SERGE KAPITONICH AHINEEV, the writing master, was marrying his daughter to the teacher of history and geography. —-
书法大师塞尔吉·卡皮托尼奇·阿希涅夫正在将他的女儿嫁给历史和地理老师。 —-

The wedding festivities were going off most successfully. —-
婚礼庆祝活动进行得非常成功。 —-

In the drawing room there was singing, playing, and dancing. —-
在客厅里有歌唱，演奏和跳舞。 —-

Waiters hired from the club were flitting distractedly about the rooms, dressed in black swallow-tails and dirty white ties. —-
从俱乐部雇来的侍者在房间里忙碌着，穿着黑色燕尾服和脏兮兮的白色领带。 —-

There was a continual hubbub and din of conversation. —-
人们不停地交谈，喧闹不断。 —-

Sitting side by side on the sofa, the teacher of mathematics, Tarantulov, the French teacher, Pasdequoi, and the junior assessor of taxes, Mzda, were talking hurriedly and interrupting one another as they described to the guests cases of persons being buried alive, and gave their opinions on spiritualism. —-
数学老师塔兰图洛夫、法语老师帕斯德昆和税务初级考官姆兹达并排坐在沙发上，匆忙地谈论着，互相打断，描述给客人们有关人们被活埋的案例，并对心灵主义发表了他们的观点。 —-

None of them believed in spiritualism, but all admitted that there were many things in this world which would always be beyond the mind of man. —-
他们都不相信心灵主义，但都承认这个世界上有许多事情永远超出人类的理解能力。 —-

In the next room the literature master, Dodonsky, was explaining to the visitors the cases in which a sentry has the right to fire on passers-by. —-
在隔壁的房间里，文学教师多多恩斯基正在向来访者们解释哨兵在哪些情况下有权开枪射击过路人的案例。 —-

The subjects, as you perceive, were alarming, but very agreeable. —-
正如你所见，这些话题很令人担忧，但非常愉快。 —-

Persons whose social position precluded them from entering were looking in at the windows from the yard.
那些社会地位使他们无法进入的人从院子里的窗户往里看。

Just at midnight the master of the house went into the kitchen to see whether everything was ready for supper. —-
就在午夜时分，主人走进厨房查看晚餐是否准备好了。 —-

The kitchen from floor to ceiling was filled with fumes composed of goose, duck, and many other odours. —-
从地板到天花板，厨房里弥漫着鹅、鸭等许多气味。 —-

On two tables the accessories, the drinks and light refreshments, were set out in artistic disorder. The cook, Marfa, a red- faced woman whose figure was like a barrel with a belt around it, was bustling about the tables.
两张桌子上摆满了各种附件、饮料和小吃，整齐有序地摆放着。厨师玛尔法是个满脸红晕，胖得像一个有腰带的木桶的女人，她在桌子周围忙碌着。

“Show me the sturgeon, Marfa,” said Ahineev, rubbing his hands and licking his lips. —-
“给我看看鲟鱼，玛尔法，”阿希涅夫说着，搓着手，舔着嘴唇。 —-

“What a perfume! I could eat up the whole kitchen. —-
“多好的香味啊！我都能吃光整个厨房了。” —-

Come, show me the sturgeon.”
快过来，给我看看那条鲟鱼。

Marfa went up to one of the benches and cautiously lifted a piece of greasy newspaper. —-
玛法走到长凳前，小心翼翼地掀开一张油腻的报纸。 —-

Under the paper on an immense dish there reposed a huge sturgeon, masked in jelly and decorated with capers, olives, and carrots. —-
在报纸下面，一个巨大的盘子上摆放着一条巨大的鲟鱼，覆盖着果冻，并用酸豆、橄榄和胡萝卜点缀着。 —-

Ahineev gazed at the sturgeon and gasped. His face beamed, he turned his eyes up. —-
阿欣涅耶夫凝视着鲟鱼，惊呼一声。他的脸上绽放出笑容，目光转向上方。 —-

He bent down and with his lips emitted the sound of an ungreased wheel. —-
他弯下腰，用嘴发出了一个未上油的车轮的声音。 —-

After standing a moment he snapped his fingers with delight and once more smacked his lips.
稍作停顿后，他高兴地弹了下手指，再次咂咂嘴。

“Ah-ah! the sound of a passionate kiss. . . . Who is it you’re kissing out there, little Marfa? —-
“啊啊！热吻的声音……。是谁在外面亲吻，小玛法？” —-

” came a voice from the next room, and in the doorway there appeared the cropped head of the assistant usher, Vankin. —-
从隔壁传来一个声音，剃着头的助理招待员范金的头从门口露出来。 —-

“Who is it? A-a-h! . . . Delighted to meet you! Sergei Kapitonich! —-
“是谁？啊哈！很高兴见到你！谢尔盖·卡皮托尼奇！ —-

You’re a fine grandfather, I must say! —-
你真是个好爷爷，我得说！ —-

Tête-à -tête with the fair sex—tette!”
与异性面对面对峙——对峙！”

“I’m not kissing,” said Ahineev in confusion. “Who told you so, you fool? I was only . . . —-
“我没有亲吻，” 阿欣涅耶夫困惑地说道。“谁告诉你的，你这个傻瓜？我只是……” —-

I smacked my lips . . . in reference to . . . as an indication of . . —-
“我咂咂嘴……指的是……作为……表达……愉悦的……迹象……对鱼的视觉反应。” —-

. pleasure . . . at the sight of the fish.”
“对海军队说吧！” 这个多管闲事的脸消失了，嘴角带着灿烂的笑容。

“Tell that to the marines!” The intrusive face vanished, wearing a broad grin.

Ahineev flushed.
“该死！”他想，“这畜生现在会传开去说闲话了。

“Hang it!” he thought, “the beast will go now and talk scandal. —-
他会给我丢尽脸色的，在整个城里败坏我的声誉。 —-

He’ll disgrace me to all the town, the brute.”
他会让我自取其辱的，这个畜牲。”

Ahineev went timidly into the drawing-room and looked stealthily round for Vankin. —-
阿希涅耶夫小心翼翼地走进客厅，偷偷地四处寻找范金。 —-

Vankin was standing by the piano, and, bending down with a jaunty air, was whispering something to the inspector’s sister-in-law, who was laughing.
范金正站在钢琴旁，傲慢地低着头，对着检察官的嫂子窃窃私语，嫂子在笑。

“Talking about me!” thought Ahineev. “About me, blast him! And she believes it . . . —-
“在议论我！” 阿希涅耶夫想道。”在议论我，该死的！而她相信…相信了！她笑了！天哪！不, 我不能这样让事情过去…我不能。 —-

believes it! She laughs! Mercy on us! No, I can’t let it pass . . . I can’t. —-
我要做点什么来防止他被相信…我要说服他们所有人，让他暴露出愚蠢和多话的真面目。” —-

I must do something to prevent his being believed. . . . —-
阿希涅耶夫挠了挠头，仍然感到尴尬，走向帕斯德奎。 —-

I’ll speak to them all, and he’ll be shown up for a fool and a gossip.”
“我刚才去厨房看了一下晚餐的情况，”他对法国人说。

Ahineev scratched his head, and still overcome with embarrassment, went up to Pasdequoi.
“我知道你喜欢吃鱼，我有一条鲟鱼，亲爱的，超出一切！

“I’ve just been in the kitchen to see after the supper,” he said to the Frenchman. —-
一码五长！哈哈哈！对了……我刚才差点忘记……在厨房，刚才那条鲟鱼……一个小故事！ —-

“I know you are fond of fish, and I’ve a sturgeon, my dear fellow, beyond everything! —-
我刚才去了厨房，想看看晚餐的盘子。 —-

A yard and a half long! Ha, ha, ha! And, by the way . . . I was just forgetting. . . . —-
“我知道你喜欢吃鱼，我有一条鲟鱼，亲爱的，超出一切！” —-

In the kitchen just now, with that sturgeon . . . quite a little story! —-
“我刚才去了厨房，想看看晚餐的盘子。 —-

I went into the kitchen just now and wanted to look at the supper dishes. —-
我去了厨房，想看看晚餐的盘子。 —-

I looked at the sturgeon and I smacked my lips with relish . . . at the piquancy of it. —-
我看着鲟鱼，蠢蠢欲动地舔了舔嘴唇，对它的辛辣口感感到满意… —-

And at the very moment that fool Vankin came in and said: . . . ‘Ha, ha, ha! . . . —-
正在那个傻瓜范金进来的时候，他就说道：“哈哈哈！……“ —-

So you’re kissing here!’ Kissing Marfa, the cook! What a thing to imagine, silly fool! —-
“所以你在这里亲吻！” 范金亲吻马尔法，厨师！真是难以想象，蠢瓜！ —-

The woman is a perfect fright, like all the beasts put together, and he talks about kissing! Queer fish!”
这个女人长相完全吓人，好像把所有的野兽都堆在一起，而他说亲吻！真是古怪的家伙！”

“Who’s a queer fish?” asked Tarantulov, coming up.
“谁是古怪的家伙？”塔兰图洛夫问道，走了过来。

“Why he, over there—Vankin! I went into the kitchen . . .”
“他那边的！范金！我进了厨房……”

And he told the story of Vankin. “. . . He amused me, queer fish! —-
他讲述了范金的事情。“……他逗我开心，真是个古怪的家伙！ —-

I’d rather kiss a dog than Marfa, if you ask me,” added Ahineev. —-
“如果你问我，我宁愿亲吻狗也不亲吻玛尔法，”阿希涅耶夫补充道。 —-

He looked round and saw behind him Mzda.
他环顾四周，看到自己身后是姆兹达。

“We were talking of Vankin,” he said. “Queer fish, he is! —-
“我们在谈论万金，”他说。“他是个古怪的家伙！” —-

He went into the kitchen, saw me beside Marfa, and began inventing all sorts of silly stories. —-
他走进厨房，看到我和玛尔法在一起，就开始编造各种愚蠢的故事。 —-

‘Why are you kissing?’ he says. He must have had a drop too much. —-
“你们为什么在亲吻？”他说。他肯定喝多了。 —-

‘And I’d rather kiss a turkeycock than Marfa,’ I said, ‘And I’ve a wife of my own, you fool,’ said I. He did amuse me!”
“我宁愿亲吻火鸡，也不亲吻玛尔法，”我说，“而且我有自己的妻子，你这个傻瓜！”我很开心！”

“Who amused you?” asked the priest who taught Scripture in the school, going up to Ahineev.
“谁让你开心了？”教校里教经典的牧师走到阿希涅耶夫面前问道。

“Vankin. I was standing in the kitchen, you know, looking at the sturgeon. . . .”
“万金。你知道，我站在厨房里看着鲟鱼……”

And so on. Within half an hour or so all the guests knew the incident of the sturgeon and Vankin.
诸如此类。大约半小时之后，所有的客人都知道了关于鲟鱼和万金的事情。

“Let him tell away now!” thought Ahineev, rubbing his hands. “Let him! —-
“让他继续说吧！”阿希涅耶夫心想，搓着双手。“让他说吧！ —-

He’ll begin telling his story and they’ll say to him at once, ‘Enough of your improbable nonsense, you fool, we know all about it!’”
他会开始讲他的故事，他们会立刻对他说：‘够了，你个傻瓜，别再编造不可能的胡说八道了，我们早就知道了！’”

And Ahineev was so relieved that in his joy he drank four glasses too many. —-
阿希涅耶夫如此宽慰，以至于他喝了四杯过多的酒。 —-

After escorting the young people to their room, he went to bed and slept like an innocent babe, and next day he thought no more of the incident with the sturgeon. —-
陪完新人走进他们的房间后，他回到床上像无辜的婴儿一样入睡了，第二天他再也没有想起和鲟鱼的事件。 —-

But, alas! man proposes, but God disposes. —-
但是，不幸的是，人谋算，天定之。 —-

An evil tongue did its evil work, and Ahineev’s strategy was of no avail. —-
邪恶的舌头发挥了其恶劣的作用，阿希涅耶夫的战略毫无效果。 —-

Just a week later—to be precise, on Wednesday after the third lesson—when Ahineev was standing in the middle of the teacher’s room, holding forth on the vicious propensities of a boy called Visekin, the head master went up to him and drew him aside:
只过了一周，在第三课之后的星期三，当阿希涅耶夫站在教师室中央，大谈一个叫维塞金的男孩的恶劣倾向时，校长走到他跟前，把他拉到一边。

“Look here, Sergei Kapitonich,” said the head master, “you must excuse me. . . . —-
“听着，谢尔盖·卡皮托尼奇，”校长说，“你必须原谅我……” —-

It’s not my business; but all the same I must make you realize. . . . It’s my duty. —-
这不是我的事，但不管怎样我还是要让你意识到……这是我的职责。 —-

You see, there are rumors that you are romancing with that . . . cook. . . . —-
你知道，有传闻说你正在与那个……厨师私通…… —-

It’s nothing to do with me, but . . . flirt with her, kiss her . . . —-
这与我无关，但是……与她调情，亲吻她…… —-

as you please, but don’t let it be so public, please. I entreat you! —-
随你愿意，但请不要这样公然，拜托了。我求求你！ —-

Don’t forget that you’re a schoolmaster.”
别忘了你是个教师。”

Ahineev turned cold and faint. He went home like a man stung by a whole swarm of bees, like a man scalded with boiling water. —-
阿希涅耶夫感到寒冷而晕眩。他像被一群蜜蜂蛰了一样走回了家，像被滚烫的水烫伤了一样。 —-

As he walked home, it seemed to him that the whole town was looking at him as though he were smeared with pitch. —-
他回家的路上，似乎整个城镇都在盯着他看，好像他浑身涂了沥青一样。 —-

At home fresh trouble awaited him.
回到家里，他又迎来了新的麻烦。

“Why aren’t you gobbling up your food as usual?” his wife asked him at dinner. —-
“为什么你不像往常一样狼吞虎咽地吃饭？”他妻子在晚餐时问他。 —-

“What are you so pensive about? Brooding over your amours? Pining for your Marfa? —-
“你为什么这么沉思呢？为你的恋爱苦闷？为你的玛尔法悲伤？ —-

I know all about it, Mohammedan! Kind friends have opened my eyes! —-
我都知道了，穆斯林！亲爱的朋友为我揭开了眼睛！ —-

O-o-o! . . . you savage!”
哦哦哦……你这个野蛮人！”

And she slapped him in the face. He got up from the table, not feeling the earth under his feet, and without his hat or coat, made his way to Vankin. —-
她甩了他一个耳光。他站起身离开了餐桌，感觉不到脚底下的大地，没有带帽子和外套，直接去找了万金。 —-

He found him at home.
他在家里找到了他。

“You scoundrel!” he addressed him. “Why have you covered me with mud before all the town? —-
“你这个无赖！”他对他说。“为什么你要在全城人面前把我弄脏？” —-

Why did you set this slander going about me?”
“你为什么要散布关于我的诽谤言论？”

“What slander? What are you talking about?”
“什么诽谤？你在说什么？”

“Who was it gossiped of my kissing Marfa? Wasn’t it you? —-
“是谁传播我和玛法接吻的流言蜚语？难道不是你吗？” —-

Tell me that. Wasn’t it you, you brigand?”
告诉我。不是你，你这个土匪吗？

Vankin blinked and twitched in every fibre of his battered countenance, raised his eyes to the icon and articulated, “God blast me! —-
万金眯缝着眼睛，他那受了伤的脸颊上的每个肌肉都在抽搐，他抬起眼睛看向圣像，并说道：“天打我！把我眼瞎，把我床毁，如果我对你说了一句话！” —-

Strike me blind and lay me out, if I said a single word about you! —-
让我失去住所和家园，让我遭受比霍乱还要糟糕的灾祸吧！ —-

May I be left without house and home, may I be stricken with worse than cholera!”
万金的真诚无可置疑。

Vankin’s sincerity did not admit of doubt. —-
显然不是他制造了这个流言蜚语。 —-

It was evidently not he who was the author of the slander.
“但是，那么是谁？谁呢？”阿希涅耶夫在脑海中回想起所有的熟人，拍打着自己的胸膛。“谁呢？”

“But who, then, who?” Ahineev wondered, going over all his acquaintances in his mind and beating himself on the breast. “Who, then?”
那么，到底是谁呢？我们也问读者。

Who, then? We, too, ask the reader.
谁呢？我们也问读者。