Перевод текста the land of white nights

Белые ночи и другие истории

White Nights and Other Stories

Фёдор Достоевский (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

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Title: White Nights and Other Stories
The Novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Volume X

Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky

Translator: Constance Garnett

Release Date: May 5, 2011 [EBook #36034]

Produced by Jan-Fabian Humann, Carol Ann Brown, and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
(This file was produced from images generously made
available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

WHITE NIGHTS AND OTHER STORIES

THE NOVELS OF FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY

Volume X

WHITE NIGHTS

AND OTHER STORIES BY FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY

FROM THE RUSSIAN BY CONSTANCE GARNETT

NEW YORK
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1918

Printed in Great Britain

a sentimental story from the diary of a dreamer

It was a wonderful night, such a night as is only possible when we are young, dear reader. The sky was so starry, so bright that, looking at it, one could not help asking oneself whether ill-humoured and capricious people could live under such a sky. That is a youthful question too, dear reader, very youthful, but may the Lord put it more frequently into your heart. Speaking of capricious and ill-humoured people, I cannot help recalling my moral condition all that day. From early morning I had been oppressed by a strange despondency. It suddenly seemed to me that I was lonely, that every one was forsaking me and going away from me. Of course, any one is entitled to ask who «every one» was. For though I had been living almost eight years in Petersburg I had hardly an acquaintance. But what did I want with acquaintances I was acquainted with all Petersburg as it was; that was why I felt as though they were all deserting me when all Petersburg packed up and went to its summer villa. I felt afraid of being left alone, and for three whole days I wandered about the town in profound dejection, not knowing what to do with myself. Whether I walked in the Nevsky, went to the Gardens or sauntered on the embankment, there was not one face of those I had been accustomed to meet at the same time and place all the year. They, of course, do not know me, but I know them. I know them intimately, I have almost made a study of their faces, and am delighted when they are gay, and downcast when they are under a cloud. I have almost struck up a friendship with one old man whom I meet every blessed day, at the same hour in Fontanka. Such a grave, pensive countenance; he is always whispering to himself and brandishing his left arm, while in his right hand he holds a long gnarled stick with a gold knob. He even notices me and takes a warm interest in me. If I happen not to be at a certain time in the same spot in Fontanka, I am certain he feels disappointed. That is how it is that we almost bow to each other, especially when we are both in good humour. The other day, when we had not seen each other for two days and met on the third, we were actually touching our hats, but, realizing in time, dropped our hands and passed each other with a look of interest.

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The Land of White Nights

The town of Petersburg was founded on May 16, 1703. Several generations of talented Russian and foreign architects were engaged in the planning and construction of Petersburg’s downtown. Petersburg is one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

The Summer Garden, the Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the monument to Peter I, the Russian Museum are the city’s remarkable architectural sights.

Soon after Petersburg appeared, it turned into the main center of Russian science and culture. Outstanding scholars like M.V.Lomonosov, D.I.Mendeleyev, I.P.Pavlov and many others engaged themselves in activities of the Academy of Sciences and the University. A.S.Pushkin, M.Y.Lermontov, N.A.Nekrasov glorified the city in many of their works.

St Petersburg today is a center of science and culture, well-developed industries including shipbuilding, a large international port on the Baltic Sea.

Speaking of St.Petersburg one may not omit mentioning its famous suburbs. Petrodvorets (Peterhof), Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo), Pavlovsk, Lomonosov are museums of history and art. Russian and foreign tourists visit St.Petersburg suburbs to see outstanding pieces of Russian art.

Magnificent architectural ensembles, sculptures, a unique water-duck system for numerous fountains, fine examples of park-landscape art make one solemnlyproud of the generations of Russian people who have managed to create in rotten swamp such great masterpieces of human genius.

Anyone who visits Karelia will always be tempted to come back. Karelia is a country of one thousand lakes, and more than 23 thousand rivers. Almost all of them are less than 10 km long.

About half of Karelia’s territory is covered with woods, mostly pine and fir. Let’s start on a voyage by the Neva River and Ladoga and Onega Lakes to the famous islands of Valaam and Kizhy, to see the charming nature of the northern land.

Kizhy is a small island (7 km long and about one and a half km wide) in lake Onega. The Kizhy is called “Russian Wonder”.

The most precious thing in Kizhy is 22–cupola Cathedral of the Transfiguration built in 1714. Its walls, ceilings and roof were made of pine trees without any nails, using only an axe. The twenty-two cupolas are of different size. They give the cathedral a fairy-tale look.

We don’t know anything about the man of genius who built it. There is a legend in Kizhy that this church was created by master Nester. Having built it, he threw his axe into Lake Onega with the words: “There has never been, there isn’t and there will never be anything like it”.

There is another legend that says that the construction of the Church is connected with Peter the Great, who drew up the design himself. However there is no documentary proof to these two legends.

The island Valaam is the biggest on the Ladoga. There is a monastery on the island. It was founded by Novgorod townsfolk and stood to defend Russian land borders and many times repelled Swedish attacks. The monastery was ruined in the early XVII century, but restored in the XVIII century. Along with trees that are common to these latitudes, you can see oak, cedar groves, and alleys of silver fir and fruit gardens. The magnificent nature of these parts has inspired many Russian painters: I.I.Levitan, I.I.Shishkin, A.I.Kuindzhi. One will never forget the vast, deep rivers and lakes as great as sea.

The walls of northern structures were always made of pine. The carpenters always tried to make the building stand as long as possible. 22 domes are reliable protection against the wet. When it rains, water falls from the upper to the lower domes, which throw water far away from the walls. That is why the wooden church has managed to survive so long.

There are also other interesting wooden constructions, small chapels, living houses, etc.

Kizhy! People from every corner of the world keep coming here. They speak different languages but all agree on one point: Kizhy is incomparable!

Exercises

1. Suggest the Russian for:

generations, were engaged in the planning, downtown, remarkable sights, turned into the center, one may not omit mentioning, suburbs, magnificent ensembles, managed to create, rotten swamp, masterpiece of human genius, is covered with woods, mostly pine and fir, charming nature, start on a voyage, the most precious thing, using only an axe, man of genius, cathedral, church, chapel, however, drew up the design himself, to defend land borders, to repel attacks, cedar groves, to inspire painters, made of pine, as long as possible, reliable protection, upper dome, lower dome, that is why, managed to survive, wooden constructions, keep coming.

2. Suggest the English for:

архитекторов привлекали к строительству, превратился в главный центр русской науки, выдающийся ученый, прославить город, развитая промышленность, выдающиеся памятники русского искусства, великолепные архитектурные ансамбли, уникальная водная система для многочисленных фонтанов, образцы парково-ландшафтного искусства, вызывать чувства необыкновенной торжественности и гордости, гнилые топи, великие творения человеческого гения, захотят вернуться вновь и вновь, хвойные леса, познакомиться с прекрасной природой, русское чудо, Преображенский собор, придавать сказочный вид; не было, нет и не будет; документальное доказательство, отражать нападение, рядом с обычными для этих широт деревьями, кедровые рощи, великолепная природа, вдохновить художников, просторы полноводных рек, отбрасывать воду далеко от стен, удалось сохранить, жилые дома, такого не увидишь нигде.

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Перевод текстов Kingdom of Birds, Hot and Dangerous, The Roaring Waters

Перевод текста в упражнении 120 с английского на русский язык из учебника Enjoy English 8 класс

1. Kingdom of Birds
Before the first human beings arrived, New Zealand was inhabited by birds. There were over 160 different species. With few natural enemies, most of these birds lost their ability to fly. Some were very tall and ate leaves oft’ the trees, while others grazed like sheep. Today only a few of New Zealand’s birds survive. One is the kiwi, which is about the size of a duck. The kiwi is the national bird and emblem. New Zealanders often call themselves “Kiwis”. English spoken in New Zealand is often called Kiwi English.
Most of New Zealand’s unique birds and many of its native seals and fish have become extinct in the last five hundred years.

2. Hot and Dangerous
For a continent 4,000 km across and 3,750 km from north to south, Australia has an amazing set of natural environments and wildlife. There are 530 native species of bird, 230 types of mammal, 300 species of lizard, 140 types of snake and two types of crocodile. Not all these animals are harmless. There are several species of poisonous spider and many poisonous snakes. Sharks, poisonous fish and salt water crocodiles are dangerous companions to swimmers.

3. The Roaring Waters
America’s climate and geography are amazingly varied. There are high mountains and fields, deserts and cool and foggy coastline, tropical heat and Arctic cold in it. Niagara [nai’acgara] Falls is one of the most amazing American sights. It is situated between New York and Chicago. Niagara is an Indian word which means “the roaring waters”. A mass of water falls over a cliff 27 metres high with a terrible noise. The roar of the falling water can be heard from a distance of 25 kilometres.
Niagara Falls is beautiful and changing all the time. It attracts a greater number of people than any other place on the continent.

4. The Peak District
The two great cities of Manchester and Sheffield lie just 50 kilometres apart. Between them is one of the most unspoiled areas in England. This area is known as the Peak District. The Peak District is a national park, which means that it is protected from industrial and urban development.
The area attracts many visitors from both cities. It also includes wild land, where there are more sheep than people. Indeed, sheep farming is an important part of the local economy.
Another interesting thing of this area is a large lake which gives water for the city of Sheffield. Some houses in this area are built from local stone, some from the red brick. The Peak District has many pretty villages and small towns.

5. Where the North Begins
Here you find summer “white nights”, when the sun never sets and polar nights when it never rises. Many romantic ideas are connected with this place: a land of natural beauty, of hard winters, and of real Russian people — strong, honest, and hardworking. They say the north begins with Vologda. In fact it stretches to the Urals in the east, up to the White Sea, and across to Finland in the northwest of Russia. This area is rich in beautiful forests and lakes, wooden churches and monasteries, which grew into cultural centres. The population keeps old traditions, fairy tales, folk songs and customs which have already disappeared from much of Russia. For today’s traveller who wants to get close to traditional Russian life and architecture and to understand how people lived in the past, this is the only place to go.

2. Горячий и опасный
Для континента 4000 км в ширину и 3750 км с севера на юг, Австралия имеет удивительный набор природных условий и дикой природы. Там есть 530 местных видов птиц, 230 видов млекопитающих, 300 видов ящериц, 140 видов змей и две разновидности крокодила. Не все эти животные безобидны. Есть несколько видов ядовитого паука и много ядовитых змей. Акулы, ядовитые рыбы и морские крокодилы опасны для пловцов.

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