Alexey:I was taking a walk in the Ostrova (a quiet and most inspiring park area in St. Petersburg, near which I happen to live) yesterday, when another interesting combination occurred to me [...] Ada. Trofim Fartukov, the coachman in Ardis the Second, calls that Van: Barin, a barin, dazhe skvoz' kozhanyi fartuk ne stal by ya trogat' etu frantsuzskuyu devku ("Master, even through a leathern apron I wouldn't have thought of touching this French wench [Blanche, whom Trofim later marries]"):
 
JM:  I was familiar with Lucette's complaint about another coachman: ‘Il pue.’  Also related to various postings about Ada's nicknaming her half-sister "my pet".
Alexey here brought to our attention Fartukov and his words in Russian, warning Van off Blanche, containing "fartuk".
Knowing no Russian I can only wonder about another mysterious wordgame.
I wonder if we may, then " dip or redip, spider, into this " matter? Or explore two simultaneous directions of language by applying Van's theories on a Bergsonian perspective on time?
 
Search the archive Contact the Editors Visit "Nabokov Online Journal"
Visit Zembla View Nabokv-L Policies Manage subscription options

All private editorial communications, without exception, are read by both co-editors.