THE Justice of the Peace, who had received a letter from Petersburg, had set the news going that the owner of Yefremovo, Count Vladimir Ivanovitch, would soon be arriving. —
审判官接到来自彼得堡的一封信，传达了叶夫列莫沃庄园的所有者，弗拉基米尔·伊万诺维奇伯爵即将到来的消息。 —

When he would arrive—there was no saying.
他到底什么时候到达，谁也说不准。

“Like a thief in the night,” said Father Kuzma, a grey-headed little priest in a lilac cassock. —
“就像夜间的小偷一样，”穿着丁香色袍子的灰发小神父库兹马说。 —

“And when he does come the place will be crowded with the nobility and other high gentry. —
“他一到，这里将挤满贵族和其他上流社会人士。 —

All the neighbours will flock here. Mind now, do your best, Alexey Alexeitch. —
所有邻居都会涌到这里来。请你确保做好准备，亚历克谢·亚历克谢维奇。 —

… I beg you most earnestly.”
… 我最诚恳地请求你。”

“You need not trouble about me,” said Alexey Alexeitch, frowning. “I know my business. —
“你不必为我担心，”亚历克谢·亚历克谢维奇皱着眉头说。“我知道该怎么做。 —

If only my enemy intones the litany in the right key. —
只要我的敌人在唱经文时念正确的音。 . . 他有可能… 出于纯粹的恶意… .” —

He may … out of sheer spite… .”
“好了，好了… . 我会说服执事… 我会说服他的。”

“There, there… . I’ll persuade the deacon… I’ll persuade him.”
亚历克谢·亚历克谢维奇是叶夫列莫沃教堂的圣器保管人。

Alexey Alexeitch was the sacristan of the Yefremovo church. —
他还教导学校男孩们唱教堂和世俗音乐，作为交换，他从伯爵庄园的收入中每年拿到六十卢布。 —

He also taught the schoolboys church and secular singing, for which he received sixty roubles a year from the revenues of the Count’s estate. —
学校男孩们必须在教堂里唱歌作为他们的教学。 —

The schoolboys were bound to sing in church in return for their teaching. —
亚历克谢·亚历克谢维奇是一位身材魁梧、举止庄严的高个子男人，他胖胖的、一个没有胡须的脸像牛的乳房。 —

Alexey Alexeitch was a tall, thick-set man of dignified deportment, with a fat, clean-shaven face that reminded one of a cow’s udder. —
他雄伟的身材和双下巴让他看起来更像是在世俗等级中担任重要职位的人，而不是一名圣器保管人。 —

His imposing figure and double chin made him look like a man occupying an important position in the secular hierarchy rather than a sacristan. —
—

It was strange to see him, so dignified and imposing, flop to the ground before the bishop and, on one occasion, after too loud a squabble with the deacon Yevlampy Avdiessov, remain on his knees for two hours by order of the head priest of the district. —
看到他如此庄严而令人肃然起敬的形象摔倒在主教面前，实在令人感到奇怪，有一次，与执事激烈争执后，被教区主任命令跪地两个小时。 —

Grandeur was more in keeping with his figure than humiliation.
庄严更符合他的形象而非羞辱。

On account of the rumours of the Count’s approaching visit he had a choir practice every day, morning and evening. —
由于有关伯爵即将到访的谣言，他每天早晚都会有合唱排练。 —

The choir practice was held at the school. It did not interfere much with the school work. —
合唱排练在学校进行，并没有干扰学校的正常工作。 —

During the practice the schoolmaster, Sergey Makaritch, set the children writing copies while he joined the tenors as an amateur.
在排练期间，校长谢尔盖·马卡里奇让孩子们抄写作业，同时自己加入男高音进行排练。

This is how the choir practice was conducted. —
排练过程是这样的。 —

Alexey Alexeitch would come into the school-room, slamming the door and blowing his nose. —
亚历克谢·亚历克塞奇进入教室，砰地关上门，用手帕擤鼻子。 —

The trebles and altos extricated themselves noisily from the school-tables. —
女高音和女中音嘈杂地从课桌上走开。 —

The tenors and basses, who had been waiting for some time in the yard, came in, tramping like horses. —
等候已久的男高音和男低音一拥而入，像马一样踱步。 —

They all took their places. Alexey Alexeitch drew himself up, made a sign to enforce silence, and struck a note with the tuning fork.
他们各就各位。亚历克谢·亚历克塞奇挺直身子，示意安静，并用定音叉敲出一个音符。

“To-to-li-to-tom … Do-mi-sol-do!”
“附-附-附-附，多-米-索-拉-多！”

“Adagio, adagio… . Once more.”
“安-达-佳欧，安-达-佳欧……再来一次。”

After the “Amen” there followed “Lord have mercy upon us” from the Great Litany. —
在“阿门”后接着大祈祷中的“主啊，怜悯我们”。 —

All this had been learned long ago, sung a thousand times and thoroughly digested, and it was gone through simply as a formality. —
所有这些都早已学会，唱过上千次，深深领悟，现在只是形式罢了。 —

It was sung indolently, unconsciously. Alexey Alexeitch waved his arms calmly and chimed in now in a tenor, now in a bass voice. —
这些歌曲被漫不经心、不自觉地演唱。亚历克谢·亚历克塞奇平静地挥舞双臂，时而用男高音，时而用男低音加入。 —

It was all slow, there was nothing interesting… . —
一切都很慢，没有什么有趣的。 —

But before the “Cherubim” hymn the whole choir suddenly began blowing their noses, coughing and zealously turning the pages of their music. —
但在“智天使”赞美诗之前，整个合唱团突然开始擤鼻子，咳嗽，并热情地翻阅他们的乐谱。 —

The sacristan turned his back on the choir and with a mysterious expression on his face began tuning his violin. —
司祭转过身去，脸上带着神秘的表情开始调整他的小提琴。 —

The preparations lasted a couple of minutes.
准备工作持续了几分钟。

“Take your places. Look at your music carefully… . —
“就位。仔细看看你的乐谱…… —

Basses, don’t overdo it … rather softly.”
嗓音低的，别太用力了……稍微轻一点。”

Bortnyansky’s “Cherubim” hymn, No. 7, was selected. At a given signal silence prevailed. —
选择了博尔特尼亚斯基的 No. 7“智天使”赞美诗。在给定的信号下，寂静笼罩。 —

All eyes were fastened on the music, the trebles opened their mouths. —
所有眼睛都盯着乐谱，女高音们张开嘴巴。 —

Alexey Alexeitch softly lowered his arm.
亚历克谢·亚历克谢耶维奇轻轻地放下胳膊。

“Piano … piano… . You see ‘piano’ is written there. —
“钢琴……钢琴……你看那里写着‘钢琴’。” —

… More lightly, more lightly.”
……更轻一些，更轻一些。

When they had to sing “piano” an expression of benevolence and amiability overspread Alexey Alexeitch’s face, as though he was dreaming of a dainty morsel.
当他们需要唱“钢琴”时，亚历克谢·亚历克谢耶维奇的脸上充满了仁慈和和蔼的表情，好像他在幻想一块美味的食物。

“Forte … forte! Hold it!”
“强音……强音！保持住！”

And when they had to sing “forte” the sacristan’s fat face expressed alarm and even horror.
当他们需要唱“强音”时，司祭的肥胖脸上表达出惊骇甚至恐惧。

The “Cherubim” hymn was sung well, so well that the school-children abandoned their copies and fell to watching the movements of Alexey Alexeitch. —
“智天使”赞美诗被很好地演唱出来，以至于学生们放下了他们的乐谱，开始观察亚历克谢·亚历克谢耶维奇的动作。 —

People stood under the windows. The school-watchman, Vassily, came in wearing an apron and carrying a dinner-knife in his hand and stood listening. —
人们站在窗下。学校门卫瓦西里穿着围裙，手里拿着一把餐刀，站在一旁听着。 —

Father Kuzma, with an anxious face appeared suddenly as though he had sprung from out of the earth. —
库兹玛神父一脸焦急地突然出现，仿佛是从地里跳出来的。 —

… After ‘Let us lay aside all earthly cares’ Alexey Alexeitch wiped the sweat off his brow and went up to Father Kuzma in excitement.
“让我们摒弃一切尘世忧虑”后，亚历克谢·亚历克谢维奇擦去额头上的汗水，激动地走到库兹玛神父跟前。

“It puzzles me, Father Kuzma,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, “why is it that the Russian people have no understanding? —
“这让我困扰，库兹玛神父，”他耸耸肩，“为什么俄罗斯人没有理解力呢？ —

It puzzles me, may the Lord chastise me! —
真叫我困扰，愿主惩罚我！ —

Such an uncultured people that you really cannot tell whether they have a windpipe in their throats or some other sort of internal arrangement. —
这样一种没有教养的民族，你真是弄不清他们喉咙里是气管还是其他什么结构。 —

Were you choking, or what?” he asked, addressing the bass Gennady Semitchov, the innkeeper’s brother.
“你是不是窒息了？”，他问低音歌手根纳季·谢米茨洛夫，这是小店老板的弟弟。

“Why?”
“为什么？”

“What is your voice like? It rattles like a saucepan. I bet you were boozing yesterday! —
“你的声音怎么样？像平底锅一样响。我敢打赌昨天你喝醉了！ —

That’s what it is! Your breath smells like a tavern… . E-ech! You are a clodhopper, brother! —
就是这样！你嘴里还有小酒馆的味道……呃！你真是个粗鄙的乡下人！ —

You are a lout! How can you be a chorister if you keep company with peasants in the tavern? —
你是个乡妞！你跟乡下人在酒馆里混在一起，怎么能当唱诗班的？ —

Ech, you are an ass, brother!”
呃，你是个蠢货，兄弟！”

“It’s a sin, it’s a sin, brother,” muttered Father Kuzma. “God sees everything . —
“这是罪，这是罪，兄弟，”库兹玛神父喃喃道。“上帝洞察一切……” —

. . through and through … .”
“这就是你不会唱歌的原因——因为你更在意伏特加胜过虔诚，你这傻瓜。”

“That’s why you have no idea of singing—because you care more for vodka than for godliness, you fool.”
「这是为什么你不会唱歌——因为你更在乎伏特加而不是敬虔，你这蠢货。”

“Don’t work yourself up,” said Father Kuzma. “Don’t be cross. —
“别激动”，库茨玛神父说道。“不要生气。” —

… I will persuade him.”
“我会说服他的。”

Father Kuzma went up to Gennady Semitchov and began “persuading” him: “What do you do it for? —
库茨玛神父走到根纳季·谢米乔夫跟前开始“劝说”他：“你这样做是为了什么？”。 —

Try and put your mind to it. A man who sings ought to restrain himself, because his throat is . —
尽力去做。一个唱歌的人应该克制自己，因为他的喉咙是嫩的。 —

. . er . . tender.”
. . 嗯 . . 嫩的。”

Gennady scratched his neck and looked sideways towards the window as though the words did not apply to him.
格纳季挠了挠脖子，向窗外看了看，仿佛这些话不适用于他。

After the “Cherubim” hymn they sang the Creed, then “It is meet and right”; —
在“智天使”圣歌后，他们唱了信经，然后是“它是合适而正确的”； —

they sang smoothly and with feeling, and so right on to “Our Father.”
他们顺畅而感情真挚地唱着，一直唱到“我们的天父”。

“To my mind, Father Kuzma,” said the sacristan, “the old ‘Our Father’ is better than the modern. —
“在我看来，库兹马神父，”神父助手说，“旧的‘我们的天父’比现代的好。 —

That’s what we ought to sing before the Count.”
这才是我们应该在伯爵面前唱的。”

“No, no… . Sing the modern one. For the Count hears nothing but modern music when he goes to Mass in Petersburg or Moscow. —
“不，不要。。。唱现代的。因为伯爵去彼得堡或莫斯科参加弥撒时只听现代音乐。 —

… In the churches there, I imagine … —
… 在那里的教堂里，我想。。。 —

there’s very different sort of music there, brother!”
那里的音乐会很不一样，兄弟！”

After “Our Father” there was again a great blowing of noses, coughing and turning over of pages. —
“我们的天父”后，又是一片鼻子擤的声音，咳嗽声和翻页声。 —

The most difficult part of the performance came next: the “concert. —
表演中最困难的部分接着来了： “音乐会。 —

” Alexey Alexeitch was practising two pieces, “Who is the God of glory” and “Universal Praise. —
”亚历克谢·亚历克谢奇在练习两首曲子，“谁是荣耀之神”和“普天下的赞美。 —

” Whichever the choir learned best would be sung before the Count. During the “concert” the sacristan rose to a pitch of enthusiasm. —
”唱得最好的曲子将在伯爵面前被演唱。在“音乐会”期间，神职人员的热情达到了顶点。 —

The expression of benevolence was continually alternating with one of alarm.
善意的表情不断交替着惊恐的表情。

“Forte!” he muttered. “Andante! let yourselves go! Sing, you image! —
“响亮！”他喃喃自语。“走板！让自己放开！唱，你们这个形象！” —

Tenors, you don’t bring it off! To-to-ti-to-tom… . Sol … si … —
男高音，你们没唱好！多-来-多-个-米… . 梭 … 是 … —

sol, I tell you, you blockhead! Glory! Basses, glo … o … ry.”
梭，我告诉你，你这个蠢货！荣耀！男低音，荣… 光… 荣。”

His bow travelled over the heads and shoulders of the erring trebles and altos. —
他的弓沿着误差的高音和中音的头和肩膀滑过。 —

His left hand was continually pulling the ears of the young singers. —
他的左手一直在拽着年轻歌者的耳朵。 —

On one occasion, carried away by his feelings he flipped the bass Gennady under the chin with his bent thumb. —
有一次，被自己的感情冲昏头脑，他用弯曲的大拇指戳了低音歌手热那亚迪的下巴。 —

But the choristers were not moved to tears or to anger at his blows: —
但歌唱团员们并没有被他的打击感动到流泪或愤怒： —

they realised the full gravity of their task.
他们意识到自己任务的严重性。

After the “concert” came a minute of silence. —
“演唱会”结束后有一分钟的沉默。 —

Alexey Alexeitch, red, perspiring and exhausted, sat down on the window-sill, and turned upon the company lustreless, wearied, but triumphant eyes. —
亚历克谢·亚历克谢维奇，脸红，满头大汗，精疲力竭地坐在窗台上，对着整个公司看着沉闷、疲惫，但又得意洋洋的眼睛。 —

In the listening crowd he observed to his immense annoyance the deacon Avdiessov. —
在倾听的人群中，令他极为恼火的是札维萨夫执事。 —

The deacon, a tall thick-set man with a red pock-marked face, and straw in his hair, stood leaning against the stove and grinning contemptuously.
这位执事，一个个子高大，脸上布满红色痘痘的男人，头发里夹着稻草，站在炉边，嘲笑地倚靠着。

“That’s right, sing away! Perform your music!” he muttered in a deep bass. —
“对，唱吧！表演你们的音乐！”他低沉的男低音声音中带着讽刺。 —

“Much the Count will care for your singing! —
“伯爵才不会关心你们的歌唱！ —

He doesn’t care whether you sing with music or without. —
他不在乎你们是唱着音乐还是不唱。 —

… For he is an atheist.”
“因为他是个无神论者。”

Father Kuzma looked round in a scared way and twiddled his fingers.
库兹玛神父吓得四处张望，手指胡乱地扭动着。

“Come, come,” he muttered. “Hush, deacon, I beg.”
“来，来，”他喃喃自语，“嘘，执事，我求求你。”

After the “concert” they sang “May our lips be filled with praise,” and the choir practice was over. —
“演出”结束后，他们唱起了“愿我们的嘴唇充满赞美”，唱诗班练习结束了。 —

The choir broke up to reassemble in the evening for another practice. —
唱诗班解散了，晚上还要再次聚集进行练习。 —

And so it went on every day.
每天都是这样进行。

One month passed and then a second… . —
一个月过去了，第二个月也过去了…… —

The steward, too, had by then received a notice that the Count would soon be coming. —
家仆也收到通知，伯爵很快就要到来。 —

At last the dusty sun-blinds were taken off the windows of the big house, and Yefremovo heard the strains of the broken-down, out-of-tune piano. —
在之后，大房子窗户上的尘土厚厚的簾子被拿下来了，耶弗列莫夫传来了沾满尘埃、音调杂乱的钢琴声。 —

Father Kuzma was pining, though he could not himself have said why, or whether it was from delight or alarm. —
库兹玛神父在挣扎着，尽管他自己说不清楚是因为开心还是惶恐。 —

… The deacon went about grinning.
…… 执事满脸笑容地四处走动。

The following Saturday evening Father Kuzma went to the sacristan’s lodgings. —
第二个星期六傍晚，库兹玛神父去了吉祥堂主的住处。 —

His face was pale, his shoulders drooped, the lilac of his cassock looked faded.
他的脸色苍白，肩膀耷拉着，淡紫色的袈裟看起来也褪色了。

“I have just been at his Excellency’s,” he said to the sacristan, stammering. —
“我刚刚去拜访他的阁下，”他对吉祥堂主说，结结巴巴地说道。 —

“He is a cultivated gentleman with refined ideas. But … er … it’s mortifying, brother. —
“他是个有修养、有高尚思想的绅士。但……呃……这很令人难堪，兄弟。” —

… ‘At what o’clock, your Excellency, do you desire us to ring for Mass to-morrow? —
…“阁下，明天您希望我们在几点钟为弥撒敲钟呢？ —

’ And he said: ‘As you think best. Only, couldn’t it be as short and quick as possible without a choir. —
‘您觉得怎样最好就怎样吧。只是，能不能尽可能地简短快速，不要有合唱团。 —

’ Without a choir! Er … do you understand, without, without a choir… .”
‘没有合唱团！额，你明白吗，没有，没有合唱团。。。”

Alexey Alexeitch turned crimson. He would rather have spent two hours on his knees again than have heard those words! —
阿列克谢·阿列克谢奇变得满脸通红。他宁愿再跪两个小时，也不愿听到那些话！ —

He did not sleep all night. He was not so much mortified at the waste of his labours as at the fact that the deacon would give him no peace now with his jeers. —
他整夜都没睡着。他感到的不只是因为他的努力白费了，更因为埃克辛凯不会放过他，总会取笑他。 —

The deacon was delighted at his discomfiture. —
埃克辛凯对他的狼狈感到高兴。 —

Next day all through the service he was casting disdainful glances towards the choir where Alexey Alexeitch was booming responses in solitude. —
在整个弥撒中，埃克辛凯一直冷眼旁观合唱团，而阿列克谢·阿列克谢奇则在独自高声应答。 —

When he passed by the choir with the censer he muttered:
当他提着香炉走过合唱团时，他嘟囔着：

“Perform your music! Do your utmost! The Count will give a ten-rouble note to the choir!”
“表演你们的音乐！尽你们最大的努力！伯爵会给合唱团一张十卢布的钞票！”

After the service the sacristan went home, crushed and ill with mortification. —
弥撒结束后，负责教堂管理的人垮坐在家里，被羞辱和痛苦压垮。 —

At the gate he was overtaken by the red-faced deacon.
在门口，他被满脸通红的埃克辛凯赶上了。

“Stop a minute, Alyosha!” said the deacon. “Stop a minute, silly, don’t be cross! —
“等一下，阿涅尤申卡！”牧师说。“等一下，傻瓜，别生气！ —

You are not the only one, I am in for it too! —
你不是唯一一个，我也遇到麻烦了！ —

Immediately after the Mass Father Kuzma went up to the Count and asked: —
弥撒结束后，库兹马神父走到伯爵身边，问： —

‘And what did you think of the deacon’s voice, your Excellency. —
“阁下，您觉得埃克辛凯的嗓音怎么样？”。 —

He has a deep bass, hasn’t he?’ And the Count—do you know what he answered by way of compliment? —
他的嗓音很低沉，不是吗？’ 那位伯爵，你知道他说了什么样的恭维吗？ —

‘Anyone can bawl,’ he said. ‘A man’s voice is not as important as his brains. —
’谁都会大声喊叫，’他说。‘一个人的声音并不像他的智慧那么重要。 —

’ A learned gentleman from Petersburg! An atheist is an atheist, and that’s all about it! —
’一个来自圣彼得堡的博学君子！无神论者就是无神论者，至于其他呢！ —

Come, brother in misfortune, let us go and have a drop to drown our troubles!”
来吧，同磨难的兄弟，让我们去喝一杯，淹没我们的烦恼！”

And the enemies went out of the gate arm-in-arm.
敌人们挽着手臂走出大门。