| After which, from God knows where, a little light flashed by the cast-iron fence and began to approach the veranda. Those sitting at the tables began to get up and peer at it, and saw that along with the little light a white ghost was marching towards the restaurant. When it came right up to the trellis, everybody sat as if frozen at their tables, chunks of sterlet on their forks, eyes popping. The doorman, who at that moment had stepped out of the restaurant coat room to have a smoke in the yard, stamped out his cigarette and made for the ghost with the obvious intention of barring its way into the restaurant, but for some reason did not do so, and stopped, smiling stupidly. |
| И привидение, пройдя в отверстие трельяжа, беспрепятственно вступило на веранду. Тут все увидели, что это - никакое не привидение, а Иван Николаевич | And the ghost, passing through an opening in the trellis, stepped unhindered on to the veranda. Here everyone saw that it was no ghost at all, but Ivan Nikolaevich Homeless, |
| Бездомный - известнейший поэт. | the much-renowned poet. |
| Он был бос, в разодранной беловатой толстовке, к коей на груди английской булавкой была приколота бумажная иконка со стершимся изображением неизвестного святого, и в полосатых белых кальсонах. В руке Иван Николаевич нес зажженную венчальную свечу. Правая щека Ивана Николаевича была свеже изодрана. Трудно даже измерить глубину молчания, воцарившегося на веранде. Видно было, как у одного из официантов пиво течет из покосившейся набок кружки на пол. | He was barefoot, in a torn, whitish Tolstoy blouse, with a paper icon bearing the image of an unknown saint pinned to the breast of it with a safety pin, and was wearing striped white drawers. In his hand Ivan Nikolaevich carried a lighted wedding candle. Ivan Nikolaevich's right cheek was freshly scratched. It would even be difficult to plumb the depths of the silence that reigned on the veranda. Beer could be seen running down on to the floor from a mug tilted in one waiter's hand. |
| Поэт поднял свечу над головой и громко сказал: | The poet raised the candle over his head and said loudly: |
| - Здорово, други! - после чего заглянул под ближайший столик и воскликнул тоскливо:- Нет, его здесь нет! | 'Hail, friends!' After which he peeked under the nearest table and exclaimed ruefully: 'No, he's not there!' |
| Послышались два голоса. Бас сказал безжалостно: | Two voices were heard. A basso said pitilessly: |
| - Готово дело. Белая горячка. | ‘That's it. Delirium tremens.' |
| А второй, женский, испуганный, произнес слова: |