Meeting the right person, a service rendered, a felicitous remark, the ability to perform certain tricks, made a man's career in a moment, as was the case with Bryantsov, whom Oblonsky had met the day before, and who was now a great dignitary.
Un incontro, un favore, una parola incisiva, il saper rappresentare in dialogo vari scherzi, e un uomo, a un tratto, faceva carriera, come Brjancev che Stepan Arkad’ic aveva incontrato il giorno prima e che adesso era primo dignitario.