Section 167 Russian Political Prisoners in Banishment. — III
A1 solemn promise is then exacted of him that he will not give lessons of2 any kind, or3 try to teach4 anyone; that every letter (S. 48, N. 6) he writes will go through the Ispravnik’s hands, and5 that he will follow no occupation except shoemaking, carpentering, or field labour. He is then6 told he (App. § 28) is free, but7 at the same time is solemnly warned that8 should he attempt to pass the limits of the town, he would be shot down like a dog rather than be allowed to escape; and9, should he be taken alive, would be sent off to Eastern Siberia without further formality than that of the Ispravnik’s personal order.
The poor fellow takes up his little bundle, and10, fully realising that he has now bidden11 farewell to the culture and material12 comfort of his past13 life, he walks14 out into the cheerless street. A group of exiles, all pale and emaciated, are (S. 107, N. 13) there15 to (S. 19, N. 7) greet him, take16 him to some of their miserable lodgings, and feverishly demand17 news from home. The new comer gazes on them as one in a dream; some are melancholy, and almost mad, others nervously irritable, and the remainder have evidently tried to find solace in18 drink. They live (S. 116, N. 17) in19 communities of twos and threes, have food, a scanty provision of clothes, money20, and books in common, and consider21 it their sacred duty to help each other in every emergency, without22 distinction of (S. 3, N. 2, and S. 10, N. 9) sex, rank, or age. The noble by23 birth get sixteen shillings24 a month from Government for their maintenance, and25 commoners only ten, although many of them are married, and26 sent into exile with young families27.
Notes
1 Say ‘Hereupon one demands (verlangen) of him the solemn promise’.
2 not of any kind, keinerlei, adj. (indeclinable).
3 or try = and not try. The auxiliary verb of mood ‘will’ need be expressed but once, and stands, of course?
4 unterrichten, insep. comp. w. v. tr.
5 Say ‘and that he besides (außer) shoemaking (Schuhmacherei, f., with def. art.), carpentering and field-labour, will carry on (treiben) no (keinerlei) occupation’.
6 ‘then’, here Endlich, with which begin the clause, and construe accord. to S. 4, N. 4 (man).
7 but — warned, aber zugleich kündigt man ihm an.
8 that — escape. This passage requires an altogether different construction in German; say ‘they (man) would upon (bei) an attempt, to go beyond (überschreiten, insep. comp. str. v. tr.) the limits of the town, not allow him to escape, but rather (vielmehr) shoot him down like a dog’ (liter.—but him rather like a dog shoot down, nie´derschießen)’.
9 Say ‘should he however be caught (ein´fangen) alive, (so) they (man) would send him without further formality (Formalität, f.), upon the simple order of the Ispravnik to the East of Siberia’.
10 and — realising = and well knowing (pres. p.).
11 to bid farewell, Lebewohl sagen.
12 materielle Bequemlichkeiten (Nom. pl.), which use with the def. art. in the Dat. pl.
13 = former.
14 to walk out into the street, in die Straße hinaus´schreiten.
15 = outside.
16 Supply the pron. ‘these’ before the verb take (führen, i.e. lead); to = into.
17 to demand news from home, einen nach Nachrichten aus der Heimat fragen.
18 in drink, im Trunke.
19 in — threes, je zwei oder drei zusammen.
20 Supply ‘as also’ before ‘money’; in common, gemeinschaftlich.
21 My parents consider it their duty to help their neighbours in every emergency, meine Eltern halten es für ihre Pflicht, ihren Nachbarn in jeder Not und Gefahr beizustehen.
22 Insert ‘und zwar’ before ‘without’, which will improve the rendering very much.
23 von.
24 1 sh. = 1 Mark; a month, monatlich, jeden Monat, or alle Monate.
25 doch die Bürgerlichen; repeat ‘Mark’ after ‘ten’.
26 and sent = and are being sent (see S. 2, N. 1).
27 = children.