Grossman: 'V gorode Berdicheve: babies' clothing

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

This story is set in Berdichev during the Russian-Polish war.  A tall,
strong, determined female commissar has become pregnant and has finally had
to accept that she can’t carry on as usual.  She has been billeted on a
Jewish family.  The wife is trying to teach her a bit about what being a
mother will be like.

Вернувшийся  вечером  с  работы  Магазаник  ошеломленно остановился  в
дверях:  за столом  сидела его  жена Бэйла  и рядом с ней большая  женщина в
просторном  платье, в туфлях-шлепанцах  на босу ногy,  с головой, повязанной
пестрой  косынкой.  Они  негромко смеялись,  переговариваясь  между собой, и
примеряли, подымая большие толстые руки, маленькие, игрушечные распашонки

My dictionary translates ‘raspashonka’ as ‘a short baby’s undershirt without
buttons’.  But why is it also ‘igrushechnaya’?  Is that simply a way of
saying it is very small?  The French translator evidently thinks it means
something like an item of clothing for a doll, but I don’t think that makes
much sense.

More generally, I am a bit puzzled as to why they are measuring clothes for
a baby that has yet to be born.

All the best,

Robert

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