Антон Чехов - The Cherry Orchard / Вишневый сад. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Sonya.Very well.

She goes out. The watchman’s rattle is heard in the garden.

Helena.It’s a long time since I’ve played anything. And now, I’ll sit and play, and cry like a silly girl. [ Speaking out of the window ] Is that you rattling out there, Yefim?

Voice of the watchman. It’s me.

Helena.Don’t make such a noise. Your master is ill.

Voice of the watchman. I’m going away this minute. [ Whistles a tune. ] Hey you dogs, Zhuckha, Malchik!

Sonya.[ Comes back ] He says, no.

The curtain falls.

The drawing-room of Serebryakov’s house. There are three doors: one to the right, one to the left, and one in the centre of the room. Voynitsky and Sonya are sitting down. Helena is walking up and down, absorbed in thought.

Voynitsky.We were requested by the Herr Professor to be here at one o’clock. [ Looks at his watch ] It’s now a quarter to one. It seems he has some communication to make to the world.

Helena.Probably a matter of business.

Voynitsky.He’s never had any business. He writes nonsense, grumbles, and eats his heart out with jealousy; that’s all he does.

Sonya.[ Reproachfully ] Uncle!

Voynitsky.All right. I beg your pardon. [ He points to Helena] Look at her. Wandering around and ready to fall over from sheer idleness. A sweet picture, really.

Helena.I wonder you’re not tired, droning on in the same key from morning till night. [ Despairingly ] I’m dying of this boredom. What’ll I do?

Sonya.[ Shrugging her shoulders ] There’s plenty to do if you would.

Helena.For instance?

Sonya.You could help run this place, teach the children, care for the sick – isn’t that enough? Before you and papa came, Uncle Vanya and I used to go to market ourselves to sell our own flour.

Helena.I don’t know anything about such things, and besides, they don’t interest me. It’s only in idealistic novels that women go out and teach and heal the peasants; how can I suddenly begin to do it?

Sonya.How can you live here and not do it? Wait awhile, you’ll get used to it all. [ Embraces her ] Don’t be bored, dearest. [ Laughing ] You feel miserable and restless, and can’t seem to fit into this life, and your restlessness is infectious. Look at Uncle Vanya, he does nothing now but follow you like a shadow, and I have left my work today to come here and talk with you. I’m getting lazy, and don’t want to go on with anything. Dr. Astrov hardly ever used to come here; it was all we could do to persuade him to visit us once a month, and now he’s abandoned his forestry and his practice, and comes every day. You must be a witch.

Voynitsky.Why are you so down? [ Vigorously ] Come, my dearest, my beauty, be sensible! The blood of a mermaid runs in your veins. Oh, won’t you let yourself be one? Give free rein to your nature for once in your life; fall head over heels in love with some other water sprite and plunge down head first into a deep pool, so that the Herr Professor and all of us just throw up our hands.

Helena.[ Angrily ] Leave me alone! How cruel you are! [ She tries to go out. ]

Voynitsky.[ Preventing her ] There, there, my beauty, I apologise. [ He kisses her hand ] Forgive me.

Helena.Confess it – you’d try the patience of an angel.

Voynitsky.As a peace offering I’m going to fetch a bouquet of flowers which I picked for you this morning: some autumn roses, beautiful, sorrowful roses. [ He goes out. ]

Sonya.Autumn roses, beautiful, sorrowful roses!

She and Helena stand looking out of the window.

Helena.September already! How shall we live through the long winter here? [ A pause ] Where’s the doctor?

Sonya.He’s writing in Uncle Vanya’s room. I’m glad Uncle Vanya has gone out, I want to talk to you about something.

Helena.About what?

Sonya.About what? [ She lays her head on Helena’s breast. ]

Helena.There, there, that will do. [ Stroking her hair ] Don’t, Sonya.

Sonya.I’m ugly!

Helena.You have lovely hair.

Sonya.No! [ She turns to look at herself in the mirror ] No, when a woman is ugly they always say she has beautiful hair or eyes. I’ve loved him now for six years, I’ve loved him more than one loves one’s mother. I seem to hear him beside me every moment of the day. I feel the pressure of his hand on mine. If I look up, I seem to see him coming, and as you see, I run to you to talk of him. He’s here every day now, but he never looks at me, he doesn’t notice my presence. It’s agony. I have absolutely no hope, no, no hope. [ Desperately ] Oh, my God! Give me strength to endure. I prayed all last night. I often go up to him and speak to him and look into his eyes. My pride is gone. My self-control. Yesterday I couldn’t control myself and told Uncle Vanya I was in love, and all the servants know it. Every one knows that I love him.

Helena.Does he?

Sonya.No, he never notices me.

Helena.[ Thoughtfully ] He’s a strange man. Listen, Sonya, will you allow me to speak to him? I’ll be careful, only hint. [ A pause ] Really, to be in uncertainty all these years! Let me do it!

Sonya nods an affirmative.

Helena.Good! It’ll be easy to find out whether he loves you or not. Don’t be ashamed, sweetheart, don’t worry. I’ll be careful; he won’t notice a thing. We only want to find out whether it is yes or no, don’t we? [ A pause ] And if it is no, then he must stop coming here, is that so?

Sonya nods.

Helena.It will be easier not to see him any more. We won’t put off the examination an instant. He said he had some sketches to show me. Go and tell him at once that I want to see him.

Sonya.[ Very agitated ] Will you tell me the whole truth?

Helena.Of course I will. I am sure that no matter what it is, the truth will be easier for you to bear than this uncertainty. Trust me, dearest.

Sonya.Yes, yes. I’ll say that you want to see his sketches. [ She starts out, but stops near the door and looks back ] No, it is better not to know – at least – then there may be hope.

Helena.What do you say?

Sonya.Nothing. [ She goes out. ]

Helena.[ Alone ] There’s no greater sorrow than to know another’s secret when you can’t help them. [ In deep thought ] He’s obviously not in love with her, but why shouldn’t he marry her? She’s not pretty, but she’s so clever and pure and good, she would make a splendid wife for a country doctor of his years. But, no, that’ s not exactly it at all. [ A pause ] I can understand how the poor child feels. She lives here in this desperate loneliness with no one around her except these colourless shadows that go mooning about talking nonsense and knowing nothing except that they eat, drink, and sleep. Among them appears from time to time this Dr. Astrov, so different, so handsome, so interesting, so charming. It’s like seeing the moon rise on a dark night. Oh, to surrender oneself to his embrace! To lose oneself in his arms! I’m a little in love with him myself! Yes, I’m lonely without him, and when I think of him I smile. That Uncle Vanya says I have the blood of a mermaid in my veins: “Give free rein to your nature for once in your life!” Perhaps it’s right that I should. Oh, to be free as a bird, to fly away from all your sleepy faces and your talk and forget that you have existed at all! But I’m a coward, I’m afraid; my conscience torments me. He comes here every day now. I can guess why, and feel guilty already; I should like to fall on my knees at Sonya’s feet and beg her forgiveness, and to cry.