Endnotes
It is also sometimes spelt “Cerniscevski,” in the Polish fashion. ↩
“The disgraceful post,” as it is called, stands upon the scaffold, provided with rings and chains. The convict’s hands are thrust through the rings, and he is fastened so that he cannot move. ↩
Dyeistvitelnui Statskui Sovyetnik corresponds in the civil rank of the Tchin with that of general of the army. ↩
Mezzofanti (Giuseppe Gaspardo), chief keeper of the Vatican library, was said to have spoken over one hundred languages. ↩
The Gostinui Dvor is the name of a great collection of shops under one roof in Saint Petersburg. ↩
In Russia a married woman has absolutely no legal power; the husband has all the rights and privileges. Chernyshevsky wants to develop the idea of allowing married women equal right with husbands. ↩
The Russian poet Nekrásof says in his poem, “Ubogaïa i Naryadnaïa” (The Poor Woman and the Luxurious), of just such a girl as Julie:—
Sryet tiébya predaiot poraganyu
I okhotno proshchaïet drugoe;
Society condemns you to destruction,
But the rest of the world willingly forgives.
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Váshe Prevoskhoditelstvo, literally, your eminence. ↩
Osel pronounced As-yól. ↩
“Kolos ot kólosa, nyé sluikhat i gólosa,” a Russian proverb, meaning that the ear of corn is so far from its neighbor that the sound of the voice cannot reach from the one to the other. ↩
“Nyé gólodayet i nyé khólodayet,” a play upon words, as though he had said, “Know neither gold nor cold.” ↩
Dō svidánya, literally, till we meet again. ↩
Literally, “Why are you sitting like a buka?” that is, why are you bent over like the Slavonic letter B? a popular idiom. ↩
In the original the following slap at the selfishness and rascality of the average tchinovnik is dealt. The language, not the thought, is a trifle obscure. Kollezhsky secretar is the eighth order of the civil tchin, or order of rank corresponding to major in the army. Kollezhsky sovyestnik is the sixth, corresponding to colonel.
“When the kollezhsky sekratar Ivanof assures the kollezhsky sovyestnik Ivan Ivanuitch that he is devoted to him soul and body, Ivan Ivanuitch knows by his own experience that devotion of soul and body cannot be expected of anybody, and all the more he knows that in private life Ivanof cheated his father five times, and made a very large profit, and in this respect he even excelled Ivan Ivanuitch, who succeeded in cheating his father only three times; but for all that Ivan Ivanuitch believes that Ivanof is devoted to him; that is, he does not believe him, but he is grateful to him; and, although he does not believe him, yet he allows the dust to be thrown in his eyes. Consequently, he believes, although he does not believe.” Which logic is like the old fallacy: One Greek says that all Greeks lie. If all Greeks lie, then he lies; and if he lies, all Greeks tell the truth; therefore he must tell the truth. Then it is true that they lie. ↩
Gdyé Makár telyat gonyaet (Where Makár drives his calves) is a Russian expression, meaning to go to distant places; often used of people sent to Siberia. ↩
Drūg moï, mílenki moï.
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Mílenkaïa moya.
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Moï mílenki.
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Dō svidánya, moï milui.
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Moï mílenki.
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Dō svidánya, moï mílenki.
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Moï mílenki.
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Mílenki moï.
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Dō svidánya, moï milui, golubtchik moï.
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Moï mílenki.
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Dō svidánya, moï mílenki.
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Po lyévo.
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Before entering the medical school or any department of the Russian universities, a student is obliged to deposit with the authorities the certificate of his birth and baptism, and the diploma from the gymnasium (attestat zriélosti). That gives him the authority to teach, and shortens his term of service in the army. Without a diploma from the medical school a man cannot practise medicine. ↩
Nu, razboïnnik, literally, highwayman, murderer. ↩
Deneg-to stolko tchto kurui nyé kliuiut: a Russian proverb, literally meaning: they have so much money that the chickens will not pick it up. ↩
The Russian tchin, or hierarchy of rank, was established by Peter the Great. It consists of fourteen grades, with complicated titles in the civil, military, and marine service, the court, etc. The lowest title in the civil rank is “Collegiate Register,” corresponding with cornet in the army. From the fourteenth to the seventh class in the army, from the ninth to the fourth in the civil service, personal nobility is attached. Above those grades nobility is hereditary. Any person who comes under this vast hierarchy is a tchinovnik. ↩
Nyekonsekventnosti, moderantizm, burzhuaznost.
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Diminutives of Aleksandr, as Nástenka is of Nastasia. The girl’s name was Nastasia Borísovna Kriukova. ↩
One of Gogol’s last acts was to burn up the concluding portion of his great story, Dead Souls, the first part of which appeared in 1842. A few chapters of the second part were found after his death; but a certain Dr. Zakhártchenko, of Kiev, wrote a conclusion, which was much ridiculed. ↩
Angiolina Bosio (born in Turin in 1829), a famous mezzo-soprano, who was immensely popular in Petersburg, where she died in 1859. ↩
Enrico Tamberlík, the famous tenore robusto. ↩
In the original, literally translated, “The hours of pleasure catch, catch; young years give to love,” the words wrongly accented are mladuia [young] and lyéta [years]. ↩
As has been said before, nearly all the characters of this story are supposed to be drawn from real life. Rakhmétof, whom we shall meet again further on, is considered by many Russians to be a true picture of Karakózof, who in 1866 attempted to assassinate the Emperor Alexander II. ↩
Druzhōtchek: literally, little friend. The Russian word drūg and its diminutives have the same force as the French ami and amie, which cannot he translated into English. ↩
Divantchik.
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Moï drūg.
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Moï milui.
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Moï drūg.
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Oprostovolositsa: literally, become dishevelled. ↩
Moï milui.
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Moï milui.
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Moï drūg.
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Moï milui.
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Moï milui.
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Moï milui.
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Moï milui.
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Moï milui.
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Moï milui.
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Moï drūg.
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Moï drūg.
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Moï drūg.
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Dō svidánya.
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Milui moï.
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Drūg moï.
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Dō svidánya, moï drūg.
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Torgovka.
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This title is given in English in the original. ↩
The ending vitch, contracted into uitch, itch, is equivalent to son in English, or Mac in Scotch. Kirill Kirilluitch therefore means, Cyril the son of Cyril. ↩
Okólnitchi. ↩
Shuválof was the minister and lover of the Empress Elizabeth, and founded the University of Moscow. ↩
The Medvyedítsa River rises in the province of Sarátof, between the Don and the Volga. ↩
18,900 acres. ↩
Pomyeshchik.
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Uyezdnui predvodítel.
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Sovyetnik.
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Burlak, a rough boatman on the Volga. The name is often synonymous with boor. ↩
In the original, fifteen vershoks: a vershok is an inch and three-fourths. ↩
Khozyáïka.
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Chernyshevsky’s acumen as a critic is seen by this anticipation of the world’s judgment of Macaulay and Dickens. ↩
Tchudak.
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Proshchaïte.
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Half a vershok. ↩
Pomyeshchik.
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Perhaps better translated, “to leave the stage.” ↩
Gruizt vas, literally, to chew you up. ↩
Literally, brought out. ↩
“Nu.” ↩
“Nu.” ↩
Aza for glaza, literally, does not recognize A when he has it in his eyes. ↩
Perhaps the sapient reader will heartily agree. ↩
Moï mílashka.
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In the original, two words wrestle with one: Nyé uvizhus with uvizhus. ↩
The original metre. The literal translation is as follows:
Oi! full, full, the little basket;
There is calicoes and brocades.
Have pity, my little chilblain
On the young fellow’s shoulder.
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Nikolaï Alekseyevitch Nekrásof (1821–1878), editor of several periodicals, known as the “people’s poet” (naród nui poet). ↩
Literally:
I should be ruined, unconsoling one,
had I time to worry.
Yes, now ’tis harvest, pressing;
it is necessary to finish ten things.
However often it happens beyond
the young woman’s endurance.
Under the scythe the grass falls:
under the reaping-hook the rye burns.
With all her strength and might
she has threshed in the morning.
The flax, she spreads the flax,
till the dark little night, over the dewy meadows.
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Khozyáïstvo.
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Literally, formally. ↩
This argument, which is comparatively familiar to the American public, though even now there is an absurd prejudice in some quarters against women doctors, was absolutely novel in Russia at the time that this book was written. It gave an immense stimulus to the study of medicine by women. As is well known, all the medical schools of Europe, especially Switzerland, draw scores of Russian women to their halls. Viéra Pavlovna was the pioneer. ↩
Khozyáïstvo.
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Gémnazitcheski attestat.
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Literally:
And sweet talk
Like streams of words
His smile and kiss.
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Rodonatchálnitsa.
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In Russian, ravnapravnost. ↩
It is probable that Chernyshevsky hesitated about revealing the secret of the radiant one, not from the fear of shocking the public so much as from the danger of the censor’s red pencil. The sky which so soon was covered with black clouds, from which flashed the bolt that deprived the world of a genius, was just at this time comparatively clear, but still there were ominous mutterings of thunder. The theory which Chernyshevsky hints at, and which is regarded with such terror, proves, when regarded fairly in the face, to be like one of the lions bound, which frightened Bunyan’s Christian. ↩
Literally: We shall live with thee like panski (Polish lords); these people are friends to us; whatever to thy soul is pleasant I shall attain it all with them. ↩
Here too Chernyshevsky shows himself as a prophet. The electric light is now a fact. The day of aluminum is yet to come; when it comes, as come it will, the world will be revolutionized. ↩
Comment on this epic vision is hardly necessary. But those who object to idealized socialism as presented by Chernyshevsky must be both enchained by selfishness and the slaves of Antichrist. Only he who is selfish can wish that the best that he wishes for should not be shared by all the world; and how many millions and billions of dollars, how many lives of labor and sadness, are wasted every year because each family and each man and woman is trying vainly by himself to do what might be done better, more easily, and more happily by systematic union. The great corporations which pour useless wealth into the hoards of the few monopolists who control them, the great bazaars which are now seen in all our cities, point to what, in the future, will be the physical salvation of the world. The great hotels and flats are but the practical realization of the homes of the men and women of the future. But is Chernyshevsky after all such a rabid radical? Is not his ideal what all men want when they pray for the coming of the kingdom of Heaven?—not the republic of Heaven, by the way. ↩
Eight cents. ↩
Uglanai. Literally, by corners, referring to the custom of putting a number of people into one room. ↩
Rotmistr, or shtabs-rotmistr, titles taken from the German army; it gives personal, not hereditary, nobility. ↩
“Laid hens for him” in the original. ↩
Beréïtor.
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Zhukóvsky was the tutor of Alexsander the Second, and the author of many popular poems; among others, the national hymn, “God save the Tsar.” The Gromoboï was the thunderbolt, personified as a horse. ↩
Vot kak.
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Literally, to be a noble (dvoryanin). ↩
Dō svidánya.
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On Easter Sunday, which comes in Russia twelve days later than in the West, it is the custom among the people, especially among the peasantry, when they meet, to say, “Kristos voskres” (Christ is risen), to which the answer is made, “Voïstinu voskres” (He is risen indeed). It is also permissible to bestow kisses promiscuously, and many avail themselves of this privilege wherever a pretty girl gives them occasion. The Russian peasant believes that Christ is actually on earth during the six weeks of Easter. ↩
Literally:
Forth went the young (girl)
Out the new gate,
Out the new, the maple,
Out the grated (gate).
“Own father is stern
And unmerciful to me,
Does not let me divert myself
With a bachelor fellow to sport.
I don’t heed (my) father;
I shall amuse the young (fellow).”
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Literally: Five sázhens, or about thirty-five feet. ↩
Starikashka, affectionate diminutive of starik. ↩
Golubótchek.
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Literally,
Many beauties are in our aūls.
Stars gleam in the darkness of their eyes.
Dearly loves them, enviable fate.
But the young man’s will is happier.
Don’t marry, young fellow.
Heed me.
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Literally:
The moon rises
Both quiet and calm.
But the soldier lad
Goes to battle.
He loads his gun,
And the girl tells him,
My dear, boldly
Trust thyself to fate.
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These last six lines are in the Malo-Russian dialect; almost every noun a diminutive. The last two lines read literally, “And the little shonkárka has black little brows. Hammered little heel-rings (podkivki).” ↩