right.
Do you know why he pretended
not to see me?
I think he is in love with me.
He called twice and invited me
to go to the theatre with him.
- Did you?
- I turned him down.
- Why?
- Unfortunately, I'm a one-man woman.
What does she live on? It beats me.
- Who?
- Varya.
- Who is Varya?
- Varvara, you know.
This year they accepted only one of
her stories, after a great effort.
Your effort.
She could work as an Intourist
guide.
Instead of torturing yourself,
you'd better go and help her.
- And leave you here all alone?
- I'm not a child.
Come on, go!
All right, let's do it this way.
You go and see the movie.
I'm running to Varvara's,
help her with two or three phrases,
and after the show I'll meet you
downstairs by the billboard.
Is it really all that bad?
- Why bad?
- You've crossed out everything.
Well, just some minor things.
"The goat gave an inhuman squeal".
That's a little too much, isn't it?
So what kind of squeal?
Just simply: "The goat squealed".
Tell me, Bouzykine...
- Am I that hopeless?
- No, not at all.
Who does better translations?
Me or Shitova?
- You, of course.
- Then how come I never...
- Hello?
- Hello, Varvara?
Hold on a second, will you?
Hi!
No, he's gone. He went home.
Not at all, dear.
- Want a drink?
- No, thanks.
And I like it when I'm working.
A stimulant.
Are you out of your mind?
You've started all over again.
- It's all junk.
- For me, it will do.
It's way past midnight,
and we've got a load of work.
- What d'you mean, past midnight?
- Well, it's twenty to midnight.
Oh no! This is terrible!
Alla's waiting, I was to meet her.
Forget it! She called,
and I told her you'd gone home.
- Why?
- Because.
How I pity that little idiot.
You'll fool her till she's 40 and
then dump her, as my Boris did.
Hello! Alla darling, it's me!
When you called me up earlier,
she said I was not here.
Only I was here and I'm still here,
and since you have my watch...
She hung up on me.
Nina, it's me.
Look, I was working with Varvara,
and just as I ran up to
the drawbridge they raised it...
- You ready?
- Ready!
Andrei, step up!
Go to hell.
- Andrei?
- Yes?
A little question.
How to translate this?
Here, Chapter 12.
Excuse me, Bill.
It's Thursday.
Hello, Vassily, how are you?
- You decided to redecorate?
- A little mess.
This is Mr. Hansen,
professor from Denmark.
- I'm Kharitonov.
- Bill.
- Does he understand Russian?
- He does.
I understand, but not all the time.
- So you've come to the Soviet Union?
- Yes, I've come.
- You staying long?
- Yes, long, but leaving soon.
I'm like you today,
a man of leisure.
I work Saturdays,
so I've got Thursdays off.
You see, Vassily, we're working.
Well...
We ought to celebrate our meeting.
We'll pass, we really are busy.
This won't keep you from working.
Russian vodka! They like it.
You better get these papers off
the table. We might spot them.
Let's take it and put it down.
Vassily, that jacket,
where'd you get it?
I found it in the courtyard.
In that Denmark of yours, do they
throw away imported jackets?
No. It's pure cotton.
It's expensive.
And here, the sleeve got a little
ripped of, and out it goes.
Would you sell it to me?
It's too small for you.
I'm sorry, pal, I can't.
I'd give it to you for nothing, but
my wife'd think I sold it for vodka.
Vassily, really, maybe some other
time, eh?
- Don't kid me...
- We're busy...
It won't take much time. Well?
Come on, sit down.
Professor, you sit down, too.
Sit down, Bill.
- To the professor!
- Your health!
Thank you.
- Why isn't he drinking?
- Alcohol in the morning's not good.
That teeny-weeny glass?
It's just a formality.
Drink it up, Bill.
He'll force you to anyway.
Your health.
No, that won't do.
- The toasted one must drink it up.
- I don't understand.
I drank to you, didn't I?
That means you're the toasted one.
I drank all, now you must drink all.
That's how we do it here in