کالسکه

by Nikolai Gogol, خشایار دیهیمی (Translator)

Quand par hasard on la traverse et qu’on jette un regard sur ses maisonnettes basses en pisé, d’un aspect terriblement morose, une indicible mélancolie s’abat sur vous ; on éprouve le vague serrement de cœur qui suit d’ordinaire les lourdes bévues et les fortes pertes au jeu ; bref, on se sent mal à l’aise. La pluie a décrépi les murs qui, de blancs, sont devenus pie. Des roseaux recouvrent la plupart des toits, comme il est de règle dans nos villes du Midi. Pour dégager la vue, M. le gouverneur a depuis longtemps fait abattre les arbres des jardinets. Dans les rues, on ne rencontre âme qui vive ; seul un coq traverse parfois la chaussée, à laquelle un demi-pied de poussière donne la souplesse d’un oreiller ; à la moindre pluie, cette poussière se transforme en bourbier ; de gras animaux que le gouverneur appelle des Français s’y plongent alors avec délice, dressent le groin d’un air grave et font entendre des grognements si rébarbatifs que le voyageur s’empresse de stimuler ses chevaux.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Russia, Fiction, Russian Literature, Audiobook, Humor

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 1836

About the author

People consider that Russian writer Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Николай Васильевич Гоголь) founded realism in Russian literature. His works include The Overcoat (1842) and Dead Souls (1842).

Ukrainian birth, heritage, and upbringing of Gogol influenced many of his written works among the most beloved in the tradition of Russian-language literature. Most critics see Gogol as the first Russian realist. His biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Gogol wittily said many later Russian maxims.

Gogol first used the techniques of surrealism and the grotesque in his works The Nose , Viy , The Overcoat , and Nevsky Prospekt . Ukrainian upbringing, culture, and folklore influenced his early works, such as Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka .
His later writing satirized political corruption in the Russian empire in Dead Souls .

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin]

This early comic tale of Gogol’s is certainly effective, and almost as memorable as the Petersburg Tales (“The Overcoat,” “The Nose,” “The Diary of a Madman”), with which it is usually classed. It is simpler, though, less cosmic in its ironies, and takes place far from the capital city’s bureaucratic battles in the small South Russian town of B——, where “the chief of police has long since had all the trees in the gardens cut down to improve the view” and “one never meets anything in the town, unless it is a cock crossing the road.” But then, “the cavalry regiment arrived, and everything changed.”

Our hero is Pythagoras Pythagoravitch Tchertokoutski, one of the “gentlemen of the neighbourhood” of B——, a petty nobleman anxious to ingratiate himself into the cavalry’s exciting new martial society and elevate his own social status. At a dinner given by the general of the regiment, Tchertokoutski begins to brag about his magnificent new carriage, and—his judgment impaired by punch and wine—he invites the officers over to his estate to take a look at this fine vehicle of his. What happens after this is a little sad, but also hilariously funny. Suffice it to say, Pythagoras Pythagoravitch does not improve his social status.

One of the factors that makes this short tale so effective is that Gogol, even in his early pieces, was a master of illuminative comic detail. Here, for example, is his description of the protagonist of the tale:

Tchertokoutski always wore a coat of a military cut, spurs and moustache, in order not to have it supposed that he had served in the infantry, a branch of the service upon which he lavished the most contemptuous expressions. He frequented the numerous fairs to which flock the whole of the population of Southern Russia, consisting of nursemaids, tall girls, and burly gentlemen who go there in vehicles of such strange aspect that no one has ever seen their match even in a dream. He instinctively guessed the spot in which a regiment of cavalry was to be found and never failed to introduce himself to the officers. On perceiving them he bounded gracefully from his light phaeton and soon made acquaintance with them. At the last election he had given to the whole of the nobility a grand dinner during which he declared that if he were elected marshal he would put all gentlemen on the best possible footing. He usually behaved after the fashion of a great noble. He had married a rather pretty lady with a dowry of two hundred serfs and some thousands of rubles. This money was at once employed in the purchase of six fine horses, some gilt bronze locks, and a tame monkey. He further engaged a French cook. The two hundred peasants of the lady, as well as two hundred more belonging to the gentleman, were mortgaged to the bank. In a word, he was a regular nobleman.

[Robert Khorsand]

کالسکه٬ نام یک داستانِ کوتاه با تم طنز از نیکلای واسیلیویچ گوگول نویسنده‌ی مشهور روسی‌ست.

کالسکه توسط آقای خشایار دیهیمی ترجمه و نهایتا توسط نشر چشمه چاپ و منتشر گردیده است٬ همچنین این کتاب جلدِ‌ هشتمِ مجموعه‌ی «تجربه‌های کوتاه» است که زیر نظر آقای حسن ملکی برای اولین بار در ایران با هدف کمک به عاشقان کتاب و کتاب‌خوانی که وقت کافی جهت خواندنِ داستان‌های بلند را ندارند منتشر شد.

داستان کتاب در دهه ۱۹۸۰ رخ می‌دهد٬ زمانیکه یک هنگِ ارتش شامل ژنرال٬ سرهنگ٬ سرگرد٬ سرباز و خدمه وارد شهری می‌شوند و با آمدن‌شان بار دیگر شهر را از سکون خارج و جنب و جوش را به آن بر می‌گردانند. مجلسِ عیشِ مردانه‌ای ترتیب داده می‌شود و تمام نظامیان به گردِ هم می‌آیند و در این زمان با شخصیتی آشنا می‌شویم به نام فیثاغور فیثاغوروویچ چرتوکوتسکی که در حضور ژنرال و... ادعای داشتنِ کالسکه‌ای خاص می‌کند و ژنرال و همراهانش را برای دیدن آن و پذیراییِ نهار به خانه‌ی خود دعوت می‌کند و خود نیز مست پای بساط قمار می‌نشیند و بسیار دیروقت یعنی نزدیک‌های صبح هنگامی که همسرش خوابیده است به خانه می‌رود و می‌خوابد٬ ظهر وقتی ژنرال و همراهانش به خانه‌ی او می‌آیند... .

در آخر در مورد نمره‌ی کتاب باید عرض کنم که در مقام مقایسه با سایر داستان‌های کوتاه که خوانده‌ام در حد و اندازه‌های ۵ و ۴ستاره نبود اما بین ۲ و ۳ ستاره بخاطر تم طنز و روان بودن متنِ داستان ۳ستاره را برایش مناسب می‌دانم.

[Aida]

پایان: ۱۴۰۱/۶/۵
خیلی خوب بوددد! یک داستان کوتا ولی خیلی با مفهوم.
من کتاب‌صوتی گوش دادمش و خیلی خیلی راوی خوبی داشت.
به عنوان اولین اثری که از نیکولای گوگول خوندم خیلیی دوستش داشتم و بنظرم جالب بود!

[Melika Gohari]

3.5/5

چرتاکوتسکی عجب رکبی خورد. :))))))
حقیقتا اینو با خوانش آقای کرامتی گوش دادم و خیلی بهم چسبید.

[Mehrdad Mozafari]

شاید در ظاهر گوگول در داستان هاش هیچی نگه
اما شنیدن قلمش یه کار لذت بخشه
از یه سوژه ساده با فضای ساده یک روایت ساده تعریف میکنه
و اتفاقی که برای تو می افته بیشتر از سرگرمیه

[Veronica]

Entertaining as usual, Gogol' paints once again the picture of the superficiality and cowardice of men. Little men acting like big human beings, then showing the lack of everything inside them.

[Farimah Barati]

بانمک بود. D:

[Ahmad El-Saeed]

"The Carriage" is an 1836 short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of his shortest works. The story centres on the life of a former cavalry officer and landowner near a small Russian town. After reading the story, Anton Chekhov wrote to Alexei Suvorin, "What an artist he is!

[AmirHossein]

دیروز یک استوری از ایستاگرام نشر خوارزمی دیدم که یک نقل قول از چخوف درباره گوگول بود

"اگر می‌خواهید طنز واقعی را درک کنید گوگول بخوانید. او به ما آموخت که چگونه با خنده اشک بریزیم."

همین باعث شد تنها کتابی از گوگول که تو کتابخانه داشتم رو بخونم.

داستانش رو دوست داشتم. گاهی لبخند رو لبتون میاره و گاهی میخندونتتون. یاد داستان هایی که مادربزرگم توی کودکی برام تعریف می‌کرد افتادم.

[Afkham Manafi Farid]

داستانی کوتاه درباره عاقبت کار افراد لاف زن و خودستا

[Kathryn]

Meet Pythagoras Pythagoravitch Tchertokoutski, a braggadocious nobleman par excellence: he prides himself on trophies like a beautiful wife and a tame monkey at home, displays his taste through little touches like gold door handles on his estate, drunkenly blurts out non sequiturs at parties in his boorish attempts to ingratiate himself, bows so low to the superiors he’s always trying to act chummy with that thistles get caught in his beard. He tells a bald-faced lie at an aristocratic dinner of cavalry officers, desperate to impress them and improve his social standing, and is then caught in that lie. As in literally discovered inside of it, completely exposed (and practically naked to boot). But here the story ends—there’s no falling action or well-deserved tongue-lashing. Does this mean there are no consequences for the petty lies and cowardice of the elite? In discovering this wannabe in his lie, did these buffoons see their own foolishness reflected back at them and thus let it slide? The reader must gather the sly comic details and devise their own comeuppance.

This is mostly dullish preamble, and not much happens. But what does happen is just exquisite, in an understated way.

Title in Spanish: El carruaje

[Abr]

داستان «کالسکه»ی گوگول رو خوندم.
ساده بود و چیز خاصی نداشت.
پایان‌بندیش از بس بی معنی بود که ناخودآگاه خنده‌م گرفت.

این داستان اولین نوشته‌ایه که از‌ گوگول خوندم، و انتظار بیشتری ازش داشتم.
هرچند در‌کل، اگر این داستان رو من می‌نوشتم هم از نظر بقیه جالب به نظر نمی‌رسید.
حالا تازه این اول راهم با گوگوله، چیزهای بیشتری ازش خواهم خوند.

[Payam Ebrahimi]

من خیلی متوجه داستان نشدم. یعنی دقیق نفهمیدم مساله‌ی داستانی چی بود و چه خبر شد آخر داستان. ارتباط بین وقایع برام گنگ موند.

[aliska]

just a man running from his responsibilities. didn't have to read a book to see that 😮‍💨.

[Yasmin M.]

بدم‌ نیومد. کلا از گوگول خوشم میاد انگار.

[Klaas]

“He had married a rather pretty lady with a dowry of two hundred serfs and some thousands of rubles. This money was at once employed in the purchase of six fine horses, some gilt bronze locks, and a tame monkey. He further engaged a French cook. The two hundred peasants of the lady, as well as two hundred more belonging to the gentleman, were mortgaged to the bank. In a word, he was a regular nobleman.”

[Ugnė]

paprasta komiška istorija be gilesnių potėpių, bet užtat su kokia meistryste parašyta! nuostabu

[فاطمة علي]

يُباهي بطل القصة بعربته الڤييتنامية الجديدة أمام الضباط والشخصيات المرموقة في هذه البلدة الروسية الصغيرة خلال حفل قبل دعوته عند أحد رجال النظام المحترمين. يدعوهم البطل إلى منزله في اليوم التالي ليُريهم العربة ولكنه ينسى، فتكون لحظة حرجة ومضحكة.

الجميل في غوغول أسلوب كتابته المنفرد، لعله أسلوب ذاك الزمن، ينساب في وصف الشخصيات والمجتمع قبل أن يقدّم لك البطل ومحاور الحكاية. يستلهم من هذه الخلفية على حس القارئ في قراءة المحيط العام للبطل الذي تؤثر وتبني شخوص حكاياته.

[Alex]

It was okay. The reveal wasn’t that shocking to me and I felt like because I read it after Gogol’s more fantastical stories I was disappointed. It was still good though just not as impactful to me.

[Aras Enayati]

Yeah they found him in the carriage that was supposed to be his glory, I get it.
Never the less, it wasnt that good.

[Erica]

fun, quick road trip read with descriptions that made me hungry

[Realini Ionescu]

The Carriage aka The Coach by Nikolai Gogol author of Dead Souls http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/d... Dead Souls was included on the List of The 100 greatest books of All Time, compiled by The Norwegian Book Club, with feedback from the most illustrious luminaries

10 out of 10





After reading the story, Anton Chekhov wrote to Alexei Suvorin, "What an artist he is! His 'Carriage' alone is worth two hundred thousand rubles. Sheer delight, nothing less…’ this reader admires both Anton Chekhov and Nikolai Gogol http://realini.blogspot.com/2014/05/c... just as there are quite a few other Russian authors that enchant readers, from Ivan Goncearov to Leo Tolstoy…



The Carriage is one of the shortest stories written by Gogol, or indeed, anyone else, we are invited in the region of B, where an army corps is moving and thus changing the life of the place – just like, in an apocalyptic way the Russian army is devastating Ukraine now, Ukraine is the country where Nikolai Gogol was born and we can try and imagine what he would think (or is thinking, if there is a heaven up there, and he can see down below) about the cataclysm going on, just as we speak so to say – in various ways

Pyfagor Pifagorovich Chertokutsky is a local landowner and arguably the ’hero’ of the tale, he comes to the house of the general that commands the cavalry regiment and talks to the host about his horse and asks if he has an ‘equipage’, for the noble animal, and then he is told that the general uses the saddle, but no, Pyfagor Pifagorovich – a reference and joke involving Pythagoras – means a Carriage with horses



They talk about the fact that Vienna is an excellent place to obtain an excellent Carriage, the general spoke with his brother in Sankt Petersburg about the subject and then the local landowner says he has a coach, from Vienna, and it cost four thousand rubles, a wonderful acquisition, and the general comments that ‘it must be, at four thousand rubles’, and when he is invited to lunch, to come and see it, he accepts, while the boyar spends time playing cards, he had been asked and felt it would be impolite to refuse http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/t...

However, what with the cards and a lot of drinking, Pyfagor Pifagorovich forgets the invitation– I think it was in the divine The Russian Girl http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/11/t... by Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis that I have read that centuries ago, travelers would notice that everyone drinks in Russia, regardless of age, sex, social status and meals end with everybody under the table, or words to that effect



The landlord arrives at four in the morning, his wife allows him to sleep without disturbing him, until a little later, she sees that a group of men on horseback leave the main road and ride to their house and hence, she comes to Pyfagor to tell him about the visitors and then he asks in panic about lunch, is it ready?



The spouse is confused, what lunch, she knows nothing about that, and when the ‘host’ sees that this is a humiliating situation, the only way out he can think of is to have a servant say to the guests that he is not at home, at which the general asks if the boyar is to return for lunch and when he hears he is not to come back, he is puzzled and one of his men makes a comment – when an inferior in rank is saying something, the general always asks for him to repeat it, it is habit he has, Gogol tells us with felicity

The ‘host’ has hidden in the shed, and inside the coach he has (which is in no way an expensive asset from Vienna, this is a sort of Trumpism, a boast that someone has something, ability, fortune, which one does not possess) but the general wants to see the much vaunted equipage and when in the vicinity, he is not overwhelmed and for the sum of four thousand they wonder about the thing, how could it be?



The guest is intrigued and says ‘perhaps there is something inside which would justify it’, and when they open the Carriage, they find inside the hidden landlord and the general says ‘there you are’ and leaves, in a fantastic, hilarious, splendid fashion, showing that Anton Chekhov http://realini.blogspot.com/2014/05/t... was right to be in awe and say that the story is worth what would be many millions of dollars in today’s money, I guess…

We have the lying and boasting, the vanity and emptiness, pomposity that is on display now at the Kremlin (it is not just there, examples of this incredible vileness, futility, baseness abound, from Lula and Bolsanaro in Brazil to Modi, Xi, Trump and so many other ludicrous ‘leaders’, tyrants and fools) where they have a new age czar that has invaded a neigh our, talks about nuclear weapons, while their state television shows graphics with nukes and explosions over Washington and New York, in such a mad game…



Russia has given us luminaries, let us just mention Fyodor Dostoyevsky http://realini.blogspot.com/2014/06/t... but also some real idiots and monsters, threatening to blow up the world, from Stalin, all the way to the lunatic they have now, one that has said ‘the disintegration of the Soviet Union was the greatest catastrophe of the last century’ and now he sets about recreating the Soviet, Russian empire or both, by killing a multitude of innocents



Now for a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se



As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...

[Andy Hickman]

“The Carriage” by Nikolai Gogol {1809-1852, Russian dramatist of Ukrainian origin}, translated by Ronald Wilks.

Funny story of a self-parading pompous try-hard who gets exposed before his peers and superiors in (what I can only imagine in that society) the most embarrassing way possible – hiding in his carriage wearing only his nightgown.

Notable is the way in which literature of this time was written by and therefore portrayed the relatively wealthy (paralleling the era of Jane Austen).
****

Corpulent = (of a person) fat.
Malapropos = in an inopportune or inappropriate way.
Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries
Postprandial = during or relating to the period after dinner or lunch.
Subaltern = an officer in the British army below the rank of captain, especially a second lieutenant.
- - -

[Maryam Samiei]

یه وقته که آدم از داستان خیلی خوشش نمیاد. یه وقت هم هس که انقد خوب پرداخته شده به داستان و قلم نویسنده انقد قشنگ مثل گل پیچک پیچ و تاب خورده که جای هیچ حرفی نمی ذاره.
گوگول رو تازه پیدا کردم اما زود نمیذارم نوشته هاش دنیام رو ترک کنه

[Aakriti]

I love the writing style of Gogol. Quite mesmerizing. I wish the story had more to it.
I liked 'the nose' better. But I see why Nikolai Gogol is such an acclaimed writer. Having said that, I am definitely going to read some of his other works.

[Allison]

Very good short story.

An absolute braggart handling a very simple situation in a very cowardly way.

A simplistic story with picturesque setting, and egos of men.

Totally worth the very few minutes it takes to read.

[for-much-deliberation ...]

An entertaining short story by Gogol...

[Shaghayegh.l3]

طنز خوبی داشت آخرش .

[Maahava صدای ما را از ماه می‌شنوید]

کتاب صوتی کالسکه را با صدای امیرمحمد صمصامی از ماه آوا بشنوید؛
http://maahava.com/360Z

کتاب صوتی به سبک ماه آوا

[Ali Aslan Shahla]

داستان کوتاهی سرگرم‌کننده. نکته برجسته داستان به نظرم جایی بود که قهرمان داستان تلاش زیادی برای خودنمایی می‌کرد اما همه چیز توخالی بود.