GLYEB GAVRILOVITCH SMIRNOV, a land surveyor, arrived at the station of Gnilushki. —-
测量员格列布·加夫里洛维奇·斯米尔诺夫到达了吉尼卢什基车站。 —-

He had another twenty or thirty miles to drive before he would reach the estate which he had been summoned to survey. —-
他还需要再开二十或三十英里才能到达受命进行测量的庄园。 —-

(If the driver were not drunk and the horses were not bad, it would hardly be twenty miles, but if the driver had had a drop and his steeds were worn out it would mount up to a good forty.)
（如果驾驶员没有喝醉，马匹也不差的话，不会超过二十英里，但如果驾驶员喝了酒，马也疲惫不堪的话，可能要开上四十英里。）

“Tell me, please, where can I get post-horses here? —-
“请告诉我，在这里我可以找到换马吗？”测量员问车站警卫。 —-

” the surveyor asked of the station gendarme.
测量员询问了车站警卫：“什么？换马？在七十英里的范围内根本找不到一条好狗，更别提换马了。”

“What? Post-horses? There’s no finding a decent dog for seventy miles round, let alone post-horses. —-
. . . 但你要去哪里呢？ —-

. . . But where do you want to go?”
车站警卫问道：“可是你想去哪儿？”

“To Dyevkino, General Hohotov’s estate.”
“前往霍霍托夫将军的庄园，位于代夫基诺。”

“Well,” yawned the gendarme, “go outside the station, there are sometimes peasants in the yard there, they will take passengers.”
“好吧，”警察呵欠道，“出去车站，院子里有时会有农民，他们会搭载乘客。”

The surveyor heaved a sigh and made his way out of the station.
测量员叹了口气，走出了车站。

There, after prolonged enquiries, conversations, and hesitations, he found a very sturdy, sullen-looking pock-marked peasant, wearing a tattered grey smock and bark-shoes.
经过持久的询问、对话和犹豫，他找到了一个身材魁梧、板着脸、满脸坑洼的农民，穿着一件破旧的灰色罩衫，脚踏着树皮鞋。

“You have got a queer sort of cart!” said the surveyor, frowning as he clambered into the cart. —-
“你的车真古怪！”调查员皱着眉头爬上了车。 —-

“There is no making out which is the back and which is the front.”
“前面和后面哪儿都看不出来。”

“What is there to make out? Where the horse’s tail is, there’s the front, and where your honour’s sitting, there’s the back.”
“有什么好辨别的？马的尾巴在哪儿，那就是前面，你们大人坐的地方，那就是后面。”

The little mare was young, but thin, with legs planted wide apart and frayed ears. —-
小母马很年轻，但很瘦，腿张得很开，耳朵都磨损了。 —-

When the driver stood up and lashed her with a whip made of cord, she merely shook her head; —-
当驾驶员站起来用绳制的鞭子抽打她时，她只是摇摇头； —-

when he swore at her and lashed her once more, the cart squeaked and shivered as though in a fever. —-
当他对她咒骂并再次抽打她时，车子就像发烧一样发出尖叫的声音。 —-

After the third lash the cart gave a lurch, after the fourth, it moved forward.
第三鞭抽打后，车子倾斜了，第四鞭后，车子开始前进。

“Are we going to drive like this all the way? —-
“我们要一直这样折腾到底吗？”调查员被剧烈的颠簸震得目瞪口呆，惊叹俄罗斯驾驶员的怪异能力，能够将缓慢的龟速与震得灵魂都飞出去的颠簸结合在一起。 —-

” asked the surveyor, violently jolted and marvelling at the capacity of Russian drivers for combining a slow tortoise-like pace with a jolting that turns the soul inside out.
“我们会到的！”农民安慰他道。“马还年轻、活跃……只要让她跑起来，就没法停下来了。

“We shall ge-et there!” the peasant reassured him. “The mare is young and frisky. . . . —-
“。。。现在，难缠的家伙！” —-

Only let her get running and then there is no stopping her. —-
“。。。诅咒的畜生！” —-

. . . No-ow, cur-sed brute!”
“。。。不会，该死的牲口！”

It was dusk by the time the cart drove out of the station. —-
车驶出车站时天色已暮。 —-

On the surveyor’s right hand stretched a dark frozen plain, endless and boundless. —-
在测量员的右手边延伸着一片黑暗的冻原，无边无际。 —-

If you drove over it you would certainly get to the other side of beyond. —-
如果你开车从上面驶过，肯定能到达彼岸的那边。 —-

On the horizon, where it vanished and melted into the sky, there was the languid glow of a cold autumn sunset. —-
在地平线上，它融入天空的地方，有一个迟缓的寒秋夕阳的微弱光芒。 —-

. . . On the left of the road, mounds of some sort, that might be last year’s stacks or might be a village, rose up in the gathering darkness. —-
…在道路的左边，一些土堆，在逐渐降临的黑暗中，看起来可能是去年的庄稼堆或者是一个村庄，突起。 —-

The surveyor could not see what was in front as his whole field of vision on that side was covered by the broad clumsy back of the driver. —-
测量员无法看到前方，因为他那边的视野被驾驶员那宽大拙笨的背挡住了。 —-

The air was still, but it was cold and frosty.
空气静止，但是又冷又霜冻。

“What a wilderness it is here,” thought the surveyor, trying to cover his ears with the collar of his overcoat. —-
“这里真是个荒野，”测量员想着，试图用大衣领盖住耳朵。 —-

“Neither post nor paddock. If, by ill-luck, one were attacked and robbed no one would hear you, whatever uproar you made. —-
“既没有邮筒也没有警察局。如果倒霉的话，被袭击抢劫了也没人听到你，无论你制造多大动静。 —-

. . . And the driver is not one you could depend on. . . . Ugh, what a huge back! —-
…而且这个司机完全不能依靠…呃，他背部太巨大了！ —-

A child of nature like that has only to move a finger and it would be all up with one! —-
像他这样的自然之子，只需动一根手指，一切都可能完了！ —-

And his ugly face is suspicious and brutal-looking.”
而且他那丑陋的脸看起来可疑而残暴。

“Hey, my good man!” said the surveyor, “What is your name?”
“喂，好心人！”测量员说，“你叫什么名字？”

“Mine? Klim.”
“我？克利姆。”

“Well, Klim, what is it like in your parts here? Not dangerous? Any robbers on the road?”
“嗯，克利姆，在你这个地方怎么样？危险吗？路上有强盗吗？”

“It is all right, the Lord has spared us. . . . Who should go robbing on the road?”
“没关系，上帝保佑了我们……谁会在路上抢劫呢？”

“It’s a good thing there are no robbers. —-
“没有强盗真是太好了。” —-

But to be ready for anything I have got three revolvers with me,” said the surveyor untruthfully. —-
但是为了随时准备，我带了三把左轮手枪。”勘测员说着，虚构了一个事实。 —-

“And it doesn’t do to trifle with a revolver, you know. —-
“拿着左轮手枪不是闹着玩的，你知道吧。 —-

One can manage a dozen robbers. . . .”
可以对付一打强盗……”

It had become quite dark. The cart suddenly began creaking, squeaking, shaking, and, as though unwillingly, turned sharply to the left.
天已经完全黑了。马车突然发出嘎吱嘎吱的声音，晃动起来，不情愿地急转向左边。

“Where is he taking me to?” the surveyor wondered. —-
“他要带我去哪里？”勘测员心中想着。 —-

“He has been driving straight and now all at once to the left. —-
“一直朝前开，现在突然转向左边。 —-

I shouldn’t wonder if he’ll take me, the rascal, to some den of thieves . —-
要不是这个无赖，说不定他会带我去强盗巢穴。 —-

. . and. . . . Things like that do happen.”
……事情就会变成这个样子。”

“I say,” he said, addressing the driver, “so you tell me it’s not dangerous here? —-
“听我说，”他对驾驶员说道，“你跟我说这里不危险，对吗？ —-

That’s a pity. . . I like a fight with robbers. . . . —-
遗憾啊……我喜欢和强盗打架…… —-

I am thin and sickly-looking, but I have the strength of a bull . . . . —-
虽然我看起来瘦弱不堪，但我有着像牛一样的力气…… —-

Once three robbers attacked me and what do you think? I gave one such a dressing that. . . —-
一次有三个强盗袭击了我，你知道怎么着吗？我给其中一个人狠狠揍了一顿…… —-

that he gave up his soul to God, you understand, and the other two were sent to penal servitude in Siberia. —-
结果他的灵魂上报给了上帝，你明白吗，另外两个则被送去西伯利亚服刑。 —-

And where I got the strength I can’t say. . . . —-
至于我从哪里获得了力量，我无法说……。 —-

One grips a strapping fellow of your sort with one hand and . —-
一个力大无比的家伙用一只手紧紧抓住； —-

. . wipes him out.”
摧毁他。”

Klim looked round at the surveyor, wrinkled up his whole face, and lashed his horse.
克利姆环视了一下测量员，皱起整个脸，鞭打他的马。

“Yes . . .” the surveyor went on. “God forbid anyone should tackle me. —-
“是的……”测量员继续说道。“愿上帝保佑没人敢惹我。 —-

The robber would have his bones broken, and, what’s more, he would have to answer for it in the police court too. —-
抢劫犯骨头要断，而且还得在警察局接受指责。 —-

. . . I know all the judges and the police captains, I am a man in the Government, a man of importance. —-
……所有法官和警察局长我都认识，我是政府内部的人，一个很重要的人物。 —-

Here I am travelling and the authorities know . . . —-
在这里我在旅行，有关方面都知道…… —-

they keep a regular watch over me to see no one does me a mischief. —-
他们经常监视我，以确保没有人对我行不轨。 —-

There are policemen and village constables stuck behind bushes all along the road. . . . Sto . . . —-
沿着道路各处都停着警察和村庄警察……停下来！ —-

sto . . . . stop!” the surveyor bawled suddenly. —-
停下来！”勘测员突然喊道。 —-

“Where have you got to? Where are you taking me to?”
“你在哪儿？你要带我去哪儿？”

“Why, don’t you see? It’s a forest!”
“你怎么不看？这是一片森林！”

“It certainly is a forest,” thought the surveyor. “I was frightened! —-
勘测员心想：“这当然是一片森林，我吓坏了！” —-

But it won’t do to betray my feelings. . . . He has noticed already that I am in a funk. —-
但是不能表现出我的感觉……他已经注意到我害怕了。 —-

Why is it he has taken to looking round at me so often? He is plotting something for certain. —-
他为什么经常转过头看我？他肯定在密谋什么。 —-

. . . At first he drove like a snail and now how he is dashing along!”
一开始他开得慢得像蜗牛，现在他怎么这么快！”

“I say, Klim, why are you making the horse go like that?”
“我说，克里姆，你为什么让马这么快？”

“I am not making her go. She is racing along of herself. . . . —-
“我没有让她跑，她自己就飞快地跑起来了……” —-

Once she gets into a run there is no means of stopping her. —-
一旦她开始奔跑，就没有办法停下来。 —-

It’s no pleasure to her that her legs are like that.”
她的腿就是这样跑起来也不觉得累。”

“You are lying, my man, I see that you are lying. —-
“你在撒谎，我的朋友，我看出你在撒谎。 —-

Only I advise you not to drive so fast. Hold your horse in a bit. —-
只是我建议你不要开得这么快，稍微给马稍一下缰绳。” —-

. . . Do you hear? Hold her in!”
“你听到了吗？抓住她！”

“What for?”
“为什么？”

“Why . . . why, because four comrades were to drive after me from the station. —-
“为什么…为什么, 因为有四个同志要从车站开车追赶我。 —-

We must let them catch us up. . . . They promised to overtake us in this forest. —-
我们必须让他们赶上我们……他们答应在这片森林里追上我们。 —-

It will be more cheerful in their company. . . . They are a strong, sturdy set of fellows. . . . —-
在他们的陪同下会更开心……他们是一群强壮的家伙…… —-

And each of them has got a pistol. Why do you keep looking round and fidgeting as though you were sitting on thorns? —-
而且每个人都带有一把手枪。你为什么不停地四处张望和坐立不安呢？ —-

eh? I, my good fellow, er . . . my good fellow . . . there is no need to look around at me . . . —-
哎？我，我的好朋友，呃……我的好朋友……你不用看着我四处张望…… —-

there is nothing interesting about me. . . . Except perhaps the revolvers. —-
我没有什么有趣的地方……除了手枪。 —-

Well, if you like I will take them out and show you. . . .”
好吧，如果你愿意，我可以把它们拿出来给你看……”

The surveyor made a pretence of feeling in his pockets and at that moment something happened which he could not have expected with all his cowardice. —-
测量员假装在口袋里找东西，而就在这时，他经不住的胆怯之心遇到了意想不到的情况。 —-

Klim suddenly rolled off the cart and ran as fast as he could go into the forest.
克里姆突然从车上滚了下来，然后尽全力跑进森林。

“Help!” he roared. “Help! Take the horse and the cart, you devil, only don’t take my life. Help!”
“救命！”他大叫道，“救命！把马和车拿走，该死的，只是别拿走我的命。救命！”

There was the sound of footsteps hurriedly retreating, of twigs snapping—and all was still. . . . —-
有脚步声急忙后退的声音，有树枝断裂的声音，然后一切都安静下来……。 —-

The surveyor had not expected such a dénouement. —-
测量员没有预料到这样的结局。 —-

He first stopped the horse and then settled himself more comfortably in the cart and fell to thinking.
他先停住马车，然后舒服地坐在车上开始思考。

“He has run off . . . he was scared, the fool. Well, what’s to be done now? —-
“他跑掉了……他被吓坏了，傻瓜。好了，现在该怎么办呢？ —-

I can’t go on alone because I don’t know the way; —-
我不能独自走下去，因为我不知道路； —-

besides they may think I have stolen his horse. . —-
而且他们可能会认为我偷了他的马。. —-

. . What’s to be done?”
那怎么办呢？

“Klim! Klim,” he cried.
“克利姆！克利姆”，他喊道。

“Klim,” answered the echo.
“克利姆”，回应着回声。

At the thought that he would have to sit through the whole night in the cold and dark forest and hear nothing but the wolves, the echo, and the snorting of the scraggy mare, the surveyor began to have twinges down his spine as though it were being rasped with a cold file.
在想到他将不得不在寒冷黑暗的森林中整夜坐着，只听到狼群的声音、回声和瘦马的喘息时，勘测员开始感到一阵寒气顺着脊梁骨刺痛，就像被冷锉锉刮一样。

“Klimushka,” he shouted. “Dear fellow! Where are you, Klimushka?”
“克利姆斯卡”，他喊道。“亲爱的家伙！你在哪里，克利姆斯卡？”

For two hours the surveyor shouted, and it was only after he was quite husky and had resigned himself to spending the night in the forest that a faint breeze wafted the sound of a moan to him.
勘测员喊了两个小时，当他声音已经嘶哑并已经接受在森林中过夜的命运时，一股微风将一阵呻吟的声音吹到了他耳中。

“Klim, is it you, dear fellow? Let us go on.”
“克利姆，是你吗，亲爱的家伙？让我们继续走吧。”

“You’ll mu-ur-der me!”
“你会杀了我！”

“But I was joking, my dear man! I swear to God I was joking! As though I had revolvers! —-
“但是我只是开玩笑，亲爱的兄弟！我发誓上帝，我只是在开玩笑！好像我有左轮手枪一样！ —-

I told a lie because I was frightened. For goodness sake let us go on, I am freezing!”
我说谎是因为害怕。拜托，我们继续走吧，我要冻僵了！”

Klim, probably reflecting that a real robber would have vanished long ago with the horse and cart, came out of the forest and went hesitatingly up to his passenger.
克利姆也许在考虑一个真正的强盗早就带着马和马车消失了，走出森林，犹豫地走向他的乘客。

“Well, what were you frightened of, stupid? I . . . —-
“喂，你吓得是什么，傻瓜？我… —-

I was joking and you were frightened. Get in!”
我只是开玩笑，而你却害怕了。上车吧！”

“God be with you, sir,” Klim muttered as he clambered into the cart, “if I had known I wouldn’t have taken you for a hundred roubles. —-
“上帝与你同在，先生”，克林姆爬上马车时喃喃自语道，“如果我早知道，我就不会以100卢布的价格带你了。 —-

I almost died of fright. . . .”
我差点吓死了。。。”

Klim lashed at the little mare. The cart swayed. Klim lashed once more and the cart gave a lurch. —-
克林姆抽打着小母马。马车晃动起来。克林姆再次抽打，马车一个颠簸。 —-

After the fourth stroke of the whip when the cart moved forward, the surveyor hid his ears in his collar and sank into thought.
鞭子第四下抽打时，马车向前移动，勘测员把耳朵藏在领口里，陷入了思考中。

The road and Klim no longer seemed dangerous to him.
道路和克林姆对他来说再也不可怕了。