IT was midday. Voldyrev, a tall, thick-set country gentleman with a cropped head and prominent eyes, took off his overcoat, mopped his brow with his silk handkerchief, and somewhat diffidently went into the government office. —
中午时分。身材高大、魁梧的乡绅沃尔迪列夫，头发修剪整齐，眼睛凸显，脱掉外套，用丝绸手帕擦了擦额头，有些犹豫地走进了政府办公室。 —

There they were scratching away… .
他们在那里挠得叮当响……

“Where can I make an inquiry here?” he said, addressing a porter who was bringing a trayful of glasses from the furthest recesses of the office. —
“这里可以打听问询吗？”他问，正对着一个从办公室最深处端着一盘玻璃杯走来的搬运工。 —

“I have to make an inquiry here and to take a copy of a resolution of the Council.”
“我需要在这里打听问询，以及复制一份理事会的决议。”

“That way please! To that one sitting near the window! —
“请往那边走！那个坐在窗户旁边的人那里！ —

” said the porter, indicating with the tray the furthest window. —
” 搬运工一边说着，一边用托盘指着最远处的窗户。 —

Voldyrev coughed and went towards the window; —
沃尔迪列夫咳嗽了一声，走向窗户； —

there, at a green table spotted like typhus, was sitting a young man with his hair standing up in four tufts on his head, with a long pimply nose, and a long faded uniform. —
那里，一个长着四绺头发的年轻人正坐在一张像伤寒一样斑斑点点的绿色桌子旁，长着一个长长的长了粉刺的鼻子，穿着一件长长褪了色的制服。 —

He was writing, thrusting his long nose into the papers. —
他正在写东西，把长鼻子伸进文件中。 —

A fly was walking about near his right nostril, and he was continually stretching out his lower lip and blowing under his nose, which gave his face an extremely care-worn expression.
一只苍蝇在他右鼻孔附近飞来飞去，他不断地伸出下嘴唇，在鼻子下面吹气，使他的脸上带着一种极其焦虑的表情。

“May I make an inquiry about my case here … of you? My name is Voldyrev. —
“我可以在这里向您打听关于我的案件的情况吗……？我叫沃尔迪列夫。 —

And, by the way, I have to take a copy of the resolution of the Council of the second of March.”
顺便说一下，我需要复制三月二日理事会的决议。”

The clerk dipped his pen in the ink and looked to see if he had got too much on it. —
职员把笔蘸进墨水里，看看是否沾得太多。 —

Having satisfied himself that the pen would not make a blot, he began scribbling away. —
确定笔尖不会溅出墨迹后，他开始涂鸦。 —

His lip was thrust out, but it was no longer necessary to blow: —
他的嘴唇伸出来了，不过已经不需要吹气了： —

the fly had settled on his ear.
那只苍蝇停在了他的耳朵上。

“Can I make an inquiry here?” Voldyrev repeated a minute later, “my name is Voldyrev, I am a landowner… .”
“我可以在这里问个问题吗？”瓦尔季列夫一分钟后重复道，“我的名字是瓦尔季列夫，我是一位地主……”

“Ivan Alexeitch!” the clerk shouted into the air as though he had not observed Voldyrev, “will you tell the merchant Yalikov when he comes to sign the copy of the complaint lodged with the police! —
“伊万·阿列克谢耶维奇！”文书大声喊道，仿佛没有注意到瓦尔季列夫，“当商人亚力科夫来签署向警察提出的投诉副本时，请告诉他！我已告诉他一千次了！” —

I’ve told him a thousand times!”
“我是为了与古古林公主的继承人打官司而来。”瓦尔季列夫喃喃自语。

“I have come in reference to my lawsuit with the heirs of Princess Gugulin,” muttered Voldyrev. —
“这个案子众所周知。我恳请你认真对待。” —

“The case is well known. I earnestly beg you to attend to me.”
在仍未注意到瓦尔季列夫的情况下，文书抓住嘴唇上的苍蝇，专注地看了看，然后把它甩掉。

Still failing to observe Voldyrev, the clerk caught the fly on his lip, looked at it attentively and flung it away. —
这位乡绅咳嗽，用格子手帕大声擤了擤鼻子。 —

The country gentleman coughed and blew his nose loudly on his checked pocket handkerchief. —
但这也没有用。他仍然没有被听见。沉默持续了两分钟。 —

But this was no use either. He was still unheard. The silence lasted for two minutes. —
瓦尔季列夫从口袋里拿出一张卢布纸币，放在文书面前打开的书上。 —

Voldyrev took a rouble note from his pocket and laid it on an open book before the clerk. —
文书皱起眉头，焦急地把书拉过来，并合上了书。 —

The clerk wrinkled up his forehead, drew the book towards him with an anxious air and closed it.
“只是一点询问……我只是想知道古古林公主的继承人基于什么理由。”

“A little inquiry… . I want only to find out on what grounds the heirs of Princess Gugulin. —
“……麻烦一下你，好吗？” —

… May I trouble you?”
文书，陷入自己的思考中，站起来，挠了挠胳膊，走到橱柜拿了些东西。

The clerk, absorbed in his own thoughts, got up and, scratching his elbow, went to a cupboard for something. —
一分钟后返回到他的桌子前，他再次专注于书上： —

Returning a minute later to his table he became absorbed in the book again: —
另一张卢布纸币躺在书上。 —

another rouble note was lying upon it.
“只是一个小小的询问……我只想找出，古古林公主的继承人基于什么理由。不好意思打扰你？”

“I will trouble you for one minute only… . I have only to make an inquiry.”
“我只会打扰你一分钟。我只是想问个事。”

The clerk did not hear, he had begun copying something.
书记没听见，他已经开始抄写什么了。

Voldyrev frowned and looked hopelessly at the whole scribbling brotherhood.
沃尔季列夫皱着眉头，绝望地看着那一群满篇乱写的同事们。

“They write!” he thought, sighing. “They write, the devil take them entirely!”
“他们写字！”他想着，叹息着。“他们写字，让鬼给他们抓走吧！”

He walked away from the table and stopped in the middle of the room, his hands hanging hopelessly at his sides. —
他走开离开桌子，停在房间中央，手无力地垂在身旁。 —

The porter, passing again with glasses, probably noticed the helpless expression of his face, for he went close up to him and asked him in a low voice:
门房端着眼镜再次走过，可能注意到他脸上的无助表情，于是走近他，低声问道：

“Well? Have you inquired?”
“那么？你打听到了吗？”

“I’ve inquired, but he wouldn’t speak to me.”
“我打听了，但他不肯跟我说话。”

“You give him three roubles,” whispered the porter.
“给他三卢布。”门房悄声说道。

“I’ve given him two already.”
“我已经给了他两卢布。”

“Give him another.”
“再给他一个。”

Voldyrev went back to the table and laid a green note on the open book.
沃尔季列夫走回桌边，放下一张绿色的钞票在打开的书上。

The clerk drew the book towards him again and began turning over the leaves, and all at once, as though by chance, lifted his eyes to Voldyrev. —
书记又把书拉到自己面前，开始翻动书页，突然，就像偶然一样，抬起眼睛看了沃尔季列夫一眼。 —

His nose began to shine, turned red, and wrinkled up in a grin.
他的鼻子开始发亮，变红，眯成一个笑容。

“Ah … what do you want?” he asked.
“啊……你想要什么？”他问道。

“I want to make an inquiry in reference to my case… . My name is Voldyrev.”
“我想询问关于我的案件。… 我的名字是沃尔迪列夫。”

“With pleasure! The Gugulin case, isn’t it? Very good. What is it then exactly?”
“非常乐意！是关于古古林案件，对吧？非常好。那具体是什么事情呢？”

Voldyrev explained his business.
沃尔迪列夫解释了他的事情。

The clerk became as lively as though he were whirled round by a hurricane. —
文书员变得像被飓风卷起一样兴奋起来。 —

He gave the necessary information, arranged for a copy to be made, gave the petitioner a chair, and all in one instant. —
他提供了必要的信息，安排复印件的制作，给了申请人一个椅子，所有一瞬间完成。 —

He even spoke about the weather and asked after the harvest. —
他甚至谈及天气，并询问收成如何。 —

And when Voldyrev went away he accompanied him down the stairs, smiling affably and respectfully, and looking as though he were ready any minute to fall on his face before the gentleman. —
沃尔迪列夫离开时，他陪同他走下楼梯，友善而恭敬地微笑着，看起来随时准备在这位先生面前俯首称臣。 —

Voldyrev for some reason felt uncomfortable, and in obedience to some inward impulse he took a rouble out of his pocket and gave it to the clerk. —
出于某种原因，沃尔迪列夫感到不自在，顺从内心的冲动，他从口袋里拿出一卢布给了文书员。 —

And the latter kept bowing and smiling, and took the rouble like a conjuror, so that it seemed to flash through the air.
后者不断鞠躬微笑，并像魔术师一样接过卢布，使它似乎穿过空气闪现。

“Well, what people!” thought the country gentleman as he went out into the street, and he stopped and mopped his brow with his handkerchief.
“这些人啊！”乡绅想着，走出大街，停下来用手绢擦拭额头。