Неизвестные Стругацкие: Письма. Рабочие дневники. 1942-1962 г.г.

Mein lieber bruderchen!

Received your letter three days ago, but only to-day got up to answers. Your photos, I like them very much, though I think you'll spend down here something more interesting. The matter is, that I better like pictures of the common life, than those of important things. Still I'm very glad to know how that famous Tichov looks. As to your scepticism towards that insufficient mechanism of your telescope towers, hark at that and secure your own health. For this does'nt make any revolution in the Soviet astronomy.

I'm very glad then, that you have tried hot potatoes — I mean your journey and all that difficulties and other stuff connected with that.

As to the apples, I'm absolutely in line with your wishes that I should have been with you when tasting them. Down here there is no single apple or other fruits, and all of us are to be satisfied with poor cucumbers and nuts. Here in Kansk now we have possess no bread enough, no meat enough, no fruits enough, only vodka — no wine — only vodka. And we are killing our sorrows in it.

Reading? Anna Segers «The seventh cross», «The people revolution in China», well, you don't blame me — «Seven colours of rainbow» — ai-ai-ai!

Now I'm finishing, my boy. Waiting for your letters and so on so forth.

Kissing mama, shaking hands with you.

Good bye.

Your always

Ark.[77]

Следующее письмо АНа опять на английском. На обороте письма — отрывок лекции: «…между трудом и капиталом. Обострение классовой борьбы и необходимость научного обоснования борьбы для ее успешного ведения». И тут же: «Глупости» и иероглифы. Первая строка: «Орудия на огневой позиции установлены», вторая — «Вперед, вперед, войска вперед!».

ПИСЬМО АРКАДИЯ БРАТУ, 1 НОЯБРЯ 1951, КАНСК — Л.

My dear В!

Excuse my having been silent so long, but the situation down here in Kansk (I mean my personal affairs as well as the matters of my service) did not let me a damn split of time or mood to write to anybody and to you especially, because I know, that you, as well as me, don't like sentiments, and had I written to you during this very time my letter would have been overfilled with all sorts of complaints, regrets and so on, and so forth. Besides there was nothing substantial to write about: everything in our poor and miserable life is flowing dully and endlessly, without much to change and little to love.

The state of things down here never changed since that time, but my conscious cann't stand your silent, and still hot упреки (have forgotten the word), and I decided to write to you a pair of lines. First of all about my personal life.

I'm fed well, sleeping sound, drinking little. Work much; read much — and what sort of stuff am I reading? First of all — «Systems of the Universe» by a certain Gurvitch — a splendid outline of the history of the development of the human's views upon the Universe. Liked the book very much. Think you've already read it. Then reread Ostrovsky's «Plays» — very nice, «Another Such Victory» by an American — Weever, if I'm not mistaken — about the affairs in the USA, taken place in 1932, when MacArthur shot the veterans who had come to Washington to ask for their earned money. What else? In Japaneze — «[название иероглифами]» — «Don Juan in the Hell» by Kikuchikan, «[название иероглифами]» — «Before and after the Death» by Arisima Takeo. In English: reread «The War of the Worlds» by Wells, «Pickwick's Club» by Dickens and so on. That's all, I suppose.

The second — my service. Here there is very little to say about — service is service. Very much of work, indeed. Now I'm storming over the heads of my poor pupils and pressing out of them the last drop of oil. They are becoming thinner and thinner just upon one's eyes, but even can'nt complain — they are too frightened to move a finger against me. I am killing every spot of protest in the begetting.

Now, here I'm finishing. You write more often then you have been before, I need letters from mama and you badly, because by some reasons you don't need to know now I'm too lonely now. So, don't forget your poor brother.

I'll probably come to Leningrad about 24th of January 1952, and then we shall be gay and happy for a while.

Here is the End.

Kiss you and mama.

Your Ark.[78]

О своей службе в Канске АН рассказывал такую байку:

ИЗ: АНС-ЭНЦИКЛОПЕДИЯ

Аркадий Натанович — дежурный по школе военных переводчиков в Канске. Только что приказом по армии офицерам было велено носить шашки. В обязанности дежурного входило приветствовать при построении школы ее начальника — низенького, небольшого роста полковника.

И вот утро, плац. Через плац неспешным шагом шествует полковник.