The Three Sisters / Три сестры

… The Baron will go without his dinner if you only let him talk philosophy.

T u z e n b a c h. Vassili Vassilevitch, kindly leave me alone. [Changes his chair] You’re very dull, you know.

S o l e n i. [Feebly] There, there, there.

T u z e n b a c h. [To Vershinin] The sufferings we see today – there are so many of them! – still indicate a certain moral improvement in society.

V e r s h i n i n. Yes, yes, of course.

C h e b u t i k i n. You said just now, Baron, that they may call our life noble; but we are very petty.

M a s h a. That’s Andrey playing – our brother.

I r i n a. He’s the learned member of the family. I expect he will be a professor some day. Father was a soldier, but his son chose an academic career for himself.

M a s h a. That was father’s wish.

O l g a. We ragged him today. We think he’s a little in love.

I r i n a. To a local lady. She will probably come here today.

M a s h a. You should see the way she dresses! Quite prettily, quite fashionably too, but so badly! Some queer bright yellow skirt with a wretched little fringe and a red bodice. And such a complexion! Andrey isn’t in love. After all he has taste, he’s simply making fun of us. I heard yesterday that she was going to marry Protopopov, the chairman of the Local Council. That would do her nicely. … [At the side door] Andrey, come here! Just for a minute, dear! [Enter Andrey.

O l g a. My brother, Andrey Sergeyevitch.

V e r s h i n i n. My name is Vershinin.

A n d r e y. Mine is Prosorov. [Wipes his perspiring hands] You’ve come to take charge of the battery?

O l g a. Just think, Alexander Ignateyevitch comes from Moscow.

A n d r e y. That’s all right. Now my little sisters won’t give you any rest.

V e r s h i n i n. I’ve already managed to bore your sisters.

I r i n a. Just look what a nice little photograph frame Andrey gave me today.

V e r s h i n i n. [Looks at the frame and does not know what to say] Yes. … It’s a thing that …

I r i n a. And he made that frame there, on the piano as well. [Andrey waves his hand and walks away.]

O l g a. He’s got a degree, and plays the violin, and cuts all sorts of things out of wood, and is really a domestic Admirable Crichton. Don’t go away, Andrey! He’s got into a habit of always going away.