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Re: Subject:,chaishko s molochishkom
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Alexei Sklyarenko: "Here," said Mrs.Blagovo "is your chaishko s molochishkom [teeny tea with weeny milk]." (LATH, Part Two, 8) Molochishko is a quaint diminutive of moloko (milk). Mrs. Blagovo (who "spoke in simpering accents, reducing nouns and adjectives to over-affectionate forms which even the Russian language, a recognized giant of diminutives, would only condone on the wet lips of an infant or tender nurse") was from the Volgan town of Kineshma.
JM: The sentence, from Lath, about the "teeny tea with weent milk" reminded me of John Shade's verses about a school-picnic, when young Sybil "turned and offered me/A thimbleful of bright metallic tea." (lines 259-60) This image suggests a really small silvery thermos flask cum cup shining in the sun, but there's no tender diminutive in the wording.* The scene reveals more brightness than warmth.
Would "thimbleful" sound as mysterious to American ears as it does to me? I also imagine John's clumsy fingers and his pouting lips, ready for a drop of sweet medicine.. I must be way off the point...both in English and Russian.
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* When Mr and Mirs Blagovo, in LATH, addressed their daughter their voice "developed little notes of obsequious panic."
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JM: The sentence, from Lath, about the "teeny tea with weent milk" reminded me of John Shade's verses about a school-picnic, when young Sybil "turned and offered me/A thimbleful of bright metallic tea." (lines 259-60) This image suggests a really small silvery thermos flask cum cup shining in the sun, but there's no tender diminutive in the wording.* The scene reveals more brightness than warmth.
Would "thimbleful" sound as mysterious to American ears as it does to me? I also imagine John's clumsy fingers and his pouting lips, ready for a drop of sweet medicine.. I must be way off the point...both in English and Russian.
....................................................................................................................................
* When Mr and Mirs Blagovo, in LATH, addressed their daughter their voice "developed little notes of obsequious panic."
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/