BETWEEN twelve and one at night a tall gentleman, wearing a top-hat and a coat with a hood, stops before the door of Marya Petrovna Koshkin, a midwife and an old maid. —-
在午夜十二点至一点之间，一个戴着高顶礼帽和带兜帽的长身绅士停在玛丽亚·佩特罗夫娜·科什金的门前，她是个助产士，也是个未婚老姑娘。 —-

Neither face nor hand can be distinguished in the autumn darkness, but in the very manner of his coughing and the ringing of the bell a certain solidity, positiveness, and even impressiveness can be discerned. —-
在秋天的黑暗中，无法辨别出他的脸和手，但从他咳嗽的方式和铃声中可以感受到一种坚实、肯定甚至令人印象深刻的气质。 —-

After the third ring the door opens and Marya Petrovna herself appears. —-
第三声铃响后，门打开了，玛丽亚·佩特罗夫娜本人出现了。 —-

She has a man’s overcoat flung on over her white petticoat. —-
她披着一个男人的外套，外面还穿着她的白色裙子。 —-

The little lamp with the green shade which she holds in her hand throws a greenish light over her sleepy, freckled face, her scraggy neck, and the lank, reddish hair that strays from under her cap.
她手里拿着一个带绿罩的小灯，照着她困倦的雀斑脸、瘦长的脖子和从帽子下飘出的红棕色头发，散发出一丝绿色的光芒。

“Can I see the midwife?” asks the gentleman.
“我能见到助产士吗？”绅士问道。

“I am the midwife. What do you want?”
“我就是助产士。你有什么事？”

The gentleman walks into the entry and Marya Petrovna sees facing her a tall, well-made man, no longer young, but with a handsome, severe face and bushy whiskers.
绅士走进门厅，玛丽亚·佩特罗夫娜看到面前站着一个高大而坚实的男人，不再年轻，但拥有一张英俊而严肃的脸和浓密的络腮胡须。

“I am a collegiate assessor, my name is Kiryakov,” he says. —-
“我是个高级参议员，我叫基里亚科夫”，他说。 —-

“I came to fetch you to my wife. Only please make haste.”
“我来接你去看我妻子。请快点。”

“Very good . . .” the midwife assents. —-
“很好。。。助产士同意了。 —-

“I’ll dress at once, and I must trouble you to wait for me in the parlour.”
“我会立即换好衣服，麻烦你在客厅等我。”

Kiryakov takes off his overcoat and goes into the parlour. —-
基里亚科夫脱下外套走进客厅。 —-

The greenish light of the lamp lies sparsely on the cheap furniture in patched white covers, on the pitiful flowers and the posts on which ivy is trained. —-
灯的绿色光线稀疏地照在用补丁覆盖的廉价家具、可怜的花朵和常青藤攀爬的柱子上。 —-

. . . There is a smell of geranium and carbolic. —-
。。。有天竺葵和杀菌酚的气味。 —-

The little clock on the wall ticks timidly, as though abashed at the presence of a strange man.
墙上的小钟怯怯地嘀嗒着，仿佛对陌生男子的存在感到害羞。

“I am ready,” says Marya Petrovna, coming into the room five minutes later, dressed, washed, and ready for action. “Let us go.”
“我准备好了，”玛丽娅·彼得罗夫娜说道，五分钟之后走进房间里，衣着整洁，洗漱完毕，准备行动。“我们走吧。”

“Yes, you must make haste,” says Kiryakov. —-
“是的，你必须快点。”齐拉科夫说道。 —-

“And, by the way, it is not out of place to enquire—what do you ask for your services?”
“顺便问一下——你的服务收费是多少？”她笨拙地笑着说道。

“I really don’t know . . .” says Marya Petrovna with an embarrassed smile. —-
“我真的不知道……”玛丽娅·彼得罗夫娜尴尬地笑着说道。 —-

“As much as you will give.”
“你愿意给多少，我就接受多少。”

“No, I don’t like that,” says Kiryakov, looking coldly and steadily at the midwife. —-
“不，我不喜欢那样，”齐拉科夫冷冷地盯着这位助产士说道。 —-

“An arrangement beforehand is best. I don’t want to take advantage of you and you don’t want to take advantage of me. —-
“事先作出一个安排是最好的。我不想占你的便宜，你也不想占我的便宜。 —-

To avoid misunderstandings it is more sensible for us to make an arrangement beforehand.”
为了避免误解，我们最好事先做个约定。”

“I really don’t know—there is no fixed price.”
“我真的不知道——没有固定价格。”

“I work myself and am accustomed to respect the work of others. I don’t like injustice. —-
“我自己工作，习惯尊重他人的工作。我不喜欢不公平。 —-

It will be equally unpleasant to me if I pay you too little, or if you demand from me too much, and so I insist on your naming your charge.”
如果给你的钱太少，或者你要求的钱太多，这对我来说都是不愉快的，所以我坚持让你报价。”

“Well, there are such different charges.”
“唔，确实有很大的差价。”

“H’m. In view of your hesitation, which I fail to understand, I am constrained to fix the sum myself. —-
“嗯，在考虑到你的犹豫之后，我不得不自己来确定了。 —-

I can give you two roubles.”
我可以给你两卢布。”

“Good gracious! . . . Upon my word! . . . —-
“天啊！……说真的！……” —-

” says Marya Petrovna, turning crimson and stepping back. “I am really ashamed. —-
“马丽娅·佩特罗夫娜说，脸红了退后一步。我真的很羞愧。 —-

Rather than take two roubles I will come for nothing . . —-
我不要两卢布，我会免费来的… —-

. . Five roubles, if you like.”
…如果你愿意，五卢布也行。”

“Two roubles, not a kopeck more. I don’t want to take advantage of you, but I do not intend to be overcharged.”
“两卢布，没有一分钱多。我不想占你的便宜，但我也不打算被宰。”

“As you please, but I am not coming for two roubles. . . .”
“随你的便，我不会因为两卢布而来。。。”

“But by law you have not the right to refuse.”
“但是按照法律你没有权利拒绝。”

“Very well, I will come for nothing.”
“好吧，那我就免费来。”

“I won’t have you for nothing. All work ought to receive remuneration. —-
“我不希望免费。所有的工作都应该得到报酬。 —-

I work myself and I understand that. . . .”
我自己工作，我明白这个……”

“I won’t come for two roubles,” Marya Petrovna answers mildly. “I’ll come for nothing if you like.”
“我不会因为两卢布而来，”马丽娅·佩特罗夫娜温和地回答道。“如果你愿意，我可以免费来。”

“In that case I regret that I have troubled you for nothing. . . —-
“那样的话，我很抱歉白白打扰你…我有荣幸地祝您再见。” —-

. I have the honour to wish you good-bye.”
“好哇，你真是个男人！”马丽娅·佩特罗夫娜看着他走进了门。

“Well, you are a man!” says Marya Petrovna, seeing him into the entry. —-
“如果这样能满足你的要求，我可以以三卢布的价格来。” —-

“I will come for three roubles if that will satisfy you.”
Kiryakov皱着眉头，思考了整整两分钟，专注地看着地板，然后坚定地说：“不”，然后走出了街头。

Kiryakov frowns and ponders for two full minutes, looking with concentration on the floor, then he says resolutely, “No,” and goes out into the street. —-
—-

The astonished and disconcerted midwife fastens the door after him and goes back into her bedroom.
惊讶而困惑的接生员关上门后回到卧室。

“He’s good-looking, respectable, but how queer, God bless the man! —-
“他长得帅，也体面，但是多奇怪啊，上帝保佑这个人！ —-

. . .” she thinks as she gets into bed.
…”她一边上床一边想。

But in less than half an hour she hears another ring; she gets up and sees the same Kiryakov again.
但是不到半小时她又听到铃声；她起床看到又是那个Kiryakov。

“Extraordinary the way things are mismanaged. —-
“事情的处理方式真是离奇啊。 —-

Neither the chemist, nor the police, nor the house-porters can give me the address of a midwife, and so I am under the necessity of assenting to your terms. —-
无论是化学家、警察还是门卫都不能给我一个接生员的地址，所以我不得不同意你的要求。 —-

I will give you three roubles, but . . . —-
我会给你三卢布，但是. . . —-

I warn you beforehand that when I engage servants or receive any kind of services, I make an arrangement beforehand in order that when I pay there may be no talk of extras, tips, or anything of the sort. —-
我提前警告你，当我雇佣佣人或者接收任何服务时，我都会事先达成协议，以免在支付时谈论额外费用、小费或类似的东西。 —-

Everyone ought to receive what is his due.”
每个人都应该得到他应得的。

Marya Petrovna has not listened to Kiryakov for long, but already she feels that she is bored and repelled by him, that his even, measured speech lies like a weight on her soul. —-
Marya Petrovna 没有听够 Kiryakov的话，但她已经感到厌烦和被他所远离，他均匀、有节制的言语好像是压在她心灵上的一种负担。 —-

She dresses and goes out into the street with him. —-
她穿上衣服和他一起走出街道。 —-

The air is still but cold, and the sky is so overcast that the light of the street lamps is hardly visible. —-
空气静止而寒冷，天空阴云密布，街灯的光线几乎看不见。 —-

The sloshy snow squelches under their feet. —-
湿雪在他们的脚下咕嘟咕嘟地响。 —-

The midwife looks intently but does not see a cab.
接生员专注地看了看，却没有看到出租车。

“I suppose it is not far?” she asks.
“我想这不远吧？”她问道。

“No, not far,” Kiryakov answers grimly.
“不，不远”，Kiryakov阴沉地回答。

They walk down one turning, a second, a third. . . . —-
他们走过一个拐角，第二个，第三个…… —-

Kiryakov strides along, and even in his step his respectability and positiveness is apparent.
Kiryakov大步流星地走着，甚至在他的脚步中也能显现出他的体面和确定性。

“What awful weather!” the midwife observes to him.
“多么糟糕的天气！”助产士对他说。

But he preserves a dignified silence, and it is noticeable that he tries to step on the smooth stones to avoid spoiling his goloshes. —-
但他保持端庄的沉默，明显可以看出他尽量踩在光滑的石头上，以免弄脏他的胶鞋。 —-

At last after a long walk the midwife steps into the entry; —-
最终经过一段长途跋涉，助产士走进了入口。 —-

from which she can see a big decently furnished drawing-room. —-
从那里她可以看到一个装饰得体的大客厅。 —-

There is not a soul in the rooms, even in the bedroom where the woman is lying in labour. . . . —-
屋子里没有一个人，即使在产妇躺着的卧室里也没有……。 —-

The old women and relations who flock in crowds to every confinement are not to be seen. —-
每次出生都有一大群老妇女和亲戚涌过来，但此刻却看不到他们。 —-

The cook rushes about alone, with a scared and vacant face. —-
厨师独自忙碌着，脸上带着恐惧和茫然。 —-

There is a sound of loud groans.
有一阵刺耳的呻吟声。

Three hours pass. Marya Petrovna sits by the mother’s bedside and whispers to her. —-
三个小时过去了，Marya Petrovna坐在产妇的床边，轻声呢喃。 —-

The two women have already had time to make friends, they have got to know each other, they gossip, they sigh together. . . .
两个女人已经有时间交朋友，彼此了解，他们闲聊，一起叹息……

“You mustn’t talk,” says the midwife anxiously, and at the same time she showers questions on her.
“你不能说话，”助产士焦虑地说着，同时还不停地问她问题。

Then the door opens and Kiryakov himself comes quietly and stolidly into the room. —-
然后门开了，Kiryakov本人安静而冷静地走进房间。 —-

He sits down in the chair and strokes his whiskers. Silence reigns. —-
他坐在椅子上撸着胡子。沉默统治着。 —-

Marya Petrovna looks timidly at his handsome, passionless, wooden face and waits for him to begin to talk, but he remains absolutely silent and absorbed in thought. —-
玛丽亚·彼得罗芙娜羞怯地看着他那英俊，无情和木讷的脸，等待着他开始说话，但他一言不发，全神贯注地陷入沉思中。 —-

After waiting in vain, the midwife makes up her mind to begin herself, and utters a phrase commonly used at confinements.
在徒劳地等待之后，接生婆决定自己开始说话，并说出了一个在坐月子期间常用的短语。

“Well now, thank God, there is one human being more in the world!”
“噢，感谢上帝，世界上又多了一个人！”

“Yes, that’s agreeable,” said Kiryakov, preserving the wooden expression of his face, “though indeed, on the other hand, to have more children you must have more money. —-
“是的，这很令人愉快，”基里亚科夫说道，保持着木讷的表情，“尽管事实上，另一方面，如果要生更多的孩子，你就必须有更多的钱。 —-

The baby is not born fed and clothed.”
宝宝出生并不代表它已经被喂食和穿着衣服。”

A guilty expression comes into the mother’s face, as though she had brought a creature into the world without permission or through idle caprice. —-
母亲的脸上出现了一种有罪的表情，就像她未经允许或无奈的一时兴起生了一个生命。 —-

Kiryakov gets up with a sigh and walks with solid dignity out of the room.
基里亚科夫叹了口气，庄严地站起来走出房间。

“What a man, bless him!” says the midwife to the mother. —-
“多么伟大的男人！”接生婆对母亲说。 —-

“He’s so stern and does not smile.”
“他那么严肃，从不笑。”

The mother tells her that he is always like that. . . . —-
母亲告诉她，他总是那样…… —-

He is honest, fair, prudent, sensibly economical, but all that to such an exceptional degree that simple mortals feel suffocated by it. —-
他诚实、公正、谨慎、明智地节俭，但是他的这些特点都达到了超常的程度，以至于普通人会被压得喘不过气来。 —-

His relations have parted from him, the servants will not stay more than a month; —-
他的亲戚们都离他而去了，仆人们也不敢在他家呆超过一个月； —-

they have no friends; his wife and children are always on tenterhooks from terror over every step they take. —-
他们没有朋友；他的妻子和孩子们总是因为害怕而提心吊胆。 —-

He does not shout at them nor beat them, his virtues are far more numerous than his defects, but when he goes out of the house they all feel better, and more at ease. —-
他不对他们大声喊叫，也不打他们，他的优点远远多于缺点，但当他离开家的时候，他们都感觉好些了，更加安心。 —-

Why it is so the woman herself cannot say.
女人自己无法说出原因。

“The basins must be properly washed and put away in the store cupboard,” says Kiryakov, coming into the bedroom. —-
“洗漱盆必须洗干净放好在储藏室里，” Kiryakov 进来卧室说道。 —-

“These bottles must be put away too: they may come in handy.”
“这些瓶子也必须收好：它们可能有用处。”

What he says is very simple and ordinary, but the midwife for some reason feels flustered. —-
他说的很简单普通，但助产士不知为何感到慌乱。 —-

She begins to be afraid of the man and shudders every time she hears his footsteps. —-
她开始害怕这个男人，每次听到他的脚步声都会发抖。 —-

In the morning as she is preparing to depart she sees Kiryakov’s little son, a pale, close-cropped schoolboy, in the dining-room drinking his tea. —-
早晨她准备离开时，她看到 Kiryakov 的小儿子，在餐厅里喝茶，一个苍白的、头发剪得很短的小学生。 —-

. . . Kiryakov is standing opposite him, saying in his flat, even voice:
. . . Kiryakov 站在他面前，用他那平淡的声音说道：

“You know how to eat, you must know how to work too. —-
“你怎么会吃东西，就一定得会劳动。 —-

You have just swallowed a mouthful but have not probably reflected that that mouthful costs money and money is obtained by work. —-
你刚才吞下一口，可能还没意识到那一口花了钱，而钱是通过劳动得来的。 —-

You must eat and reflect. . . .”
你必须吃饭还要思考. . . .”

The midwife looks at the boy’s dull face, and it seems to her as though the very air is heavy, that a little more and the very walls will fall, unable to endure the crushing presence of the peculiar man. —-
助产士望着这个木讷的男孩脸色，感觉空气都变得沉重起来，似乎再稍微加重，墙壁就无法忍受这个奇怪的男人的压迫而倒塌。 —-

Beside herself with terror, and by now feeling a violent hatred for the man, Marya Petrovna gathers up her bundles and hurriedly departs.
充满恐惧和对这个男人的强烈憎恶，Marya Petrovna匆忙收拾好包裹，匆匆离去。

Half-way home she remembers that she has forgotten to ask for her three roubles, but after stopping and thinking for a minute, with a wave of her hand, she goes on.
到了半路才想起忘记要求她的三卢布，但她停了下来思考了一分钟后，挥了挥手，继续走了。