Мертві душі
Chapter 5
“Iwillwagermyheadthatnowhereelsewouldyoufindsuchaworkman.Whatastrongfellowhewas!HehadservedintheGuards,andtheLordonlyknowswhattheyhadgivenforhim,seeingthathewasoverthreearshinsinheight.”
AgainChichikovtriedtoremarkthatProbkawasdead,butSobakevitch’stonguewasborneonthetorrentofitsownverbiage,andtheonlythingtobedonewastolisten.
“AndMilushkin,thebricklayer!Hecouldbuildastoveinanyhouseyouliked!AndMaksimTeliatnikov,thebootmaker!Anythingthathedrovehisawlintobecameapairofboots—andbootsforwhichyouwouldbethankful,althoughheWASabitfoulofthemouth.AndEremiSorokoplechin,too!Hewasthebestofthelot,andusedtoworkathistradeinMoscow,wherehepaidataxoffivehundredroubles.Well,THERE’Sanassortmentofserfsforyou!—averydifferentassortmentfromwhatPlushkinwouldsellyou!”
“Butpermitme,”atlengthputinChichikov,astoundedatthisfloodofeloquencetowhichthereappearedtobenoend.“Permitme,Isay,toinquirewhyyouenumeratethetalentsofthedeceased,seeingthattheyareallofthemdead,andthatthereforetherecanbenosenseindoingso.‘Adeadbodyisonlygoodtopropafencewith,’saystheproverb.”
“Ofcoursetheyaredead,”repliedSobakevitch,butratherasthoughtheideahadonlyjustoccurredtohim,andwasgivinghimfoodforthought.“Buttellme,now:whatistheuseoflistingthemasstillalive?Andwhatistheuseofthemthemselves?Theyareflies,nothumanbeings.
