Anton Chckov

The Proposal
■I Activity
1. The word 'proposal' has several
about? meanings. Can you guess nhot sort of oropo$o th<= ploy;$
(i) a suggestion, plan or scheme f d .
") ff f . or orng something
(11 an o er or a possible p lan or t·
"') h
(111 t e ac o as 1ng someone's hand10n
t f k' ac
· •
rn marriage
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A Russian Wedding
Do you .kno~ anything a bout a Russian marri age ceremony?
Read this article about a Russian wedding.
Preparations
•
for a Russia
•
n Wedding ·• A Russi·an wedd·n · ·
I g IS very Sln-'p e.
~ "e p c~r,1,.C
·
only_ rnclu_des arranging f~r rings, brides' dress, ca rs, and a reception. Ear:e .., tre or de•;
family paid for th_e recept1~n, but now-a-days brides' a nd grooms' famir es :.isua"y s~crs
expenses. A R~ss1an wedding lasts fo r two days; some weddings last as lo..,g cs c ,.,,ee<"
and t~e occasio n b~comes s?mething to remember for yea rs. The necessar1 pa,... c~ · --, e
w~dding ceremony 1s a wedding procession of several cars. The best friends o! !:ie g ..oo,..... '
bnde meet before the wedding a few times, make posters, w rite speeches a'lci o ..ga'"' se
contests. When the groom arrives to fetch the bride fo r the registration, ne -ias ro ~ 9 ..,- ·o
get her! Russians usually live in apartments in tall buildings, a nd the g roo~ ..,as -o c -..,..:::>
several stairs to reach his bride. But at each landing he must answer a aueSTTo""; ·o :::ie
allowed to go up . The bride's friends ask difficult questions (sometimes aoour he o~ce,
sometimes just difficult riddles), and the groom must answer with the hep of ..,·s !.-:e,...cs.
For example, he may be shown a few photos of baby girls and he must say wn c .... one
his bride is. If he guesses wrong, he must pay cash to move a head. After t,e 'Tla ......:age
registration, the newly-married couple leaves the guests for a tour of the city s·g•-rs. A~e ..
two or three hours of the city tour the couple arrives at the recept;on. The couole s:rs a+ a
specially arranged table with their family, friends and invited guests. The receot"on star-ts
with toasts to the couple. A wedding toast is a custom where a close friend o~ re.at:,~ of. .,,e
groom or the bride says a few words to wish the couple, t~en everyone ra ses their g ass
of wine, and drink it up at the same moment._ T~e groom 1s then asked to Kiss ti,e br de.
After a few toasts, people start eating and drinking, and generally hove fun. ~fter some
tim~, the bride gets ' stolen'! She di~ap~ea~s, and w h:n th~ groom staris 1001<.~g for her,
he 1s asked to pay a fee. Usually it 1s his fri ends who steal the bnde. Then there are the
bride's friends_ they stea l the b ride' s shoe. The groom mu~t pay money for the shoe too.
The guests enjoy watching these tussles, and continue partying.

2. Do you think Indian and Russian weddings have any customs in common? With the help of
a partner, fill in the ta ble below.
Wedding Ceremonies _i~ _Rus~_ia__~-~~--~-~~-~~------------ _ _----------------:
f·------------------:---:----------------:-------------------------·------- Customs different from Indian ones i
; C ustoms similar to Indian ones

English-! 0 I 125
 '
''
! ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................!

'The Proposal' (originally titled 'A Marriage Proposal') is a one-ad ploy, a force, by the Russian
short story writer and dramatist Anton Chekhov. It was written in 1888-89.
The play is about the tendency of wealthy families to seek ties with other wealthy families, to
increase their estates by encouraging marriages that make good economic sense. Ivan Lomov,
a long time wealthy neighbour of Stepan Chubukov, also wealthy, comes to seek the hand of
Chubukov' s twenty-five-year-old daughter, Natalya. All three ore quarrelsom e people, and
they quarrel over petty issues. The proposal is in danger of being forgotten amidst all this
quarrelling . But economic good sense ensures that the proposal is made, after all - although
the quarrelling perhaps continues!

Characters
STEPAN SrEPANOVITCH CHUBUKOV : a landowner .
NATALYA SrEPNOVNA : his daughter, twenty-five years old.
lvAN VASSILEVITCH LoMov : a neighbour of Chubukov , a large and hearty, but very
suspicious, landowner .
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A drawing-ro om in CHUBUKOV'S house.
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Lomov enters, wearing a dress-jacket and white gloves. CHUBUKOV rises to meet him.
Chubukov : My dear fellow, whom do I see! Ivan Vassilevitch! I am extremely glad! [Squeezes
his hand] Now this is a surprise, my darling... How are you?
Lomov : Thank you. And how may you be getting on?
Chubukov : We just get along somehow, my angel, thanks to your prayers, and so on. Sit
down, please do ... Now, you know, you shouldn't forget all about your neigh-
bours, my darling. My dear fellow, why are you so formal in your get-up! Evening
dress, gloves, and so on. Can you be going anywhere, my treasure?
t
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Lomov : No. I've come only to see you, honoured Stepan Stepanovitch.
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Chubukov : Then why are you in evening dress, my precious? As if you're paying a New
Year's Eve visit!
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128 I English-IO
Lomov : Well, you see, it's like this [Takes his arm] I've come to you, honoured Stepan
Step~o~itch, to trouble you with a request. Not once or twice have I already had
the privilege of applying to you for help, and you have always, so to speak. .. I
must ask your pardon, I am getting excited. I shall drink some water, honoured
Stepan Stepanovitch.
[Drinks]
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Chubukov : [Aside] He's come to borrow money. Shan't give him any! [Aloud] What is it, my
beauty?
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Lomov : You see, Honoured Stepanovitch ... I beg pardon Stepan Honouritch ... I mean,
I'm awfully excited, as you will please notice ... In short, you alone can help me,
though I don't deserve it, of course ... and haven't any right to count on your as-
sistance...

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Chubukov : Oh, don't go round and round it, darling! Spit it out! Well?
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Lomov : One moment. .. this very minute. The fact is I've come to ask the hand of your
daughter, Natalya Stepanovna, in marriage.
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Chubukov : [joyfully]: By Jove! Ivan Vassilevitch! Say it again-L didn't hear it all!
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Lomov : I have the honour to ask. ..
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Chubukov : [interrupting] : My dear fellow ... I'm so glad, and so on... Yes, indeed, and all
that sort of thing. [Embraces and kisses Lomov] I've been hoping for it for a long
time. It's been my continual desire. [Sheds a tear] And I've always loved you, my
angel, as if you were my own son. May God give you both-His help and His
English-10 I m
 love and so on, and so much hop e ... What a m 1 beh avin g in this idiotic way for?
I'm off my balance with joy, abso b , Oh with all my soul... I'll
lutely off my a1ance. '
go and call Natasha, and all that.
Lomov : [greatly moved] : Hon oured Step an Stepanov ·th do you th.n 1
kI
may cou nt on
1c ,
her consent?
Chubukov : Why, of course, ~n y darling, and Sh , · 1 d
... as 1·f , sh e won,' t consent·' es m ove; ega ,
she's like a lovesick cat, and so on. Shan t be long
.
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Lomov : It's cold ... I'm trembling all over, just as if I'd
got an examina~on befo~e me. The
great thing is, I mus t have my min d made up. If
I give mysel~ time to thin k, to ~es-
itate, to talk a lot, to look for an ideal, or for real
love, then I 11 nev er get ma.med.
Brr... It's cold! Natalya Stepanovna is an excellen
t housekeeper, not bad-looking,
well-educated. What more do I want? But I'm
getting a noise in my ears from
excitement. [Drinks] And it's impossible for me
not to marry. In the first place,
I'm already 35- a critical age, so to speak. In
the second place, I oug ht to lead a
quiet and regular life. I suffer from palpitations,
I'm excitable and alw ays getting
awfully upset; at this very moment my lips are
trembling, and ther e's a twitch in
my right eyebrow. But the very wor st of all is the
way I sleep. I no soo ner get into
bed and begin to go off, whe n sud den ly som
ething in my left side gives a pull,
and I can feel it in my shoulder and hea d ... I jum
p up like a lunatic, wal k abo ut
a bit and lie dow n again, but as soon as I beg in
pull! And this may hap pen twenty times... to get off to sleep ther e's ano ther
·
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Natalya (,J\q.,)cHI ~ amft t)
(~
: Well, there! It's you, and pap a said, 'Go; ther
How do you do, Ivan Vassilevitch! e's a merchant come for his goo ds.'
Lomov : How do you do, hon oure d Natalya Stepano
vna?
Natalya : You ~us t excuse my apro n and neglige. We
're
haven t you bee n here for such a long time? Sit shelling pea s for dry ing. Why
dow n....
121 I English-lo
 [They seat themselves] Won't you have some lunch?
Lornov : No, thank you, I've had some already.
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Natalya
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: !hen smoke. Here are the matches. The weather is splendid now, but yesterday
it was so wet that the workmen didn't do anything all day. How much hay have
you stacked? Just think, I felt greedy and had a whole field cut, and now I'm not
at all pleased about it because I'm afraid my hay may rot. I ought to have waited
a bit. But what's this? Why, you're in evening dress! Well, I never! Are you going
to a ball or what? Though I must say you look better... Tell me, why are you got
up like that?
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Lomov : [excited] You see, honoured Natalya Stepanovna... the fact is, I've made up my
mind to ask you to hear me out... Of course you'll be surprised and perhaps even
angry, but a ... [Aside] It's awfully cold!
Natalya : What's the matter? [Pause] Well?
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Lomov : I shall try to be brief. You must know, honoured Natalya Stepanovna, that I have
long, since my childhood, in fact, had the privilege of knowing your family. My
late aunt and her husband, from whom, as you know, I inherited my land, always
had the greatest respect for your father and your late mother. The Lomovs and the
Chubukovs have always had the most friendly, and I might almost say the most
affectionate, regard for each other. And, as you know, my land is a near neighbour
of yours. You will remember that my Oxen Meadows touch Your birchwoods.
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Natalya : Excuse my interrupting you. You say, 'my Oxen Meadows-'. But are they yours?
Lomov : Yes, mine.
Natalya : What are you talking about? Oxen Meadows are ours, not yours!
Lomov : No, mine, honoured Natalya Stepanovna.
Natalya : Well, I never knew that before. How do you make that out?
Lomov : How? I'm speaking of those Oxen Meadows which are wedged in between your
birchwoods and the Burnt Marsh.

English-10 I 1Z1
 Na tal ya : Yes, ye s ... the
y'r e ou rs.
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Lo mo v : No, yo u'r e mi sta ke n, ho no ure d
Na tal ya Ste pa no vn a, the y'r e mi
Na tal ya : Jus t thi nk , Iva n Vassilevitch! Ho ne .
w lon g ha ve the y be en yo urs ?
Lo mo v : Ho w lon g? As lon g as I can rem
em be r.
Na tal ya ·: Really, yo u wo n't ge t me to bel
iev e tha t!
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Lo mo v : Bu t yo u can see fro m the do cu
me nts , ho no ure d Na tal ya Ste pa
ow s, it's tru e, we re on ce the sub no vn a. Ox en Me ad-
jec t of dis pu te, bu t no w ev ery
the y are mi ne . Th ere 's no thi ng bo dy kn ow s that
to arg ue ab ou t. Yo u see my au
ga ve the free use of the se Me ad nt' s gra nd mo the r
ow s in pe rpe tui ty to the pe asa
gra nd fat he r, in ret urn for wh ich nts of yo ur fat he r's
the y we re to ma ke bri ck s for
be lon gin g to yo ur fat he r's gra nd he r. Th e pe asa nts
fat he r ha d the fre e us e of the M
ye ars ,an d ha d go t int o the ha ea do ws for for ty
bit of reg ard ing the m as the ir
pe ne d tha t ... ow n, wh en it hap-
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th gra nd fat he r an d gre at- gra nd 1
: No~ it isn 't at all lik e tha t! Bo
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M ars h- wh ich me an s tha t Ox
ou rs. I do n't see wh at the re is
Lo mo v to arg ue ab ou t. It's sim ply sil ly!en M ea do ws were
: I'll sh ow yo u the do cu me nts
, Na tal ya Ste pa no vn a!
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]\Tatalya : No , yo u' re sim pl y jo ki n
e h !; r ;a km g fu n of me . W ha t a su rp ris e! W e'v it IS n't
la nd fo r ne ar ly th re re h ye ar s, .an d th en we 're su dd en ly to ld th at
I v e m y ow n ea rs. Th es e rv iea do ws ar en 't
ou rs! Iv an Va ss ile vi tch' ca n ar dl y be lie .
on l co rh ap s 30 0
w or th m uc h to me . Th n~
ro ub le s, bu t I ca n't sta
e
J.m e to fiv e de ss iat in s, an d ar e wo rth pe tfa rrn es s.
ss . Sa y "': ha t yo u wi ll, I ca
n't sta nd ur
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r Th fa th er 's gr an df ath er , as I ha ve
ea r m e ou t I im pl or e r. e _P ~a san ts of yo ur y au nt s
Lomov H re ad y ha d th e ho no ul 'o
al lal IU ilg to yo u, us ed to ba ke br ick s fo r mea sa nt
o e;p sh in g to m ak e them a pl
gr an dm ot he N au nt s gr an dm ot he r, wi
r. ow m ~ dmoth-
,
l of all th is ab ou t au nt s an d gr an df ath er s and 0uran
Natalya I ca n t m ak e he ad or tai
rs, th at 's all .
er s. Th e M ea do ws ar e ou
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~
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~ : llt t t, fo r tw o da ys on en d, yo u
ca n go an i p ::rt an -
ov in g it i..i-ig of
Natalya : Ou rs ! Yo u ca n go on pr l yo u th ey 're ou rs, ou rs, ou rs! I do n 't'; ,•a nt anvth
ke ts, bu t I tel "'
te en dr es s jac an yt hi ng of mi ne . So th er
e:
I do n' t w an t to gi ve p e If
yo ur s an d
n' t w an t th e M ea do ws , bu t I an1 .1cting on pn na
do
Lomov : Na ta ly a St ep an ov na , I
pr es en t of th em .
yo u lik e, I'l l m ak e yo u a
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bi >h an ou r
en t of th em my se lf, be cn
: I ca n m ak e yo u a pr es Up tl) th b ,, e hn , e ah ,a ,
. . th ou gh t
Natalya an ge , to sa ) th e lt.>as t! -
Iv an Va ss ile vi tch , is str a fri en d; las t )'P ,u "e len t , ou ou r th re sh in g- ma
of yo u as a go od ne ig hb
ou r,
pu t '-lff_l)Hr m , n th r~
g til l No \e m -
at ac co un t we ha d to ee d
ch in e, al th ou gh on th we we 1 gy ps ies . Gl \ 111g m e 1n, o" n lan d md U
as if }O
be r, bu t yo u be ha ve to us ne ig hb ou rly! In n1, op m1 on 1t:; e, en rn1.pudent 1
t.'

No , re all y, th at 's no t at all

w an t to kn ow . am qi) '311(.R 11·~ ~ {. ~ c1 m t, ~ ~

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els e's lan d
gr ab be d an yb od y th e ca ra fe an d dr m ks mo n• \\
,1ter) Ox en l\1
. [Q ui ck ly ste ps to
do ne so
En glb h- 10 01
mi ne !
 Natalya : It's not true, they're ours!
Lomov : Mine!
Natalya : It's not true! 1'11 prove it! I'll send my mowers out to the Meadows this very day!
Lomov : What?
Natalya : My mowers will be there this very day!
Lomov : I'll give it to them in the neck!
Natalya : You dare!
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Lomov : [clutches at his heart]: Oxen Meadows are mine! You understand? Mine!
Natalya : Please don't shout! You can shout yourself hoarse in your own house but here I
must ask you to restrain yourself!
Lomov : If it wasn't, madam, for this awful, excruciating palpitation, if my whole inside
wasn't upset, I'd talk to you in a different way! [Yells] Oxen Meadows are rrtine!
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Natalya : Ours!
Lomov : Mine!
Natalya : Ours!
Lomov : Mine!
[Enter CHUBUKOV]
:~I
: -qt
:~I
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(~~~t)
Chubukov : What's the matter? What are you shouting for?
Natalya : Papa, please tell this gentleman who owns Oxen Meadows, we or he?
Chubukov : [to Lomov] Darling, the Meadows are ours!
Lomov : But, please, Stepan Stepanovitch, how can they be yours? Do be a reasonable
man! My aunt's grandmother gave the Meadows for the te~porary and free use
of your grandfath~r's p_e~sants. Th~ peasants used the land for forty years and
got accustomed to 1t as 1f 1t was their own, when it happened that. ..
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peasa nts didn't pay your
Chubukov : Excuse me, my precious. You forget just this, that the
so on. And
grand mothe r and all that, because the Mead ows were in disput e, and
't seen the plan.
now every body knows that they'r e ours. It means that you haven
Lomov : I'll prove to you that they'r e mine!
Chubu kov : You won't prove it, my darlin g-
Lomov : I shall
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just by yelling. I don't
Chubu kov : Dear one, why yell like that? You won't prove anyth ing
Why should
want anyth ing of yours, and don't intend to give up what I have.
I? And you know, my beloved, that if you propo se to go on arguin
g about it, I'd
much soone r give up the Mead ows to the peasan ts than to you. There!
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prope rty?
Lomov : I don't under stand! How have you the rightt o give away someb ody else's
not. Because, young man,
Chubu kov : You may take it that I know wheth er I have the right or man, am
I'm not used to being spoke n to in that tone of voice, and so on. I, young
lf, and all
twice your age, and ask you to speak to me witho ut agitating yourse
that.
land yours,
Lomov : No, you just think I'm a fool and want to have me on! You call my
ours don't
and then you want me to talk to you calmly and politely! Good neighb
not a neighb our, you're a grabber!
behav e like that, Stepan Stepanovitch! You're
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i1

Chubu kov : What' s that? What did you say?

Nataly a : Papa, send the mowe rs out to the Mead ows at once!
Chubu kov : What did you say, sir?
up, shan't
Nataly a : Oxen Mead ows are ours, and I shan't give them up, shan't give them
give them up!
Lomov : We'll see! I'll have the matte r taken to court, and then I'll show you!
I know you; you're just
Chubu kov : To court? You can take it to court, and all that! You can! All your
on the look-out for a chance to go to court, and all that. You pettifogger!
peopl e were like that! All of them!
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English-10 Im
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Lomov : Never min.d about my people! The Lomovs have all been honourab le people, and
not one has ever been tried for embezzlement, like your grandfath er!
Chubuko v : You Lomovs have had lunacy in your family, all of you!
Natalya : All, all, all!
Chubuko v : Your grandfath er was a dnmkard, and your younger aunt, Nastasya Mihailovna,
ran away with an architect, and so on...
Lomov : And your mother was hump-backed. [Clutches at his heart] Somethin g pulling in
my side... My head .... Help! Water!
Chubuko v : Your father was a guzzling gambler!
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Natalya : And there haven't been many backbiters to equal your aunt!
Lomov : My left foot has gone to sleep ... You're an intriguer ....Oh, my heart! And it's an
open secret that before the last elections you bri... I can see stars ... Where's my
hat?
:!'\Jatalya : It's low! It's dishonest! It's mean!
Chubuko v : And you're just a malicious, doublefac ed intriguer! Yes!
Lomov : Here's my hat. My heart! Which way? Where's the door? Oh I think I'm dying!
My foot's quite numb ...
[Goes to the door]
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Chubuko v : [following him]: And don't set foot in my house again!
Natalya : Take it to court! We'll see!
[Lomov staggers out]
Chubuko v : Devil take him!
[Walks about m excitement]
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~ :~~~~I
(~-q"~!)
Natalya What a rascal! What trust can one have in one's neighbours after that!
:
Chubukov The villain! The scarecrow!
:
Natalya The monster! First he takes our ]and and then he has the impudence to abuse us.
:
Chubukov And that blind hen, yes, that turnip-ghos t has the confounded cheek to make a
:
proposal, and so on! What? A proposal!
Natalya : What proposal?
Chubukov : Why, he came here to propose to you.
Natalya : To propose? To me? Why didn't you tell me so before?
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Chubukov : SO he dresses up in evening clothes. The stuffed sausage! The wizen-face d frump!
Natalya : To propose to me? Ah! [Falls into an easy-chair and wails] Bring him back! Back!
Ah! Bring him here.
Chubukov : Bring whom here?
Natalya : Quick, quick! I'm ill! Fetch him![Hysterics]
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( W@ "ITT "\lj'fffi t)
Chubukov : What's that? What's the matter with you? [Clutches at his head] Oh, unhappy
man that I am! I'll shoot myself! I'll hang myself! We've done for her!
Natalya : I'm dying! Fetch him!
Chubukov : Tfoo! At once. Don't yell!
[Runs out. A pause. Natalya Stepnovna wails.
Natalya : What have they done to me? Fetch him back! Fetch him!
[A pause CHUBUKOV runs in]
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Chubukov : He's coming, and so on, devil take him! Ouf! Talk to him yourself; 1 don't want
to ...
Natalya : [wails] : Fetch him!
 ~lei :~ ~w i am~. ~mn ,~~ t! ~! Wt~~ Gl@c fi"U, *~-m 'cfiB T~.
~ : (~i) =~~3 11!
Chubu kov : [yells] He's coming, I tell you. Oh, what a burde n, Lord, to
be the father of
grow n-up daugh ter! I'll cut my throat I will, indeed ! We cursed him, abuse~
him, drove him out; and it's all you ... you!
Nataly a : No, it was you!
Chubu kov : I tell you it's not my fault.
[Lomov appea rs at the door] Now you talk to him yourse lf.
[Exit]
[LOMOV enters , exhau sted]
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(lllfi)
(~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ i)
Lomo v : My heart' s palpit ating awfull y. My foot's gone to sleep. There 's somet hing
that
keeps pullin g in my side....
Nataly a : Forgiv e us, Ivan Vassilevitch, we were all a little heated . I remem ber now:
Oxen
Mead ows... really are yours.
Lomo v : My heart' s beatin g awfull y. My Mead ows ... My eyebr ows are both twitch
ing....
Nataly a : The Mead ows are yours, yes, yours. Do sit down. [They sit] We were wrong
.
Lomo v : I did it on princi ple. My land is worth little to me, but the princi ple...
Nataly a : Yes, the princi ple, just so. Now let's talk of somet hing else.
Lomo v : The more so as I have eviden ce. My aunt's grand mothe r gave the land
to your
father 's grand father 's peasa nts...
Nataly a : Yes, yes, let that pass. [Aside] I wish I knew how to get him started . [Aloud
] Are
you going to start shooti ng soon?
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wm ~~~ ~t?
Lomo v : I'm thinki ng of havin g a go at the blackc ock, honou red Nataly a Stepan ovna,
after
the harves t. Oh, have you heard ? Just think, what a misfo rtune I've had! My
dog
Guess , who you know, has gone lame.
Natal ya : What a pity! Why?
Lomo v : I don't know. Must have got his leg twiste d or bitten by some other dog.
[Si.gr]
~y very best dog, to say nothin g of the expen se. I gave Miron ov 125 rouble
him. s or
Natal ya : It was too much, Ivan Vassilevitch.
Lomo v : I think it was very cheap . He's a first-rate dog.

131 I English- IO
 n Guess!
er, and Squ eez er is hea ps bet ter tha
Na taly a : Pap a gav e 85 rou ble s for his Squ eez n Guess!
an idea! (Laughs] Squ eez er bet ter tha
Lomov : Squ eez er bet ter tha n Gu ess ? Wh at but on
cou rse he' s bet ter! Of cou rse , Squ eez er is you ng, he ma y dev elo p a bit, got.
Na taly a : Of has
n any thi ng tha t eve n Vo lch ane tsk y
poi nts and ped igr ee he' s bet ter tha ~ Wlf? \iRT
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get tha t he is ove rsh ot, and an ove r-
but you for
Lomov : Ex cus e me , Na taly a Ste pan ovn a, hun ter !
sho t alw ays me ans the dog is a bad
r it!
Na taly a : Ov ers hot , is he? Th e firs t tim e I hea
sho rte r tha n the upp er.
Lomov : I ass ure you tha t his low er jaw is
Natalya : Ha ve you me asu red ? ...
all rig ht at fol low ing , of cou rse , bu t if you wa nt to get hol d of any thi ng
Lomov : Yes. He 's Ha rne ss and
a tho rou ghb red ani ma l, the son of
Na taly a : In the firs t pla ce, our Squ eez er is ped igr ee of you r dog at all. He 's old and as
Ch ise ls wh ile the re's no get tin g at the
ugl y as a wo rn- out cab -ho rse . 3lR f.mR ~ Wt ~
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wt t t,
w can you ? Gu ess
Squ eez ers for him . Wh y, ho
Lo mo v : He is old , bu t I wo uld n't tak e five you lik e has a
is a dog ; as for Squ eez er, we ll,
it's too fun ny to arg ue. An ybo dy Tw en-
goo d as Squ eez er ... you ma y fin d the m und er eve ry bu sh alm ost .
do g as
pri ce to pay for him .
ty- fiv e rou ble s wo uld be a han dso me . Fir st you
ion in you tod ay, Iva n Va ssil evi tch
Na taly a : Th ere 's som e dem on of con tra dit n Squ eez er.
d tha t the Me ado ws are you rs; now , tha t Gu ess is bet ter tha
pre ten
ple wh o do n't say wh at the y me an, bec aus e you kno w per fec tly
I do n't like peo y do you
ll tha t Squ eez er is a hun dre d tim es bet ter tha n you r sill y Gu ess . Wh
we
wa nt to say he isn 't? Yo u mu st
con sid er me eith er bli nd or a fool.
Lo mo v : I see , Na tal ya Ste pan ovn a, tha t you
rea lise tha t Squ eez er is ove rsh ot! ~~ m? -irn ~ ~ t;
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Natalya : It's not true.
Lomov : He isl
Natalya : It's not true!
Lomov : Why shout madam?
Natalya : Why talk rot? It's awful! It's time yow- Guess was shot, and you compare hirn
with Squeezer!
Lomov : Excuse me, I cannot continue this discussion, my heart is palpitating.
Natalya : I've noticed that those hunters argue most who know least.
Lomov : Madam, please be silent. My heart is going to pieces. [Shouts] Shut up!
Natalya : I shan't shut up until you acknowledge that Squeezer is a hundred times better
than your Guess!
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Lomov : A hundred times worse! Be hanged to your Squeezer! His head ... eyes ... shoul-
der...
Natalya : There's no need to hang your silly Guess; he's half-Dead already!
Lomov : [weeps] Shut up! My heart's bursting!
Natalya : I shan't shut up. [Enter CHUBUKOV]
Chubukov : What's the matter now?
Natalya : Papa, tell us truly, which is the better dog, our Squeezer or his Guess.
Lomov : Stepan Stepanovitch, I implore you to tell me just one thing: is your Squeezer
overshot or not? Yes or no?
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Chubukov : And suppose he is? What does it matter? He's the best dog in the district for all
that, and so on.
Lomov : But isn't my Guess better? Really, now? . I
Chubukov : Don't ex~ite yourself, my precious on~. Allow me. Your Guess certainly has
good pomts. He's purebred, firm on his feet, has well-sprun g ribs, and all th ,
1:,
But, any dear man, if you want to know the truth, that dog has two defects: he 5
old and he's short in the muzzle.
 s. You will rem emb er that on the
: Excus~ me, my heart... Let' s take the fact le you r
Ma rusm sky hun t my Gue ss ran neck-and-neck with the Cou nt's dog, whi
Squ eez er was left a who le vers t beh ind.
Cou nt's whi ppe r-in hit him with his whip.
chubukov : He got. left beh ind bec aus e the and
ov : And wit h o
go_ d reas on. The dog s are run ning after a fox, whe n Squeezer goes
Lom
star ts wor ryin g a sheep!
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be-
I'm ver y liable to lose my temper, and so, just
Chubukov : It's not true ! My dea r fellow, because everybody is alw ays jeal-
cau se of that , let's stop argu ing. You star ted
like that! You too, sir, aren 't blame-
ous of eve ryb ody else 's dogs. Yes, we' re all
the other, .a nd all that... I remember
less ! You no soo ner beg in wit h this, that and
eve ryth ing!
Lomov : I rem emb er too!
Wh at do you remember?
Chubukov : [tea sing him ] I rem emb er, too!
t...
Lomov : My hea rt. .. my foot 's gon e to sleep. I can'
are you? You oug ht to go and lie on the
Natalya : [teasing] My hea rt! Wh at sort of a hun ter
after foxes! My heart!
kitc hen ove n and catc h blac k beetles, not go
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ter are you, anyway? You oug ht to sit ~t hom
Chubukov : Yes ~ea ll;, wha t port of a hun als. You could go hun ting, but
·th our al itati ons , and not go trac king anim h thei r dog s and so on. Let' s
~u In1ii,_!
~ tf arg ue wit h peo ple and interfer
sub ject in case I lose my tem per. You re not
e ;vit
a hun ter at all, any wa~!
~an e
to get in wit h the Cou nt and to m-
Lomov .. And gare you a hun ter? You only go. hun ting 1
trig ue. Oh, my hea rt! You 're an intriguer.
Shu t up!
Chubukov : Wh at? I am an intr igue r? [Shouts]
Lomov : Intr igue r!
Chubukov : Boy! Pup !
Lomov : Old rat! Jesuit!
partridge! You fool!
Chubukov : Shu t up or I'll sho ot you like a
you r late wife use d to bea t you ... My
: Eve ryb ody kno ws that- oh, my h~art!-
Lomov
1 . . . ~ ~ ~ afu ~
feet ... tem ples ... spa rks ... I fall, fall. ~ C4'l m?.T '61{
11
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Chubukov : And you'r e under the slipper of your house-keeper!
Lomov : There, there, there ... my heart's burst! My shoulders come off! Where
is my shoul-
der? I die. [Falls into an armchair] A doctor!
Chubukov : Boy! Milksop! Fool! I'm sick! [Drinks water] Sick!
Natalya : What sort of a hunte r are you? You can't even sit on a horse! [To her father
]
what' s the matte r with him? Papa! Look, Papa! [Screams] Ivan Vassilevitc Papa,
h! He's
dead!
Chub ukov : I'm sick! I can't breathe! Air!
Natalya : He's dead. [Pulls LOMOV'S sleeve] Ivan Vassilevitch! Ivan Vassilevitch!
What have
you done to me? He's dead. [Falls into an armchair] A doctor, a doctor!
[Hysterics]
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Chub ukov : Oh! What is it? What 's the matter?
Natal ya : [wails]He's dead ... dead!
Chub ukov : Who' s dead? [Looks at LOMOV] So he is! My word!
Water! A doctor! [Lifts a
tumb ler to LOMOV'S mouth] Drink this! No, he doesn 't drink . It
mean s he's
dead, and all that. I'm the most unha ppy of men! Why don't I put a bulle
t into my
brain ? Why haven 't I cut my throa t yet? What am l waiti ng for? Give
me a knife!
Give me a pistol! [Lomov moves] He seem s to be comin g round . Drink
some wa-
ter! That' s right.
Lomov : I see stars ... mist. .. where am I?
Chub ukov : Hurry up and get marri ed and- well, to the devil with
you! She's willing! [He
puts LOMOV'S hand into his daugh ter's] She's w1lhng and all that. I
give you my
b!essing and so on. Only leave me in peace!
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Lomov : [getting up] Eh? What? To whom?
Chubukov : She's willing! Well? Kiss and be damned to you!
Natalya : [wails]: He's alive ... Yes, yes, I'm willing.
Chubukov : Kiss each other!
Lomov : Eh? Kiss whom? [They kiss] Very nice, too. Excuse me, what's it all about? Oh,
now I understand ... my heart... stars ... I'm happy. NataJya Stepanovna ... [Kisses
her hand] My foot's gone to sleep.
Natalya : I... I'm happy too ...
Chubukov : What a weight off my shoulders ouf!
Natalya : But, still you will admit now that Guess is worse than Squeezer-
Lomov : Better!
Natalya : Worse!
Chubukov : Well, that's a way to start your family bliss! Have some champagne!
Lomov : He's better!
Natalya : Worse! Worse! Worse!
Chubukov : [trying to shout her down] : Champagne! Champagne!
CURTAIN
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1
Word-Meaning ~ Troubl~ (difficulty)- ~
. {appearance)- ,~~·••u 1 (t0 h o-U . . -eP1flfl
Suspicious- (in dought)- ~ ~I Get up- )- ~ lJrf'll Embrace.- uo1 the t,est}-
rd0
Privilage- (special right)- fil>1•~ P• ~~i~=~~~:,iverlng)- 'lii'lil 1111.~ I ~xce~::<~ pile)--~
Absolutely- (completely)-~~
1
:r~~ 1 Awfully-(badly) ~ <f{f s~c(to fasten with a
~ ~ I Palpitations- (qu1vermg)- cfiqc:fi • b)- ~ ~ ~ "t-nl Wedge -
- , Oil distur ..._ 1:..h - JO 1_...
...