all your secrets out.
R e p e t i l o v
You needn't be afraid. We talk aloud
But nobody can make anything out.
Me too, when hearing people talk about prison cells and juries,
About Byron and that stuff, I just get curious,
I listen carefully, and it's a pity
I don't get anything for my stupidity,
Ah Alexander, we've been missing you.
Now listen, dear, I should ask you to
Do me a favour, let's go there now,
I'll introduce you, if you allow,
To such nice people! They're not like me, to tell the truth,
They're so wonderful. The cream of youth ! C h a t s k y
I do not care for them, nor you. Where shall I go ?
Why should I ? In the dead of night ? Well, no.
R e p e t i l o v
Come on! Who is asleep now ? Why hesitate ?
Let's go! The people there are just great !
A dozen of daring hot heads,
But when we talk you'd think we're hundreds.
C h a t s k y
Why be so frantic ? What's the goal ?
R e p e t i l o v
We make a noise, my brother.
C h a t s k y
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