To L. N. Lenskaya, 15 November 1889. Moscow.
Л. Н. ЛЕНСКОЙ, 15 ноября 1889 г. Москва.
Headnote
Date and addressee. November 15, 1889, Moscow. Addressed to Lidia Nikolaevna Lenskaya (Лидия Николаевна Ленская), a family acquaintance in Chekhov’s Moscow circle who evidently knew French. Her household included "Alexander Pavlovich" (her husband or a close relative) and a child or young person nicknamed "Sasik" (Сасик, a diminutive, likely of Alexander/Александр), presumably their son.
A short, breezy request-letter. Chekhov asks Lenskaya to translate a French-language review that has stumped the household’s "young ladies" (barishni – likely servants, governesses, or young female relatives), who after two hours’ effort managed to render only the word "Antoine." He asks not for a full translation but just excerpts from the beginning, middle, and end, enough to catch the general tone, joking that the fine details can be left "for the French to read." He mentions Alexander Pavlovich has finished studying Victor Hugo’s play "Hernani" (used as a byword for the strictures of French neoclassical drama – Chekhov calls them "pseudo-classical shackles"), so he can now call on the household without disturbing his work. He proposes to collect the translation Friday or Saturday, says there’s no rush if it isn’t ready, self-deprecatingly laments his own ignorance of foreign languages ("without knowledge of languages one feels as if without a passport"), jokingly says he’d like to whip himself for it, and urges that Sasik be taught at least three languages. He closes wishing to speak with Alexander Pavlovich and sends regards.