PYOTR PETROVITCH STRIZHIN, the nephew of Madame Ivanov, the colonel’s widow—the man whose new goloshes were stolen last year,—came home from a christening party at two o’clock in the morning. —-
彼得·彼得罗维奇·斯特里津，麦当娜·伊万诺夫（这位寡妇是上校）侄子——去年被偷了新领带的那个男人——凌晨两点从一个洗礼派对回到家里。 —-

To avoid waking the household he took off his things in the lobby, made his way on tiptoe to his room, holding his breath, and began getting ready for bed without lighting a candle.
为了不惊动家里的人，他在大厅脱掉衣物，用脚尖走到自己的房间，屏住呼吸，而且没有点燃蜡烛就准备上床睡觉。

Strizhin leads a sober and regular life. —-
斯特里津过着一个清醒而规律的生活。 —-

He has a sanctimonious expression of face, he reads nothing but religious and edifying books, but at the christening party, in his delight that Lyubov Spiridonovna had passed through her confinement successfully, he had permitted himself to drink four glasses of vodka and a glass of wine, the taste of which suggested something midway between vinegar and castor oil. —-
他的脸上有一种伪善的表情，他只看宗教和激励的书，但在洗礼派对上，由于莉雅·斯皮里多诺芙娜顺利度过产期，他让自己喝了四杯伏特加和一杯味道像醋和蓖麻油之间的葡萄酒。 —-

Spirituous liquors are like sea-water and glory: —-
烈性酒就像海水和荣耀一样：你喝的越多，口渴就越大。 —-

the more you imbibe of them the greater your thirst. —-
现在，当他脱衣服时，斯特里津感到了一种难以抑制的喝酒渴望。 —-

And now as he undressed, Strizhin was aware of an overwhelming craving for drink.
“我相信达什卡的壁橱右边角落里有一瓶伏特加，”他想到。

“I believe Dashenka has some vodka in the cupboard in the right-hand corner,” he thought. —-
“如果我喝一小杯，她不会注意到的。” —-

“If I drink one wine-glassful, she won’t notice it.”
经过一些犹豫，克服自己的恐惧，斯特里津走向了储藏室。

After some hesitation, overcoming his fears, Strizhin went to the cupboard. —-
他小心翼翼地打开门，在右下角找到一瓶酒，倒出了一小杯，把瓶子放回原位，然后做了个十字，将酒一饮而尽。 —-

Cautiously opening the door he felt in the right-hand corner for a bottle and poured out a wine-glassful, put the bottle back in its place, then, making the sign of the cross, drank it off. —-
然后，立刻发生了奇迹般的事情。 —-

And immediately something like a miracle took place. —-
斯特里津被从壁橱迅速甩到箱子上，就像一颗炸弹一样恐怖地爆炸开来。 —-

Strizhin was flung back from the cupboard to the chest with fearful force like a bomb. —-
他眼前一片闪光，感觉好像无法呼吸，浑身上下感觉就像跌入了一个满是水蛭的沼泽地。 —-

There were flashes before his eyes, he felt as though he could not breathe, and all over his body he had a sensation as though he had fallen into a marsh full of leeches. —-
他觉得好像他吞下的不是伏特加，而是爆炸了他的身体、房子和整条街的炸药。 —-

It seemed to him as though, instead of vodka, he had swallowed dynamite, which blew up his body, the house, and the whole street. —-
对他来说，似乎他咽下的不是伏特加，而是爆炸了他的身体、房子和整条街的炸药。 —-

. . . His head, his arms, his legs—all seemed to be torn off and to be flying away somewhere to the devil, into space.
. . 他的头，他的手臂，他的腿——所有的一切似乎被撕裂开，飞到魔鬼那里，进入太空。

For some three minutes he lay on the chest, not moving and scarcely breathing, then he got up and asked himself:
大约三分钟后，他躺在胸膛上，一动不动，几乎没有呼吸，然后他站起来问自己：

“Where am I?”
“我在哪里？”

The first thing of which he was clearly conscious on coming to himself was the pronounced smell of paraffin.
当他苏醒过来时，他清楚地意识到一股浓重的煤油味道。

“Holy saints,” he thought in horror, “it’s paraffin I have drunk instead of vodka.”
“天圣，”他惊恐地想道，“我喝的是煤油，而不是伏特加。”

The thought that he had poisoned himself threw him into a cold shiver, then into a fever. —-
想到他中毒了，他冷不丁地打了个寒战，然后发起了高烧。 —-

That it was really poison that he had taken was proved not only by the smell in the room but also by the burning taste in his mouth, the flashes before his eyes, the ringing in his head, and the colicky pain in his stomach. —-
不仅房间里有味道，他的嘴里还有灼烧感，眼前一闪一闪，头脑里嗡嗡作响，胃里还有绞痛。 —-

Feeling the approach of death and not buoying himself up with false hopes, he wanted to say good-bye to those nearest to him, and made his way to Dashenka’s bedroom (being a widower he had his sister-in-law called Dashenka, an old maid, living in the flat to keep house for him).
感受到死亡的临近，没有给自己虚假希望，他想向最亲近的人告别，于是往达什卡的卧室走去（作为一个鳏夫，他的小姑娘比叫达什卡，是一个老老姑娘，住在公寓里帮他打理家务）。

“Dashenka,” he said in a tearful voice as he went into the bedroom, “dear Dashenka!”
“达什卡，”他以泪洒声音说着走进卧室，“亲爱的达什卡！”

Something grumbled in the darkness and uttered a deep sigh.
暗室里咕噜噜地响了一声，发出了深深的叹息。

“Dashenka.”
“达什卡。”

“Eh? What?” A woman’s voice articulated rapidly. “Is that you, Pyotr Petrovitch? —-
“嗯？什么？”一个女声快速地发出声音。“那是你，彼得·彼得罗维奇吗？ —-

Are you back already? Well, what is it? What has the baby been christened? —-
你已经回来了吗？好吧，怎么了？孩子叫什么名字？ —-

Who was godmother?”
教母是谁？”

“The godmother was Natalya Andreyevna Velikosvyetsky, and the godfather Pavel Ivanitch Bezsonnitsin. —-
“教母是娜塔莉娅·安德烈耶芙娜·维利科斯维茨基，教父是帕维尔·伊万尼奇·别兹松尼钦。” —-

. . . I . . . I believe, Dashenka, I am dying. —-
. . 我 . . . 我相信，达什人卡，我要死了。 —-

And the baby has been christened Olimpiada, in honour of their kind patroness. —-
而婴儿被命名为奥林匹娅，以夸奖他们亲切的守护神。 —-

. . . I . . . I have just drunk paraffin, Dashenka!”
. . 我 . . . 我刚刚喝了煤油，达什人卡！”

“What next! You don’t say they gave you paraffin there?”
“怎么了！你不说他们给了你煤油吧？”

“I must own I wanted to get a drink of vodka without asking you, and . . . —-
“我必须承认我想自己找一点伏特加喝，没有问你，然后 . . . —-

and the Lord chastised me: by accident in the dark I took paraffin. —-
然后上帝惩罚了我：由于黑暗中的意外，我拿错了煤油。 —-

. . . What am I to do?”
. . 我该怎么办？”

Dashenka, hearing that the cupboard had been opened without her permission, grew more wide-awake. . —-
达什人卡听到橱柜被未经允许打开的消息后更加清醒。 —-

. . She quickly lighted a candle, jumped out of bed, and in her nightgown, a freckled, bony figure in curl-papers, padded with bare feet to the cupboard.
她迅速点亮蜡烛，从床上跳了起来，身穿睡袍，一个穿着卷发纸的有雀斑的瘦弱身影，光着脚蹑手蹑脚地走到橱柜。

“Who told you you might?” she asked sternly, as she scrutinized the inside of the cupboard. —-
“谁告诉你可以这样做的？”她严厉地问道，她仔细检查了橱柜的内部。 —-

“Was the vodka put there for you?”
“伏特加是为你准备的吗？”

“I . . . I haven’t drunk vodka but paraffin, Dashenka . . . —-
“我 . . . 我没有喝伏特加，而是煤油，达什人卡 . . . —-

” muttered Strizhin, mopping the cold sweat on his brow.
” Strizhin咕哝道，擦去额头上的冷汗。

“And what did you want to touch the paraffin for? That’s nothing to do with you, is it? —-
“你为什么要碰煤油？这与你无关，对吧？ —-

Is it put there for you? Or do you suppose paraffin costs nothing? Eh? —-
煤油是为你准备的吗？或者你认为煤油不值钱吗？嗯？ —-

Do you know what paraffin is now? Do you know?”
你现在知道石蜡是什么了吗？你知道吗？

“Dear Dashenka,” moaned Strizhin, “it’s a question of life and death, and you talk about money!”
“亲爱的达申卡，”史崔津哀怨地说道，“这是生死攸关之事，而你却谈论金钱！”

“He’s drunk himself tipsy and now he pokes his nose into the cupboard! —-
“他喝得醉醺醺的，现在竟然还插手柜子里的事情！” —-

” cried Dashenka, angrily slamming the cupboard door. “Oh, the monsters, the tormentors! —-
达申卡生气地砰地关上了柜门，喊道：“哦，这帮怪物，这帮折磨者！” —-

I’m a martyr, a miserable woman, no peace day or night! —-
我是个受难者，一个可怜的女人，日夜不得安宁！ —-

Vipers, basilisks, accursed Herods, may you suffer the same in the world to come! —-
毒蛇，巴西利斯克，可恶的赫罗德，愿你们来世也受同样的折磨！ —-

I am going to-morrow! I am a maiden lady and I won’t allow you to stand before me in your underclothes! —-
我明天就走！我是个未婚女士，我不允许你穿着内衣站在我面前！ —-

How dare you look at me when I am not dressed!”
你敢在我没有穿衣服的时候看我吗！”

And she went on and on. . . . Knowing that when Dashenka was enraged there was no moving her with prayers or vows or even by firing a cannon, Strizhin waved his hand in despair, dressed, and made up his mind to go to the doctor. —-
达申卡继续发疯…… 众所周知，达申卡发怒时无论是祈祷、誓约，甚至放一门炮，都无法动摇她。史崔津绝望地挥了挥手，穿上衣服，决定去找医生。 —-

But a doctor is only readily found when he is not wanted. —-
但是想要找到一个医生就那么容易。 —-

After running through three streets and ringing five times at Dr. Tchepharyants’s, and seven times at Dr. Bultyhin’s, Strizhin raced off to a chemist’s shop, thinking possibly the chemist could help him. —-
在穿过三条街道、在特切法良次医生的门前按了五次门铃，然后在伯尔坦医生的门前按了七次门铃之后，史崔津跑去了一家药店，想着或许药剂师能帮助他。 —-

There, after a long interval, a little dark and curly-headed chemist came out to him in his dressing gown, with drowsy eyes, and such a wise and serious face that it was positively terrifying.
在那里，经过一段时间后，一个个子矮小、头发黑而卷曲的药剂师穿着睡袍出来了，他的眼睛昏昏欲睡，面容却是如此智慧和严肃，简直让人吓人。

“What do you want?” he asked in a tone in which only very wise and dignified chemists of Jewish persuasion can speak.
“你想要什么？”他用只有犹太人才能说出的非常智慧和庄重的语气问道。

“For God’s sake . . . I entreat you . . . —-
“求求你……拜托……”史崔津气喘吁吁地说道，“给我些什么吧。” —-

” said Strizhin breathlessly, “give me something. —-
请神……我懇求你…… 史崔津喘不过气来，“给我点什么吧。” —-

I have just accidentally drunk paraffin, I am dying!”
我刚刚不小心喝了石蜡，我要死了！

“I beg you not to excite yourself and to answer the questions I am about to put to you. —-
我请求你不要激动，回答我即将提出的问题。 —-

The very fact that you are excited prevents me from understanding you. —-
你激动的事实让我无法理解你。 —-

You have drunk paraffin. Yes?”
你喝了石蜡。是的吗？

“Yes, paraffin! Please save me!”
是的，石蜡！请救救我！

The chemist went coolly and gravely to the desk, opened a book, became absorbed in reading it. —-
药剂师冷静而庄重地走到桌子前，打开一本书，专心地阅读起来。 —-

After reading a couple of pages he shrugged one shoulder and then the other, made a contemptuous grimace and, after thinking for a minute, went into the adjoining room. —-
阅读了几页后，他耸了耸肩，嘟了嘟嘴，思考了一分钟后，走进了隔壁房间。 —-

The clock struck four, and when it pointed to ten minutes past the chemist came back with another book and again plunged into reading.
时钟敲响了四点，当指向十分过时，药剂师拿着另一本书回来，又沉浸在阅读中。

“H’m,” he said as though puzzled, “the very fact that you feel unwell shows you ought to apply to a doctor, not a chemist.”
“嗯，”他表示困惑地说道，”你身体不舒服的事实表明你应该找医生，而不是药剂师。”

“But I have been to the doctors already. I could not ring them up.”
“但我已经去看过医生了。我不能给他们打电话。”

“H’m . . . you don’t regard us chemists as human beings, and disturb our rest even at four o’clock at night, though every dog, every cat, can rest in peace. —-
“嗯…你不把我们药剂师当人看，甚至在半夜四点还打扰我们的休息，虽然每只狗、每只猫都能安心休息。 —-

. . . You don’t try to understand anything, and to your thinking we are not people and our nerves are like cords.”
“…你不尝试理解任何事情，在你的思维中，我们不是人，我们的神经就像绳索一样。”

Strizhin listened to the chemist, heaved a sigh, and went home.
斯特里津听了药剂师的话，叹了口气，回家了。

“So I am fated to die,” he thought.
“所以我命中注定要死了。”他想到。

And in his mouth was a burning and a taste of paraffin, there were twinges in his stomach, and a sound of boom, boom, boom in his ears. —-
他的嘴里燃烧着一股石蜡的味道，在他的胃里有阵痛，耳朵里响着嘭嘭的声音。 —-

Every moment it seemed to him that his end was near, that his heart was no longer beating.
每一刻都觉得他的生命即将结束，他的心脏不再跳动。

Returning home he made haste to write: “Let no one be blamed for my death,” then he said his prayers, lay down and pulled the bedclothes over his head. —-
回到家后，他匆忙写下：“不要为我的死批评任何人。”然后他祈祷，躺下，把被子拉过头。 —-

He lay awake till morning expecting death, and all the time he kept fancying how his grave would be covered with fresh green grass and how the birds would twitter over it. . . .
他躺在床上一夜未眠，期待死亡，同时他一直幻想着他的坟墓将被新鲜的绿草覆盖，鸟儿将在上面叽叽喳喳地叫……

And in the morning he was sitting on his bed, saying with a smile to Dashenka:
早上他坐在床上，微笑着对达什卡说：“一个过着稳定规律生活的人，亲爱的妹妹，不会受到任何毒物的影响。

“One who leads a steady and regular life, dear sister, is unaffected by any poison. —-
以我为例。我曾经濒临死亡。 —-

Take me, for example. I have been on the verge of death. —-
我正濒死而痛苦，然而现在我完全没事了。 —-

I was dying and in agony, yet now I am all right. —-
嘴里只有灼热感和喉咙痛，但全身都没事，感谢上帝。。 —-

There is only a burning in my mouth and a soreness in my throat, but I am all right all over, thank God. . —-
只是因为我的生活有规律。” —-

. . And why? It’s because of my regular life.”
不，是因为它是劣质石蜡！

“No, it’s because it’s inferior paraffin! —-
”达什卡叹了口气，想起家庭开支，茫然地凝视着远方。 —-

” sighed Dashenka, thinking of the household expenses and gazing into space. —-
服装店的人肯定没有给我最好的质量，只是给了我三便士价位的。 —-

“The man at the shop could not have given me the best quality, but that at three farthings. —-
我是个烈士，我是个可怜的女人。你们这些怪物！ —-

I am a martyr, I am a miserable woman. You monsters! —-
愿你们在来世中受到同样的痛苦，该诅咒的赫罗德……” —-

May you suffer the same, in the world to come, accursed Herods. . . .”
她不停地说着……

And she went on and on. . . .
她继续说个不停…