A STILL August night. A mist is rising slowly from the fields and casting an opaque veil over everything within eyesight. —-
一个宁静的八月夜晚。薄雾从田野缓缓升起，将一切都笼罩在不透明的面纱中。 —-

Lighted up by the moon, the mist gives the impression at one moment of a calm, boundless sea, at the next of an immense white wall. —-
月光照亮了雾气，一刹那仿佛是一片宁静无垠的海洋，下一刻又像是一堵巨大的白色墙壁。 —-

The air is damp and chilly. Morning is still far off. —-
空气潮湿而寒冷。早晨还远远没到来。 —-

A step from the bye-road which runs along the edge of the forest a little fire is gleaming. —-
从沿着森林边缘的小路上，可以看到一团明亮的火焰。 —-

A dead body, covered from head to foot with new white linen, is lying under a young oak-tree. —-
一具尸体，从头到脚裹着崭新的白布，躺在一棵年轻的橡树下。 —-

A wooden ikon is lying on its breast. Beside the corpse almost on the road sits the “watch”—two peasants performing one of the most disagreeable and uninviting of peasants’ duties. —-
一块木质圣像平放在尸体的胸前。尸体旁边，几乎在路上，坐着两个农民，履行着农民最不愉快、最不受欢迎的任务之一。 —-

One, a tall young fellow with a scarcely perceptible moustache and thick black eyebrows, in a tattered sheepskin and bark shoes, is sitting on the wet grass, his feet stuck out straight in front of him, and is trying to while away the time with work. —-
一个高个子的年轻人，脸上几乎看不到胡子，稀疏的羊皮衣和柳条鞋上都已破烂不堪，他坐在湿草上，双脚笔直地伸在前面，试图用工作打发时间。 —-

He bends his long neck, and breathing loudly through his nose, makes a spoon out of a big crooked bit of wood; —-
他弯下他修长的脖子，用鼻子大声呼吸，将一块弯曲的木头做成一把勺子。 —-

the other—a little scraggy, pock-marked peasant with an aged face, a scanty moustache, and a little goat’s beard—sits with his hands dangling loose on his knees, and without moving gazes listlessly at the light. —-
另一个是个瘦弱、长满痘痘的农民，面容布满岁月的刻痕，稀疏的胡须和小山羊胡子，他的手松散地垂在膝盖上，一动不动地呆呆地望着火光。 —-

A small camp-fire is lazily burning down between them, throwing a red glow on their faces. —-
两人中间有一个小而懒散地燃烧的篝火，将他们的脸映红。 —-

There is perfect stillness. The only sounds are the scrape of the knife on the wood and the crackling of damp sticks in the fire.
周围一片寂静。唯一的声音是刀子在木头上刮擦和湿木块在火中噼啪作响。

“Don’t you go to sleep, Syoma . . .” says the young man.
“别睡着了，西奥玛……”年轻人说道。

“I . . . I am not asleep . . .” stammers the goat-beard.
“我……我没有睡……”山羊胡子结结巴巴地回答。

“That’s all right. . . . It would be dreadful to sit here alone, one would be frightened. —-
“那好……一个人坐在这里肯定会害怕。” —-

You might tell me something, Syoma.”
你可以给我讲个故事，西奥玛。

“You are a queer fellow, Syomushka! Other people will laugh and tell a story and sing a song, but you—there is no making you out. —-
“西奥穆什卡，你真是个古怪的家伙！别人会笑着讲故事、唱歌，但你——你真是难以捉摸。” —-

You sit like a scarecrow in the garden and roll your eyes at the fire. —-
“你呆若稻草地坐在花园里，瞪着眼睛看着火。” —-

You can’t say anything properly . . . when you speak you seem frightened. —-
“你说话一点也不顺溜……一开口就显得吓得要命。” —-

I dare say you are fifty, but you have less sense than a child. —-
“我敢说你已经五十岁了，可你却比孩子都还不懂事。” —-

Aren’t you sorry that you are a simpleton?”
“你难道不后悔自己是个傻子吗？”

“I am sorry,” the goat-beard answers gloomily.
“对不起，”山羊胡子阴郁地回答道。

“And we are sorry to see your foolishness, you may be sure. —-
“我们看着你的愚蠢也感到很惋惜，你可以确定。” —-

You are a good-natured, sober peasant, and the only trouble is that you have no sense in your head. —-
“你是个性情温和、老实的农民，唯一的问题就是你脑袋里一点也不聪明。” —-

You should have picked up some sense for yourself if the Lord has afflicted you and given you no understanding. —-
“你既然被上帝所惩罚，没有脑子也该自己去学点聪明才是。” —-

You must make an effort, Syoma. . . . You should listen hard when anything good’s being said, note it well, and keep thinking and thinking. —-
“西奥马，你必须努力。……当别人说好话时，你要努力倾听，好好记住并且多思考。” —-

. . . If there is any word you don’t understand, you should make an effort and think over in your head in what meaning the word is used. —-
“……如果有一个词你不懂，你要努力想一想这个词是在什么意义上使用。” —-

Do you see? Make an effort! If you don’t gain some sense for yourself you’ll be a simpleton and of no account at all to your dying day.”
“你明白吗？付出一点努力！如果你得不到一些见识，你将一辈子都是个傻子，毫无价值。”

All at once a long drawn-out, moaning sound is heard in the forest. —-
突然，森林中传来一声长长的呻吟声。 —-

Something rustles in the leaves as though torn from the very top of the tree and falls to the ground. —-
有东西在树叶间簌簌作响，仿佛从树梢上撕落下来，落在地上。 —-

All this is faintly repeated by the echo. —-
回音淡淡地将这一切重复了一遍。 —-

The young man shudders and looks enquiringly at his companion.
年轻人颤抖着，询问地看着他的伙伴。

“It’s an owl at the little birds,” says Syoma, gloomily.
“那是猫头鹰在追小鸟儿，”西奥马沮丧地说道。

“Why, Syoma, it’s time for the birds to fly to the warm countries!”
“为什么，西奥马，鸟儿要飞往温暖的国家了呀！”

“To be sure, it is time.”
“确实是时候了。”

“It is chilly at dawn now. It is co-old. The crane is a chilly creature, it is tender. —-
“现在天一冷早晨就感觉寒意。好冷啊！鹤是怕冷的生物，非常娇嫩。” —-

Such cold is death to it. I am not a crane, but I am frozen. —-
“这么冷对它来说就是死亡。我不是鹤，但我冻僵了。” —-

. . . Put some more wood on!”
“……再加点柴火！”

Syoma gets up and disappears in the dark undergrowth. —-
西奥马站起来，消失在黑暗的丛林中。 —-

While he is busy among the bushes, breaking dry twigs, his companion puts his hand over his eyes and starts at every sound. —-
当他忙着在灌木丛中打断干枝的时候，他的伴侣将手放在眼睛上，对每一个声音都警觉起来。 —-

Syoma brings an armful of wood and lays it on the fire. —-
西奥马拿来一把柴火，放在火堆上。 —-

The flame irresolutely licks the black twigs with its little tongues, then suddenly, as though at the word of command, catches them and throws a crimson light on the faces, the road, the white linen with its prominences where the hands and feet of the corpse raise it, the ikon. —-
火焰犹豫地用它的小舌头舔着黑色的树枝，突然，仿佛是在受到命令一样，将它们抓住，抛出一道红光，映在脸上、路上、那件用手和脚抬起遗体的凸起处，映在圣像上。 —-

The “watch” is silent. The young man bends his neck still lower and sets to work with still more nervous haste. —-
“守夜人”沉默着。年轻人低下头，更加急切地开始工作起来。 —-

The goat- beard sits motionless as before and keeps his eyes fixed on the fire. . . .
山羊胡子依然静止不动，双眼追溯火光。

“Ye that love not Zion . . . shall be put to shame by the Lord.” A falsetto voice is suddenly heard singing in the stillness of the night, then slow footsteps are audible, and the dark figure of a man in a short monkish cassock and a broad-brimmed hat, with a wallet on his shoulders, comes into sight on the road in the crimson firelight.
“你们不爱锡安的人……必会遭到主的羞辱。”一个假声突然在夜晚的寂静中响起，然后缓慢的脚步声传来，一个身穿短袍和宽檐帽，肩上背着背包的黑暗人影，在火光的映衬下出现在道路上。

“Thy will be done, O Lord! Holy Mother!” the figure says in a husky falsetto. —-
“阿门，愿你的旨意成就吧！圣母！”那个人用沙哑的假声说道。 —-

“I saw the fire in the outer darkness and my soul leapt for joy. . . . —-
“我看见了外面黑暗中的火焰，我的灵魂为之欢跃……” —-

At first I thought it was men grazing a drove of horses, then I thought it can’t be that, since no horses were to be seen. —-
起初我以为是人们在放牧一群马，然后我又觉得不可能，因为看不到任何马。 —-

‘Aren’t they thieves,’ I wondered, ‘aren’t they robbers lying in wait for a rich Lazarus? —-
“它们难道是贼吗？” 我想，“它们难道是伏击富贵的财主吗？” —-

Aren’t they the gypsy people offering sacrifices to idols? And my soul leapt for joy. —-
“它们是不是吉普赛人，给偶像献祭？” 我的灵魂为之欢跃。 —-

‘Go, Feodosy, servant of God,’ I said to myself, ‘and win a martyr’s crown! —-
“去吧，作为上帝的仆人菲奥多西，” 我对自己说，“去获得殉道者的冠冕！” —-

’ And I flew to the fire like a light-winged moth. —-
然后我像一只轻灵的飞蛾一样飞向那团火焰。 —-

Now I stand before you, and from your outer aspect I judge of your souls: —-
现在我站在你们面前，从你们的外表来判断你们的灵魂： —-

you are not thieves and you are not heathens. Peace be to you!”
你们既不是贼也不是异教徒。愿你们平安！”

“Good-evening.”
“晚上好。”

“Good orthodox people, do you know how to reach the Makuhinsky Brickyards from here?”
“善良的正统人，你们知道怎么从这里去马库金斯基的砖厂吗？”

“It’s close here. You go straight along the road; —-
“离这里很近。你一直顺着这条路走； —-

when you have gone a mile and a half there will be Ananova, our village. —-
走了一英里半之后会有我们的村庄阿纳诺瓦。 —-

From the village, father, you turn to the right by the river-bank, and so you will get to the brickyards. —-
从村庄父亲，你向右拐，沿着河边走，这样你就能到达砖厂。 —-

It’s two miles from Ananova.”
离阿纳诺瓦两英里远。”

“God give you health. And why are you sitting here?”
“愿上帝赐福给你们，你们为什么在这里坐着？”

“We are sitting here watching. You see, there is a dead body. . . .”
“我们坐在这里观看着。你看，有一具尸体……”

“What? what body? Holy Mother!”
“什么？什么尸体？天啊！”

The pilgrim sees the white linen with the ikon on it, and starts so violently that his legs give a little skip. —-
朝圣者看到了白布上的圣像，吓得腿都有点抖。 —-

This unexpected sight has an overpowering effect upon him. —-
这突如其来的景象对他产生了强烈的影响。 —-

He huddles together and stands as though rooted to the spot, with wide-open mouth and staring eyes. —-
他瑟瑟发抖地站在原地，嘴巴张得大大的，眼睛瞪得溜圆。 —-

For three minutes he is silent as though he could not believe his eyes, then begins muttering:
三分钟过去了，他静默不语，仿佛不敢相信自己的眼睛，然后嘟囔着说：

“O Lord! Holy Mother! I was going along not meddling with anyone, and all at once such an affliction.”
“哦主啊！圣母！我一直都没干涉别人，突然间发生这样的厄运。”

“What may you be?” enquires the young man. “Of the clergy?”
“你是什么人？”年轻人问道，“是从教士那里来的吗？”

“No . . . no. . . . I go from one monastery to another. . . . Do you know Mi . . . —-
“不…不是…我只是从一个修道院到另一个修道院而已…你认识米…米哈伊尔·波利卡尔匹奇吗？他是砖厂的工头。嗯，我是他的侄子。” —-

Mihail Polikarpitch, the foreman of the brickyard? Well, I am his nephew. —-
“…愿主的旨意成全！你为什么在这里？” —-

. . . Thy will be done, O Lord! Why are you here?”
“我们在观察…我们被告知要这样做。”

“We are watching . . . we are told to.”
“是的，是的……”穿着袈裟的人嘟哝着，用手揉了揉眼睛。

“Yes, yes . . .” mutters the man in the cassock, passing his hand over his eyes. —-
“那位死者是从哪儿来的？” —-

“And where did the deceased come from?”
“他是个陌生人。”

“He was a stranger.”
“他是个陌生人。”

“Such is life! But I’ll . . . er . . . be getting on, brothers. . . . I feel flustered. —-
“这就是生活！但我要继续前进，兄弟们……我感到慌乱。 —-

I am more afraid of the dead than of anything, my dear souls! And only fancy! —-
“我害怕死亡，亲爱的灵魂们！你们只能想象！ —-

while this man was alive he wasn’t noticed, while now when he is dead and given over to corruption we tremble before him as before some famous general or a bishop. —-
“当这个人活着的时候，我们没有注意到他，但现在他死了，腐烂了，我们却在他面前战栗，就像在一位著名的将军或主教面前一样。 —-

. . . Such is life; was he murdered, or what?”
“……这就是生活；他被谋杀了，还是其他原因呢？”

“The Lord knows! Maybe he was murdered, or maybe he died of himself.”
“上帝知道！也许他被谋杀了，或者他自己死了。”

“Yes, yes. . . . Who knows, brothers? Maybe his soul is now tasting the joys of Paradise.”
“是的，是的……谁知道呢，兄弟们？也许他的灵魂现在正在品尝天堂的快乐。”

“His soul is still hovering here, near his body,” says the young man. —-
“他的灵魂还在这里，靠近他的尸体，”年轻人说道。 —-

“It does not depart from the body for three days.”
“它会在尸体旁不离开三天。”

“H’m, yes! . . . How chilly the nights are now! —-
“嗯，是啊！夜晚现在真冷！ —-

It sets one’s teeth chattering. . . . So then I am to go straight on and on? . . .”
寒冷使人的牙齿打颤……那么我该一直直走下去吗？”

“Till you get to the village, and then you turn to the right by the river-bank.”
“直到你到达村子，然后你沿着河岸向右转。

“By the river-bank. . . . To be sure. . . . —-
“沿着河岸……对，没错…… —-

Why am I standing still? I must go on. Farewell, brothers.”
“我为什么还在站着？我必须继续前进。再见，兄弟们。”

The man in the cassock takes five steps along the road and stops.
穿着黑袍的人沿着路走了五步，然后停下来。

“I’ve forgotten to put a kopeck for the burying,” he says. —-
“我忘记给埋葬扔一个戈比了，”他说道。 —-

“Good orthodox friends, can I give the money?”
“亲爱的正统的朋友们，我能捐钱吗？”

“You ought to know best, you go the round of the monasteries. —-
“你应该最清楚，你去过所有的修道院。” —-

If he died a natural death it would go for the good of his soul; —-
“如果他是自然死亡，那这笔钱将有助于他的灵魂安宁； —-

if it’s a suicide it’s a sin.”
“如果是自杀，那就是一种罪孽。”

“That’s true. . . . And maybe it really was a suicide! So I had better keep my money. —-
“那倒是真的……或许他真的是自杀！所以我最好还是留着我的钱。 —-

Oh, sins, sins! Give me a thousand roubles and I would not consent to sit here. —-
“哦，罪孽啊！给我一千卢布，我也不愿意坐在这里。 —-

. . . Farewell, brothers.”
“……再见，兄弟们。”

The cassock slowly moves away and stops again.
祭服慢悠悠地走开，又停了下来。

“I can’t make up my mind what I am to do,” he mutters. —-
“我无法决定该怎么办。”他嘟囔着。 —-

“To stay here by the fire and wait till daybreak. . . . I am frightened; —-
“待在这里靠着火等到天亮……我真害怕； —-

to go on is dreadful, too. The dead man will haunt me all the way in the darkness. . . . —-
“继续前行也同样可怕。在黑暗中，死者将一直困扰着我……。 —-

The Lord has chastised me indeed! Over three hundred miles I have come on foot and nothing happened, and now I am near home and there’s trouble. —-
“上帝确实惩罚了我！我步行走了三百多英里，什么事都没有发生，现在我离家很近了却有了麻烦。 —-

I can’t go on. . . .”
“我无法继续……”

“It is dreadful, that is true.”
“确实很可怕。”

“I am not afraid of wolves, of thieves, or of darkness, but I am afraid of the dead. —-
“我不害怕狼、盗贼或黑暗，但我害怕死者。” —-

I am afraid of them, and that is all about it. —-
我害怕他们，就这些吧。 —-

Good orthodox brothers, I entreat you on my knees, see me to the village.”
好的正统兄弟们，我跪求你们，护送我到村子里。

“We’ve been told not to go away from the body.”
我们被告知不要离开尸体。

“No one will see, brothers. Upon my soul, no one will see! —-
没人会看到，兄弟们。我发誓，没有人会看到！ —-

The Lord will reward you a hundredfold! Old man, come with me, I beg! —-
上帝会百倍回报你！老人，跟我走吧，我求你！ —-

Old man! Why are you silent?”
老人！你为什么不说话？

“He is a bit simple,” says the young man.
“他有点傻。”年轻人说道。

“You come with me, friend; I will give you five kopecks.”
“朋友，你跟我来，我给你五个铜板。”

“For five kopecks I might,” says the young man, scratching his head, “but I was told not to. —-
“要是五个铜板的话，也许可以。”年轻人挠了挠头，“但是我被告知不要去。” —-

If Syoma here, our simpleton, will stay alone, I will take you. —-
如果我们这里的傻子Syoma能独自待在这里，我就带你去。 —-

Syoma, will you stay here alone?”
Syoma，你能独自待在这里吗？

“I’ll stay,” the simpleton consents.
“我留下来，”傻子答应道。

“Well, that’s all right, then. Come along!” The young man gets up, and goes with the cassock. —-
“好吧，那就没问题了。跟我来吧！”年轻人站起身，带着华服离去。 —-

A minute later the sound of their steps and their talk dies away. —-
一分钟后，他们的脚步声和谈话声消失了。 —-

Syoma shuts his eyes and gently dozes. The fire begins to grow dim, and a big black shadow falls on the dead body.
Syoma闭上眼睡着了。火开始变暗，一道大黑影落在尸体上方。