The Queen of Spades

The Queen of Spades

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The queen of spades signifies secret malevolence.

The latest fortune-telling book.

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On days of bad weather

They would gather
Often;
They would double the stakesGod forgive them!
From fifty
To hundred,
And they would win,
And they would write it off
With chalk.
So on days of bad weather,
They would be busy
With business.

Pi kovaia dama

Vocabulary

Pi kovaia dama oznachaet ta i`nuiu nedobrozhelatel`nost`.

Nove i`shaia gada tel`naia kniga.

c, c
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A v nenastny`e dni
Sobira lis` oni
Chasto;
Gnu li Bog ikh prosti !
Ot piati desiati
Na sto,
I vy`i gry`vali,
I otpi s y`vali
Me lom.
Tak, v nenastny`e dni,
Zanima lis` oni
De lom.

of spades; peak; peaking

peak; cusp; pike; crescendo; burst; surge; spike;
spade
dive; nosedive; transplant; pique; plant out
diving; nose diving
spar at each other; tilt with smb.
lady; partner; gentlewoman; dame
king (in draughts/checkers)
ladies; powder-puff; petticoat; womans
secret; vague; privy; stealth; covert; dark; clandestine; occult; underhand; mystic; sneaking;
undercover; underground
enigma; mystery; secret; riddle
rainy; foul; dirty; miserable; nasty; bad; rugged

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dnazhdy` igra li v kar ty` u konnogvarde i`tsa Narumova. Do lgaia

zi m
niaia noch` proshla nezametno; se li uzhinat` v piatom chasu utra.
Te, kotor y`e osta lis` v vy` igry`she, e li s bol`shi m
appeti t om; prochie, v
rasse iannosti, side li pered pusty`mi svoi m
i priborami. No shampanskoe
iavi los`, razgovor ozhivi lsia, i vse pri n iali v nyom uchastie.
Shto ty` sde lal, Surin? sprosi l hozia in.
Proigra l, po oby`knoveniiu. Nadobno priznat`sia, shto ia neschastliv:
igra iu mirando lem, nikogda ne goriachus`, nichem menia s to lku ne
sob`yosh`, a vsyo proi gry`vaius`!
I ty` ni razu ne soblazni lsia? ni razu ne postavil na rute?.. Tvyordost`
tvoia dlia menia udivi t el`na.
A kakov Ger mann! skaza l odi n iz goste i`, ukazy`vaia na molodogo
inzhenera, otrodu ne bral on kar ty` v ru ki, otrodu ne zagnu l ni odnogo
paro li, a do piati chasov sidi t s nami i smotrit na nashu igru!
Igra zanimaet menia si l`no, skaza l Ger mann, no ia ne v sostoianii
zher tvovat` neobhodi m
y`m v nadezhde priobresti izli s hnee.

The Queen of Spades

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here was a card party at the rooms of Narumov of the Horse Guards.
The long winter night passed away imperceptibly, and it was after four
o'clock in the morning when the company sat down to supper. Those who
had won, ate with a good appetite; the others sat staring absently at their
empty plates. When the champagne appeared, however, the conversation
became more animated, and all took a part in it.
And how did you fare, Surin? asked the host.
I lost, as usual. I must confess that I am unlucky: I play mirandole, I
always keep cool, I never allow anything to put me out, and yet I always
lose!
And you did not once allow yourself to be tempted to back the red?.. Your
firmness astonishes me.
But what do you think of Hermann? said one of the guests, pointing to
a young Engineer: he has never had a card in his hand in his life, he has
never in, his life laid a wager, and yet he sits here till five o'clock in the
morning watching our play!
Play interests me very much, said Hermann: but I am not in the position to sacrifice the necessary in the hope of winning the superfluous.

Vocabulary

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once; one day; one fine day; once upon a time;

someday; eventually
play; gamble; rage; sparkle; act; toy; twiddle;
perform; sport; blow; fiddle
game; gamble; gambling; performance; playing
public merrymaking; festive gathering
game; gambling; playing
playful; immodest; frisky; skittish; gamesome;
toying; coquettish; kittenish
player; gambler; gamester
playful person
map; chart; card; menu
card
gambler; gamester; player

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The Queen of Spades

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la Vnus moscovite; , ,
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Hermann is a German: he is economicalthat is all! observed Tomsky.

But if there is one person that I cannot understand, it is my grandmother,
the Countess Anna Fedotovna.
How so? inquired the guests.
I cannot understand, continued Tomsky, how it is that my grandmother
does not punt!
What is there remarkable about an old lady of eighty not punting? said
Narumov.
Then you dont know anything about her?
No, really! haven't the faintest idea!
Oh! then listen:
To begin with, about sixty years ago, my grandmother went to Paris, where
she was all the fashion. People used to run after her to catch a glimpse of the
'Muscovite Venus.' Richelieu courted her, and my grandmother maintains
that he almost shot himself in consequence of her cruelty.
At that time ladies used to play at faro. On one occasion at the Court, she
lost a very considerable sum to the Duke of Orleans. On returning home,
my grandmother removed the patches from her face, took off her hoops,

Ger mann nemets: on raschyotliv, vot i vsyo! zametil Tomskii`. A

esli kto dlia menia neponiaten, tak e`to moia ba bushka, grafinia Anna
Fedotovna.
Kak? shto? zakricha li gosti.
Ne mogu posti gnut`, prodolzha l Tomskii`, kaki m
o brazom ba bushka
moia ne ponti r uet!
Da shto zh tut udivi t el`nogo, skaza l Narumov, shto os`midesiatilet
niaia staru ha ne ponti r uet?
Tak vy` nichego pro neyo ne znaete?
Net! pravo, nichego!
O, tak poslushai`te:
Nadobno znat`, shto ba bushka moia, let shest`desiat tomu nazad, ezdila
v Pari z h i by`la tam v bol`sho i` mode. Narod begal za ne iu, chtob uvi det`
la Vnus moscovite; Rishel`e za ne iu volochi lsia, i ba bushka uveriaet, shto
on chut` by` lo ne zastreli lsia ot eyo zhesto kosti.
V to vremia damy` igra li v faraon. Odnazhdy` pri dvore ona proigra la
na slovo ger tsogu Orleanskomu chto-to ochen` mnogo. Prie hav domo i`,
ba bushka, otleplivaia mushki s litsa i otviazy`vaia fizhmy`, ob`iavi la

Vocabulary
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provident; thrifty; circumspect; calculating; forehanded; prudent; tough-minded; hard-headed;

economical; frugal; shrewd; wise
computation; calculation; estimation; settlement;
payment; consideration; intention; providence;
design; accounting; expectation; dismissal; gun
crew; detachment
count upon; depend upon; look forward to; anticipate; bargain on; contemplate; estimate; judge;
calculate; build upon; figure; account; discharge
notice; mark; observe; remark; reprove; behold;
comment; distinguish; note; spy; gain sight of;
get sight of; take notice
remark; comment; observation; criticism; reproof; rebuke; admonition; reprimand; note
people; nation; public; crowd