Философия души

I

Dear Natalia Leonidovna!

I hope you will forgive me for not answering your letter sooner.

I want to write to you about my English. Recently I've understood that my method of studying English is wrong, because I spend for my studying two or three hours every day, but the result is bad. I can read, translate a little but I can't speak fluently.

Now about «The Path of Thunder». I wonder how my thoughts concerning this work have changed for one year! When I was reading the book last year, the scene of dispute from the II^nd chapter was uninteresting to me, but now this extract produces a powerful impression upon me and my friends. Do you remember the words: III ... the slavery of the mind is worse than the slavery of the body."?

That's all.

Yours sincerely, Indira, I

Dear Indira!

II

Your method of studying is not so bad, but it is not your particular method that is wrong. It's the whole system of your education there. I mean little reading. It's my natural belief that it's impossible to master any language (even Russian for Russian people) without serious reading every day, So the only advice I can give is in summer read as many (let it be adapted) English books as you can.

I've read many books of late but the one I'd like to stop on is «Rebecca» by Daphne du Maurier. I know many people find this book sentimental and week. But I had another impression of it (of course, it is sentimental and detective like), but the main thing is that the book is a cry of protest against falsehood of the so - called upper - class. It represents the empty wasted life of the nobility where there is no place for simple human feelings such as love, friendship. Everything is a foul bargain: even marriage. Pretense, adultery (cold and planned) - all this is enough to drive any man to despair and madness. The nerves are always strained and once they can stand it no more and bring man to crime, it is the act of defying society with its ways and traditions, it is an attempt to start a new I life, on other conditions. The language of «Rebecca» is light and easy, sometimes elaborate, but all the thoughts of the heroine are dear to us and understood perfectly well.

I'm going to leave soon for Moldavia (at the beginning of July). With every success possible at your exams and an interesting summer! Your mother has not come to my place yet.

Yours, Natalia Leonidovna.

III

Dear Natalia Leonidovna!

Recently at the English lesson I made a report on creative activities of M. Shvabinsky.

We feel the mood of nature, which merges with the feelings of the girl. She is sad, she is tired, she is poor as the nature of her country, but we believe that something good is going to happen because despite the poverty of girl and nature they remind us Beauty and Good, which in the end always triumph.

Now about my pen - friend. He lives in Bangladesh and writes in English. He was a freedom fighter during the war of independence. Now-he studies at University of Rajshahi. He is twenty years old. He likes English literature. And his manner of writing (his «style») is unusual for us (the so -called «soviet youth») Listen to his phrases:

a) Indira! Love from the innermost cave of my heart goes to you. Thank you very much for your nice, sweet, interesting letter and some attractive stamps.

b) My cordial love to you, dear friend! Tell me, please, how many days does it take to receive my letter?

c) Sweet Indira, I find no language by which I can thank you for your nobleness and generosity.

d) The more I read your letter the more my inclination towards you increases.

Well, I'll finish my letter here.

Yours truly, Indira.

IV

Dear Indira!

Thanks for your interesting letter. I've listened that you were in Moscow. How do you find Lenin's library? Was it convenient for you to work there? And what is the problem you are working at now? I am sorry for firing questions at you but I'd like to know something about Vasya? I haven't seen him for, probably, two years and I wonder if he changed greatly. Has he become serious or does he preserve his boyish character yet? I remember that he wished to change his department (or faculty) for the teachers' department. Has he done it? Now a few words about myself. I shan't speak about the work as, I probably wrote to you, things don't go so fast with me as I should like them to go. It seems quite natural that there may be ups -and downs in one's work. But I practically always had only «ups» so this unusual state of things makes me despondent and grieving. I comfort myself with the thought that «the harder is the way, the greater will be the joy of over coming it».

Well, it's enough for today.

Yours, N.L.

V

Dear Natalia Leonidovna!

Thank you for your letter. I' 11 try to answer the questions you ask me if I can.

I liked very much to study at Lenin's library. It struck me that I was not tired in spite of the fact that I was studying from morning to evening. Of course, it was very convenient for me to work there.

The problem I am working at now is the same: «The ideology of the Mahdavi movement». I am translating the manuscripts and reading some books on this problem in English.

As to Vasya he hasn't changed his department for the teachers' one. And as far as I know he isn't going to do it. Of course, he has become serious but many traits of his previous boyish character has preserved. He told me that he disliked my parents because they didn't understand my significance (?!), my way of thinking, my individuality. Then he said to me that he sent a letter to my mother in order to explain her my character.

My studies are excellent, but I can't bear it more: I mean bad lectures.

What do you think about it?

Yours, Indira.

VI

Dear Indira!

I think, you ought to have accustomed yourself to the thought that most lectures are usually bad, especially in our parts. So you only must do all you can to study the things on your own.

I started to work on my thesis and it's quite different from what I had expected. If earlier I was under the delusion that to be a lexicographer is easier than to be simply linguist now I hold another opinion. A lexicographer must be a universally educated person, he must know all the aspects of the language: phonetics, grammar, stylistics and the like. As to me I'm a poor phonetician, a better grammarian and know much enough about lexicology. What will be the end of my work is hard to say now.

The topic of my thesis was discussed at the sitting of a sector and it is to be discussed at the sitting of our scientific council. I shall write its title in Russian: «Градуированные толковые словари родного языка и принципы их построения (на материале серии англо-американских словарей английского языка)».

It seems to me, that it is necessary to say a few words about the topic. First of all, the topic is devoted to the problems of the so called school lexicographer It deals with dictionaries compiled specially for the need of school - children of different ages - the word «graded» points to it: there may be dictionaries for children of 5-7 years, 7-10, 10-13, 13-15 and so on. English lexicographical tradition is very rich in such things.

So here I put a stop and tell you «good -bye».

Yours, N.L.

VII

Dear Natalia Leonidovna!

At last I have read that best - seller by Andre Mauroi. My opinion is just the same. I think it is only a successful attempt to interpret the thoughts of the so - called « great people». That is all.

His «recipes» of how to live or how to love are nonsense. If I were fourteen years old maybe I would trust him, but, thank goodness, I know what life is and what love is! And his optimism irritates me.

Now I am interested in the problems of modernism (surrealism and all). Recently I've read interesting article in the «Daily World». Imagine an assortment of stainless steel semi -circles. To my mind, its nonsense, but an art critic thinks that «assortment» depicting a field of grazing goats and sheep «is an abstract synthesis of a typical African scene».

My acquaintance thinks that the value of rnodernism is in the fact that it attracts our attention to a question or questions and we have to answer them, i.e. modernism teaches us to think.

VIII

Dear Indira!

Thanks for your letter, there is a nice English proverb «Better late than never». It suits the situation greatly. But don't trouble yourself about it because I also had my hands full all this time and would have been hardly able to answer your letter in time.

To my mind, Englishmen like Dostoevsky for other reasons than detectiveness. If you remember there were many philosophers and psychologists in England. Maybe that was their national trait, and Dostoevsky was a great philosopher of life, a great psychologist.

Besides, many English authors liked to describe miserable places, miserable people, grief, sorrow and so on. Probably, it's also the reason why they like Dostoevsky. As to me, I appreciate him, but his novels produce very powerful an impression upon my nerves, I take everything to close to heart, I am uneasy when I read something of the kind. Possibly, the author just desired such an effect.

That's probably all I wanted to write you.

Yours, Natalia Leonidovna.

IX

Dear Natalia Leonidovna!

It was quite by chance that I didn't answer your letter in time. I happened to stow away your letter and then forgot all about it. Now I beg your pardon for my absent – mindedness.

In July and August I worked at the building of the University. We lived in tents. At the beginning it seemed so nice to us, but in the end we understood camping was not very pleasant when it rained. I disliked to work there. The building is out of order. There are many shortcomings there. Sometimes we had no work. To my mind, working on the virgin lands is much better: you work with diligence and that's why you are fully satisfied.

At the University recently we had the ball of Autumn. Many songs were sung, sketches (very funny and interesting) and plays -performed, especially I liked an extract from «Othello». The part of Othello was played by a fifth - year's student. Natalia Leonidovna! This was wonderful. Vasya began to write to Vie in English only. How do you like it?! Receitftyhe wrote that I was «the eighth wonder of the world». I don't agree with him. I am simply wondering. It's not megalomania. I feel it! I feel that I am wonder. Now I study Persian.

X

Dear Indira!

Thanks for your letter. It occurred to me while I was reading it that you'd better make the Persian language the purpose of your life. I know that even in Leningrad they are short of specialists on oriental languages. It's rather perspective to learn them. If you'd set your mind upon it and work seriously (as you do it now) it is very probably that you may make it your speciality.

I have read «Breakfast at Tiffany's» and I liked the book (though I think Salinger is a greater master of the word than Capote, but it is my personal opinion). There are some very nice poetic passages in «The grass harp» which I admired greatly.

I do share your view on Harnter, as to Allan Sillitoe I experienced a double sensation -while I read his «A Start In Life» I liked it immensely finding a lot of clever thoughts, liking the easy and frank manner of his [narration, but as soon as I finished reading and some days passed I forgot nearly everything, so now his novel is in a hare.

And there is one more story that I liked very much: "Двое" Люси Фор. The psychological deepness or the story moved me to a great degree and the manner is also nice.

That's the end of my letter.

Best regards to your mother.

Yours, N.L.