Владимир Набоков - Комментарии к «Евгению Онегину» Александра Пушкина

• Название: Комментарии к «Евгению Онегину» Александра Пушкина
• Автор: Владимир Набоков
• Издательство: «Интелвак»
• Жанр: Критика
• Год: 1999
• ISBN: 5-93264-001-4

Комментарии В. В. Набокова освещают многообразие исторических, литературных и бытовых сторон романа. Книга является оригинальным произведением писателя в жанре научно-исторического комментария. Набоков обращается к «потаенным слоям» романа, прослеживает литературные влияния, связи «Евгения Онегина» с другими произведениями поэта, увлекательно повествует о тайнописи Пушкина.

Предназначена для широкого круга читателей и в первую очередь — для преподавателей и студентов гуманитарных вузов, а также для учителей и учащихся средней школы.

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XXVI

   With his well-nourished spouse
   there came fat Pustyakóv;
   Gvozdín, an admirable landlord,
 4 owner of destitute muzhiks;
   a gray-haired couple, the Skotínins,
   with children of all ages, counting
   from thirty years to two;
 8 the district fopling, Petushkóv;
   Buyánov, my first cousin,
   covered with fluff, in a peaked cap35
   (as he, of course, is known to you);
12 and the retired counselor Flyánov,
   a heavy scandalmonger, an old rogue,
   glutton, bribetaker, and buffoon.

XXVII

   With the family of Panfíl Harlikóv
   there also came Monsieur Triquét,
   a wit, late from Tambóv,
 4 bespectacled and russet-wigged.
   As a true Frenchman, in his pocket
   Triquet has brought a stanza for Tatiana
   fitting an air to children known:
 8 “Réveillez-vous, belle endormie.”
   Among an almanac's decrepit songs
   this stanza had been printed;
   Triquet — resourceful poet —
12 out of the dust brought it to light
   and boldly in the place of “belle Niná”
   put “belle Tatianá.”

XXVIII

   And now from the near borough,
   the idol of ripe misses,
   the joy of district mothers,
 4 a Company Commander has arrived;
   he enters.... Ah, news — and what news!
   there will be regimental music:
   “the Colonel's sending it himself.”
 8 What fun! There is to be a ball!
   The young things skip beforehand.36
   But dinner's served. In pairs,
   they go to table, arm in arm.
12 The misses cluster near Tatiana,
   the men are opposite; and the crowd buzzes
   as all, crossing themselves, sit down to table.

XXIX

   Talks for a moment have subsided;
   mouths chew. On all sides plates
   and covers clatter, and the jingle
 4 of rummers sounds.
   But soon the guests raise by degrees
   a general hullabaloo.
   None listens; they shout, laugh,
 8 dispute, and squeal. All of a sudden —
   the door leaves are flung open: Lenski
   comes in, and with him [comes] Onegin. “Oh, my Maker!”
   cries out the lady of the house. “At last!”
12 The guests make room, each moves aside
   covers, chairs quick;
   they call, they seat the pair of friends

XXX

   —  seat them directly facing Tanya,
   and paler than the morning moon,
   and more tremulous than the hunted doe,
 4 her darkening eyes
   she does not raise. In her stormily pulses
   a passionate glow; she suffocates, feels faint;
   the two friends' greetings
 8 she hears not; the tears from her eyes
   are on the point of trickling; the poor thing
   is on the point of swooning;
   but will and reason's power
12 prevailed. A word or two
   she uttered through her teeth in a low voice
   and managed to remain at table.

XXXI

   Tragiconervous scenes,
   the fainting fits of maidens, tears,
   long since Eugene could not abide:
 4 enough of them he had endured.
   Finding himself at a huge feast,
   the odd chap was already cross. But noting
   the languid maid's tremulous impulse,
 8 out of vexation lowering his gaze,
   he went into a huff and, fuming,
   swore he would madden Lenski,
   and thoroughly, in fact, avenge himself.
12 Now, in advance exulting,
   he inwardly began to sketch
   caricatures of all the guests.

XXXII

   Of course, not only Eugene might have seen
   Tanya's confusion; but the target
   of looks and comments at the time
 4 was a rich pie
   (unfortunately, oversalted);
   and here, in bottle sealed with pitch,
   between the meat course and the blancmangér,
 8 Tsimlyanski wine is brought already,
   followed by an array of narrow, long
   wineglasses, similar to your waist,
   Zizí, crystal of my soul, object
12 of my innocent verse,
   love's luring vial, you, of whom
   drunken I used to be!

XXXIII

   Ridding itself of its damp cork,
   the bottle pops; the wine
   fizzes; and now with solemn mien,
 4 long tortured by his stanza,
   Triquet stands up; before him the assembly
   maintains deep silence.
   Tatiana's scarce alive; Triquet,
 8 addressing her, a slip of paper in his hand,
   proceeds to sing, off key. Claps, acclamations,
   salute him. She
   must drop the bard a curtsy;
12 whereat the poet, modest although great,
   is first to drink her health
   and hands to her the stanza.

XXXIV

   Now greetings come, congratulations;
   Tatiana thanks them all.
   Then, when the turn of Eugene
 4 arrived, the maiden's languid air,
   her discomposure, lassitude,
   engendered pity in his soul:
   he bowed to her in silence,
 8 but somehow the look of his eyes
   was wondrous tender. Whether
   because he verily was touched
   or he, coquetting, jested,
12 whether unwillfully or by free will,
   but tenderness this look expressed:
   it revived Tanya's heart.

XXXV

   The chairs, as they are pushed back, clatter;
   the crowd presses into the drawing room:
   thus bees out of the luscious hive
 4 fly meadward in a noisy swarm.
   Pleased with the festive dinner,
   neighbor in front of neighbor wheezes;
   the ladies by the hearth have settled;
 8 the maidens whisper in a corner;
   the green-baized tables are unfolded:
   to mettlesome cardplayers call
   boston and omber of the old,
12 and whist, up to the present famous:
   monotonous family,
   all sons of avid boredom.

XXXVI

   Eight rubbers have already played
   whist's heroes; eight times they
   have changed their seats —
 4 and tea is brought. I like defining
   the hour by dinner, tea,
   and supper. In the country
   we know the time without great fuss:
 8 the stomach is our accurate Bréguet;
   and, apropos, I'll parenthetically note
   that in my strophes I discourse
   as frequently on feasts, on various
12 dishes and corks,
   as you, divine Homer, you, idol
   of thirty centuries!

XXXIX

   But tea is brought: scarce have the damsels
   demurely of their saucers taken hold
   when from behind the door of the long hall
 4 bassoon and flute sound suddenly.
   Elated by the thunder of the music,
   leaving his cup of tea with rum, the Paris
   of the surrounding townlets, Petushkóv,
 8 goes up to Olga; Lenski, to Tatiana;
   Miss Harlikov, a marriageable maid
   of overripe years, is secured
   by my Tambovan poet;
12 Buyánov has whirled off Dame Pustyakóv;
   and all have spilled into the hall,
   and in full glory shines the ball.

XL

   At the beginning of my novel
   (see the first fascicle)
   I wanted in Albano's manner
 4 a Petersburg ball to describe;
   but, by an empty reverie diverted,
   I got engrossed in recollecting
   the little feet of ladies known to me.
 8 Upon your narrow tracks, O little feet,
   enough roving astray!
   With the betrayal of my youth
   'tis time I grew more sensible,
12 improved in doings and in diction,
   and this fifth fascicle
   cleansed from digressions.

XLI

   Monotonous and mad
   like young life's whirl, the noisy
   whirl of the waltz revolves,
 4 pair after pair flicks by.
   Nearing the minute of revenge,
   Onegin, chuckling secretly,
   goes up to Olga, rapidly with her
 8 spins near the guests,
   then seats her on a chair,
   proceeds to talk of this and that;
   a minute or two having lapsed, he then
12 again with her the waltz continues;
   all are amazed. Lenski himself
   does not believe his proper eyes.

XLII

   There the mazurka sounds. Time was,
   when the mazurka's thunder dinned,
   in a huge ballroom everything vibrated,
 4 the parquetry cracked under heel,
   the window frames shook, rattled;
   now 'tis not thus: we, too, like ladies,
   glide o'er the lacquered boards.
 8 But in [small] towns
   and country places, the mazurka
   has still retained its pristine charms:
   saltos, heel-play, mustachios
12 remain the same; them has not altered
   highhanded fashion,
   our tyrant, sickness of the latest Russians.

XLIV