AT the furthest end of the village of Mironositskoe some belated sportsmen lodged for the night in the elder Prokofy’s barn. —
在米罗诺西茨科村的最边远处，一些疲惫的运动员在老普罗科夫的谷仓里过夜。 —

There were two of them, the veterinary surgeon Ivan Ivanovitch and the schoolmaster Burkin. —
他们中有两个人，兽医伊万·伊万诺维奇和教师布尔金。 —

Ivan Ivanovitch had a rather strange double-barrelled surname—Tchimsha-Himalaisky—which did not suit him at all, and he was called simply Ivan Ivanovitch all over the province. —
伊万·伊万诺维奇有一个相当奇怪的双音节姓氏——钦沙-西马拉依斯基，这个名字并不适合他，人们在整个省份都叫他伊万·伊万诺维奇。 —

He lived at a stud- farm near the town, and had come out shooting now to get a breath of fresh air. —
他住在城镇附近的一个种马场，这次出来打猎只是为了呼吸新鲜空气。 —

Burkin, the high-school teacher, stayed every summer at Count P—-’s, and had been thoroughly at home in this district for years.
布尔金，一名高中老师，每年夏天都住在P伯爵家，多年来对这个地区非常熟悉。

They did not sleep. Ivan Ivanovitch, a tall, lean old fellow with long moustaches, was sitting outside the door, smoking a pipe in the moonlight. —
他们没睡。伊万·伊万诺维奇是一个瘦高的老家伙，长着长长的胡子，在月光下坐在门外抽烟斗。 —

Burkin was lying within on the hay, and could not be seen in the darkness.
布尔金躺在干草上，人在黑暗中看不见。

They were telling each other all sorts of stories. —
他们互相讲着各种故事。 —

Among other things, they spoke of the fact that the elder’s wife, Mavra, a healthy and by no means stupid woman, had never been beyond her native village, had never seen a town nor a railway in her life, and had spent the last ten years sitting behind the stove, and only at night going out into the street.
除此之外，他们还谈到了一个事实，就是老普罗科夫的妻子玛芙拉，一个健康而绝不愚笨的女人，在她本村从未外出过，从未见过城镇或铁路，过去十年里只坐在火炉旁，晚上才到街上去。

“What is there wonderful in that!” said Burkin. —
“这有什么奇怪的！”布尔金说。 —

“There are plenty of people in the world, solitary by temperament, who try to retreat into their shell like a hermit crab or a snail. —
“世界上有很多性格孤僻的人，试图像寄居蟹或蜗牛一样退入自己的壳中。 —

Perhaps it is an instance of atavism, a return to the period when the ancestor of man was not yet a social animal and lived alone in his den, or perhaps it is only one of the diversities of human character—who knows? —
也许这是一种倒退现象，回到人类祖先还不是社会动物，独自生活在洞穴中的时期，或许也只是人性的多样性之一—谁知道呢？ —

I am not a natural science man, and it is not my business to settle such questions; —
我不是自然科学家，也不需要解决这些问题； —

I only mean to say that people like Mavra are not uncommon. There is no need to look far; —
我只是想说像玛芙拉这样的人并不少见。无需走远； —

two months ago a man called Byelikov, a colleague of mine, the Greek master, died in our town. —
两个月前，我的同事，希腊语老师拜利科夫，在我们镇上去世了。 —

You have heard of him, no doubt. He was remarkable for always wearing goloshes and a warm wadded coat, and carrying an umbrella even in the very finest weather. —
你肯定听说过他。他以总是穿着防水鞋和暖和的棉袄，即使在最好的天气也总是带着伞而出名。 —

And his umbrella was in a case, and his watch was in a case made of grey chamois leather, and when he took out his penknife to sharpen his pencil, his penknife, too, was in a little case; —
他的伞是装在一个盒子里的，手表也是装在灰色麂皮盒子里的，当他拿出剃笔削铅笔时，他的剃笔也是装在一个小盒子里的； —

and his face seemed to be in a case too, because he always hid it in his turned-up collar. —
他的脸似乎也是装在一个盒子里，因为他总是把脸藏在翻起的衣领里。 —

He wore dark spectacles and flannel vests, stuffed up his ears with cotton-wool, and when he got into a cab always told the driver to put up the hood. —
他戴着深色眼镜和法兰绒背心，把耳朵堵满棉花，上了出租车总是告诉司机把车顶盖上。 —

In short, the man displayed a constant and insurmountable impulse to wrap himself in a covering, to make himself, so to speak, a case which would isolate him and protect him from external influences. —
简而言之，这个人展示了一种持久而无法克服的冲动，把自己裹得严实，让自己，可以说是将自己包裹在一个外壳内，隔绝并保护自己免受外部影响。 —

Reality irritated him, frightened him, kept him in continual agitation, and, perhaps to justify his timidity, his aversion for the actual, he always praised the past and what had never existed; —
现实使他烦躁，使他恐惧，使他不停地焦虑，也许为了证明他的怯懦，他对实际的厌恶，在赞美过去和从未存在的事物时总是张口赞誉； —

and even the classical languages which he taught were in reality for him goloshes and umbrellas in which he sheltered himself from real life.
甚至他所教授的古典语言实际上对他来说也是防水鞋和伞，他用它们掩护自己免受真实生活的影响。

“‘Oh, how sonorous, how beautiful is the Greek language! —
“‘哦，希腊语多么响亮，多么美丽！’ —

’ he would say, with a sugary expression; —
他说得甜蜜； —

and as though to prove his words he would screw up his eyes and, raising his finger, would pronounce ‘Anthropos!’
并似乎为了证明自己的话，他会眯起眼睛，抬起手指，念道‘Anthropos！’

“And Byelikov tried to hide his thoughts also in a case. —
“别里克诺夫也试图让自己的想法藏在一个盒子里。 —

The only things that were clear to his mind were government circulars and newspaper articles in which something was forbidden. —
他脑海中唯一清晰明了的事物是政府通告和一些禁止的报纸文章。 —

When some proclamation prohibited the boys from going out in the streets after nine o’clock in the evening, or some article declared carnal love unlawful, it was to his mind clear and definite; —
当某项命令禁止男孩晚上九点后出门，或是某篇文章宣布肉体之爱不被允许，他认为这是清晰而明确的； —

it was forbidden, and that was enough. For him there was always a doubtful element, something vague and not fully expressed, in any sanction or permission. —
对于他来说，在任何许可或限制中总是存在一些不确定的因素，一些模糊和不完全表达的东西。 —

When a dramatic club or a reading-room or a tea-shop was licensed in the town, he would shake his head and say softly:
当城里获准开设戏剧俱乐部、阅览室或茶店时，他会摇头轻声说：

“It is all right, of course; it is all very nice, but I hope it won’t lead to anything!”
“当然，这一切都很好，但我希望这不会导致什么！”

“Every sort of breach of order, deviation or departure from rule, depressed him, though one would have thought it was no business of his. —
“任何秩序的破坏，偏离规则，都让他沮丧，虽然人们本以为这不关他的事。” —

If one of his colleagues was late for church or if rumours reached him of some prank of the high-school boys, or one of the mistresses was seen late in the evening in the company of an officer, he was much disturbed, and said he hoped that nothing would come of it. —
“如果他的一个同事迟到了教堂，或者有传闻说高中男生捉弄了某人，或者有一个女老师在晚上和一个军官在一起，他都会感到很不安，说希望不会有什么风波。” —

At the teachers’ meetings he simply oppressed us with his caution, his circumspection, and his characteristic reflection on the ill-behaviour of the young people in both male and female high-schools, the uproar in the classes.
“在教师会议上，他总是用他的谨慎、圆滑和那种思考性的特质，使我们感到沉重，他谈论青年人的不当行为，男女高中的吵闹声。”

“Oh, he hoped it would not reach the ears of the authorities; —
“哦，他希望这不会传到当局的耳中； —

oh, he hoped nothing would come of it; and he thought it would be a very good thing if Petrov were expelled from the second class and Yegorov from the fourth. —
哦，他希望不会有任何后果；他觉得如果彼得罗夫被开除出二班，叶戈罗夫被开除出四班会是件很好的事情。” —

And, do you know, by his sighs, his despondency, his black spectacles on his pale little face, a little face like a pole-cat’s, you know, he crushed us all, and we gave way, reduced Petrov’s and Yegorov’s marks for conduct, kept them in, and in the end expelled them both. —
“你知道，他的叹息、沮丧、黑色眼镜遮住的那张像臭猫的苍白小脸，你懂的，他压垮了我们所有人，于是我们让步，给彼得罗夫和叶戈罗夫降低了品行成绩，留校关了他们，最终把他们俩都开除了。” —

He had a strange habit of visiting our lodgings. —
“他有个奇怪的习惯，到我们家里做客。 —

He would come to a teacher’s, would sit down, and remain silent, as though he were carefully inspecting something. —
他会到一个老师那里，坐下来，然后保持沉默，仿佛在仔细查看什么。 —

He would sit like this in silence for an hour or two and then go away. —
他会这样静坐一个小时或两个小时，然后离开。 —

This he called ‘maintaining good relations with his colleagues’; —
他说这就是‘保持与同事之间的良好关系’； —

and it was obvious that coming to see us and sitting there was tiresome to him, and that he came to see us simply because he considered it his duty as our colleague. —
显然，来看我们而且安静地坐在那里对他是件苦差事，他只是觉得作为我们的同事，他认为来看我们是他的责任。 —

We teachers were afraid of him. And even the headmaster was afraid of him. —
我们老师们都很害怕他。甚至校长也害怕他。 —

Would you believe it, our teachers were all intellectual, right-minded people, brought up on Turgenev and Shtchedrin, yet this little chap, who always went about with goloshes and an umbrella, had the whole high-school under his thumb for fifteen long years! —
你相信吗，我们的老师们都是有思想、有正直品性的人，他们受过屠格涅夫和什切青的熏陶，但是这个总是戴着胶鞋和伞的小家伙，十五年来却让整个高中为他所摆布！ —

High-school, indeed—he had the whole town under his thumb! —
高中呢—他把整个城镇都控制在手中！ —

Our ladies did not get up private theatricals on Saturdays for fear he should hear of it, and the clergy dared not eat meat or play cards in his presence. —
我们的女士们星期六不私下排练戏剧是因为害怕他会听到，而教士们则不敢在他面前吃肉或打牌。 —

Under the influence of people like Byelikov we have got into the way of being afraid of everything in our town for the last ten or fifteen years. —
在像别利科夫这样的人影响下，我们在过去的十五年里已经变得害怕我们镇上的一切。 —

They are afraid to speak aloud, afraid to send letters, afraid to make acquaintances, afraid to read books, afraid to help the poor, to teach people to read and write….”
他们害怕大声说话，害怕寄信，害怕结交朋友，害怕读书，害怕帮助穷人，害怕教人读写……

Ivan Ivanovitch cleared his throat, meaning to say something, but first lighted his pipe, gazed at the moon, and then said, with pauses:
伊万·伊凡诺维奇清了清嗓子，想说点什么，但先点燃了烟斗，凝视着月亮，然后带着停顿说道:

“Yes, intellectual, right minded people read Shtchedrin and Turgenev, Buckle, and all the rest of them, yet they knocked under and put up with it. —
“是的，有思想的正义之士们读着什切金和屠格涅夫、巴克尔等等，然而他们屈服了，纵容了这一切。 —

.. that’s just how it is.”
.. 就是这样。”

“Byelikov lived in the same house as I did,” Burkin went on, “on the same storey, his door facing mine; —
“别利科夫和我住在同一栋楼的一个单元，他的门正对着我的门; —

we often saw each other, and I knew how he lived when he was at home. —
我们经常见面，我知道他在家是怎么生活的。 —

And at home it was the same story: dressing-gown, nightcap, blinds, bolts, a perfect succession of prohibitions and restrictions of all sorts, and—‘Oh, I hope nothing will come of it! —
在家里的情况也是一样：穿着袍子，戴着帽子，拉上窗帘，拴上锁，各种各样的禁令和限制一个接着一个，‘哦，希望不会有事发生! —

’ Lenten fare was bad for him, yet he could not eat meat, as people might perhaps say Byelikov did not keep the fasts, and he ate freshwater fish with butter—not a Lenten dish, yet one could not say that it was meat. —
’斋戒食物对他是不好的，然而他不能吃肉，因为人们或许会说别利科夫没有守斋，他会吃淡水鱼加黄油——不是斋戒菜肴，但却不能说是肉。 —

He did not keep a female servant for fear people might think evil of him, but had as cook an old man of sixty, called Afanasy, half-witted and given to tippling, who had once been an officer’s servant and could cook after a fashion. —
他没有女佣，因为害怕人们会对他有恶意的想法，而是请了一个六十岁的老男仆阿凡纳西当厨师，粗心且爱酗酒，他曾经是一个军官的仆人，做菜还算过得去。 —

This Afanasy was usually standing at the door with his arms folded; —
这个阿凡纳西通常站在门口，双臂交叉; —

with a deep sigh, he would mutter always the same thing:
他总是带着深深的叹息喃喃自语着同样的话:

“‘There are plenty of them about nowadays!’
“如今都是这样多啊!”

“Byelikov had a little bedroom like a box; his bed had curtains. —
“别利科夫有一个像盒子一样小的卧室；他的床有帘子。 —

When he went to bed he covered his head over; it was hot and stuffy; —
他躺下时把头盖住了；屋里很热和闷； —

the wind battered on the closed doors; there was a droning noise in the stove and a sound of sighs from the kitchen—ominous sighs. —
风猛烈地拍打着关闭的门；炉子里传来嗡嗡声和厨房里传来的叹息声——令人不安的叹息声； —

… And he felt frightened under the bed-clothes. —
…他蜷缩在被窝里感到害怕； —

He was afraid that something might happen, that Afanasy might murder him, that thieves might break in, and so he had troubled dreams all night, and in the morning, when we went together to the high-school, he was depressed and pale, and it was evident that the high-school full of people excited dread and aversion in his whole being, and that to walk beside me was irksome to a man of his solitary temperament.
他害怕可能发生什么事情，害怕阿方西可能会谋杀他，担心小偷会闯入，所以整晚都做了恶梦，早上我们一起去高中时，他显得沮丧苍白，显然高中那里的熙熙攘攘对他的整个人造成了恐惧和厌恶，和我一起走让他这种孤僻性格的人感到厌烦；

“‘They make a great noise in our classes,’ he used to say, as though trying to find an explanation for his depression. —
“‘他们在我们班里闹得很厉害，’他常说，仿佛试图找个解释来解释他的沮丧； —

‘It’s beyond anything.’
‘简直超出想象范围；’

“And the Greek master, this man in a case—would you believe it?—almost got married.”
“而那位希腊语老师，一个文具盒里的人——你能相信吗？——几乎结婚了；

Ivan Ivanovitch glanced quickly into the barn, and said:
伊凡·伊凡诺维奇迅速地瞥了一眼谷仓，说：

“You are joking!”
“你在开玩笑吧！”

“Yes, strange as it seems, he almost got married. —
“是的，尽管看似奇怪，他几乎结婚了； —

A new teacher of history and geography, Milhail Savvitch Kovalenko, a Little Russian, was appointed. He came, not alone, but with his sister Varinka. —
任命了一位新的历史和地理老师，米哈伊尔·萨维奇·科瓦连科，一个小俄罗斯人，他不是独自一人，而是带着他的姐姐瓦琳卡一起来的； —

He was a tall, dark young man with huge hands, and one could see from his face that he had a bass voice, and, in fact, he had a voice that seemed to come out of a barrel—‘boom, boom, boom! —
他是个高个子，黑皮肤，双手巨大，从他的脸上可以看出他有个男中音的嗓音；事实上，他有一个似乎从桶里传出的声音——‘隆隆隆！’ —

’ And she was not so young, about thirty, but she, too, was tall, well-made, with black eyebrows and red cheeks—in fact, she was a regular sugar-plum, and so sprightly, so noisy; —
她则不那么年轻，约莫三十岁，但她也高大，身材匀称，黑眉毛和红脸颊——事实上，她很好看，活泼有趣，爱说爱笑； —

she was always singing Little Russian songs and laughing. —
她总是唱着小俄罗斯的歌，笑声不断； —

For the least thing she would go off into a ringing laugh—‘Ha-ha-ha! —
只要有点儿事，她就会开心的笑出声来——‘哈哈哈！’ —

’ We made our first thorough acquaintance with the Kovalenkos at the headmaster’s name-day party. Among the glum and intensely bored teachers who came even to the name-day party as a duty we suddenly saw a new Aphrodite risen from the waves; —
我们第一次真正地认识了科瓦连科一家是在校长的名日聚会上。在那些闷闷不乐，极度无聊的老师中，他们连出席名日聚会都是出于一种义务，我们忽然看到了一位从海浪中崛起的新女神， —

she walked with her arms akimbo, laughed, sang, danced. —
她手插腰，放声大笑，歌唱，跳舞。 —

… She sang with feeling ‘The Winds do Blow,’ then another song, and another, and she fascinated us all—all, even Byelikov. —
……她用感情满怀地唱着“风在吹”，然后是另一首歌，再一首，她迷住了我们所有人——所有人，甚至白里科夫。 —

He sat down by her and said with a honeyed smile:
他坐在她旁边，带着甜蜜的微笑说：

“‘The Little Russian reminds one of the ancient Greek in its softness and agreeable resonance.’
“‘小俄罗斯话听起来像古希腊语那样柔和动听。’

“That flattered her, and she began telling him with feeling and earnestness that they had a farm in the Gadyatchsky district, and that her mamma lived at the farm, and that they had such pears, such melons, such kabaks! —
“这讨好了她，她开始真诚而热情地告诉他，他们在加焦契斯基区有一座农场，她妈妈住在那座农场，他们有这么好的梨子，这么好的甜瓜，这么好的南瓜！ —

The Little Russians call pumpkins kabaks (i. —
小俄罗斯人把南瓜叫做kabaks。 —

e., pothouses), while their pothouses they call shinki, and they make a beetroot soup with tomatoes and aubergines in it, ‘which was so nice—awfully nice!’
而他们称他们的房子为shinki,并在其中加入了番茄和茄子的甜菜根汤，“非常好吃—非常好吃！’

“We listened and listened, and suddenly the same idea dawned upon us all:
“我们一直在倾听，突然我们所有人都产生了同样的想法：

“‘It would be a good thing to make a match of it,’ the headmaster’s wife said to me softly.
“‘把他们俩配成一对将是件好事，’校长夫人悄声对我说。

“We all for some reason recalled the fact that our friend Byelikov was not married, and it now seemed to us strange that we had hitherto failed to observe, and had in fact completely lost sight of, a detail so important in his life. —
“我们都忽然想起我们的朋友别尔科夫还没有结婚，而且现在我们认为我们竟然没有注意到，并且完全忽视了他生活中这么重要的一个细节，这对我们来说现在显得很奇怪。 —

What was his attitude to woman? How had he settled this vital question for himself? —
他对妇女的态度是什么？他如何解决了这个关键问题？ —

This had not interested us in the least till then; —
这直到那时我们一直都不感兴趣； —

perhaps we had not even admitted the idea that a man who went out in all weathers in goloshes and slept under curtains could be in love.
也许我们甚至还没有想到穿着防水鞋出门、在帷幕下睡觉的人可能会恋爱。

“‘He is a good deal over forty and she is thirty,’ the headmaster’s wife went on, developing her idea. —
“‘他快四十多了，她三十岁，’校长夫人继续发展她的想法。 —

‘I believe she would marry him.’
‘我相信她会嫁给他的。’

“All sorts of things are done in the provinces through boredom, all sorts of unnecessary and nonsensical things! —
“乡下因为无聊而做出各种事情，各种不必要和荒谬的事情！ —

And that is because what is necessary is not done at all. —
那是因为必要的事情根本没有做。 —

What need was there for instance, for us to make a match for this Byelikov, whom one could not even imagine married? —
例如，我们为这个不可能想象结婚的别尔科夫牵线搭桥，这有什么必要呢？ —

The headmaster’s wife, the inspector’s wife, and all our high- school ladies, grew livelier and even better-looking, as though they had suddenly found a new object in life. —
校长夫人、督学夫人和我们所有的中学女士们变得更加活泼甚至更漂亮，仿佛她们突然找到了新的生活目标。 —

The headmaster’s wife would take a box at the theatre, and we beheld sitting in her box Varinka, with such a fan, beaming and happy, and beside her Byelikov, a little bent figure, looking as though he had been extracted from his house by pincers. —
校长夫人会在剧院包厢，我们看到坐在她包厢里的瓦琳卡，拿着一把扇子，笑得幸福满面，而身旁是别尔科夫，一个有点驼背的身影，看起来像是被钳子夹出来的。 —

I would give an evening party, and the ladies would insist on my inviting Byelikov and Varinka. —
我会举办一个晚会，女士们会坚持让我邀请别尔科夫和瓦琳卡。 —

In short, the machine was set in motion. It appeared that Varinka was not averse to matrimony. —
总之，这个机器已经开始运转。似乎瓦琳卡并不反对婚姻。 —

She had not a very cheerful life with her brother; —
她和她的哥哥过得并不开心； —

they could do nothing but quarrel and scold one another from morning till night. —
他们除了从早到晚争吵和责骂之外什么也做不了。 —

Here is a scene, for instance. Kovalenko would be coming along the street, a tall, sturdy young ruffian, in an embroidered shirt, his love-locks falling on his forehead under his cap, in one hand a bundle of books, in the other a thick knotted stick, followed by his sister, also with books in her hand.
比如这里就是一个场景。科瓦连科会沿着街道走来，一个高大强壮的年轻恶棍，身穿刺绣的衬衣，头上戴着帽子，额前落着一缕情人发，一手拿着一捆书，另一手握着一根粗壮的打结的棍子，身后跟着他的姐姐，手里也拿着书。

“‘But you haven’t read it, Mihalik!’ she would be arguing loudly. —
“‘你还没读过，米哈利克！’她会大声争辩。 —

‘I tell you, I swear you have not read it at all!’
“‘我告诉你，我发誓你根本没有读过！’

“‘And I tell you I have read it,’ cries Kovalenko, thumping his stick on the pavement.
“‘我告诉你我读过了，’科瓦连科边说边在人行道上猛敲着他的棍子。

“‘Oh, my goodness, Mihalik! why are you so cross? We are arguing about principles.’
“‘哦，天啊，米哈利克！你为什么这么脾气暴躁？我们在讨论原则。’

“‘I tell you that I have read it!’ Kovalenko would shout, more loudly than ever.
“‘我告诉你我读过了！’科瓦连科更是大声喊道。

“And at home, if there was an outsider present, there was sure to be a skirmish. —
“而在家里，如果有外人在场，肯定会发生一场冲突。 —

Such a life must have been wearisome, and of course she must have longed for a home of her own. —
这样的生活一定令人厌倦，当然她一定渴望有自己的家。 —

Besides, there was her age to be considered; there was no time left to pick and choose; —
此外，还要考虑到她的年龄；已经没有时间挑剔选择了； —

it was a case of marrying anybody, even a Greek master. —
在结婚对象上已经不再挑剔，甚至愿意嫁给一个希腊老师。 —

And, indeed, most of our young ladies don’t mind whom they marry so long as they do get married. —
而且，事实上，我们大多数的年轻女士无论嫁给谁都无所谓，只要找到个结婚对象。 —

However that may be, Varinka began to show an unmistakable partiality for Byelikov.
无论怎样，瓦琳卡开始明显偏爱别利科夫。

“And Byelikov? He used to visit Kovalenko just as he did us. —
“白利科夫呢？他像来看科瓦连科一样来看我们。 —

He would arrive, sit down, and remain silent. —
他会来，坐下，保持沉默。 —

He would sit quiet, and Varinka would sing to him ‘The Winds do Blow,’ or would look pensively at him with her dark eyes, or would suddenly go off into a peal—‘Ha-ha-ha!’
他会安静地坐着，瓦琳卡会给他唱《风在吹》，或者用她的深邃眼睛凝视着他，或者突然间会笑出声来——’哈哈哈！’

“Suggestion plays a great part in love affairs, and still more in getting married. —
“暗示在恋爱事务中起着重要作用，更在结婚中。 —

Everybody—both his colleagues and the ladies—began assuring Byelikov that he ought to get married, that there was nothing left for him in life but to get married; —
大家——同事和女士们——都开始向白利科夫保证他应该结婚，生活中没什么别的事了，只有结婚； —

we all congratulated him, with solemn countenances delivered ourselves of various platitudes, such as ‘Marriage is a serious step. —
我们都祝贺他，正襟危坐地说些陈词滥调，比如 ‘结婚是一件严肃的事。 —

’ Besides, Varinka was good-looking and interesting; —
再说，瓦琳卡长得漂亮，有趣； —

she was the daughter of a civil councillor, and had a farm; —
她是市政参事的女儿，还有庄园； —

and what was more, she was the first woman who had been warm and friendly in her manner to him. —
更重要的是，她是第一个对他表现出温暖和友好的女人。 —

His head was turned, and he decided that he really ought to get married.”
他被冲昏头脑，决定他真的应该结婚。”

“Well, at that point you ought to have taken away his goloshes and umbrella,” said Ivan Ivanovitch.
“噢，那时你应该把他的高筒鞋和雨伞拿走了，”伊万·伊万诺维奇说。

“Only fancy! that turned out to be impossible. —
“想象一下！那事实上是不可能的。 —

He put Varinka’s portrait on his table, kept coming to see me and talking about Varinka, and home life, saying marriage was a serious step. —
他把瓦琳卡的肖像放在桌上，仍然经常来看我，谈论瓦琳卡和家庭生活，说结婚是一件严肃的事。 —

He was frequently at Kovalenko’s, but he did not alter his manner of life in the least; —
他经常去科瓦连科那里，但他的生活方式一点也没改变； —

on the contrary, indeed, his determination to get married seemed to have a depressing effect on him. He grew thinner and paler, and seemed to retreat further and further into his case.
相反，事实上，他决心结婚似乎对他产生了抑郁的影响。他变得瘦弱，苍白，似乎越来越躲入自己的壳中。

“‘I like Varvara Savvishna,’ he used to say to me, with a faint and wry smile, ‘and I know that every one ought to get married, but. —
“‘我喜欢瓦尔瓦拉·萨维什娜，’他常常对我说，微微一笑，‘我知道每个人都应该结婚，但是。 —

.. you know all this has happened so suddenly. —
“.. 你知道这一切发生得太突然。 —

… One must think a little.’
“.. 人必须多考虑一下。

“‘What is there to think over?’ I used to say to him. ‘Get married—that is all.’
“‘有什么需要考虑的呢？’我常对他说。‘结婚就是了。”

“‘No; marriage is a serious step. One must first weigh the duties before one, the responsibilities. —
“‘不；结婚是一件严肃的事。人必须先权衡面前的责任，考虑周到。 —

.. that nothing may go wrong afterwards. It worries me so much that I don’t sleep at night. —
“.. 以免以后出现问题。这让我很担心，晚上我都睡不着。 —

And I must confess I am afraid: her brother and she have a strange way of thinking; —
“而且我必须承认我有些害怕：她哥哥和她有一种奇怪的想法； —

they look at things strangely, you know, and her disposition is very impetuous. —
“他们看待事物的方式很奇怪，你懂的，而她的性情非常冲动。 —

One may get married, and then, there is no knowing, one may find oneself in an unpleasant position.’
“人可以结婚，然后，就不知道了，可能会陷入不愉快的境地。”

“And he did not make an offer; he kept putting it off, to the great vexation of the headmaster’s wife and all our ladies; —
“他不曾提出求婚；他一直在拖延，让校长夫人和我们所有的女士大感恼火； —

he went on weighing his future duties and responsibilities, and meanwhile he went for a walk with Varinka almost every day—possibly he thought that this was necessary in his position—and came to see me to talk about family life. —
“他继续权衡他未来的责任和义务，同时几乎每天都和瓦琳卡散步—也许他认为这对他的地位是必要的—然后来找我谈论家庭生活。 —

And in all probability in the end he would have proposed to her, and would have made one of those unnecessary, stupid marriages such as are made by thousands among us from being bored and having nothing to do, if it had not been for a kolossalische scandal. —
“最后他可能会向她求婚，然后俨然做出了那种不必要的蠢事婚姻，这种婚姻在我们之中成千上万地因为厌烦和无事可做而结成，如果不是因为一个巨大的丑闻。 —

I must mention that Varinka’s brother, Kovalenko, detested Byelikov from the first day of their acquaintance, and could not endure him.
我必须提一下，瓦琳卡的哥哥科瓦连科从认识贝尔柳科的第一天就厌恶他，无法忍受他。

“‘I don’t understand,’ he used to say to us, shrugging his shoulders—‘I don’t understand how you can put up with that sneak, that nasty phiz. —
“‘我不明白，’他对我们说，耸耸肩膀-‘我不明白你们怎么能容忍那个阴险的人，那张恶心的脸。 —

Ugh! how can you live here! The atmosphere is stifling and unclean! —
“啊！你们怎么能在这儿生活！这里的气氛让人窒息而且不洁！ —

Do you call yourselves schoolmasters, teachers? You are paltry government clerks. —
你们自称为校长、老师吗？你们不过是一群微不足道的政府职员。 —

You keep, not a temple of science, but a department for red tape and loyal behaviour, and it smells as sour as a police-station. —
你们维护的并非一座科学殿堂，而是一个纸卷与忠诚行为的部门，散发着像警察局般酸臭的气味。 —

No, my friends; I will stay with you for a while, and then I will go to my farm and there catch crabs and teach the Little Russians. —
不，我的朋友们；我会和你们待一段时间，然后去我的农场，捉螃蟹并教导小俄罗斯人。 —

I shall go, and you can stay here with your Judas—damn his soul!’
我会离开，而你们可以和你们的贼人——可恨的鬼东西！—待在这里。

“Or he would laugh till he cried, first in a loud bass, then in a shrill, thin laugh, and ask me, waving his hands:
“他笑得快要哭了，先是用沉重的低音笑声，然后换成尖细的笑声，挥舞着手，问我：

“‘What does he sit here for? What does he want? He sits and stares.’
“‘他在这里干嘛？他想要什么？他坐在那里盯着。”

“He even gave Byelikov a nickname, ‘The Spider. —
“他甚至给别列科夫起了个绰号，‘蜘蛛。 —

’ And it will readily be understood that we avoided talking to him of his sister’s being about to marry ‘The Spider.’
’可以理解，我们都避免提起他的姐姐即将嫁给‘蜘蛛’这个话题。

“And on one occasion, when the headmaster’s wife hinted to him what a good thing it would be to secure his sister’s future with such a reliable, universally respected man as Byelikov, he frowned and muttered:
“一次，校长的妻子暗示他，让姐姐和别列科夫这样一个可靠、广受尊敬的人结婚是多么美好的事，他皱起眉头嘟囔道：

“‘It’s not my business; let her marry a reptile if she likes. —
“‘这不关我的事；她想和条虫结婚就让她结。 —

I don’t like meddling in other people’s affairs.’
我不喜欢干涉别人的事务。

“Now hear what happened next. Some mischievous person drew a caricature of Byelikov walking along in his goloshes with his trousers tucked up, under his umbrella, with Varinka on his arm; —
“现在听听接下来发生了什么。有人恶作剧画了一幅别列科夫穿着雨鞋，裤子挽起，撑着伞，搀着瓦琳卡走路的漫画； —

below, the inscription ‘Anthropos in love.’ The expression was caught to a marvel, you know. —
下方题着‘爱情中的人类。’表情被刻画得相当到位，你懂的。 —

The artist must have worked for more than one night, for the teachers of both the boys’ and girls’ high-schools, the teachers of the seminary, the government officials, all received a copy. —
这位艺术家一定连续工作了不止一个晚上，因为男女高中的老师们、中学的老师们、教会学校的老师们、政府官员，都收到了一份副本。 —

Byelikov received one, too. The caricature made a very painful impression on him.
别列科夫也收到了一份。这幅漫画给他造成了极其痛苦的印象。

“We went out together; it was the first of May, a Sunday, and all of us, the boys and the teachers, had agreed to meet at the high-school and then to go for a walk together to a wood beyond the town. —
“我们一起出去;那是五月一日，一个星期天，我们所有的人，男孩和老师，都约好在高中集合，然后一起去镇外一个树林散步。 —

We set off, and he was green in the face and gloomier than a storm-cloud.
我们出发了，他脸色发青，比暴风云还阴沉。

“‘What wicked, ill-natured people there are!’ he said, and his lips quivered.
“‘世上怎么会有这么坏心眼的人!’他说，嘴唇颤抖着。

“I felt really sorry for him. We were walking along, and all of a sudden—would you believe it? —
“我真的很为他感到难过。我们一起走着，突然—你能信么? —

—Kovalenko came bowling along on a bicycle, and after him, also on a bicycle, Varinka, flushed and exhausted, but good-humoured and gay.
—科瓦连科骑着自行车飞驰而过，跟在他后面的是瓦琳卡，脸红气喘，但心情愉快而开朗。

“‘We are going on ahead,’ she called. ‘What lovely weather! Awfully lovely!’
“‘我们先走一步，’她喊道。‘天气多美啊！真的好美！’

“And they both disappeared from our sight. —
“然后他们消失在我们的视线之外。 —

Byelikov turned white instead of green, and seemed petrified. —
别利科夫的脸从青变白，看起来僵化了。 —

He stopped short and stared at me….
他停了下来，盯着我看….

“‘What is the meaning of it? Tell me, please!’ he asked. ‘Can my eyes have deceived me? —
“‘这是什么意思？请告诉我！’他问道。‘难道我的眼睛看错了吗？ —

Is it the proper thing for high-school masters and ladies to ride bicycles?’
高中老师和女士们骑自行车合适吗？’

“‘What is there improper about it?’ I said. ‘Let them ride and enjoy themselves.’
“‘这有什么不合适的？’我说。‘让他们骑自行车和享受自己吧。’

“‘But how can that be?’ he cried, amazed at my calm. ‘What are you saying?’
“‘但这怎么可能？’他惊讶地说道。‘你在说什么？’

“And he was so shocked that he was unwilling to go on, and returned home.
“他如此震惊，以至于不愿意继续前行，就回家了。

“Next day he was continually twitching and nervously rubbing his hands, and it was evident from his face that he was unwell. —
“第二天，他不断地抽搐，紧张地揉着手，从他的脸上可以看出他不舒服。 —

And he left before his work was over, for the first time in his life. And he ate no dinner. —
他在工作还未结束前就离开了，这在他一生中是第一次。晚饭他也没有吃。 —

Towards evening he wrapped himself up warmly, though it was quite warm weather, and sallied out to the Kovalenkos’. —
黄昏时分，他裹得很暖和，虽然天气已经很热，便走出去找科瓦连科一家。 —

Varinka was out; he found her brother, however.
瓦琳卡不在家；不过他找到了她的兄弟。

“‘Pray sit down,’ Kovalenko said coldly, with a frown. His face looked sleepy; —
“请坐”，科瓦连科板着脸冷冷地说，额头上带着皱纹。他看起来有点瞌睡；刚吃完饭就打了个盹儿，心情非常糟糕。 —

he had just had a nap after dinner, and was in a very bad humour.
别利科夫默默坐了十分钟，然后开始说：

“Byelikov sat in silence for ten minutes, and then began:
“我来找你是为了宣泄心中的困扰。我非常、非常烦恼。

“‘I have come to see you to relieve my mind. I am very, very much troubled. —
“Byelikov sat in silence for ten minutes, and then began: —

Some scurrilous fellow has drawn an absurd caricature of me and another person, in whom we are both deeply interested. —
有些恶毒的家伙画了一个荒谬的漫画，把我和另一个人画在一起，我们对他深感兴趣。 —

I regard it as a duty to assure you that I have had no hand in it. —
我认为我有责任向您保证，我对此毫不知情。 —

… I have given no sort of ground for such ridicule—on the contrary, I have always behaved in every way like a gentleman.’
……我从未给此类讽刺行为提供过任何理由——相反，我一直以绅士的方式行事。

“Kovalenko sat sulky and silent. Byelikov waited a little, and went on slowly in a mournful voice:
“科瓦连科闷闷不乐地坐在那里，不做声。别利科夫等了一会儿，用悲伤的语调慢慢地说:

“‘And I have something else to say to you. —
“‘我还有其他话要对您说。 —

I have been in the service for years, while you have only lately entered it, and I consider it my duty as an older colleague to give you a warning. —
我在这个领域服务多年，而您才刚刚加入，我认为作为资深同事，我有责任警告您。 —

You ride on a bicycle, and that pastime is utterly unsuitable for an educator of youth.’
您骑自行车，这种消遣对于一个青少年教育工作者来说完全不合适。”

“‘Why so?’ asked Kovalenko in his bass.
“‘为什么？’科瓦连科用他那低沉的声音问道。

“‘Surely that needs no explanation, Mihail Savvitch—surely you can understand that? —
“‘米哈伊尔·萨维奇，这无需解释，你肯定能理解吧？ —

If the teacher rides a bicycle, what can you expect the pupils to do? —
如果老师骑自行车，你能指望学生做什么呢？ —

You will have them walking on their heads next! —
接下来他们可能会倒立行走！ —

And so long as there is no formal permission to do so, it is out of the question. —
只要没有正式许可，这是不可能的。 —

I was horrified yesterday! When I saw your sister everything seemed dancing before my eyes. —
昨天我吓坏了！当我看到你姐姐时，眼前似乎一切都在跳舞。 —

A lady or a young girl on a bicycle—it’s awful!’
“‘一个女士或一个年轻女孩骑自行车—太糟糕了！’

“‘What is it you want exactly?’
“‘你究竟想要什么？’

“‘All I want is to warn you, Mihail Savvitch. —
“‘我只是想警告你，米哈伊尔·萨维奇。 —

You are a young man, you have a future before you, you must be very, very careful in your behaviour, and you are so careless—oh, so careless! —
你是个年轻人，前途无量，你的行为必须非常非常小心，但你却如此漫不经心—哦，太漫不经心了！ —

You go about in an embroidered shirt, are constantly seen in the street carrying books, and now the bicycle, too. —
你穿着绣花衬衫在街上走来走去，经常被看到拎着书，现在还骑自行车。 —

The headmaster will learn that you and your sister ride the bicycle, and then it will reach the higher authorities. —
校长会得知你和你姐姐骑自行车的事情，然后情况会上报上级领导。 —

… Will that be a good thing?’
…那会是一件好事吗？’

“‘It’s no business of anybody else if my sister and I do bicycle! —
“‘我和我姐姐骑自行车，那不关任何人的事！ —

’ said Kovalenko, and he turned crimson. —
’科瓦连科说道，脸涨得通红。 —

‘And damnation take any one who meddles in my private affairs!’
“见鬼！谁敢干涉我的私事！”

“Byelikov turned pale and got up.
“别利科夫脸色苍白，站了起来。

“‘If you speak to me in that tone I cannot continue,’ he said. —
“‘如果你用那种口气对我说话，我无法继续下去，’他说。 —

‘And I beg you never to express yourself like that about our superiors in my presence; —
“‘在我面前，绝对不要那样评价我们的上级； —

you ought to be respectful to the authorities.’
你应该对权威表示尊敬。”

“‘Why, have I said any harm of the authorities?’ asked Kovalenko, looking at him wrathfully. —
“‘为什么，我说了什么对上级不敬的话吗？’科瓦连科怒视着他问道。 —

‘Please leave me alone. I am an honest man, and do not care to talk to a gentleman like you. —
“‘请别打扰我。我是个诚实的人，不愿意和你这样的绅士说话。 —

I don’t like sneaks!’
我不喜欢卑鄙小人！’

“Byelikov flew into a nervous flutter, and began hurriedly putting on his coat, with an expression of horror on his face. —
“别利科夫变得紧张，匆忙穿上外套，脸上露出恐惧之色。 —

It was the first time in his life he had been spoken to so rudely.
这是他一生中第一次被人如此粗鲁地对待。

“‘You can say what you please,’ he said, as he went out from the entry to the landing on the staircase. —
“‘你爱说什么就说什么，’他说着，走出门廊，朝楼梯口走去。 —

‘I ought only to warn you: possibly some one may have overheard us, and that our conversation may not be misunderstood and harm come of it, I shall be compelled to inform our headmaster of our conversation. —
“‘我只是应该提醒你：可能有人听见了我们的谈话，为了避免被误解、招惹麻烦，我将被迫向我们的校长汇报我们的谈话， —

.. in its main features. I am bound to do so.’
..大致的概要。我有义务这样做。’

“‘Inform him? You can go and make your report!’
“‘汇报吧！’

“Kovalenko seized him from behind by the collar and gave him a push, and Byelikov rolled downstairs, thudding with his goloshes. —
“科瓦连科从背后揪住了他的衣领，给了他一个推力，别利科夫带着咔哒声滚下了楼梯，鞋底砰砰作响。 —

The staircase was high and steep, but he rolled to the bottom unhurt, got up, and touched his nose to see whether his spectacles were all right. —
楼梯又高又陡，但他一路翻滚到底，毫发无损，站起来摸了摸自己的鼻子，看看眼镜有没有损坏。 —

But just as he was falling down the stairs Varinka came in, and with her two ladies; —
但就在他摔下楼梯的时候，瓦琳卡和她的两个女士进来了； —

they stood below staring, and to Byelikov this was more terrible than anything. —
他们站在下面凝视着，对别利科夫来说，这比任何事情都可怕。 —

I believe he would rather have broken his neck or both legs than have been an object of ridicule. —
我相信他宁愿摔断脖子或者两条腿，也不愿成为笑柄。 —

‘Why, now the whole town would hear of it; —
“现在，整个城镇都会听说这件事； —

it would come to the headmaster’s ears, would reach the higher authorities—oh, it might lead to something! —
这事会传到校长耳朵里，会上报高一级领导—哦，这可能会导致什么结果！ —

There would be another caricature, and it would all end in his being asked to resign his post….
又会有另一幅讽刺画，最后结果是他会被要求辞去职务……

“When he got up, Varinka recognized him, and, looking at his ridiculous face, his crumpled overcoat, and his goloshes, not understanding what had happened and supposing that he had slipped down by accident, could not restrain herself, and laughed loud enough to be heard by all the flats:
“他站起来时，瓦琳卡认出了他，看着他荒谬的脸庞，褶皱的外套和胶靴，不明白发生了什么，以为他是不小心摔倒，控制不住自己，大声笑了起来，声音响彻整个公寓：

“‘Ha-ha-ha!’
“哈-哈-哈！”

“And this pealing, ringing ‘Ha-ha-ha!’ was the last straw that put an end to everything: —
“这声音如铃般的“哈-哈-哈！”，成了压垮他的最后一根稻草： —

to the proposed match and to Byelikov’s earthly existence. —
结束了计划中的婚事，也结束了别利科夫的尘世生活。 —

He did not hear what Varinka said to him; he saw nothing. —
他没听见瓦琳卡对他说了什么；他什么都没看见。 —

On reaching home, the first thing he did was to remove her portrait from the table; —
回到家后，他第一件事就是把她的画像从桌上拿走； —

then he went to bed, and he never got up again.
然后他上床睡觉，再也没有起来。

“Three days later Afanasy came to me and asked whether we should not send for the doctor, as there was something wrong with his master. —
“三天后，阿方纳西来找我，问我们是否该请医生，因为他的主人出了些问题。 —

I went in to Byelikov. He lay silent behind the curtain, covered with a quilt; —
我走进白利科夫的房间。他躺在帷幕后面，被一条被子盖着； —

if one asked him a question, he said ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and not another sound. —
如果有人问他问题，他只会回答“是”或“不”而不再说其他话。 —

He lay there while Afanasy, gloomy and scowling, hovered about him, sighing heavily, and smelling like a pothouse.
他躺在那里，阿方纳西阴沉地在他身边来回踱步，沉闷地叹息着，闻起来像酒馆里的气味。

“A month later Byelikov died. We all went to his funeral—that is, both the high-schools and the seminary. —
“一个月后，白利科夫去世了。我们都参加了他的葬礼——也就是说，两所中学和神学院的人都来了。 —

Now when he was lying in his coffin his expression was mild, agreeable, even cheerful, as though he were glad that he had at last been put into a case which he would never leave again. —
当他躺在棺材里时，他的表情温和，宜人，甚至有些开心，似乎他很高兴自己终于被放进一个永远不会离开的箱子里。 —

Yes, he had attained his ideal! And, as though in his honour, it was dull, rainy weather on the day of his funeral, and we all wore goloshes and took our umbrellas. —
是的，他实现了他的理想！而且，恰巧在他的葬礼那天是阴沉多雨的天气，我们都穿着胶鞋带着雨伞。 —

Varinka, too, was at the funeral, and when the coffin was lowered into the grave she burst into tears. —
瓦琳卡也在葬礼上，当棺材被降到坟墓里时，她哭了起来。 —

I have noticed that Little Russian women are always laughing or crying—no intermediate mood.
我注意到小俄罗斯妇女总是在笑或哭，没有中间情绪。

“One must confess that to bury people like Byelikov is a great pleasure. —
“必须承认，埋葬像别利科夫这样的人是一种巨大的快乐。 —

As we were returning from the cemetery we wore discreet Lenten faces; —
当我们从墓地回来时，我们脸上带着谨慎的斋戒表情； —

no one wanted to display this feeling of pleasure—a feeling like that we had experienced long, long ago as children when our elders had gone out and we ran about the garden for an hour or two, enjoying complete freedom. —
没有人想展示这种快乐的感觉——这种感觉就像我们小时候体验过的，当时长辈出去，我们在花园里跑来跑去，享受完全的自由。 —

Ah, freedom, freedom! The merest hint, the faintest hope of its possibility gives wings to the soul, does it not?
啊，自由，自由！即使是最微弱的可能性提醒，也会让灵魂拥有翅膀，是吗？

“We returned from the cemetery in a good humour. —
“我们从墓地回来时心情不错。 —

But not more than a week had passed before life went on as in the past, as gloomy, oppressive, and senseless—a life not forbidden by government prohibition, but not fully permitted, either: —
但不到一个星期过去，生活又像过去一样继续，阴郁、沉重和毫无意义——一种不被政府禁止，但也不完全被允许的生活： —

it was no better. And, indeed, though we had buried Byelikov, how many such men in cases were left, how many more of them there will be!”
没有变得更好。事实上，虽然我们埋葬了别利科夫，但还有多少这样的人，还有多少将要出现呢！”

“That’s just how it is,” said Ivan Ivanovitch and he lighted his pipe.
“就是这样，”伊万·伊万诺维奇说，他点燃了烟斗。

“How many more of them there will be!” repeated Burkin.
“还有多少将要出现！”伯金重复道。

The schoolmaster came out of the barn. He was a short, stout man, completely bald, with a black beard down to his waist. —
校长走出谷仓。他是个矮胖子，头上完全秃顶，一头黑色的胡须延伸到腰部。 —

The two dogs came out with him.
两只狗跟着他出来。

“What a moon!” he said, looking upwards.
“多么美丽的月亮！”他抬头望着。

It was midnight. On the right could be seen the whole village, a long street stretching far away for four miles. —
已经午夜了。右边可以看到整个村庄，一条长街一直延伸出去，长达四英里。 —

All was buried in deep silent slumber; not a movement, not a sound; —
一切都沉浸在深沉的寂静中；没有一丝动静，没有一点声音； —

one could hardly believe that nature could be so still. —
几乎难以相信大自然会如此安静。 —

When on a moonlight night you see a broad village street, with its cottages, haystacks, and slumbering willows, a feeling of calm comes over the soul; —
当你在月光之夜看到一条宽阔的村庄街道，有着村舍、干草堆和沉睡的柳树时，灵魂便会感到一种宁静； —

in this peace, wrapped away from care, toil, and sorrow in the darkness of night, it is mild, melancholy, beautiful, and it seems as though the stars look down upon it kindly and with tenderness, and as though there were no evil on earth and all were well. —
在这种平和中，远离忧虑、劳作和悲伤，在黑夜中被裹挟其中，它是温和的、忧郁的、美丽的，而似乎星星们亲切地、怜悯地注视着它，仿佛地球上没有邪恶，一切都安好。 —

On the left the open country began from the end of the village; —
左边是从村庄的尽头开始的开阔乡间； —

it could be seen stretching far away to the horizon, and there was no movement, no sound in that whole expanse bathed in moonlight.
可以看到它延伸到地平线，在月光下的整个广袤区域中没有一星一点的动静。

“Yes, that is just how it is,” repeated Ivan Ivanovitch; —
“是的，事情就是这样的，”伊凡·伊凡诺维奇重复道； —

“and isn’t our living in town, airless and crowded, our writing useless papers, our playing vint—isn’t that all a sort of case for us? —
“我们居住在拥挤空气的城镇中，写着无用的文件，玩弄酒类—这对我们来说难道不是种病态吗？ —

And our spending our whole lives among trivial, fussy men and silly, idle women, our talking and our listening to all sorts of nonsense—isn’t that a case for us, too? —
我们把整个生命度过在琐碎烦躁的人和愚蠢懒散的女人之间，听取着无谓的废话—这难道也不是种病态吗？ —

If you like, I will tell you a very edifying story.”
如果你愿意，我可以讲一个非常有启发性的故事。”

“No; it’s time we were asleep,” said Burkin. “Tell it tomorrow.”
“不，现在是该睡觉的时候了，”伯金说。“明天再说吧。”

They went into the barn and lay down on the hay. —
他们走进谷仓，躺在干草上。 —

And they were both covered up and beginning to doze when they suddenly heard light footsteps—patter, patter. —
当他们都盖好并开始打盹时，突然听到轻微的脚步声—拍拍。 —

… Some one was walking not far from the barn, walking a little and stopping, and a minute later, patter, patter again. —
… 有人离谷仓不远的地方走路，走了一小会儿，停下来，一分钟后，拍拍声又响起。 —

… The dogs began growling.
… 狗开始咆哮。

“That’s Mavra,” said Burkin.
“那是玛芙拉，”伯金说。

The footsteps died away.
脚步声渐行渐远。

“You see and hear that they lie,” said Ivan Ivanovitch, turning over on the other side, “and they call you a fool for putting up with their lying. —
“你看见听见他们撒谎，”伊凡·伊凡诺维奇转身，说，“他们却说你傻，因为你忍受了他们的谎言。 —

You endure insult and humiliation, and dare not openly say that you are on the side of the honest and the free, and you lie and smile yourself; —
你忍受侮辱和羞辱，却不敢公开表示你站在诚实和自由的一边，你自己却撒谎微笑； —

and all that for the sake of a crust of bread, for the sake of a warm corner, for the sake of a wretched little worthless rank in the service. —
那一切都是为了一片面包，为了一个温暖的角落，为了一点点微不足道的职务地位。 —

No, one can’t go on living like this.”
不，不能继续这样活下去。”

“Well, you are off on another tack now, Ivan Ivanovitch,” said the schoolmaster. —
“伊凡·伊凡诺维奇，你现在又转移话题了，”学校教师说。 —

“Let us go to sleep!”
“让我们睡觉吧！”

And ten minutes later Burkin was asleep. But Ivan Ivanovitch kept sighing and turning over from side to side; —
十分钟后，伯金就入睡了。但伊凡·伊凡诺维奇却不断叹息，辗转反侧； —

then he got up, went outside again, and, sitting in the doorway, lighted his pipe.
然后他站起来，再次出去，坐在门口，点燃了烟斗。