11:49 Feb 24, 2010
Now, I read the entire passage from the Internet. From a Russian speaker's point of view, it's not immediately clear what the author means. However, now I'm convinced it has to do with "honour," rather than with "honesty." The root of the word is "honour," actually. I think in this sense it is synonymous to the Ukrainian "почесно" which means "solemnly," "honourably." There may be a similar-sounding word in Belorussian, which is another Slavic language probably spoken by the author (he's from Belarus). So, this may also mean that the guy passed by the casino "solemnly," with his head upward, pacing almost like a soldier, maybe tauntingly.
There's nothing in the passage that would suggest anything that has to do with "honesty," "obligations" or "temptations" that he resisted. Just a curious use of the word which lost some of its meanings in Russian, but preserved them in Ukrainian and Belorussian.
Generally, the chapter is difficult to read because of its style. I'd get tired after reading a few pages. |