GRISHA, a fat, solemn little person of seven, was standing by the kitchen door listening and peeping through the keyhole. —-
格里沙，一个七岁的肥胖、庄重的小人，站在厨房门口，透过钥匙孔偷看。 —-

In the kitchen something extraordinary, and in his opinion never seen before, was taking place. —-
厨房里正在发生一些非同寻常、在他看来前所未见的事情。 —-

A big, thick-set, red-haired peasant, with a beard, and a drop of perspiration on his nose, wearing a cabman’s full coat, was sitting at the kitchen table on which they chopped the meat and sliced the onions. —-
一个高大、浓眉大眼、胡子拉碴、滴着鼻子汗珠的红发农民，穿着出租车司机的大衣，坐在厨房的切肉板上，切洋葱。 —-

He was balancing a saucer on the five fingers of his right hand and drinking tea out of it, and crunching sugar so loudly that it sent a shiver down Grisha’s back. —-
他用右手的五指平衡着一个茶碟，喝着茶，咀嚼着糖，声音大得让格里沙的脊梁酥麻。 —-

Aksinya Stepanovna, the old nurse, was sitting on the dirty stool facing him, and she, too, was drinking tea. —-
老保姆阿克辛娅·斯捷潘诺夫娜坐在肥脏的凳子上，面对着他，也在喝茶。 —-

Her face was grave, though at the same time it beamed with a kind of triumph. —-
她的脸庄重而又洋溢着一种胜利的光辉。 —-

Pelageya, the cook, was busy at the stove, and was apparently trying to hide her face. —-
厨师佩拉盖娅正在灶台上忙碌，显然试图掩饰她的脸。 —-

And on her face Grisha saw a regular illumination: —-
而格里沙看到她脸上有一种明亮的发光： —-

it was burning and shifting through every shade of colour, beginning with a crimson purple and ending with a deathly white. —-
它燃烧着，变换着各种颜色，从深红紫开始，然后转为死一般的苍白。 —-

She was continually catching hold of knives, forks, bits of wood, and rags with trembling hands, moving, grumbling to herself, making a clatter, but in reality doing nothing. —-
她不停地抓起刀子、叉子、木头和抹布，手颤抖着，满屋乱响，但实际上什么也没有做。 —-

She did not once glance at the table at which they were drinking tea, and to the questions put to her by the nurse she gave jerky, sullen answers without turning her face.
她没有一次看一眼他们喝茶的桌子，对保姆的问题只是愤愤地、板着脸答道。

“Help yourself, Danilo Semyonitch,” the nurse urged him hospitably. —-
“请随便，丹尼洛·谢缪诺维奇，”保姆热情地劝他。 —-

“Why do you keep on with tea and nothing but tea? —-
“你为什么一直喝茶，只喝茶？ —-

You should have a drop of vodka!”
你应该来一小口伏特加！”

And nurse put before the visitor a bottle of vodka and a wine-glass, while her face wore a very wily expression.
保姆在客人面前放了一瓶伏特加和一个酒杯，她的脸上露出一种非常狡猾的表情。

“I never touch it. . . . No . . .” said the cabman, declining. —-
“我从来不碰它……不……”出租车司机拒绝道。 —-

“Don’t press me, Aksinya Stepanovna.”
“别逼我，阿克辛娜·斯捷潘诺夫娜。”

“What a man! . . . A cabman and not drink! . . . —-
“真是个男人啊！一个出租车司机不喝酒！” —-

A bachelor can’t get on without drinking. Help yourself!”
“单身汉离不开喝酒。随便喝吧！”

The cabman looked askance at the bottle, then at nurse’s wily face, and his own face assumed an expression no less cunning, as much as to say, “You won’t catch me, you old witch!”
出租车司机斜眼看着酒瓶，然后看着保姆狡猾的脸，他自己的脸也变得不那么单纯，似乎在说，“你套不住我，老巫婆！”

“I don’t drink; please excuse me. Such a weakness does not do in our calling. —-
“我不喝酒，请原谅。我们这个行当不能有这种弱点。” —-

A man who works at a trade may drink, for he sits at home, but we cabmen are always in view of the public. —-
一个做手艺的人可以喝酒，因为他在家里坐着，但我们出租车司机总在公众视线中。 —-

Aren’t we? If one goes into a pothouse one finds one’s horse gone; —-
对吗？如果一个人进酒馆，他会发现他的马不见了； —-

if one takes a drop too much it is worse still; —-
如果喝多了，情况会更糟； —-

before you know where you are you will fall asleep or slip off the box. —-
在你意识到之前你会睡着或从驾驶座滑下来。 —-

That’s where it is.”
就是这样。

“And how much do you make a day, Danilo Semyonitch?”
“丹尼洛·谢米昂诺维奇，你一天能赚多少钱？”

“That’s according. One day you will have a fare for three roubles, and another day you will come back to the yard without a farthing. —-
“这不一样。有一天你会有三卢布的车费，另一天你会毫无收获地回到车场。 —-

The days are very different. Nowadays our business is no good. —-
这些日子很不同。现在我们这行不景气。 —-

There are lots and lots of cabmen as you know, hay is dear, and folks are paltry nowadays and always contriving to go by tram. —-
像你知道的，出租车司机有很多，干草贵，人们如今贫乏且总是设法坐电车去。” —-

And yet, thank God, I have nothing to complain of. —-
然而，感谢上帝，我没有任何可抱怨的地方。 —-

I have plenty to eat and good clothes to wear, and . . . we could even provide well for another. . —-
我有充足的食物和好衣服可穿，并且……我们甚至可以为另一个人提供良好的生活。 —-

.” (the cabman stole a glance at Pelageya) “if it were to their liking. . . .”
（车夫偷偷瞄了一眼Pelageya）“如果他们喜欢的话……”

Grisha did not hear what was said further. —-
格里沙没有听到后面说的话。 —-

His mamma came to the door and sent him to the nursery to learn his lessons.
他妈妈走到门口，把他送到游戏室去学功课。

“Go and learn your lesson. It’s not your business to listen here!”
“去学习功课吧。不要在这里听。”

When Grisha reached the nursery, he put “My Own Book” in front of him, but he did not get on with his reading. —-
当格里沙到达游戏室时，他把《我的书》放在面前，但他没有继续阅读。 —-

All that he had just seen and heard aroused a multitude of questions in his mind.
刚才他所见和听到的一切在他脑海中引发了许多问题。

“The cook’s going to be married,” he thought. —-
“厨师要结婚了，”他想。 —-

“Strange—I don’t understand what people get married for. —-
“奇怪，我不明白人们结婚是为了什么。” —-

Mamma was married to papa, Cousin Verotchka to Pavel Andreyitch. —-
妈妈嫁给了爸爸，维罗奇卡嫁给了帕维尔·安德烈伊奇。 —-

But one might be married to papa and Pavel Andreyitch after all: —-
但是想一想，嫁给爸爸和帕维尔·安德烈伊奇也不错： —-

they have gold watch-chains and nice suits, their boots are always polished; —-
他们有金表链和漂亮的西装，他们的靴子总是擦得干净； —-

but to marry that dreadful cabman with a red nose and felt boots. . . . Fi! —-
但是嫁给那个可怕的红鼻子和毡靴的车夫……呸！ —-

And why is it nurse wants poor Pelageya to be married?”
还有，为什么保姆希望可怜的Pelageya结婚呢？

When the visitor had gone out of the kitchen, Pelageya appeared and began clearing away. —-
当访客离开厨房后，Pelageya出现并开始收拾。 —-

Her agitation still persisted. Her face was red and looked scared. —-
她的不安仍然持续着。她的脸红红的，看起来很害怕。 —-

She scarcely touched the floor with the broom, and swept every corner five times over. —-
她几乎用扫帚轻轻擦着地板，每个角落扫了五遍。 —-

She lingered for a long time in the room where mamma was sitting. —-
她在妈妈坐着的房间里逗留了很长时间。 —-

She was evidently oppressed by her isolation, and she was longing to express herself, to share her impressions with some one, to open her heart.
她显然被自己的孤立所压迫，她渴望表达自己，与某人分享她的印象，打开她的心扉。

“He’s gone,” she muttered, seeing that mamma would not begin the conversation.
“他走了，”她嘀咕道，看到妈妈不愿开口谈话。

“One can see he is a good man,” said mamma, not taking her eyes off her sewing. —-
“可以看出他是个好人，”妈妈说着，目不转睛地盯着她的针线。 —-

“Sober and steady.”
“冷静而稳重。”

“I declare I won’t marry him, mistress! —-
“我发誓我不会嫁给他，女主人！ —-

” Pelageya cried suddenly, flushing crimson. —-
“我发誓我不会！”Pelageya突然大声说道，脸红了。 —-

“I declare I won’t!”
“别傻了，你不是个孩子。这是一次严肃的决定；

“Don’t be silly; you are not a child. It’s a serious step; —-
你必须仔细考虑，说些废话没有意义。 —-

you must think it over thoroughly, it’s no use talking nonsense. —-
你喜欢他吗？” —-

Do you like him?”
“怎么会有这样的想法，女主人！”Pelageya羞愧地喊道。

“What an idea, mistress!” cried Pelageya, abashed. —-
“我发誓我不会，太不可思议了！” —-

“They say such things that . . . my goodness. . . .”
“他们说的话简直……哎呀……”

“She should say she doesn’t like him!” thought Grisha.
“她应该说她不喜欢他！”格里沙想道。

“What an affected creature you are. . . . Do you like him?”
“你真是个做作的人……你喜欢他吗？”

“But he is old, mistress!”
“但是他已经老了，女主人！”

“Think of something else,” nurse flew out at her from the next room. —-
“想点别的事情吧”，保姆从隔壁房间大喊道。 —-

“He has not reached his fortieth year; and what do you want a young man for? —-
“他还没有到40岁，你要年轻男人干什么？ —-

Handsome is as handsome does. . . . Marry him and that’s all about it!”
长相不重要……嫁给他就行了！”

“I swear I won’t,” squealed Pelageya.
“我发誓我不会的！”佩拉格娅尖叫道。

“You are talking nonsense. What sort of rascal do you want? —-
“你在胡说什么？你想要什么样的坏蛋？ —-

Anyone else would have bowed down to his feet, and you declare you won’t marry him. —-
其他人都会向他跪拜，只有你说你不愿意嫁给他。 —-

You want to be always winking at the postmen and tutors. —-
你想一直和邮递员和家庭教师眉来眼去。 —-

That tutor that used to come to Grishenka, mistress . . . —-
那个曾经来给格里申卡上课的家庭教师，女主人…… —-

she was never tired of making eyes at him. —-
她从来不厌其烦地向他放电。 —-

O-o, the shameless hussy!”
哦哦，这个无耻的婊子！”

“Have you seen this Danilo before?” mamma asked Pelageya.
“你以前见过这个达尼洛吗？”妈妈问佩拉格娅。

“How could I have seen him? I set eyes on him to-day for the first time. —-
“我怎么可能见过他？我今天才第一次看到他的。” —-

Aksinya picked him up and brought him along . . . the accursed devil. . —-
阿克辛娅把他捡了起来带了过来……那该死的恶魔……” —-

. . And where has he come from for my undoing!”
“他从哪里来想要毁了我？”

At dinner, when Pelageya was handing the dishes, everyone looked into her face and teased her about the cabman. —-
在晚餐时，当佩拉格娅递菜时，每个人都看着她的脸，取笑她和的士司机。 —-

She turned fearfully red, and went off into a forced giggle.
她害怕地脸红了，然后勉强笑了笑。

“It must be shameful to get married,” thought Grisha. “Terribly shameful.”
“结婚一定很丢脸，”格里夏心想，“非常丢脸。”

All the dishes were too salt, and blood oozed from the half-raw chickens, and, to cap it all, plates and knives kept dropping out of Pelageya’s hands during dinner, as though from a shelf that had given way; —-
所有的菜都太咸了，半生的鸡肉流出血水，更糟糕的是，佩拉格娅在用餐时不停地把盘子和刀子掉在手里，仿佛架子塌了一样； —-

but no one said a word of blame to her, as they all understood the state of her feelings. —-
但是没有人责备她，因为大家都明白她的心情。 —-

Only once papa flicked his table-napkin angrily and said to mamma:
只有爸爸生气地扔了餐巾，对妈妈说：

“What do you want to be getting them all married for? —-
“你干吗管他们结婚的事？ —-

What business is it of yours? Let them get married of themselves if they want to.”
关你什么事？他们想结婚就让他们自己结。”

After dinner, neighbouring cooks and maidservants kept flitting into the kitchen, and there was the sound of whispering till late evening. —-
晚饭后，邻居的厨娘和女佣们不停地进出厨房，晚上一直传来窃窃私语的声音。 —-

How they had scented out the matchmaking, God knows. —-
她们是怎么嗅出来的，只有上帝知道。 —-

When Grisha woke in the night he heard his nurse and the cook whispering together in the nursery. —-
格里夏在夜里醒来时听到保姆和厨娘在儿房里低声交谈。 —-

Nurse was talking persuasively, while the cook alternately sobbed and giggled. —-
保姆在劝说，而厨娘则时而哭泣时而傻笑。 —-

When he fell asleep after this, Grisha dreamed of Pelageya being carried off by Tchernomor and a witch.
当他在此之后睡着了，格里沙梦到了佩拉吉娅被切尔诺莫和女巫抓走的情景。

Next day there was a calm. The life of the kitchen went on its accustomed way as though the cabman did not exist. —-
第二天很平静。厨房的生活像往常一样进行着，好像车夫并不存在一样。 —-

Only from time to time nurse put on her new shawl, assumed a solemn and austere air, and went off somewhere for an hour or two, obviously to conduct negotiations. —-
奶妈只是时不时地披上自己的新披肩，摆出庄严而严肃的神情，然后离开一两个小时，显然是去进行谈判。 —-

. . . Pelageya did not see the cabman, and when his name was mentioned she flushed up and cried:
佩拉吉娅没有见过车夫，当他的名字被提到时，她脸红了起来，大声嚷道：

“May he be thrice damned! As though I should be thinking of him! Tfoo!”
“愿他被三次诅咒！我根本不会想他！呸！”

In the evening mamma went into the kitchen, while nurse and Pelageya were zealously mincing something, and said:
晚上，妈妈走进厨房，看到奶妈和佩拉吉娅正卖力地切碎什么东西，她说道：

“You can marry him, of course—that’s your business—but I must tell you, Pelageya, that he cannot live here. —-
“你们可以嫁给他，那是你们的事情，但我必须告诉你，佩拉吉娅，他不能住在这里。 —-

. . . You know I don’t like to have anyone sitting in the kitchen. —-
你知道我不喜欢任何人坐在厨房里。 —-

Mind now, remember . . . . And I can’t let you sleep out.”
记住，我不能让你睡外面。”

“Goodness knows! What an idea, mistress!” shrieked the cook. —-
“天哪！主人！真是个奇怪的想法！” 厨师尖叫道。 —-

“Why do you keep throwing him up at me? Plague take him! —-
“你为什么一直提起他？该死的！ —-

He’s a regular curse, confound him! . . .”
他简直是个诅咒，该死的！…”

Glancing one Sunday morning into the kitchen, Grisha was struck dumb with amazement. —-
一个星期天的早晨，格里沙探头进入了厨房，他惊讶得说不出话来。 —-

The kitchen was crammed full of people. Here were cooks from the whole courtyard, the porter, two policemen, a non-commissioned officer with good-conduct stripes, and the boy Filka. . —-
厨房挤满了人。这里有整个院子里的厨师，门卫，两名警察，一个带有模范品行标记的士官，还有男孩菲尔卡。。 —-

. . This Filka was generally hanging about the laundry playing with the dogs; —-
这个菲尔卡通常在洗衣房里和狗一起玩耍。 —-

now he was combed and washed, and was holding an ikon in a tinfoil setting. —-
现在他经过梳洗，抱着一个用锡纸包裹的圣像。 —-

Pelageya was standing in the middle of the kitchen in a new cotton dress, with a flower on her head. Beside her stood the cabman. —-
佩拉格娅穿着一件新的棉花裙子，头上戴着一朵花，站在厨房中间。她旁边站着车夫。 —-

The happy pair were red in the face and perspiring and blinking with embarrassment.
这对幸福的夫妇面红耳赤，汗流夹背，尴尬地眨眼。

“Well . . . I fancy it is time,” said the non-commissioned officer, after a prolonged silence.
“嗯……我觉得现在差不多是时候了。”非军事人员官在长时间的沉默后说道。

Pelageya’s face worked all over and she began blubbering. . . .
佩拉格娅的脸上表情复杂，她开始抽泣……

The soldier took a big loaf from the table, stood beside nurse, and began blessing the couple. —-
士兵从桌子上拿起一个大面包，站在保姆旁边，开始为这对夫妇祝福。 —-

The cabman went up to the soldier, flopped down on his knees, and gave a smacking kiss on his hand. —-
车夫走到士兵跟前，跪下来热烈地亲吻他的手。 —-

He did the same before nurse. Pelageya followed him mechanically, and she too bowed down to the ground. —-
他也在保姆面前做了同样的动作。佩拉格娅机械地跟着他，也鞠躬到地面。 —-

At last the outer door was opened, there was a whiff of white mist, and the whole party flocked noisily out of the kitchen into the yard.
最后，大门被打开，吹进一阵白雾，整个队伍喧闹地走出厨房到院子里去了。

“Poor thing, poor thing,” thought Grisha, hearing the sobs of the cook. —-
“可怜的家伙，可怜的家伙。”格里沙听见厨师的哭声，心里想道。 —-

“Where have they taken her? Why don’t papa and mamma protect her?”
“他们把她带到了哪里？为什么爸爸妈妈不保护她？”

After the wedding there was singing and concertina-playing in the laundry till late evening. —-
婚礼过后，洗衣房里一直在唱歌和演奏手风琴，直到傍晚。 —-

Mamma was cross all the evening because nurse smelt of vodka, and owing to the wedding there was no one to heat the samovar. —-
妈妈整个晚上都生气，因为保姆闻起来有酒味，而且因为婚礼的缘故没有人烧水炉。 —-

Pelageya had not come back by the time Grisha went to bed.
佩拉格娅在格里沙上床睡觉的时候还没有回来。

“The poor thing is crying somewhere in the dark!” he thought. —-
“可怜的家伙在黑暗中哭泣！”他想到。 —-

“While the cabman is saying to her ‘shut up!’”
“当出租车司机对她说‘闭嘴！’”

Next morning the cook was in the kitchen again. The cabman came in for a minute. —-
第二天早上，厨师又在厨房里。出租车司机进来了一会儿。 —-

He thanked mamma, and glancing sternly at Pelageya, said:
他感谢妈妈，严厉地瞪了一眼佩拉基娅，说道：

“Will you look after her, madam? Be a father and a mother to her. —-
“你能照顾她吗，夫人？做她的父亲和母亲。 —-

And you, too, Aksinya Stepanovna, do not forsake her, see that everything is as it should be . . . —-
亚克西娜·斯捷潘诺芙娜，你也不能放弃她，确保一切井井有条。 —-

without any nonsense. . . . And also, madam, if you would kindly advance me five roubles of her wages. —-
不要胡闹……夫人，如果您能借我五卢布她的工资。 —-

I have got to buy a new horse-collar.”
我得买个新马颈圈。”

Again a problem for Grisha: Pelageya was living in freedom, doing as she liked, and not having to account to anyone for her actions, and all at once, for no sort of reason, a stranger turns up, who has somehow acquired rights over her conduct and her property! —-
这又是个问题对于格里沙：佩拉基娅过着自由的生活，随心所欲，无需向任何人负责，突然间一个陌生人出现了，这个陌生人以某种方式获得了对她行为和财产的权力！ —-

Grisha was distressed. He longed passionately, almost to tears, to comfort this victim, as he supposed, of man’s injustice. —-
格里沙心烦意乱。他非常渴望，几乎要哭出来，慰问这个受害者，他认为她是被人类不公正对待的。 —-

Picking out the very biggest apple in the store-room he stole into the kitchen, slipped it into Pelageya’s hand, and darted headlong away.
他从储藏室里挑出最大的苹果，偷偷走进厨房，将它塞进佩拉基娅的手中，然后飞快地逃离了。