A PIANO-TUNER called Murkin, a close-shaven man with a yellow face, with a nose stained with snuff, and cotton-wool in his ears, came out of his hotel-room into the passage, and in a cracked voice cried: —-
一名叫Murkin的钢琴调音师，一个留着黄须的男人，鼻子沾满了鼻烟，耳朵里塞着棉花，走出旅馆的房间，走进过道，并用破裂的声音喊道： —-

“Semyon! Waiter!”
“塞缪勒！服务员！”

And looking at his frightened face one might have supposed that the ceiling had fallen in on him or that he had just seen a ghost in his room.
看着他吓得发愣的脸，人们可能会以为天花板掉在他头上了，或者他刚在房间里看到了鬼。

“Upon my word, Semyon!” he cried, seeing the attendant running towards him. —-
“真是的，塞缪勒！”他看到服务员向他跑来时说道。 —-

“What is the meaning of it? I am a rheumatic, delicate man and you make me go barefoot! —-
“这是什么意思？我是个风湿病患者，身体虚弱，你却让我赤脚走啊！ —-

Why is it you don’t give me my boots all this time? Where are they?”
你为什么一直不给我鞋子？它们在哪里？”

Semyon went into Murkin’s room, looked at the place where he was in the habit of putting the boots he had cleaned, and scratched his head: —-
Semyon走进Murkin的房间，看着他习惯放已擦过的鞋子的地方，挠了挠头： —-

the boots were not there.
鞋子不在那里。

“Where can they be, the damned things?” Semyon brought out. —-
“这些该死的东西在哪里呢？”Semyon说道。 —-

“I fancy I cleaned them in the evening and put them here. . . . H’m! . . . —-
“我记得我在晚上擦过它们，放在这里……嗯…… —-

Yesterday, I must own, I had a drop. . . . I must have put them in another room, I suppose. —-
昨天，我得承认，我喝了点酒……我想我可能把它们放在另一个房间里…… —-

That must be it, Afanasy Yegoritch, they are in another room! —-
一定是这样，Afanasy Yegoritch，它们在另一个房间里！ —-

There are lots of boots, and how the devil is one to know them apart when one is drunk and does not know what one is doing? —-
那里有很多鞋子，当一个人喝醉了，不知道自己在做什么的时候，鬼才知道如何区分它们呢？ —-

. . . I must have taken them in to the lady that’s next door . —-
……我想我可能把它们拿去了旁边那个房间的女士那里…… —-

. . the actress. . . .”
那个女演员的……”

“And now, if you please, I am to go in to a lady and disturb her all through you! —-
“如果您愿意的话，我要进去打扰一位女士，都是因为您！ —-

Here, if you please, through this foolishness I am to wake up a respectable woman.”
“请您看，就因为这件傻事，我要把一位体面的女士吵醒。”

Sighing and coughing, Murkin went to the door of the next room and cautiously tapped.
默金叹了口气，咳嗽了一下，慎重地敲了敲隔壁房间的门。

“Who’s there?” he heard a woman’s voice a minute later.
“是谁？”一分钟后，他听到一个女人的声音。

“It’s I!” Murkin began in a plaintive voice, standing in the attitude of a cavalier addressing a lady of the highest society. —-
“我是！”默金开始用一种哀怨的声音，摆出骑士向最高社会阶层的女士倾诉的姿态。 —-

“Pardon my disturbing you, madam, but I am a man in delicate health, rheumatic . . . . —-
“请您原谅我打扰您，夫人，但我身体不好，风湿…… —-

The doctors, madam, have ordered me to keep my feet warm, especially as I have to go at once to tune the piano at Madame la Générale Shevelitsyn’s. —-
医生们嘱咐我要保持脚暖，尤其是因为我得马不停蹄地去Madame la Générale Shevelitsyn那里调音钢琴。 —-

I can’t go to her barefoot.”
我不能赤脚去。”

“But what do you want? What piano?”
“但你要做什么呢？什么钢琴？”

“Not a piano, madam; it is in reference to boots! —-
“不是钢琴，夫人；这是关于鞋子的事！ —-

Semyon, stupid fellow, cleaned my boots and put them by mistake in your room. —-
Semyon，这个蠢货，把我的鞋子搞错了，把它们放错房间了。 —-

Be so extremely kind, madam, as to give me my boots!”
夫人，请您极其友好地把我的鞋子还给我！”

There was a sound of rustling, of jumping off the bed and the flapping of slippers, after which the door opened slightly and a plump feminine hand flung at Murkin’s feet a pair of boots. —-
听到一阵沙沙声，床上有人跳下来，拖鞋拍打着地面，然后门轻轻地打开了一点，一只丰满的女性手向默金的脚扔了一双鞋子。 —-

The piano-tuner thanked her and went into his own room.
这位钢琴调音师谢过她，进了自己的房间。

“Odd . . .” he muttered, putting on the boots, “it seems as though this is not the right boot. Why, here are two left boots! —-
“奇怪……”他边穿上鞋子边喃喃道，“好像这不是一只右脚鞋。咦，这两只都是左脚鞋！” —-

Both are for the left foot! I say, Semyon, these are not my boots! —-
两双都是左脚的！塞缪恩，我说，这不是我的靴子！ —-

My boots have red tags and no patches on them, and these are in holes and have no tags.”
我的靴子上有红标，没有补丁，而这双漏洞多又没有标志。

Semyon picked up the boots, turned them over several times before his eyes, and frowned.
塞缪恩拿起靴子，在他眼前翻来覆去地看着，皱起了眉头。

“Those are Pavel Alexandritch’s boots,” he grumbled, squinting at them. —-
“这是帕维尔·亚历山德里奇的靴子，”他嘟囔着，眯着眼睛看着它们。 —-

He squinted with the left eye.
他用左眼眯缝了眼睛。

“What Pavel Alexandritch?”
“是哪个帕维尔·亚历山德里奇？”

“The actor; he comes here every Tuesday. . . . He must have put on yours instead of his own. . . —-
“那个演员；他每周二都来这里……他一定是穿上你的靴子取代了他自己的……” —-

. So I must have put both pairs in her room, his and yours. Here’s a go!”
“所以我可能把这两双鞋都放在她的房间里了，他的和你的。真是够了！”

“Then go and change them!”
“那你去换回来！”

“That’s all right!” sniggered Semyon, “go and change them. . . . —-
“没问题！” 塞缪恩嘲笑道， “去换回来吧……” —-

Where am I to find him now? He went off an hour ago. . . . —-
“现在去哪里找他？他一个小时前就走了……” —-

Go and look for the wind in the fields!”
“去田野里找风吧！”

“Where does he live then?”
“那他住在哪里？”

“Who can tell? He comes here every Tuesday, and where he lives I don’t know. —-
“谁能说得准？他每周二都来这里，他住在哪我就不知道。 —-

He comes and stays the night, and then you may wait till next Tuesday. . . .”
他来和过夜，下一次你只能等到下周二……”

“There, do you see, you brute, what you have done? Why, what am I to do now? —-
“看吧，你这畜生，你干了什么？嗯，现在我该怎么办？ —-

It is time I was at Madame la Générale Shevelitsyn’s, you anathema! —-
我该去夏维利辛夫人那里了，你这个禽兽！ —-

My feet are frozen!”
我的脚冻僵了！”

“You can change the boots before long. —-
“你很快可以换上这雪靴。 —-

Put on these boots, go about in them till the evening, and in the evening go to the theatre. . . . —-
穿上这些靴子，一直穿到晚上，然后去剧院…… —-

Ask there for Blistanov, the actor. . . . —-
在那里找布里斯塔诺夫，那个演员…… —-

If you don’t care to go to the theatre, you will have to wait till next Tuesday; —-
如果你不想去剧院，你就得等到下周二； —-

he only comes here on Tuesdays. . . .”
他只在周二来这里……”

“But why are there two boots for the left foot? —-
“可是为什么有两只左脚的靴子？ —-

” asked the piano-tuner, picking up the boots with an air of disgust.
”钢琴调音师一边厌恶地拿起靴子一边问道。

“What God has sent him, that he wears. Through poverty . . . where is an actor to get boots? —-
“那是上帝给他的，他只能穿它们。因为贫穷……一个演员从哪里弄靴子？ —-

I said to him ‘What boots, Pavel Alexandritch! They are a positive disgrace!’ and he said: —-
我对他说‘什么靴子，帕维尔·亚历山德里奇！简直丢人！’他说： —-

‘Hold your peace,’ says he, ‘and turn pale! —-
‘闭嘴，’他说，‘脸都白了！ —-

In those very boots,’ says he, ‘I have played counts and princes.’ A queer lot! —-
在那些靴子里，’他说，‘我扮演过伯爵和王子。’真古怪的一伙！ —-

Artists, that’s the only word for them! —-
艺术家，这就是他们的称呼！ —-

If I were the governor or anyone in command, I would get all these actors together and clap them all in prison.”
如果我是州长或者任何拥有权力的人，我会把所有这些演员聚集起来，把他们都关进监狱。

Continually sighing and groaning and knitting his brows, Murkin drew the two left boots on to his feet, and set off, limping, to Madame la Générale Shevelitsyn’s. —-
穆尔金不停地叹息、呻吟，皱着眉头，穿上左脚的两只靴子，一瘸一拐地去了雪维里茨夫人家。 —-

He went about the town all day long tuning pianos, and all day long it seemed to him that everyone was looking at his feet and seeing his patched boots with heels worn down at the sides! —-
他整天在城里来回调音琴，整天感觉到每个人都在看着他的脚，看着他那双打补丁、两侧磨平的靴子！ —-

Apart from his moral agonies he had to suffer physically also; —-
除了道义的痛苦，他还身体上遭受折磨； —-

the boots gave him a corn.
那双靴子让他起了一个鸡眼。

In the evening he was at the theatre. There was a performance of Bluebeard. —-
晚上他去了剧院，演出的是《蓝胡子》。 —-

It was only just before the last act, and then only thanks to the good offices of a man he knew who played a flute in the orchestra, that he gained admittance behind the scenes. —-
刚在最后一个场景之前，幸亏他认识一个在乐团中吹长笛的人，他才得以进入舞台后台。 —-

Going to the men’s dressing-room, he found there all the male performers. —-
他走进了男演员更衣室，里面都是男演员。 —-

Some were changing their clothes, others were painting their faces, others were smoking. —-
有人在换衣服，有人在化妆，有人在抽烟。 —-

Bluebeard was standing with King Bobesh, showing him a revolver.
蓝胡子正和博贝什国王站在一起，给他展示一把左轮手枪。

“You had better buy it,” said Bluebeard. —-
“你最好买下它，”蓝胡子说。 —-

“I bought it at Kursk, a bargain, for eight roubles, but, there! —-
“我在库尔斯克买的，便宜啊，只要八卢布……嘿！ —-

I will let you have it for six. . . . A wonderfully good one!”
我可以以六卢布的价格卖给你……真好的手枪！”

“Steady. . . . It’s loaded, you know!”
“小心别动……它是上膛的！”

“Can I see Mr. Blistanov?” the piano-tuner asked as he went in.
“我可以见到布利斯坦诺夫先生吗？”调音师进门时问道。

“I am he!” said Bluebeard, turning to him. “What do you want?”
“我就是他！”蓝胡子对他说道。“你想要什么？”

“Excuse my troubling you, sir,” began the piano-tuner in an imploring voice, “but, believe me, I am a man in delicate health, rheumatic. —-
“打扰很抱歉，先生，”钢琴调音师用一种恳求的声音说道，“请相信我，我是一个身体不好的人，害风湿病。” —-

The doctors have ordered me to keep my feet warm . . .”
医生叮嘱我要保持双脚保持温暖……”

“But, speaking plainly, what do you want?”
“但是，直白地说，你想要什么？”

“You see,” said the piano-tuner, addressing Bluebeard. “Er . . . —-
“你看，”钢琴调音师对蓝胡子说道。“嗯…… —-

you stayed last night at Buhteyev’s furnished apartments . —-
你昨晚住在布特耶夫的公寓里。 —-

. . No. 64 . . .”
…64号……”

“What’s this nonsense?” said King Bobesh with a grin. “My wife is at No. 64.”
“这是什么胡闹？”Bobesh国王笑着说道。“我妻子在64号。”

“Your wife, sir? Delighted. . . .” Murkin smiled. —-
“您的妻子，先生？非常高兴……”Murkin微笑着说道。 —-

“It was she, your good lady, who gave me this gentleman’s boots. . . . —-
“就是您的夫人给了我这位先生的靴子……” —-

After this gentleman—” the piano-tuner indicated Blistanov—“had gone away I missed my boots. . —-
这位先生走后，我就找不到我的靴子了……” —-

. . I called the waiter, you know, and he said: ‘I left your boots in the next room! —-
…我叫了侍者，他说：“我把您的靴子放到了隔壁房间！” —-

’ By mistake, being in a state of intoxication, he left my boots as well as yours at 64,” said Murkin, turning to Blistanov, “and when you left this gentleman’s lady you put on mine.”
由于他喝醉了，弄错了，他把我和您的靴子都留在了64号房间，”Murkin对Blistanov说道，“您和这位先生的夫人分开后，您穿上了我的靴子。”

“What are you talking about?” said Blistanov, and he scowled. —-
“你在说什么？”Blistanov说道，他皱起了眉头。 —-

“Have you come here to libel me?”
“你专程来这里诽谤我吗？”

“Not at all, sir—God forbid! You misunderstand me. What am I talking about? —-
“不，先生，天啊！您误会了。我在说什么？ —-

About boots! You did stay the night at No. 64, didn’t you?”
是关于靴子的！您确实在64号过夜了，对吗？”

“When?”
“什么时候？”

“Last night!”
“昨晚！”

“Why, did you see me there?”
“你看见我在那儿吗？”

“No, sir, I didn’t see you,” said Murkin in great confusion, sitting down and taking off the boots. —-
“不，先生，我没有看见您，”Murkin非常困惑地说道，坐下来脱下了靴子。 —-

“I did not see you, but this gentleman’s lady threw out your boots here to me . —-
“我没有看见您，但是这位先生的夫人把您的靴子扔给了我。” —-

. . instead of mine.”
“而不是我的。”

“What right have you, sir, to make such assertions? —-
“先生，你有什么权利这样断言呢？” —-

I say nothing about myself, but you are slandering a woman, and in the presence of her husband, too!”
“我对自己无话可说，但你在我丈夫面前诋毁一个女人！”

A fearful hubbub arose behind the scenes. —-
幕后发生了可怕的喧闹声。 —-

King Bobesh, the injured husband, suddenly turned crimson and brought his fist down upon the table with such violence that two actresses in the next dressing-room felt faint.
受伤的丈夫，Bobesh国王，突然变得通红，他的拳头重重地砸在桌子上，以至于隔壁的两名女演员都晕倒了。

“And you believe it?” cried Bluebeard. “You believe this worthless rascal? O-oh! —-
“而你相信吗？”布鲁贝尔喊道，“你相信这个无价值的流氓吗？哦-哦！ —-

Would you like me to kill him like a dog? Would you like it? —-
你想我像狗一样杀了他吗？你喜欢吗？ —-

I will turn him into a beefsteak! I’ll blow his brains out!”
我会把他变成牛排！我会吹掉他的大脑！”

And all the persons who were promenading that evening in the town park by the Summer theatre describe to this day how just before the fourth act they saw a man with bare feet, a yellow face, and terror-stricken eyes dart out of the theatre and dash along the principal avenue. —-
当天晚上在市公园的夏季剧院附近散步的所有人直到今天还在描述这样一个场景：在第四幕开始前，他们看到一个只穿着凉鞋，脸色苍黄，惊恐的眼睛的男人从剧院里冲了出来，沿着主要大街狂奔。 —-

He was pursued by a man in the costume of Bluebeard, armed with a revolver. —-
他被一名穿着蓝胡子装束、手持左轮手枪的人追赶着。 —-

What happened later no one saw. All that is known is that Murkin was confined to his bed for a fortnight after his acquaintance with Blistanov, and that to the words “I am a man in delicate health, rheumatic” he took to adding, “I am a wounded man. . . .”
后来发生了什么没人看到。众所周知，Murkin遇到Blistanov后，躺在床上休息了两个星期，对于“我是一个身体不好的人，风湿病”的话，他开始加上“我是一个受伤的人…”

JOY IT was twelve o’clock at night.
喜悦! 时钟已经敲了十二下。

Mitya Kuldarov, with excited face and ruffled hair, flew into his parents’ flat, and hurriedly ran through all the rooms. —-
米茨亚·库尔达罗夫一脸兴奋，头发凌乱地冲进父母的公寓，急忙穿过所有房间。 —-

His parents had already gone to bed. His sister was in bed, finishing the last page of a novel. —-
他的父母已经上床睡觉了。他的妹妹躺在床上，看完了小说的最后一页。 —-

His schoolboy brothers were asleep.
他的学龄弟弟们都已经睡着了。

“Where have you come from?” cried his parents in amazement. “What is the matter with you?
“你从哪里来的？”他的父母惊讶地喊道。“你怎么了？

“Oh, don’t ask! I never expected it; no, I never expected it! —-
“哦，别问了！我从没想到过；不，我从没想到过！ —-

It’s . . . it’s positively incredible!”
这太……太不可思议了！”

Mitya laughed and sank into an armchair, so overcome by happiness that he could not stand on his legs.
米夫妇笑了起来，又坐到了扶手椅上，因为幸福而站不稳脚。

“It’s incredible! You can’t imagine! Look!”
“太不可思议了！你无法想象！看！

His sister jumped out of bed and, throwing a quilt round her, went in to her brother. —-
他的妹妹从床上跳起来，裹上一条被子，走进了哥哥的房间。 —-

The schoolboys woke up.
学生们醒了过来。

“What’s the matter? You don’t look like yourself!”
“怎么了？你看起来不像你自己！”

“It’s because I am so delighted, Mamma! Do you know, now all Russia knows of me! All Russia! —-
“因为我太高兴了，妈妈！你知道吗，现在全俄罗斯都知道我了！全俄罗斯！ —-

Till now only you knew that there was a registration clerk called Dmitry Kuldarov, and now all Russia knows it! —-
迄今为止只有你知道有个叫德米特里·库尔达罗夫的登记员，现在全俄罗斯都知道了！ —-

Mamma! Oh, Lord!”
妈妈！哦，上帝啊！”

Mitya jumped up, ran up and down all the rooms, and then sat down again.
米夫妇跳起来，穿过所有的房间，然后又坐下来。

“Why, what has happened? Tell us sensibly!”
“为什么，发生了什么事？好好地告诉我们！”

“You live like wild beasts, you don’t read the newspapers and take no notice of what’s published, and there’s so much that is interesting in the papers. —-
“你们生活得像野兽一样，不读报纸，也不注意发布的消息，报纸上有很多有趣的事。 —-

If anything happens it’s all known at once, nothing is hidden! How happy I am! Oh, Lord! —-
如果发生什么事，立刻就会被所有人知道，没有什么能隐藏起来！我是多么的幸福啊！哦，上帝啊！ —-

You know it’s only celebrated people whose names are published in the papers, and now they have gone and published mine!”
你知道只有名人的名字会出现在报纸上，现在他们居然刊登了我的名字！

“What do you mean? Where?”
你是什么意思？在哪里？

The papa turned pale. The mamma glanced at the holy image and crossed herself. —-
爸爸脸色苍白，妈妈看了一眼圣像，画了个十字。 —-

The schoolboys jumped out of bed and, just as they were, in short nightshirts, went up to their brother.
学生们从床上跳起来，穿着短的睡衣走到他们兄弟的面前。

“Yes! My name has been published! Now all Russia knows of me! —-
是的！我的名字被刊登了！现在全俄罗斯都知道我了！ —-

Keep the paper, mamma, in memory of it! We will read it sometimes! Look!”
把报纸留下吧，妈妈，作为纪念！我们有时候会读一下！看！

Mitya pulled out of his pocket a copy of the paper, gave it to his father, and pointed with his finger to a passage marked with blue pencil.
米夏从口袋里拿出一份报纸，递给爸爸，并用手指指着用蓝铅笔标记的一段内容。

“Read it!”
读吧！

The father put on his spectacles.
爸爸戴上眼镜。

“Do read it!”
请读吧！

The mamma glanced at the holy image and crossed herself. —-
妈妈看了一眼圣像，画了个十字。 —-

The papa cleared his throat and began to read: —-
爸爸清了清嗓子开始读： —-

“At eleven o’clock on the evening of the 29th of December, a registration clerk of the name of Dmitry Kuldarov . . .”
“12月29日晚上11点，一位叫做德米特里·库尔达罗夫的注册员，醉醺醺地从科济欣家小布罗拉亚的啤酒店出来……”

“You see, you see! Go on!”
“你看，你看！接着读！”

“. . . a registration clerk of the name of Dmitry Kuldarov, coming from the beershop in Kozihin’s buildings in Little Bronnaia in an intoxicated condition. . .”
“……一位叫做德米特里·库尔达罗夫的注册员，醉醺醺地从科济欣家小布罗拉亚的啤酒店出来……”

“That’s me and Semyon Petrovitch. . . . It’s all described exactly! Go on! Listen!”
“那是我和塞缪恩·彼得罗维奇… 这里描述得一模一样！继续听！”

“. . . intoxicated condition, slipped and fell under a horse belonging to a sledge-driver, a peasant of the village of Durikino in the Yuhnovsky district, called Ivan Drotov. —-
“…酒后失足，掉在了一个来自于尤尔诺夫斯基地区村庄杜里基诺的雪橇驾驶员，名叫伊凡·德罗托夫的农民所拥有的马下面。” —-

The frightened horse, stepping over Kuldarov and drawing the sledge over him, together with a Moscow merchant of the second guild called Stepan Lukov, who was in it, dashed along the street and was caught by some house-porters. —-
受惊的马跨过库尔达罗夫，连同坐在雪橇里的一位叫斯捷潘·卢科夫的二级行商一起，沿着街道奔驰起来，并被一些门厅工人拦住。 —-

Kuldarov, at first in an unconscious condition, was taken to the police station and there examined by the doctor. —-
库尔达罗夫一开始处于无意识状态，被送到了警察局，医生在那里对他进行了检查。 —-

The blow he had received on the back of his head. . .”
他头部受到的打击…”

“It was from the shaft, papa. Go on! Read the rest!”
“那是来自雪橇的杆，爸爸。继续看剩下的！”

“. . . he had received on the back of his head turned out not to be serious. —-
“…他头部受到的打击并不严重。 —-

The incident was duly reported. Medical aid was given to the injured man. . . .”
事故得到了报告。伤者接受了医疗救治…”

“They told me to foment the back of my head with cold water. You have read it now? —-
“他们告诉我用冷水敷头后面。你现在已经读过了吗？ —-

Ah! So you see. Now it’s all over Russia! Give it here!”
啊！所以你看了。现在全俄罗斯都知道了！把它给我！”

Mitya seized the paper, folded it up and put it into his pocket.
弥特亚接过纸，折叠起来放进口袋里。

“I’ll run round to the Makarovs and show it to them. . . . —-
“我得去麦考洛夫家给他们看看… —-

I must show it to the Ivanitskys too, Natasya Ivanovna, and Anisim Vassilyitch. —-
我还要给伊凡尼茨基夫妇，娜塔莎·伊万诺芙娜和阿尼西姆·瓦西里耶维奇他们看。 —-

. . . I’ll run! Good-bye!”
我要跑！再见！”

Mitya put on his cap with its cockade and, joyful and triumphant, ran into the street.
弥特亚戴上带有羽饰的帽子，欢欣鼓舞地跑进了街上。