Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

St Petersburg, the ‘window’ that Peter had cut into Europe, to the

older, more conservative and inward-looking capital Moscow, which

was associated with traditional Russian institutions such as autocracy and the Orthodox Church.

Ha бeрeгу´ пусты´нных волн

Cтоя´л Oн , дум вeли´ких полн,

и вдaль глядe´л. Прeд ним широ´ко

Peкa´ нeслa´ся; бe´дный чёлн

5 По нeй стрeми´лся одино´ко.

По мши´стым, то´пким бeрeгa´м

чeрнe´ли и´збы здeсь и тaм,

Прию´т убо´гого чухо´нцa;

и лeс, нeвe´домый лучa´м

10 B тумa´нe спря´тaнного со´лнцa

Круго´м шумe´л.

и ду´мaл Oн:

Oтсe´ль грози´ть мы бу´дeм швe´ду.

здeсь бу´дeт го´род зaложён

15 Ha зло´ нaдмe´нному сосe´ду.

Приро´дой здeсь нaм суждeно´

B Eвро´пу проруби´ть окно´,

Hого´ю твёрдой стaть при мо´рe.

Cюдa´ по но´вым им волнa´м

20 Bсe флa´ги в го´сти бу´дут к нaм

и зaпируéм нa просто´рe.

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Passages illustrating register

Прошло´ сто лeт, и ю´ный грaд,

Полно´щных стрaн крaсa´ и ди´во,

из тьмы´ лeсо´в, из то´пи блaт

25 Bоззнёсся пы´шно, гордeли´во;

Гдe прe´ждe фи´нский рыболо´в,

Пeчa´льный пa´сынок приро´ды,

Oди´н у ни´зких бeрeго´в

Бросa´л в нeвe´домыe во´ды

30 Cвой вe´тхий нe´вод, ны´нe тaм

По оживлённым бeрeгa´м

Громa´ды стро´йныe тeсня´тся

дворцо´в и бa´шeн; корaбли´

Tолпо´й со всeх концо´в зeмли´

35 К богa´тым при´стaням стрeмя´тся;

B грaни´т одe´лaся Heвa´;

Mосты´ пови´сли нaд водa´ми;

Teмнозeлёными сaдa´ми

Eё покры´лись островa´,

40 и пe´рeд млa´дшeю столи´цeй

Помe´рклa стa´рaя Mосквa´,

Кaк пe´рeд но´вою цaри´цeй

Порфироно´снaя вдовa´.

On a deserted wave-swept shore, He stood, filled with lofty thoughts, and gazed into the distance. Before him the river sped on its wide course; a humble, lonely skiff moved fast on its surface. On the mossy and swampy banks black huts were dotted here and there – the homes of miserable Finns; and the forest, impenetrable to the rays of the sun shrouded in mist, murmured all around .

And thus He thought: ‘From here we shall threaten the Swede; here a city shall be founded, to spite our arrogant neighbour. Here we are destined by Nature to cut a window into Europe; and to gain a firm foothold by the sea. Here, over waters new to them, ships of every flag will come to visit us, and, unconstrained, we shall make merry.’

A hundred years passed, and the young city, the ornament and marvel of the northern climes, rose, resplendent and stately, from the dark forests and the swamps.Where once the Finnish fisherman, Nature’s wretched stepson, alone on the low-lying banks, cast his ancient net into unknown waters, now along the banks astir with life tall and graceful palaces and towers cluster; ships from all the ends of the earth hasten in throngs to the rich quays; the Neva has clothed herself in granite; bridges hang above the waters; her islands have become covered with dark-green gardens; and old Moscow has paled before the younger capital, like a dowager clad in purple before a new empress .

Prose translation from The Penguin Book of Russian Verse , introduced and edited by Dimi´tri Oboleńsky

It is impossible in a brief description of Pushkin’s language and style to capture the beauty of this passage. Pushkin’s verse derives dignity, coherence and harmony from its diction, rhyme ( aababccdcdefefgghcch , etc.), and rhythm. (The metre is iambic tetrameter with an additional (ninth) syllable in lines with feminine rhyme (i.e. rhyme in which the 64

2.12

Literary prose

stress is on the penultimate syllable).) Linguistic features that

distinguish this passage from the modern spoken language include:

r Slavonicisms, which give the passage a lofty tone, as befits the subject of national destiny that P úshkin is addressing: Прeд (3), грaд (21), блaт (23), Полно´щных (22);

r other examples of poetic diction: the elevated verb вознeсти´сь (24) and the now obsolete adverb Oтсe´ль (12);

r feminine instrumental singular forms, in both nouns and adjectives, in

-ою: Hого´ю (17), млa´дшeю (39), но´вою (41). These forms are more

common in poetry and literary registers than in prose and ordinary

speech;

r the forms нeслa´ся (4) and одe´лaся (35), in which the reflexive particle retains its full form in spite of the preceding vowel. These forms too are poetic.

Stylistic features that enhance the dignity of P úshkin’s verse, or

lend it elegance or charm, or help the poet to develop his themes,

include:

r inversions, some of which convey the gravity of the subject-matter: дум вeли´ких полн (2): Hого´ю твёрдой (17), Полно´щных стрaн

крaсa´ и ди´во (22), Громa´ды стро´йныe (31);

r symmetry: из тьмы´ лeсо´в, из то´пи блaт (23); the sustained contrast between the deserted wasteland that Peter has surveyed (Гдe

прe´ждe . . . (25)) and the magnificent city that has subsequently been built there (ны´нe тaм . . . (29)); the comparison of Moscow to a widow, which is achieved by two pairs of lines (39–40 and 41–2) that are perfectly balanced: и пe´рeд млa´дшeю столи´цeй/Помe´рклa

стa´рaя Mосквa´,/Кaк пe´рeд но´вою цaри´цeй/Порфироно´снaя вдовa´;

r the quasi-deification of Peter the Great, the awesome presence akin to the God of Genesis who is denoted by the pronoun Oн (spelt with a

capital letter; 2, 11). In both lines the pronoun derives additional weight from its position after the verb;

r personification of the River Neva´, which is clothed in granite (35), and of Moscow (40–2);

r an alliterative quality that enhances the musicality of the verse: Пeчa´льный пa´сынок приро´ды (26); C вой вe´тхий нe´ вод, ны´ нe тaм

(29); пe´ рeд млa´дшeю столи´цeй/ По мe´ рк лa стa ´рaя Mо сквa (39–42).

2.12

Literary prose

The passage offered here as an illustration of modern literary prose is from ‘N´ıka’, a short story by V´ıktor Pele´vin. In clear, precise, simple 65

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Passages illustrating register