罗亭(外研社双语读库)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：Ivan Turgenev 屠格涅夫

出版社：外语教学与研究出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

罗亭(外研社双语读库)试读：

CHAPTER I

第一章

IT was a quiet summer morning. The sun stood already pretty high in the clear sky but the fields were still sparkling with dew; a fresh breeze blew fragrantly from the scarce awakened valleys and in the forest, still damp and hushed, the birds were merrily carolling their morning song. On the ridge of a swelling upland, which was covered from base to summit with blossoming rye, a little village was to be seen. Along a narrow by-road to this little village a young woman was walking in a white muslin gown, and a round straw hat, with a parasol in her hand. A page boy followed her some distance behind.

这是个寂静的夏日清晨。太阳早已高高地挂在晴朗的天空上，而田间露珠仍熠熠发光；微风从苏醒不久的山谷拂面而来，带着阵阵香甜，早起的鸟儿在仍然潮湿、静谧的林子里欢快地唱着它们的晨歌。隆起的山岭自上而下被开了花的黑麦覆盖着，从山顶上可以看见一个小村庄。在一条狭窄的乡间小道上，一位头戴圆形草帽、身穿白纱裙的年轻女子正撑着一把阳伞向着这个小村庄走来。在她身后远远地跟着一个侍童。

She moved without haste and as though she were enjoying the walk. The high nodding rye all round her moved in long softly rustling waves, taking here a shade of silvery green and there a ripple of red; the larks were trilling overhead. The young woman had come from her own estate, which was not more than a mile from the village to which she was turning her steps. Her name was Alexandra Pavlovna Lipin. She was a widow, childless, and fairly well off, and lived with her brother, a retired cavalry officer, Sergei Pavlitch Volintsev. He was unmarried and looked after her property.

她不慌不忙地走着，好像在享受这漫步的乐趣一般。在她四周，高高的黑麦秆上挂着沉甸甸的麦穗，随着轻风起伏摇摆着；麦浪发出轻柔的沙沙声，时而泛起微微的银绿色，时而泛起一抹浅红色；云雀在头顶欢快的啼鸣着。这位年轻的女人是从自己的家里出来的，她的住处离她现在要去的村庄仅有一英里的距离。她名叫亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜·李比娜。她是个遗孀，没有孩子，但相当富有，和弟弟谢尔盖·巴甫雷奇·沃伦采夫（一名退役的骑兵军官）一起生活。他尚未结婚，帮忙打理姐姐的产业。

Alexandra Pavlovna reached the village and, stopping at the last hut, a very old and low one, she called up the boy and told him to go in and ask after the health of its mistress. He quickly came back accompanied by a decrepit old peasant with a white beard.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜进了村子，在最后一间又旧又矮的小屋前停了下来，又招呼侍童上前，让他进去探问女主人的健康状况。他很快跟着一个年老体衰、胡子花白的农夫走了出来。

'Well, how is she?' asked Alexandra Pavlovna.“她怎么样了？”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜问道。

'Well, she is still alive,' began the old man.“还活着呢。”老人说道。

'Can I go in?'“我能进去吗？”

'Of course; yes.'Alexandra Pavlovna went into the hut. It was narrow, stifling, and smoky inside. Some one stirred and began to moan on the stove which formed the bed. Alexandra Pavlovna looked round and discerned in the half darkness the yellow wrinkled face of the old woman tied up in a checked handkerchief. Covered to the very throat with a heavy overcoat she was breathing with difficulty, and her wasted hands were twitching.“当然可以。亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜走进了小屋。屋子很狭小，里面烟雾缭绕，令人窒息。有人在炉炕上动了动，然后开始发出阵阵呻吟声。亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜向四周看了看，在昏暗中瞧见了那个老妇，她头扎方格头巾，蜡黄的脸上布满了皱纹。一件厚重的大衣一直盖到了她的下巴，她呼吸困难，两只枯瘦如柴的手无力地抽搐着。

Alexandra Pavlovna went close up to the old woman and laid her fingers on her forehead; it was burning hot.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜向老妇人走了过去，伸出手摸了摸她的额头，发现她烧得很厉害。

'How do you feel, Matrona?' she inquired, bending over the bed.“你感觉怎么样了，马特廖娜？”她弯下腰问道。

'Oh, oh!' groaned the old woman, trying to make her out, 'bad, very bad, my dear! My last hour has come, my darling!'“哎——哟！”老妇人呻吟着，尽力发出声音来，“不好，很不好啊，亲爱的！我要走了，亲爱的！”

'God is merciful, Matrona; perhaps you will be better soon. Did you take the medicine I sent you?'“上帝是仁慈的，马特廖娜，也许你很快就好了。你吃了我送给你的药了吗？”

The old woman groaned painfully, and did not answer. She had hardly heard the question.

老妇人痛苦地呻吟着，没有回答她。她几乎没有听到她的问题。

'She has taken it,' said the old man who was standing at the door. Alexandra Pavlovna turned to him. 'Is there no one with her but you?' she inquired.“她吃了。”站在门口的老头说。亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜转身向着他。“除了你以外就没有人陪她了吗？”她问道。

'There is the girl—her granddaughter, but she always keeps away. She won't sit with her; she's such a gad-about. To give the old woman a drink of water is too much trouble for her. And I am old; what use can I be?'“还有她的孙女，但是她老是不在家。她不会照料她的，而是喜欢到处乱逛。连给她奶奶倒口水都嫌麻烦。我也老了，能有什么用？”

'Shouldn't she be taken to me—to the hospital?'“是不是该把她送到我那儿——送到医院里去呢？”

'No. Why take her to the hospital? She would die just the same. She has lived her life; it's God's will now seemingly. She will never get up again. How could she go to the hospital? If they tried to lift her up, she would die.'“不用了，干吗送去医院？反正也是死。她天命已尽；看来是上帝要带走她了。她都起不了身。还怎么去医院？如果把她弄起来，她会死的。”

'Oh!' moaned the sick woman, 'my pretty lady, don't abandon my little orphan; our master is far away, but you—'“哎哟！”病妇呻吟着说，“漂亮夫人，千万别丢下我那个可怜的没爹妈的孙女；我家老爷离得远，但是您——”

She could not go on, she had spent all her strength in saying so much.

她说这些话的时候用尽了浑身的力气，已经无法继续说下去了。

'Do not worry yourself,' replied Alexandra Pavlovna, 'everything shall be done. Here is some tea and sugar I have brought you. If you can fancy it you must drink some. Have you a samovar, I wonder?' she added, looking at the old man. 'A samovar? We haven't a samovar, but we could get one.'“别担心这些。”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜回复她说，“一切都会为你打理得好好的。瞧，我给你捎来了点茶叶和白糖。如果你想喝就喝点儿吧。你们有茶炊吗？”她看着老头，又说道。没有，不过倒能找来一个。”

'Then get one, or I will send you one. And tell your granddaughter not to leave her like this. Tell her it's shameful.'“那就找一个来吧，或者我派人给你们送一个过来。叮嘱你孙女一声，让她别这样丢下她祖母了。告诉她，这是可耻的。”

The old man made no answer but took the parcel of tea and sugar with both hands.

老头没回答，双手将包着茶叶和白糖的纸包接了过来。

'Well, good-bye, Matrona!' said Alexandra Pavlovna, 'I will come and see you again; and you must not lose heart but take your medicine regularly.'“那么，再见了，马特廖娜！”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜说，“我改天再来看你；千万别灰心丧气，要按时吃药。”

The old woman raised her head and drew herself a little towards Alexandra Pavlovna.

老妇人抬了下头，向亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜微微靠了靠。

'Give me your little hand, dear lady,' she muttered.“把您的小手给我，我亲爱的夫人。”她喃喃地说道。

Alexandra Pavlovna did not give her hand; she bent over her and kissed her on the forehead.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜没有把手递给她，她弯下腰吻了吻她的额头。

'Take care, now,' she said to the old man as she went out, 'and give her the medicine without fail, as it is written down, and give her some tea to drink.'“现在要留意着她，”她出去的时候对老头说，“要按照药方给她吃药，一顿也别落下，再给她喝点茶。”

Again the old man made no reply, but only bowed.

老头还是没作声，只是给她鞠了个躬。

Alexandra Pavlovna breathed more freely when she came out into the fresh air. She put up her parasol and was about to start homewards, when suddenly there appeared round the corner of a little hut a man about thirty, driving a low racing droshky and wearing an old overcoat of grey linen, and a foraging cap of the same. Catching sight of Alexandra Pavlovna he at once stopped his horse and turned round towards her. His broad and colourless face with its small light grey eyes and almost white moustache seemed all in the same tone of colour as his clothes.

出来以后，亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜呼吸顺畅多了。她撑起阳伞，正要回家，这时一个男人驾着一辆低矮的双轮轻便马车突然从屋角后面驶了出来。他大约三十岁左右，穿着件破旧的灰色麻布大衣，头戴一顶同样布料的便帽。一看到亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜，他立刻勒住了马，向她转过身来。他那宽阔但没有血色的脸庞，加上他那浅灰色的小眼睛和发白的小胡子都跟他衣服的色调一致。

'Good-morning!' he began, with a lazy smile; 'what are you doing here, if I may ask?'“早上好！”他露出了懒散的微笑，说道，“请问，您在这儿干吗？”

'I have been visiting a sick woman... And where have you come from, Mihailo Mihailitch?'“我来看望一个病人……那么您是打哪儿来，米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇？”

The man addressed as Mihailo Mihailitch looked into her eyes and smiled again.

那个叫米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇的人看着她的眼睛，又笑了笑。

'You do well,' he said, 'to visit the sick, but wouldn't it be better for you to take her into the hospital?'“看望病人，”他说，“是件好事，不过把她送到医院去会不会更好些呢？”

'She is too weak; impossible to move her.''But don't you intend to give up your hospital?'“她太虚弱了，根本不能动她。”“那么您是不是准备让您的医院歇业了？”

'Give it up? Why?'“歇业？为什么？”

'Oh, I thought so.'“哦，我还以为是这样呢。”

'What a strange notion! What put such an idea into your head?'“这想法真是不可思议！您怎么会有这样的想法呢？”

'Oh, you are always with Madame Lasunsky now, you know, and seem to be under her influence. And in her words—hospitals, schools, and all that sort of things, are mere waste of time—useless fads. Philanthropy ought to be entirely personal, and education too, all that is the soul's work... that's how she expresses herself, I believe. From whom did she pick up that opinion I should like to know?'“哦，您现在和拉松斯卡娅夫人交情不浅，看起来受了她的影响。用她的话说，兴建医院啊，学校啊等等这些事情纯属浪费时间，毫无用处。慈善应该是个人的事，教育也是，这些都是事关灵魂的工作……我想她是这么说的。我很想知道，她的这些想法从何而来？”

Alexandra Pavlovna laughed.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜笑了起来。

'Darya Mihailovna is a clever woman, I like and esteem her very much; but she may make mistakes, and I don't put faith in everything she says.'“达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜是个聪明的女人，我很喜欢她，也尊敬她；但是她也会犯错，我并不完全相信她的话。”

'And it's a very good thing you don't,' rejoined Mihailo Mihailitch, who all the while remained sitting in his droshky, 'for she doesn't put much faith in what she says herself. I'm very glad I met you.'“您这样做非常好。”米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇说，他依然坐在马车上，“因为她自己都不太相信她所说的话。碰到您真高兴。”

'Why?'“为什么？”

'That's a nice question! As though it wasn't always delightful to meet you? Today you look as bright and fresh as this morning.'“问得真好！”好像碰到您并不总让人高兴似的！今天您看起来就像这个早晨一样清新明朗、光彩照人。”

Alexandra Pavlovna laughed again.

亚历山德拉·巴甫芙洛娜又笑了笑。

'What are you laughing at?'“您在笑什么？”

'What, indeed! If you could see with what a cold and indifferent face you brought out your compliment! I wonder you didn't yawn over the last word!'“笑什么!您要是能看到自己说这些恭维的话时那种冰冷、散漫的神情就好了！我感到奇怪的是，您说最后一个字的时候竟然没有打哈欠！”

'A cold face.... You always want fire; but fire is of no use at all. It flares and smokes and goes out.'“冰冷的神情……您总是需要火焰；可是火焰根本毫无用处。它先是猛烈燃烧，接着冒一下烟就熄灭了。”

'And warms,'…put in Alexandra Pavlovna.“它还能给人们带来温暖。”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜说。

'Yes... and burns.'“没错……还会灼伤人。”

'Well, what if it does burn! That's no great harm either! It's better anyway than—' 'Well, we shall see what you will say when you do get nicely burnt one day,' Mihailo Mihailitch interrupted her in a tone of vexation and made a cut at the horse with the reins, 'Good-bye.'“灼伤又怎么样！也不会比这更糟糕了！总要比——”“当您哪天被狠狠地烧伤了我看您还怎么说。”米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇有点气恼地打断了她的话，还用缰绳抽了一下马，“再见。”

'Mihailo Mihailitch, stop a minute!' cried Alexandra Pavlovna, 'when are you coming to see us?'“米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇，等一下！”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜大声喊道，“你什么时候来看望我们？”

'Tomorrow; my greetings to your brother.'And the droshky rolled away. Alexandra Pavlovna looked after Mihailo Mihailitch.“明天，代我向您弟弟问好。”马车扬长而去。亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜目光追随着逐渐远去的米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇。

'What a sack!' she thought. Sitting huddled up and covered with dust, his cap on the back of his head and tufts of flaxen hair straggling from beneath it, he looked strikingly like a huge sack of flour.“真像一个大麻袋！”她想。他蜷着身子，满身尘土，帽子戴到了脑门后面，几绺亚麻色的头发从帽子底下翘了出来，实在是像极了一个巨大的面粉袋子。

Alexandra Pavlovna turned tranquilly back along the path homewards. She was walking with downcast eyes. The tramp of a horse near made her stop and raise her head.... Her brother had come on horseback to meet her; beside him was walking a young man of medium height, wearing a light open coat, a light tie, and a light grey hat, and carrying a cane in his hand. He had been smiling for a long time at Alexandra Pavlovna, even though he saw that she was absorbed in thought and noticing nothing, and when she stopped he went up to her and in a tone of delight, almost of emotion, cried:

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜默默地转身沿路往家走去。她低头走着。远处一阵马蹄声传来，她止住步伐，抬起头来……她弟弟骑着马接她来了；他旁边还站着一个年轻人，那人中等身材，敞着单薄的大衣，系着条轻便的领带，戴着顶浅灰色帽子，手执一根藤条。虽然他看见亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜沉浸在思绪中，目无旁视，但他还是早早地就对她微笑着。她刚停下脚步，他就走上前去，用愉快而又充满感情地大声说道：

'Good-morning, Alexandra Pavlovna, good-morning!'“早上好啊，亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜，早上好！”

'Ah! Konstantin Diomiditch! good-morning!' she replied. 'You have come from Darya Mihailovna?'“啊！康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇！早上好！”她回答道，“您是从达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜那里来的吧？”

'Precisely so, precisely so,' rejoined the young man with a radiant face, 'from Darya Mihailovna. Darya Mihailovna sent me to you; I preferred to walk.... It's such a glorious morning, and the distance is only three miles. When I arrived, you were not at home. Your brother told me you had gone to Semenovka; and he was just going out to the fields; so you see I walked with him to meet you. Yes, yes. How very delightful!'“正是，正是。”年轻人容光焕发地说，“是从达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜那儿来。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜让我来找您；我更喜欢步行过来……早晨真是格外美好，而且只有三里的路程。我到您家的时候您不在。您弟弟跟我说您去了谢苗诺夫卡；他也正打算去田里，所以，您瞧，我就这样走着跟他一起来接您了。就是这样。真是让人愉快啊！”

The young man spoke Russian accurately and grammatically but with a foreign accent, though it was difficult to determine exactly what accent it was. In his features there was something Asiatic. His long hook nose, his large expressionless prominent eyes, his thick red lips, and retreating forehead, and his jet black hair,—everything about him suggested an Oriental extraction; but the young man gave his surname as Pandalevsky and spoke of Odessa as his birthplace, though he was brought up somewhere in White Russia at the expense of a rich and benevolent widow. Another widow had obtained a government post for him. Middle-aged ladies were generally ready to befriend Konstantin Diomiditch; he knew well how to court them and was successful in coming across them. He was at this very time living with a rich lady, a landowner, Darya Mihailovna Lasunsky, in a position between that of a guest and of a dependant. He was very polite and obliging, full of sensibility and secretly given to sensuality, he had a pleasant voice, played well on the piano, and had the habit of gazing intently into the eyes of any one he was speaking to. He dressed very neatly, and wore his clothes a very long time, shaved his broad chin carefully, and arranged his hair curl by curl.

年轻人的俄语说得很标准，也很地道，但是有一点外国口音，虽然很难准确判断到底是哪国的口音。他的长相有点像亚洲人。他的鹰钩鼻长得很长，大而突出的眼睛没有表情，嘴唇又红又厚，额头很窄，头发漆黑——这一切都暗示他有东方人的血统；但是这个年轻人说他姓潘达列夫斯基，生于敖德萨，尽管他是在白俄罗斯由一个富有、善良的遗孀抚养成人。另一个遗孀给他在政府部门谋了份差事。中年太太们总是乐于跟康斯坦丁·季奥米徳奇做朋友；他知道如何恭维她们，很容易就能博得她们的欢心。此时他正寄居在一个富有的女地主达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜·拉松斯卡娅家中，身份介于客人和食客之间。他举止彬彬有礼，表面敏感多情，实乃好色滥情；他的声音很好听，钢琴弹得极好；无论跟谁说话眼睛总是专注地盯着对方的眼睛。虽然他一件衣服穿很久，但是总是衣着干净整洁，宽阔的下巴总是刮得干干净净，头发也一绺一绺打理得服服帖帖。

Alexandra Pavlovna heard his speech to the end and turned to her brother.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜听完了他的话，转身向着她弟弟，

'I keep meeting people today; I have just been talking to Lezhnyov.'“今天总是碰到熟人，我刚刚还在和列日涅夫说话呢。”

'Oh, Lezhnyov!was he driving somewhere?'“啊，列日涅夫！他是不是驾车去什么地方了？”

'Yes, and fancy; he was in a racing droshky, and dressed in a kind of linen sack, all covered with dust.... What a queer creature he is!'“是啊，你想象一下，他驾着辆双轮马车，穿的像个麻布袋子似的，满身灰尘……真是个怪人！”

'Perhaps so; but he's a capital fellow.'“也许是吧；但是他是个很不错的家伙呢。”

'Who? Mr. Lezhnyov?' inquired Pandalevsky, as though he were surprised.“谁？列日涅夫先生吗？”潘达列夫斯基带着似乎很惊讶的口吻问道。

'Yes, Mihailo Mihailitch Lezhnyov,' replied Volintsev. 'Well, good-bye; it's time I was off to the field; they are sowing your buckwheat. Mr. Pandalevsky will escort you home.'And Volintsev rode off at a trot.“是的，米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇·列日涅夫。”沃伦采夫答道，“啊，再见了；我得去田里看看了；他们正在给您种荞麦。潘达列夫斯基先生会送你回家的。”说完，沃伦采夫便扬鞭而去。

'With the greatest of pleasure!' cried Konstantin Diomiditch, offering Alexandra Pavlovna his arm.“真是荣幸之至啊！”康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇大声喊道，向亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜伸出了胳膊。

She took it and they both turned along the path to her house.

她挽住了他的胳膊，两人沿着乡间小道往她家的方向走去。

Walking with Alexandra Pavlovna on his arm seemed to afford Konstantin Diomiditch great delight; he moved with little steps, smiling, and his Oriental eyes were even bedimmed by a slight moisture, though this indeed was no rare occurrence with them; it did not mean much for Konstantin Diomiditch to be moved and dissolve into tears. And who would not have been pleased to have on his arm a pretty, young and graceful woman? Of Alexandra Pavlovna the whole of her district was unanimous in declaring that she was charming, and the district was not wrong. Her straight, ever so slightly tilted nose would have been enough alone to drive any man out of his senses, to say nothing of her velvety dark eyes, her golden brown hair, the dimples in her smoothly curved cheeks, and her other beauties. But best of all was the sweet expression of her face; confiding, good and gentle, it touched and attracted at the same time. Alexandra Pavlovna had the glance and the smile of a child; other ladies found her a little simple.... Could one wish for anything more?

这样挽着亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜的胳膊走着路，似乎让康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇欣喜万分。虽然这种情况时常发生，他仍旧迈着小步子，面带微笑，那双东方人的眼睛甚至蒙上了一层泪花；对于康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇来说，摆出一副深受感动、泪眼朦胧的样子却并不意味着什么。况且挽着这样一位年轻、美貌又优雅的夫人谁又能不心花怒放呢？说到亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜，这个地区的人都会交口称赞她是个大美人，而且他们并没有夸大其词。她那挺拔的、微微翘起的鼻子已经足以让任何一个男人失去理智了，而她那天鹅绒般的黑色双眸，金褐色的秀发，光滑圆润的脸颊上的一对小酒窝，以及其他美丽之处就更不必说了。但是她最迷人的地方在于她脸上甜美的神情：天真、善良、温柔，既动人又诱人。亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜有着孩子般的眼神和笑容；但是其他夫人们觉得她有些单纯……难道这些还不够吗？

'Darya Mihailovna sent you to me, did you say?' she asked Pandalevsky.“达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜派您来找我，是这样吗？”她问潘达列夫斯基。

'Yes; she sent me,' he answered, pronouncing the letter s like the English th. 'She particularly wishes and told me to beg you very urgently to be so good as to dine with her today. She is expecting a new guest whom she particularly wishes you to meet'“是的，她让我来找您。”他答道，把俄语的清辅音 "s"发成了英语的摩擦音"th"，“她非常希望您今天能和她一起吃饭，并且也嘱咐我一定要邀请到您。她请到了一位新客人，非常希望您也能去和他见见面。”

'Who is it?'“是谁呀？”

'A certain Muffel, a baron, a gentleman of the bed-chamber from Petersburg. Darya Mihailovna made his acquaintance lately at the Prince Garin's, and speaks of him in high terms as an agreeable and cultivated young man. His Excellency the baron is interested, too, in literature, or more strictly speaking—ah!what an exquisite butterfly!pray look at it!—more strictly speaking, in political economy. He has written an essay on some very interesting question, and wants to submit it to Darya Mihailovna's criticism.'“一位叫做‘穆菲利’的男爵，是个来自彼得堡的宫廷侍卫。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜最近在加林公爵家里认识他的，对他极尽赞美之辞，说他是个温和又有教养的年轻人。男爵阁下对文学也很感兴趣，或者，更严格地说——啊!多么漂亮的一只蝴蝶！您快看！——更严格地说，是对政治经济学很感兴趣。他就一个非常有趣的问题写了一篇文章，想给达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜看看，听听她的意见。”

'An article on political economy?'“一篇关于政治经济学的文章？”

'From the literary point of view, Alexandra Pavlovna, from the literary point of view. You are well aware, I suppose, that in that line Darya Mihailovna is an authority. Zhukovsky used to ask her advice, and my benefactor, who lives at Odessa, that benevolent old man, Roxolan Mediarovitch Ksandrika—No doubt you know the name of that eminent man?'“就文学层面而言，亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜，就文学层面而言。我想您也知道，在那一方面达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜可是个权威呢。茹科夫斯基也曾请教过她，还有我的恩人，那位住在敖德萨的好心的老人罗克索朗·梅奇阿罗维·克桑特雷卡——您应该听说过他的名字吧？他颇有些名气呢。”

'No; I have never heard of him.'“没有，从未听说过他。”

'You never heard of such a man? surprising! I was going to say that Roxolan Mediarovitch always had the very highest opinion of Darya Mihailovna's knowledge of Russian!“这样的人您都没听说过？真是不可思议！我是说罗克索朗·梅奇阿罗维对达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜在俄语方面的造诣极为赞赏！”

'Is this baron a pedant then?' asked Alexandra Pavlovna.“那么这位男爵是个学究了？”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜问道。

'Not in the very least. Darya Mihailovna says, on the contrary, that you see that he belongs to the best society at once. He spoke of Beethoven with such eloquence that even the old prince was quite delighted by it. That, I own, I should like to have heard; you know that is in my line. Allow me to offer you this lovely wild-flower.'“绝对不是，恰恰相反，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“您一见他就知道他属于上流社会的一员。他说起贝多芬时滔滔不绝，连老公爵都深感欣慰。坦白地说，我本人也很想听听他的高见，您知道这也是我的特长呢。请允许我把这朵漂亮的野花献给您。”

Alexandra Pavlovna took the flower, and when she had walked a few steps farther, let it drop on the path. They were not more than two hundred paces from her house. It had been recently built and whitewashed, and looked out hospitably with its wide light windows from the thick foliage of the old limes and maples. 'So what message do you give me for Darya Mihailovna?' began Pandalevsky, slightly hurt at the fate of the flower he had given her. 'Will you come to dinner? She invites your brother too.'

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛夫娜把花接了过来，走了几步远就任凭它掉落在小路上了。现在离她家只有仅剩两百步的距离了。她的房子是最近才建好的，墙壁刷得雪白，透过老椴树和枫树浓密的叶子，宽敞明亮的窗户清晰可见。“那么我该怎么跟达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说呢，夫人？”潘达列夫斯基问道，他为那支他送她的野花的命运感到痛心。“您会来共进午餐吗？她也邀请了您弟弟。”

'Yes; we will come, most certainly. And how is Natasha?'“当然，我们一定会去的。娜塔莎还好吗？”

'Natalya Alexyevna is well, I am glad to say. But we have already passed the road that turns off to Darya Mihailovna's. Allow me to bid you good-bye.'“我很高兴地告诉您，娜塔利娅·阿列克谢耶芙娜她很好。不过通往达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜家方向的路口已走过了。请原谅，我得跟您说再见了。”

Alexandra Pavlovna stopped. 'But won't you come in?' she said in a hesitating voice.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜停下了脚步。“您不进去坐坐了吗？”她言语中有点儿犹豫。

'I should like to, indeed, but I am afraid it is late. Darya Mihailovna wishes to hear a new etude of Thalberg's, so I must practise and have it ready. Besides, I am doubtful, I must confess, whether my visit could afford you any pleasure.'“我倒真的很想进去呢，可是恐怕时间不早了。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜想听塔尔贝格一首新的练习曲，所以我得回去练习，好好准备一下。还有，说实话，我很怀疑我的拜访是否能让您感到愉快。”

'Oh, no! why?'“啊，当然能了！怎么这么说呢？”

Pandalevsky sighed and dropped his eyes expressively.

潘达列夫斯基叹了口气，意味深长地垂下了双眼。

'Good-bye, Alexandra Pavlovna!' he said after a slight pause; then he bowed and turned back.“再见了，亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜！”他沉默了一会儿说道，之后便鞠了个躬，转过身去了。

Alexandra Pavlovna turned round and went home.

亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜转身往家中走去。

Konstantin Diomiditch, too, walked homewards. All softness had vanished at once from his face; a self-confident, almost hard expression came into it. Even his walk was changed; his steps were longer and he trod more heavily. He had walked about two miles, carelessly swinging his cane, when all at once he began to smile again: he saw by the roadside a young, rather pretty peasant girl, who was driving some calves out of an oat-field. Konstantin Diomiditch approached the girl as warily as a cat, and began to speak to her. She said nothing at first, only blushed and laughed, but at last she hid her face in her sleeve, turned away, and muttered:

康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇也往回走了。他脸上所有的柔情瞬间便消失不见了；取而代之的是一张自负、几近冷峻的面孔。就连步伐都变了；他步子迈得大了起来，步伐也重了许多。他漫不经心地挥着藤条，走了两英里左右，忽然间笑容又爬上了他的脸庞：他看到路边一个年轻貌美的农家姑娘正在把几头小牛犊赶出燕麦地。康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇像只猫一样悄悄走到姑娘的身旁，跟她搭起讪来。姑娘起初并没有理睬他，只是红着脸，腼腆地笑着，但是后来她用袖子捂着脸，背过身去，小声地说：

'Go away, sir; upon my word...'“先生，请您走开，我是认真的……”

Konstantin Diomiditch shook his finger at her and told her to bring him some cornflowers.

康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇对她摇了摇手指，让她给他摘些矢车菊来。

'What do you want with cornflowers?—to make a wreath?' replied the girl; 'come now, go along then.'“您要矢车菊干什么？编花环吗？”姑娘问道，“走吧，您走吧。”

'Stop a minute, my pretty little dear,' Konstantin Diomiditch was beginning. 'There now, go along,' the girl interrupted him, 'there are the young gentlemen coming.'“等一下，我的小美人。”康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇开口说道。“快走吧。”姑娘打断了他，“一群年轻先生们朝这儿走过来了。”

Konstantin Diomiditch looked round. There really were Vanya and Petya, Darya Mihailovna's sons, running along the road; after them walked their tutor, Bassistoff, a young man of two-and-twenty, who had only just left college. Bassistoff was a well-grown youth, with a simple face, a large nose, thick lips, and small pig's eyes, plain and awkward, but kind, good, and upright. He dressed untidily and wore his hair long—not from affectation, but from laziness; he liked eating and he liked sleeping, but he also liked a good book, and an earnest conversation, and he hated Pandalevsky from the depths of his soul.

康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇向四周望了望。果然，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的两个儿子瓦尼亚和彼佳正朝这个方向跑来；紧跟其后的是他们的家庭教师，巴西斯托夫，他二十二岁，刚从大学毕业。巴西斯托夫是个体格健壮的年轻人，长相普通，鼻子很大，嘴唇厚实，一双小眼睛就像猪眼睛似的，相貌平平，还有点儿笨手笨脚，不过心地善良、秉性正直。他穿戴邋遢，蓄着长发——倒不是因为喜欢长发，只是因为懒散而不去打理；他贪吃贪睡，不过也很爱读书，喜欢跟人谈心，他打从心底讨厌潘达列夫斯基。

Darya Mihailovna's children worshipped Bassistoff, and yet were not in the least afraid of him; he was on a friendly footing with all the rest of the household, a fact which was not altogether pleasing to its mistress, though she was fond of declaring that for her social prejudices did not exist.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的两个儿子对巴西斯托夫很是崇拜，但却也一点都不怕他；他跟这个家里所有人都相处得很融洽，但这点他的女主人却并不完全欣赏，虽然她喜欢说自己没有社会偏见。

'Good-morning, my dears,' began Konstantin Diomiditch, 'how early you have come for your walk to-day! But I,' he added, turning to Bassistoff, 'have been out a long while already; it's my passion—to enjoy nature.'“早上好，亲爱的孩子们。”康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇说道，“今天怎么这么早就出来散步啦！不过我呢，”他转身向着巴西斯托夫，接着说道，“也已经出来好一会儿了，热爱大自然是我的热情之所在呢！”

'We saw how you were enjoying nature,' muttered Bassistoff.“我们已经看到您是如何享受大自然的了。”巴西斯托夫小声地说道。

'You are a materialist, God knows what you are imagining! I know you.'When Pandalevsky spoke to Bassistoff or people like him, he grew slightly irritated, and pronounced the letter s quite clearly, even with a slight hiss.“您就是个唯物主义者，上帝知道您在想些什么！我很了解您。”当潘达列夫斯基和巴西斯托夫或像他这样的人说话时，他总是有些恼火，他s的音发得非常清晰，甚至还微微带着“咝”音。

'Why, were you asking your way of that girl, am I to suppose?' said Bassistoff, shifting his eyes to right and to left.“啊，我猜，您是在向那个姑娘问路吧？”巴西斯托夫的眼珠左右转动着说道。

He felt that Pandalevsky was looking him straight in the face, and this fact was exceedingly unpleasant to him. 'I repeat, a materialist and nothing more.'

他感觉到潘达列夫斯基正直勾勾地盯着他的脸，这让他非常不快。“我再强调一遍，您就是个唯物主义者，仅此而已。”

'You certainly prefer to see only the prosaic side in everything.'“凡事您都只喜欢看其单调乏味的一面。”

'Boys!' cried Bassistoff suddenly, 'do you see that willow at the corner? let's see who can get to it first. One! two! three! and away!'“孩子们！”巴西斯托夫忽然大声地叫道，“你们看到角落里的那颗柳树了吗？我们来比赛看谁能第一个跑到那里。一！二！三！跑！”

The boys set off at full speed to the willow. Bassistoff rushed after them.

孩子们拔腿就往柳树那里跑去。巴西斯托夫跑在他们后面。

'What a lout!' thought Pandalevsky, 'he is spoiling those boys. A perfect peasant!'And looking with satisfaction at his own neat and elegant figure, Konstantin Diomiditch struck his coat-sleeve twice with his open hand, pulled up his collar, and went on his way. When he had reached his own room, he put on an old dressing-gown and sat down with an anxious face to the piano.“真是个笨蛋！”潘达列夫斯基想着，“他这样会带坏这两个小家伙的。地地道道的乡巴佬！”康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇得意地看着自己整洁优雅的衣装，用空着的那只手掸了两下袖口，把衣领整了整，继续向前走去。他一回到自己的房间就把自己的那件旧睡衣给换上了，接着便坐到了钢琴前面，神情忧虑。

CHAPTER II

第二章

Darya Mihailovna's house was regarded as almost the first in the whole province. It was a huge stone mansion, built after designs of Rastrelli in the taste of last century, and in a commanding position on the summit of a hill, at whose base flowed one of the principal rivers of central Russia. Darya Mihailovna herself was a wealthy and distinguished lady, the widow of a privy councillor. Pandalevsky said of her, that she knew all Europe and all Europe knew her! However, Europe knew her very little; even at Petersburg she had not played a very prominent part; but on the other hand at Moscow every one knew her and visited her. She belonged to the highest society, and was spoken of as a rather eccentric woman, not wholly good-natured, but excessively clever. In her youth she had been very pretty. Poets had written verses to her, young men had been in love with her, distinguished men had paid her homage. But twenty-five or thirty years had passed since those days and not a trace of her former charms remained. Every one who saw her now for the first time was impelled to ask himself, if this woman-skinny, sharp-nosed, and yellow-faced, though still not old in years—could once have been a beauty, if she was really the same woman who had been the inspiration of poets.... And every one marvelled inwardly at the mutability of earthly things. It is true that Pandalevsky discovered that Darya Mihailovna had preserved her magnificent eyes in a marvellous way; but we have seen that Pandalevsky also maintained that all Europe knew her.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的宅邸在全省都是首屈一指的。这是一座由拉斯特列利设计的石筑大豪宅，带有上个世纪的风格。它建在山顶，而俄罗斯中部一条主要河流就从这山脚下流过。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜本人高贵富有，是一位枢密院官员的遗孀。潘达列夫斯基说她了解整个欧洲，而整个欧洲也同样对她了如指掌！然而，欧洲没多少人知道她；就算在彼得堡她也不算是个有头有脸的人物；不过在莫斯科人人都认识她，争相来拜访她。她属于上流社会，是个脾气非常古怪的女人，虽然性情并非十分温和，但是绝顶聪明。年轻时她貌美如花。诗人为她写诗赋词，年轻人对她情有独钟，达官贵人对她尊敬有加。不过，这都是二十五年或者三十年前的事了，往日的美艳早已了无痕迹。第一次看到她的人都会忍不住问自己，这个不算老但是却枯瘦干瘪、鼻子尖翘、脸色蜡黄的女人曾经会是个美女吗？她真的是当年那个让诗人文思泉涌的绝代佳人吗……人们不禁要感叹世事变迁。不过潘达列夫斯基发现达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的双眸依旧动人；不过别忘了，潘达列夫斯基也坚持说整个欧洲都对她了如指掌。

Darya Mihailovna went every summer to her country place with her children (she had three: a daughter of seventeen, Natalya, and two sons of nine and ten years old). She kept open house in the country, that is, she received men, especially unmarried ones; provincial ladies she could not endure. But what of the treatment she received from those ladies in return?

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜每年夏天都要带着她的孩子们去乡间别墅避暑（她有三个孩子：女儿娜塔利娅，十七岁，还有两个分别为十岁和九岁大的儿子）。在乡间，她的房门为宾客们大开着，男士们，尤其是单身男士是她的门前常客；至于省内的夫人们嘛，她可受不了她们。但是看看这些太太们是怎么对待她的吧！

Darya Mihailovna, according to them, was a haughty, immoral, and insufferable tyrant, and above all—she permitted herself such liberties in conversation, it was shocking! Darya Mihailovna certainly did not care to stand on ceremony in the country, and in the unconstrained frankness of her manners there was perceptible a slight shade of the contempt of the lioness of the capital for the petty and obscure creatures who surrounded her. She had a careless, and even a sarcastic manner with her own set; but the shade of contempt was not there.

她们说达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜是个自命清高、伤风败俗、令人不堪忍受的专制者；最要命的是，她说话的时候竟然如此放肆，真是让人咋舌！达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜在乡村可不想被繁文缛节束缚着，这从她待人接物时的那种豪放而直率的态度可以略微感觉到，这位来自首都的贵妇人像狮子蔑视弱小无能的动物一般，鄙视那些她周围的人们。她跟她自己的朋友交往时也是这样漫不经心，甚至还有点儿嘲讽的意味，但是没有这种鄙夷的神情。

By the way, reader, have you observed that a person who is exceptionally nonchalant with his inferiors, is never nonchalant with persons of a higher rank? Why is that? But such questions lead to nothing.

顺便问一下读者们，你们注意到了吗？对地位低于自己的人极其冷漠的人，决不会对地位高于自己的人表现冷漠。这是什么原因呢？这样的问题通常得不出什么结论。

When Konstantin Diomiditch, having at last learnt by heart the etude of Thalberg, went down from his bright and cheerful room to the drawing-room, he already found the whole household assembled. The salon was already beginning. The lady of the house was reposing on a wide couch, her feet gathered up under her, and a new French pamphlet in her hand; at the window behind a tambour frame, sat on one side the daughter of Darya Mihailovna, on the other, Mlle. Boncourt, the governess, a dry old maiden lady of sixty, with a false front of black curls under a parti-coloured cap and cotton wool in her ears; in the corner near the door was huddled Bassistoff reading a paper, near him were Patya and Vanya playing draughts, and leaning by the stove, his hands clasped behind his back, was a gentleman of low stature, with a swarthy face covered with bristling grey hair, and fiery black eyes—a certain African Semenitch Pigasov.

当康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇最终记熟了塔尔贝格的练习曲之后，便走出了自己明亮舒适的房间来到客厅，看到一家人已经聚在那里了。沙龙已经开始了。女主人盘膝坐在一张宽大的沙发上，手中拿着一本最新的法语小册子；窗子前面的绣架两旁坐着两个人，一个是达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的女儿，另一个是女家庭教师邦古小姐，她是个六十岁的干瘪老姑娘，黑色的假发上带着杂色的包发帽，耳朵里塞着棉绒；在门口的角落里巴西斯托夫正在读着报纸，瓦尼亚和彼娃在他身旁玩着跳棋；一位先生背着双手靠在壁炉上，他叫阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇·皮加索夫，这位先生身材并不高，皮肤黝黑，花白的头发一根根翘着，眼睛很黑，炯炯有神。

This Pigasov was a strange person.

这位皮加索夫是个怪人。

Full of acerbity against everything and every one—especially against women—he was railing from morning to night, sometimes very aptly, sometimes rather stupidly, but always with gusto. His ill-humour almost approached puerility; his laugh, the sound of his voice, his whole being seemed steeped in venom. Darya Mihailovna gave Pigasov a cordial reception; he amused her with his sallies. They were certainly absurd enough. He took delight in perpetual exaggeration. For example, if he were told of any disaster, that a village had been struck by lightning, or that a mill had been carried away by floods, or that a peasant had cut his hand with an axe, he invariably asked with concentrated bitterness, 'And what's her name?' meaning, what is the name of the woman responsible for this calamity, for according to his convictions, a woman was the cause of every misfortune, if you only looked deep enough into the matter. He once threw himself on his knees before a lady he hardly knew at all, who had been effusive in her hospitality to him and began tearfully, but with wrath written on his face, to entreat her to have compassion on him, saying that he had done her no harm and never would come to see her for the future. Once a horse had bolted with one of Darya Mihailovna's maids, thrown her into a ditch and almost killed her. From that time Pigasov never spoke of that horse except as the 'good, good horse,' and he even came to regard the hill and the ditch as specially picturesque spots. Pigasov had failed in life and had adopted this whimsical craze. He came of poor parents. His father had filled various petty posts, and could scarcely read and write, and did not trouble himself about his son's education; he fed and clothed him and nothing more. His mother spoiled him, but she died early. Pigasov educated himself, sent himself to the district school and then to the gymnasium, taught himself French, German, and even Latin, and, leaving the gymnasiums with an excellent certificate, went to Dorpat, where he maintained a perpetual struggle with poverty, but succeeded in completing his three years' course. Pigasov's abilities did not rise above the level of mediocrity; patience and perseverance were his strong points, but the most powerful sentiment in him was ambition, the desire to get into good society, not to be inferior to others in spite of fortune. He had studied diligently and gone to the Dorpat University from ambition. Poverty exasperated him, and made him watchful and cunning. He expressed himself with originality; from his youth he had adopted a special kind of stinging and exasperated eloquence. His ideas did not rise above the common level; but his way of speaking made him seem not only a clever, but even a very clever, man. Having taken his degree as candidate, Pigasov decided to devote himself to the scholastic profession; he understood that in any other career he could not possibly be the equal of his associates. He tried to select them from a higher rank and knew how to gain their good graces; even by flattery, though he was always abusing them. But to do this he had not, to speak plainly, enough raw material. Having educated himself through no love for study, Pigasov knew very little thoroughly. He broke down miserably in the public disputation, while another student who had shared the same room with him, and who was constantly the subject of his ridicule, a man of very limited ability who had received a careful and solid education, gained a complete triumph. Pigasov was infuriated by this failure, he threw all his books and manuscripts into the fire and went into a government office. At first he did not get on badly, he made a fair official, not very active, extremely self-confident and bold, however; but he wanted to make his way more quickly, he made a false step, got into trouble, and was obliged to retire from the service. He spent three years on the property he had bought himself and suddenly married a wealthy half-educated woman who was captivated by his unceremonious and sarcastic manners. But Pigasov's character had become so soured and irritable that family life was unendurable to him. After living with him a few years, his wife went off secretly to Moscow and sold her estate to an enterprising speculator; Pigasov had only just finished building a house on it. Utterly crushed by this last blow, Pigasov began a lawsuit with his wife, but gained nothing by it. After this he lived in solitude, and went to see his neighbours, whom he abused behind their backs and even to their faces, and who welcomed him with a kind of constrained half-laugh, though he did not inspire them with any serious dread. He never took a book in his hand. He had about a hundred serfs; his peasants were not badly off.

他对任何事、任何人都横挑鼻子竖挑眼——特别是对女人——他从早到晚都在抱怨，有时抱怨得还算适当，但有时候又很愚蠢，不过他总能骂得津津有味。他恶劣的性情近乎幼稚；他的笑、他的声音……他从头到脚都像是浸泡在毒液中一样。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜盛情招待他，他就用他的俏皮话来逗她开心。的确，他的那些话着实可笑。他总是以夸大其词为乐。比如说，如果有人告诉他任何不幸的事，像是一个小村子被雷击啦，磨坊被大水冲走啦，或者有个农夫用斧子剁掉了自己的一只手啦这类的事情时，他一定会怨气十足地问：“她叫什么名字？”他是在问该为此灾难负责的那个女人的名字，因为根据他的说法，如果您想得深入一些的话，女人是一切不幸的源头。有一次他给一位不太熟却对他殷勤接待的夫人下跪，他双眼饱含泪水，但是脸上写满了愤怒，求她可怜可怜他，说他没做任何伤害她的事，还说以后再也不会去她家了。有一次一匹马脱了缰，将达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的一个女仆掀进了沟里，差点儿把她摔死。从此以后皮加索夫就将那匹马视为“好马”，并且把出事的那座小山和那条水沟当作是风景独特的地方。皮加索夫一生颇为失败，于是他变得这么怪异痴狂。他出身贫寒。他父亲谋过各种各样不起眼的小职位，大字不识几个，对儿子的教育也漠不关心，除了供他吃穿，其他方面很少在意。他母亲非常宠爱他，可惜去世太早。皮加索夫先是自学考入一所乡村学校，接着又考入高级中学，自学了法语、德语以及拉丁语，以优异的成绩从高级中学毕业，然后进了杰尔普特大学，在那里他饱尝了贫困之苦，但还是顺利完成了三年的学业。皮加索夫才华并不出众，耐力和毅力才是他的强项，不过他心比天高，一心想要挤入上流社会，他不甘心比别人低等，尽管没什么财产。在野心的驱使下他努力学习，考上了杰尔普特大学。贫穷将他激怒，所以他变得警惕而狡猾。他所说的话总跟别人不同；年轻时候他就易怒，并且有着雄辩锋利的口才。他思想平庸，不过他说话的方式让人觉得他是个聪明，甚至聪明绝顶的人。拿到副博士学位之后，皮加索夫决定投身于学术研究；因为他知道在别的行业他很可能赶不上他的那些同伴们。他费尽心思从上流社会的圈子里将他们挑选出来，努力争取他们的友谊；甚至于巴结他们，即便他总是在辱骂他们。但是，老实说，他在学术方面没什么真材实料。皮加索夫并不是因为热爱学习而去自学的，所以他了解的知识并不深入透彻。学术公开辩论会上他一败涂地，然而另外一个和他共住一室，经常受他奚落的人却大获全胜。那人才华虽不出众，但是受过严格正规的教育。这次失利彻底激怒了皮加索夫，他一气之下把所有的书籍、手稿付之一炬，去政府部门谋了份差事。起初他尽管并不积极，有点儿过于自负，也太过武断，但还是干得不错。不过他太过于急功近利，想一步登天，结果走错了一步，陷入困境，最后被迫辞职了。他在自己购置的一座房子里生活了三年，突然娶了一个有钱但是没受过良好教育的女人，他用他那不羁、嘲讽的风格彻底俘获了她的心。但是皮加索夫的性格变得极为尖刻，动辄就发火，家庭生活让他无法忍受。他的妻子跟他生活了几年以后，偷偷地跑到莫斯科去了，把自己的田产卖给了一个精明的投机商；而此前不久皮加索夫才在那里建了一座庄园。这致命的最后一棒彻底击跨了他，皮加索夫跟他妻子打起了官司，但是一无所获。这件事之后他就过上了独居的生活，常常去拜访邻居们，由于他曾在背后甚至当面骂过他们，他们对他也并不十分热心，虽然他们倒也不是真的惧怕他。他的手再没碰过书。他有一百来个农奴；这些农奴的酬劳也还不错。

'Ah! Constantin,' said Darya Mihailovna, when Pandalevsky came into the drawing-room, 'is Alexandrine coming?'“啊！康斯坦丁，”看到潘达列夫斯基进了客厅后达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道，“亚历山德里娜要来吗？”

'Alexandra Pavlovna asked me to thank you, and they will be extremely delighted,' replied Konstantin Diomiditch, bowing affably in all directions, and running his plump white hand with its triangular cut nails through his faultlessly arranged hair.“亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜让我转达对您的谢意，他们很高兴能来。”康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇答道，殷勤地向每个人鞠躬，用他又白又胖的手摸着梳得整整齐齐的头发；他的指甲修剪成倒三角形。

'And is Volintsev coming too?''Yes.'“沃伦采夫也会来吗？”“是的。”

'So, according to you, African Semenitch,' continued Darya Mihailovna, turning to Pigasov, 'all young ladies are affected?'“那么，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇，照您这么说，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜转向皮加索夫，接着说道，“所有的年轻小姐们都很做作了？”

Pigasov's mouth twitched, and he plucked nervously at his elbow.

皮加索夫撇了撇嘴巴,不安地扯了扯自己的臂肘。

'I say,' he began in a measured voice—in his most violent moods of exasperation he always spoke slowly and precisely. 'I say that young ladies, in general—of present company, of course, I say nothing.'“我是说，”他用谨慎的口吻说道——即使是在恼羞成怒之时，他也会慢吞吞地、咬文嚼字地说话，“我是说一般而言，年轻女士们都是这样，当然，至于在座的各位则另当别论。”

'But that does not prevent your thinking of them,' put in Darya Mihailovna.“但是这样也不会让您改变对她们的看法。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说。

'I say nothing of them,' repeated Pigasov. 'All young ladies, in general, are affected to the most extreme point—affected in the expression of their feelings. If a young lady is frightened, for instance, or pleased with anything, or distressed, she is certain first to throw her person into some such elegant attitude (and Pigasov threw his figure into an unbecoming pose and spread out his hands) and then she shrieks—ah! or she laughs or cries. I did once though (and here Pigasov smiled complacently) succeed in eliciting a genuine, unaffected expression of emotion from a remarkably affected young lady!'“我没说一句针对她们的话。”皮加索夫重复说道，“所有的年轻女士们都矫揉造作到了极点——表达感情时更是如此。举个例子来说，如果有什么事让一位年轻女士感到高兴、害怕或焦虑时，她一定先摆出这样优雅的姿势（皮加索夫摆出了一个并不得体的姿势，伸出双手），然后大声尖叫——啊！之后要么笑要么哭。不过有一次（此时皮加索夫得意地笑了笑）我确实让一个平时做作至极的年轻女士露出了真实的、毫不做作的表情！”

'How did you do that?'Pigasov's eyes sparkled. 'I poked her in the side with an aspen stake, from behind. She did shriek, and I said to her, "Bravo, bravo! that's the voice of nature, that was a genuine shriek! Always do like that for the future!"' Every one in the room laughed. 'What nonsense you talk, African Semenitch,' cried Darya Mihailovna. 'Am I to believe that you would poke a girl in the side with a stake!'“您是怎么做到的呢？”皮加索夫两眼放着光。“我从背后用山杨树棍戳了一下她的背。她立刻发出了尖叫声，然后我跟她说：‘太好了，太好了！这才是您真正天然的声音，这才是地地道道的尖叫呢！您以后也要这样叫！’”屋里立刻发出了哄堂大笑。“您在乱说些什么呀，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜大声说道，“我会相信您用一根棍子去戳一位女士的背吗！”

'Yes, indeed, with a stake, a very big stake, like those that are used in the defence of a fort.'“千真万确，就是用棍子，一根很粗的棍子，就像守卫堡垒时用的棍子一样。”

' Mais c'est un horreur ce que vous dites la, Monsieur ,' cried Mlle. Boncourt, looking angrily at the boys, who were in fits of laughter.“先生，您说的这些话真是吓人。”邦古小姐生气地看着大笑不止的孩子们，叫道。

'Oh, you mustn't believe him,' said Darya Mihailovna. 'Don't you know him?'“哦，别信他的话。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“您还不了解他吗？”

But the offended French lady could not be pacified for a long while, and kept muttering something to herself. 'You need not believe me,' continued Pigasov coolly, 'but I assure you I told the simple truth. Who should know if not I? After that perhaps you won't believe that our neighbour, Madame Tchepuz, Elena Antonovna, told me herself, mind herself, that she had murdered her nephew?'

可是这个气愤的法国女人很久都没能消气，嘴里一直在嘟嘟囔囔。“你们大可不用相信我，”皮加索夫继续冷冷地说道，“但是我向你们保证我说的都是实话。除了我谁还会知道这件事呢？这样的话，还有一件事你们应该更加不会相信了，我们的邻居，叶列娜·安东诺夫娜·切普佐娃太太亲口告诉我，注意是亲口，她谋杀了自己的侄子！”

'What an invention!'“您在瞎编乱造些什么呀！”

'Wait a minute, wait a minute! Listen and judge for yourselves. Mind, I don't want to slander her, I even like her as far as one can like a woman. She hasn't a single book in her house except a calendar, and she can't read except aloud, and that exercise throws her into a violent perspiration, and she complains then that her eyes feel bursting out of her head.... In short, she's a capital woman, and her servant girls grow fat. Why should I slander her?'“别着急，别着急！听我说完您再作判断。请注意，我并不是在诽谤她，我甚至像喜欢一个普通女人一样喜欢她。她的家里除了日历以外，一本书都没有，她阅读时非得出声才行，这会让她大汗淋漓，之后她抱怨说她感到自己的眼球都要掉出来了……总之，她是个顶好的女人，她的女仆们也都心宽体胖。我又何必诋毁她呢？”

'You see,' observed Darya Mihailovna, 'African Semenitch has got on his hobbyhorse, now he will not be off it tonight.'“你们看，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇发表长篇大论的怪癖又上来了，今天晚上他是停不下来了。”

'My hobby! But women have three at least, which they are never off, except, perhaps, when they're asleep.'“我的怪癖！可是女人的怪癖至少有三个呢，她们决不会善罢甘休，除非，也许是，晚上睡着后。”

'What three hobbies are those?'“那么是哪三个怪癖呢？”

'Reproof, reproach, recrimination.'“非难，数落，责骂。”

'Do you know, African Semenitch,' began Darya Mihailovna, 'you cannot be so bitter against women for nothing. Some woman or other must have—'“要知道，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“您不能这样拿这些莫须有的罪名指责女人。肯定是有些女人让您——”

'Done me an injury, you mean?'Pigasov interrupted.“您是不是想说让我受了伤害？”皮加索夫插嘴道。

Darya Mihailovna was rather embarrassed; she remembered Pigasov's unlucky marriage, and only nodded.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜有点儿尴尬；她想起了皮加索夫不幸的婚姻，只能点点头。

'One woman certainly did me an injury,' said Pigasov, 'though she was a good, very good one.'“确实有一个女人让我受了伤害，”皮加索夫说道，“虽然她十分善良。”

'Who was that?'“是谁？”

'My mother,' said Pigasov, dropping his voice.“是家母。”皮加索夫放低了声音说道。

'Your mother? What injury could she have done you?'“您的母亲？她能让您受到什么伤害呢？”

'She brought me into the world.'Darya Mihailovna frowned. 'Our conversation,' she said, 'seems to have taken a gloomy turn. Constantin, play us Thalberg's new etude . I daresay the music will soothe African Semenitch. Orpheus soothed savage beasts.'“她把我带到了这个世界上。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜不禁皱起了眉头。“看起来，”她说，“我们的谈话开始变得让人忧郁起来了。康斯坦丁，为我们弹奏那首塔尔贝格的新练习曲吧。我相信音乐准能抚慰阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇。俄耳甫斯就曾经征服了野兽。”

Konstantin Diomiditch took his seat at the piano, and played the etude very fairly well. Natalya Alexyevna at first listened attentively, then she bent over her work again.

康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇坐到钢琴前，将这首曲子演奏得美妙动听。娜塔利娅·阿列克谢耶芙娜起初在认真地听，接着便重新开始做自己的事去了。

'Merci, c'est charmant,' observed Darya Mihailovna, 'I love Thalberg. Il est si distingue. What are you thinking of, African Semenitch?'“谢谢，真是太美妙了。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道，“我很喜欢塔尔贝格。他很特别。您在想什么呢，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇？”

'I thought,' began African Semenitch slowly, 'that there are three kinds of egoists; the egoists who live themselves and let others live; the egoists who live themselves and don't let others live; and the egoists who don't live themselves and don't let others live. Women, for the most part, belong to the third class.'“我在想，”阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇缓缓地说道，“利己主义者有三种：自己活着，也让别人活着的；自己活着却断了别人活路的；自己不想活也让别人活不下去的。而大部分女人都属第三种。”

'That's polite! I am very much astonished at one thing, African Semenitch; your confidence in your convictions; of course you can never be mistaken.'“真是委婉！阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇，我对一件事感到非常惊讶，那就是您对于自己所持的观点如此深信不疑，好像确信您绝不会出错似的。”

'Who says so? I make mistakes; a man, too, may be mistaken. But do you know the difference between a man's mistakes and a woman's? Don't you know? Well, here it is; a man may say, for example, that twice two makes not four, but five, or three and a half; but a woman will say that twice two makes a wax candle.'“怎么能这么说呢？我也会犯错；男人也是会做错事的。但是您知道男人犯的错和女人犯的错有何不同吗？您不知道吗？譬如，男人可能会说二乘以二不是四，是五或者三点五；但是女人则会说二乘以二是支蜡烛。”

'I fancy I've heard you say that before. But allow me to ask what connection had your idea of the three kinds of egoists with the music you have just been hearing?'“我想我之前听您说过这些。但是请允许我问一句，您说的三种利己主义者和刚刚听到的音乐之间有何关联？”

'None at all, but I did not listen to the music.'“毫无关联，我根本没有听音乐。”

'Well, "incurable I see you are, and that is all about it,"' answered Darya Mihailovna, slightly altering Griboyedov's line. 'What do you like, since you don't care for music? Literature?'“得了，‘我看您是无可救药了，的确是这样’”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜回答道，她稍稍改动了下格里鲍耶陀夫的诗句，“如果不喜欢音乐，您还能喜欢什么呢？文学？”

'I like literature, only not our contemporary literature.'“我喜欢文学，不过不是我们当代的文学。”

'Why?'“为什么呢？”

'I'll tell you why. I crossed the Oka lately in a ferry boat with a gentleman. The ferry got fixed in a narrow place; they had to drag the carriages ashore by hand. This gentleman had a very heavy coach. While the ferrymen were straining themselves to drag the coach on to the bank, the gentleman groaned so, standing in the ferry, that one felt quite sorry for him.... Well, I thought, here's a fresh illustration of the system of division of labour! That's just like our modern literature; other people do the work, and it does the groaning.'Darya Mihailovna smiled.“请听我说。我曾和一位先生一起坐船渡过奥卡河。渡船在一处很窄的河道上卡住了，船夫们只能用手把马车拖上岸去。而那位先生的马车偏偏又非常沉重。当船夫们拼命地把马车往岸上拖的时候，这位先生却站在渡船上唉声叹气，真让人觉得可怜……我想，这就是新的劳动分工体系的很好说明吧！这就好比我们当代的文学；别人在辛勤劳作，而它却在唉声叹气。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜脸上绽开了笑容。

'And that is called expressing contemporary life,' continued Pigasov indefatigably, 'profound sympathy with the social question and so on.... Oh, how I hate those grand words!'“这些被称为对现实生活的写照，”皮加索夫不知疲倦地说道，“对社会问题的深切关注等等……啊，这些装腔作势的话真是让我厌恶至极！”

'Well, the women you attack so—they at least don't use grand words.'Pigasov shrugged his shoulders. 'They don't use them because they don't understand them.'Darya Mihailovna flushed slightly. 'You are beginning to be impertinent, African Semenitch!' she remarked with a forced smile.“但是那些被您批判的女人们至少没有讲过这些装腔作势的话呀。”皮加索夫耸了耸肩。“她们不说是因为她们根本就不懂这些话。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的脸微微变红了。“阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇，您这就有点儿扯远了！”她勉强挤出一丝笑容。

There was complete stillness in the room.

客厅陷入了一阵沉默。

'Where is Zolotonosha?' asked one of the boys suddenly of Bassistoff.“佐洛托诺沙在什么地方？”一个男孩忽然向巴西斯托夫问道。

'In the province of Poltava, my dear boy,' replied Pigasov, 'in the centre of Little Russia.'(He was glad of an opportunity of changing the conversation.) 'We were talking of literature,' he continued, 'if I had money to spare, I would at once become a Little Russian poet'“在波尔塔瓦省呢，我亲爱的孩子，”皮加索夫回答道，“在小俄罗斯的中心。”（他很高兴话题被岔开了）“我们刚刚说到文学，”他继续说道，“假使我足够富有，就一定立刻做个小俄罗斯诗人。”

'What next? a fine poet you would make!' retorted Darya Mihailovna. 'Do you know Little Russian?'“您说您会怎么样？您要当个诗人！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜不无揶揄地说道，“您懂小俄罗斯语吗？”

'Not a bit; but it isn't necessary.'“一点儿都不懂；不过也用不着懂。”

'Not necessary?'“用不着？”

'Oh no, it's not necessary. You need only take a sheet of paper and write at the top "A Ballad," then begin like this, "Heigho, alack, my destiny!" or "the Cossack Nalivaiko was sitting on a hill and then on the mountain, under the green tree the birds are singing, grae, voropae, gop, gop!" or something of that kind. And the thing's done. Print it and publish it. The Little Russian will read it, drop his head into his hands and infallibly burst into tears—he is such a sensitive soul!'“是的，用不着。您只要拿出一张白纸来，写上标题《一首民谣》，然后就开始写：“啊，我的命运！”或者“哥萨克人纳利瓦伊科正坐在山丘上，坐在高峰上；在郁郁葱葱的树林里，鸟儿正在歌唱，格拉耶，沃罗帕耶，啊，啊！”之类的句子。一首诗就这么完成了。接着就可以拿出去印刷发行了。小俄罗斯人会读它，还会把脸埋在双手里，十有八九还会放声大哭——他们就是这么多愁善感！”

'Good heavens!' cried Bassistoff. 'What are you saying? It's too absurd for anything. I have lived in Little Russia, I love it and know the language... "grae, grae, voropae" is absolute nonsense.'“我的老天爷！”巴西斯托夫叫道，“您在说些什么啊？这简直太可笑了。我在小俄罗斯住过一段时间，我很热爱那里，并且也通晓那里的语言……根本就没有‘格拉耶，格拉耶，沃罗帕耶’这种说法。”

'It may be, but the Little Russian will weep all the same. You speak of the "language."...“也许是这样，不过小俄罗斯人还是会哭得稀里哗啦。您说到‘语言’……

But is there a Little Russian language? Is it a language, in your opinion? an independent language? I would pound my best friend in a mortar before I'd agree to that.'

有小俄罗斯语这种语言吗?在您看来，这也能称得上是一种语言吗？它也算一种独立的语言吗？就算是把我的患难之交剁成肉泥，我都无法苟同这个说法。”

Bassistoff was about to retort.

巴西斯托夫张口准备反驳。

'Leave him alone!' said Darya Mihailovna, 'you know that you will hear nothing but paradoxes from him.'“别理他！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“您也知道，他总是这样自相矛盾。”

Pigasov smiled ironically. A footman came in and announced the arrival of Alexandra Pavlovna and her brother.

皮加索夫嘲弄地笑了笑。一个仆人进来通报亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜和她弟弟到了。

Darya Mihailovna rose to meet her guests.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜起身迎接她的客人。

'How do you do, Alexandrine?' she began, going up to her, 'how good of you to come!... How are you, Sergei Pavlitch?'“您好啊，亚历山德里娜！”她走上前去说道，“您能来真的是太好了！……您好，谢尔盖·巴甫雷奇！”

Volintsev shook hands with Darya Mihailovna and went up to Natalya Alexyevna.

沃伦采夫同达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜握了握手，接着走到娜塔利娅·阿列克谢耶夫娜跟前。

'But how about that baron, your new acquaintance, is he coming today?' asked Pigasov.“您提到的那位新结识的男爵呢，他今天会来吗？”皮加索夫问道。

'Yes, he is coming.'“是的，他会来的。”

'He is a great philosopher, they say; he is just brimming over with Hegel, I suppose?'“据说他可是个大哲学家；我想会对黑格尔侃侃而谈吧？”

Darya Mihailovna made no reply, and making Alexandra Pavlovna sit down on the sofa, established herself near her.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜并不理睬他，她让亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜挨着她坐在沙发上。

'Philosophies,' continued Pigasov, 'are elevated points of view! That's another abomination of mine; these elevated points of view. And what can one see from above? Upon my soul, if you want to buy a horse, you don't look at it from a steeple!'“哲学，”皮加索夫继续说道，“可是高深的学问！而这些所谓高深的学问正是另一件让我很恼火的事情。就算是在高处又都看到了些什么呢？说句良心话，如果您要买匹马的话，总不至于要跑到尖塔上去看它吧！”

'This baron was going to bring you an essay?' said Alexandra Pavlovna.“这位男爵要给您看一篇文章吗？”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜问道。

'Yes, an essay,' replied Darya Mihailovna, with exaggerated carelessness, 'on the relation of commerce to manufactures in Russia.... But don't be afraid; we will not read it here.... I did not invite you for that. Le baron est aussi aimable que savant . And he speaks Russian beautifully! C'est un vrai torrent... il vous entraine !'“是的。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜故意装作漫不经心的样子回答道，“一篇关于俄国商业和制造业之间关系的文章……不过别担心，我们不会在这里品读它的……我请你们来可不是为了这个。这位男爵博学多才，招人喜欢。他的俄语说得地道极了！真是有声有色……您一定会听得入迷的！”

'He speaks Russian so beautifully,' grumbled Pigasov, 'that he deserves a eulogy in French.'“他俄语说得好，”皮加索夫揶揄地小声嘀咕道，“您却用法语赞美他。”

'You may grumble as you please, African Semenitch.... It's in keeping with your ruffled locks.... I wonder, though, why he does not come. Do you know what, messieurs et mesdames' added Darya Mihailovna, looking round, 'we will go into the garden. There is still nearly an hour to dinner-time and the weather is glorious.'“您就尽情地抱怨吧，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇……正好跟您乱蓬蓬的头发很搭配呢……不过，他为什么还不来呢？女士们，先生们，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜看了看众人，继续说道，“我们进花园去吧。离宴会时间还有一个小时呢，而且外面天气很好。”

All the company rose and went into the garden.

大家纷纷起身往花园走去。

Darya Mihailovna's garden stretched right down to the river. There were many alleys of old lime-trees in it, full of sunlight and shade and fragrance and glimpses of emerald green at the ends of the walks, and many arbours of acacias and lilacs.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的花园正好通到河边。园中满是古老的椴树，树丛中有许多小路，小径深处树影横斜，暗香四溢，一片绿光闪亮耀眼，此外还有许多由洋槐和丁香围成的小凉亭。

Volintsev turned into the thickest part of the garden with Natalya and Mlle. Boncourt.

沃伦采夫跟娜塔利娅以及邦古小姐一起向园中最茂密之处走去。

He walked beside Natalya in silence.

他跟娜塔利娅肩并肩默默地走着。

Mlle. Boncourt followed a little behind.

邦古小姐在后面不远处跟着他们。

'What have you been doing today?' asked Volintsev at last, pulling the ends of his handsome dark brown moustache.“您今天都做了些什么？”终于，沃伦采夫摸着自己漂亮的深褐色小胡子开口发问了。

In features he resembled his sister strikingly; but there was less movement and life in his expression, and his soft beautiful eyes had a melancholy look.

他和她姐姐长得非常相像；只是脸上不那么富有生气和活力，温柔漂亮的眼睛中透出丝丝忧伤。

'Oh! nothing,' answered Natalya, 'I have been listening to Pigasov's sarcasms, I have done some embroidery on canvas, and I've been reading.'“啊！没做什么。”娜塔利娅回答道，“一直在听皮加索夫怨东怨西，绣了一会儿花，然后又读了会儿书。”

'And what have you been reading?'“您看了什么书？”

'Oh! I read a history of the Crusades,' said Natalya, with some hesitation.“啊，我看的是《十字军东征史》。”娜塔利娅带着些许犹豫的口吻说道。

Volintsev looked at her.

沃伦采夫看着她。

'Ah!' he ejaculated at last, 'that must be interesting.'“啊！”他忽然说道，“一定很有趣。”

He picked a twig and began to twirl it in the air. They walked another twenty paces.

他折下根小树枝，在空中捻弄起来。他们又一起走了二十步。

'What is this baron whom your mother has made acquaintance with?' began Volintsev again.“您母亲结识的那位男爵是做什么的？”沃伦采夫又问。

'A Gentleman of the Bedchamber, a new arrival; maman speaks very highly of him.'“一位宫廷侍从，是新来的；家母对他非常赏识。”

'Your mother is quick to take fancies to people.'“您母亲很容易欣赏别人。”

'That shows that her heart is still young,' observed Natalya.“这正说明她的心态依然年轻。”娜塔利娅说。

'Yes. I shall soon bring you your mare. She is almost quite broken in now. I want to teach her to gallop, and I shall manage it soon.''Merci!... But I'm quite ashamed. You are breaking her in yourself ...and they say it's so hard!'“正是。我尽快把您的马送过来。它已经训练得差不多了。我想让它学会飞奔，很快就可以了。”“谢谢！但我很惭愧。让您亲自训练它……听说这可不是件简单的事！”

'To give you the least pleasure, you know, Natalya Alexyevna, I am ready ... I ... not in such trifles—'“只要您能得到哪怕一丝快乐，娜塔利娅·阿列克谢耶芙娜，我都可以……我……这点小事别放在心上——”

Volintsev grew confused.

沃伦采夫感到很困惑。

Natalya looked at him with friendly encouragement, and again said 'merci!'

娜塔利娅用一种友好的、鼓励的神情看着他，又说了句“谢谢！”

'You know,' continued Sergei Pavlitch after a long pause, 'that not such things.... But why am I saying this? you know everything, of course.'“您知道，”谢尔盖·巴甫雷奇沉默了许久之后继续又说，“无论什么事情……我干嘛说这个！您一定都知道的。”

At that instant a bell rang in the house.

就在这个时候从房子里传来了铃声。

'Ah! la cloche du diner !' cried Mlle. Boncourt, 'rentrons.'“啊！“到时间开饭了！”邦古小姐喊道，“回去吧。”

'Quel dommage,' thought the old French lady to herself as she mounted the balcony steps behind Volintsev and Natalya, 'quel dommage que ce charmant garcon ait si peu de ressources dans la conversation,' which may be translated, 'you are a good fellow, my dear boy, but rather a fool.'

"Quel dommage,"这位年老的法国小姐边想边跟着沃伦采夫和娜塔利娅走上了露台的台阶，"quel dommage que ce charmant garcon ait si peu de ressources dans la conversation."这句话用俄语就是，“亲爱的孩子，你是个好人，可是有些傻乎乎的。”

The baron did not arrive to dinner.

男爵并没有来吃晚餐。

They waited half-an-hour for him. Conversation flagged at the table. Sergei Pavlitch did nothing but gaze at Natalya, near whom he was sitting, and zealously filled up her glass with water. Pandalevsky tried in vain to entertain his neighbour, Alexandra Pavlovna; he was bubbling over with sweetness, but she hardly refrained from yawning.

他们等了他大约三十分钟。饭桌上谈话并不活跃。谢尔盖·巴甫雷奇坐在娜塔利娅的旁边，一直注视着她，热情地为她倒水。潘达列夫斯基一直在讨好他的邻座亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜，但都是徒劳；他滔滔不绝地说着甜言蜜语，而她却哈欠连连。

Bassistoff was rolling up pellets of bread and thinking of nothing at all; even Pigasov was silent, and when Darya Mihailovna remarked to him that he had not been very polite today, he replied crossly, 'When am I polite? that's not in my line;' and smiling grimly he added, 'have a little patience; I am only kvas, you know, du simple Russian kvas; but your Gentleman of the Bedchamber—'

巴西斯托夫把面包捏成小球，脑子里空荡荡的；就连皮加索夫都沉默了，当达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说他今天表现得不太礼貌时，他生气地回答道：“我什么时候礼貌过？礼貌可不是我的专长。”他阴沉地笑了笑，继续说道，“忍耐一下吧；我只是格瓦斯，俄国格瓦斯，仅此而已；您的宫廷侍卫才是……

'Bravo!' cried Darya Mihailovna, 'Pigasov is jealous, he is jealous already!'“太好了！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜高声说道，“皮加索夫在嫉妒，他已经在嫉妒了！”

But Pigasov made her no rejoinder, and only gave her a rather cross look.

皮加索夫什么也没说，只是生气地撇了她一眼。

Seven o'clock struck, and they were all assembled again in the drawing-room.

七点的钟声敲响了，大家又重新回到了客厅。

'He is not coming, clearly,' said Darya Mihailovna. But, behold, the rumble of a carriage was heard: a small tarantass drove into the court, and a few instants later a footman entered the drawing-room and gave Darya Mihailovna a note on a silver salver. She glanced through it, and turning to the footman asked:“很明显，他不会来了。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道。但是，就在这个时候，响起了马车的隆隆声；一辆不大的四轮马车进了庭院，少顷，一个仆人走进客厅，递给达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜一封放在银盘里的信。她匆匆瞟了一眼信，转身对着仆人问道：

'But where is the gentleman who brought this letter?'“捎来这封信的那位先生在哪里？”

'He is sitting in the carriage. Shall I ask him to come up?'“在马车里。要请他进来吗？”

'Ask him to do so.'The man went out. 'Fancy, how vexatious!' continued Darya Mihailovna, 'the baron has received a summons to return at once to Petersburg. He has sent me his essay by a certain Mr. Rudin, a friend of his. The baron wanted to introduce him to me—he speaks very highly of him. But how vexatious it is! I had hoped the baron would stay here for some time.'“请他进来吧。”仆人走了出去。“真是太让人失望了！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道，“男爵接到召集令，必须立刻回彼得堡。他托他的朋友罗亭先生将文章送了过来。男爵将这位先生介绍给我——他很欣赏这位先生。不过真是让人失望！我原先还希望男爵在这里逗留一段时间呢。”

'Dmitri Nikolaitch Rudin,' announced the servant“德米特里·尼古拉耶维奇·罗亭先生到。”仆人禀告说。

CHAPTER III

第三章

A man of about thirty-five entered, of a tall, somewhat stooping figure, with crisp curly hair and swarthy complexion, an irregular but expressive and intelligent face, a liquid brilliance in his quick, dark blue eyes, a straight, broad nose, and well-curved lips. His clothes were not new, and were somewhat small, as though he had outgrown them.

一个三十五岁左右的男人走了进来，他个子很高，略微有点儿驼背，头发卷曲，皮肤黝黑，表情丰富；五官并不俊美，但是看起来非常机智，深蓝色的双眸灵活而明亮，鼻子大而挺，嘴唇的轮廓清晰分明。他的衣服有些旧，而且有些小，就好像他个头长高了，穿不下以前的衣服一样。

He walked quickly up to Darya Mihailovna, and with a slight bow told her that he had long wished to have the honour of an introduction to her, and that his friend the baron greatly regretted that he could not take leave of her in person.

他迅速地走到达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜跟前，微微向她鞠了个躬，说很久前他就期待能结识她了，还说他的朋友男爵因为不能来当面道别而倍感遗憾。

The thin sound of Rudin's voice seemed out of keeping with his tall figure and broad chest.

罗亭说话时细声细语，这与他那魁梧的身材和宽阔的胸膛不相匹配。

'Pray be seated... very delighted,' murmured Darya Mihailovna, and, after introducing him to the rest of the company, she asked him whether he belonged to those parts or was a visitor.“快请坐……我很高兴。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜喃喃地说道，并把他介绍给大家，接着又问他是本地人还是个访客。

'My estate is in the T—province,' replied Rudin, holding his hat on his knees. 'I have not been here long. I came on business and stayed for a while in your district town.'“我的家在Ｔ——省。”罗亭回答道，一面将帽子放在膝盖上，“不久前才来到这里。我是来出差的，在这一带住了一段时间了。”

'With whom?'“您跟谁住呢？”

'With the doctor. He was an old chum of mine at the university.''Ah! the doctor. He is highly spoken of. He is skilful in his work, they say. But have you known the baron long?'“我住在医生家里。他是我大学时代的老朋友了。”“啊！那位医生。他名声很好。据说他医术高明。不过，您跟男爵相识很久了吗？”

'I met him last winter in Moscow, and I have just been spending about a week with him.'“去年冬天在莫斯科相识的，这次在他那里刚住了大约一个星期。”

'He is a very clever man, the baron.'“他非常聪明呢，我是说男爵。”

'Yes.'“是的。”

Darya Mihailovna sniffed at her little crushed-up handkerchief steeped in eau de cologne.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜闻了闻她那弄皱的、在科隆香水中浸泡过的小手帕。

'Are you in the government service?' she asked.“您在政府部门工作吗？”她问道。

'Who? I?'“谁？我吗？”

'Yes.'“是的。”

'No. I have retired.'“没有，我已经辞职了。”

There followed a brief pause. The general conversation was resumed.

接下来是片刻的停顿。大家很快又交谈了起来。

'If you will allow me to be inquisitive,' began Pigasov, turning to Rudin, 'do you know the contents of the essay which his excellency the baron has sent?'“请原谅我的好奇心，”皮加索夫转向罗亭，问道，“您知道男爵阁下送来的文章是什么内容吗？”

'Yes, I do.'“是的，我知道。”

'This essay deals with the relations to commerce—or no, of manufactures to commerce in our country.... That was your expression, I think, Darya Mihailovna?'“这篇文章有关我们国家商业——哦，不，是制造业和商业之间的关系……达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜，我想您是这么说的吧？”

'Yes, it deals with'...began Darya Mihailovna, pressing her hand to her forehead.“没错，是关于……”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜用手摸着额头，说道。

'I am, of course, a poor judge of such matters,' continued Pigasov, 'but I must confess that to me even the title of the essay seems excessively (how could I put it delicately?) excessively obscure and complicated.'“当然，这方面我不是什么专家，”皮加索夫继续说道，“不过坦白地说，在我看来标题似乎过于——该怎么说得委婉一些呢——过于晦涩、复杂。”

'Why does it seem so to you?'“您为什么这么觉得呢？”

Pigasov smiled and looked across at Darya Mihailovna.

皮加索夫笑了笑，看了一眼达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜。

'Why, is it clear to you?' he said, turning his foxy face again towards Rudin.“怎么，您觉得很清晰明了吗？”他将他那张狐狸般的脸孔重新转向罗亭。

'To me? Yes.''H'm. No doubt you must know better.'“我？是的。”“嗯。您当然要比我理解得更透彻一些。”

'Does your head ache?'Alexandra Pavlovna inquired of Darya Mihailovna.“您是不是头痛？”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜向达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜问道。

'No. It is only my— c'est nerveux.'“没有，我只是——我只是神经紧张。”

'Allow me to inquire,' Pigasov was beginning again in his nasal tones, 'your friend, his excellency Baron Muffel—I think that's his name?'“请允许我问一句，”皮加索夫带着鼻音问道，“您的朋友，穆菲利男爵阁下——他是叫这个名字吧？”

'Precisely.'“正是。”

'Does his excellency Baron Muffel make a special study of political economy, or does he only devote to that interesting subject the hours of leisure left over from his social amusements and his official duties?'“穆菲利男爵阁下是专门研究政治经济学呢，还是只是在社交空当或处理公务之外的闲暇时间来钻研这门有趣的学问呢？”

Rudin looked steadily at Pigasov.

罗亭镇定地望着皮加索夫。

'The baron is an amateur on this subject,' he replied, growing rather red, 'but in his essay there is much that is interesting and just.'“男爵先生并不专门从事这门学科的研究。”他回答道，双颊有些泛红，“但是这篇文章内容有趣、分析合理。”

'I am not able to dispute it with you; I have not read the essay. But I venture to ask—the work of your friend Baron Muffel is no doubt founded more upon general propositions than upon facts?'“这点我无法跟您讨论；我还没有读过这篇文章。不过，请恕我直言，您的朋友穆菲利男爵的观点很无疑是建立于一般命题而非建立于事实之上的吧？”

'It contains both facts and propositions founded upon the facts.'“这篇文章同时包含了事实以及建立在事实之上的命题。”

'Yes, yes. I must tell you that, in my opinion—and I've a right to give my opinion, on occasion; I spent three years at Dorpat... all these, so-called general propositions, hypotheses, these systems—excuse me, I am a provincial, I speak the truth bluntly—are absolutely worthless. All that's only theorising—only good for misleading people. Give us facts, sir, and that's enough!'“是的，是的。但是我得告诉您，在我看来——偶尔我也有权发表我的意见；我在杰尔普特大学呆过三年……所有这些所谓的一般命题啊，假设啊，理论体系啊什么的——请原谅，我是外地人，所以说话很直白——这些通通一文不值。那些都只是理论——只会误导民众。给我们看看事实，先生，摆出事实来就够了！”

'Really!' retorted Rudin, 'why, but ought not one to give the significance of the facts?'“是吗！”罗亭反驳道，“那么事实的重要性也不需要罗列出来了？”

'General propositions,' continued Pigasov, 'they're my abomination, these general propositions, theories, conclusions. All that's based on so-called convictions; every one is talking about his convictions, and attaches importance to them, prides himself on them. Ah!'“一般命题，”皮加索夫继续说道，“这些一般命题、理论以及结论什么的真是让我讨厌的东西。所有这些都是基于所谓的信念；每个人都在谈论自己的信念，并给予重视、引以为傲。唉！”

And Pigasov shook his fist in the air. Pandalevsky laughed.

皮加索夫扬起拳头狠狠地挥了两下。潘达列夫斯基笑了起来。

'Capital!' put in Rudin, 'it follows that there is no such thing as conviction according to you?'“非常好！”罗亭说，“照您的说法，根本就没有什么信念存在，对吗？”

'No, it doesn't exist.''Is that your conviction?'“是的，确实没有。”“这就是您的信念吗？”

'Yes.'“是的。”

'How do you say that there are none then? Here you have one at the very first turn.'“那您怎么能说没有信念的存在呢？现在您就有信念啊！”

All in the room smiled and looked at one another.

屋子里所有人都相互看了看，接着笑了起来。

'One minute, one minute, but—,' Pigasov was beginning.“等一下，等一下，但是——”皮加索夫正准备反驳。

But Darya Mihailovna clapped her hands crying, 'Bravo, bravo, Pigasov's beaten!' and she gently took Rudin's hat from his hand.

但是达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜拍着手，大声说道：“太好了，太好了，皮加索夫被打败了！”她从罗亭的手中轻轻地把他的帽子拿了过来。

'Defer your delight a little, madam; there's plenty of time!'Pigasov began with annoyance. 'It's not sufficient to say a witty word, with a show of superiority; you must prove, refute. We had wandered from the subject of our discussion.'“不要高兴得太早了，夫人，有的是时间呢！”皮加索夫恼火地说，“像这样用高傲的口吻说两句漂亮话可不够，关键是您要证明，要辩驳。我们有点儿偏离讨论的话题了。”

'With your permission,' remarked Rudin, coolly, 'the matter is very simple. You do not believe in the value of general propositions—you do not believe in convictions?'“如蒙您允许的话，”罗亭冷冷地说道，“事情非常简单。您不相信一般命题有任何价值——您不相信信念，是吗？”

'I don't believe in them, I don't believe in anything!'“我不相信，我什么也不相信！”

'Very good. You are a sceptic.'“非常好。您是个怀疑论者。”

'I see no necessity for using such a learned word. However—'“我看没必要用这样的书面语。然而——”

'Don't interrupt!' interposed Darya Mihailovna.“别插话嘛！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜打断了他。

'At him, good dog!'Pandalevsky said to himself at the same instant, and smiled all over.“咬他，真是条好狗！”潘达列夫斯基心里同时默默地说，而脸上依然微笑着。

'That word expresses my meaning,' pursued Rudin. 'You understand it; why not make use of it? You don't believe in anything. Why do you believe in facts?'“而这个词语却能表达我的想法。”罗亭说，“您能理解这个词语，那为何不用呢？您不相信任何事情。那么您为何偏偏相信事实呢？”

'Why? That's good! Facts are matters of experience, every one knows what facts are. I judge of them by experience, by my own senses.'“为什么相信！问得真是好！事实就是经验，每个人都知道何谓事实。我凭借自己经验和感觉来判断事实。”

'But may not your senses deceive you? Your senses tell you that the sun goes round the earth,... but perhaps you don't agree with Copernicus? You don't even believe in him?'“但是您的感觉不会欺骗您吗？您的感觉告诉您太阳绕着地球转……或许您并不认同哥白尼？您甚至不信任他？”

Again a smile passed over every one's face, and all eyes were fastened on Rudin. 'He's by no means a fool,' every one was thinking.

众人脸上再次浮现笑意，每个人的目光都聚焦于罗亭的身上。“他真是个聪明人。”大家心里都这么想着。

'You are pleased to keep on joking,' said Pigasov. 'Of course that's very original, but it's not to the point.''In what I have said hitherto,' rejoined Rudin, 'there is, unfortunately, too little that's original. All that has been well known a very long time, and has been said a thousand times. That is not the pith of the matter.'“您真是爱开玩笑。”皮加索夫说，“您的说法真有创意，不过偏题太远。”“不幸的是，”罗亭说，“我迄今为止所说的一切，并没有任何新颖之处。人们对这个道理早已耳熟能详，并且也说过很多次了。问题的关键也并不在这里。”

'What is then?' asked Pigasov, not without insolence.“那么关键在哪里？”皮加索夫问道，言辞傲慢。

In discussions he always first bantered his opponent, then grew cross, and finally sulked and was silent.

在辩论中，他通常都是先戏谑对方，接着开始生闷气，最后怒不可遏，气得一言不发。

'Here it is,' continued Rudin. 'I cannot help, I own, feeling sincere regret when I hear sensible people attack—'“问题就在于，”罗亭继续说道，“我承认，我不禁会感觉到遗憾，当听到一个通晓事理的人攻击——”

'Systems?' interposed Pigasov.“理论体系？”皮加索夫打断了他，问道。

'Yes, with your leave, even systems. What frightens you so much in that word? Every system is founded on a knowledge of fundamental laws, the principles of life—'“是的，请原谅，是理论体系。是什么让您这么惧怕这个词语呢？每个理论体系都是建立在对基本定律——生存法则的认识之上的——”

'But there is no knowing them, no discovering them.'“但是，根本无法认识、发现它们。”

'One minute. Doubtless they are not easy for every one to get at, and to make mistakes is natural to man. However, you will certainly agree with me that Newton, for example, discovered some at least of these fundamental laws? He was a genius, we grant you; but the grandeur of the discoveries of genius is that they become the heritage of all. The effort to discover universal principles in the multiplicity of phenomena is one of the radical characteristics of human thought, and all our civilisation—'“等等。毫无疑问，它们不是每个人都能认识得到的，犯错误对于人类来说是再正常不过的事情。不过，举个例子来说——我想您也一定会在这点上赞同我——牛顿至少发现了这些基本定律中的几条吧！他是个天才，毋庸置疑；但是天才的重要发现的可贵之处就在于它们成为了全人类的一笔遗产。不遗余力地探索寓于各种现象中的普遍规律正是人类思想根本特征的一种表现，而我们人类文明——”

'That's what you're driving at!'Pigasov broke in in a drawling tone. 'I am a practical man and all these metaphysical subtleties I don't enter into and don't want to enter into.'“这就是您想说的！”皮加索夫用拖长的调子打断了他的话。“我是个讲究实际的人，这些虚无缥缈的玄学我从未涉足，也无意涉足。”

'Very good! That's as you prefer. But take note that your very desire to be exclusively a practical man is itself your sort of system—your theory.'“很好！随便您怎么想。但是请注意，您想成为一个彻头彻尾的讲究实际的人，这本身已是您的体系——您的理论。”

'Civilisation you talk about!' blurted in Pigasov; 'that's another admirable notion of yours! Much use in it, this vaunted civilisation! I would not give a brass farthing for your civilisation!'“您所说的文明！”皮加索夫突然说道，“又是您的一个让人钦佩的概念！好好利用它吧，这个被您大肆吹嘘的文明！我甚至不会用一块铜板和您的文明交换！”

'But what a poor sort of argument, African Semenitch!' observed Darya Mihailovna, inwardly much pleased by the calmness and perfect good-breeding of her new acquaintance. 'Cest un homme comme il faut,' she thought, looking with well-disposed scrutiny at Rudin; 'we must be nice to him!'Those last words she mentally pronounced in Russian. 'I will not champion civilisation,' continued Rudin after a short pause, 'it does not need my championship. You don't like it, every one to his own taste. Besides, that would take us too far. Allow me only to remind you of the old saying, "Jupiter, you are angry; therefore you are in the wrong."I meant to say that all those onslaughts upon systems—general propositions—are especially distressing, because together with these systems men repudiate knowledge in general, and all science and faith in it, and consequently also faith in themselves, in their own powers. But this faith is essential to men; they cannot exist by their sensations alone they are wrong to fear ideas and not to trust in them. Scepticism is always characterised by barrenness and impotence.'“真不知道您在说些什么，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道，暗自对她这位新朋友的沉着冷静以及良好教养感到非常欣慰。“这个人有上流社会的风度。”她一边想着，一边用友善的眼光仔细打量着罗亭，“我们可不能怠慢了他！”最后这句话她是用俄语对自己说的。“我不会拥护文明，”稍事片刻后，罗亭又说，“文明也不需要我的拥护。您不喜欢它，每个人都各有所好嘛。此外，这也偏题太远了。请允许我引用一句古语：‘朱庇特，你发火了；因此你是理亏的一方。’我想说的是，所有这些对理论体系——也就是对一般命题的攻击都让人倍感沮丧，因为人们批判了所有的知识、科学以及对于科学的信仰，因此也就批判了对自己及自身力量的信仰。然而，这种信仰对人类来说至关重要；人们不能只依靠感觉生存，惧怕、怀疑思想都不是正确的态度。无为和无能都是怀疑论者的典型特征。”

'That's all words!' muttered Pigasov.“全都是废话！”皮加索夫嘟嘟囔囔地说。

'Perhaps so. But allow me to point out to you that when we say "that's all words!" we often wish ourselves to avoid the necessity of saying anything more substantial than mere words.'“也许是这样的。但是请允许我指出一点，那就是当我们说‘全都是废话’的时候，我们都想着要避免说出一些有实质内容的话来。”

'What?' said Pigasov, winking his eyes.“什么？”皮加索夫眨着眼，问道。

'You understood what I meant,' retorted Rudin, with involuntary, but instantly repressed impatience. 'I repeat, if man has no steady principle in which he trusts, no ground on which he can take a firm stand, how can he form a just estimate of the needs, the tendencies and the future of his country? How can he know what he ought to do, if—'“您明白我在说什么。”罗亭回击道，语气中不自觉地流露出不耐烦，但又即刻抑制住了，“我再说一遍，如果一个人没有深信不疑的、坚定的原则立场，他怎么对国家的需求、未来以及发展趋势作出合理的判断呢？他怎么会知道自己该做什么，假设——”

'I leave you the field,' ejaculated Pigasov abruptly, and with a bow he turned away without looking at any one.“我不和您争辩了。”皮加索夫突然加重语气说道，接着鞠了一躬，走到一边去了，也没有看任何人。

Rudin stared at him, and smiled slightly, saying nothing.

罗亭盯着他，微微地笑了笑，便没再说话。

'Aha! he has taken to flight!' said Darya Mihailovna. 'Never mind, Dmitri...! I beg your pardon,' she added with a cordial smile, 'what is your paternal name?'“啊！他逃之夭夭了！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说。“别放在心上，德米特里……！很抱歉，”她带着亲切的微笑说道，“您贵姓？”

'Nikolaitch.'“尼古拉耶维奇。”

'Never mind, my dear Dmitri Nikolaitch, he did not deceive any of us. He wants to make a show of not wishing to argue any more. He is conscious that he cannot argue with you. But you had better sit nearer to us and let us have a little talk.'“别放在心上，亲爱的德米特里·尼古拉耶维奇，他骗不了我们。他只是摆摆姿态，不想跟您继续辩论下去了。他很清楚自己不是您的对手。请您坐得离我们近一些，大家好好谈谈吧。”

Rudin moved his chair up.

罗亭把椅子往前挪了挪。

'How is it we have not met till now?' was Darya Mihailovna's question. 'That is what surprises me. Have you read this book? C'est de Tocqueville, vous savez?'And Darya Mihailovna held out the French pamphlet to Rudin.“我们怎么会现在才认识呢？”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜问道，“真是让我奇怪。您读过这本书吗？这是托克维尔的书，您看过吗？达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜将这本法文小册子递给罗亭。

Rudin took the thin volume in his hand, turned over a few pages of it, and laying it down on the table, replied that he had not read that particular work of M. de Tocqueville, but he had often reflected on the question treated by him. A conversation began to spring up. Rudin seemed uncertain at first, and not disposed to speak out freely; his words did not come readily, but at last he grew warm and began to speak. In a quarter of an hour his voice was the only sound in the room, All were crowding in a circle round him.

罗亭将这本薄书接了过来，翻了几页，然后放在桌子上，回答说他没读过德托克维尔先生的这部作品，但是他倒经常思考托克维尔先生所探讨的问题。一场讨论就此展开。起初罗亭有些顾虑，不愿随便发表意见，常常词不达意，但是后来就变得熟络起来了，开始侃侃而谈。一刻钟之后，整个屋子里只能听到他的声音，所有人都围坐在他的周围。

Only Pigasov remained aloof, in a corner by the fireplace. Rudin spoke with intelligence, with fire and with judgment; he showed much learning, wide reading. No one had expected to find in him a remarkable man. His clothes were so shabby, so little was known of him. Every one felt it strange and incomprehensible that such a clever man should have suddenly made his appearance in the country. He seemed all the more wonderful and, one may even say, fascinating to all of them, beginning with Darya Mihailovna. She was pluming herself on having discovered him, and already at this early date was dreaming of how she would introduce Rudin into the world. In her quickness to receive impressions there was much that was almost childish, in spite of her years. Alexandra Pavlovna, to tell the truth, understood little of all that Rudin said, but was full of wonder and delight; her brother too was admiring him. Pandalevsky was watching Darya Mihailovna and was filled with envy. Pigasov thought, 'If I have to give five hundred roubles I will get a nightingale to sing better than that!'But the most impressed of all the party were Bassistoff and Natalya. Scarcely a breath escaped Bassistoff; he sat the whole time with open mouth and round eyes and listened—listened as he had never listened to any one in his life—while Natalya's face was suffused by a crimson flush, and her eyes, fastened unwaveringly on Rudin, were both dimmed and shining.

只有皮加索夫一个人躲在壁炉旁边的角落里，表情依旧冷漠。罗亭说话才华横溢、充满激情、见解独到；可以看出来他读书很多，学识渊博。没有人能想到他是个了不起的人物。他衣着寒酸，也没什么名望。每个人都感到惊讶与不解，这样聪明的一个人怎么会忽然出现在乡下。他看起来神奇极了，甚至可以说，大家都被他迷住了，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜也是如此。她正在因自己发现了这样一位人物而暗自得意，并且已经在盘算如何把罗亭引入上流社会。虽然她已不再年轻，但是对一个人的判断往往来得太快，近乎幼稚。说实话，亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜对罗亭所说的话只是一知半解，但是感到非常诧异和高兴；她弟弟也非常崇拜他。潘达列夫斯基一直看着达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜，满心醋意。皮加索夫想的则是：“要是我真得花上五百卢比，我宁愿去买只夜莺来，夜莺可比他唱得好听！”然而宴会上最为震惊的却是巴西斯托夫和娜塔利娅。巴西斯托夫屏住了呼吸，目瞪口呆、聚精会神地听着——仿佛长这么大从未听过任何人说话似的——娜塔利娅两颊涨得通红，双眸时而黯淡无神，时而明亮放光，眼神从未离开过罗亭分毫。

'What splendid eyes he has!'Volintsev whispered to her.“他的眼睛真好看！”沃伦采夫小声地对她说。

'Yes, they are.'“是的，很漂亮。”

'It's only a pity his hands are so big and red.'Natalya made no reply. Tea was brought in. The conversation became more general, but still by the sudden unanimity with which every one was silent, directly Rudin opened his mouth, one could judge of the strength of the impression he had produced. Darya Mihailovna suddenly felt inclined to tease Pigasov. She went up to him and said in an undertone, 'Why don't you speak instead of doing nothing but smile sarcastically? Make an effort, challenge him again,' and without waiting for him to answer, she beckoned to Rudin. 'There's one thing more you don't know about him,' she said to him, with a gesture towards Pigasov,—'he is a terrible hater of women, he is always attacking them; pray, show him the true path.'“不过他的手又大又红，有点儿遗憾。”娜塔利娅没有作答。茶水端了上来。更多的人加入到谈话中，但是只要罗亭一开口说话，大家就出奇一致地保持安静了，可想而知他给大家的印象有多么深刻。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜忽然想要戏弄一下皮加索夫。她走到他的跟前，小声地对他说：“您怎么不说点儿什么了？怎么在这里什么都不做，只管讥讽地笑着？再试试，挑战他一下。”不等他回答，她就示意罗亭过来，“还有一件事是您不知道的，”她指了指皮加索夫，说道，“他非常憎恶女人，经常攻击她们；请您让他步入正途吧。”

Rudin involuntarily looked down upon Pigasov; he was a head and shoulders taller. Pigasov almost withered up with fury, and his sour face grew pale.

罗亭不自觉地俯视皮加索夫，他比他高出很多。皮加索夫怒火中烧，阴沉的面色被气得发白。

'Darya Mihailovna is mistaken,' he said in an unsteady voice, 'I do not only attack women; I am not a great admirer of the whole human species.'“达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说的不对。”他用颤抖的声音说道，“我不仅攻击女人；对于整个人类都没有什么好感。”

'What can have given you such a poor opinion of them?' inquired Rudin.“是什么让您这样藐视人类？”罗亭问道。

Pigasov looked him straight in the face.

皮加索夫直勾勾地盯着他的脸。

'The study of my own heart, no doubt, in which I find every day more and more that is base. I judge of others by myself. Possibly this too is erroneous, and I am far worse than others, but what am I to do? it's a habit!'“毫无疑问，这是因为我在研究我的内心，我发现我的心每天都变得更为卑鄙。我完全以自己的想法去评价他人。这样或许也是不对的，我比别人要卑鄙得多，但是怎么办呢？禀性难移啊！”

'I understand you and sympathise with you!' was Rudin's rejoinder. 'What generous soul has not experienced a yearning for self-humiliation? But one ought not to remain in that condition from which there is no outlet beyond.'“我很理解您，并且深切地同情您！”罗亭这么回答道，“哪一颗宽宏的心灵没有经历过自辱呢？但是人们不应该停留在那个没有任何出路的状态。”

'I am deeply indebted for the certificate of generosity you confer on my soul,' retorted Pigasov. 'As for my condition, there's not much amiss with it, so that even if there were an outlet from it, it might go to the deuce, I shouldn't look for it!'“多谢您夸奖我的心灵高尚，”皮加索夫回答道，“但是就我的处境而言，还不算太坏，所以即使是有这样的出路，也让它见鬼去吧，我是不会去找的。”

'But that means—pardon the expression—to prefer the gratification of your own pride to the desire to be and live in the truth.'“但是您的意思就是——恕我冒昧——您宁可仅仅求得自尊心的满足，也不愿意接受真理。”

'Undoubtedly,' cried Pigasov, 'pride—that I understand, and you, I expect, understand, and every one understands; but truth, what is truth? Where is it, this truth?'“一点儿没错，”皮加索夫叫道，“自尊心——我懂，我想您也懂，每个人都懂；至于真理，何谓真理？真理在哪儿？”

'You are repeating yourself, let me warn you,' remarked Darya Mihailovna.“我提醒您一下，您又重蹈覆辙了。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说。

Pigasov shrugged his shoulders.

皮加索夫耸了耸肩。

'Well, where's the harm if I do? I ask: where is truth? Even the philosophers don't know what it is. Kant says it is one thing; but Hegel—no, you're wrong, it's something else.''And do you know what Hegel says of it?' asked Rudin, without raising his voice.“重蹈覆辙又会怎么样呢？我问您：真理在哪里？就算是哲学家也不知道什么是真理。康德说是这么回事；但是黑格尔说，不，您弄错了，真理是另一回事。”“那么您知道黑格尔是怎么说的吗？”罗亭语气平缓地问道。

'I repeat,' continued Pigasov, flying into a passion, 'that I cannot understand what truth means. According to my idea, it doesn't exist at all in the world, that is to say, the word exists but not the thing itself.'“我再说一遍，”皮加索夫愤怒异常地说，“我理解不了什么是真理。在我看来，它并不存在于这个世上，也就是说，只是有真理这么一个词语而已，其实质并不存在。”

'Fie, fie!' cried Darya Mihailovna, 'I wonder you're not ashamed to say so, you old sinner! No truth? What is there to live for in the world after that?'“呸，呸！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜大声说道，“您在说这些话的时候都不感到害臊吗，您真是个有罪之人！没有真理？那么人活在这个世上是为了什么？”

'Well, I go so far as to think, Darya Mihailovna,' retorted Pigasov, in a tone of annoyance, 'that it would be much easier for you, in any case, to live without truth than without your cook, Stepan, who is such a master hand at soups! And what do you want with truth, kindly tell me? you can't trim a bonnet with it!'“达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜，我认为”皮加索夫生气反驳道，“再怎么说，对您而言，没有真理可比没有那位做汤手艺出众的厨师斯捷潘好过多了吧！那么请您发发慈悲告诉我，您要真理何用？总不能用它给帽子修边吧！”

'A joke is not an argument,' observed Darya Mihailovna, 'especially when you descend to personal insult.'“玩笑不是论据，”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“尤其是当您把玩笑变成人身侮辱的时候。”

'I don't know about truth, but I see speaking it does not answer,' muttered Pigasov, and he turned angrily away.“我并不知道什么是真理，光是说说我看也得不到答案。”皮加索夫咕哝着，转身走到一边去了。

And Rudin began to speak of pride, and he spoke well. He showed that man without pride is worthless, that pride is the lever by which the earth can be moved from its foundations, but that at the same time he alone deserves the name of man who knows how to control his pride, as the rider does his horse, who offers up his own personality as a sacrifice to the general good.

接着，罗亭开始说起自尊心来，他讲得头头是道。他指出，一个没有自尊心的人是毫无用处的，自尊心就是撬动地球的杠杆，同时只有那些知道如何控制自己自尊心如同知道如何驾驭野马的人，以及那些能够为公众利益而自我牺牲的人，才可称之为人。

'Egoism,' so he ended, 'is suicide. The egoist withers like a solitary barren tree; but pride, ambition, as the active effort after perfection, is the source of all that is great.... Yes! a man must prune away the stubborn egoism of his personality to give it the right of self-expression.'“利己主义就是自杀。”他在结尾说道，“自私自利的人就像是荒野中的一颗枯木一样慢慢枯萎；但是自尊、雄心则是追求完美的积极动力，是一切伟大成就的源泉……是的！一个人必须摒除自身根深蒂固的自私之心，才能给个性以展示的机会。”

'Can you lend me a pencil?'Pigasov asked Bassistoff.“借我只铅笔，好吗？”皮加索夫对巴西斯托夫说道。

Bassistoff did not at once understand what Pigasov had asked him.

巴西斯托夫没有立即明白皮加索夫问了他什么。

'What do you want a pencil for?' he said at last.“您要铅笔何用？”他终于说道。

'I want to write down Mr. Rudin's last sentence. If one doesn't write it down, one might forget it, I'm afraid! But you will own, a sentence like that is such a handful of trumps.'“我想记下罗亭先生最后说的那句话。要是人们不做笔记的话，恐怕是会忘记的！记住这样的一句话就好比拥有一手的王牌呢。”

'There are things which it is a shame to laugh at and make fun of, African Semenitch!' said Bassistoff warmly, turning away from Pigasov. Meanwhile Rudin had approached Natalya. She got up; her face expressed her confusion. Volintsev, who was sitting near her, got up too.“有些事情拿来嘲笑逗乐是可耻的，阿夫里坎·谢苗内奇！”巴西斯托夫说着转身离开了皮加索夫。此时，罗亭走近了娜塔利娅身边。她站了起来，不知所措。坐在她身边的沃伦采夫也站了起来。

'I see a piano,' began Rudin, with the gentle courtesy of a travelling prince; 'don't you play on it?'“我看到有架钢琴，”罗亭开口说道，他风度翩翩，好似旅行中的王子，“您会弹吗？”

'Yes, I play,' replied Natalya, 'but not very well. Here is Konstantin Diomiditch plays much better than I do.'“是的，我会。”娜塔利娅回道，“不过弹地不好。康斯坦丁·季奥米德奇比我弹得好得多。”

Pandalevsky put himself forward with a simper. 'You should not say that, Natalya Alexyevna; your playing is not at all inferior to mine.'

潘达列夫斯基假意地笑着走了过来。“请别这么说，娜塔利娅·阿列克谢耶夫娜，我们平分秋色。”

'Do you know Schubert's "Erlkonig"?' asked Rudin.“那么您知道舒伯特的《森林王》吗？”罗亭问道。

'He knows it, he knows it!' interposed Darya Mihailovna. 'Sit down, Konstantin. You are fond of music, Dmitri Nikolaitch?'“他知道，他知道！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜插话说，“康斯坦丁，快坐下来弹吧。您喜欢音乐，德米特里·尼古拉耶维奇？”

Rudin only made a slight motion of the head and ran his hand through his hair, as though disposing himself to listen. Pandalevsky began to play.

罗亭略微点了点头，用手梳了梳头发，似乎准备要好好欣赏音乐。潘达列夫斯基开始弹奏了起来。

Natalya was standing near the piano, directly facing Rudin. At the first sound his face was transfigured. His dark blue eyes moved slowly about, from time to time resting upon Natalya. Pandalevsky finished playing.

娜塔利娅站在钢琴旁边，直面罗亭。音乐一响起，罗亭脸上就显出陶醉的表情。他那双深蓝色的眼睛缓缓地移动着，目光不时停留在娜塔利娅的脸上。潘达列夫斯基弹奏完毕。

Rudin said nothing and walked up to the open window. A fragrant mist lay like a soft shroud over the garden; a drowsy scent breathed from the trees near. The stars shed a mild radiance. The summer night was soft—and softened all. Rudin gazed into the dark garden, and looked round.

罗亭一声不吭，走到大开着的窗子前面。透着馨香的薄雾好似轻纱一般笼罩着花园；不远处，林木散发出阵阵清香，让人昏昏欲睡。星星闪烁着温柔的光芒。夏日的夜晚柔和静美——并让一切都变得柔和了起来。罗亭注视着幽暗的花园，接着看了看众人。

'That music and this night,' he began, 'reminded me of my student days in Germany; our meetings, our serenades.'“这音乐和夜色让我想起了我在德国读书的日子，”罗亭开口说道，“想起了我们的聚会，我们的小夜曲。”

'You have been in Germany then?' said Darya Mihailovna.“那么您去过德国了？”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜问。

'I spent a year at Heidelberg, and nearly a year at Berlin.'“我在海德堡住了一年，在柏林也呆了将近一年的时间。”

'And did you dress as a student? They say they wear a special dress there.'“那么您那时是学生装扮吗？据说那里的学生穿着很是特别呢。”

'At Heidelberg I wore high boots with spurs, and a hussar's jacket with braid on it, and I let my hair grow to my shoulders. In Berlin the students dress like everybody else.'“在海德堡的时候我穿带马刺的长筒靴，还有带马刺的骑兵式夹克，蓄着及肩的长发。柏林的学生穿着和其他人一样。”

'Tell us something of your student life,' said Alexandra Pavlovna.“跟我们说说您的学习生涯吧。”亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜说。

Rudin complied. He was not altogether successful in narrative. There was a lack of colour in his descriptions. He did not know how to be humorous. However, from relating his own adventures abroad, Rudin soon passed to general themes, the special value of education and science, universities, and university life generally. He sketched in a large and comprehensive picture in broad and striking lines. All listened to him with profound attention. His eloquence was masterly and attractive, not altogether clear, but even this want of clearness added a special charm to his words.

罗亭依从了。他并不擅长讲故事。他的描述缺乏色彩。他不知道如何让故事变得幽默有趣。不过没过多久，罗亭就从他在国外的经历转移到了概括的主题上了，那就是教育、科学、大学以及大学生涯的特殊价值。他用雄浑有力的走向线粗略地描绘出了一幅广阔而全面的画卷。众人无一例外不在屏息聆听。他的雄辩之辞虽然不甚清晰，却引人入胜，然而他的这种模糊让他的话语更加魅力十足。

The exuberance of his thought hindered Rudin from expressing himself definitely and exactly. Images followed upon images; comparisons started up one after another—now startlingly bold, now strikingly true. It was not the complacent effort of the practised speaker, but the very breath of inspiration that was felt in his impatient improvising. He did not seek out his words; they came obediently and spontaneously to his lips, and each word seemed to flow straight from his soul, and was burning with all the fire of conviction. Rudin was the master of almost the greatest secret—the music of eloquence. He knew how in striking one chord of the heart to set all the others vaguely quivering and resounding. Many of his listeners, perhaps, did not understand very precisely what his eloquence was about; but their bosoms heaved, it seemed as though veils were lifted before their eyes, something radiant, glorious, seemed shimmering in the distance.

罗亭的思想太过丰富，这反倒让他无法贴切而准确地表达自己的想法。比喻层出不穷；比较一个接着一个——时而胆大直言，时而准确精辟。这并不是一个老练的演说者在炫耀自己，而是他灵感的即兴表达。他并没有刻意地去搜索词汇；词汇自然而然地跑了出来，并且每个词都好似直接来自他的灵魂深处，字字传达的都是他如火的信念。罗亭深谙这个最大的秘密——雄辩的艺术。他懂得如何在撩拨一根心弦之时，也让其他心弦应声微微颤动，形成共鸣。很多他的听众可能并不能完全理解他的阐述；但是他们胸膛起伏着，好像眼前的面纱被慢慢撩起，熠熠发光的物体在远处依稀闪烁。

All Rudin's thoughts seemed centred on the future; this lent him something of the impetuous dash of youth... Standing at the window, not looking at any one in special, he spoke, and inspired by the general sympathy and attention, the presence of young women, the beauty of the night, carried along by the tide of his own emotions, he rose to the height of eloquence, of poetry.... The very sound of his voice, intense and soft, increased the fascination; it seemed as though some higher power were speaking through his lips, startling even to himself.... Rudin spoke of what lends eternal significance to the fleeting life of man.

罗亭的思想几乎都集中在未来的问题上；这让他充满年轻的锐气……他就这样站在窗前，并没有特别地看着谁，仅仅是在谈天说地；能引发共鸣的专注的听众、在场的年轻女士、美丽的夜色，这些都让他灵感迸发，将他的情绪带入高潮，他到达了雄辩和诗意的巅峰……他热情却不乏温柔的嗓音让他魅力大增；好像某种超能力在通过他的嘴唇说话，连他自己都感到吃惊……罗亭讲到什么可以让人类短暂的生命获得永恒的意义。

'I remember a Scandinavian legend,' thus he concluded, 'a king is sitting with his warriors round the fire in a long dark barn. It was night and winter. Suddenly a little bird flew in at the open door and flew out again at the other. The king spoke and said that this bird is like man in the world; it flew in from darkness and out again into darkness, and was not long in the warmth and light.... "King," replies the oldest of the warriors, "even in the dark the bird is not lost, but finds her nest."Even so our life is short and worthless; but all that is great is accomplished through men. The consciousness of being the instrument of these higher powers ought to outweigh all other joys for man; even in death he finds his life, his nest.'“我想起了一个斯堪的纳维亚的传说，”他总结道，“在一间狭长而又阴暗的谷仓里，一个国王和他的武士们围坐在火堆旁。那是一个冬季的夜晚。忽然一只小鸟从一扇敞着的门飞了进来，接着又从另一扇门飞了出去。国王说这只小鸟就和这世上的人一样，从黑暗中飞来，又飞向黑暗中去，而身处温暖与光明中的时间并不多……‘国王，’最年长的那个武士说，‘即使身处黑暗，鸟儿也不会迷失方向，它仍然能够找到自己的巢穴。’虽然我们的生命短暂，不值一提；但是所有伟大的成就却又都是由人类完成。我们要有成为崇高事业的工具这样的觉悟，并且这种觉悟应当超越其他所有世俗的享乐；即使是在死亡中也能找到生命的价值，找到自己的归宿。”

Rudin stopped and dropped his eyes with a smile of involuntary embarrassment.

罗亭停了下来，微笑着垂下了双眼，略带羞涩。

'Vous etes un poete,' was Darya Mihailovna's comment in an undertone. And all were inwardly agreeing with her—all except Pigasov. Without waiting for the end of Rudin's long speech, he quietly took his hat and as he went out whispered viciously to Pandalevsky who was standing near the door:“您真是位诗人。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜低声说道。所有人都在心里默默地赞同她的说法——只有皮加索夫除外。不等罗亭结束他的长篇大论，他就已经不声不响地拿起了自己的帽子，准备离开，快到门口时，他恶狠狠地对站在门口的潘达列夫斯基耳语道：

'No! Fools are more to my taste.'“不！傻瓜更合我的口味。”

No one, however, tried to detain him or even noticed his absence.

然而，并没有人想去挽留他，甚至都没有人注意到他的离去。

The servants brought in supper, and half an hour later, all had taken leave and separated. Darya Mihailovna begged Rudin to remain the night. Alexandra Pavlovna, as she went home in the carriage with her brother, several times fell to exclaiming and marvelling at the extraordinary cleverness of Rudin. Volintsev agreed with her, though he observed that he sometimes expressed himself somewhat obscurely—that is to say, not altogether intelligibly, he added,—wishing, no doubt, to make his own thought clear, but his face was gloomy, and his eyes, fixed on a corner of the carriage, seemed even more melancholy than usual.

仆人将晚餐端了进来，半个小时之后，所有人都离开了。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜请罗亭留宿一晚。亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜在和她弟弟回家的马车里，几次提到她惊讶于罗亭的聪明才智。沃伦采夫对此表示赞同，但是他发现罗亭有时候表述并不清晰——“也就是说，晦涩难懂。”他补充说道——毫无疑问，他是想表达清楚，只是他的神情很阴沉，而他那双盯着马车一角的眼睛则看起来比平时更加忧郁。

Pandalevsky went to bed, and as he took off his daintily embroidered braces, he said aloud 'A very smart fellow!' and suddenly, looking harshly at his page, ordered him out of the room. Bassistoff did not sleep the whole night and did not undress—he was writing till morning a letter to a comrade of his in Moscow; and Natalya, too, though she undressed and lay down in her bed, had not an instant's sleep and never closed her eyes. With her head propped on her arm, she gazed fixedly into the darkness; her veins were throbbing feverishly and her bosom often heaved with a deep sigh.

潘达列夫斯基上床就寝时，一边脱着他那绣工考究的背带，一边高声大叫“真是个聪明的家伙啊！”——看见自己的仆人，厉声让他出去。巴西斯托夫根本没有脱衣服睡觉——他整夜都在给身在莫斯科的朋友写信；至于娜塔利娅，她虽然脱了衣服躺在床上，却也没有睡上片刻，整夜没有合眼。她把头枕在胳膊上，凝视着漆黑的夜；她热血沸腾，时不时地发出一声深深的叹息，胸脯随之起伏着。

CHAPTER IV

第四章

The next morning Rudin had only just finished dressing when a servant came to him with an invitation from Darya Mihailovna to come to her boudoir and drink tea with her. Rudin found her alone. She greeted him very cordially, inquired whether he had passed a good night, poured him out a cup of tea with her own hands, asked him whether there was sugar enough in it, offered him a cigarette, and twice again repeated that she was surprised that she had not met him long before. Rudin was about to take a seat some distance away; but Darya Mihailovna motioned him to an easy chair, which stood near her lounge, and bending a little towards him began to question him about his family, his plans and intentions. Darya Mihailovna spoke carelessly and listened with an air of indifference; but it was perfectly evident to Rudin that she was laying herself out to please him, even to flatter him. It was not for nothing that she had arranged this morning interview, and had dressed so simply yet elegantly a la Madame Recamier! But Darya Mihailovna soon left off questioning him. She began to tell him about herself, her youth, and the people she had known. Rudin gave a sympathetic attention to her lucubrations, though—a curious fact—whatever personage Darya Mihailovna might be talking about, she always stood in the foreground, she alone, and the personage seemed to be effaced, to slink away in the background, and to disappear. But to make up for that, Rudin learnt in full detail precisely what Darya Mihailovna had said to a certain distinguished statesman, and what influence she had had on such and such a celebrated poet. To judge from Darya Mihailovna's accounts, one might fancy that all the distinguished men of the last five-and-twenty years had dreamt of nothing but how they could make her acquaintance, and gain her good opinion. She spoke of them simply, without particular enthusiasm or admiration, as though they were her daily associates, calling some of them queer fellows. As she talked of them, like a rich setting round a worthless stone, their names ranged themselves in a brilliant circlet round the principal name—around Darya Mihailovna.

第二天一大早，罗亭刚穿好衣服，一个仆人就进来说，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜邀请他去她的房间喝茶。罗亭走进她的房间，发现她只身一人。她非常热情地向他问好，询问他晚上睡得可好，并亲自给他倒了杯茶，问他糖够不够，还给他递了支烟，又再一次重复说，她很诧异怎么没有早点结识他。罗亭正准备坐在一张离她远一点儿的椅子上，而此时达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜示意他坐到她沙发边的小软椅上；她稍稍向他倾过身来，开始询问他的家庭，以及今后有什么计划和打算。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜无论说话还是倾听都是一副漫不经心的样子；但是罗亭很清楚，她是竭力地取悦他，甚至可以说是在讨好他。她安排这次早晨的会面并不是毫无目的的，更何况她还穿着这么简单却不失高雅的衣服，就像雷卡米耶夫人一样。很快，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜便不再问这问那了。她开始谈论起她自己来了，谈她年轻的时候，以及她认识的人。罗亭聚精会神地听她煞费苦心的回忆之作——不过奇怪的是——达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜无论谈及什么人物，都会把她自己置于主角的位置上，而那个人物嘛，则只是个配角，慢慢淡化以至于渐渐消失于背景之中。不过可喜的是，罗亭已经非常详尽地知晓达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜曾经对某一位政界要人说过什么话，还有她曾对某某著名诗人产生过何等重要的影响。从达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜的叙述中，我们可想而知，过去二十五年来，所有的达官贵人都一心想要结识她，得到她的赞赏。她轻描淡写地谈论着他们，没有多少激情和赞叹之辞，好像他们都是很熟的老朋友一样，还把其中的几位称为“怪人”。她说起他们的样子，就好像他们是一大堆一文不值的石头，但他们的姓名则都围成一个夺目的光圈，把达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜这个最重要的名字包围在中间。

Rudin listened, smoking a cigarette, and said little. He could speak well and liked speaking; carrying on a conversation was not in his line, though he was also a good listener. All men—if only they had not been intimidated by him to begin with—opened their hearts with confidence in his presence; he followed the thread of another man's narrative so readily and sympathetically. He had a great deal of good-nature—that special good-nature of which men are full, who are accustomed to feel themselves superior to others. In arguments he seldom allowed his antagonist to express himself fully, he crushed him by his eager, vehement and passionate dialectic.

罗亭抽着烟，静静地听着，很少搭话。他很善于表达，也很喜欢发言，但他却不擅长将谈话进行下去，不过他倒是个不错的听众。只要一开始没有被他吓到，所有人都会完全信赖他，在他面前敞开心扉，侃侃而谈；而他也会专心致志地倾听别人的叙述。他有诸多优点，而这些优点则是那些总是自我感觉优于他人的人才有的。在辩论中，他往往不等对手把话说完，便用他那慷慨激昂、热情澎湃的辩词击败对手。

Darya Mihailovna expressed herself in Russian. She prided herself on her knowledge of her own language, though French words and expressions often escaped her. She intentionally made use of simple popular terms of speech; but not always successfully. Rudin's ear was not outraged by the strange medley of language on Darya Mihailovna's lips, indeed he hardly had an ear for it.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说话时用的是俄语。她总是很自豪自己精通母语，尽管她常常冒几句法语出来。她经常刻意地去用一些简单的流行词语，不过常常用得不够贴切。罗亭对她所用的这些奇怪而混杂的词汇并不感到恼火，因为事实上他几乎没听出来。

Darya Mihailovna was exhausted at last and letting her head fall on the cushions of her easy-chair she fixed her eyes on Rudin and was silent.

最后，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜累坏了，她把头靠在软椅背的靠垫上，眼睛紧紧地盯着罗亭，不再说下去了。

'I understand now,' began Rudin, speaking slowly, 'I understand why you come every summer into the country. This period of rest is essential for you; the peace of the country after your life in the capital refreshes and strengthens you. I am convinced that you must be profoundly sensitive to the beauties of nature.'“我现在终于知道了，”罗亭缓缓地说道，“我终于知道您为什么每年夏天都到乡下来了。休息一段时间对于您来说可是至关重要的；在经历过首都的喧嚣之后，幽静的乡村必然会让您心旷神怡，恢复活力。我想您对大自然的美一定很有鉴赏力。”

Darya Mihailovna gave Rudin a sidelong look.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜斜眼瞥了一下罗亭。

'Nature—yes—yes—of course.... I am passionately fond of it; but do you know, Dmitri Nikolaitch, even in the country one cannot do without society. And here there is practically none. Pigasov is the most intelligent person here.''The cross old gentleman who was here last night?' inquired Rudin.“大自然——的确——的确——当然啦……我深爱大自然；但是，德米特里·尼古拉耶维奇，您知道吗，即使是在乡间也难免要与人交往。这儿实际上没有什么值得交往的人。皮加索夫是这一带最睿智的人。”“昨晚在这里的那位坏脾气的老先生吗？”罗亭问道。

'Yes....“是的……

In the country though, even he is of use—he sometimes makes one laugh.'

在乡下，就连他这样的人都是有用的——他偶尔能逗人笑笑。”

'He is by no means stupid,' returned Rudin, 'but he is on the wrong path. I don't know whether you will agree with me, Darya Mihailovna, but in negation—in complete and universal negation—there is no salvation to be found? Deny everything and you will easily pass for a man of ability; it's a well-known trick. Simple-hearted people are quite ready to conclude that you are worth more than what you deny. And that's often an error. In the first place, you can pick holes in anything; and secondly, even if you are right in what you say, it's the worse for you; your intellect, directed by simple negation, grows colourless and withers up. While you gratify your vanity, you are deprived of the true consolations of thought; life—the essence of life—evades your petty and jaundiced criticism, and you end by scolding and becoming ridiculous. Only one who loves has the right to censure and find fault.'“他并不驽钝，”罗亭回答道，“只是想法有些偏差罢了。我不知道您是否赞同我的看法，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜，如果一个人总是在否定，否定所有的一切，他就无可救药了。否定一切可以轻而易举地冒充有能力之人，这种伎俩谁都知道。愚笨的人会当即作出判断，认为您比您所否定的人要高明得多。但是这个判断往往不正确。首先，我们可以从任何事情中挑出刺来；其次，如果您的否定成立的话，对您则更为不利；如果您的聪明才智全部用来否定一切，那么它也就失去了色彩，必将枯萎凋零。倘若您只满足于虚荣，则会失去思考的真正乐趣；生活——生活的实质——将会在您这些细碎、不公的批评中渐渐逃离，而您自己也终将变得吹毛求疵，滑稽可笑。只有懂得爱的人才有资格去挑剔和谴责。”

'Voila, Monsieur Pigasov enterre,' observed Darya Mihailovna. 'What a genius you have for defining a man! But Pigasov certainly would not have even understood you. He loves nothing but his own individuality.'“这样一来，皮加索夫先生算是无可救药了。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道，“您在诠释人类心灵方面真是位天才！但是皮加索夫可理解不了您的意思。他只爱他自己的个性。”

'And he finds fault with that so as to have the right to find fault with others,' Rudin put in.“他挑自己个性的毛病只是为了也能挑别人的毛病。”罗亭插话道。

Darya Mihailovna laughed.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜笑了起来。

'"He judges the sound," as the saying is, "the sound by the sick."By the way, what do you think of the baron?'“他这就叫，俗话怎么说的，叫‘乱咬人’。顺便问问，您认为男爵这人怎么样？”

'The baron? He is an excellent man, with a good heart and a knowledge …but he has no character... and he will remain all his life half a savant, half a man of the world, that is to say, a dilettante, that is to say, to speak plainly,—neither one thing nor the other.... But it's a pity!'“男爵？他是个出类拔萃、宅心仁厚、博学多才的人……但是缺乏个性……他终其一生都将只能算得上半个学者，半个上流社会人士，也就是说，一个一知半解的人，说白了吧，很难成就什么大气候……真是可惜了！”

'That was my own idea,' observed Darya Mihailovna. 'I read his article.... Entre nous... cela a assez peu de fond!'“我也是这么想的。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说道，“我读了他的文章……我们私下里说说……文章没什么分量！”

'Who else have you here?' asked Rudin, after a pause.“这儿还有别人吗？”罗亭沉默了会儿，问道。

Darya Mihailovna knocked off the ash of her cigarette with her little finger.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜用小指弹了弹烟灰。

'Oh, there is hardly any one else. Madame Lipin, Alexandra Pavlovna, whom you saw yesterday; she is very sweet—but that is all. Her brother is also a capital fellow—un parfait honnete homme. The Prince Garin you know. Those are all. There are two or three neighbours besides, but they are really good for nothing. They either give themselves airs or are unsociable, or else quite unsuitably free and easy. The ladies, as you know, I see nothing of. There is one other of our neighbours said to be a very cultivated, even a learned, man, but a dreadfully queer creature, a whimsical character. Alexandrine, knows him, and I fancy is not indifferent to him.... Come, you ought to talk to her, Dmitri Nikolaitch; she's a sweet creature. She only wants developing.'“基本上没什么人。李比娜夫人，也就是亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜，您昨天也见过；她很和气——不过也仅此而已。他弟弟也是个很不错的人——非常诚实。还有加林公爵，您也认识。就这些人了。另外还有两三个邻居，不过也没什么特别之处。他们要么自以为是，要么就不善言辞，要么就太过放肆无礼了。那些太太们，您也知道，我不怎么和她们交往。还有一位邻居，听说他很有修养，甚至学识渊博，但是性情古怪，反复无常。亚历山德里娜认识他，我想她对他颇为关心呢……德米特里·尼古拉耶维奇，您应该和她谈谈；她是个不错的人。她只是有待提高。”

'I liked her very much,' remarked Rudin.“我非常喜欢她。”罗亭说。

'A perfect child, Dmitri Nikolaitch, an absolute baby. She has been married, mais c'est tout comme.... If I were a man, I should only fall in love with women like that.'“她完全就是个孩子，德米特里·尼古拉耶维奇，真的是个孩子。她结过一次婚，不过，这没什么……如果我是男人的话，我只会爱上这样的女人。”

'Really?'“真的吗？”

'Certainly. Such women are at least fresh, and freshness cannot be put on.'“当然啦。这样的女人至少很清新动人，而这一点恰恰是装不来的。”

'And can everything else?'Rudin asked, and he laughed—a thing which rarely happened with him. When he laughed his face assumed a strange, almost aged appearance, his eyes disappeared, his nose was wrinkled up.“那么别的都能装出来吗？”罗亭这么问的时候笑了起来——这对于他来说实属罕见。他笑的时候，脸上会呈现出有点类似老人的奇怪表情，他的眼睛眯成一条缝，鼻子也皱了起来。

'And who is this queer creature, as you call him, to whom Madame Lipin is not indifferent?' he asked.“您说的那位脾气古怪，但是李比娜夫人颇为关心的人是谁？”他问道。

'A certain Lezhnyov, Mihailo Mihailitch, a landowner here.'Rudin seemed astonished; he raised his head. 'Lezhnyov—Mihailo Mihailitch?' he questioned. 'Is he a neighbour of yours?'“一位叫米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇·列日涅夫的地主。”罗亭似乎有些吃惊地抬起头来。“米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇·列日涅夫？”他问道，“莫非他就是您的那位邻居？”

'Yes. Do you know him?'“正是。您认识他吗？”

Rudin did not speak for a minute.

罗亭沉默了片刻。

'I used to know him long ago. He is a rich man, I suppose?' he added, pulling the fringe on his chair.“很久以前我就认识他了。我猜他一定非常富有吧？”他边说边用手抚弄着椅子上的饰边。

'Yes, he is rich, though he dresses shockingly, and drives in a racing droshky like a bailiff. I have been anxious to get him to come here; he is spoken of as clever; I have some business with him.... You know I manage my property myself.'“的确，他很有钱，只是穿着比较怪异，而且喜欢像个管家似的驾着马车到处跑。我一直都想请他来我家中作客；听说他很聪明；我还有些事要找他……我自己管理我的财产，这您知道吗？”

Rudin bowed assent. 'Yes; I manage it myself,' Darya Mihailovna continued. 'I don't introduce any foreign crazes, but prefer what is our own, what is Russian, and, as you see, things don't seem to do badly,' she added, with a wave of her hand.

罗亭点了点头。“没错，我亲自管理我的产业。”达里娅米哈伊洛芙娜继续说着，“我不信任外国人的那一套，更喜欢我们自己的、俄国的方法，结果您也看到了，非常不错。”边说边用手比划着。

'I have always been persuaded,' observed Rudin urbanely, 'of the absolutely mistaken position of those people who refuse to admit the practical intelligence of women.'“我一向深信不疑。”罗亭彬彬有礼地说，“那些否认女性实际才干的观点是绝对错误的。”

Darya Mihailovna smiled affably.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜和蔼地笑了笑。

'You are very good to us,' was her comment 'But what was I going to say? What were we speaking of? Oh, yes; Lezhnyov: I have some business with him about a boundary. I have several times invited him here, and even today I am expecting him; but there's no knowing whether he'll come ...he's such a strange creature.'“谢谢您对我们的赞赏，”她说，“我刚刚想说什么来着？我们在谈论什么？啊，对了；列日涅夫，我跟他还有些关于划定地界的事情要谈呢。我邀请了他几次，今天我也请了他，只是不知道他会不会来……他是个非常古怪的人。”

The curtain before the door was softly moved aside and the steward came in, a tall man, grey and bald, in a black coat, a white cravat, and a white waistcoat.

门前的窗帘被轻轻地拉到了一边，一个穿着黑色礼服、白色马甲，系着白色领带的管家走了进来，他个子很高、头发花白，还有些秃顶。

'What is it?' inquired Darya Mihailovna, and, turning a little towards Rudin, she added in a low voice, 'n'est ce pas, comme il ressemble a Canning?'“有什么事吗？”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜问道，并略微向罗亭转了下身，小声说道：“他是不是很像坎宁？”

'Mihailo Mihailitch Lezhnyov is here,' announced the steward.“米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇·列日涅夫到访，”管家禀报说，

'Will you see him?'“您是否接见他？”

'Good Heavens!' exclaimed Darya Mihailovna, 'speak of the devil—ask him up.'“天哪！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜大声叫道，“刚刚才说到他——让他进来吧。”

The steward went away.

管家领命走了出去。

'He's such an awkward creature. Now he has come, it's at the wrong moment; he has interrupted our talk.'“他可真是个怪人。他总算是来了，只是来得不是时候；他打断了我们的谈话。”

Rudin got up from his seat, but Darya Mihailovna stopped him.

罗亭从座位上起身准备离开，但是达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜没让他走。

'Where are you going? We can discuss the matter as well before you. And I want you to analyse him too, as you did Pigasov. When you talk, vous gravez comme avec un burin. Please stay.'Rudin was going to protest, but after a moment's thought he sat down.“您这是要去哪儿？当着您的面我们照样可以谈事情。况且我希望您也能像分析皮加索夫那样分析分析他的性格呢。您说的话，就像用刀子雕刻一般。请您留下来吧。”罗亭准备说点什么，但是稍稍思考了一下，还是坐了下来。

Mihailo Mihailitch, whom the reader already knows, came into the room. He wore the same grey overcoat, and in his sunburnt hands he carried the same old foraging cap. He bowed tranquilly to Darya Mihailovna, and came up to the tea-table.

米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇走了进来，读者对于这个人并不陌生 。他还穿着那件灰色外衣，用那双被晒黑了的手拿着那顶旧军帽。他静静地向达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜鞠了个躬，便来到茶桌前。

'At last you have favoured me with a visit, Monsieur Lezhnyov!' began Darya Mihailovna. 'Pray sit down. You are already acquainted, I hear,' she continued, with a gesture in Rudin's direction.“列日涅夫先生，您终于肯赏脸光临寒舍了！”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜说，“快请坐。听说你们已经彼此认识了。”她指了指罗亭，继续说道。

Lezhnyov looked at Rudin and smiled rather queerly.

列日涅夫看了看罗亭，神情怪异地笑了笑。

'I know Mr. Rudin,' he assented, with a slight bow.“我认识罗亭先生。”他微微点了点头说道。

'We were together at the university,' observed Rudin in a low voice, dropping his eyes.“我们读大学的时候在一块儿。”罗亭低声说着垂下了双眼。

'And we met afterwards also,' remarked Lezhnyov coldly.“并且后来也见过面。”列日涅夫冷冷地说道。

Darya Mihailovna looked at both in some perplexity and asked Lezhnyov to sit down. He sat down.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜有些困惑地看了看这两个人，请列日涅夫入座。于是他坐了下来。

'You wanted to see me,' he began, 'on the subject of the boundary?'“您想见我，”列日涅夫开口说道，“是为了谈地界的事吗？”

'Yes; about the boundary. But I also wished to see you in any case. We are near neighbours, you know, and all but relations.'“是的，有关地界的问题。不过即使不是为这个我都很想见见您呢。您也知道，我们是近邻，和亲戚差不多呢。”

'I am much obliged to you,' returned Lezhnyov. 'As regards the boundary, we have perfectly arranged that matter with your manager; I have agreed to all his proposals.'“很感谢您。”列日涅夫回答道，“有关地界的事，我们和您的管家已经谈妥了；我完全同意他的所有提议。”

'I knew that. But he told me that the contract could not be signed without a personal interview with you.'“这我知道。”“不过他也说，在我没和您当面商谈之前，还不能签署合同。”

'Yes; that is my rule. By the way, allow me to ask: all your peasants, I believe, pay rent?'“是的，这是我的原则。顺便，请允许我问一句，我想您的农奴应该都交地租的吧？”

'Just so.'“是的。”

'And you trouble yourself about boundaries! That's very praiseworthy.'Lezhnyov did not speak for a minute. 'Well, I have come for a personal interview,' he said at last. Darya Mihailovna smiled. 'I see you have come. You say that in such a tone.... You could not have been very anxious to come to see me.'“那您还需亲自操办地界的事！真是令人钦佩。”列日涅夫有一会儿都没开口。“我就是来和您面谈此事的。”他最终说道。达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜笑了笑。“您的确来了。您说这话的口气……好像您并不是很情愿来我这里。”

'I never go anywhere,' rejoined Lezhnyov phlegmatically.“我向来不到处乱跑。”列日涅夫冷淡地说。

'Not anywhere? But you go to see Alexandra Pavlovna.'“哪儿都不去吗？您倒常去亚历山德拉·巴甫洛芙娜家里呢。”

'I am an old friend of her brother's.'“我跟她弟弟是老朋友了。”

'Her brother's! However, I never wish to force any one.... But pardon me, Mihailo Mihailitch, I am older than you, and I may be allowed to give you advice; what charm do you find in such an unsociable way of living? Or is my house in particular displeasing to you? You dislike me?'“她弟弟！不过，我不喜欢勉强别人……但是，请原谅我的无礼，米哈伊·米哈伊雷奇，我比您虚长几岁，或许可以给您提点儿建议；您过这种与世隔绝的生活，到底有什么好处呢？抑或是您尤其不喜欢我的房子？您是不是对我不抱好感？”

'I don't know you, Darya Mihailovna, and so I can't dislike you. You have a splendid house; but I will confess to you frankly I don't like to have to stand on ceremony. And I haven't a respectable suit, I haven't any gloves, and I don't belong to your set.'“我并不了解您，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜，所以也说不上对您不抱好感。您的房子很华丽；但是，坦白地说，我不喜欢拘于礼数。我没有漂亮的礼服，也没有手套，并且，我也不是您这个圈子里的人。”

'By birth, by education, you belong to it, Mihailo Mihailitch! vous etes des notres.'“从您的出身和您所受的教育来看，您属于我们这个圈子，米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇！您是我们中的一员。”

'Birth and education are all very well, Darya Mihailovna; that's not the question.'“高贵的出身和良好的教育并不是问题所在，达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜。”

'A man ought to live with his fellows, Mihailo Mihailitch! What pleasure is there in sitting like Diogenes in his tub?'“但是人应该生活在属于自己的圈子里，米哈伊洛·米哈伊雷奇！像第欧根尼那样坐在一个木桶里，这样有什么乐趣可言吗？”

'Well, to begin with, he was very well off there, and besides, how do you know I don't live with my fellows?'“首先，他在木桶里感觉过得很好；其次，您怎么知道我没有生活在自己的圈子里呢？＂

Darya Mihailovna bit her lip.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜咬了咬嘴唇。

'That's a different matter! It only remains for me to express my regret that I have not the honour of being included in the number of your friends.'“这是另外一回事了！不能有幸成为您的朋友让我感觉很遗憾，我只能这么说了。”

'Monsieur Lezhnyov,' put in Rudin, 'seems to carry to excess a laudable sentiment—the love of independence.'“列日涅夫先生，”罗亭开口说话了，“您似乎过于夸大了这种伟大的情感——对独立的热爱。”

Lezhnyov made no reply, he only looked at Rudin. A short silence followed.

列日涅夫没有作答，只是看着罗亭。接下来是片刻的沉默。

'And so,' began Lezhnyov, getting up, 'I may consider our business as concluded, and tell your manager to send me the papers.'“那么，”列日涅夫说着并站起身来，“我想我们的事情已经谈完了，我可以让您的管家将合同送给我了吧。”

'You may,... though I confess you are so uncivil I ought really to refuse you.'“可以了……不过说实话，您如此无礼，我真应该拒绝您。”

'But you know this rearrangement of the boundary is far more in your interest than in mine.'“但是，地界问题的处理办法对您更加有利。”

Darya Mihailovna shrugged her shoulders.

达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜耸了耸肩。

'You will not even have luncheon here?' she asked.“您不在这里吃午餐吗？”她问道。

'Thank you; I never take luncheon, and I am in a hurry to get home.'Darya Mihailovna got up. 'I will not detain you,' she said, going to the window. 'I will not venture to detain you.'“谢谢您,不过我从来不吃午餐，而且我赶着回家呢。”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜站起身来。“我也就不挽留您了。”她走到窗前，说道，“况且我也不敢冒昧挽留您。”

Lezhnyov began to take leave.

列日涅夫起身准备离开了。

'Good-bye, Monsieur Lezhnyov! Pardon me for having troubled you.'“再见，列日涅夫先生！很抱歉，给您添麻烦了。”

'Oh, not at all!' said Lezhnyov, and he went away.“这没什么！”列日涅夫说完便走了出去。

'Well, what do you say to that?'Darya Mihailovna asked of Rudin. 'I had heard he was eccentric, but really that was beyond everything!'“您怎么看？”达里娅·米哈伊洛芙娜向罗亭问道，“他脾气古怪我虽早有耳闻，但是不想竟然到了如此地步！”

'His is the same disease as Pigasov's,' observed Rudin, 'the desire of being original. One affects to be a Mephistopheles—the other a cynic. In all that, there is much egoism, much vanity, but little truth, little love. Indeed, there is even calculation of a sort in it. A man puts on a mask of indifference and indolence so that some one will be sure to think. "Look at that man; what talents he has thrown away!"But if you

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