Максим Горький - The Lower Depths стр 4.

SATINE. It wasnt a trout, it was Vassilisa

THE ACTOR. He caught Vassilisa a long time ago.

PEPEL [angrily] You can all go to the devil and Vassilisa with you

[Kleshtch comes from the hall.]

KLESHTCH. Devilishly cold!

THE ACTOR. Why didnt you bring Anna back? Shell freeze, out there

KLESHTCH. Natasha took her into the kitchen

THE ACTOR. The old man will kick her out

KLESHTCH [sitting down to his work] Well Natasha will bring her in here

SATINE. Vassily give me five kopecks!

THE ACTOR [to Satine] Oh, you always five kopecks Vassya give us twenty kopecks

PEPEL. Id better give it to them now before they ask for a ruble. Here you are!

SATINE. Gibraltar! There are no kindlier people in the world than thieves!

KLESHTCH [morosely] They earn their money easily they dont work

SATINE. Many earn it easily, but not many part with it so easily. Work? Make work pleasant and maybe Ill work too. Yes maybe. When works a pleasure, lifes, too. When its toil, then life is a drudge. [To the Actor] You, Sardanapalus! Come on!

THE ACTOR. Lets go, Nebuchadnezzar! Ill get as drunk as forty thousand topers!

[They leave.]

PEPEL [yawning] Well, hows your wife?

KLESHTCH. It seems as if soon [Pause.]

PEPEL. Now I look at you seems to me all that filing and scraping of yours is useless.

KLESHTCH. Well what else can I do?

PEPEL. Nothing.

KLESHTCH. How can I live?

PEPEL. People manage, somehow.

KLESHTCH. Them? Call them people? Muck and dregs thats what they are! Im a workman Im ashamed even to look at them. Ive slaved since I was a child Dyou think I shant be able to tear myself away from here? Ill crawl out of here, even if I have to leave my skin behind but crawl out I will! Just wait.. my wifell die.. Ive lived here six months, and it seems like six years.

PEPEL. Nobody heres any worse off than you.. say what you like.

KLESHTCH. No worse is right. Theyve neither honor nor conscience.

PEPEL [indifferently] What good does it do honor or conscience? Can you get them on their feet instead of on their uppers through honor and conscience? Honor and conscience are needed only by those who have power and energy.

BUBNOFF [coming back] Oh Im frozen.

PEPEL. Bubnoff! Got a conscience?

BUBNOFF. What? A conscience?

PEPEL. Exactly!

BUBNOFF. What do I need a conscience for? Im not rich.

PEPEL. Just what I said: honor and conscience are for the rich right! And Kleshtch is upbraiding us because we havent any!

BUBNOFF. Why did he want to borrow some of it?

PEPEL. No he has plenty of his own.

BUBNOFF. Oh are you selling it? You wont sell much around here. But if you had some old boxes, Id buy them on credit.

PEPEL [didactically] Youre a jackass, Andrushka! On the subject of conscience you ought to hear Satine or the Baron.

KLESHTCH. Ive nothing to talk to them about!

PEPEL. They have more brains than you even if theyre drunkards.

BUBNOFF. He who can be drunk and wise at the same time is doubly blessed.

PEPEL. Satine says every man expects his neighbor to have a conscience, but you see it isnt to any ones advantage to have one thats a fact.

[Natasha enters, followed by Luka who carries a stick in his hand, a bundle on his back, a kettle and a teapot slung from his belt.]

LUKA. How are you, honest folks?

PEPEL [twisting his mustache] Aha Natasha!

BUBNOFF [to Luka] I was honest up to spring before last.

NATASHA. Heres a new lodger.

LUKA. Oh, its all the same to me. Crooks I dont mind them, either. For my part theres no bad flea theyre all black and they all jump .. Well, dearie, show me where I can stow myself.

NATASHA [pointing to kitchen door] Go in there, grand-dad.

LUKA. Thanks, girlie! One place is like another as long as an old fellow keeps warm, he keeps happy.

PEPEL. What an amusing old codger you brought in, Natasha!

NATASHA. A hanged sight more interesting than you!.. Andrei, your wifes in the kitchen with us come and fetch her after a while.

KLESHTCH. All right I will.

NATASHA. And be a little more kind to her you know she wont last much longer.

KLESHTCH. I know.

NATASHA. Knowing wont do any good its terrible dying dont you understand?

PEPEL. Well look at me Im not afraid.

NATASHA. Oh youre a wonder, arent you?

BUBNOFF [whistling] Oh this threads rotten.

PEPEL. Honestly, Im not afraid! Im ready to die right now. Knife me to the heart and Ill die without making a sound.. even gladly from such a pure hand.

NATASHA [going out] Spin that yarn for some one else!

BUBNOFF. Oh that thread is rotten rotten

NATASHA [at hallway door] Dont forget your wife, Andrei!

KLESHTCH. All right.

PEPEL. Shes a wonderful girl!

BUBNOFF. Shes all right.

PEPEL. What makes her so curt with me? Anyway shell come to no good here.

BUBNOFF. Through you sure!

PEPEL. Why through me? I feel sorry for her.

BUBNOFF. As the wolf for the lamb!

PEPEL. You lie! I feel very sorry for her.. very.. very sorry! She has a tough life here I can see that.

KLESHTCH. Just wait till Vassilisa catches you talking to her!

BUBNOFF. Vassilisa? She wont give up so easily what belongs to her shes a cruel woman!

PEPEL [stretching himself on the bunk] You two prophets can go to hell!

KLESHTCH. Just wait youll see!

LUKA [singing in the kitchen] In the dark of the night the way is black.

KLESHTCH. Another one who yelps!

PEPEL. Its dreary! Why do I feel so dreary? You live and everything seems all right. But suddenly a cold chill goes through you and then everything gets dreary.

BUBNOFF. Dreary? Hm-hm

PEPEL. Yes yes

LUKA [sings] The way is black.

PEPEL. Old fellow! Hey there!

LUKA [looking from kitchen door] You call me?

PEPEL. Yes. Dont sing!

LUKA [coming in] You dont like it?

PEPEL. When people sing well I like it

LUKA. In other words I dont sing well?

PEPEL. Evidently!

LUKA. Well, well and I thought I sang well. Thats always the way: a man imagines theres one thing he can do well, and suddenly he finds out that other people dont think so.

PEPEL [laughs] Thats right.

BUBNOFF. First you say you feel dreary and then you laugh!

PEPEL. None of your business, raven!

LUKA. Who do they say feels dreary?

PEPEL. I do.

[The Baron enters.]

LUKA. Well, well out there in the kitchen theres a girl reading and crying! Thats so! Her eyes are wet with tears.. I say to her: Whats the matter, darling? And she says: Its so sad! Whats so sad? say I. The book! says she.  And thats how people spend their time. Just because theyre bored.