Nikolay Pavlovich in theater sits, watches "The Government Inspector" (Ревизор, Revizor) and laughs.
Звучат слова о Пушкине: '"А как странно сочиняет Пушкин. Вообразите себе: перед ним стоит в стакане ром, славнейший ром, рублей по сту бутылка, какова только для одного австрийского императора берегут, -- и потом уж как начнет писать, так перо только тр... тр... тр... Недавно он такую написал пиэсу: Лекарство от холеры, что просто волосы дыбом становятся. У нас один чиновник с ума сошел, когда прочитал. Того же самого дня приехала за ним кибитка и взяли его в больницу..."
The words about Pushkin are sounding: "How strange Pushkin composes. Imagine: before him stands in a glass of rum, the most glorious rum, a hundred rubles a bottle, such a rum is keeping exclusively only for a Austrian Emperor, - and then as he begins to write, so the pen only Tr... Tr... Tr... Recently, he wrote a play: the Cure for cholera, that just hair stand on end. We have one official who went crazy when he read this play. The same day the tilt cart came for him and took him to the hospital..."
Nikolay Pavlovich laughs and thinks: "But this is not enough. We need something... a more be an active....'
"In an entr'acte it will be necessary not to forget a joke to release: "Ah Yes Gogol, Ah Yes..."". ["What a Pushkin, what a son of a bitch!" - the catchphrase and winged word from Alexander Pushkin's correspondence, connected with the finishing of the drama "Boris Godunov"; a joking self-assessment, demonstrating an emergence of a result, which is unexpected for the very author].
Приходит очередь реплики Бобчинского: 'Да если этак и государю придется, то скажите и государю, что вот, мол, ваше императорское величество, в таком-то городе живет Петр Иванович Бобчинский'.
The turn of the remark of Bobchinski comes: "but if and sovereign will, and then tell to the Emperor, that, your Imperial Majesty, in that city Peter Ivanovich Bobchinski lives".
Nikolay Pavlovich even funnier: "in France and in England, some parliaments invent. But to me the moods transfer - through Gogol".
There has come a time of an entr'acte. Nikolay Pavlovich comes behind the theatrical scenes and thinks: "Where Gogol?" "Isn't visible anybody, who similar to Gogol. Gogol was shown to me in Tsarskoye Selo from far away".
Beautiful actresses have surrounded Nikolay Pavlovich. But all this not for that a moment, it - a little later.
Nikolay Pavlovich asks the person in a beautiful uniform:
- And where Gogol?
- Gogol has gone to Rome, Your Majesty!
"That's a humour!", - Nikolay Pavlovich has thought, - "We are watching "The Government Inspector", we are laughing, and Gogol - in the Rome!"
"Whose theatre is this?"- Nikolay Pavlovich asks with humor the man in beautiful uniform.
"Imperial Theatre, Your Majesty."
- And who the author of the play "The True Government Inspector"?
Actresses have collectively laughed.
There has come time of pleasant conversations.
After some time, the man in a beautiful uniform bows down. He holds a thick manuscript:
- "The True Government Inspector", Your Majesty!
- Give me a pencil!
A pencil was delivered.
Nikolay Pavlovich has attributed at the end of the text : "To announce Chaadayev a crazy".
The entr'acte ended. The audience returned to the hall.
The performance of the play continued.
'В окно высовываются руки с просьбами.
"Through a window are the hands with requests.
Да кто там еще? (Подходит к окну.) Не хочу, не хочу! Не нужно, не нужно! (Отходя.) Надоели, черт возьми! Не впускай, Осип!
Yes who there still? (Approaches a window.) I don't want, I don't want! It isn't necessary, it isn't necessary! (Departing.) Have bothered, devil take them! Don't let them in, Osip!
Осип (кричит в окно). Пошли, пошли! Не время, завтра приходите!'
Osip (shouts via a window). Go away! Go away! No time! Come tomorrow!"
"Помнишь, как мы с тобой бедствовали, обедали нашерамыжку и как один раз было кондитер схватил меня за воротник по поводу съеденных пирожков на счет доходов аглицкого короля? Теперь совсем другой оборот. Все мне дают взаймы сколько угодно. Оригиналы страшные. От смеху ты бы умер. Ты, я знаю, пишешь статейки: помести их в свою литературу'.
"Do you remember how we with you lived in misery, were eating at the expense of others, and how once a pastry-cook has seized me by a coat collar concerning the eaten down tarts for the account of income of the King of England? Now absolutely other a state of things. They lend for me as much as needed - No Limits. They are an awful originals. You would have died of laughter. You, I know, you write a different articles: place them in your literature".
The audience was laughing. Gogol lived and wrote in Rome.
September 16, 2018 15:55
Translation from Russian into English: September 17, 2018 06:55.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Рассказ о Бобчинском и Гоголе'.