""For whom would nature exist with no one to behold her?" Question mark." ""With no one to feel the snow getting ever colder?" Question mark." ""No one to fear the thunder, with its roar?" Question mark." ""No one to hear the waves lap at the shore?" Question mark." ""No one to scan the sky?"" ""To watch the shooting star?"" "Question mark." ""For no one... for herself..." "for a lark."" "Why did you stop?" "I wish we had a child." "Why?" "He would be as talented as you are." "I don't have any talent, I just translate talented writers." "He would love you so much!" "We'd wait for you together." "Alla, you know that I cannot change anything in my life." "The Sixth Artistic Association presents" "Screenplay by Alexander VOLODIN" "AUTUMN MARATHON" "Directed by Georgy DANELIA" "Director of Photography Sergei VRONSKY" "Production Designers Levan SHENGELIA, Eleanor NEMCHEK" "Music by Andrey PETROV" "Director" " Yuri KUSHNEREV Sound by Alexander POGOSIAN" "English Subtitles by T. KAMENEVA" "A Sad Comedy" " Mornin'." " Mornin'." " You ready?" " I'll just tell my wife." "Nina!" "We're off and running." "Oh great!" "And I could've slept another hour!" "Hello?" "Can't you talk?" "Give a meow, at least." "Next time answer it yourself." " Have you ever tasted these, Bill?" " Don't think I have." " What do you call them?" " "Khvorost"." "It's delicious." " Nina's a very good cook." " Don't overdo it, darling." "Sorry, I couldn't understand." " She was talking to me." " I was talking to him." "Bill, if one doesn't say anything, why should that call be for me?" "Pardon?" "Maybe we'd better not involve Bill in this?" "I don't understand." " She was talking to me." " I was talking to him." "Hello?" "Bouzykine, your Alla has just waked me up and asked me to tell you to call her up immediately." "You forgot your manuscript at her place." "I can't do it right now." "I'm loaded up with work." "I get it." "Nina is with you." "All right." "I'll call her back myself." " I don't think you should do it." " Yes, I should." "Bye." "That was Viriguine, my editor." "Rushing me up, as usual." " Is it like this in Denmark too?" " Oh yes." "Don't you think his voice was rather feminine?" " Whose voice?" " Your Veriguine's." "He was calling through his secretary." "Do you like it?" "Nina made it herself." "Delicious." "It is jam, yes?" "No, it's called "preserves"." "Excuse me." "Andrei, she seems a little angry." "I better go or I better stay?" " Which would make it easier?" " No, it's nothing." "She's just not feeling well." " Goodbye, Bill." " Goodbye." "Andrei will now entertain you alone." "Nina, you want me to go shopping?" "I'll have time after my seminar." "Go buy flowers for that secretary." "She's gone off to work." "Andrei, perhaps you have work too?" "Perhaps I'm taking your time?" "No, not at all." "Bill, I've read it." "Everything is fine, but there are a few inaccuracies." "Right here, as far as I remember, Dostoyevsky writes:" ""You should take your medicine and learn to like it"." "You say "take your pill"." "He means:" "Take what you've got coming and like it." "It's slang." "Excuse me." "Hello?" "Bouzykine, she's crazy, our typist." "I called her to explain what the situation was." "She told me to shut up and that you should get lost and never come again." "Maybe I'd better go there?" "Don't you dare!" "Who asked you to meddle in the first place?" "All right." "Bye." "Now I understand." "It's a colloquial expression." "Yeah, a colloquial expression." "I'm sorry, Bill, now I have to go to the Institute." "Can I ask you just one more simple question?" " Sure." " Just a second, I've got to look." " Morning." " Good morning." " What's up?" " Shershavnikov is coming." " Why are you hiding from him?" " Don't want to greet the bastard." "Why not?" " D'you know what he did yesterday?" " No." "He got Kluchansky fired, Semyonov promoted, and now Efimov is going to be Vice-president." "Good morning, Vladimir." " Have you seen Novikov?" " No, I haven't." "Hi!" "How are you today?" " Tell him I was looking for him." " Right." "May I speak to Alla, please?" "She's not here, they sent her home." "She had chest pains." "Yes!" " What's the matter?" "Are you sick?" " It's nothing." "A few little pains." " You should call a doctor." " He's already been here." " What did he say?" " He said I should rest a day or two." " Well then, rest." " I'm resting." "What's Varvara been telling you?" " Nothing new." " What'd she say exactly?" "She said that you and Nina were a very devoted couple, that you'd lived together like two lovebirds for an eternity, that you'd feel awful if you did anything to hurt her." "I know all of that, but to hear it from somebody else..." " You should've hung up on her." " That's what I did." "It was so awful." " Is she having an affair?" " Who?" "Varvara?" "Your Nina, of course." "No, I don't think so." "Why then she would sow that button with the wrong color thread?" " What button?" " This one, on your belly." " Yeah, really." " See?" "Take off your coat." "Time to go home." "No." "I've got to go see my publisher, that's all." "Excellent, Andrei." "Excellent, as always." " Thanks, I'm glad." " And I'm not!" " Why not?" " I'm turning it down." "Turning it down?" "Why?" "That Simon just published an article with racist overtones." "The progressives are putting up a hell of stink about it." "It's hardly the moment to puff him up by printing his work." "In what shape is "Fragmented Moon"?" " In fragments." " What do you mean, in fragments?" "It's on my calendar:" "The tenth, Bouzykine, "Fragmented Moon"." "And today's the ninth." "It's due tomorrow." "I can't possibly make it." "All right." "The thirteenth is your deadline." "I'll do what I can." "I'll have to work day and night." "Do it." "It would be better for you than chasing women, at your age." "What d'you mean, women?" "Leningrad is a small town." "Nina, I'll be home a little late today." "We've got another meeting." "It's very impolite, you know." "He's been waiting for you for 2 hours." "You promised to take him to Dostoyevsky's house." "Oh damn!" "I'm on my way." " Where are you now?" " I told you, at a meeting." "I thought your meetings were on Thursday." "I'll explain when I get home." "They're knocking on the phone booth." " Phone booth?" "At your meeting?" " I really have to go." "Young man!" "You forgot your flowers." "Thanks a lot!" "Flowers and medicine, and this..." "I've got to go now." "Hansen's waiting for me." "How about your button?" " He's been waiting for 2 hours..." " Just a sec." "You can eat meanwhile." " Why'd you do that?" " I knew you'd be hungry." "Andrei, who does your daughter look like?" "Is she more like you or her?" "Not like either of us." "Dropped out of college." "Hardly comes to see us." "And her husband is a funny guy." "I've tried to talk to him, but it's hopeless." "You see?" "And if we had a..." "He would respect you..." "All right, I'll be quiet." "Eat." " Yes?" " May I come in?" " Well, how is our cardiac case?" " Much better, thank you." " Hello, Andrei, how are you?" " Hello, Nikolay Afanasievich." "Look at that poor girl." "It's just nerves, that's what it is." "Andrei is in a rush." "A professor from Denmark is waiting for him." " Go ahead and eat." " Thank you." "Andrei's helping him translate Dostoyevsky." " You know Danish too?" " Not much." "My language is English." "Don't you think that Andrei looks like a rabbit when he eats?" "What a thing to say." "He eats like a normal person." "Alla, I have something to say to you..." "Sooner or later, this ordeal of yours will come to an end." "You will be able to formalize your relationship..." "Uncle Kolia, why bring that up?" "Andrei, am I saying something wrong?" "No, not at all." "I want you to know that her father was my closest friend." "Now that he's gone, I consider Alla like my own daughter." "Otherwise, I'd never dream of interfering." "It's your business." "Uncle Kolia, I beg you not to..." "Wait a minute." "Let me finish." "When you finally make up your minds, I'll move out to the country and you can have my room." "Thus, this whole apartment will be yours." "What an idiotic idea!" "I've said my piece." "I'm sorry, I won't disturb you any longer." "Goodbye." "Andrei, I'm terribly sorry about all that." "I just couldn't tell him that you're..." "I understand." " May I go now?" " Yes." "I'm off." "Take off yourjacket." " Why?" " 'Cause I want you to." "Turn around!" "And no peeking." "Your arms..." " Now look!" "Do you like it?" " It's beautiful!" "Thanks." " You shouldn't have done it." " I want you to look fashionable." "That's all!" "Go now." "Would you mind if I left it here?" "I mean..." "What shall I say when I get home?" "You mad?" "No, I understand." "You have no rights there, but you can do anything here!" " Go!" " I'm not leaving!" "Go home." "You'll be late." " Can't I visit a sick friend?" " I don't know about your rights!" " I'll call up and say I'll be late." " Remember to talk quietly." "Uncle Kolia doesn't know how thoroughly married you are." "Looking for a bathroom?" "Go right ahead, feel at home." "Thank you." "If you want to wash up, I've put a fresh towel in there." "Thank you." "Andrei?" "It's Yevdokimov's jacket." "Too small for him, so I took it." "I thought Victor might like it." " Where've you been?" " Who, me?" "At Yevdokimov's." "It was his birthday." "I tried to call you..." "But I couldn't get a connection, and then I couldn't catch a taxi." "And the drawbridge was up." "Why do they do that every night?" "Go to bed." "I put the sheets on the sofa for you." "I'll put the jacket inside the piano." "Lena and Victor will come and start to play, and Io, no sound." "What's the matter?" "They'll look into the piano, and surprise!" "Nobody needs me... nobody." " What?" " Nobody." "I was with a friend to celebrate his birthday." "Is it a crime?" "Save your breath." "I called." " You called?" " Yes, I called Yevdokimov." "It feels so awful when nobody needs you." "It's not true." "I need you." "Lena does." "Your work needs you." "No, not even Lena needs me any more." "I bought some curtains for them, and they said it's not their style." " I'm just a burden to everyone." " I wasn't at Yevdokimov's..." "Where were you?" "It's hard for me to tell you this." "Just say it." "You're a man." "It may be hard at first, but then it will be easier for everyone." "I was in the drying-out clinic." "They give you these things over there?" "It's Yevdokimov's jacket." "He bought it abroad." " May I?" " Sure." "And that's the end of that!" "Dad!" "What are you doing here?" "Is that how you dress in this weather?" "You'll catch a cold." "Your mother put her heart into choosing these curtains, and you..." "Why should I have to live with something I don't like?" "You should think of other people's feelings." "You must not only receive, but give as well." "I'll be only glad to." "Here!" "Put up those curtains and go back to school." "Your mother's in an awful state because of you." "Oh, so it's because of me?" " Who else?" " You." "Yermakova, telephone." " Alla?" " Yes, darling." "I won't be able to come over today." "Why not?" "Well, there are some problems..." "Come over after your problems." "No, it'll be too late." "Oh, someone wants to use the phone." "I'll call you, alright?" "Andrei!" "One, two, inhale!" "One, two, exhale!" " Hello, Nina!" " Hello, Bill!" "The place is a little mess." "I decided we needed new wallpaper." "It was too gloomy in here." "A good idea." "I think it'll look beautiful." ""Why look at me with such sadness and reproach, my boy?" "Did it not take courage to act in such a cowardly manner, my lad?"" "Said he to Smith and then he ran and ran away." "Well, Lifanov, I'm sorry but in my opinion, this is word for word, not a real translation." "I'm looking for new ways of phrasing." "This isn't new phrasing, it's plain sloppiness." "For instance, you've got "ran" and then "ran away"." "Couldn't you come up with a better word?" "Please, try to think of different ways to express "run away"." " Beat it." " Make tracks." " Cut and run!" " Disappear." "Not bad." "Disappear how?" "You tell us, Lifanov." " Fast." " Fast." " Another way?" " Well... very fast." "Kovalev?" "At full speed." "In full sail." "Flat out." " Selyanina?" " Headlong!" " Ilyinskaya?" " Without looking back!" " You have one, Natasha?" " Head over heels!" "Alla..." " Hi!" " Hi!" "Andrei, you walked out on me, didn't you?" "Everything's been piling up at once." "The book, my teaching, Hansen..." "You might've phoned me, at least." "I've been sitting by the phone all week waiting for your call." " Andrei, can I give you a lift?" " No, thank you." " Hello." " Hello." " One of your students?" " No, not his." "Well." "Take care." "Goodbye!" "Alla!" " Andrei, please!" " Let's talk." "You're the man who, out of pity, cuts his dog's tail off a bit at a time." "It hurts like hell." "Stop doing it." "Alla, you've got it all wrong." "Stop for a second." " Let me explain." " I don't want to hear it." "Give my regards to Nina!" "You blind or what, man?" "Don't you see the car coming?" "I'm sorry." "I wasn't looking." "And if I had killed you?" "You want me to end up in prison?" "It was my fault." "I'm sorry." "What did he do to you?" " I'm the one who ran into him." " Shake your head." " Do you feel dizzy?" " I've been thinking..." " Hey, you!" "Come see this." " What do you want?" "See what?" " Don't meddle in." " Why not?" " I'm messing up your life..." " Wait a minute, Andrei." "You see that dent?" "What are we going to do about it?" " How could he hit his head in there?" " He charged like a bull moose!" "Get out of here before I called the police." "You ran over an innocent citizen, and you've got the nerve to..." "Keep your nose out of it, or you'll get something to remember me by..." "Hey, what are you doing?" "Okay, you punched me first." "That's good." " Please, don't fight..." " Keep out of this, girl." " I'll take care of him myself..." " Andrei, stop it!" "What are you doing?" "Help me, somebody!" "First he ran over a man and now he wants to kill him." " Please help, somebody!" " Hey!" "I got him!" "He's not the one, idiot." "Hey, you could break his arm!" "That's right!" "I saw it!" " Let him go!" " Idiot." "Are you crazy or what?" "This one?" "Call the police." "Bouzykine, don't ask me how I knew you were there." "I guess you two lovebirds made up again, eh?" "You'll split a gut when you hear this." "They refused my book again." "They said it had no style." "I can't think." "I'm a big blank." "Please, come and help me." " Sorry, I can't come right now." " Come later." " I can't come later, either." " Then it means I'm sunk." "She hung up on me." " What did this Thumbelina want?" " She wanted me to help her." " And what did you say?" " I said I couldn't." "Bully for you!" "You can't go on slaving for her all your life." "She's not really as bad as that." "Just a bit crazy." "She was fired from her teaching job." "Crazy like you?" " Well?" " Very nice!" "What's nice?" "This..." "You're so observant!" "I made myself a new skirt!" " She sews!" "She cooks!" " Yes!" " She types!" " Yes!" " She washes clothes!" "She saves!" " Yes!" "And she breaks your heart." "And she loves you." "Where else could you find another like her?" "That's it." "My time is up." "I was supposed to go to the housing bureau." "They want me to speak there." " What's the matter?" " Nothing." "The hell with them." "I'm not going." "Will you do me a favor?" "Don't get scared." "It's not about the baby." "Would you make me a present of that stupid watch?" "Sure." "No one will hear that ghastly buzzing sound again." " Henya, why don't you say hello?" " I didn't see you." "You looked me right in the eye." "Andrei, I want you to meet henya Ptashuk." " Ptashuk." " Nice to meet you." "I'm Bouzykine." "And this is Andrei Bouzykine." "I recited his sonnets at the dacha." " It was a translation." " Who cares, they were your words." "We've just been at a cafe." " Oh, really?" " Uhu!" " Well, I've got to go." " We should go too." "Goodbye." "Why do you never wear the jacket I gave you?" "If I wear it every day, I'll get it soiled." "Go ahead, get it soiled." "It will remind you of me." " Put it on tomorrow!" " All right." "Do you know why he pretended not to see me?" "I think he is in love with me." "He called twice and invited me to go to the theatre with him." " Did you?" " I turned him down." " Why?" " Unfortunately, I'm a one-man woman." "What does she live on?" "It beats me." " Who?" " Varya." " Who is Varya?" " Varvara, you know." "This year they accepted only one of her stories, after a great effort." "Your effort." "She could work as an Intourist guide." "Instead of torturing yourself, you'd better go and help her." " And leave you here all alone?" " I'm not a child." "Come on, go!" "All right, let's do it this way." "You go and see the movie." "I'm running to Varvara's, help her with two or three phrases, and after the show I'll meet you downstairs by the billboard." "Is it really all that bad?" " Why bad?" " You've crossed out everything." "Well, just some minor things." ""The goat gave an inhuman squeal"." "That's a little too much, isn't it?" "So what kind of squeal?" "Just simply: "The goat squealed"." "Tell me, Bouzykine..." " Am I that hopeless?" " No, not at all." "Who does better translations?" "Me or Shitova?" " You, of course." " Then how come I never..." " Hello?" " Hello, Varvara?" "Hold on a second, will you?" "Hi!" "No, he's gone." "He went home." "Not at all, dear." " Want a drink?" " No, thanks." "And I like it when I'm working." "A stimulant." "Are you out of your mind?" "You've started all over again." " It's all junk." " For me, it will do." "It's way past midnight, and we've got a load of work." " What d'you mean, past midnight?" " Well, it's twenty to midnight." "Oh no!" "This is terrible!" "Alla's waiting, I was to meet her." "Forget it!" "She called, and I told her you'd gone home." " Why?" " Because." "How I pity that little idiot." "You'll fool her till she's 40 and then dump her, as my Boris did." "Hello!" "Alla darling, it's me!" "When you called me up earlier, she said I was not here." "Only I was here and I'm still here, and since you have my watch..." "She hung up on me." "Nina, it's me." "Look, I was working with Varvara, and just as I ran up to the drawbridge they raised it..." " You ready?" " Ready!" "Andrei, step up!" "Go to hell." " Andrei?" " Yes?" "A little question." "How to translate this?" "Here, Chapter 12." "Excuse me, Bill." "It's Thursday." "Hello, Vassily, how are you?" " You decided to redecorate?" " A little mess." "This is Mr. Hansen, professor from Denmark." " I'm Kharitonov." " Bill." " Does he understand Russian?" " He does." "I understand, but not all the time." " So you've come to the Soviet Union?" " Yes, I've come." " You staying long?" " Yes, long, but leaving soon." "I'm like you today, a man of leisure." "I work Saturdays, so I've got Thursdays off." "You see, Vassily, we're working." "Well..." "We ought to celebrate our meeting." "We'll pass, we really are busy." "This won't keep you from working." "Russian vodka!" "They like it." "You better get these papers off the table." "We might spot them." "Let's take it and put it down." "Vassily, thatjacket, where'd you get it?" "I found it in the courtyard." "In that Denmark of yours, do they throw away imported jackets?" "No." "It's pure cotton." "It's expensive." "And here, the sleeve got a little ripped of, and out it goes." "Would you sell it to me?" "It's too small for you." "I'm sorry, pal, I can't." "I'd give it to you for nothing, but my wife'd think I sold it for vodka." "Vassily, really, maybe some other time, eh?" " Don't kid me..." " We're busy..." "It won't take much time." "Well?" "Come on, sit down." "Professor, you sit down, too." "Sit down, Bill." " To the professor!" " Your health!" "Thank you." " Why isn't he drinking?" " Alcohol in the morning's not good." "That teeny-weeny glass?" "It's just a formality." "Drink it up, Bill." "He'll force you to anyway." "Your health." "No, that won't do." " The toasted one must drink it up." " I don't understand." "I drank to you, didn't I?" "That means you're the toasted one." "I drank all, now you must drink all." "That's how we do it here in Russia." "No more, thank you." "I'm through." "Vassily, leave him alone." "Enough is enough." "I drank it." "But you want all peoples of the world to drink with you." "Professor, I'm insulted." "That's better." "No more for me." "I have work to do." "I can't put it back in the bottle." "What would he think of us?" "All right, but it's the last one." " Best of health." " Best of health." "Your health!" "The toasting one drinks bottoms up." "I'm going back to work." "That's not the proper way to do it!" "You've got to stay with us." "Aren't we having a good time?" "You know, I picked a big basket of mushrooms this morning." "And where were you, lazybones?" "You should go mushroom-picking." "Then you'd pour yourself a vodka and have it with a mushroom." "And Andrei never sends his wife out for mushrooms, either." "He's not educating his wife the right way, you know." "Don't you forget that..." "In your foreign countries, are there mushroom forests there, too?" "There are no mushroom forests in foreign countries." "There are mushroom forests everywhere." "Alright." "I'm not going to rush you." "We'll replace it with something." "But what are we going to do with Scofield?" "We'll get the same hassle." "No, you can't take that away!" "Scofield is mine to do." "I'm begging you..." "All right, we'll see." "No, that's not how it goes." "White geese are sailing to dear Marusia..." "Bouzykine!" "I had it retyped." "Now it's okay." "Listen!" ""The Sad Story of a Bastard." ""The empty lot was magnet to the neighborhood's trash, dirty and evil." "Old whiskey bottles, rusty tin cans, coils of wire were scattered here and there." "Between two grimy poles, the women had strung up ropes which blossomed with the morning's wash." "An old man in white garb..."" "Enough talking!" "Go get rubber boots." "I'm lending Bill a pair of mine." " Boots?" "What for?" " To go to the mushroom forest." "The man's never seen one." "He'll have stories to tell back home." "You go, if you like, but not me." "Just there and back." "And that's the end of it." "And that's the end of it." " Do you like our countryside?" " Yes, very much." "Would you like to spend a couple of days in the country?" "I would like it very much, yes!" " I can arrange it." " Thank you." "My cousin works in a sanatorium." "He's the head doctor." "It's a TB sanatorium, but you don't have to worry." "My cousin's there every day, and he's not coughing." "Just say when." "Thank you, but I'm very busy now." "Maybe I had better wait for my next visit." "Whatever you say." "Let me know then through my friend here." "Hey, Andrei, if you want to, I can fix it up for you to stay there, too." " No, thanks." " You look like you need it." "This forest is not what it used to be." "The jerks come here in their cars." "They've cleaned out all mushrooms." "Professor, do you own a car?" "I own a car." "Yes." "I told you, Andrei, you should buy a car." "We could've ridden here now." "I couldn't afford the gas." "There's no more forest." "Let's go back." "I'll bet we find mushrooms over there." " We can't stop now." " No, pals, I'm going back." " Professor, you want to go back?" " No, I'm fine." "I don't either." "It's two against one." "We are not letting you leave." "What d'you mean, "not letting"?" "You want to pick mushrooms, very well." "But I don't want to!" "Nobody says you have to." "Just walk with us." "I said I don't want to pick mushrooms." "And you pay no attention to me!" "As if I'm not here." "We came together, and we'll go home together." "Let's go, Bill." "Hold it!" "Vassily, you're a free man." "You do as you want." "And Bill is also free." "Well, so am I free too, you hear?" "And nobody's stepping on me anymore." "From now on, that's how it's going to be." "Enjoy yourselves!" "He spoke too fast." "I didn't understand." " The key!" " What key?" "The key from my apartment!" "Here." "Thank you very much." "Why?" "Because I told him the truth." " What for?" " I'm tired of lying." "I really was at Varvara's last night." "You should lie to just one of us." "You lie here, there and everywhere." "You make more trouble for yourself." "Can't you stop typing when someone's talking to you?" "Excuse me, but I have work to do." "Now and then I even get paid for it." "Alla, I can get angry too, you know... and then what?" "Then you'll go back to your Nina, and live happily ever after." "And I shall get married, too." " Who to?" " To Ptashuk, for example." "Well..." "If it would make you happy, then I'd be glad." "Oh, you'd be glad?" "Then I'll do it to please you." "Oh, Andrei, would you please get out of here now?" "Leave me alone, please." "Or I'll throw myself out of the window." "All right." "But let's not be foolish about this." "I had a tough day and I don't know what I'm saying." "Tomorrow at 7 I'll be here." "I'll think about it, and we'll make our final decision." "...White geese were sailing to dear Marusia." "Come on, go flying, stop muddying the water..." "Whoa, boy." "Relax." "I'll be right back." "Don't go away!" "Ah, here's the head of the household." " Dad, where have you been?" " Good evening, Andrei Pavlovich." "Hello." "I was playing chess with a friend." "Hello, Victor." "Otto knew that he had only forty minutes left..." " Is he going to just sit all 40 min?" " No, Hans will come along." "They're going away." "Where?" "To the Island of hokhov." "Station number eight." " Where's this Island of hokhov?" " Near the North Pole." " They're kidding, aren't they?" " No." "Their hydrologist got sick, so they offered me his job." "We fly up there tomorrow." "You'll let them go, like that?" "No, I won't allow you to go." "We got the plane tickets already, and the contract's been signed." "It's only for two years." "We'll be back before you finish redecorating." "Lena, here comes Hans." "Now they'll crack the safe." "Forget your Hans for a minute." "Now, I want to make a tape of you two." "Dad, sit next to mom." "Even closer..." "Now sing." " Do you want us to do a dance too?" " It's something to remember you by." "We're taping everyone, for us to play on the island." "You can begin." "Why do you bend so sadly..." "No, stop, stop!" "You're not at a funeral." "Sing something merry." "I don't know..." "We're setting on a voyage To faraway snow lands," "With us we take our knowledge And good and jolly friends." "Dadada, tatata, It is fun to have you..." " Alla, did I wake you?" " No." "Look, something came up..." "Lena and Victor are going away tomorrow morning, for two years." "So, I won't be able to come over." "Did you hear me?" "And naturally, you've just learned about it." "Rotten timing." "I'll call you when I get back from the airport." "You'll never call me here again!" "Andrei!" "What?" "I forgot to pack the blender." "It's in the kitchen." "What can they do with a blender over there?" "They'll make fruitjuice." "Vitamins!" "All right!" "May I come in?" " I was asked to see you." " Come in." "It'll only take a second." "I'm supposed to give you this." "And one more thing..." " Excuse me." " Why, certainly." "Mr. Bouzykine, this is the secretary of the housing committee." "Your lecture is at 7 o'clock tonight." " What lecture?" " A citizen's viewpoint, as promised." "Yes, I'll be there." "See you tonight." "I'm sorry, I'm really busy now." "Alla wanted me to tell you... that you're no longer welcome at her house." "A stupid mission." "I'm sorry." "How do you do." "May I?" " Goodbye." " Goodbye." " Who was that?" " Ptashuk." " The police?" " No." " Is she home?" " No, she's gone." "Andrei, bad news!" "Bill was picked up for being drunk." "Picked up?" "Yesterday we had a night cap, but ran out of vodka." "We bought some, and ran out again." "We went for more and ran into the police." "I told them: "He's a professor from Denmark." They just sneered." "He was wearing my old workpants." "I gave them to him." "Where is he now?" "He's in that drying-out place, around the corner." "Disintoxication." "You better hurry, Andrei!" "They close the doors at nine." "I really can't." "Nina went to ask for a leave of absence." "And I have to..." " Andrei!" " I have to pack everything..." " Andrei!" " I'll go there after the airport." "If they have him registered at 9 o'clock, they'll keep him there for 15 days and send a notice to my workplace." "Who treated him to vodka?" "Kharitonov." "And you, too." "All right." "I'll go." "If they ask you about me, you tell them... well, you know..." "I'd better be going now..." "I'm due at my work..." "You'd better put on a tie, or they'll think you're one of those, too." " First name?" " Bill." "Two "L's"." " Date of birth?" " I don't know." " Don't know when you were born?" " No, when he was born." " I'm asking about you." " Why me?" "He's got no documents on him." "Somebody has to pay the fine." "Bouzykine, Andrei, born in 1933." "Officer, can we make it fast?" "My daughter's taking a plane soon." "Your name?" "He didn't slept in last night." " He's right here." " That's right." "Me." "Would you please make it fast?" "I've got a taxi waiting." "It's hard to recognize him." " I learned many new words there..." " I'm sure you did..." " I made a list." " Yes, yes, of course." "After you." " Andrei, I was a loosh?" " A lush." " And you a chaser?" " That's what I'm." "Look, Bill, take a bath and go to bed." "I have to run now." "Andrei!" "Aren't we having a good time?" "Excuse me, has the flight for Anderma taken off yet?" "No, but all the passengers have boarded." " Where do I go?" " Gate one, you better hurry!" "Here we are, alone again." " Not "we"." "Me." " Me too." "Stop pretending, Andrei." "You probably think that I'm so lonely and unhappy now and that you must make an effort to be home more often to help." "Well, just forget that." "I closed my eyes to your playing around, not to hurt Lena." "Now you're completely free to do anything you want." "Frankly, it might make it easier if you would move out." "You know, lately, I'm frightened of you." "Each time I think:" ""Will he tell me another lie?"" "It's enough to drive me out of my mind." "With you gone, maybe I could be free, too." "About my playing..." "you're right..." "But it's finished." "Nina, I'm sorry." "Forgive me, please..." "Today you could've been on time for a change." "She waited for you!" "They held me up in that damn drying-out clinic." " Will you stop for a second?" " Don't stop." " I didn't say I was in the clinic." " What are you saying?" " Hansen was." " Ah, Hansen!" "Will you please let me out of this bus?" " Nina!" " Don't you touch me!" "I really was in the drying-out clinic." "I swear on Lena's head!" "You dare to swear on Lena's head when she's up in the air?" "Take me to the city, please." " Why are you limping, Bouzykine?" " Ah, it's nothing." "I realize it's ridiculous, but you know what Veriguine told me?" "That my translations are better than yours." "Isn't it a riot?" "Congratulations." "You know why I came to see you?" "You planned to do Scofield's book?" "Yes..." "He's given it to me." "I want to know what do you think about it." "I think it's great." "I knew it." "Shame on you." "It's my one big chance." "Bigger than I ever had." "And you want me to turn it down?" "What do you want from me?" "You have it, do it!" "I just don't want you to think I cheated you out of it." "You didn't cheat, okay?" "Bouzykine, you've already started on it, right?" "Maybe you've got some notes?" "How about letting me take a look at them?" "How about me scrubbing your floors?" "I'll do it, just whistle!" " Good morning, Andrei." " Morning." " We'll meet at the club." " Certainly." " And, please, no complications." " I know." "Hello, Bouzykine." "I won't shake hands with you." " Good morning." " How are you?" " Are you crazy?" "Why not?" " Because I won't." "It's not your style, Bouzykine." "I'm warning you, don't put yourself in an awkward situation." " Nice seeing you!" " Goodbye!" " What's the matter with him?" " I don't get it." "Would you help me with my final paper?" "Or I'll lose my scholarship." "I'll do make-up work later on." "The code of our profession, my dear Lifanov, is this:" "We aim, in this turbulent world, to make culture and language of different peoples more available." "And you, with your double talk, will just slow down the process." "The same goes for all of you." "In future, I do no more favors for anyone." "Andrei, maybe you'll change your mind?" "Twenty years of marriage." "No, it's decided." " Can I help you pack?" " I'll just grab a couple of shirts." "I'm sparing you the big parting scene." "Goodbye." "Yevdokimov!" "What is it?" "You're lucky." "I'm staying here." "Nina left herself." " What?" " She's gone!" "Thanks anyway." "Damn!" " What's going on?" " I'm relaxing." "With the door wide open?" "Andrei, what's the place where I slept called?" "Intoxication clinic?" " Disintoxication clinic." " Disintoxication clinic?" " That's it." "You got it." " Thank you." "Any time." "What do you want?" " Did you go?" " I did." " They let Hansen go?" " They did." " Did they ask about me?" " You bet they did!" "What did they say?" "They said that you mix vodka with port wine." " So what?" "It's my insides." " Well, they just said that." "Anyway, it was only half a bottle." "Grandma says you're to come down right this minute!" "I was telling him, but he insisted on having a cocktail." "Damn hippie!" "Yes?" "Hello?" "It's me." "Did you call me?" "Yes!" "Did you come to a decision?" "Yes." "Well?" "Yes." "You know, our phone wasn't working." "But they fixed it and put it in my room." "Listen to this!" "Andrei..." "Is it true that your affair is finished?" "Yes..." " Hey!" "Where'd you disappear to?" " I'm with you." "When shall I see you?" "I'll make a note of it." "Meeting at seven tomorrow." " Andrei, you ready?" " Ready!" "One-two, one-two..." "Starring" "Oleg BASSILASHVILI" "Natalya GUNDAREVA" "Marina NEYOLOVA" "Yevgheny LEONOV" "Norbert KUCHINKE" "Nikolay KRIUCHKOV" "Galina VOLCHEK" "The End"