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544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1859
He was a man of about thirty-two or three, of medium height and pleasant appearance, with dark grey eyes, but with a total absence of any definite idea, any concentration, in his features. Thoughts promenaded freely all over his face, fluttered about in his eyes, reposed on his half-parted lips, concealed themselves in the furrows of his brow, and then vanished completely – and it was at such moments that an expression of serene unconcern spread all over his face. This unconcern passed from his face into the contours of his body and even into the folds of his dressing-gown.
‘Writes articles at night,’ Oblomov mused. ‘When does he sleep? And yet he probably earns five thousand a year. It’s his bread and butter. But to keep on writing, wasting his mind and soul on trifles, to change his convictions, sell his intelligence and imagination, do violence to his nature, be in a perpetual state of excitement and turmoil, knowing no rest, always rushing about… And write and write, like a wheel or a machine – write to-morrow, write the day after – the holidays, summer will come – always writing, writing! When is he to stop and have a rest? Poor wretch!’
‘Don’t talk rubbish! Man has been created to arrange his own life and even to change his own nature, and you’ve grown a big belly and think that nature has sent you this burden! You had wings once, but you took them off.’
"امتلك إدراكاً لا يقل عن الآخرين، لكنه مدفون تحت كومة من الأنقاض ونائم بكسل
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أمتلك شيئا أكثر قيمة من إدراكه - إنه القلب النزيه المخلص! إنه الكنز الثمين الذي حمله معافى خلال حياته. لقد أسقطه الناس أرضاً ، فنهض غير مكترث وأخيراً ارتمى نائماً ومسحوقاً وخائب الأمل، وقد فقد قوته في العيش، لكنه لم يفقد نزاهته وإخلاصه. فقلبه لم يعزف أى نغمة زائفة ، ولم تكن ثمة شائبة في شخصيته. فلا الكذبة المبهرجة تخدعه ولا شئ يغريه ويحيده عن الطريق المستقيم. كان ثمة محيط مألوف من الشر والدناءة يجيش حوله ، وربما يكون العالم بأكمله مسموماً ومقلوباً رأساً على عقب - لن ينكس أبلوموف رأسه لصنم الزيف، وستكون روحه دائماً نقية ونبيلة ونزيهة .. روحه الشفافة والصافية كالكرستال . مثل هؤلاء الناس نادرون ، هناك قلة منهم ، إنهم مثل اللآلئ بين الحشود ! لا يمكن لقلبه أن يرتشي ، فيمكن الاعتماد عليه في كل مكان وزمان "