russian literature

[Alla Nedoresow]

I'm hoping you can help me. What is the "tarantas" that Tarelkin "puts on"?
I certainly know that it's not a springless carriage! Can you direct me to
someone who may be able to define this mysterious item?

While I'm intruding myself on you, where can I find out the origin of the
lines, "Den' i noch ona rydala, krasota ee uviala"?

The "tarantas" query comes from the second play of Sukhovo-Kobylin's
"Trilogiia" - "Delo." In this play the character Kandid Kastorovich Tarelkin
enters twice into the performing space, one time he removes his "tarantas,"
the second, and last time, he departs, putting on his "tarantas." In the
first instance, I quote, "Otkidyvaet vorotnik, snimaet tarantas i
vzdykhaet." The second occurs as the play ends: (Stanovitsia protiv
tarantasa.) "Nu shto zhe teper', staryi drug?...A? Nu poidem...poidem po
miru...(Nadevaet tarantas...Podnimaet vorotnik tarantasa...) No need to tell
me that this is some sort of outer garment - obviously, any gibbon can
figure out that this is a garment and not a springless carriage. What kind
of garment; how does it differ from a "pal'to" or "shuba"? Or is it some
sort of official costume or uniform?

My second question gets harder to pin down. The character "Sluga" in the
contemporary play "Glaza Dnia" by Moscow playwright, Elena Gremina,
continuously repeats these lines. I quote him: "Den' i noch ona rydala,
krasota ee uviala...Eto pesnia takaia...Den' i noch ona rydala, krasota ee
uviala...Tram tam tam...

The Sukhovo-Kobylin play can be found in the 1955 edition of "Trilogiia"
published in Moscow by Khudozhestvennaia literatura. As far as I know,
"Glaza dnia" remains unpublished. Whatever help you may be able to give me
or to whomever you may refer me, I appreciate your help. Thank you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                http://members.home.net/lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------