A COLLEGIATE assessor called Miguev stopped at a telegraph-post in the course of his evening walk and heaved a deep sigh. —
一名大专院校的考官名叫米格夫，他在散步的时候停在了一个电报柱旁，深深地叹了口气。 —

A week before, as he was returning home from his evening walk, he had been overtaken at that very spot by his former housemaid, Agnia, who said to him viciously:
一周前，他正是在这个地方回家的路上，被他以前的女仆阿格妮娅恶毒地拦住，对他说道：

“Wait a bit! I’ll cook you such a crab that’ll teach you to ruin innocent girls! —
“等着瞧！我会给你做一只让你知道损害无辜女孩的套蟹！ —

I’ll leave the baby at your door, and I’ll have the law of you, and I’ll tell your wife, too….”
“我会把孩子留在你家门口，我会找律师算你的账，我也会告诉你的妻子….”

And she demanded that he should put five thousand roubles into the bank in her name. —
她要求他在银行以她的名义存入五千卢布。 —

Miguev remembered it, heaved a sigh, and once more reproached himself with heartfelt repentance for the momentary infatuation which had caused him so much worry and misery.
米格夫记得这件事，叹了口气，并再次由衷地为自己当时短暂的狂热感到懊悔，这给他带来了很多烦恼和困扰。

When he reached his bungalow, he sat down to rest on the doorstep. —
当他到达自己的平房时，坐在门廊上休息。 —

It was just ten o’clock, and a bit of the moon peeped out from behind the clouds. —
当时刚刚十点钟，一点月亮从云层后露出了一点。 —

There was not a soul in the street nor near the bungalows; —
街上和平房附近一个人影都没有； —

elderly summer visitors were already going to bed, while young ones were walking in the wood. —
老年的避暑者已经上床睡觉了，而年轻人则在树林散步。 —

Feeling in both his pockets for a match to light his cigarette, Miguev brought his elbow into contact with something soft. —
米格夫在口袋里摸索着火柴准备点燃香烟时，用手肘碰到了柔软的东西。 —

He looked idly at his right elbow, and his face was instantly contorted by a look of as much horror as though he had seen a snake beside him. —
他漫不经心地看向右手肘，脸上顿时露出了一种恐惧的表情，就好像看到了自己身边有一条蛇一样。 —

On the step at the very door lay a bundle. —
就在门槛上躺着一个包裹。 —

Something oblong in shape was wrapped up in something—judging by the feel of it, a wadded quilt. —
一个长方形的东西被包裹在一个东西里面——按手感所判断，是一条衬衣。 —

One end of the bundle was a little open, and the collegiate assessor, putting in his hand, felt something damp and warm. —
包裹的一端稍微打开了一点，大专院校的考官伸手进去，感觉到一些潮湿和温暖的东西。 —

He leaped on to his feet in horror, and looked about him like a criminal trying to escape from his warders….
他恐惧地跳了起来，像一个逃脱似的犯人一样四处张望。

“She has left it!” he muttered wrathfully through his teeth, clenching his fists. “Here it lies. —
“她把它留下了！” 他咬紧牙齿咒骂着，握紧拳头。“就在这里。 —

… Here lies my transgression! O Lord!”
… 这就是我的过错！哦，上帝！

He was numb with terror, anger, and shame… What was he to do now? —
他被恐惧、愤怒和羞愧所震惊… 现在他该怎么办？ —

What would his wife say if she found out? What would his colleagues at the office say? —
如果他的妻子发现了会怎么想？如果办公室的同事们知道了又会怎么想？ —

His Excellency would be sure to dig him in the ribs, guffaw, and say: “I congratulate you!. —
他的阁下肯定会在他肋部戳一下，大笑着说：“我祝贺你！。 —

.. He-he-he! Though your beard is gray, your heart is gay…. You are a rogue, Semyon Erastovitch! —
… 呵呵呵！尽管你的胡子灰白，你的心还是快乐的… 你是个流氓，谢缅·埃拉斯托维奇！ —

” The whole colony of summer visitors would know his secret now, and probably the respectable mothers of families would shut their doors to him. —
”整个度假胜地的居民都会知道他的秘密，也许是尊重的家庭妻子们会拒绝他求情。 —

Such incidents always get into the papers, and the humble name of Miguev would be published all over Russia….
这样的事件总会报道在报纸上，谦卑的米格耶夫姓氏将被广播到俄罗斯各地。

The middle window of the bungalow was open and he could distinctly hear his wife, Anna Filippovna, laying the table for supper; —
小别墅的中间窗户是开着的，他可以清楚地听到妻子安娜·费利波夫娜正在为晚餐摆桌; —

in the yard close to the gate Yermolay, the porter, was plaintively strumming on the balalaika. —
院子里靠近大门处，门卫叶尔莫莱正在用巴拉莱卡伤感地弹奏着。 —

The baby had only to wake up and begin to cry, and the secret would be discovered. —
宝宝只要醒来哭泣一声，秘密就会被发现。 —

Miguev was conscious of an overwhelming desire to make haste.
米格耶夫感到一种压倒性的匆忙之感。

“Haste, haste!…” he muttered, “this minute, before anyone sees. —
“匆匆！…” 他喃喃自语，“这一分钟，趁没人看见。 —

I’ll carry it away and lay it on somebody’s doorstep….”
我要把它搬走，放到某人的门前。”

Miguev took the bundle in one hand and quietly, with a deliberate step to avoid awakening suspicion, went down the street….
米盖夫一手拿着包裹，小心翼翼地沿着街道走下去，以避免引起怀疑……

“A wonderfully nasty position!” he reflected, trying to assume an air of unconcern. —
“这是一个令人愉快的糟糕处境！”他想着，试图保持一副无所谓的样子。 —

“A collegiate assessor walking down the street with a baby! Good heavens! —
“一个高等院校的评估员带着一个婴儿走在街上！天哪！ —

if anyone sees me and understands the position, I am done for. —
如果有人看见我并明白了情况，那我就完了。 —

… I’d better put it on this doorstep. —
…我最好把它放在这个门阶上。 —

… No, stay, the windows are open and perhaps someone is looking. Where shall I put it? I know! —
…不，等等，窗户是开着的，也许有人在看。我应该把它放在哪里呢？我知道！ —

I’ll take it to the merchant Myelkin’s. —
我决定把婴儿带到麦尔金家去，尽管这个商人的别墅位于最远的街道，靠近河边。 —

… Merchants are rich people and tenderhearted; —
…商人是富裕并且心地善良的人； —

very likely they will say thank you and adopt it.”
很可能他们会说谢谢并领养它。”

And Miguev made up his mind to take the baby to Myelkin’s, although the merchant’s villa was in the furthest street, close to the river.
米盖夫下定决心把婴儿带到麦尔金家，尽管这个商人的别墅位于最远的街道，靠近河边。

“If only it does not begin screaming or wriggle out of the bundle,” thought the collegiate assessor. —
“只要它不开始哭泣或挣扎出包裹。”高等院校的评估员想到。 —

“This is indeed a pleasant surprise! Here I am carrying a human being under my arm as though it were a portfolio. —
“这确实是个惊喜！我现在抱着一个生命体，就像抱着一个公文包一样。 —

A human being, alive, with soul, with feelings like anyone else. —
一个有灵魂、有感情的生命体，和任何人一样。 —

… If by good luck the Myelkins adopt him, he may turn out somebody. —
…如果麦尔金家有幸领养他，他可能会成为一个重要人物。 —

… Maybe he will become a professor, a great general, an author…. Anything may happen! —
…也许他会成为一个教授、一位伟大的将军、一位作家…. 任何事都有可能发生！ —

Now I am carrying him under my arm like a bundle of rubbish, and perhaps in thirty or forty years I may not dare to sit down in his presence….”
现在我用手臂把他像一捆垃圾一样背在身上，也许三四十年后我将不敢坐在他面前……

As Miguev was walking along a narrow, deserted alley, beside a long row of fences, in the thick black shade of the lime trees, it suddenly struck him that he was doing something very cruel and criminal.
当米格维夹缝中的荒僻小巷里，一排长篱笆旁走着时，在苍松翠柏的浓密黑影下，他突然意识到自己在做一件非常残忍和犯罪的事情。

“How mean it is really!” he thought. “So mean that one can’t imagine anything meaner. —
“真卑鄙！”他想。“真卑鄙到无法想象更卑鄙的东西了。” —

… Why are we shifting this poor baby from door to door? —
……为什么我们要把这个可怜的婴儿从一家门搬到另一家门呢？ —

It’s not its fault that it’s been born. It’s done us no harm. We are scoundrels. —
他出生并没有错。它没有伤害过我们。我们是无赖。 —

… We take our pleasure, and the innocent babies have to pay the penalty. —
我们享乐，而无辜的婴儿却要为此付出代价。 —

Only to think of all this wretched business! —
只是想到这一切可怜的事情！ —

I’ve done wrong and the child has a cruel fate before it. —
我做错了，这个孩子将面临残酷的命运。 —

If I lay it at the Myelkins’ door, they’ll send it to the foundling hospital, and there it will grow up among strangers, in mechanical routine,. —
如果我把他放在迈耶尔金家门口，他们会把他送到救助院，他会在那里与陌生人一起长大，生活机械地例行公事。 —

.. no love, no petting, no spoiling…. And then he’ll be apprenticed to a shoemaker,. —
没有爱，没有宠爱，没有溺爱……然后他会被安排学徒去做鞋匠。 —

.. he’ll take to drink, will learn to use filthy language, will go hungry. A shoemaker! —
他会开始喝酒，会学会不雅用语，会挨饿。一个鞋匠！ —

and he the son of a collegiate assessor, of good family. —
而他却是大学评议员的儿子，出身良好。 —

… He is my flesh and blood,… ”
他是我的血脉……

Miguev came out of the shade of the lime trees into the bright moonlight of the open road, and opening the bundle, he looked at the baby.
米格维走出苍松翠柏的阴影，走进明亮的月光道路上，打开包裹，看着婴儿。

“Asleep!” he murmured. “You little rascal! —
“睡着了！”他低声说。“你这个小淘气！ —

why, you’ve an aquiline nose like your father’s. —
为什么，你有着像你父亲一样的鹰钩鼻。 —

… He sleeps and doesn’t feel that it’s his own father looking at him!. —
……他睡着了，感觉不到是自己的父亲在看着他！ —

.. It’s a drama, my boy… Well, well, you must forgive me. —
……这是一出戏剧，孩子啊……嗯，嗯，你必须原谅我。 —

Forgive me, old boy…. It seems it’s your fate….”
原谅我，老友……看来这是你的命运……”

The collegiate assessor blinked and felt a spasm running down his cheeks. —
学院顾问眨了眨眼，感觉到一股痉挛沿着他的面颊。 —

… He wrapped up the baby, put him under his arm, and strode on. —
……他把婴儿裹好，夹在胳膊下，大步走着。 —

All the way to the Myelkins’ villa social questions were swarming in his brain and conscience was gnawing in his bosom.
一路走到麦尔金斯的别墅，社交问题纷至沓来，良心在他的胸膛蠢蠢欲动。

“If I were a decent, honest man,” he thought, “I should damn everything, go with this baby to Anna Filippovna, fall on my knees before her, and say: —
“如果我是一个体面、诚实的人，”他想，“我应该诅咒一切，带着这个婴儿去找安娜·菲利波芙娜，跪在她面前，说： —

‘Forgive me! I have sinned! Torture me, but we won’t ruin an innocent child. —
‘原谅我！我犯了罪！折磨我吧，但我们不能毁了一个无辜的孩子。 —

We have no children; let us adopt him!’ She’s a good sort, she’d consent. —
我们没有孩子；让我们领养他吧！’她是个好人，她会同意的。 —

… And then my child would be with me…. Ech!”
……然后我的孩子就会和我在一起……唉！”

He reached the Myelkins’ villa and stood still hesitating. —
他走到麦尔金斯的别墅前停下，犹豫不定。 —

He imagined himself in the parlor at home, sitting reading the paper while a little boy with an aquiline nose played with the tassels of his dressing gown. —
他想象自己在家的客厅里坐着看报纸，而一个有着鹰钩鼻的小男孩玩着他睡袍上的流苏。 —

At the same time visions forced themselves on his brain of his winking colleagues, and of his Excellency digging him in the ribs and guffawing. —
与此同时，他的脑海里强迫着一些幻想，他的同事眨着眼，他的阁下在他肋骨上戳戳，咯咯笑个不停。 —

… Besides the pricking of his conscience, there was something warm, sad, and tender in his heart….
除了良心的刺痛外，他的心里还涌动着一种温暖、悲伤和柔软。

Cautiously the collegiate assessor laid the baby on the verandah step and waved his hand. —
小学顾问小心地把婴儿放在门廊的台阶上，挥了挥手。 —

Again he felt a spasm run over his face….
他再次感受到一阵痉挛划过他的脸庞….

“Forgive me, old fellow! I am a scoundrel,” he muttered. “Don’t remember evil against me.”
“原谅我，老朋友！我是个恶棍，”他喃喃自语。“别记恨我。”

He stepped back, but immediately cleared his throat resolutely and said:
他退后了一步，但立刻坚定地清了清嗓子，说道：

“Oh, come what will! Damn it all! I’ll take him, and let people say what they like!”
“哎呀，不管发生什么！见鬼！我会收养他，让人们怎么说都行！”

Miguev took the baby and strode rapidly back.
米格夫接过了婴儿，迅速地走回去。

“Let them say what they like,” he thought. “I’ll go at once, fall on my knees, and say: —
“随他们怎么说吧，”他想。“我会立刻跪下来，说： —

‘Anna Filippovna!’ Anna is a good sort, she’ll understand…. And we’ll bring him up. —
‘安娜·菲利波芙娜！’安娜是个好人，她会理解的….而且我们会抚养他。 —

… If it’s a boy we’ll call him Vladimir, and if it’s a girl we’ll call her Anna! —
…如果是男孩我们就叫他弗拉基米尔，如果是女孩我们就叫她安娜！ —

Anyway, it will be a comfort in our old age.”
反正，在我们年老时会有个安慰。”

And he did as he determined. Weeping and almost faint with shame and terror, full of hope and vague rapture, he went into his bungalow, went up to his wife, and fell on his knees before her.
他按照自己的决定去做了。充满了希望和模糊的喜悦，他几乎要晕厥的羞耻和恐惧中，步入了他的小别墅，走到他的妻子跟前，跪在她面前。

“Anna Filippovna!” he said with a sob, and he laid the baby on the floor. —
“安娜·菲利波芙娜！”他含泪说道，并把婴儿放在地板上。 —

“Hear me before you punish…. I have sinned! This is my child. —
“在你惩罚之前听我说….我犯了罪！这是我的孩子。 —

… You remember Agnia? Well, it was the devil drove me to it. …”
…你还记得阿格尼娅吗？唉，魔鬼逼迫我做这事….”

And, almost unconscious with shame and terror, he jumped up without waiting for an answer, and ran out into the open air as though he had received a thrashing….
然后，他几乎失去意识地羞愧和恐惧，不等待回答就跳了起来，像是挨了一顿揍一样跑到了户外….

“I’ll stay here outside till she calls me,” he thought. —
他想：“我就在外面等着，直到她叫我。” —

“I’ll give her time to recover, and to think it over….”
“我会给她一些时间恢复，并且好好考虑一下……”

The porter Yermolay passed him with his balalaika, glanced at him and shrugged his shoulders. —
门房叶尔莫拉伊提着巴拉莱卡经过他，瞥了一眼，耸了耸肩。 —

A minute later he passed him again, and again he shrugged his shoulders.
一分钟后，他再次经过他身边，又一次耸了耸肩。

“Here’s a go! Did you ever!” he muttered grinning. —
“真是的！你看过这样的事吗！”他咧着嘴笑着嘀咕道。 —

“Aksinya, the washer- woman, was here just now, Semyon Erastovitch. —
“阿克西尼娅，那个洗衣妇，刚才来过，谢缅·叶拉斯托维奇。 —

The silly woman put her baby down on the steps here, and while she was indoors with me, someone took and carried off the baby. —
这个傻女人把她的宝宝放在这里的台阶上，然后当她跟我在屋里的时候，有人把孩子抱走了。 —

.. Who’d have thought it!”
.. 谁能想到呢！”

“What? What are you saying?” shouted Miguev at the top of his voice.
“什么？你在说什么？”米格耶夫用最高的声音吼道。

Yermolay, interpreting his master’s wrath in his own fashion, scratched his head and heaved a sigh.
叶尔莫拉伊以自己的方式解释主人的愤怒，挠了挠头，叹了口气。

“I am sorry, Semyon Erastovitch,” he said, “but it’s the summer holidays,. —
“抱歉，谢缅·叶拉斯托维奇，”他说，“但是现在是暑假， —

.. one can’t get on without… without a woman, I mean….”
.. 一个人没法过……没有女人，我是说……”

And glancing at his master’s eyes glaring at him with anger and astonishment, he cleared his throat guiltily and went on:
瞥了一眼主人愤怒而惊讶的眼神，他有些愧疚地清了清嗓子，继续说道：

“It’s a sin, of course, but there—what is one to do?. —
“这是一种罪过，当然，但是……有什么办法呢？ —

.. You’ve forbidden us to have strangers in the house, I know, but we’ve none of our own now. —
.. 你禁止我们在屋子里接待陌生人，我知道，但是我们自己现在没有人。” —

When Agnia was here I had no women to see me, for I had one at home; —
当阿格尼娅在这里的时候，我家里已经有一个女人了，所以不会有其他女人来看我； —

but now, you can see for yourself, sir,… one can’t help having strangers. —
但现在，您可以看到，先生，…有些事情是无法避免的。 —

In Agnia’s time, of course, there was nothing irregular, because…”
在阿格尼娅的时候，当然没有什么不正常的，因为……

“Be off, you scoundrel!” Miguev shouted at him, stamping, and he went back into the room.
“滚开，你这个恶棍！” 米格耶夫气呼呼地对着他呵斥，然后他走回房间。

Anna Filippovna, amazed and wrathful, was sitting as before, her tear- stained eyes fixed on the baby….
安娜·菲利波夫娜惊讶而愤怒，坐在那里，眼睛泪痕斑斑地盯着婴儿……

“There! there!” Miguev muttered with a pale face, twisting his lips into a smile. —
“好了！好了！” 米格耶夫脸色苍白，嘴角挤出一丝微笑，喃喃自语。 —

“It was a joke…. It’s not my baby,… it’s the washer- woman’s! —
“那个！那个！” 米格耶夫嘟囔着，脸色苍白，扭曲着嘴唇露出笑容，“那不是我的孩子，… 那是洗衣妇的孩子！ —

… I… I was joking…. Take it to the porter.”
我……我在开玩笑…… 把它带给门房吧。”