Он рыться не имел охоты
В хронологической пыли
Бытописания земли:
Но дней минувших анекдоты
От Ромула до наших дней
Хранил он в памяти своей.
V
We all did study with no straining
The useless subjects anyhow,
Thus, thanks to God, to show good training
Makes just no difficulty now.
Onegin was by view of many
(Who judge severely, but fairly)
A scholar, but a prig, as well,
He had a talent, I can tell,
With no compulsion simply chatting
To touch a subject quite a bit,
And just like knowing all of it
To remain silent when debating,
And to arose the ladies smile
By sudden epigrams’ brisk style.
VI
Latin today is not high value,
But if to be sincere and just,
He knew in Latin a good many:
The sense of epigraphs could grasp.
With Juvenal he was best friend,
Put vale[2 - Farewell (Latin).] in the letters end.
From Eneida in his mind
At least two verses he could find.
He didn’t have any inclination
To dig in prehistoric dust,
In detail analyze the past,
But funny stories of the ancient
From Romulo to recent day
He didn’t forget and did retain.
VII
Высокой страсти не имея
Для звуков жизни не щадить,
Не мог он ямба от хорея,
Как мы ни бились, отличить.
Бранил Гомера, Феокрита;
Зато читал Адама Смита
И был глубокой эконом,
То есть умел судить о том,
Как государство богатеет,
И чем живет, и почему
Не нужно золота ему,
Когда простой продукт имеет.
Отец понять его не мог