| "He is a good singer, but he is proud; he wants taking down," he said, and several guests agreed with him. | - Хорош певец, да кичлив, и надо его одернуть,-говорит он, и некоторые гости соглашаются с ним. |
| "That's true; he's a conceited fellow!" | - Это - верно, заносчив парень! |
| "What's he got to be conceited about? | - Чем заносится? |
| His voice? That comes from God; he has nothing to do with it! | Голос - от бога, не сам нажил! |
| And he hasn't a very powerful voice, has he?" the tavern-keeper persisted. | Да и велик ли голос-то? - упрямо твердит трактирщик. |
| His audience agreed with him. | Согласная публика вторит ему: |
| "True, it is not so much his voice as his intelligence." | - Верно, тут не голос, а больше - уменье. |
| One day after the singer had refreshed himself and gone away, the tavern-keeper tried to persuade Luissukha. | Однажды, когда певец, остыв, ушел, трактирщик стал уговаривать Лысуху: |
| "Why don't you amuse yourself with Kleshtchkov for a bit, Marie Evdokimova; you'd shake him up, wouldn't you? | - Вот тебе бы, Марья Евдокимовна, побаловать с Клещовым-то, помотала бы ты его маленько, а? |
| What would you want for it?" | Чего тебе стоит? |
| "If I were younger," she said with a laugh. | - Кабы я помоложе была,- усмехаясь, сказала торговка. |
| The tavern-keeper cried loudly and warmly: | Трактирщик горячо и громко закричал: |
| "What can the young ones do? | - Что молодые умеют? |
| But you - you will get hold of him! | А ты - возьмись! |
| We shall see him dancing round you! | Поглядеть бы, как он завился вокруг тебя! |
| When he is bowed down by grief he will be able to sing, won't he? | В тоску бы его вогнать, вот он запел бы, а? |
| Take him in hand, Evdokimova, and do me a favor, will you?" | Возьмись, Евдокимовна, поблагодарю, эй? |
| But she would not do it. | Но она не бралась. |
| Large and fat, she lowered her eyes and played with the fringe of the hand - kerchief which covered her bosom, as she said in a monotonous, lazy drawl: | Большая, дебелая, она, опустив глаза и перебирая пальцами бахрому платка на груди, однообразно и лениво говорила: |
| "It's a young person that is needed here. | - Тут - молодую надо. |
| If I were younger, well, I would not think twice about it." | Кабы я моложе была, ну - не задумалась бы... |
| Almost every night the tavern-keeper tried to make Kleshtchkov drunk, but the latter, after two or three songs and a glassful after each, would carefully wrap up his throat with a knitted scarf, draw his cap well over his tufted head, and depart. | Почти всегда трактирщик старался напоить Клещова, но тот, спев две-три песни и выпив за каждую по стакану, тщательно окутывал горло вязаным шарфом, туго натягивал картуз на вихрастую голову и уходил. |
| The tavern-keeper often tried to find a rival for Kleshtchkov. The harness-maker would sing a song and then the host, after praising him, would say: | Нередко трактирщик выискивал соперников Клещову; споет шорник песню, а он, похвалив его, говорит, волнуясь: |
