What does "shoebuckle days"mean in this sentence? I'm reading the article titled “The Art of Translation” by Vladimir Nabokov(http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113310/vladimir-nabokov-art-translation) and have difficulty in understanding: 1.The last sentence in the 2nd paragraph:"This is a crime, to be punished by the stocks as plagiarists were in the shoebuckle days." Here has "stock" anything to do with its meaning in finance and inventory? I checked "plagiarist"means someone who copy other's work, but what does "shoebuckle days" mean? 2.In the 3rd paragraph,"And inversely, innocent words in an English novel such as “first night” and “public house” have become in a Russian translation “nuptial night” and “a brothel.”" what does "public house"mean? does it refer to a hostel? Thank you3.What's the structure of the last sentence in the 3rd paragraph which says "and more often than not the garbled sentence still makes some sense in the original context."? does it mean these simple examples are more often making sense? 4“but how contemptible is the smug person who, although quite understanding the sense, fears it might stump a dunce or debauch a dauphin!”what does debauch a dauphin mean?corrupt a prince?