Francusko-angielska dwujÄzyczna ksiÄ ĆŒka
Traduit du russe par LĂ©on Golschmann et Ernest Jaubert
Translated by Claud Field.
I
I
Le 25 mars, il se passa à Saint-Pétersbourg un événement extraordinairement bizarre.
On the 25th March, 18â, a very strange occurrence took place in St Petersburg.
Le barbier Ivan Iakovlievitch (son nom de famille sâest enseveli dans la nuit des temps, de sorte que, mĂȘme sur lâenseigne qui reprĂ©sente un homme avec une joue couverte de mousse de savon, avec, dessous, cette inscription: «On tire aussi le sang», â ce nom ne se trouve pas), Ivan Iakovlievitch donc sâĂ©veilla dâassez bonne heure et fut aussitĂŽt frappĂ© par une odeur de pain chaud.
On the Ascension Avenue there lived a barber of the name of Ivan Jakovlevitch. He had lost his family name, and on his sign-board, on which was depicted the head of a gentleman with one cheek soaped, the only inscription to be read was, âBlood-letting done here.â On this particular morning, he awoke pretty early.
Se levant un peu sur son sĂ©ant, il sâaperçut que son Ă©pouse, matrone trĂšs respectable, qui avait un goĂ»t prononcĂ© pour le cafĂ©, sortait du four des pains fraĂźchement cuits.
Becoming aware of the smell of fresh-baked bread, he sat up a little in bed and saw his wife, who had a special partiality for coffee, in the act of taking some fresh-baked bread out of the oven.
â Praskovia Ossipovna, lui dit Ivan Iakovlievitch, je ne prendrai pas de cafĂ© aujourdâhui, parce que jâaime mieux dĂ©jeuner avec du pain chaud et de lâoignon
âToday, Prasskovna Ossipovna,â he said, âI do not want any coffee; I should like a fresh loaf with onions.â
(câest-Ă -dire quâIvan Iakovlievitch aurait prĂ©fĂ©rĂ© lâun et lâautre, mais il savait quâil lui Ă©tait absolument impossible de demander deux choses Ă la fois, Praskovia Ossipovna ne tolĂ©rant jamais semblables fantaisies).
«Quâil mange du pain, lâimbĂ©cile, se dit en elle-mĂȘme la digne matrone, ce nâen est que mieux pour moi, jâaurai un peu plus de cafĂ©.» Et elle jeta un pain sur la table.
âThe blockhead may eat bread only as far as I am concerned,â said his wife to herself; âthen I shall have a chance of getting some coffee.â And she threw a loaf on the table.
Ivan Iakovlievitch, par respect pour les convenances, endossa un vĂȘtement par-dessus sa chemise et, ayant pris place Ă table, posa devant lui deux oignons et du sel; puis, sâemparant dâun couteau, il se mit en devoir de couper le pain. Lâayant divisĂ© en deux, il jeta un regard dans lâintĂ©rieur et aperçut avec surprise quelque chose de blanc.
For the sake of propriety, Ivan Jakovlevitch drew a coat over his shirt, sat down at the table, shook out some salt for himself, prepared two onions assumed a serious expression and began to cut the bread. After he had cut the loaf in two halves, he looked, and to his great astonishment saw something whitish sticking in it.
Il y plongea avec prĂ©caution le couteau, y enfonça un doigt: «Câest solide! fit-il Ă part soi, quâest-ce que cela pourrait bien ĂȘtre?»
He carefully poked round it with his knife, and felt it with his finger.
âQuite firmly fixed!â he murmured in his beard. âWhat can it be?â
Il enfonça encore une fois les doigts et en retira⊠un nez!⊠Les bras lui en tombĂšrent, il se mit Ă se frotter les yeux, Ă le tĂąter: câĂ©tait en effet un nez et au surplus, lui semblait-il, un nez connu. La terreur se peignit sur la figure dâIvan Iakovlievitch. Mais cette terreur nâĂ©tait rien en comparaison de lâindignation qui sâempara de son Ă©pouse.
He put in his finger, and drew outâa nose! Ivan Jakovlevitch at first let his hands fall from sheer astonishment; then he rubbed his eyes and began to feel it. A nose, an actual nose; and, moreover, it seemed to be the nose of an acquaintance! Alarm and terror were depicted in Ivanâs face, but these feelings were slight in comparison with the disgust which took possession of his wife.
â Ă qui, bĂȘte fĂ©roce, as-tu coupĂ© le nez comme cela? sâĂ©cria-t-elle avec colĂšre. Coquin, ivrogne, je te dĂ©noncerai moi-mĂȘme Ă la police. Brigand que tu es! Jâai dĂ©jĂ ouĂŻ dire Ă trois personnes que tu avais lâhabitude, en faisant la barbe, de tirer si fort les nez, quâils avaient peine Ă rester en place.
âWhose nose have you cut off, you monster?â she screamed, her face red with anger. âYou scoundrel! You tippler! I myself will report you to the police! Such a rascal! Many customers have told me that while you were shaving them, you held them so tight by the nose that they could hardly sit still.â
Mais Ivan Iakovlievitch Ă©tait plus mort que vif. Il avait enfin reconnu, dans ce nez, le propre nez de lâassesseur de collĂšge Kovaliov, Ă qui il faisait la barbe tous les mercredis et dimanches.
âBut Ivan Jakovlevitch was more dead than alive; he saw at once that this nose could belong to no other than to Kovaloff, a member of the Municipal Committee whom he shaved every Sunday and Wednesday.
â Attends un peu, Praskovia Ossipovna! Je vais lâenvelopper dans un chiffon et le poser dans le coin; quâil demeure lĂ quelque peu, je lâemporterai plus tard.
âStop, Prasskovna Ossipovna! I will wrap it in a piece of cloth and place it in the corner. There it may remain for the present; later on, I will take it away.â
â Je ne tâĂ©coute mĂȘme pas! Que je consente Ă garder dans ma chambre un nez coupĂ©?⊠Biscuit roussi que tu es! Tu ne sais que manier ton rasoir, et bientĂŽt tu ne seras mĂȘme plus en Ă©tat dâaccomplir tes devoirs, coureur, vaurien. Que je sois responsable pour toi devant la police!⊠ImbĂ©cile, soliveau, va!⊠hors dâici avec lui, hors dâici! Porte-le oĂč tu voudras! Que je nâen entende plus parler!
âNo, not there! Shall I endure an amputated nose in my room? You understand nothing except how to strop a razor. You know nothing of the duties and obligations of a respectable man. You vagabond! You good-for-nothing! Am I to undertake all responsibility for you at the police-office? Ah, you soapsmearer! You blockhead! Take it away where you like, but donât let it stay under my eyes!
Ivan Iakovlievitch se tenait dans une attitude dâaccablement profond. Il rĂ©flĂ©chissait, rĂ©flĂ©chissait, et ne savait que croire.
âIvan Jakovlevitch stood there flabbergasted. He thought and thought, and knew not what he thought.
â Du diable si je comprends comment cela est arrivĂ©? fit-il enfin, en se grattant derriĂšre lâoreille; suis-je rentrĂ© ivre hier ou non, je ne saurais le dire avec certitude. Pourtant, selon tous les indices, ce doit ĂȘtre impossible⊠puisque le pain est une chose cuite, et quâun nez est tout autre chose. Je nây comprends absolument rien.
âThe devil knows how that happened!â he said, at last, scratching his head behind his ear. âWhether I came home drunk last night or not, I really donât know; but in all probability, this is a quite extraordinary occurrence, for a loaf is something baked and a nose is something different. I donât understand the matter at all.â
Ivan Iakovlievitch se tut. LâidĂ©e que les agents de police finiraient par trouver le nez chez lui et lâaccuseraient de lâavoir coupĂ©, cette idĂ©e le terrifiait. Il lui semblait dĂ©jĂ voir devant lui un col de drap pourpre brodĂ© dâargent, une Ă©pĂ©e⊠et il tremblait de tous ses membres.
And Ivan Jakovlevitch was silent. The thought that the police might find him in unlawful possession of a nose and arrest him, robbed him of all presence of mind. Already he began to have visions of a red collar with silver braid and of a swordâand he trembled all over.
Finalement, il passa sa culotte, se chaussa et, enveloppant le nez dans un mouchoir, sortit dans la rue, accompagné par les exhortations peu aimables de Praskovia Ossipovna.
At last, he finished dressing himself, and to the accompaniment of the emphatic exhortations of his spouse, he wrapped up the nose in a cloth and issued into the street.
Il avait lâintention de le glisser quelque part sous une borne, une porte cochĂšre, ou bien de le laisser tomber comme par hasard et de disparaĂźtre ensuite dans la ruelle la plus proche. Mais, pour son malheur, il ne faisait que rencontrer des gens qui le connaissaient et qui lâabordaient en lui disant: «OĂč vas-tu?» ou bien: «à qui veux-tu donc faire la barbe de si bonne heure?», de sorte quâIvan Iakovlievitch ne pouvait trouver un moment propice pour rĂ©aliser son dessein.
He intended to lose it somewhereâeither at somebodyâs door, or in a public square, or in a narrow alley; but just then, in order to complete his bad luck, he was met by an acquaintance, who showered inquiries upon him.
âHullo, Ivan Jakovlevitch! Whom are you going to shave so early in the morning?â etc., so that he could find no suitable opportunity to do what he wanted.
Une fois, il réussit pourtant à le faire tomber, mais le garde de police le lui indiqua de loin avec sa hallebarde, en lui criant:
â Ramasse, tu viens de perdre quelque chose.
Et Ivan Iakovlievitch fut obligé de ramasser le nez et de le cacher dans sa poche.
Later on, he did let the nose drop, but a sentry bore down upon him with his halberd, and said, âLook out! You have let something drop!â and Ivan Jakovlevitch was obliged to pick it up and put it in his pocket.
Le dĂ©sespoir sâempara de lui, dâautant que les rues commençaient Ă se peupler de plus en plus, Ă mesure que sâouvraient les magasins et les boutiques.
A feeling of despair began to take possession of him; all the more as the streets became more thronged and the merchants began to open their shops.
Il rĂ©solut de se diriger vers le pont dâIssaky; lĂ , il rĂ©ussirait peut-ĂȘtre Ă le jeter dans la NĂ©va? ⊠Mais jâeus tort de ne vous avoir rien dit jusquâĂ prĂ©sent dâIvan Iakovlievitch, qui pourtant Ă©tait un homme dâassez grande importance dans le monde.
At last he resolved to go to the Isaac Bridge, where perhaps he might succeed in throwing it into the Neva. But my conscience is a little uneasy that I have not yet given any detailed information about Ivan Jakovlevitch, an estimable man in many ways.
Comme tout brave ouvrier russe, Ivan Iakovlievitch Ă©tait un incorrigible ivrogne. Et quoiquâil rasĂąt tous les jours les mentons des autres, le sien ne lâĂ©tait jamais.
Like every honest Russian tradesman, Ivan Jakovlevitch was a terrible drunkard, and although he shaved other peopleâs faces every day, his own was always unshaved.
Son habit (Ivan Iakovlievitch ne portait jamais de redingote) Ă©tait de couleur pie, câest-Ă -dire quâil Ă©tait noir, mais tout couvert de taches grises et brunes; son col Ă©tait graisseux et Ă la place des boutons on voyait seulement pendre des fils.
His coat (he never wore an overcoat) was quite mottled, i.e. it had been black, but become brownish-yellow; the collar was quite shiny, and instead of the three buttons, only the threads by which they had been fastened were to be seen.
Ivan Iakovlievitch Ă©tait un grand cynique, et lorsque lâassesseur de collĂšge Kovaliov lui disait, pendant quâil lui faisait la barbe: «Tes mains, Ivan Iakovlievitch, sentent toujours mauvais», il se contentait de rĂ©pondre par la question:
â Pourquoi donc sentiraient-elles mauvais?
â Je nâen sais rien, mon ami, disait alors lâassesseur de collĂšge, le fait est quâelles sentent mauvais.
Et Ivan Iakovlievitch, aprĂšs avoir humĂ© une prise, se mettait Ă le savonner, en maniĂšre de reprĂ©sailles, et sur les joues, et au-dessous du nez, et derriĂšre lâoreille, et sous le menton, partout enfin oĂč lâenvie lui en prenait.
Ivan Jakovlevitch was a great cynic, and when Kovaloff, the member of the Municipal Committee, said to him, as was his custom while being shaved, âYour hands always smell, Ivan Jakovlevitchâ the latter answered, âWhat do they smell of?â âI donât know, my friend, but they smell very strong.â Ivan Jakovlevitch after taking a pinch of snuff would then, by way of reprisals, set to work to soap him on the cheek, the upper lip, behind the ears, on the chin, and everywhere.
Ce citoyen respectable arriva donc sur le pont dâIssaky. Il jeta un regard autour de lui, puis se pencha sur le parapet comme pour voir la quantitĂ© de poisson qui passait sous le pont, et fit tomber tout doucement le chiffon qui renfermait le nez. Il se sentit immĂ©diatement soulagĂ©, comme si on lui avait enlevĂ© un grand fardeau; un sourire apparut mĂȘme sur ses lĂšvres.
This worthy man now stood on the Isaac Bridge. At first, he looked around him, then he leaned on the railings of the bridge, as though he wished to look down and see how many fish were swimming past, and secretly threw the nose, wrapped in a little piece of cloth, into the water. He felt as though a ton weight had been lifted off him, and laughed cheerfully.
Et au lieu de sâen aller raser les mentons des fonctionnaires, il se dirigeait vers lâĂ©tablissement qui portait pour enseigne: Repas et thĂ© â dans lâintention de se commander un verre de punch, quand tout Ă coup il aperçut Ă lâextrĂ©mitĂ© du pont un commissaire de police du quartier, Ă la physionomie imposante, ornĂ©e de larges favoris, un fonctionnaire portant tricorne et Ă©pĂ©e. Il se sentit glacĂ© de terreur, tandis que le commissaire, lui faisant signe du doigt, lui criait:
â Viens donc par ici, mon cher!
Instead, however, of going to shave any officials, he turned his steps to a building, the sign-board of which bore the legend âTeas served here,â in order to have a glass of punch, when suddenly he perceived at the other end of the bridge a police inspector of the imposing exterior, with long whiskers, a three-cornered hat, and a sword hanging at his side. He nearly fainted, but the police inspector beckoned to him with his hand and said, âCome here, my dear sir.â
Ivan Iakovlievitch, qui connaissait les usages, ĂŽta de loin sa casquette et accourant avec empressement dit:
â Bonne santĂ© Ă Votre Noblesse!
Ivan Jakovlevitch, knowing how a gentleman should behave, took his hat off quickly, went towards the police inspector and said, âI hope you are in the best of health.â
â Non, non, mon ami, pas de Noblesse; raconte-moi plutĂŽt ce que tu faisais lĂ , sur le pont?
âNever mind my health. Tell me, my friend, why you were standing on the bridge.â
â Par ma foi, monsieur, en revenant de faire la barbe, je me suis seulement arrĂȘtĂ© pour voir si le courant Ă©tait rapide.
âBy heaven, gracious sir, I was on the way to my customers, and only looked down to see if the river was flowing quickly.â
â Tu mens, tu mens! Tu nâen seras pas quitte Ă si bon marchĂ©. Dis plutĂŽt la vĂ©ritĂ©.
âThat is a lie! You wonât get out of it like that. Confess the truth.â
â Je suis prĂȘt Ă faire la barbe Ă Votre GrĂące, deux, trois fois par semaine, sans rĂ©sistance aucune, rĂ©pondit Ivan Iakovlievitch.
âI am willing to shave Your Grace two or even three times a week gratis,â answered Ivan Jakovlevitch.
â Mais, mon ami, ce nâest rien, tout cela. Jâai trois barbiers qui me font la barbe, et sâen trouvent encore trĂšs honorĂ©s. Raconte-moi donc plutĂŽt ce que tu faisais lĂ -bas.
âNo, my friend, donât put yourself out! Three barbers are busy with me already and reckon it a high honor that I let them show me their skill. Now then, out with it! What were you doing there?â
Ivan Iakovlievitch pĂąlit. Mais ici les Ă©vĂ©nements sâobscurcissent dâun brouillard, et tout ce qui se passa aprĂšs demeure absolument inconnu.
Ivan Jakovlevitch grew pale. But here the strange episode vanishes in the mist, and what further happened is not known.
II
II
Lâassesseur de collĂšge Kovaliov sâĂ©veilla dâassez bonne heure et fit avec ses lĂšvres «brrrâŠÂ», ce quâil faisait toujours en sâĂ©veillant, quoiquâil nâeĂ»t jamais pu expliquer pourquoi. Il sâĂ©tira et demanda une petite glace qui se trouvait sur la table.
Kovaloff, the member of the Municipal Committee, awoke fairly early that morning, and made a droning noiseââBrr! Brr!ââthrough his lips, as he always did, though he could not say why. He stretched himself, and told his valet to give him a little mirror which was on the table.
Il voulait jeter un coup dâĆil sur le bouton qui lui Ă©tait venu sur le nez la veille au soir; mais, Ă sa grande surprise, il aperçut Ă la place du nez un endroit parfaitement plat. EffrayĂ©, Kovaliov se fit apporter de lâeau et se frotta les yeux avec une serviette. En effet, le nez nây Ă©tait pas. Il se mit Ă se tĂąter pour sâassurer quâil ne dormait pas; non, il ne dormait pas.
He wished to look at the heat-boil which had appeared on his nose the previous evening; but to his great astonishment, he saw that instead of his nose he had a perfectly smooth vacancy in his face. Thoroughly alarmed, he ordered some water to be brought, and rubbed his eyes with a towel. Sure enough, he had no longer a nose!
Il sauta en bas du lit, se secoua: pas de nez! Il demanda immédiatement ses habits, et courut droit chez le grand maßtre de la police.
Then he sprang out of bed, and shook himself violently! No, no nose any more! He dressed himself and went at once to the police superintendent.
Il faut pourtant que je dise quelques mots de Kovaliov, afin que le lecteur puisse voir ce que câĂ©tait que cet assesseur de collĂšge.
But before proceeding further, we must certainly give the reader some information about Kovaloff, so that he may know what sort of a man this member of the Municipal Committee really was.
Les assesseurs qui reçoivent ce grade grĂące Ă leurs certificats de sciences ne doivent pas ĂȘtre confondus avec ceux que lâon fabriquait au Caucase. Ce sont deux espĂšces absolument diffĂ©rentes.
These committee-men, who obtain that title by means of certificates of learning, must not be compared with the committee-men appointed for the Caucasus district, who are of quite a different kind.
Les assesseurs de collĂšge savants⊠Mais la Russie est une terre si bizarre, quâil suffit de dire un mot sur un assesseur quelconque, pour que tous les assesseurs, depuis Riga jusquâau Kamtchatka, y voient une allusion Ă eux-mĂȘmes. Ceci sâapplique du reste Ă tous les grades, Ă tous les rangs. Kovaliov Ă©tait un assesseur de collĂšge du Caucase. Il nâĂ©tait en possession de ce titre que depuis deux ans, câest pourquoi il ne lâoubliait pas, fĂ»t-ce pour un instant, et afin de se donner encore plus dâimportance, il ne se faisait jamais appeler assesseur de collĂšge, mais toujours «major».
The learned committee manâbut Russia is such a wonderful country that when one committee-man is spoken of all the others from Eiga to Kamschatka refer it to themselves. The same is also true of all other titled officials. Kovaloff had been a Caucasian committee-man two years previously, and could not forget that he had occupied that position; but in order to enhance his own importance, he never called himself âcommittee-manâ but âMajor.â
â Ăcoute, ma colombe, disait-il ordinairement quand il rencontrait dans la rue une bonne femme qui vendait des faux cols, viens chez moi, jâhabite rue SadovaĂŻa; tu nâas quâĂ demander lâappartement du major Kovaliov, chacun te lâindiquera.
Pour cette raison, nous appellerons dorénavant major cet assesseur de collÚge.
âListen, my dear,â he used to say when he met an old woman in the street who sold shirtfronts; âgo to my house in Sadovaia Street and ask âDoes Major Kovaloff live here?â Any child can tell you where it is.â Accordingly we will call him for the future Major Kovaloff.
Le major Kovaliov avait lâhabitude de se promener chaque jour sur la Perspective de Nievsky. Son faux col Ă©tait toujours dâune blancheur Ă©blouissante et trĂšs empesĂ©. Ses favoris appartenaient Ă lâespĂšce quâon peut rencontrer encore aujourdâhui chez les arpenteurs des gouvernements et des districts, chez les architectes et les mĂ©decins de rĂ©giment, chez bien dâautres personnes occupant des fonctions diverses et, en gĂ©nĂ©ral, chez tous les hommes qui possĂšdent des joues rebondies et rubicondes et jouent en perfection au boston: ces favoris suivent le beau milieu de la joue et viennent rejoindre en ligne droite le nez.
It was his custom to take a daily walk on the Neffsky Avenue. The collar of his shirt was always remarkably clean and stiff. He wore the same style of whiskers as those that are worn by governors of districts, architects, and regimental doctors; in short, all those who have full red cheeks and play a good game of whist. These whiskers grow straight across the cheek towards the nose.
Le major Kovaliov portait une grande quantité de petits cachets sur lesquels étaient gravés des armoiries, les jours de la semaine, etc.
Major Kovaloff wore a number of seals, on some of which were engraved armorial bearings, and others the names of the days of the week.
Il Ă©tait venu de Saint-PĂ©tersbourg pour affaires, et notamment pour chercher un emploi qui convĂźnt Ă son rang: celui de gouverneur, sâil se pouvait, sinon, celui dâhuissier dans quelque administration en vue.
He had come to St Petersburg with the view of obtaining some position corresponding to his rank, if possible that of vice-governor of a province; but he was prepared to be content with that of a bailiff in some department or other.
Le major Kovaliov nâaurait pas refusĂ© non plus de se marier, mais dans le cas seulement oĂč la fiancĂ©e lui apporterait 200 000 roubles de dot. Que le lecteur juge donc par lui-mĂȘme quelle devait ĂȘtre la situation de ce major, lorsquâil aperçut, Ă la place dâun nez assez bien conformĂ©, une Ă©tendue dâune platitude dĂ©sespĂ©rante.
He was, moreover, not disinclined to marry, but only such a lady who could bring with her a dowry of two hundred thousand roubles. Accordingly, the reader can judge for himself what his sensations were when he found in his face, instead of a fairly symmetrical nose, a broad, flat vacancy.
Pour comble de malheur, pas un seul fiacre ne se montrait dans la rue et il se trouva obligĂ© dâaller Ă pied, en sâemmitouflant dans son manteau et, le mouchoir sur sa figure, faisant semblant de saigner du nez.
To increase his misfortune, not a single droshky was to be seen in the street, and so he was obliged to proceed on foot. He wrapped himself up in his cloak, and held his handkerchief to his face as though his nose bled.
«Mais peut-ĂȘtre tout cela nâest-il que le fait de mon imagination; il nâest pas possible quâun nez disparaisse ainsi sottement», pensa-t-il. Et il entra exprĂšs dans une pĂątisserie, rien que pour se regarder dans une glace.
âBut perhaps it is all only my imagination; it is impossible that a nose should drop off in such a silly way,â he thought, and stepped into a confectionerâs shop in order to look into the mirror.
Heureusement pour lui, il nây avait pas de clients dans la boutique; seuls, des marmitons balayaient les piĂšces; dâautres, les yeux ensommeillĂ©s, apportaient sur des plats des gĂąteaux tout chauds; sur les tables et les chaises traĂźnaient les journaux de la veille.
Fortunately no customer was in the shop; only small shop-boys were cleaning it out, and putting chairs and tables straight. Others with sleepy faces were carrying fresh cakes on trays, and yesterdayâs newspapers stained with coffee were still lying about.
â Dieu merci, il nây a personne, se dit-il, je puis me regarder maintenant.
Il sâapprocha timidement de la glace et y jeta un coup dâĆil.
â Peste, que câest vilain, fit-il en crachant de dĂ©goĂ»t, sâil y avait du moins quelque chose pour remplacer le nez!⊠mais comme cela⊠rien!
âThank God no one is here!â he said to himself. âNow I can look at myself leisurely.â
He stepped gingerly up to a mirror and looked.
â What an infernal face!â he exclaimed, and spat with disgust. âIf there were only something there instead of the nose, but there is absolutely nothing.â
Dépité, se mordant les lÚvres, il sortit de la pùtisserie, résolu, contre toutes ses habitudes, à ne regarder personne, à ne sourire à personne.
He bit his lips with vexation, left the confectionerâs, and resolved, quite contrary to his habit, neither to look nor smile at anyone on the street.
Tout Ă coup, il sâarrĂȘta comme pĂ©trifiĂ© devant la porte dâune maison; quelque chose dâinexplicable venait de se passer sous ses yeux. Une voiture avait fait halte devant le perron: la portiĂšre sâouvrit, un monsieur en uniforme sauta en bas de la voiture et monta rapidement lâescalier. Quelle ne fut donc pas la terreur, et en mĂȘme temps la stupĂ©faction de Kovaliov, lorsquâil reconnut chez ce monsieur son propre nez!
Suddenly he halted as if rooted to the spot before a door, where something extraordinary happened. A carriage drew up at the entrance; the carriage door was opened, and a gentleman in uniform came out and hurried up the steps. How great was Kovaloffâs terror and astonishment when he saw that it was his own nose!
Ă ce spectacle inattendu, tout sembla tournoyer devant ses yeux; il eut peine Ă se maintenir debout, mais, quoiquâil tremblĂąt comme dans un accĂšs de fiĂšvre, il rĂ©solut dâattendre le retour du nez.
At this extraordinary sight, everything seemed to turn round with him. He felt as though he could hardly keep upright on his legs; but, though trembling all over as though with fever, he resolved to wait till the nose should return to the carriage.
Deux minutes plus tard celui-ci sortait en effet de la maison. Il portait un uniforme brodĂ© dâor avec un grand col droit, un pantalon en peau et une Ă©pĂ©e au cĂŽtĂ©. Son chapeau Ă plumet pouvait faire croire quâil possĂ©dait le grade de conseiller dâĂtat.
After about two minutes the nose actually came out again. It wore a gold-embroidered uniform with a stiff, high collar, trousers of chamois leather, and a sword hung at its side. The hat, adorned with a plume, showed that it held the rank of a state-councillor.
Selon toute Ă©vidence, il Ă©tait en tournĂ©e de visites. Il regarda autour de lui, jeta au cocher lâordre dâavancer, monta en voiture et partit.
It was obvious that it was paying âduty-calls.â It looked round on both sides, called to the coachman âDrive on,â and got into the carriage, which drove away.
Le pauvre Kovaliov faillit devenir fou. Il ne savait que penser dâun Ă©vĂ©nement aussi bizarre. Comment avait-il pu se faire, en effet, quâun nez qui, la veille encore, se trouvait sur son propre visage, et qui Ă©tait certainement incapable dâaller Ă pied ou en voiture, portĂąt maintenant uniforme? Il suivit en courant la voiture qui, heureusement pour lui, sâarrĂȘta Ă quelques pas de lĂ , devant le grand Bazar de Moscou.
Poor Kovaloff nearly lost his reason. He did not know what to think of this extraordinary procedure. And indeed how was it possible that the nose, which only yesterday he had on his face, and which could neither walk nor drive, should wear a uniform. He ran after the carriage, which fortunately had stopped a short way off before the Grand Bazar of Moscow.
Il se hĂąta de le rejoindre, en se faufilant Ă travers la rangĂ©e des vieilles mendiantes Ă la tĂȘte entortillĂ©e de bandes avec des ouvertures mĂ©nagĂ©es pour les yeux, et dont il sâĂ©gayait fort autrefois. Il y avait peu de monde devant le Bazar.
He hurried towards it and pressed through a crowd of beggar-women with their faces bound up, leaving only two openings for the eyes, over whom he had formerly so often made merry. There were only a few people in front of the Bazar.
Kovaliov Ă©tait si Ă©mu quâil ne pouvait se rĂ©soudre Ă rien, et cherchait des yeux ce monsieur dans tous les coins. Il lâaperçut enfin devant une boutique. Le nez avait complĂštement dissimulĂ© sa figure sous son grand col et examinait avec beaucoup dâattention je ne sais quelles marchandises.
Kovaloff was so agitated that he could decide on nothing, and looked for the nose everywhere. At last he saw it standing before a shop. It seemed half buried in its stiff collar, and was attentively inspecting the wares displayed.
â Comment lâaborder? se demandait Kovaliov. Ă en juger par tout son uniforme, son chapeau, il est Ă©vident quâil est conseiller dâĂtat. Du diable si je sais comment mây prendre!
âHow can I get at it?â thought Kovaloff. âEverythingâthe uniform, the hat, and so on âshow that it is a state-councillor. How the deuce has that happened?â
Il se mit Ă toussoter Ă cĂŽtĂ© de lui, mais le nez gardait toujours la mĂȘme attitude.
He began to cough discreetly near it, but the nose paid him not the least attention.
â Monsieur, commença Kovaliov, en faisant un effort pour reprendre courage, monsieurâŠ
âHonourable sir,â said Kovaloff at last, plucking up courage, âhonourable sir.â
â Que dĂ©sirez-vous?⊠rĂ©pondit le nez en se retournant.
âWhat do you want?â asked the nose, and turned round.
â Il me semble Ă©trange, monsieur, je crois⊠vous devez connaĂźtre votre place; et tout Ă coup je vous retrouve, oĂč?⊠Vous conviendrezâŠ
âIt seems to me strange, most respected sir-âyou should know where you belongâand I find you all of a suddenâwhere? Judge yourself.â
â Excusez-moi, je ne comprends pas bien de quoi il vous plaĂźt de me parler⊠Expliquez-vous.
âPardon me, I do not understand what you are talking about. Explain yourself more distinctly.â
«Comment lui expliquer cela?» pensait Kovaliov. Et, prenant son courage à deux mains, il continua:
â Certes, moi, dâailleurs⊠je suis major⊠Pour moi, ne pas avoir de nez, vous en conviendrez, nâest pas bien sĂ©ant. Une marchande qui vend des oranges sur le pont de Vozniessensk peut rester lĂ sans nez, mais moi qui ai en vue dâobtenir⊠avec cela, qui frĂ©quente dans plusieurs maisons oĂč se trouvent des dames: Mme Tchektyriev, femme de conseiller dâĂtat, et dâautres encore⊠Jugez vous-mĂȘme⊠Je ne sais vraiment pas, monsieur⊠(ici le major Kovaliov haussa les Ă©paules) excusez-moi⊠si on envisage cela au point de vue des principes du devoir et de lâhonneur⊠Vous pouvez comprendre cela vous-mĂȘme.
âHow shall I make my meaning plainer to him?â Then plucking up fresh courage, he continued, âNaturallyâbesides I am a Major. You must admit it is not befitting that I should go about without a nose. An old apple-woman on the Ascension Bridge may carry on her business without one, but since I am on the look out for a post; besides in many houses I am acquainted with ladies of high positionâMadame Tchektyriev, wife of a state-councillor, and many others. So you seeâI do not know, honourable sir, what youâ(here the Major shrugged his shoulders). âPardon me; if one regards the matter from the point of view of duty and honourâyou will yourself understandââ
â Je nây comprends absolument rien, rĂ©pliqua le nez. Veuillez vous expliquer dâune façon plus satisfaisante.
âI understand nothing,â answered the nose. âI repeat, please explain yourself more distinctly.â
â Monsieur, fit Kovaliov avec dignitĂ©, je ne sais comment je dois entendre vos paroles⊠Il me semble que tout cela est dâune Ă©vidence absolue⊠ou bien, vous voudriez⊠Mais vous ĂȘtes pourtant mon propre nez.
âHonourable sir,â said Kovaloff with dignity, âI do not know how I am to understand your words. It seems to me the matter is as clear as possible. Or do you wishâbut you are after all my own nose!â
Le nez regarda le major en fronçant les sourcils.
The nose looked at the Major and wrinkled its forehead.
â Vous vous trompez, monsieur, je suis moi-mĂȘme. En outre, il ne peut exister entre nous aucun rapport, puisque, Ă en juger par les boutons de votre uniforme, vous devez servir dans une administration autre que la mienne.
AprÚs avoir dit ces mots, le nez se détourna.
âThere you are wrong, respected sir; I am myself. Besides, there can be no close relations between us. To judge by the buttons of your uniform, you must be in quite a different department to mine.â So saying, the nose turned away.
Kovaliov se troubla au point de ne plus savoir ni que faire, ni mĂȘme que penser. En ce moment, il entendit le frou-frou soyeux dâune robe de femme, et Kovaliov vit sâapprocher une dame dâun certain Ăąge, toute couverte de dentelles, accompagnĂ©e dâune autre, mince et fluette avec une robe blanche qui dessinait Ă merveille sa taille fine et un chapeau de paille lĂ©ger comme un gĂąteau feuilletĂ©. DerriĂšre elles marchait un haut laquais Ă favoris Ă©normes avec une douzaine de collets Ă sa livrĂ©e.
Kovaloff was completely puzzled; he did not know what to do, and still less what to think. At this moment he heard the pleasant rustling of a ladyâs dress, and there approached an elderly lady wearing a quantity of lace, and by her side her graceful daughter in a white dress which set off her slender figure to advantage, and wearing a light straw hat. Behind the ladies marched a tall lackey with long whiskers.
Kovaliov fit quelques pas en avant, rajusta son col de batiste, arrangea ses cachets suspendus Ă une chaĂźnette dâor et, la figure souriante, fixa son attention sur la dame fluette qui, pareille Ă une fleurette printaniĂšre, se penchait lĂ©gĂšrement et portait Ă son front sa menotte blanche aux doigts transparents.
Kovaloff advanced a few steps, adjusted his cambric collar, arranged his seals which hung by a little gold chain, and with smiling face fixed his eyes on the graceful lady, who bowed lightly like a spring flower, and raised to her brow her little white hand with transparent fingers.
Le sourire de Kovaliov sâĂ©largit encore lorsquâil aperçut sous le chapeau un petit menton rond dâune blancheur Ă©clatante et une partie de la joue, teintĂ©e lĂ©gĂšrement de rose.
He smiled still more when he spied under the brim of her hat her little round chin, and part of her cheek faintly tinted with rose-colour.
Mais tout Ă coup il fit un bond en arriĂšre comme sâil sâĂ©tait brĂ»lĂ©. Il se rappela quâil avait, Ă la place du nez, un vide absolu, et des larmes jaillirent de ses yeux. Il se retourna pour dĂ©clarer sans ambages au monsieur en uniforme quâil nâavait que les apparences dâun conseiller dâĂtat, quâil nâĂ©tait quâun lĂąche et quâun coquin et enfin pas autre chose que son propre nez⊠Mais le nez nâĂ©tait plus lĂ ; il avait eu le temps de repartir, sans doute pour continuer ses visites.
But suddenly he sprang back as though he had been scorched. He remembered that he had nothing but an absolute blank in place of a nose, and tears started to his eyes. He turned round in order to tell the gentleman in uniform that he was only a state-councillor in appearance, but really a scoundrel and a rascal, and nothing else but his own nose; but the nose was no longer there. He had had time to go, doubtless in order to continue his visits.
Cette disparition plongea Kovaliov dans le dĂ©sespoir. Il revint en arriĂšre et sâarrĂȘta un instant sous les arcades, en jetant des regards de tous les cĂŽtĂ©s, dans lâespĂ©rance dâapercevoir le nez quelque part.
His disappearance plunged Kovaloff into despair. He went back and stood for a moment under a colonnade, looking round him on all sides in hope of perceiving the nose somewhere.
Il se rappelait trĂšs bien quâil portait un chapeau Ă plumes et un uniforme brodĂ© dâor, mais il nâavait pas remarquĂ© la forme de son manteau, ni la couleur de sa voiture et de ses chevaux, ni mĂȘme sâil avait derriĂšre la voiture un laquais et quelle Ă©tait sa livrĂ©e.
He remembered very well that it wore a hat with a plume in it and a gold-embroidered uniform; but he had not noticed the shape of the cloak, nor the colour of the carriages and the horses, nor even whether a lackey stood behind it, and, if so, what sort of livery he wore.
Et puis, tant de voitures passaient devant lui quâil lui eĂ»t Ă©tĂ© difficile dâen reconnaĂźtre une et, lâeĂ»t-il reconnue, quâil nâaurait eu nul moyen de lâarrĂȘter.
Moreover, so many carriages were passing that it would have been difficult to recognise one, and even if he had done so, there would have been no means of stopping it.
La journée était belle et ensoleillée. Une foule immense se pressait sur la Perspective; toute une cascade fleurie de dames se déversait sur le trottoir.
The day was fine and sunny. An immense crowd was passing to and fro in the Neffsky Avenue; a variegated stream of ladies flowed along the pavement.
VoilĂ un conseiller de cour quâil connaĂźt et Ă qui il octroie le titre de lieutenant-colonel, surtout en prĂ©sence des autres. VoilĂ Iaryghine, son grand ami, qui toujours fait faire remise [Terme de jeu.] au boston, quand il joue huit, et voilĂ aussi un autre major qui a obtenu au Caucase le grade dâassesseur de collĂšge: ce dernier lui fait signe de sâapprocher.
There was his acquaintance, the Privy Councillor, whom he was accustomed to style âGeneral,â especially when strangers were present. There was Iarygin, his intimate friend who always lost in the evenings at whist; and there another Major, who had obtained the rank of committee-man in the Caucasus, beckoned to him.
â Au diable! se dit Kovaliov⊠Eh, cocher! mĂšne-moi droit chez le maĂźtre de police.
âGo to the deuce!â said Kovaloff sotto voce. âHi! coachman, drive me straight to the superintendent of police.â
Kovaliov monta en fiacre et ne cessa de crier tout le temps au cocher:
â Cours ventre Ă terre!
So saying, he got into a droshky and continued to shout all the time to the coachman âDrive hard!â
â Le maĂźtre de la police est-il chez lui? sâĂ©cria-t-il en entrant dans lâantichambre.
âIs the police superintendent at home?â he asked on entering the front hall.
â Non, monsieur, rĂ©pondit le suisse, il vient de sortir.
âNo, sir,â answered the porter,â he has just gone out.â
â Allons bon!âŠ
âAh, just as I thought!â
â Oui, continua le suisse; il nây a pas longtemps, mais il est parti; si vous Ă©tiez venu un instant plus tĂŽt, peut-ĂȘtre lâauriez-vous trouvĂ©.
âYes,â continued the porter, âhe has only just gone out; if you had been a moment earlier you would perhaps have caught him.â
Kovaliov, le mouchoir toujours appliquĂ© sur sa figure, remonta en fiacre et cria dâune voix dĂ©sespĂ©rĂ©e:
â Va!
Kovaloff, still holding his handkerchief to his face, re-entered the droshky and cried in a despairing voice âDrive on!â
â OĂč? demanda le cocher.
âWhere?â asked the coachman.
â Va tout droit.
âStraight on!â
â Comment, tout droit?⊠mais câest un carrefour ici!⊠Faut-il prendre Ă droite ou Ă gauche?
âBut how? There are cross-roads here. Shall I go to the right or the left?â
Cette question fit rĂ©flĂ©chir Kovaliov. Dans sa situation, il devait avant tout sâadresser Ă la police, non pas que son affaire eĂ»t un rapport direct avec celle-ci, mais parce quâelle serait capable de prendre des mesures plus rapides que les autres administrations. Quant Ă demander satisfaction au ministĂšre oĂč le nez se prĂ©tendait attachĂ©, cela nâĂ©tait rien moins que raisonnable, car les rĂ©ponses de ce monsieur donnaient Ă conclure quâil nâexistait rien de sacrĂ© pour lui, et il aurait pu tout aussi bien avoir menti dans ce cas-lĂ , comme il mentait en affirmant quâil ne lâavait jamais vu, lui, Kovaliov.
This question made Kovaloff: reflect. In his situation it was necessary to have recourse to the police; not because the affair had anything to do with them directly but because they acted more promptly than other authorities. As for demanding any explanation from the department to which the nose claimed to belong, it would, he felt, be useless, for the answers of that gentleman showed that he regarded nothing as sacred, and he might just as likely have lied in this matter as in saying that he had never seen Kovaloff.
Mais au moment oĂč Kovaliov Ă©tait dĂ©jĂ prĂȘt Ă donner lâordre au cocher de le conduire au tribunal de police, lâidĂ©e lui vint que ce coquin, ce fripon, qui, dĂšs la premiĂšre rencontre, sâĂ©tait conduit vis-Ă -vis de lui dâune façon si peu loyale, pouvait trĂšs bien, profitant du rĂ©pit, quitter clandestinement la ville; et alors toutes les recherches seraient vaines, ou pourraient durer, ce quâĂ Dieu ne plaise, un mois entier.
But just as he was about to order the coachman to drive to the police-station, the idea occurred to him that this rascally scoundrel who, at their first meeting, had behaved so disloyally towards him, might, profiting by the delay, quit the city secretly; and then all his searching would be in vain, or might last over a whole month.
Enfin, comme si le ciel lui-mĂȘme lâavait inspirĂ©, il rĂ©solut de se rendre directement au bureau des annonces, et de faire publier par avance un avis avec la description dĂ©taillĂ©e de tous les caractĂšres distinctifs du nez, pour que quiconque lâeĂ»t rencontrĂ© pĂ»t le ramener immĂ©diatement chez lui, Kovaliov, ou du moins lui faire connaĂźtre le lieu oĂč il sĂ©journait.
Finally, as though visited with a heavenly inspiration, he resolved to go directly to an advertisement office, and to advertise the loss of his nose, giving all its distinctive characteristics in detail, so that anyone who found it might bring it at once to him, or at any rate inform him where it lived.
Cette résolution enfin prise, il donna ordre au cocher de se rendre au bureau des annonces; et tout le long du chemin il ne cessait de le bourrer de coups dans le dos en disant:
â Vite, misĂ©rable, vite, coquin!
â Eh! maĂźtre! rĂ©pondait le cocher en secouant la tĂȘte et en cinglant des rĂȘnes son cheval aux poils longs comme ceux dâun Ă©pagneul.
Having decided on this course, he ordered the coachman to drive to the advertisement office, and all the way he continued to punch him in the backââQuick, scoundrel! quick!â
âYes, sir!â answered the coachman, lashing his shaggy horse with the reins.
Enfin le fiacre sâarrĂȘta et Kovaliov, essoufflĂ©, entra en courant dans une petite piĂšce oĂč un fonctionnaire Ă cheveux blancs, vĂȘtu dâun habit rĂąpĂ©, des lunettes sur son nez, Ă©tait assis devant une table, une plume Ă la bouche, et comptait la monnaie de cuivre quâon venait de lui apporter.
At last they arrived, and Kovaloff, out of breath, rushed into a little room where a grey haired official, in an old coat and with spectacles on his nose, sat at a table holding his pen between his teeth, counting a heap of copper coins.
â Qui est-ce qui reçoit ici les annonces? sâĂ©cria Kovaliov. Ah! câest vous, bonjour.
âWho takes in the advertisements here?â exclaimed Kovaloff.
â Tous mes respects, rĂ©pondit le fonctionnaire Ă cheveux blancs, levant les yeux pour un moment et les abaissant de nouveau sur les tas de monnaie placĂ©s devant lui.
âAt your service, sir,â answered the grey haired functionary, looking up and then fastening his eyes again on the heap of coins before him.
â Je voudrais faire publierâŠ
âI wish to place an advertisement in your paperââ
â Permettez, veuillez patienter un moment, fit le fonctionnaire, en traçant dâune main des chiffres sur le papier et en dĂ©plaçant de lâautre deux boules sur lâabaque.
âHave the kindness to wait a minute,â answered the official, putting down figures on paper with one hand, and with the other moving two balls on his calculating-frame.
Un laquais galonnĂ©, dont lâextĂ©rieur indiquait quâil servait dans une grande maison aristocratique, se tenait prĂšs de la table, un billet Ă la main et, jugeant Ă propos de faire preuve de sociabilitĂ©, exposait ainsi ses idĂ©es:
A lackey, whose silver-laced coat showed that he served in one of the houses of the nobility, was standing by the table with a note in his hand, and speaking in a lively tone, by way of showing himself sociable.
â Le croiriez-vous, monsieur, ce petit chien-lĂ ne vaut pas au fond quatre-vingts kopecks, et quant Ă moi, je nâen donnerais mĂȘme pas huit liards; mais la comtesse lâaime, ma foi; elle lâaime, et voilĂ , elle offre Ă celui qui le ramĂšnera cent roubles. Il faut avouer, tels que nous sommes lĂ , que les goĂ»ts des gens sont tout Ă fait disproportionnĂ©s avec leur objet: si lâon est amateur, eh bien, quâon ait un chien couchant ou un barbet, quâon ne craigne pas de le payer cinq cents roubles, quâon en donne mĂȘme mille, mais que ce soit au moins un bon chien.
âWould you believe it, sir, this little dog is really not worth twenty-four kopecks, and for my own part I would not give a farthing for it; but the countess is quite gone upon it, and offers a hundred roublesâ reward to anyone who finds it. To tell you the truth, the tastes of these people are very different from ours; they donât mind giving five hundred or a thousand roubles for a poodle or a pointer, provided it be a good one.â
Lâhonorable fonctionnaire Ă©coutait avec un air entendu, tout en calculant le nombre des lettres renfermĂ©es dans le billet.
The official listened with a serious air while counting the number of letters contained in the note.
Reklama