Without a dowry / Бесприданница. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Without a dowry / Бесприданница. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky

Russian classic literatute

Предлагаем вниманию читателей пьесы великого русского драматурга А. Н. Островского «Бесприданница» и «Доходное место». Перевод на английский язык с комментариями выполнен американским ученым, специалистом в области русского языка и литературы Норманом Хенли.

Александр Николаевич Островский

Without a dowry / Бесприданница. Книга для чтения на английском языке

В© РљРђР Рћ, 2020

Without a dowry

A Drama in Four Acts

(1879)

Cast of characters

Kharita IgnГЎtyevna OgudГЎlov (Mme Ogudalov), a middle-aged widow.

Larísa Dmítriyevna Ogudálov, mme Ogudalov’s unmarried daughter. Dressed richly but modestly.

MГіky ParmГ©nych KnГєrov, one of the entrepreneurs of the time. Elderly, rich.

VasГ­ly DanГ­lych VozhevГЎtov (VГЎsya), a very young man. One of the representatives of a rich trading firm. Dressed in Western European style.

YГєly KapitГіnych KarandyshГіv (pronounced KarandyshГіff), young official of modest means.

SergГ©y SergГ©yich ParГЎtov, an imposing gentleman shipowner. Over thirty.

Robinson.

GavrГ­lo, club bartender and owner of a coffee house on the boulevard.

IvГЎn, waiter in the coffee house.

IlyГЎ, a gypsy.

Manservant of Mme Ogudalov.

Yefrosinya PotГЎpovna, aunt of Karandyshov.

Gypsy men and women.

Meanings which probably or possibly would be suggested to Ostrovsky’s contemporaries: Ogudalov – swindler; Knurov – boar; Vozhevatov – pleasant, polite; Karandyshov – short stature; Paratov – strong and fast (in connection with dogs and horses).

Robinson would certainly suggest Robinson Crusoe, especially in the play’s context. Near the end of Act One Paratov says that Robinson’s real name is Arkady Shchastlivtsev and that he is an actor from the provinces.