Platonov - Semyon - заквокнешь

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

A woman is giving birth.  She has said that she does not want to give birth ever again.  The old village midwife replies "И-их, дочка, рожать не будешь, замутнеешь, погниешь, заквокнешь вся -- не вспомнишь,  что  жизнь  прожила, злобой  подернешься...

This verb is often translated as "cackle"  Dal' also gives “Стонать, охать; ворчать…” .  This seems the most relevant.  But the sentence as a whole remains horribly difficult to translate.  At present we have:"Oh, my daughter, if you stop having kids you’ll cloud over, you’ll start to rot, you’ll do nothing but moan and groan. You’ll forget you’ve lived a life, and you’ll crust over with spite.  Better to suffer and know that you’re living a life!”
Any thoughts, anyone?

All the best, Robert



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