Diabolical gramophones in Belyi's Petersburg

[Mieka Erley]

Dear SEELANGS list members--


I am currently preparing a manuscript for publication and am seeking 
advice about how to translate a passage in Andrei Belyi's Petersburg 
(1913 edition) that refers to a bull-killing musical "machine" 
(presumably a gramophone).

The scene is at a tavern with Nikolai Apollonovich and Morkovin. Here is 
the sentence (from p 212 in the 1981 Nauka edition):

Слышались животные вопли машины: крик исполинского зарезаемого на бойне
быка: бубны -- лопались, лопались, лопались.

I initially translated this as: "The animal wail of a machine could be 
heard: the cry of a gigantic bull whose throat is being cut at the 
slaughterhouse: tambourines—broken, broken, broken."

As far as I understand, "lopat'sia" can mean "to devour" or "to break." 
I assume that Belyi is playing with both meanings, and wouldn't be 
surprised if there were more layers of word-play than I've identified. I 
haven't found any English translations, and wonder if anyone may have 
advice or comments.

Many thanks to you in advance for any ideas!

Mieka Erley
UC-Berkeley
Please feel free to reply off-list to merley at berkeley.edu.

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