| "Were you asleep?" asked the master roughly. His wife, mounting the stairs heavily, complained that she had caught cold. The old lady scolded me. | - Дрых? - сурово спросил хозяин; жена его, тяжело поднимаясь по лестнице, жаловалась, что я её простудил, старуха ругалась. |
| In the kitchen she noticed the burned-out candle at once, and began to ask me what I had been doing. | В кухне она сразу увидала сожжённую свечу и начала допрашивать меня - что я делал. |
| I said nothing. I had only just come down from the heights, and I was all to pieces with fright lest they should find the book. She cried out that I would set the house on fire. | Я молчал, точно свалившись откуда-то с высоты, весь разбитый, в страхе, что она найдёт книгу, а она кричала, что я сожгу дом. |
| When the master and his wife came down to supper she complained to them. | Пришёл хозяин с женой ужинать, старуха пожаловалась им: |
| "There, you see, he has let the candle gutter, he will set the house on fire." | - Вот, глядите, всю свечу сжёг и дом сожгёт... |
| While they were at supper the whole four of them lashed me with their tongues, reminding me of all my crimes, wilful and involuntary, threatening me with perdition; but I knew quite well that they were all speaking not from ill-feeling, or for my good, but simply because they were bored. | Ужиная, они все четверо пилили меня своими языками, вспоминая вольные и невольные проступки мои, угрожая мне погибелью, но я уже знал, что всё это они говорят не со зла и не из добрых чувств, а только от скуки. |
| And it was curious to observe how empty and foolish they were compared with the people in books. | И было странно видеть, какие они пустые и смешные по сравнению с людьми из книги. |
| When they had finished eating, they grew heavy, and went wearily to bed. The old woman, after disturbing God with her angry complaints, settled her - self on the stove and was silent. | Вот они кончили есть, отяжелели, устало разошлись спать; старуха, потревожив бога сердитыми жалобами, забралась на печь и примолкла. |
| Then I got up, took the book from the stove-hole, and went to the window. It was a bright night, and the moon looked straight into the window; but my sight was not good enough to see the small print. | Тогда я встал, вынул книгу из подпечка, подошёл к окну; ночь была светлая, луна смотрела прямо в окно, но мелкий шрифт не давался зрению. |
| My desire to read was tormenting me. | А читать хотелось мучительно. |
| I took a brass saucepan from the shelf and reflected the light of the moon from it on the book; but it became still more difficult and blurred. | Взяв с полки медную кастрюлю, я отразил ею свет луны на книгу стало ещё хуже, темнее. |
| Then I betook myself to the bench in the corner where the icon was, and, standing upon it, began to read by the light of the small lamp. But I was very tired, and dozed, sinking down on the bench. I was awakened by the cries and blows of the old woman. | Тогда я забрался на лавку, в угол, к образам, начал читать стоя, при свете лампады, и, утомлённый, заснул, опустясь на лавку, а проснулся от крика и толчков старухи. |
| She was hitting me painfully over the shoulders with the book, which she held in her hand. She was red with rage, furiously tossing her brown head, barefooted, and wearing only her night-dress. | Держа книгу в руках, она больно стучала ею по плечам моим, красная со зла, яростно вскидывая рыжей головою, босая, в одной рубахе. |
| Victor roared from the loft: | С полатей выл Виктор: |
| "Mamasha, don't make such a noise! | - Мамаша, да не орите вы! |
| You make life unbearable." | Жить нельзя... |
| "She has found the book. She will tear it up!" I thought. | "Пропала книга, изорвут", - думал я. |
