In the beginning

[Svetlana Grenier]

Dear Yevgeny,

When Onegin is "letia v pyli na pochtovykh" he does not know that his 
uncle is dead (as I pointed out in my first e-mail) and is expecting to 
spend some time "poluzhivogo zabavlia[ia]".  We find out what actually 
happened in ch. I, LII.  Which means that at least in this instance the 
phrase does not mean "kick the bucket".

Regards,
Svetlana Grenier

Slivkin, Yevgeny wrote:

>Dear colleagues,
>
>I believe the key to the beginning of "Onegin" is the subjunctive mood which
>is implied. 
>"No bozhe moy, kakaia skuka poluzhivogo zabavliat'..." thinks Evgenii,
>imagining what would have happed if the uncle had not kicked the bucket!
>That is in English translation this line should be rendered as that, "But
>what a boredom it would be to entertain a living corpse..."
>The uncle is already dead. In Pushkin's time "  zastavit' sebia uvazhat'"
>meant only one thing - "to kick the bucket".
>
>
>
>Yevgeny Slivkin
>
>  
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
>[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On Behalf Of Genevra Gerhart
>Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 5:46 PM
>To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
>Subject: [SEELANGS] In the beginning
>
>http://speakrus.ru/articles/uncle1.htm
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