The Cherry Orchard / Вишневый сад. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Lubov. Cut it down? My dear man, you must excuse me, but you don’t understand anything at all. If there’s anything interesting or remarkable in the whole province, it’s this cherry orchard of ours.

Lopakhin. The only remarkable thing about the orchard is that it’s very large. It only bears fruit every other year, and even then you don’t know what to do with them; nobody buys any.

Gaev. This orchard is mentioned in the “Encyclopaedic Dictionary.”

Lopakhin. [Looks at his watch] If we can’t think of anything and don’t make up our minds to anything, then on August 22, both the cherry orchard and the whole estate will be up for auction. Make up your mind! I swear there’s no other way out, I’ll swear it again.

Fiers. In the old days, forty or fifty years back, they dried the cherries, soaked them and pickled them, and made jam of them, and it used to happen that…

Gaev. Be quiet, Fiers.

Fiers. And then we’d send the dried cherries off in carts to Moscow and Kharkov. And money! And the dried cherries were soft, juicy, sweet, and nicely scented… They knew the way…

Lubov. What was the way?

Fiers. They’ve forgotten. Nobody remembers.

Pischin. [ToLubov Andreyevna] What about Paris? Eh? Did you eat frogs?

Lubov. I ate crocodiles.

Pischin. To think of that, now.

Lopakhin. Up to now in the villages there were only the gentry and the labourers, and now the people who live in villas have arrived. All towns now, even small ones, are surrounded by villas. And it’s safe to say that in twenty years’ time the villa resident will be all over the place. At present he sits on his balcony and drinks tea, but it may well come to pass that he’ll begin to cultivate his patch of land, and then your cherry orchard will be happy, rich, splendid…

Gaev. [Angry] What rot!

EnterVaryaandYasha.

Varya. There are two telegrams for you, little mother. [Picks out a key and noisily unlocks an antique cupboard] Here they are.

Lubov. They’re from Paris… [Tears them up without reading them] I’ve done with Paris.

Gaev. And do you know, Luba, how old this case is? A week ago I took out the bottom drawer; I looked and saw figures burnt out in it. That case was made exactly a hundred years ago. What do you think of that? What? We could celebrate its jubilee. It hasn’t a soul of its own, but still, say what you will, it’s a fine bookcase.

Pischin. [Astonished] A hundred years… Think of that!

Gaev. Yes… it’s a real thing. [Handling it] My dear and honoured case! I congratulate you on your existence, which has already for more than a hundred years been directed towards the bright ideals of good and justice; your silent call to productive labour has not grown less in the hundred years [Weeping] during which you have upheld virtue and faith in a better future to the generations of our race, educating us up to ideals of goodness and to the knowledge of a common consciousness.

Pause.

Lopakhin. Yes…

Lubov. You’re just the same as ever, Leon.

Gaev. [A little confused] Off the white on the right, into the corner pocket. Red ball goes into the middle pocket!

Lopakhin. [Looks at his watch] It’s time I went.

Yasha. [GivingLubov Andreyevnaher medicine] Will you take your pills now?

Pischin. You oughtn’t to take medicines, dear madam; they do you neither harm nor good… Give them here, dear madam. [Takes the pills, turns them out into the palm of his hand, blows on them, puts them into his mouth, and drinks some kvass] There!

Lubov. [Frightened] You’re off your head!

Pischin. I’ve taken all the pills.

Lopakhin. Gormandizer!

All laugh.

Fiers. They were here in Easter week and ate half a pailful of cucumbers… [Mumbles.]

Lubov. What’s he driving at?

Varya. He’s been mumbling away for three years. We’re used to that.

Yasha. Senile decay.

Charlotta Ivanovnacrosses the stage, dressed in white: she is very thin and tightly laced; has a lorgnette at her waist.

Lopakhin. Excuse me, Charlotta Ivanovna, I haven’t said “How do you do” to you yet. [Tries to kiss her hand.]

Charlotta. [Takes her hand away] If you let people kiss your hand, then they’ll want your elbow, then your shoulder, and then…

Lopakhin. My luck’s out today! [All laugh] Show us a trick, Charlotta Ivanovna!

Lubov Andreyevna. Charlotta, do us a trick.

Charlotta. It’s not necessary. I want to go to bed. [Exit.]

Lopakhin. We shall see each other in three weeks. [KissesLubov Andreyevna’shand] Now, good-bye. It’s time to go. [ToGaev] See you again. [KissesPischin] Au revoir. [Gives his hand toVarya, then toFiersand toYasha] I don’t want to go away. [ToLubov Andreyevna]. If you think about the villas and make up your mind, then just let me know, and I’ll raise a loan of 50,000 roubles at once. Think about it seriously.

Varya. [Angrily] Do go, now!

Lopakhin. I’m going, I’m going… [Exit.]

Gaev. Snob. Still, I beg pardon… Varya’s going to marry him, he’s Varya’s young man.

Varya. Don’t talk too much, uncle.

Lubov. Why not, Varya? I should be very glad. He’s a good man.

Pischin. To speak the honest truth… he’s a worthy man… And my Dashenka… also says that… she says lots of things. [Snores, but wakes up again at once] But still, dear madam, if you could lend me… 240 roubles… to pay the interest on my mortgage tomorrow…

Varya. [Frightened] We haven’t got it, we haven’t got it!

Lubov. It’s quite true. I’ve nothing at all.