UZELKOV, an architect with the rank of civil councillor, arrived in his native town, to which he had been invited to restore the church in the cemetery. —-
乌泽尔科夫，一位拥有市级建筑师头衔的土木参议员，回到了他生长的小镇，他受邀去修复墓地里的教堂。 —-

He had been born in the town, had been at school, had grown up and married in it. —-
他在小镇出生、上学，长大后在此结婚。 —-

But when he got out of the train he scarcely recognized it. Everything was changed. . . . —-
但是当他下了火车，他几乎认不出这个地方了。一切都改变了…… —-

Eighteen years ago when he had moved to Petersburg the street-boys used to catch marmots, for instance, on the spot where now the station was standing; —-
十八年前，当他搬到圣彼得堡时，街上的男孩们在现在车站的地方曾捉到过土拨鼠； —-

now when one drove into the chief street, a hotel of four storeys stood facing one; —-
现在当你驶入主要街道时，你会看到一座四层楼高的酒店对面； —-

in old days there was an ugly grey fence just there; —-
以前那里只有一道丑陋的灰色围墙； —-

but nothing—neither fences nor houses—had changed as much as the people. —-
但是没有什么——无论是围墙还是房子——像人们发生的变化那样巨大。 —-

From his enquiries of the hotel waiter Uzelkov learned that more than half of the people he remembered were dead, reduced to poverty, forgotten.
从酒店侍者处的询问中，乌泽尔科夫得知他记得的大半人都已经去世、陷入贫困、被遗忘了。

“And do you remember Uzelkov?” he asked the old waiter about himself. —-
“你还记得乌泽尔科夫吗？”他问老侍者，其实是在问自己。 —-

“Uzelkov the architect who divorced his wife? —-
“乌泽尔科夫那个离婚的建筑师？ —-

He used to have a house in Svirebeyevsky Street . —-
他在斯维列别耶夫斯基街有一座房子。 —-

. . you must remember.”
…你应该记得。”

“I don’t remember, sir.”
“我不记得，先生。”

“How is it you don’t remember? The case made a lot of noise, even the cabmen all knew about it. —-
“你为什么不记得？那个案子引起很大轰动，就连车夫都知道。 —-

Think, now! Shapkin the attorney managed my divorce for me, the rascal . . . —-
想一想，真的！夏普金这个律师替我办的离婚，那个恶棍…… —-

the notorious cardsharper, the fellow who got a thrashing at the club. . . .”
那个臭名昭著的牌技高手，在俱乐部挨了一顿揍……

“Ivan Nikolaitch?”
“伊凡·尼科拉伊奇？”

“Yes, yes. . . . Well, is he alive? Is he dead?”
“是的，是的……他还活着吗？还是已经死了？”

“Alive, sir, thank God. He is a notary now and has an office. He is very well off. —-
“活着，先生，谢天谢地。他现在是一个公证人，有个办公室。他过得很好。 —-

He has two houses in Kirpitchny Street. . . . —-
他在基尔皮奇尼街上有两栋房子…… —-

His daughter was married the other day.”
他女儿前几天刚结婚。”

Uzelkov paced up and down the room, thought a bit, and in his boredom made up his mind to go and see Shapkin at his office. —-
乌泽尔科夫在房间里来回踱着步，想了一会儿，由于无聊的缘故决定去看望莎普金在他的办公室。 —-

When he walked out of the hotel and sauntered slowly towards Kirpitchny Street it was midday. —-
当他走出旅馆，慢悠悠地朝着基尔皮奇尼街走去时，已经是正午了。 —-

He found Shapkin at his office and scarcely recognized him. —-
他在莎普金的办公室找到了他，几乎认不出他。 —-

From the once well-made, adroit attorney with a mobile, insolent, and always drunken face Shapkin had changed into a modest, grey-headed, decrepit old man.
从曾经精明能干、机敏、傲慢而常常醉醺醺的律师，莎普金变成了一个朴素的、留着灰发老不爱说话的老人。

“You don’t recognize me, you have forgotten me,” began Uzelkov. —-
“你没法认出我，你忘记我了，”乌泽尔科夫开始说。 —-

“I am your old client, Uzelkov.”
“我是你的老客户乌泽尔科夫。”

“Uzelkov, what Uzelkov? Ah!” Shapkin remembered, recognized, and was struck all of a heap. —-
“乌泽尔科夫？什么乌泽尔科夫？啊！”莎普金回想起来，认出了他，被吓了一跳。 —-

There followed a shower of exclamations, questions, recollections.
接着是一连串的惊叹、问题、回忆。

“This is a surprise! This is unexpected!” cackled Shapkin. “What can I offer you? —-
“太意外了！太出乎意料了！”莎普金窃窃私语，“我能为你奉上些什么呢？ —-

Do you care for champagne? Perhaps you would like oysters? —-
你喜欢香槟吗？也许你想要生蚝吗？ —-

My dear fellow, I have had so much from you in my time that I can’t offer you anything equal to the occasion. . . .”
我亲爱的朋友，我从你这里得到了那么多，我无法提供与这个场合相称的东西…

“Please don’t put yourself out . . .” said Uzelkov. “I have no time to spare. —-
“请不要为我费心…”乌泽尔科夫说道，”我没有多余的时间。 —-

I must go at once to the cemetery and examine the church; —-
我必须立刻去检查墓地和教堂； —-

I have undertaken the restoration of it.”
我已经承担了修复的任务。

“That’s capital! We’ll have a snack and a drink and drive together. I have capital horses. —-
“太好了！我们可以一起吃点东西喝点东西，然后一起去。我这儿有好马。 —-

I’ll take you there and introduce you to the church-warden; I will arrange it all. . . . —-
我将带你去那里，并介绍你给教堂管理员；我会安排一切… —-

But why is it, my angel, you seem to be afraid of me and hold me at arm’s length? —-
但是，为什么，我的天使，你似乎害怕我，对我保持距离？ —-

Sit a little nearer! There is no need for you to be afraid of me nowadays. He-he! . . . —-
稍微靠近一点！你现在没有必要害怕我。嘿嘿！. . . —-

At one time, it is true, I was a cunning blade, a dog of a fellow . . . no one dared approach me; —-
当然，曾经我是个狡猾的家伙，一个凶狠的人. . . 没人敢接近我； —-

but now I am stiller than water and humbler than the grass. —-
但现在我比水更安静，比草还要谦逊。 —-

I have grown old, I am a family man, I have children. —-
我开始变老了，我是一个家庭人，我有孩子。 —-

It’s time I was dead.”
是时候我死了。”

The friends had lunch, had a drink, and with a pair of horses drove out of the town to the cemetery.
朋友们吃了午饭，喝了一杯，然后坐上一对马车驶离市区到达了公墓。

“Yes, those were times!” Shapkin recalled as he sat in the sledge. —-
“是啊，那些时光！”夏普金坐在雪橇上回忆起来。 —-

“When you remember them you simply can’t believe in them. —-
“当你回忆起它们时，你简直无法相信。 —-

Do you remember how you divorced your wife? —-
你还记得你是如何和你的妻子离婚的吗？ —-

It’s nearly twenty years ago, and I dare say you have forgotten it all; —-
这快近二十年的事情了，我敢说你已经把它们都忘记了； —-

but I remember it as though I’d divorced you yesterday. —-
但是我却像昨天刚和你离婚一样记得这一切。 —-

Good Lord, what a lot of worry I had over it! —-
天啊，我曾经因此而担忧了很多！ —-

I was a sharp fellow, tricky and cunning, a desperate character. . . . —-
我是个狡猾聪明、阴险狡诈的人. . . 一个铤而走险的角色. . . —-

Sometimes I was burning to tackle some ticklish business, especially if the fee were a good one, as, for instance, in your case. —-
有时候我渴望处理一些棘手的事情，尤其是如果费用丰厚，比如在你的案子里。 —-

What did you pay me then? Five or six thousand! That was worth taking trouble for, wasn’t it? —-
那时你给了我多少？五千还是六千！那值得费这个劲吗？ —-

You went off to Petersburg and left the whole thing in my hands to do the best I could, and, though Sofya Mihailovna, your wife, came only of a merchant family, she was proud and dignified. —-
你去彼得堡了，把整个事情都交给我来尽力去做，尽管你的妻子索菲娅·米哈伊洛夫娜只是一个商人家庭的出身，但她骄傲而庄重。 —-

To bribe her to take the guilt on herself was difficult, awfully difficult! —-
贿赂她承担罪名很难，非常难！ —-

I would go to negotiate with her, and as soon as she saw me she called to her maid: —-
我去和她谈判，一见到我，她就叫她的女佣： —-

‘Masha, didn’t I tell you not to admit that scoundrel?’ Well, I tried one thing and another. —-
“马莎，我叫你别让那个无赖进来。”嗯，我试过这个那个。 —-

. . . I wrote her letters and contrived to meet her accidentally—it was no use! —-
…我写信给她，设法偶遇她——没用！ —-

I had to act through a third person. I had a lot of trouble with her for a long time, and she only gave in when you agreed to give her ten thousand. —-
我不得不通过第三者来行动。我花了很长时间和她费了很多力气，只有在你同意给她一万的时候她才让步。 —-

. . . She couldn’t resist ten thousand, she couldn’t hold out. . . . —-
…她无法抵挡一万元，她坚持不了…… —-

She cried, she spat in my face, but she consented, she took the guilt on herself!”
她哭了，她朝我脸上吐了口水，但她同意了，她把罪责推给了她自己！

“I thought it was fifteen thousand she had from me, not ten,” said Uzelkov.
“我以为她从我这里拿了一万五千，不是一万，”乌兹尔科夫说。

“Yes, yes . . . fifteen—I made a mistake,” said Shapkin in confusion. —-
“是的，是的……十五个，我弄错了，”沙普金困惑地说。 —-

“It’s all over and done with, though, it’s no use concealing it. —-
“虽然都结束了，但没用掩盖。 —-

I gave her ten and the other five I collared for myself. I deceived you both. . . . —-
我给了她一万，另外的五千我留给了自己。我欺骗了你们两个…… —-

It’s all over and done with, it’s no use to be ashamed. —-
都结束了，没必要羞愧。 —-

And indeed, judge for yourself, Boris Petrovitch, weren’t you the very person for me to get money out of? —-
而且，你自己来说，鲍里斯·彼得罗维奇，你不就是我从你身上拿钱的绝佳人选吗？ —-

. . . You were a wealthy man and had everything you wanted. . . . —-
你是一个富有的人，拥有你想要的一切。 —-

Your marriage was an idle whim, and so was your divorce. You were making a lot of money. . . . —-
你的婚姻是一时的冲动，离婚也是如此。你赚了很多钱。 —-

I remember you made a scoop of twenty thousand over one contract. —-
我记得你在一项合同上赚了两万。 —-

Whom should I have fleeced if not you? And I must own I envied you. —-
如果不是你，我该骗谁呢？我承认我嫉妒你。 —-

If you grabbed anything they took off their caps to you, while they would thrash me for a rouble and slap me in the face at the club. —-
如果你抢夺了什么东西，他们会向你脱帽致敬，而他们会因1个卢布打我并在俱乐部里扇我巴掌。 —-

. . . But there, why recall it? It is high time to forget it.”
但是，为什么要回忆呢？是时候忘记了。

“Tell me, please, how did Sofya Mihailovna get on afterwards?”
“告诉我，索菲亚·米哈伊洛芙娜之后怎么样了？”

“With her ten thousand? Very badly. God knows what it was—she lost her head, perhaps, or maybe her pride and her conscience tormented her at having sold her honour, or perhaps she loved you; —-
“带着她的一万？非常糟糕。天知道是什么原因——也许她迷失了，或者她的自尊和良知因为卖掉了她的荣誉而折磨她，或许她爱过你； —-

but, do you know, she took to drink. . . . —-
但是，你知道吗，她开始喝酒了…… —-

As soon as she got her money she was off driving about with officers. —-
只要她拿到钱，就会驾车与军官一起外出。 —-

It was drunkenness, dissipation, debauchery. . . . —-
这是醉酒、放荡、纵欲…… —-

When she went to a restaurant with officers she was not content with port or anything light, she must have strong brandy, fiery stuff to stupefy her.”
当她和军官们一起去饭店时，她不满足于葡萄酒或任何浅色酒，她要强力品牌y，燃烧的酒来麻醉她。

“Yes, she was eccentric. . . . I had a lot to put up with from her . . . —-
是的，她很古怪……我忍受了很多来自她的不愉快。 —-

sometimes she would take offence at something and begin being hysterical. —-
有时候她会对某些事情感到冒犯，开始发脾气。 —-

. . . And what happened afterwards?”
之后发生了什么？

“One week passed and then another. . . . I was sitting at home, writing something. —-
“一个星期过去了，然后又一个星期……我坐在家里，写些东西。” —-

All at once the door opened and she walked in . . . drunk. —-
“突然门打开了，她走了进来……醉醺醺的。” —-

‘Take back your cursed money,’ she said, and flung a roll of notes in my face. . . . —-
“‘拿回你这该死的钱吧，’她说着，把一捆钞票扔在我脸上……” —-

So she could not keep it up. I picked up the notes and counted them. —-
“所以她坚持不住了。我捡起钞票数了数。” —-

It was five hundred short of the ten thousand, so she had only managed to get through five hundred.”
“总共少了五百块，只用了五百块。”

“Where did you put the money?”
“‘你把钱放在哪里了？’”

“It’s all ancient history . . . there’s no reason to conceal it now. . . . —-
“‘这都是过去的事情……现在没有理由再隐瞒了……’” —-

In my pocket, of course. Why do you look at me like that? Wait a bit for what will come later. . . —-
“‘当然是在我的口袋里。你为什么这样看着我？等一会儿，接下来会发生什么……’” —-

. It’s a regular novel, a pathological study. —-
“‘这是一本正常的小说，一本病态的研究……’” —-

A couple of months later I was going home one night in a nasty drunken condition. . . . —-
“几个月后的一天晚上，我醉醺醺地回家……” —-

I lighted a candle, and lo and behold! Sofya Mihailovna was sitting on my sofa, and she was drunk, too, and in a frantic state—as wild as though she had run out of Bedlam. —-
“我点燃了蜡烛，瞧，索菲娅·米哈伊洛夫娜坐在我的沙发上，她也喝醉了，而且情绪失控，像是从精神病院里跑出来一样。” —-

‘Give me back my money,’ she said, ‘I have changed my mind; —-
“‘把钱还给我，’她说，‘我改变主意了； —-

if I must go to ruin I won’t do it by halves, I’ll have my fling! —-
“如果我要堕落，我就不会半途而废，我要尽情享受！’ —-

Be quick, you scoundrel, give me my money! —-
“快点，你这个坏蛋，把我的钱给我！” —-

’ A disgraceful scene!”
“真是个丢人的场面！”

“And you . . . gave it her?”
“你给她了吗？”

“I gave her, I remember, ten roubles.”
“我给了她，我记得给了十卢布。”

“Oh! How could you?” cried Uzelkov, frowning. —-
“哦！你怎么能这样？”乌兹尔科夫皱着眉头说道。 —-

“If you couldn’t or wouldn’t have given it her, you might have written to me. —-
“如果你不能或者不愿意给她，你本可以写信给我。 —-

. . . And I didn’t know! I didn’t know!”
“可我不知道！我不知道！”

“My dear fellow, what use would it have been for me to write, considering that she wrote to you herself when she was lying in the hospital afterwards?”
“亲爱的朋友，如果我写信又有什么用呢？考虑到她在医院里躺着时自己写信给了你。”

“Yes, but I was so taken up then with my second marriage. —-
“是的，但那时候我正忙着准备第二次婚姻。 —-

I was in such a whirl that I had no thoughts to spare for letters. . . . —-
“我在旋风中，没有时间去想信件……” —-

But you were an outsider, you had no antipathy for Sofya. . . —-
“但你是个局外人，你对索菲娅没有反感…… —-

why didn’t you give her a helping hand? . . .”
为什么你没有伸出援助的手……”

“You can’t judge by the standards of to-day, Boris Petrovitch; —-
“你不能以如今的标准来评判，鲍里斯·彼得罗维奇； —-

that’s how we look at it now, but at the time we thought very differently. . . . —-
“我们现在是这么看的，但当时我们的想法完全不同……” —-

Now maybe I’d give her a thousand roubles, but then even that ten- rouble note I did not give her for nothing. —-
“现在也许我会给她一千卢布，但那时连那十卢布也不是白给她的。 —-

It was a bad business! . . . We must forget it. . . —-
“这是一个糟糕的事情！……我们必须忘记它……” —-

. But here we are. . . .”
“但是我们到了这里……”

The sledge stopped at the cemetery gates. —-
雪橇停在了墓地的大门口。 —-

Uzelkov and Shapkin got out of the sledge, went in at the gate, and walked up a long, broad avenue. —-
乌泽尔科夫和沙普金从雪橇上下来，走进了大门，沿着一条宽阔的长街走去。 —-

The bare cherry-trees and acacias, the grey crosses and tombstones, were silvered with hoar-frost, every little grain of snow reflected the bright, sunny day. —-
光秃秃的樱桃树和合欢树，灰色的十字架和墓碑，都被霜降给银装素裹，每一粒细小的雪花都反射出明亮的阳光。 —-

There was the smell there always is in cemeteries, the smell of incense and freshly dug earth. . . .
那里总是有着墓地特有的气味，一股熏香和新挖泥土的味道……

“Our cemetery is a pretty one,” said Uzelkov, “quite a garden!”
“我们的墓地很美，简直像个花园！”乌泽尔科夫说。

“Yes, but it is a pity thieves steal the tombstones. . . . —-
“是的，可惜盗贼们偷走了墓碑……” —-

And over there, beyond that iron monument on the right, Sofya Mihailovna is buried. —-
“那边，在右边的铁碑那边，索菲亚·米哈伊洛夫娜被埋在那里。” —-

Would you like to see?”
“你想去看看吗？”

The friends turned to the right and walked through the deep snow to the iron monument.
朋友们顺着右边走，踏着深雪走向铁碑。

“Here it is,” said Shapkin, pointing to a little slab of white marble. —-
“就在这里，”沙普金指着一块小小的白色大理石板说道。 —-

“A lieutenant put the stone on her grave.”
“一个中尉给她立了这块石头。”

Uzelkov slowly took off his cap and exposed his bald head to the sun. —-
乌泽尔科夫慢慢摘下帽子，让他秃顶的头皮暴露在阳光下。 —-

Shapkin, looking at him, took off his cap too, and another bald patch gleamed in the sunlight. —-
望着他的样子，沙普金也摘下了帽子，阳光下又闪烁出另一块秃顶。 —-

There was the stillness of the tomb all around as though the air, too, were dead. —-
四周都是坟墓的寂静，仿佛空气也已死去。 —-

The friends looked at the grave, pondered, and said nothing.
朋友们看着坟墓，沉思着，什么也没有说。

“She sleeps in peace,” said Shapkin, breaking the silence. —-
“她安息吧。”夏普金打破了寂静。 —-

“It’s nothing to her now that she took the blame on herself and drank brandy. —-
“她已经不计较了，因为她自己承担了责任，喝了白兰地。” —-

You must own, Boris Petrovitch . . . .”
“你必须承认，鲍里斯·彼得罗维奇……”

“Own what?” Uzelkov asked gloomily.
“承认什么？”乌兹尔科夫阴沉地问道。

“Why. . . . However hateful the past, it was better than this.”
“为什么……无论过去多么可憎，都比现在好。”

And Shapkin pointed to his grey head.
夏普金指着自己灰白的头发说道。

“I used not to think of the hour of death. . . . —-
“从前我从未想过死亡的时刻……。” —-

I fancied I could have given death points and won the game if we had had an encounter; —-
我本以为如果我们有一次相遇，我可以给死亡寻找一个机会并赢得这场游戏； —-

but now. . . . But what’s the good of talking!”
但现在……但说这些有什么用呢！

Uzelkov was overcome with melancholy. He suddenly had a passionate longing to weep, as once he had longed for love, and he felt those tears would have tasted sweet and refreshing. —-
乌泽尔科夫被忧郁笼罩。他突然对流泪产生了强烈的渴望，就像他曾经渴望过爱一样，他觉得这些眼泪会尝起来甜美而提神。 —-

A moisture came into his eyes and there was a lump in his throat, but . . . —-
泪水涌入他的眼睛，喉咙里有个疙瘩，但是…… —-

Shapkin was standing beside him and Uzelkov was ashamed to show weakness before a witness. —-
沙普金站在他旁边，乌泽尔科夫觉得在旁人面前表现出脆弱是令人羞愧的。 —-

He turned back abruptly and went into the church.
他突然转身回到了教堂。

Only two hours later, after talking to the churchwarden and looking over the church, he seized a moment when Shapkin was in conversation with the priest and hastened away to weep. —-
只有两个小时后，在与教堂管理员交谈并浏览教堂之后，他找到了一个时机，当沙普金正在与牧师交谈时，他匆匆走开流泪。 —-

. . . He stole up to the grave secretly, furtively, looking round him every minute. —-
他秘密地、偷偷摸摸地走近墓碑，每一分钟都环顾四周。 —-

The little white slab looked at him pensively, mournfully, and innocently as though a little girl lay under it instead of a dissolute, divorced wife.
那个小小的白色墓碑侧视着他，悲伤而无辜地，就像下面躺着的是一个纯洁的小女孩，而不是一个放荡、离异的妻子。

“To weep, to weep!” thought Uzelkov.
“流泪，流泪！”乌泽尔科夫想。

But the moment for tears had been missed; —-
但哭泣的时刻已经错过了； —-

though the old man blinked his eyes, though he worked up his feelings, the tears did not flow nor the lump come in his throat. —-
尽管老人眨了眨眼睛，尽管他努力激发感情，眼泪却没有流出来，喉咙里也没有疙瘩。 —-

After standing for ten minutes, with a gesture of despair, Uzelkov went to look for Shapkin.
在站了十分钟后，乌泽尔科夫绝望地找到了沙普金。