Translation of passage from Kotlovan

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

Here are some lines from Kotlovan.

 В кабинет Пашкина вошла его супруга с красными губами, жующими мясо.
     – Левочка, ты опять волнуешься?– сказала она.– Я ему сейчас сверток
вынесу; это прямо стало невыносимым, с этими людьми какие угодно нервы
испортишь!
     Она ушла обратно, волнуясь всем невозможным телом.
    – Ишь, как жену, стервец, расхарчевал!– произносил из сада Жачев.– На
холостом ходу всеми клапанами работает, значит, ты можешь заведовать такой
с...!

At present we have the following:

Pashkin’s spouse came into the study, her red lips chewing on a piece of
meat.
    ‘Levochka, dear, are you getting all worked up again?’ she said.  ‘I’ll
take his package out to him straight away.  This has become simply
unbearable – people like him are enough to spoil anyone’s nerves!’
She reversed (??) back out, agitated throughout her impossible body.
    “Rght porker of a wife you’ve got there, scumbag!” Zhachev pronounced
from the garden. “She still keeps shovelling it down even when she’s
coasting - you sure know how to manage the bitch!”

What I want to ask is whether people think that the phrase ‘всеми клапанами
работает’ refers to the fact that she is constantly eating (с красными
губами, жующими мясо) or to the fact that all her nevozmoznoe telo
volnuetsya, i.e., (I imagine) that her hips, breasts, etc, are swaying.

And if anyone has any brilliant suggestions for such gems as ‘Ишь, как жену,
стервец, расхарчевал!’, I’ll be still more grateful!

Best wishes,

Robert

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