Platonov questions

[CSperrle at CS.COM]

In a message dated 4/18/2001 8:40:34 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
candide at MAIL.IO.COM writes:

<< Could anyone help me understand a difficult passage in Sokrovennyi
 chelovek (which I'm attempting to translate)? This is at the
 beginning of chapter 3. The commissar tells the main character,
 Pukhov, that the fighting is over and the Reds have taken Simferopol.
 Pukhov replies, " Why not? Tam vozdukh khoroshij, solntsepek krutoj,
 a Sovetskuiu vlast' v spinu vosh' zhzhet, ona i pret na belykh."
 Although I can translate the words, the sense escapes me, and I don't
 understand how this leads to the conversation that follows. Is this a
 political or historical reference? >>

Dear Jane,
I think the passage is easier to understand if you break it up into several
elements:

1) "a Sovietskuiu....zhzhet":
the louse in question is probably the typhoid louse which lives in clothing
and which was VERY widespread in Russia in the 20's. It can cause a type of
typhoid which in many cases is deadly. The appearance of this louse is a sign
of low immunity, vitamin deficiency, lack of hygiene, in short, of poverty,
sickness and hunger (what plagued and weakened the Red Army). Thus, the
Soviet power is like a person who is all "zavshivlennyj--lice-riden" (i.e.,
sick, hungry, poor).  Also, the back of a person is harder to reach, so it
would suffer most from louse bites (the bites burn the back).

2) "ona i pret na belykh"  (=that's why it is pushing towards the White Army)
>From this condition the Soviet power is going crazy (this "lousy condition"
is pressing on its back) and it "pret" ("pret kak tank" you have to find an
English equivalent that is stronger than "push" or "press" ) onto the Whites
whose last stronghold was the Crimea. There is an element of strength out of
last desperation.

3.) "Why not? Tam vozdukh khoroshij, solntsepek krutoj,"
The Crimea -- don't forget -- is a "kurort": healthy air, warm sun (i.e., you
can get rid off the "louse": take off your lice-ridden clothes, warm your
wounded back, go bathe, etc., things you can't easily do in cold Russia).

Thus, besides the historical reference--The Reds driving the Whites out of
the Crimea -- there is a symbolic "podtekst": The victory in the Crimea as a
way of healing the weakened Soviet power and returning its strength.

Since I don't know the work and don't know what comes after it, I don't know
if this makes any sense, but this is how I understand the passage. I hope it
helps.
Good luck,
Christina Sperrle.

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