Мертві душі
Chapter 1
Thatistosay,itservedmerelytodivideuphistime,andenablehimthemoretovaluehishoursofleisure.Nevertheless,justwhenhisunclewasbeginningtoflatterhimselfthathisnephewwasdestinedtosucceedintheprofession,thesaidnephewelectedtoruinhiseveryhope.Thusitbefell.Tientietnikov’sfriends(hehadmany)includedamongtheirnumberacoupleoffellowsofthespeciesknownas“embittered.”Thatistosay,thoughgood-naturedsoulsofthatcuriouslyrestlesstypewhichcannotendureinjustice,noranythingwhichitconceivestobesuch,theywerethoroughlyunbalancedofconductthemselves,and,whiledemandinggeneralagreementwiththeirviews,treatedthoseofotherswiththescantiestofceremony.NeverthelessthesetwoassociatesexerciseduponTientietnikov—bothbythefireoftheireloquenceandbytheformoftheirnobledissatisfactionwithsociety—averystronginfluence;withtheresultthat,througharousinginhimaninnatetendencytonervousresentment,theyledhimalsotonoticetrifleswhichbeforehadescapedhisattention.AninstanceofthisisseeninthefactthatheconceivedagainstThedorThedorovitchLienitsin,DirectorofoneoftheDepartmentswhichwasquarteredinthesplendidrangeofofficesbeforementioned,adislikewhichprovedthecauseofhisdiscerninginthemanahostofhithertounmarkedimperfections.
