A Daughter of Albion

A Daughter of Albion

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fine carriage with rubber tyres, a fat coachman, and velvet on the seats,
rolled up to the house of a landowner called Gryabov. Fyodor Andre
ich Otsov, the district Marshal of Nobility, jumped out of the carriage. A
drowsy footman met him in the hall.
Are the family at home? asked the Marshal.
No, sir. The mistress and the children are gone out paying visits, while
the master and mademoiselle the governess are catching fish. Fishing since
the morning, sir.
Otsov stood a little, thought a little, and then went to the river to look for
Gryabov. Going down to the river he found him a mile and a half from the
house. Looking down from the steep bank and catching sight of Gryabov,
Otsov gushed with laughter... Gryabov, a big fat man, with a very big head,
was sitting on the sand, angling, with his legs tucked under him like a Turk.
His hat was on the back of his head and his cravat had slipped on one side.
Beside him stood a tall thin Englishwoman, with prominent eyes like a
crawfish's, and a big bird-like nose more like a hook than a nose. She was
dressed in a white muslin gown through which her scraggy yellow shoul

Doch` Al`biona

Vocabulary

domu pomeshchika Gria bova podkati la prekrasnaia koliaska s kau

chu kovy`mi shi n ami, to lsty`m kucherom i barhatny`m siden`em. Iz
koliaski vy`skochil uezdny`i` predvodi t el` dvorianstva Fyodor Andre ich
Ottsov. V perednei` vstretil ego son ny`i` lake i`.
Gospoda doma? sprosi l predvodi t el`.
Nika k net-s. Bar y`nia s detiami v gosti poe hali, a barin s mamze l`iuguvernantkoi` ry` bu loviat-s. S samogo utra-s.
Ottsov postoia l, podumal i poshyo l k reke iskat` Gria bova. Nashyo l on
ego versty` za dve ot doma, podoi`dia k reke. Pogliadev vniz s krutogo
berega i uvi dev Gria bova, Ottsov pry`snul... Gria bov, bol`sho i`, to lsty`i`
chelove k s ochen` bol`sho i` golovo i`, side l na pesochke, podzhav pod sebia
po-turetski nogi, i udi l. Shliapa u nego by`la na zaty` lke, ga lstuk spolz na bok.
Vozle nego stoia la vy`so kaia, ton kaia anglichan ka s vy`pucly`mi rach`imi
glazami i bol`shi m
pti c h`im nosom, pohozhim skore i` na kriucho k, chem
na nos. Odeta ona by`la v be loe kise i`noe plat`e, skvoz` kotoroe si l`no
prosvechivali toshchie, zhyo lty`e plechi. Na zolotom po iase vise li zoloty`e

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landowner; landlord; squire; country gentleman

drive up; wheel; roll up
slide tackle
beautiful; fine; splendid; excellent; lovely; su
perb; brave; elegant; gallant; gorgeous; great
carriage; baby carriage; perambulator; sidecar;
caleche; pram
thick; fat; gross; porky; pudgy
fatty; fatso; pudge
grow stout; thicken; plump; fatten; put on weight;
chub up; plump up; put on flesh
smock; fleece
Tolstoyan; Tolstoyist
sitting; bottom; place; space; seat; saddle

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A Daughter of Albion

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ders were very distinctly apparent. On her gold belt hung a little gold watch.
She too was angling. The stillness of the grave reigned about them both.
Both were motionless, as the river upon which their floats were swimming.
A desperate passion, but deadly dull! laughed Otsov. Good-day, Ivan
Kuzmich!
Ah... is that you? asked Gryabov, not taking his eyes off the water. Have
you come?
As you see... And you are still taken up with your crazy nonsense! Not
given it up yet?
The devil's in it... I begin in the morning and fish all day... The fishing is
not up to much today. I've caught nothing and this hobgoblin hasn't either.
We sit on and on and not a devil of a fish! I could scream!
Well, chuck it up then. Let's go and have some vodka!
Wait a little... Maybe we shall catch something. Towards evening the fish
bite better... I've been sitting here, my brother, ever since the morning! I
can't tell you how fearfully boring it is. It was the devil drove me to take to
this fishing! I know that it is rotten idiocy for me to sit here! I sit here like
some scoundrel, like a convict, and I stare at the water like a fool! I ought

chasiki. Ona tozhe udi la. Vokrug obo ikh tsari la grobova ia tishina. O ba
by` li nepodvi z hny`, kak reka, na kotoroi` plavali ikh poplavki .
Ohota smer tnaia, da uchast` gor`kaia! zasmeia lsia Ottsov. Zdravstvui`,
Ivan Kuz`mi c h!
A... e`to ty`? sprosi l Gria bov, ne otry`va ia glaz ot vody`. Prie hal?
Kak vi dish`... A ty` vsyo eshchyo svoe i` erundo i` zanimaesh`sia! Ne
otvy` k eshchyo?
Koi` chyort... Ves` den` lovliu, s utra... Plo ho shto-to segodnia lovitsia.
Nichego ne poi`ma l ni ia, ni e`ta kiki m
ora. Sidi m
, sidi m
i hot` by` odi n
chyort! Prosto hot` karau l krichi .
A ty` napliu i`. Poi`dyom vodku pit`!
Posto i`... Mozhet by`t`, shto-nibud` da poi`maem. Pod vecher ry` ba
cliuyot luchshe... Sizhu, brat, zdes` s samogo utra! Taka ia skuchi s hcha,
shto i vy`razit` tebe ne mogu. Dyor nul zhe menia chyort privy` k nut` k e`toi`
lovle! Zna iu, shto chepuha, a sizhu! Sizhu, kak podlets kako i`-nibud`, kak
katorzhny`i`, i na vodu gliazhu, kak dura k kako i`-nibud`! Na pokos nado

Vocabulary

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hang; dangle; swing; hinge; hover; be suspended;

overhang
dangling; floppy; suspended; impending; pen
dent; pendulous
angle; fish
fishing rod
bit; bridle; reins
reign; prevail; predominate; queen
czar; tsar; tzar
czarina; czaritza; tzarina; tsaritza
czarevitch; tzarevitch
czarevna; tzarevna
empire; kingdom; rule; realm; world; czardom
coffin; tomb; deadly
casket; coffin

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A Daughter of Albion

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to go to the haymaking, but here I sit catching fish. Yesterday His Holiness
held a service at Haponyevo, but I didn't go. I spent the day here with this
sterlet... with this she-devil...
But... have you taken leave of your senses? asked Otsov, glancing in
embarrassment at the Englishwoman. Cursing before a lady... and her...
Oh, confound her! It doesn't matter, she doesn't understand a syllable of
Russian. Whether you praise her or blame her, it is all the same to her! Just
look at her nose! Her nose alone is enough to make one faint! We sit here for
whole days together and not a single word! She stands like a stuffed image
and rolls the whites of her eyes at the water.
The Englishwoman gave a yawn, put a new worm on, and dropped the
hook into the water.
I wonder at her not a little, Gryabov went on, the great stupid has been
living in Russia for ten years and not a word of Russian!.. Any little aristo
crat among us goes to them and quickly learns to babble away in their lingo,
while they... there's no making them out! Just look at her nose! Do look at
her nose!
Come, drop it... It's embarrassing... Why attack a woman?

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e hat`, a ia ry` bu lovliu. Vchera v Hapon`eve preosviashchenny`i` sluzhi l, a

ia ne poe hal, zdes` proside l vot s e`toi` sterliad`iu... s chertovkoi` s e`toi`...
No... ty` s uma soshyo l? sprosi l Ottsov, konfuzlivo kosias` na angli
chan ku. Brani s h`sia pri dame... i eyo zhe...
Da chyort s nei`! Vsyo odno, ni bel`mesa po-russki ne smy`slit. Ty` eyo
hot` khvali , hot` brani ei` vsyo ravno! Ty` na nos posmotri ! Ot odnogo
nosa v o bmorok upadyosh`! Sidi m
po tse ly`m dniam vmeste, i hot` by`
odno slovo! Stoi t , kak chuchelo, i be l`my` na vodu tarashchit.
Anglichan ka zevnu la, peremeni la cherviachka i zaki n ula udochku.
Udivlia ius`, brat, ia nema lo! prodolzha l Gria bov. Zhivyot duri s hcha
v Rossi i desiat` let, i hot` by` odno slovo po-russki!.. Nash kako i`-nibud`
aristokratishka poedet k nim i zhi v o po-i k hnemu brehat` nauchitsia, a
oni . .. chyort ikh znaet! Ty` posmotri na nos! Na nos ty` posmotri !
Nu, perestan`... Nelovko... Shto napa l na zhenshchinu?

Vocabulary

serve; work; minister; beg; act; be employed; be

in service; do military service; celebrate
service; employment; office; work; duty; place;
employ; situation; church office
altar boy; chaplain services assistant
ramrod; career-minded
office; official; work-related
wrangle; swear; curse; quarrel; scold; spat; call
names
abuse; quarrel; invective; battle; fight; abusive
language; strong language; name-calling
laud; praise; commend; compliment; eulogize;
talk up; chant the praises; speak highly of; glo
rify; recommend; give credit