The Christened Chinaman

212 Pages·1991·5.76 MB·English

by  Andrei Bely

ANDREI BELY
THE
CHRISTENED
CHINAMAN
TRANSLATEADN,N OTATEANDD INTRODUCED
BY
THOMAS R . BEYER, JR.
.
HermitaPgueb lishers
1991
AndreBie ly
The ChristCehnienda man
A novel
Translatferdo mR ussiabny ThomasR .B eyerJ,r .
@
Copyright 1991b y ThomasR .B eyerJ,r .
Allr ightrse served
LibraorfyC ongreCsast aloging-in-PDuabtlai cation
BelyA,n drey1,8 80-1934.
[Kreshchenykii taetsEn.g lish]
The christenCehdi namanI AndreiBe ly;t ranslataendn,o tateadn,d
introducebdy ThomasR .Be yer,J r.
p. em.
Translatioofn:Kr eshchenyik itaets.
ISBN1 -55779-042:- $61 2.00
I.T itle.
PG3453.B84K7131 991 91-32723
891.73'3--dc20 CIP
A sketcbhy SergeCih ekhoni"nW oman withf lower("1 914i)s
usedf orf roncto ver
Publishbeyd H ERMITA GE PUBLISHERS
P.OB.o x4 10
TenaflNy.,j 0.7 670U,. S.A.
CONTENTS
Tranastlor'Isn troduction
1
TheT exta ndt heT ranslation
IX
THE CHRISTENED ClllNAMAN
The Study 1
Papochka 1 3
Thisa nd That'Osw n 25
GrannyA,u ntieU,n cle 40
Roulade 53
Mamochka 69
Mikhails 77
Ahura-Mazda 88
PapaH itt heN ailo n theH ead 97
The Scythian 106
Phooeyness 109
Spring 127
Felolw Traveler 133
Om 147
Red Anise 152
Notes 161

TRANSLATOR'S INRTODUCTION
ThCeh ristCehniend a(maKnep U�eHKbHlTli'la 9oL4ri)g,in aelnltyi tled
ThTer ansgroefNs iskoiloLanei t a(eIvE::p opeapepe)a,r eidn1 92t1o
mixerde vieAw.sV .e kslcearl lie"tdo noef t hmeo satr ttiiscavlilbyrt a n
andc omplewtoer kosfR ussilaint teurraiefn, o thte m osvti brwanotr k
1
ofA .B ely.V"iktSorhl kovskthye, w elkln owFno rmalicsrti tic,
wrot"eId: o nt'hti tnhka hteh imse[lBfe ly] wknhoawitsn t hweo rland
2
'Epopee'i s.C"rithiacvsae l so vwariideedil nyt heeivra luatoifto hnes
styliisnntoivca tioofnt sh ew ork. GSltruevbe c ompalniedo ft he
"artificial, obsrehsystihvoemf "t hvweeo rrsken, o ti"nIgc onfetsos
l
nohta ving beenr eaaibdttl h eor utgoh .Th'i'ss amreh ytsehemm edt o
MarieSthtaga inyjaunse tx actrliygf hottr h eep ifco rmc hosebny B ely
4
fohri wso rkA.ndreBie lanyd hiwso rks oftefno rcteahxl tlreedm e
resopnsespo,s itianvde n egatfirvoehm,i cso ntemporaNroiwem so.s t
ofh iwso rkarse m etw itshi leinnct eh e SoUvniieortnea ,d b yf ewa nd
undetorods bye vefne weirnt hWee st
ThCeh ristCehniendai masan na utobiogrnaopvheirlce lalna gtt ihe
worlasd s eenth rougthh eey eosfa fi vey earo ldi nt hper seo-poetryo fa
forty-oyneaero ldS ymboliwsrti tLeirk.ae l olf B elyw'osr ktsh neo vel
hasm ultiplleev ealnsdm eaninBgesl.iy s a loveorfs yntheasnids
triangulaHriiswt oyr.li dsb roken dionowt tnr iparsttirtuec tiunr es
whicthh e third iset lheeemm ebodnitm enantd resuotlioonfth e first
twoTh.i st ypeo fs trucctaunber ef ounadte very olfet vhenelo veOln.
thset ylilsetviecl theelreem eaonrftssee n se,so unda ndm eaniTngh.e
structulreavlec lo nsiosftsc ontefnotr,m asnydm bolT.h et hematic
leviescl omposeodfa utobiohgyrl,ai pteraantdumr yes ticoirms ymth .
'
Thea utobiogracpohnitceaxllte,uv aielslt heea sitte osd ecipher: it
iss impanlde d irte,acb arsek eleftootrnh weo rkT.h en oveilsse ti n
them id-8108'si nt heM oscowa partmeonfat Profesosfo r
MathematMiicksh,a Vials ilevich Letaev. hiWsmi utchh him are
youngaenrd b eautiwfiufleE ,l izavaentdat ,h eir Nsiokno,l ai,
nicknamKeodt iokr" KittTehnea. c"it oonf t hneo vefllo wst hroutghhe
seasoonffs a lwli,n taenrd s priwnigt anh imangeida nda ntiactiepd
summeKro.t itkh,e antarorirsl, argecloyn fmteodth ea partmnetsa ve
foarf ews trolilnts h een viroofnt sh Aer badti strTihcetri esl itotrl e
no pilnot th near rativrea;t haese rri,e so fi ncidentsep aisnoddhe esl ps
ii THEC HRISTENEDC HINAMAN
tod efmtehf eam ilmye mberasn tdh reea ltionbesthwieepnst heimnt he
fmaiilal trTihaecn ognlfeol.fit chwteo riksth es truggloeft hfea ther
andm otheorv etrh fea te fauntduro efth eso n.S houlhdebe allowed to
develionopta ne ggheaecdceedrn itmca thematician fatlhieokrre his
inot mau ilebrmauls icliiakhnei m so therWh?i let hceo nfliicsct l ear,
thper opecro urosefa ctifootnrh ceh iilsnd o LH er etreaitsn tapoo s e
ofi gnoraanncdse l owt-ewdintienos rsd teora vohiidms o the'rswr at.h
Hew ithrdawisn thoi osw ni nner isnoet lwafo ,r lodfi magaitnion
inhabbiyft iregdh tencirneagtu rwehsoa rrwiviett hhdarkn ees s ofn ight,
buwth of ortunatdeilsype rset hwceio tmhi onfgm orni'nsglig hitno t
theb edro.o Dmespei thaitst emtpotc so ncehailsi netllectual
developKmoetniitkse, v entudailscvloeyr aednbea dt enb yh imso ther
folri stetnoti hnfega theKro.t iki st hebnu ndluepand d ru sheadw ay
frmo thheo ubsyeh ifsa etrht os penthde d ayat h iUsn cel'Tsh.en ext
morninhger etuhrnso mfeo ar reconcilwiiatththeir opeenn tantm other.
Thes trugbegtlweee nsc ienancdeart ,t hmea themiaant-imcusician
confloifPc rtoe fssNoirk olVaais ileBvuigcahean vd Aleksandra
Dmirtievnneae,Y egoroovvae,tr h eoinrl y Bsooirns,i, s w ell
documenbottedh b yB elhyi mse(lthef p seudonoyfBm o rBiusg aeivn)
himse moiarnsdb y o thebri ogra.pS hieimrlsarmlayn oyf t hpeer sons
ande venftson ud tihnne o vcane lal so betrac ed to refnecreeisnB el'ys
non-ficwtoiroknIsaln.a prefatcote h ef iresdti tiwohni cwhas
subsequoemnittteldBy,e lwyarn eda gaintsotco o lsea c omarpison
betweehnif sit cioannadalc tufaalth eTro.so mee xtealnlft i ctiisao n
mixurteo f faancdft an tasyo,fm emroye nhancbeydi magaitnion.
Ideatlhlleyi bentew eethnet wos houdlidsa ppearf oborth writanedr s
readientrs h texe trueo fth efi nal wIonBr ekl'.ycases thee nhancement
andi maginocactuimroo nr oen t hlee voefl ss tyslyem boamlne;dm ory
preseirnvl easrp garte th e reevaeln wtsh icbecho me thceo nteAs nitt.
ism,o satc cnotsuo fh ifsat heirn clutdhionbsgyeB elhyi semlpfor vide
cosnidereavbildee tnhcathete f iticonaMiklh ailL etaehvas m ucihn
commowni thth er ealN ikoBluagiae v.
Ifth ec ontiesonn tl tyh sek eolnet,th en formtath,et hleti ernaersis
oft hweo rki,sth ebo dy.I nB eltyh set yilste h seu bstancSeo.u nd
prveaiolvses re nseT.h ew orpdr deominoavteestr h seen tenThcee p.art
isof tmeonr iem portathnatnt hweh olSehf.itin gt hbeu rdoefmn ea ning
frmo thef ortet so trteheesB ,e ldyi sassemthbel elsi anneardt e mporal
componoefnl tosg Iincp .l aocfetr aidtioenxapols itiino nw,ho inceh
worfdol lowainnogt ihsle org iccaolnlnyec twie4th thietr,ie sa v erbal
ands patlioaglbi acs eodn trheepe titoifs oonu nrdoost,s w,o rds,
TranslatoIrn'tsr oduction iii
phrasaensds entenCcoensn.ec tioarnes m adbe yas sociatliinkge
elemewnhtsre evtehr eayr feou ndT.h ec haoosfe xternrale aliist y
ordeoredn lbyyt he itmhpoes itoifano ni nteprnaatlt ernintgh eu pon
worsd.He rthee n arratiosnr o otn layfi ve yoelabdru atm iddle-aged
Symbolpoeits tse nsittiorv hey tanhdm rhyanmdeas serting thpoeet 's
rigthoot r dheirws o rvledr lbayThl.i sc ombinaotifco hnian ldda duilnt
as ingle insat rrhuaent iofryd ienvgio cfthe e no vel.
Inc uriwoauysws h athte bo y andw hatth poeet seea ndsa yar e
oftiedne nteivceatnlh ,o utghhfe o rmearr vreithse rthreo ugihg norance
ora ccidtehnleta ,t ttherro ukgnho wleodrdg ees iFgonre. x amptlhee,
fatheorf ten buys aapnptlanoednsb o rviknthag esm h omteo t hbeo y.
Antotnh,ey ardmiansa, s windwlheors elthlesf at'hesbor oks.
Antonoivsia c phr eofssloirk teh fea etrhb,u hte i sa gangserta nd
kidpnpaeGra.n greinnRe u sasnii sc all"eAdn t'osfn i.r"eTh e only
connectiwohni cehx iasmtso naglo lft heseth eiR su ssriooant " anton"
(aHTOLHa)t.the erb oyc ommiatsn" origsiinnana"dl i ski dnapped by
hifsath erW.h enpr esenwtietdah na niasep ptlheboe y imagibeniensg
throiwnntt oh bei blfiicraoelft he booofDk a niTehle.s seeem ingly
radnomth ought-otftra hiboeny sar ea tt hsamee timee laborsaytset ems
devibsyet dhp eoe t.
Thep oeti sl ikewriessepo nsfiorbth leeo thseyrs tseumcsah st he
colsocrh emTeh.ew orlidsc onstreudpc rtimaorfir ledysan dg erens,
blacaknsdw hites,a nbdyl eulelsoA wlsol.f th eseh eltpoo rdaenrd
establliismhii ntt shm ei nodft he childd.e vAiincsoteth h ceey rc lical
alternaotfid oanya ndn ightw hiincd ha rnkesfsear, and incom­
preehnsibarielr ietpyl awciethld i gsechutr,i antdyc liafircatiFoinn.a lly
theirste h iem pormtaonttci ofn taiinnet dhg er owotfhs exuaawlar e­
nesTsh.eb oyi sc onufsebdu ctu riaobouust bodifluyni cotnsesx,u al
organs,s tmreunaatnidlo onv ek-imnaTgh.em iddle-poaegtme idr rors
thiisg nor(aanclet hhoeup grhe sumably ktnhoboewy s d oewsh'n)at t
witehu phiemsmsh,i ndtso,u belnet endIrnee fsf.ecbo tth aspects of the
nararto(ry ouanngdo l dw)h isleeem intgod isgutihsien gsr eovnelayl
theaml thle m orcel eatrothl eyr eader.
Thes toirsay s s impalste h set yilsce o mplTehxep. r oseu nder­
goest hadti slocaotfli aonng uiangtieots m eaningr eferrteobd y T .S .
EliIotit.sa p ote'psr oisnew hicthhed enotatoirso ing nificaotifao n
word oifslt eesinsmp ortatnhta n cotnhne otatsoiuonndossr,s ymbols
evokbeydt hweo rdB.el ya'ismt hroughhioasur sttti icca rewearst o
5
revitallainzgeu taogc er,e atthe"e l ivwiondrg. 'W'ordtsa ken eown
additmieoananlio nrgr se,c apotludrfeeorr g ototneens . Saobouunndds,
iv THE CHRISTENECD HINAMAN
andg raadulltyh reea der cotmosee esan d hear thatth eso undp recedes
thsee nset,h ue nicto mebse fournei tWyh.e roel dw ordarse insufficient
forth e task,n eww ordasr ei nventHeedr.ea gaiwne conrfonthte
narrator-doIusbl beia.tb y-talokr poe tic licenThsee ?fal sea naloogfy
thec hilodr t hep oetiicn saptiiroonf t hea dulNtam? es takeon
meaningtsh:ef amilnya meL etaevc omefsor m the root" .neT"-"to
flyM.e"ta phorhsa vle ietramle aningansd homonymcso nfoutnhde
youtThh.e b oy'cso nscioussnteislsl bethfeo srtaeg eo f" figurative"
percepctioomn binweist thh poeet 'sr eidscovoefrc yo incidewnhciecsh
havbee efno grottoernl ost.
Alolf t hisso unadn ds ensei si ntentod ecdu lmitneia nm eaningi,n
a syntheosfsi ysm bolmiecta physithceamle sth ati nserats s piriitn to
thboe dy ansdk eleotfot nh weo rkT.h eraree actually twom ajotrh emes
inth en oveTlh.ef irissrt e veailneth de titlaen di nthe laswto rdosft he
work":T hCeh ristCehniedna manI.n"t hfeat hearer unitetdw o sdpiarate
culturreelsi,g itornasd,i tainodrn esg ioWness.t( whifcohrR ussiainss
Europem)ee tsE asitn a serioefsu niownhsi cahl onaer ec apabolfe
bringfiulnifgl lmeanndtr elefaser omt hesear ch foTrr uthT.h eE lohim
ofA braham,M osesa ndth ep rpohetsc omet ogethweirt Ahhura Mazda
andB rahma Cihnr iasntdC hristiathnei Nteyw, C ovenaLnatt.i ann d
Sanskrreittu ornn caeg aitnot hoe nel anguaguen derstboodya lbelf ore
the tragedyt heoT fo wero fB abel.P rofessLoerta evt,h ec ulurted
inetllectwuiathrl o otsi nP ythagorLuesi,b nanidz K ant,r espected in
Europemaant hematciicracll iesas l,s toh ebe arer oft hew ildmna
ScythTiaatna-hre ritaHgeei .sa wiseamna nda fool,t higse niiussan
eccentrthiecd ,e ani sa b uffoon.T her atioinsamal ndr eserveE uroofpe
arec omplemeednb tyt hei ntuitiavnidis mmp etuoosfit thyeE ast.
ProfseosBr u gaebvec ometsh eem bodi menotf R ussiaag'es oildde ntity
crsiiasr:ew eE uropeanosr A sianTsh?et ruethm bodied inth epe rsono f
ProefssoBru gaevis tmhees sageth atR ussiiasu niquReu.s siias
descendanotfb othE asta ndW estb,u tbel ongtos n eitheIrti. sa si ft he
Mongoflat hehra dc ommtiettdh era peo fth eg entiBlyeza ntinmeo ther
andbo thh add ecidetdod isowthneb astardc allReuds siYae.tth eso n of
thefa thecra nndoetn oyr i gnohriehs e ritaJgeu.sas t R usas iistr oubled
andd ividbeydt hec ircumstaonfci etsbs i rth,so too is the nHaer rator.
loveasn df ears fatthheew rh omh el oseass ay ounmga n,b uta st he
middalgee pdoe th ew ilusel thlei terparryoce sst of mdh iman d recreate
himT.h itsh emoeft hes oni st hseceo nd majothre me thoefn ovel.
Thet hemoef svoenr sfuathse rt,h uen derlyOedipianlg complex in
- 6
manyo fBely'psr osweo rk,ws as firsetx plobryeKhodase dv ich. 0thers
Transtloar'Isn troduction v
havep arrotehdi si nterpretabtuitlo enfi,tt e ssentiaulnldye veloped.
FreudT'ost aenmTd a bodoeos p rovide sevefroaurln lcoclkiunetgsh e
mysterioefths e noveHils. t heoroinet sh ec ovenabenttw eenf athaenrd
sont,h ei dentifiocfaf tiiloginua ilwl itt thhe inceptoifro enl igainodn
hisr ecogniotfiar otna ndr eligasi otnw oo utgrowotfht sh eOe dipal
complareex allp ertinteoTn ht Ceh ristCehnienda maThen .is suoefs
sexuaalw akenilnogv,e -hraetlea tionansdh iptasb,oo si nt hew ork
remaiton b eu nravebluetd, Ft rheeu diaapnp roacihsli mitebecda use it
focusesa ttenstoiloneo lnyt h"eg endears"pec to f" po.n."
Thek eye lemeonftth e noveilsin ,d eedthe, conceopf"t po.nb,u"t
ini tsf arb roadiemrp licatoif"o gnesn us",g"e neri"cg,e"n aetrion,"
"gentee"lc,og"ne nitaanld" " originBaell.y", the anwdrm iyttehr­
makers,e tso utt or esoltvhepe r obloefm" birth" byc ombinithen gO ld
andN ewT estamenGtesn,e sainsd t heG ospelsT.h e" origisnianil s"
birtihts elf. Genbeyrth aet aecdto fp rocreatibeotnw eenp rogenitor
(fathanedr t)h ge enetrix (imtoi tsthh ee sorn) w,h om usbet sacrificed.
Them ocks acrifoifIc sea abcy A brahaamt t heL ord'cso mmand
prefigutrheesc rucifixGiodo nt.h e Fastahcerri fCihcreissh ti,so nly
begottSeonno ,n t heC rosCsh.r istth,ei nnocenotn es,h edhsi bsl ood
foarl mle ni nt heon lsayc rifaicccee ptabtol teh Fea thearsa ,c rifiocfe
both maannd G od.T heC hristmiyatnh t,h em ysteorfyC hrisits,
perpetuaitnet dh es acramoefnB ta ptisWma.t ert,he s igonf t heN ew
Covenarnetp,l atcheebs l ood ofc ircumciosfti hoeOn l d CovenIann t.
Baptismma,n cihsr istehneebe dc,o mesC hristliakned i sr econciled
witthh Fea ther.
Kotiske ektsh esa me reconciliIanti ohoniw.sn m ysticdarle am
worlhde i sc rucifideide,as n di sb urieodn,lt yo r esurrecatn dl ivien
glortyh ereaTfhteer re.s urrecKtoetdica kn returnh omet oh ism other
whoh ersehlafsb eenre conciwliethdhe rso n byh issa crifiIcnhe i.s
dreamsK otickr,e atientd h ei maganed likenoefst sh Fea thecro,m etos
recognainzdea ccetphte coufsop rr owsp resenttoeh di mT.h epo et
cometso a similar reatlhiahztea i tshi iosfna thesro'nsa, n dA ndrei
Belye ffecat rse conciliwaittPhir oonf esBsuogra eivn h isl iterary
creatiIonna .c cepttihnegi fra tei,nr esigntihnegm seltvoet sh eir
heritabgoet,ch h ialnd d pfoeutl fitlhle ciorv enanta nd fipeancde .
Thissea rcfho pera cea ndr econciliawtaistho en d rivifnogr cient he
lifaen dw orkosf A ndreBie lyB.o rn in1 88t0h,el onaned loneclhyi ld
ofa m ismatched mBarorriiBasug gea,eg vr euw pi nt hAer badti striocf t
MoscowI.n tellaingdeq nuti ckwihtetw easd c,o nstantdlrya wbent ween
thtew op oles reprbeysh einfsta ethdea rn dm otherTh.e dualiotfthy e ir