The Dragon: Fifteen Stories

310 Pages·1976·5.47 MB·English

by  Yevgeny Zamyatin

YegvenZya myatin
•
lfli�Hf)i lJliillE A GO N
FfiteeSnotr ies
•
Translaantdee ddi ted
byM irrGai nsburg
•
ThUen iveorfCs hiitcPyar geos s
THE UNIVERSoiFlYC H ICAGPREsOs , CHICAGO6 0637
©Copyrigh1t9,6 61,9 67b,y R andom House, Inc.
Allri ghtsre served
Publisinhe thdi se ditio1n9 76
Printientd h eU nited SotfaA tmeesr ica
ISBN0:- 226-978(6c7l-o2th boun0d-)2;2 6-978(6p8a-pe0r bound)
LibraorfyC ongreCsast alCoagr dN umber7:5 -27415
''ComraCdheu ryginH a6 theF looru" r eprinted
byp ermiarioonf T heM acmillanC ompanf1Jr om
The FatalE gg a.nd Other SovietS atiree,d ited
andt ranslabt11eM di "a GimburgC.o pyrigh©t
Mi"aG inaburIg¢, 4I,g 6"T;h.eM iracolfeA sh
W edneadaoyri"gi nallya ppeariendt heK enyon
Review." TheL ion"o riginalla11pp eareidn the
SaturdayE veningP ost.
TranslaItnotrr'osd uction
YEVGENY ZAMYATIN
(z8 84-19 37)
We neewdri terwsh of eanro thing
"Our Goal"
Heretiacres theo nly[ bittreerm]e dy
againstth ee ntroopyf h umant hought.
"LiteratureR,e volutioannd, En tropy"•
Oneo fth e mostb rillRiusansti anwr iterosf th e twentieth
in
century, YeZvamgyeantiny belontgots h et raditioRnu ssian
literartuerper esebnytG eodg olLe,s kovB,e lyR,e mizovan,d ,
in certainas pectso fth eiwro rkal,s ob yB abela ndB ulgakov.
Itis a traditipoarna,d oxicalolfey xp,e rimentanedr isn no­
vatrosP.e rhatphsep rinciqpualal ity untihtaetts h emi st heir
approatcorh e ality iatsun sde ins rt-a- the refustalo b e bound
byli terfaalc t, inttehrwee vaingo fr ealitayn df antasyth,e
transmutatioonff acintt op oetroyf,t egnr otesqoubel,i que,
playfulb,u tal wayse xpresosfith veew riteunri'qsu ev isioofn
in
lifeh iosw n,u niquteerm s.
is
It essentiaalllsayo t raditoif"o onr alli"t eraotfuth ree ,
•Thi.s essaayp pearins Englishtr anslatioinn Di81onant Voicei1nS o'Did
Literateudirteed, b y Patricia Blake and May Hayward (NewY ork:P an­
theon,1 962).
TrasnlatoIr'ntrso duction vi
"tolrda"t thhane "wrri ttent"al eIts.w orksal iarvwieeth the
rhythomfRsu ssian ins alplie tsre icchehs annsd variety, often
elbaoraotrneadm,ee dnan,td s tylbiuzatel dw,aa yts b ietsst
truet oi tsf oolrki .g in
Witi,m agin,as ttiyolninivsetnintcei svse,gr eanavdte rbal
masytar eetr hheal lmkarso ft hiss chooanldZ, am yatinw'osr k
wasr icehlnyd owedal ltw hietshe .
Zamyatwiasnh omin LebyeandT,am boPvr ocveii,nnt he
haertloanfRd u sas'fise rtbiallceek a rbtehl tw.a asr egion
It
ofr yfiee sla,dp polrec harsdqasuta, n cicehnurtcs hp,ease ants,
gypes,shi orfsae,i m resrhcants,t vaernkpeeermso,n ,ka snd
ample-Rbuosdsibieeuandat iest-hanmedo st Rvuisvsiida n
speewchihc,Zh a myaatbinrs boeandd l taeusre dw itshu ch
extraaorvryid rtinuoisnhii swt oyr k.
Poetan ds taiisrZtam,y atriens etrohv iemds aetal ltfli mes
threi gthomt o cankd t oq uestHiifiosrn ms.ta jpourb lished
worwka s" AP rocviinTaalle w,h"i acphp earine 19d13 .I n
1914h ew roatn eo ve"lAlttah W,eo rlEdn'dsi, nw" hi chhe
saitritzheledi faer mooyfffi cerasr emogtarisero tno wn.
in
Them agaziinnwe h itchhne o veallpap ewaasrc eodn fiscated,
andZ amyatwiasnb rougthrtlif aot"rom aligtnhioenffi gc er
cor.p"Hse w ausl timaactqeeuildttyTh. i sw as hniofistr st
coflniwcitt Thsa rilwsa.tAs am emebro f Btolhseh efvaikc ­
tioonf the SoactiPialarc ty dD uermiochnrissg t uddean,yt s
heh abde eanr reksetpeitdns , o lriyct oanfinefmoseron mte
montanhdstw ,i ceexil efdr oPme tersburg.
A navaralc hibtyetc rtia ningZ,am yatsipnetw noty ears
duriWnogr lWda r inE ngland, danedss iugpneininrvggi s
I
thbeu ilodifin cge brfeoakRreu rsssI in1a 91.7h er eturnteod
Peterasnbpdul runeggd in ttoh see ethinlgti erryaa ctitvhiatty
waosen o ft hmeo sats tonbiys-hipnrgo odftu hrceet vso lution
ruinedr,a vahguendg,anr dye ,p idemiRcu-srisHdieda e.n
in
wrostteio erpsal,y s,c riantdi chiels emc;t ounrlt eiedr ature
andt hwer itcerra'hfsept ar;t iactieipdnv ariloiutsep rraor­y
jcetansd c ommtietes--moanfty h eimn aitteanidd p resided
ovebry Gor-kaynds reveodn v ariouesdi torial
Maxim
boardsw,i thG orkByl,o Kko,m eCyh uokvskGywnil,e v,
TrnaslatoIr'ntrsod uciton
vii
Shkloanvdso kthye,lr ed ainwrgi tepreost,,s craintdi clsin,­
gusi.sA tndv ery hseco aomnue n dfierrfe r otmh nee wly
"orthoxod"-hte" prolewtrariitwaehnros"s o ugthoit m pose
ona lalrt tshocelr ei toef"usr eifounl tnoet shrsee vonl.u"t io
Whileh ea ccetphtreee dv ol,Zu atmaiytocinnh otshele o ng
persp.He cect hiotvsoeee x aminteh aess umptoifBo olnssh evik
orotdhowxhyi wcehr aler eabdeymcin ogr equisite during the
relatfirfievreeps lotys t-revdoelcuaatdniwedoh niarwcyeh r e
tod omaitnReu ssliiananf del eirtatufroera rtysoec omIen.
hew roitnae n i mpassaipoap,nle"T eodm orr:o w"
191199-20
"He whfoo uhhnasidi s d etalo diasly,i L koet w'iesf,a l ready
turnedi natp oi rlo lfsa alth,aas l resaudninykt toh eeart h
andd oesn ot mahoevaeThd e. worilskd e patl iovnelb yy
herse:tthi hece reCtihcr itshhtee, r eCtoipce rnitchhuees r,­
etTiocl sOtuorsy y.m booffl a iitshh e sryeA. "f eywe ars
latheewr r ot"eTh:em osetff ecwtayio vfde e strarto yiinsg
thcean ontiizooafno ngei vfeonrman do npeh iplho.ysN"oo
wondheewr as a mong tthobe e cotmhteear goefct o n­
first
certheodun dinbgyth eP artcyr iatniwdcr sir tse.
In1 92h0 ewr othei s pruotpohpneiotaviWnece l - ap ro­
jectinittoohn de i stftuanurte thotefo talani,tm arecianhiz,e d
dehumansitzahetedse a ewm ergaistn hgee n rde sutlhte of
tenbeetsi fnogr ucpeodsn oc iebtyty h·Ce o mmunruilsetr s.
This nov,we hilcanht icianpdap treodb ianbflluye bnoctehd
HuxlBeryav'es NeWwo rlandd O rwelrl9'8sn4 e,v aepr­
peeardin RussiIatss. u bsequnuauetnhto pruibzlenid c atio
abroaantddr anastliionnt o lmanagunayg inecsl,u dEinngg­
lisadhd,fe eudtl o t hceam paiagng ainsta uhitotrs.
Instoefia dde aeluilzoetgdoti herese vonl,Zu amtyitaoin
wrote lsit"koTerh Diere asg o"nTh,eC" av ea,n""d A S tory
Abotuhte MIomspto rtThanitn g,r"e flectthsinetag r kness
andt htee rorfo rtth ie:m t ehlei tmtalnle o ins hti s uniform,
transfoirnmat edodr agwointha gun ; thset arvinfgr,o zen
intellreecdtuualtc ose tde ga lai nlfoegowsf thcei ty
wood;
turneidn to ap rbearhisrrtielocnan dscadpesoefcrt va es
e-a
andc lianffdsr oaring mot;hsf rraitcaniddd ee struction
amm
blood. Churocfh heq uestioBnolss he-
and In "TTle God" the
TranstloarI"'nst roduction viii
vikt entehtta htee n jdu isfittehsme ean s. "The Floodh"e
In
givtheesc entprlalat coie n divpiasdsnuisalao gaianb scatk ­
grountdh raetfl etchvteass ct h anegso fth tei mase m arginally
and oblasi tqhuweeyel rye rientflh ececo tnesdc iooftu hsen ess
charcaterrsed-seinotfans outlsyiunbg,u w rhboknsoew l­
edgoeft hhei story arisol uinmidtt eosthd ue cfmha ctst he
as
deteartiinqogur aliotyfc oalth,es ilenti nmetashcl,ehca ko f
bread.
A mercilanedso su tspokcerni Ztaimcy,a mtiocnk etdh e
"sloilfci esf ceh"(oo nilth icsas ,e" lsiocfre e volultiiofnea"ry)
asa t hrowtboat chnkeia vrea dicrale aliosftm h 1e8 6.o s
Howw asi th,eas ketdh,tha etm osvtoc iferroeuvsollyu tionary
prolewtrairtiweaner rtseh meo srte troginr tahdeewi orr k?
Hep raechheedr aegsainyan da gai.In fw eh aveh enrcoe,s t i
hew rowteem ,u sitn vtehnetfm oh,re rieesss ys etnhoti ealal th
andg ro.wH tehr eejctreedal iwshme,t shoceira olrbis otu r­
geo,ai sans ouwtorrnae,c taryi ofnonnin capaobfml eee ting
thdee manodfst iamw eh ebnoh ts cienrceev oanldhu atdi on
explotdhesdeo lifda,mil iwaro dr.lH eu rgtehdue s oefth e
famiolnialasayrs priarndg-bfor"roemall itfthoee "r ealities
ofb eitnog ,p hiltooths eof panhtyas.,"t Liiciftes heelwr fo,t"e
in ane ssoan"y T hNee wR ussPirano s(1 e923") ",h asl oistts
planreae l:ii titys p reocjtnetod ,al otnhogel fidx epdo ints,
but along ctoohdreia ntdoeyfsEn ianemisincot, fr evtoiloun.
Int hnieswp r eocjt,it ohbnee -skntowfno unnlaansdo bejcts
becodmiesc pelfdaan,t asftamiilci,ar -arun.fTilamil lsi iswh y
iitss o l ogfioclrali tetraodatuytr obe ed arwtno t hfean tastic
plootrt, ot haemal gamo fr eliatayn fdan tya.s"
In" LirtaetRuerveo,nl an,ud tE inotro(1p 93y2) "h ,ew ro:t e
� . .._ ·
''Whatw eneeidnlt ierattuorde·a aryve a pshtoil sophhoirci ­
zonwsen; e ed tuhlet imtmoshatmet o esf,te ar,sth oemm oest
fear'lWheys?ans'd ' Whante x"t ?'
-. Zamtyiawna tsh geu idsipnigor fti ht"e S eraBprieothn­
rena,g "r othuapti nclsuodmeoedft hmeo sttaln eteandd
origyionuawrnlig t e(reFsid ,n KavZeorcsihhne,,n koVsevo­
loIdv anoLve,Lv u n,tan sdo the.Ir nths e)f acoefd emands
foird eyo lino ganardtt hcer "yWh,o eviesnr o wti tuhs is
Trasnaltor'Isnt roudcticm,
ix
againusst,th "e SerapiBorne thrreenss iterde gimentaatnido n
wered edicattoes dt yliesxtpiecr imveanrti,e antdy ,t hear tist's
freedotmoe xprehsisso wn visioofnl ifree gardleosfst he
dictaotfep so litfiunccalt ionsar.iA emongt hep rincipal credos
oft heg rouwpas Zamyatins'tsa temtheantt' 'trulei terature
can exiosntl wyh erieti sp roducbeydm admenh,e rmihtse,r e­
ticvsi,s ionarreibeesanl,sd , s keptics."
A
mostm eticulcoraufsts man,Z amyatalinw ays remained
truet oh isf ormulatthiaot"n l iteraituspr aei ntianrgc,h itec­
turean,d music.W"i th hisp rophevtiisci aonnd r emakrable
sensoefh istohrecy o mbinae rda rsee nsoeff ormH.i ss tories
areb uialsts tricatspl oeym s,w ithc omplegxr ouposfi nterre­
latethde mesan d persisitmeangte esc,h oeadn dr e-echloiekde
refrains.
Zamyatin was a mastero fm any themesan d manys tyles.
Someo fhi s stori"eIsnO, l dR ussia",T"h eF loodan,d" "The
Northr,e"a dl ikbea lladOst.h ers, "lAi Skteo rAyb outt he
MostI mportantT hing," are many-facetierdo,n ciocm men­
tarioensc ontemporliafreSy.t il lo therlsi,k "eT heH ealing
ofth e Novice Erasmusan"d "TheM iracolfeA shW ednes­
day,ar"e ribaltdo,n gue-in-cinhveeenkt ioTnhsr.o ughothuetm
alruln sa profoucnodn cern panrdo foumnodc keroyfh iso wn
specikailn d.
Zamyatinv'iss iwoasn too larget,oo far-reacthooi nnogn,­
conformainsdtt ,o oo penleyx prestsoeb de t olerabtyeth de
purveyoorsfo fficialan d compulsdoroyg maV.e rye arlhye
"
wasb randedb y Trotskasy an internaelm igreH.e" w as
repeateadtltya ckaesd " ab ourgeionitse llecotuutoal f,tun "e
witthh er evolutWihoenn. t heP arty-liAnses ociaotfiP orno­
(RAPP)
letariWanr iters gainedf ulslw ayi nt hel att1e9r2 os--;
�
witthh ee ndo fth e ewE conomPiocl icy anidn ttrhodeu ction
oft hefi rsFti vYee arPl an, Its etout systematictaol lcyru sh
alJ_originaJj�y-�d_in ���ndenicneth e arts.A rth adt os erve
,...----
thee ndosf t hep arty, iothr a dn or ighttoe xist.
Allt hei nstrumeonfpt osw ewre reb rougihntt uos ei nt he
campaifgno cro nfonnitFya.c ewdi th garlitme rnatimvoesst,
ofZ amyatin'esr stwhpiulpeil ansd colleagyuieesl dteopd r es-
TranslatIonrotsrd uction � . -··- � x
C in
surer,e canpteudb lliy, manyin stances eir
andd evottehde mselvest urntion ogu tt heg raye ulogietso
Communicsotn strucdteimoannd edb yt hed ictatorOsthhiepr.
writelriskB,ea beanld Oleshcah,o sseil encMean.y committed
suiciZdaem.y atidne'sst ructtoiooaknn othfeorn nO.n eo ft he
mosta ctiavned i nfluenfitgiualr eisnt heA ll-RusWsriiant se'r
Unionw,h icihn cludae dv arieltyi toefrs acrhyo ohlesb ,e came
theo bjeocfta frenziceadm paigno fv ilificaHtei woasn .d is­
missefdr omh ise ditorpioals tsm;a gazineasn dp ublishing
housecsl ostehde dioro rtsoh imt;h osw�h icvhe nturteopd u b­
lishhi s wowrerkpe e rsecuhtiepsdl ;a ywse rew ithdrafwnr om
thes tage. Utnhdeep rr essuorfet heP arty inquishiitso rs,
frienbdesg ant ob ea fratiods ee him maannydo fh isc om­
in
radest heW riterUsn'i odne nouncheidm H.e wasi,n e ffect,
presenwtietdh t hec hoicoefr epudiathiinswg o rkan d his
v�ewosr,t otealx pulsfiroonml iterraeAt. u man ofi ncorrupti­
blaen du ncompromicsoinugr agZea,m yatri�n �e
WriterUsn'i onI.n 1 9_��..9inh isl ettoefrr e signahteiw orno,t e
_
thaittw as impossifbolhrei mt or emaiinna literoaryr ganiza­
tiownh iche,v eni ndirecttoloykp, a rint thep ersecuotfi on
itsm embersT.h"'e o nltyhin g tharte mainteodh imw ast o
lecturoent echniscualb jeacttst heP olytechnIincsatli tute.
1931
In Zamyatwinr otteoS talrienq,u estpienrgmi ssitoon
goa broawdi thhi sw ifew,i tthh er ightto retu"rnas sooasn
itb ecomepso ssiibnlR eu ssitaos ervger eaitd eaisnl iterature
t
withocurti ngibnegf olriet mtelne. "W itht hea ido fG orky's
intercehsesw iaso,ns urprisialnlgolwye,td o l eavReu ssiHae.
1937.
settliendP ariwsh,e rhee l ivunetdi hli dse atihn
Zamyatilna'syste arisnP aris wyeeraero sfg reamta terial
hardshiapn dl onelinAess Rse.m izowvr ote",H ec amew ith
sealed alnidap ss ealed heHarte. f"o unldi tdienc ommon
witmho sotf t hee migrewsh oh adl efRtu ssiaa d ecadeea rlier.
Hew rotseo mear ticlfeosFr r encmha gazinaensdw orkeodn a
noveTlh,e S coguero fG odI.t cse ntlrc aharacwtase rA ttila,
� The fullt exto ft hilse ttearp peainr sE nglitrsanhs latioinnM ax East­
man'sA rtiisntU sn ifo(rNme wY orkA:lf reAd .Kn opf,1 9�4p).,8 7.
tS eep ag:W.ie- xvili fotrh ef ultle xotfZ amyatin' sl ettetroS talin.
xi TranslatIonrtrso duction
whoseep ochhe,f elpta,r alloeulreo dwn . The nowvaesln ever
finished. Zamwyaasbt uirni ine da c emeteoryu tsiPdaer iHsi.s
funerwala sa ttendoendlb yy a s malglr ouopf f rienandds ,h is
deatwhe nuntm entionine tdh eS oviperte ss.
LikBeu lgakanodv likBea beZla,m yatgini veussa g limpse
intow hatp ost-revoluRtuisosniaanlry i teramtiugrheth ave
becomhea di ndependednarcineg,,a ndi ndividunaloitbt eye n
stampedo uts o thorougthhleyd icbtya torThseh iRpu.s sian
reader-abnydt hes amet oketnh,eR ussiwanr iter-wdase ­
privefdo ry earso ft hew orko ft hesrei chan d germinal
writearnsd,t hee ffectalsas,, ar e sadlye vidte.n
UnlikBeu lgakoBva,b ela,n ds omeo therZsa,m yathina s
noty etb een graenvteenpd art ialr ehabilitaHtiisno anm.e i s
occasionamlelnyt ionienrd e cemnetm oirsb,u this workrse ­
main virtualunlkyn ownin Russitaod ay.