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

Voynitsky.[ In despair ] Oh, what am I doing? What am I doing?

Sonya.[ Softly ] Oh, Nanny, Nanny!

The curtain falls.

Voynitsky’s bedroom, which is also his office. A table stands near the window; on it are ledgers, letter scales, and papers of every description. Near by stands a smaller table belonging to Astrov , with his paints and drawing materials alongside them a portfolio. On the wall hangs a cage containing a starling. There is also a map of Africa on the wall, obviously of no use to anybody. There is a large sofa covered with oilcloth. A door to the left leads into an inner room; one to the right leads into the front hall, and before this door lies a mat for the peasants with their muddy boots to stand on. It is an autumn evening. The silence is profound. Telegin and Marina are sitting facing one another, winding wool.

Telegin.Be quick, Marina, or we shall be called away to say good-bye before you have finished. The carriage has already been ordered.

Marina.[ Trying to wind more quickly ] There’s only a little left.

Telegin.They are going to Kharkov to live.

Marina.They do well to go.

Telegin.They have been frightened. The professor’s wife won’t stay here an hour longer. “If we are going at all, let’s be off,” says she, “we shall go to Kharkov and look about us, and then we can send for our things.” They are travelling light. It seems, Marina, that fate has decreed for them not to live here.

Marina.And quite rightly. What a storm they’ve raised this afternoon – and all that shooting! It was shameful!

Telegin.It was indeed. The scene was worthy of the brush of Ayvazovsky.

Marina.I wish I’d never laid eyes on them. [ A pause ] Now we’ll have things as they were again: breakfast at eight, dinner at one, and supper in the evening; everything in order as decent folks, as Christians like to have it. [ Sighs ] It’s a long time since I have eaten noodles, old sinner that I am.

Telegin.Yes, we haven’t had noodles for ages. [ A pause ] Not for ages. As I was going through the village this morning, Marina, one of the shop-keepers called after me, “Hi! you hanger-on!” I felt it bitterly, I can tell you.

Marina.Don’t pay the least attention to them, my dear; we’re all “hangers-on” in God’s eyes. You and Sonya and all of us. Everyone must work, no one can sit idle. Where is Sonya?

Telegin.In the garden with the doctor, looking for Ivan. They fear he may lay violent hands on himself.

Marina.Where’s his pistol?

Telegin.[ Whispers ] I hid it in the cellar.

Marina.[ With a grin ] What a sinful business!

Voynitsky and Astrov come in from outside.

Voynitsky.Leave me alone! [ To Marina and Telegin] Go away! Go away and leave me to myself, at least for an hour. I won’t have you watching me like this!

Telegin.Yes, yes, Vanya. [ He goes out on tiptoe. ]

Marina.The gander cackles; ho! ho! ho!

She gathers up her wool and goes out.

Voynitsky.Leave me alone!

Astrov.I would, with the greatest pleasure. I ought to have gone long ago, but I won’t leave you until you have returned what you took from me.

Voynitsky.I took nothing from you.

Astrov.I’m not jesting, don’t detain me, I really must go.

Voynitsky.I took nothing of yours. [ Both sit down ]

Astrov.You didn’t? Very well, I’ll have to wait a little longer, and then you’ll have to forgive me if I resort to force. We’ll have to bind you and search you. I mean what I say, I tell you.

Voynitsky.Do as you please. [ A pause ] Oh, to make such a fool of myself! To shoot twice and miss him both times! I’ll never forgive myself.

Astrov.When the impulse came to shoot, it would have been better if you had put a bullet through your own head.

Voynitsky.[ Shrugging his shoulders ] Strange! I attempted murder, and am not going to be arrested or brought to trial. That means they think me mad. [ With a bitter laugh ] Me! I’m mad, and those who hide their worthlessness, their dullness, their blatant heartlessness behind a professor’s mask, are sane! Those who marry old men and then deceive them under the noses of all, are sane! I saw you kiss her; I saw you in each other’s arms!

Astrov.Yes, sir, I did kiss her, sir; so there. [ He puts his thumb to his nose. ]

Voynitsky.[ His eyes on the door ] No, it’s the earth that is mad, because she still lets you exist.

Astrov.That’s nonsense.

Voynitsky.Well? Am I not a madman, and therefore irresponsible? Haven’t I the right to talk nonsense?

Astrov.That line’s old as time! You’re not mad; you’re simply a ridiculous fool. You’re full of beans. I used to think every fool was out of his senses, but now I see that lack of sense is a man’s normal state, and you’re perfectly normal.

Voynitsky.[ Covers his face with his hands ] Oh! If you knew how ashamed I am! These piercing pangs of shame are like nothing on earth. [ In an agonised voice ] I can’t endure them! [ He leans against the table ] What can I do? What can I do?

Astrov.Nothing.

Voynitsky.You must give me something! Oh, my God! I’m forty-seven years old. I may live to sixty; I still have thirteen years before me; an eternity! How will I be able to endure life for thirteen years? What shall I do? How can I fill them? Oh, don’t you see? [ He presses Astrov’s hand convulsively ] Don’t you see, if only I could live the rest of my life in some new way! If I could only wake some still, bright morning and feel that life had begun again; that the past was forgotten and had vanished like smoke. [ He weeps ] Oh, to begin life anew! Tell me, tell me how to begin, what to begin with.

Astrov.[ Crossly ] What nonsense! What sort of a new life can you and I look forward to? We can have no hope.

Voynitsky.None?

Astrov.None. Of that I am convinced.

Voynitsky.Give me something at least. [ He puts his hand to his heart ] I feel such a burning pain here.

Astrov.[ Shouts angrily ] Stop it! [ Then, more gently ] It may be that in one or two hundred years posterity, which will despise us for our blind and stupid lives, will find some road to happiness; but we – you and I – have but one hope, the hope that we may be visited by visions, perhaps by pleasant ones, as we lie resting in our graves. [ Sighing ] Yes, brother, there were only two respectable, intelligent men in this district, you and I. Ten years or so of this life of ours, this miserable life, have sucked us under. Its rotten atmosphere has poisoned our blood, and we have become as contemptible and petty as the rest. [ With vigor ] But don’t keep trying to talk your way out of it! Give me what you took from me, will you?