The Proposal (প্ৰস্তাৱ)
নাট্যকাৰ: এন্টন চেখভ (Anton Chekhov)
1. মূল পাঠ্যভিত্তিক প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ (Thinking about the Play)
What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
(চুবুকভে প্ৰথমতে লোমভ কি উদ্দেশ্য লৈ আহিছে বুলি সন্দেহ কৰিছিল? পিছত যেতিয়া তেওঁ ক’লে “মই তোমাক মোৰ নিজৰ পুত্ৰৰ দৰেই সদায় মৰম কৰি আহিছোঁ”, সেই কথাষাৰত তেওঁ আন্তৰিক আছিলনে? নাটকৰ পৰা কাৰণ দৰ্শোৱা।)
Answer: At first, seeing Lomov dressed in a formal evening suit and gloves, Chubukov suspects that Lomov has come to borrow money from him, thinking to himself, “He’s come to borrow money. Shan’t give him any!” No, Chubukov is not at all sincere when he later showers Lomov with loving terms like “my angel” and “like my own son”. His affection is completely artificial, opportunistic, and driven by financial self-interest, because as soon as an argument over Oxen Meadows begins, Chubukov instantly forgets his sweet words and hurls abusive insults at Lomov, calling him an “intriguer”, “pettifogger”, and “villain”.
লোমভক সান্ধ্য পোছাক আৰু দস্তানা পিন্ধি অহা দেখি চুবুকভে প্ৰথমতে ভাবিছিল যে লোমভ তাৰ ওচৰলৈ টকা ধাৰলৈ বিচাৰি আহিছে। পিছত লোমভে কন্যা নাটালিয়াৰ সৈতে বিবাহৰ প্ৰস্তাৱ দিবলৈ অহা বুলি গম পোৱাৰ পিছত চুবুকভে লোমভক “নিজৰ পুত্ৰৰ দরে মৰম কৰোঁ” বুলি কোৱা কথাষাৰত কোনো আন্তৰিকতা নাছিল। ই আছিল সম্পূৰ্ণ সুবিধাবাদী আৰু স্বাৰ্থপৰ অভিনয়। কাৰণ অকণমান পিছতেই পথাৰখনক লৈ তৰ্ক আৰম্ভ হোৱাৰ লগে লগে চুবুকভে সেই মৰম পাহৰি লোমভক “বটপাড়”, “চোৰ” আৰু “কুৎসিত চৰিত্ৰৰ” বুলি গালি পাৰিবলৈ ধৰিলে।
Chubukov says of Natalya: “… as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat…” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
(চুবুকভে নাটালিয়াৰ বিষয়ে কয়: “…তাই সন্মতি নিদিয়াকৈ থাকিব নোৱাৰে! তাই প্ৰেমত পৰিছে; তাই প্ৰেমাতুৰ মেকুৰীৰ দৰে…” আপুনি এই কথাৰ সৈতে একমতনে? কাৰণ ব্যাখ্যা কৰা।)
Answer: Yes, to a large extent, Chubukov’s assessment of Natalya is accurate. Although she appears extremely aggressive, argumentative, and stubborn during petty quarrels over Oxen Meadows and pet dogs, her deep desperation to marry is revealed when she learns that Lomov had come to propose to her. The moment she discovers this, she falls into total hysterics, wailing, “Bring him back! Bring him here! I’m dying!”, desperately urging her father to fetch Lomov back so that she can accept the marriage proposal.
হয়, চুবুকভে কোৱা কথাষাৰ যথেষ্ট সত্য আছিল। বাহিৰত নাটালিয়া জেদী, কাজিয়াপ্ৰিয় আৰু খঙাল যেন লাগিলেও তাইৰ অন্তৰত বিবাহৰ প্ৰতি তীব্ৰ আকুলতা আছিল। যেতিয়া তাই গম পালে যে লোমভ তাইক বিয়াৰ প্ৰস্তাৱ দিবলৈহে আহিছিল, তেতিয়া তাই নিজৰ সকলো খং-ৰাগ পাহৰি উন্মাদৰ দৰে চিঞৰি কান্দি উঠিল আৰু দেউতাকক যিকোনো প্ৰকাৰে লোমভক ওভতাই আনিবলৈ ক’লে যাতে তাই বিবাহৰ প্ৰস্তাৱটো গ্ৰহণ কৰিব পাৰে।
(i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other.
(নাটকখনত চৰিত্ৰসমূহে পৰস্পৰৰ প্ৰতি ব্যৱহাৰ কৰা অপবাদ, কটু শব্দ আৰু গালিবোৰ বাছি উলিওৱা।)
Answer: Chubukov calls Lomov various names including pettifogger, malicious double-faced intriguer, turnip-ghost, blind hen, stuffed sausage, wizen-faced frump, pup, old rat, milksop, fool, and rascal. Lomov calls Chubukov and his family a landgrabber and an intriguer, while claiming his grandfather was a drunkard, his mother was hump-backed, and his father was a guzzling gambler. Natalya calls Lomov a rascal, monster, villain, scarecrow, dishonest, and mean, and describes him as a useless hunter who ought to catch black beetles on a kitchen oven.
চুবুকভে লোমভক দিয়া গালিসমূহ: কুৎসিত ফন্দিয়ক (Intriguer), কপটীয়া (Pettifogger), অন্ধ কুকুৰা (Blind hen), শুকান মলাৰ ভূত (Turnip-ghost), ভৰ্ত্তি কৰা ছচেজ (Stuffed sausage) আদি। লোমভে চুবুকভৰ পৰিয়ালক দিয়া অপবাদসমূহ: মাটি দখলকাৰী (Landgrabber), মাতালৰ বংশ আৰু কুঁজী মাকৰ সন্তান আদি। নাটালিয়ায়ে লোমভক দিয়া গালিসমূহ: নিষ্ঠুৰ দানৱ (Monster), চোৰাংচোৱা, ধূৰ্ত আৰু পাকঘৰৰ জুহালত পঁইতাচোৰা ধৰিবলৈ যোগ্য চিকাৰী আদি।
(ii) Think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play.
(নাটকৰ প্ৰতিটো চৰিত্ৰক বৰ্ণনা কৰিবলৈ পাঁচটাকৈ বিশেষণ উল্লেখ কৰা।)
Answer: Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov can be described as hypochondriac, nervous, quarrelsome, suspicious, and insecure. Natalya Stepanovna is best defined as short-tempered, obstinate, domineering, argumentative, and hysterical. Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov displays traits of being opportunistic, hypocritical, short-fused, greedy, and melodramatic.
লোমভ: খঙাল, সন্দেহবাদী, সামান্যতেই অসুস্থ বোধ কৰা (Hypochondriac), অস্থিৰ আৰু আত্মবিশ্বাসহীন। নাটালিয়া: একগুঁয়ে, কাজিয়াপ্ৰিয়, অহংকাৰী, খঙাল আৰু সহজে আৱেগিক হোৱা। চুবুকভ: সুবিধাবাদী, কপটীয়া, নাটকীয় প্ৰকৃতিৰ, লোভী আৰু অধৈৰ্য।
(iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?
(আপুনি এতিয়া অনুমান কৰিব পাৰিবনে যে বিয়াৰ পিছত এই চৰিত্ৰকেইটাই কি কথাক লৈ কাজিয়া কৰিব?)
Answer: Given their deeply contentious and stubborn nature, they will undoubtedly continue to quarrel endlessly after marriage over trivial domestic matters, such as the pedigree, hunting skills, and expenses of their hunting dogs (Guess and Squeezer), the management and boundaries of Oxen Meadows, agricultural profits, servants, and everyday household authority.
তেওঁলোকৰ স্বভাৱগত কাজিয়াপ্ৰিয়তাৰ বাবে বিয়াৰ পিছতো তেওঁলোকে সামান্য কথাক লৈয়েই অহৰহ তৰ্ক কৰি থাকিব। যেনে— চিকাৰী কুকুৰ গেছ আৰু স্কুইজাৰৰ শ্ৰেষ্ঠত্ব, পথাৰৰ সীমা আৰু খেতিৰ লাভ-লোকচান, ঘৰুৱা খৰচ-পাতি আৰু পৰিয়ালৰ কৰ্তৃত্বক লৈ তেওঁলোকৰ মাজত নিতৌ নতুন নতুন বিবাদ চলি থাকিব।
2. ভাষা আৰু ব্যাকৰণভিত্তিক অনুশীলনী (Reported Speech)
1. নিয়মভিত্তিক খালী ঠাই পূৰণ (Reported Speech Rules Completion)
To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked (or inquired).
To report a statement, we use the reporting verb said (or told / declared).
The adverb of place ‘here’ changes to there.
When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the past tense.
If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to past continuous tense (e.g., ‘am getting’ changes to ‘was getting’).
When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb respectfully in the reporting clause.
The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change according to the subject or object of the reporting verb such as he, him, she, her, their, his or theirs in reported speech.
2. পৰোক্ষ উক্তিলৈ ৰূপান্তৰ (Passage Conversion to Reported Speech: A. K. Hangal)
Original Text:
“Why do you want to know my age? If people know I am so old, I won’t get work!” laughs 90-year-old A. K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors. For his age, he is rather energetic. “What’s the secret?” we ask. “My intake of everything is in small quantities. And I walk a lot,” he replies. “I joined the industry when people retire. I was in my 40s. So I don’t miss being called a star. I am still respected and given work, when actors of my age are living in poverty and without work. I don’t have any complaints,” he says, adding, “but yes, I have always been underpaid.” Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. “No doubt I am content today, but money is important. I was a fool not to understand the value of money earlier,” he regrets.
Reported Speech Version:
Ninety-year-old A. K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors, laughingly asked why we wanted to know his age and added that if people knew he was so old, he would not get work. For his age, he is rather energetic. We asked him what the secret was. He replied that his intake of everything was in small quantities and that he walked a lot. He further explained that he had joined the industry when people retired and that he had been in his 40s, so he did not miss being called a star. He mentioned that he was still respected and given work when actors of his age were living in poverty and without work. He said that he did not have any complaints, but added that he had always been underpaid. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. He regretted that although no doubt he was content that day, money was important and that he had been a fool not to understand the value of money earlier.