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Bolivar two will not stand the meaning of the phrase. The most famous horses - from Bucephalus to Losharik - Locals

Bolivar two will not stand the meaning of the phrase. The most famous horses - from Bucephalus to Losharik - Locals

13.04.2019

The stories of O. Henry are known to everyone who loves to read. Everyone else is familiar with them thanks to the wonderful film adaptations of the works of the wonderful American writer. The phrases “sand is a poor substitute for oats”, “we will have time to reach the Canadian border”, “Bolivar cannot stand two” have become winged, and their appropriate use indicates a good sense of humor and well-read interlocutor.

Secret of success literary miniatures O. Henry in their life truth, not outdated and eternal. In turn, it is impossible to achieve such reliability if the author does not have experience and he did not happen to experience difficulties. A carefree, well-fed and prosperous life does not enrich a person with the qualities necessary for a good writer.

The real name of O. Henry - he was born in the state in the small town of Greensboro. Orphaned early, the young man began to work, first in a pharmacy, then in a bank as a cashier. Here he suffered serious trouble, William was accused of embezzlement. Going on the run, the young man met different people, and, apparently, heard a lot of adventurous stories. It is possible that the part of the story “The Roads We Take”, which tells about the train robbery, was conceived at that time, and the phrase “Bolivar cannot stand two” turned out to be consonant with the mood of a clerk hiding from the law. However, the idea of a future work could also have arisen in the prison of the city where the future writer spent three years.

William Porter, thanks to his pharmacy experience, got a job in the prison infirmary. The prisoners did not get sick often, and the Aesculapius had plenty of time to try writing stories. Here the pseudonym O. Henry was coined. Why exactly this, history is silent about that.

America is a country of great opportunities. A story written by an inmate was published in 1899, liked by the editor of McClure's Magazine, and was called Whistler Dick's Christmas Present.

In total, O. Henry wrote more than 270 short stories. Among them is "Roads ..." with the famous phrase "Bolivar can not stand two", the meaning of which is the ruthlessness of the "world of profit". One person does not kill another because he feels hatred for him, it's just that the business is too tight for two. And it doesn't matter if he shoots from a Colt, or kills a competitor in a more civilized - economic way. Nothing personal, just Bolivar's horse can't stand two riders, that's all.

The characters in O. Henry's stories are varied. Among them are petty clerks, and aces-sharks of Wall Street, and fellow writers, and street thugs, and simple hard workers, and politicians, and actors, and cowboys, and laundresses ... Yes, who just is not in these short stories. The writer himself sometimes lamented that he would be remembered by everyone as the author of small literary forms, and kept promising that he would create a great novel, or at least a story.

In fact, taken together, these short stories create three-dimensional picture American life beginning of the 20th century, in all its smallest details and diversity, which could hardly be achieved even in the most voluminous epic work. And this canvas does not seem to be scenes from an old and alien life, much in them is very similar to the events of our days. Maybe that's why even today you can often hear the phrase "Bolivar can not stand two" when we are talking about the cynical elimination of a competitor ...

From the collection "Colorotation" (1910).

Plot

America in the Wild West. Three bandits attack the mail express. One of them is killed by the conductor, but the other two - Bob Tidball and Dodson, nicknamed "Shark" - manage to escape with booty of 30 thousand dollars. However, when the raiders were escaping from the chase, Tidball's horse slipped, broke his leg, and the owner had to shoot her. The bandits have a problem of how to proceed. Tidball offers to load the booty on a horse named Bolivar, owned by Shark Dodson, and ride it together until some horse turns up. Dodson, after some thought, kills his friend Tidball, whom he knew for many years, while saying the phrase " Bolivar gasped. He can't take two" (eng. Bolivar, he "s plenty tired, and he can" t carry double). Taking the share of the dead, he is carried away on Bolívar.

It turns out that this story about bandits was just a dream of the head of the brokerage office, Dodson. Asleep in his chair, he is awakened by a trusted clerk, asking if he should give a reprieve or lower the price for Dodson's old friend Williams, otherwise he will be completely ruined. Dodson refuses a friend and says the phrase: " Bolivar can't stand two».

The meaning of the name is clear from Shark Dodson's story to Bob Tidball about his fate: having left his parental home in his youth, Dodson was going to New York to become a financial bigwig, but at the fork he turned in the opposite direction and after often thought, " what would happen to me if I chose a different path». « I think it would be the same” - the already doomed Tidball answers.

Bolivar can't stand two

In the USSR, the key phrase of the story is “ Bolivar can't stand two"- has become a saying, thanks to comedy film Leonid Gaidai "Business People" (1962), based on the stories of O. Henry.

Initially, the phrase meant that when choosing between profit and friendship, profit is preferred. However, nowadays the saying Bolivar can't take two" is also used in the sense that if it becomes difficult to combine two of any options at the same time, then one of them must be eliminated.

In film

There is a scene in The Business People (1962) that is missing from O. Henry's story. Dodson refuses a financial concession to his old friend Williams, who is in danger of complete ruin. Williams walks out the office door in shock. Dodson lights a cigar, smiles a sinister smile, and says, "Bolivar can't take two." At that moment, a shot is heard outside the door and the sound of a body falling is heard. Williams does not appear in the story, Dodson sends his refusal through his secretary, and there is no mention of Williams' suicide.

Bolivar can't stand two

In the USSR, the key phrase of the story is “ Bolivar can't stand two"- became a saying, thanks to the comedy film by Leonid Gaidai" Business people"(1962), based on the stories of O. Henry.

In film

The plot of the story O. Henry

The meaning of the saying

Initially, the phrase meant that, when choosing between meanness and selflessness, meanness is preferred. However, nowadays the saying “Bolivar cannot stand two” is used in the sense that if it becomes difficult to combine two of any options at the same time, then one of them must be eliminated.

Examples

Possible losses of Gazprom on the difference between world prices and today's prices will amount to 3.6 billion US dollars per year, plus 1 billion dollars from our budget to the Ukrainian one - approximately 4.6 billion. This is an inexplicable burden on the Russian economy, "Bolivar can't stand two."

"Our Bolivar will not carry two," Yulia Tymoshenko believes. On Saturday, she made an unexpected proposal to improve the Constitution. In her opinion, it is necessary to eliminate one of the posts - either the president or the prime minister. She wrote about this in an article published in one of the reputable weekly publications.

Notes

America in the Wild West. Three bandits attack the mail express. One gangster is killed by a conductor, but two others - Bob Tidball and Dodson, nicknamed "Shark" - manage to escape with booty of 30 thousand dollars. However, as the bandits were fleeing the chase, Tidball's horse slipped and broke his leg. Tidball had to shoot her. The bandits have a dilemma as to what to do next. Tidball offers to load the booty onto a horse named Bolivar, owned by Shark Dodson, and ride it together until some other horse turns up. Dodson, after some thought, kills his friend Tidball, whom he had known for many years, while uttering the phrase "Bolivar is exhausted, and he cannot carry two." Taking the share of the dead, he is carried away on Bolívar ...

The meaning of the saying

Initially, the phrase meant that when choosing between profit and friendship, profit is preferred. However, nowadays the saying “Bolivar cannot stand two” is used in the sense that if it becomes difficult to combine two of any options at the same time, then one of them must be got rid of.

The plot of the story O. Henry

America in the Wild West. Three bandits attack the mail express. One gangster is killed by a conductor, but two others - Bob Tidball and Dodson, nicknamed "Shark" - manage to escape with booty of 30 thousand dollars. However, as the bandits were fleeing the chase, Tidball's horse slipped and broke his leg. Tidball had to shoot her. The bandits have a dilemma as to what to do next. Tidball offers to load the booty onto Shark Dodson's horse named Bolivar and ride it together until some other horse turns up. Dodson, after some thought, kills his friend Tidball, whom he had known for many years, while uttering the phrase "Bolivar is exhausted, and he cannot carry two." Taking the share of the dead, he is carried away on Bolívar ...

The meaning of the saying

Examples

The actions in the story of O. Henry take place in the Wild West, that is, between 1865 and 1890. At that time, Simon Bolivar, the leader of the struggle for the independence of the Spanish colonies in the United States, was quite popular in the United States. South America. It is known that Bolivar was very fond of his horse Palomo. It is believed that this particular horse is depicted on the coat of arms of Venezuela, approved by Bolivar.
In English-speaking countries, the phrase "Bolivar cannot carry double" is not winged. It is known only to people from the countries of the former USSR.
In Russia, the Bolivar horse is extremely popular. The newspaper "Arguments and Facts" even called it "the most famous horse in Russia". So, in honor of the horse Bolivar, they call not only horses, but even commercial firms whose activities have nothing to do with horses. The horse is also popular in Ukraine, where, for example, there is a recreation center "Bolivar", named after the horse from the story of O. Henry.
In the film Business People (1962), there is a scene of a conversation between a broke Williams and Dodson, which is absent from the story. After Dodson refuses his old friend, he walks out the office door in shock. Dodson lights a cigar, smiles a sinister smile and says, "Bolivar can't take two," at which point there is a gunshot outside the door and the sound of a body falling.

Links

O.Henry. The roads we choose (from the collection "Rotation", 1910). Translation by N. Daruzes
An excerpt from the film novel "The Roads We Take" (1962)