A COUNTRY village wrapped in the darkness of night. One o’clock strikes from the belfry. —-
乡村小屋笼罩在黑夜的阴影中。时钟教堂里敲响了一点钟。 —-

Two lawyers, called Kozyavkin and Laev, both in the best of spirits and a little unsteady on their legs, come out of the wood and turn towards the cottages.
两名律师，科洲金和莱夫，精神饱满但脚步有些踉跄，走出树林，转向小屋。

“Well, thank God, we’ve arrived,” says Kozyavkin, drawing a deep breath. —-
“感谢上帝，我们到了，”科洲金深吸一口气说道。 —-

“Tramping four miles from the station in our condition is a feat. —-
“在我们的状态下，从车站步行四英里可真不容易。” —-

I am fearfully done up! And, as ill-luck would have it, not a fly to be seen.”
“我累坏了！而且，倒霉的是，居然找不到一只苍蝇。”

“Petya, my dear fellow. . . . I can’t. . . . —-
“彼特亚，我亲爱的朋友……我……实在是……” —-

I feel like dying if I’m not in bed in five minutes.”
“我感觉自己要死了，如果我不能在五分钟内上床。”

“In bed! Don’t you think it, my boy! —-
“上床！别傻了，伙计！ —-

First we’ll have supper and a glass of red wine, and then you can go to bed. —-
先吃点东西，喝杯红酒，然后你就可以上床了。 —-

Verotchka and I will wake you up. . . . Ah, my dear fellow, it’s a fine thing to be married! —-
维罗奇卡和我会叫醒你的……啊，我亲爱的朋友，结婚真是太美好了！ —-

You don’t understand it, you cold-hearted wretch! —-
你是个冷血动物，你根本不明白！ —-

I shall be home in a minute, worn out and exhausted. . . . —-
我一分钟后就到家了，精疲力竭…… —-

A loving wife will welcome me, give me some tea and something to eat, and repay me for my hard work and my love with such a fond and loving look out of her darling black eyes that I shall forget how tired I am, and forget the burglary and the law courts and the appeal division . —-
一个爱我的妻子会欢迎我，给我些茶和吃的，她会以深情的目光回报我辛勤的工作和爱，我会忘记有多累，忘记入室盗窃案和法院审判和上诉。…… —-

. . . It’s glorious!”
太美妙了！”

“Yes—I say, I feel as though my legs were dropping off, I can scarcely get along. —-
“是的……我感觉腿都要掉下来了，我几乎走不动了。” —-

. . . I am frightfully thirsty. . . .”
我好渴啊……

“Well, here we are at home.”
好了，我们到家了。

The friends go up to one of the cottages, and stand still under the nearest window.
朋友们走到其中一间小屋前，停在最近的窗户下。

“It’s a jolly cottage,” said Kozyavkin. “You will see to-morrow what views we have! —-
“这是一间可爱的小屋，” 科济亚夫金说道。“你明天会看到我们有多美的风景！ —-

There’s no light in the windows. Verotchka must have gone to bed, then; —-
窗户里没有灯光。维罗奇卡一定已经上床睡觉了； —-

she must have got tired of sitting up. She’s in bed, and must be worrying at my not having turned up. —-
她可能已经累了，累着等我回来。她就在床上，一定在担心我没回来。 —-

” (He pushes the window with his stick, and it opens.) “Plucky girl! —-
他用手杖推开窗户。 “勇敢的姑娘！ —-

She goes to bed without bolting the window. —-
她睡觉时连窗户都不锁。 —-

” (He takes off his cape and flings it with his portfolio in at the window.) “I am hot! —-
他脱掉斗篷，用行李箱一起扔进窗户里。“我热死了！ —-

Let us strike up a serenade and make her laugh!” (He sings. —-
让我们唱一首小夜曲，逗她笑一笑！”他唱道。 —-

) “The moon floats in the midnight sky. . . . Faintly stir the tender breezes . . . . —-
“月亮漂浮在午夜的天空……柔和的微风轻轻吹拂…… —-

Faintly rustle in the treetops. . . . Sing, sing, Alyosha! —-
树梢轻轻沙沙作响……唱吧，唱吧，阿列克谢！ —-

Verotchka, shall we sing you Schubert’s Serenade?” (He sings.)
维罗奇卡，我们要为你唱舒伯特的小夜曲吗？”他唱道。

His performance is cut short by a sudden fit of coughing. “Tphoo! —-
他突然咳嗽起来，唱歌打断了。“呸！ —-

Verotchka, tell Aksinya to unlock the gate for us!” (A pause.) “Verotchka! —-
维罗奇卡，告诉阿克辛娅为我们开门！”（停顿）“维罗奇卡！ —-

don’t be lazy, get up, darling!” (He stands on a stone and looks in at the window. —-
不要懒散，起来，亲爱的！”（他站在一块石头上，向窗户里望去。 —-

) “Verotchka, my dumpling; Verotchka, my poppet . . . —-
“小维罗奇卡，我的饺子; 小维罗奇卡，我的宝贝. . . —-

my little angel, my wife beyond compare, get up and tell Aksinya to unlock the gate for us! —-
我的小天使，我比任何人都爱的妻子，起来告诉阿克辛娅给我们开门！ —-

You are not asleep, you know. Little wife, we are really so done up and exhausted that we’re not in the mood for jokes. —-
你不是在睡觉，你知道的。小妻子，我们实在太累了，没有心情开玩笑。 —-

We’ve trudged all the way from the station! Don’t you hear? Ah, hang it all! —-
我们从车站一路走过来！你听见了吗？啊，全都见鬼了！ —-

” (He makes an effort to climb up to the window and falls down. —-
”（他努力爬上窗户，摔了下来。 —-

) “You know this isn’t a nice trick to play on a visitor! —-
“你知道这对于一个访客来说不是好的把戏！ —-

I see you are just as great a schoolgirl as ever, Vera, you are always up to mischief!”
我看见你还是一如既往地调皮，维拉，你总是喜欢恶作剧！

“Perhaps Vera Stepanovna is asleep,” says Laev.
“也许维拉·斯捷潘诺芙娜在睡觉，”莱夫说。

“She isn’t asleep! I bet she wants me to make an outcry and wake up the whole neighbourhood. —-
“她不在睡觉！我敢打赌她想让我大声喊叫，吵醒整个附近的人。 —-

I’m beginning to get cross, Vera! Ach, damn it all! Give me a leg up, Alyosha; I’ll get in. —-
我开始发脾气了，维拉！啊，见鬼了！阿列克谢，帮我一把，我要进去。 —-

You are a naughty girl, nothing but a regular schoolgirl. —-
你真是个淘气的女孩，简直就是个学校女生。 —-

. . Give me a hoist.”
…帮我一下。

Puffing and panting, Laev gives him a leg up, and Kozyavkin climbs in at the window and vanishes into the darkness within.
呼哧呼哧地喘着气，莱夫扶着他上去，柯维亚金爬进窗户，消失在黑暗中。

“Vera!” Laev hears a minute later, “where are you? . . . —-
“维拉！”一分钟后莱夫听到他说，“你在哪儿？. . . —-

D—damnation! Tphoo! I’ve put my hand into something! Tphoo!”
“该死，我把手伸进了什么东西！呸！”

There is a rustling sound, a flapping of wings, and the desperate cackling of a fowl.
有沙沙声，翅膀拍动的声音，还有一只禽鸟绝望的啄啄叫。

“A nice state of things,” Laev hears. “Vera, where on earth did these chickens come from? —-
“真是一团糟啊，维拉，这些鸡从哪儿来的啊？ —-

Why, the devil, there’s no end of them! —-
唉呀，好家伙，一只接一只都没完没了！ —-

There’s a basket with a turkey in it. . . . —-
有个篮子里装着一只火鸡…… —-

It pecks, the nasty creature.”
它啄啊啄的，可恶的东西。

Two hens fly out of the window, and cackling at the top of their voices, flutter down the village street.
两只母鸡从窗口飞出去，尖叫着飞过村庄的街道。

“Alyosha, we’ve made a mistake!” says Kozyavkin in a lachrymose voice. —-
“阿连夏，我们犯了个错误！”科兹亚夫金用一种哀伤的声音说道。 —-

“There are a lot of hens here. . . . I must have mistaken the house. —-
“这里有很多母鸡……我一定弄错了房子。 —-

Confound you, you are all over the place, you cursed brutes!”
“真让人讨厌，你们到处乱飞，你们这些该死的畜生！”

“Well, then, make haste and come down. Do you hear? I am dying of thirst!”
“那么，赶快下来。听见了吗？我渴死了！”

“In a minute. . . . I am looking for my cape and portfolio.”
“马上就好……我在找我的披风和公文包。”

“Light a match.”
“点根火柴。”

“The matches are in the cape. . . . I was a crazy idiot to get into this place. —-
“火柴在披风里……我真是个疯狂的傻瓜，竟然进了这个地方。 —-

The cottages are exactly alike; the devil himself couldn’t tell them apart in the dark. —-
“这些小屋子完全一样；黑暗中连魔鬼也分不清它们。 —-

Aie, the turkey’s pecked my cheek, nasty creature!”
“哎呀，火鸡啄了我的脸颊，恶心的生物！”

“Make haste and get out or they’ll think we are stealing the chickens.”
“赶紧出去，否则他们会认为我们在偷鸡。”

“In a minute. . . . I can’t find my cape anywhere. . . . —-
“马上就好……我怎么也找不到我的披风。…… —-

There are lots of old rags here, and I can’t tell where the cape is. —-
“这儿有很多旧布，我分辨不出披风在哪里。 —-

Throw me a match.”
“给我扔根火柴过来。”

“I haven’t any.”
“我没有火柴。”

“We are in a hole, I must say! What am I to do? —-
“糟糕透了！我该怎么办？” —-

I can’t go without my cape and my portfolio. I must find them.”
我不能没有我的斗篷和作品集。我必须找到它们。

“I can’t understand a man’s not knowing his own cottage,” says Laev indignantly. —-
“一个男人不知道自己的小屋，我实在无法理解，”Laev 愤愤不平地说道。 —-

“Drunken beast. . . . If I’d known I was in for this sort of thing I would never have come with you. —-
“这只醉猪……如果我知道会碰到这种事情，我绝不跟你来。” —-

I should have been at home and fast asleep by now, and a nice fix I’m in here. . . . —-
我现在本应该在家里熟睡了，可是我却陷入了麻烦之中…… —-

I’m fearfully done up and thirsty, and my head is going round.”
我已经累得要死了，口渴得要命，头晕得厉害。

“In a minute, in a minute. . . . You won’t expire.”
“马上就好，马上就好……你不会丢命的。”

A big cock flies crowing over Laev’s head. —-
一只大公鸡呱呱地飞过Laev的头顶。 —-

Laev heaves a deep sigh, and with a hopeless gesture sits down on a stone. —-
Laev深深地叹了口气，绝望地坐在一块石头上。 —-

He is beset with a burning thirst, his eyes are closing, his head drops forward. . . . —-
他口渴得难以忍受，眼睛渐渐闭上，头向前垂…… —-

Five minutes pass, ten, twenty, and Kozyavkin is still busy among the hens.
五分钟过去了，十分钟，二十分钟，Kozyavkin还在鸡群中忙碌着。

“Petya, will you be long?”
“彼特亚，你还要多久？”

“A minute. I found the portfolio, but I have lost it again.”
“一分钟。我找到了作品集，但是我又弄丢了它。”

Laev lays his head on his fists, and closes his eyes. —-
Laev将头放在双手上，闭上了眼睛。 —-

The cackling of the fowls grows louder and louder. —-
鸡咕咕的叫声越来越响。 —-

The inhabitants of the empty cottage fly out of the window and flutter round in circles, he fancies, like owls over his head. —-
Laev想象着空荡荡的小屋里的居民从窗户里飞出来，在他头顶上像猫头鹰一样打转。 —-

His ears ring with their cackle, he is overwhelmed with terror.
他的耳朵响起它们的叽叽喳喳声，他被恐惧所压倒。

“The beast!” he thinks. “He invited me to stay, promising me wine and junket, and then he makes me walk from the station and listen to these hens. . . .”
“野兽！”他想。“他邀请我留下，答应给我酒和美食，然后让我从车站走回来听这些母鸡……”

In the midst of his indignation his chin sinks into his collar, he lays his head on his portfolio, and gradually subsides. —-
在愤慨之中，他的下巴沉入领口，他把头放在公文包上，然后渐渐平静下来。 —-

Weariness gets the upper hand and he begins to doze.
疲倦占了上风，他开始打瞌睡。

“I’ve found the portfolio!” he hears Kozyavkin cry triumphantly. —-
“我找到公文包了！”他听见科茨亚夫金得意地喊道。 —-

“I shall find the cape in a minute and then off we go!”
“我马上找到披风，然后我们走！”

Then through his sleep he hears the barking of dogs. —-
然后他在睡梦中听到狗的叫声。 —-

First one dog barks, then a second, and a third. . . . —-
首先是一只狗叫，然后第二只，然后第三只…… —-

And the barking of the dogs blends with the cackling of the fowls into a sort of savage music. —-
狗的叫声与母鸡的咯咯叫声混合成一种野蛮的音乐。 —-

Someone comes up to Laev and asks him something. —-
有人走到莱夫面前问他一些事情。 —-

Then he hears someone climb over his head into the window, then a knocking and a shouting. . . . —-
然后他听见有人从他头上爬进窗户，然后是敲门和喊叫…… —-

A woman in a red apron stands beside him with a lantern in her hand and asks him something.
一个穿着红色围裙的妇女站在他身旁，手里拿着一盏灯问他一些事情。

“You’ve no right to say so,” he hears Kozyavkin’s voice. —-
“你没有权力这样说，”他听见科茨亚夫金的声音。 —-

“I am a lawyer, a bachelor of laws—Kozyavkin—here’s my visiting card.”
“我是一个律师，一个法学士——科茨亚夫金——这是我的名片。”

“What do I want with your card?” says someone in a husky bass. —-
“我要你的名片有什么用？”有人用低沉的男低音说道。 —-

“You’ve disturbed all my fowls, you’ve smashed the eggs! Look what you’ve done. —-
“你吓到了我所有的鸟，你打碎了蛋！看看你干的好事。 —-

The turkey poults were to have come out to-day or to-morrow, and you’ve smashed them. —-
“火鸡小雏鸟今天或明天本应孵化出来，可你打碎了它们。 —-

What’s the use of your giving me your card, sir?”
“给我你的名片有什么用，先生？”

“How dare you interfere with me! No! I won’t have it!”
“你敢干涉我！不行！我绝不允许！”

“I am thirsty,” thinks Laev, trying to open his eyes, and he feels somebody climb down from the window over his head.
“我渴了”，Laev心想，试图睁开眼睛，他感觉有人从窗户上方往下爬。

“My name is Kozyavkin! I have a cottage here. Everyone knows me.”
“我的名字叫科兹亚夫金！我在这儿有间小屋。大家都认识我。”

“We don’t know anyone called Kozyavkin.”
“我们不认识叫科兹亚夫金的人。”

“What are you saying? Call the elder. He knows me.”
“你在说什么？去叫村长。他认识我。”

“Don’t get excited, the constable will be here directly. . . . —-
“别激动，警长马上就来……” —-

We know all the summer visitors here, but I’ve never seen you in my life.”
“我们认识这儿的所有夏天来的人，可我一生都没见过你。”

“I’ve had a cottage in Rottendale for five years.”
“我在罗滕代尔有一间小屋已经五年了。”

“Whew! Do you take this for the Dale? This is Sicklystead, but Rottendale is farther to the right, beyond the match factory. —-
“哇！你把这当成代尔了吗？这是希克利斯泰德，而罗滕代尔更向右边，过了火柴厂还有三英里。” —-

It’s three miles from here.”
“我的天！我走错路了！”

“Bless my soul! Then I’ve taken the wrong turning!”
男人和鸟的呼喊与狗的叫声混杂在一起，科兹亚夫金的声音在杂乱的声音中凸显出来：

The cries of men and fowls mingle with the barking of dogs, and the voice of Kozyavkin rises above the chaos of confused sounds:
“我当前的名字和这个小屋里的精力在这个混杂的声音中凸显出来。”

“You shut up! I’ll pay. I’ll show you whom you have to deal with!”
“你闭上嘴！我会付钱的。我要让你知道你要对付的人是谁！”

Little by little the voices die down. Laev feels himself being shaken by the shoulder. . . .
逐渐，声音渐息。莱夫感到有人摇动他的肩膀…