Teffi: 'Sobaka' - " Prinyalsya on za menya kruto"

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

Have I understood this “prinyalsya za” correctly?  The possibilities, as I
see it, are
1. that he really seemed keen on her, that he did not waste time, that he
appeared passionate.
2. that the meaning is more like “prinyalsya za ee vospitanie”.  It is clear
from the context that he starts teaching her to sing his own compositions
when she performs in the Brodyachaya sobaka café.  Previously she had been
singing, amongst other things, settings of Kuzmin’s poems.

Vsego dobrogo,

Robert


Жила я тогда в меблированных комнатах на Литейной. Туда же переехал и Гарри.

Принялся он за меня круто. До сих пор не понимаю — считал ли он меня
богатой, или действительно увлекся. Отношения у нас были странные. Тоже
«зеленые и уродливые». Рассказывать об этом сейчас не буду.

Страннее всего было то, что, когда я была с ним, я чувствовала к нему
отвращение, острую гадливость, точно я целуюсь с трупом. А без него жить не
могла.

            At the time I was living in furnished accomodation on Liteiny
Prospekt.  Harry moved in with me.

            He latched on to me in a big way.  I still don’t know whether he
truly fancied me or whether he just thought I was rich.  Our relationship
was very strange.  ‘Green and hideous’.  I don’t propose to tell you about
it now.

            The strangest thing of all is that when I was with him, I felt
repelled by him.  I felt a sharp sense of disgust, as if I were kissing a
corpse. But I was unable to live without him.


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