Oblomov / Обломов. Книга для чтения на английском языке

What are you pestering me for? It’s the third time you’ve told me».

«They’re pestering me too, sir».

«Tell them we’re going to move».

«They say, sir, you’ve been promising to move for the last month but you still don’t move. They’re threatening to tell the police».

«Let them!» Oblomov said resolutely. «We’ll move as soon as the weather gets warmer – in three weeks or so».

«In three weeks, sir? Why, sir, the agent says the workmen are coming in in a fortnight’s time.

They’re going to break the whole place down. You’ll have to move to-morrow or the day after – that’s what he says, sir!»

«Does he? He’s in too much of a hurry! He wants us to move at once, does he? Don’t you dare even to mention the flat to me again. I’ve told you once before and you’re at it again. Take care!»

В«But what am I to do, sir?В» Zakhar asked.

«What are you to do? So that’s the way you want to wriggle out of your responsibilities?» replied Oblomov.

«You’re asking me! What do I care? So long as you don’t bother me, you can make any arrangements you like, provided we haven’t got to move out of this flat! You won’t do anything for your master, will you?»

«But what can I do, sir?» – Zakhar began, speaking in a soft, hoarse voice. «It’s not my house, is it? How can we refuse to go, if we’re being chucked out? Now, if it was my house, sir, I’d have been only too glad…»

«Can’t you persuade them somehow? Tell them we’ve been here for years, always paid the rent regularly…»

В«I told them that, sirВ».

В«Oh? Well, what did they say?В»

«Why, sir, what do you think they said? They just keep on saying we must move because they have to do all sorts of alterations. You see, sir, they want to convert this flat and the doctor’s next door into one big flat in time for the landlord’s son’s wedding».

В«Goodness me, how do you like that?В» Oblomov said with vexation.

В«To think that there are such donkeys who want to get married!В»

He turned over on his back.

«Why don’t you write to the landlord, sir?» said Zakhar. «Perhaps he wouldn’t bother you then, but tell the workmen to break down the flat next door first».

Zakhar pointed somewhere to the right.

«Oh, very well, I’ll write as soon as I get up. You’d better go back to your room now, and I’ll think it over», he added.