Platonov translation puzzle (cont.)

[Prof Steven P Hill]

Dear colleagues and Prof Chandler:

If Platonov's final phrase were being rendered by a tweedy old 
British Edwardian translator, vintage 1900-1920 (think actor 
Nigel Bruce), I wonder whether he'd express "chto li" as the 
uncertain interrogative "Eh what?"

Happy New Year to all,
Steven P Hill,
University of Illinois.
__________________________________________________________________

Date: Tue 13 Jan 23:29:37 CST 2009
From:    <LISTSERV at bama.ua.edu> 
Subject: Re: GETPOST SEELANGS
To: "Steven P. Hill" <s-hill4 at ILLINOIS.EDU>
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:26:57 +0000
From: Robert Chandler <kcf19 at DIAL.PIPEX.COM>
Subject: Platonov and God

Dear all,

This line is from his play Sharmanka:
O, Gospodi, Gospodi, khot¹ by ty byl, chto li!

This is not easy to translate.  What I would particularly like help 
with is the Œchto li¹.  The sentence could end with Œbyl!¹  What 
does the Œchto li¹ add to it?

Vsego dobrogo,
Robert [Chandler].
____________________________________________________________________

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