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I suspect a subtle mistranslation here. Chekhov seems to be talking about decent people, or maybe good people, not cultured ones. In English, it is quite possi
by johan_larson 10y ago
I suspect a subtle mistranslation here. Chekhov seems to be talking about decent people, or maybe good people, not cultured ones.
In English, it is quite possible to be cultured but bad. You know all kinds of stuff about literature, music, art, history and science (and therefore you are cultured) but you cheat on your wife and your taxes (and are therefore bad).
- treve 10y agoI think it depends on your definition of cultured as well. Depending on the dictionary it also means enlightened and good mannered. I consider cheating pretty bad mannered.
- nybblet 10y agoAgreed with treve, what does culture really mean? If you read ALL the literature, listen to ALL the music, view ALL the art, can recite ALL the history and do ALL the science... and still conclude it's OK to cheat on your wife and taxes, the argument can be made that none of this culture was internalized, and hence you are not cultured. Of course things are rarely so black-and-white, but that's the gist of it.
- ameister14 10y agoYou can understand something and possess the qualities of it and still choose to ignore them
- 15charlimit 10y agoOr that "culture" approves (or at least does not disapprove) of such activity.
- pavel_lishin 10y agoI think I agree. To be некультурным implies more than just not having refined tastes, or an education, or manners.