Мертвые души
Chapter 11
”And,beatinghisbreast,KifaMokievitchagainassertedthat,eventhoughhissonshouldelecttocontinuehispranks,itwouldnotbeforHIM,forthefather,toproclaimthefact,ortofalloutwithhisoffspring.And,thisexpressionofpaternalfeelinguttered,KifaMokievitchleftMokiKifovitchtohisheroicexploits,andhimselfreturnedtohisbelovedsubjectofspeculation,whichnowincludedalsotheproblem,“Supposeelephantsweretotaketobeinghatchedfromeggs,wouldnottheshellofsucheggsbeofathicknessproofagainstcannonballs,andnecessitatetheinventionofsomenewtypeoffirearm?”ThusattheendofthislittlestorywehavethesetwodenizensofapeacefulcornerofRussialookingthence,asfromawindow,inlessterrorofdoingwhatwasscandalousthanofhavingitSAIDofthemthattheywereactingscandalously.Yes,thefeelinganimatingourso-called“patriots”isnottruepatriotismatall.Somethingelseliesbeneathit.Who,ifnotanauthor,istospeakaloudthetruth?Menlikeyou,mypseudo-patriots,standindreadoftheeyewhichisabletodiscern,yetshrinkfromusingyourown,andprefer,rather,toglanceateverythingunheedingly.Yes,afterlaughingheartilyoverChichikov’smisadventures,andperhapsevencommendingtheauthorforhisdexterityofobservationandprettyturnofwit,youwilllookatyourselveswithredoubledprideandaself-satisfiedsmile,andadd:“Well,weagreethatincertainpartsoftheprovincesthereexistsstrangeandridiculousindividuals,aswellasunconscionablerascals.
