«Красный цветок» на английском языке

"In the name of His Imperial Highness, Emperor Peter the First, I have come to make an inspection of this insane asylum!"

These words were spoken in a loud, shrill, ringing voice. The secretary of the asylum, entering the name of the new inmate in a large, much-worn book which lay on an ink-soiled table, could not resist a smile. But the two young men who brought the patient felt little inclination to laugh. They could hardly stand upon their legs after having passed forty-eight hours without sleep, alone with the madman, whom they accompanied on the train. At the railroad station preceding the last his violence increased greatly, and, with the assistance of the conductors and a gendarme, a straight-jacket, which had been obtained somewhere, was placed upon the patient. In this manner he was brought to the city and into the hospital.

He was frightful to see. His gray suit, torn to shreds during the attack, was partially concealed by the coarse canvas jacket, whose long sleeves clasped his arms cross-wise on his breast and were tied behind. His bloodshot, distended eyes he had not slept for ten days sparkled with a motionless, fiery lustre; the lower lip twitched convulsively; tangled, curly hair fell with a crest over his forehead; with quick and heavy footsteps he walked back and forth from one corner of the office to the other, searchingly examining the old cabinets containing documents, the oilcloth-covered chairs, and occasionally giving a glance at his fellow-travellers.

"Take him into the ward — to the right."

"I know, I know. I have been already with you during the past year. We examined the hospital. I know all, and it will be difficult for you to deceive me," said the madman.

He went towards the door. The attendant opened it before him; with a rapid, heavy and resolute gait, his distraught countenance lifted high, he walked out of the office, and, almost running, veered to the right in the direction of the department indicated. His guides could hardly keep up with him.

"Ring the bell. I can't. You've tied my hands."

The doorkeeper opened the door and the travellers entered the hospital.

This was a large stone building, an old governmental structure. Two large chambers — one a dining-room, the other a general apartment for calm patients — a wide corridor with a glass door at one end facing the flower garden, and about twenty separate chambers occupied by the patients constituted the ground floor. Here also were fitted up two dark rooms — one lined with cushions, the other with boards — both of which were used for confining the violent, and a large vaulted chamber — a bath room. The upper floor was occupied by women. A discordant din, accompanied by groans and cries, came from there. The hospital was originally constructed for eighty souls, but as it served for several of the neighboring districts it really harbored about three hundred. Each of the little chambers contained four or five beds; during the winter the patients were not permitted in the garden, and, all the iron-barred windows being kept tightly shut, it would become very suffocating.