IT was still in the drawing-room, so still that a house-fly that had flown in from outside could be distinctly heard brushing against the ceiling. —
房间里仍然静悄悄的，外面飞进来的一只苍蝇在天花板上划过清晰可听。 —

Olga Ivanovna, the lady of the villa, was standing by the window, looking out at the flower-beds and thinking. —
别墅的女主人奥尔加·伊万诺芙娜站在窗前，凝视着花坛，心里想着事情。 —

Dr. Tsvyetkov, who was her doctor as well as an old friend, and had been sent for to treat her son Misha, was sitting in an easy chair and swinging his hat, which he held in both hands, and he too was thinking. —
茨韦特科夫医生，担任她儿子米沙的医生以及老朋友，坐在一张舒适的椅子上，双手握着他摘下的帽子，他也在思考着。 —

Except them, there was not a soul in the drawing-room or in the adjoining rooms. —
除了他们之外，客厅和附近的房间里没有一个人。 —

The sun had set, and the shades of evening began settling in the corners under the furniture and on the cornices.
太阳已经落山，傍晚的阴影开始在家具下面的角落和花尾上聚集。

The silence was broken by Olga Ivanovna.
奥尔加·伊万诺芙娜打破了沉默。

“No misfortune more terrible can be imagined,” she said, without turning from the window. —
“没有比想象中更可怕的不幸了，”她没有从窗前转过身来说。 —

“You know that life has no value for me whatever apart from the boy.”
“你知道对我来说，除了这个孩子，生命没有任何价值。”

“Yes, I know that,” said the doctor.
“是的，我知道。”医生说。

“No value whatever,” said Olga Ivanovna, and her voice quivered. “He is everything to me. —
“没有任何价值。”Olga Ivanovna说，声音颤抖着。“他对我来说是一切。 —

He is my joy, my happiness, my wealth. And if, as you say, I cease to be a mother, if he … —
他是我的快乐，我的幸福，我的财富。如果，就像你说的那样，我不再是一个母亲，如果他…… —

dies, there will be nothing left of me but a shadow. —
去世了，我就什么也剩不下了，只剩一个影子。 —

I cannot survive it.”
我无法承受这样的打击。”

Wringing her hands, Olga Ivanovna walked from one window to the other and went on:
Olga Ivanovna握着双手，从一个窗户走到另一个窗户继续说道：

“When he was born, I wanted to send him away to the Foundling Hospital, you remember that, but, my God, how can that time be compared with now? —
“他出生时，我想把他送到儿童收养院，你还记得吗，但是，天啊，那时候怎么能与现在相比呢？ —

Then I was vulgar, stupid, feather-headed, but now I am a mother, do you understand? —
那时候我俗气、愚蠢、轻浮，但现在我是一个母亲，你懂吗？ —

I am a mother, and that’s all I care to know. —
我是一个母亲，这就足够了。 —

Between the present and the past there is an impassable gulf.”
现在和过去之间有一道无法逾越的鸿沟。”

Silence followed again. The doctor shifted his seat from the chair to the sofa and impatiently playing with his hat, kept his eyes fixed upon Olga Ivanovna. —
之后又陷入了沉默。医生将椅子挪到沙发上，不耐烦地玩着帽子，眼睛始终盯着奥尔加·伊万诺夫娜。 —

From his face it could be seen that he wanted to speak, and was waiting for a fitting moment.
从他的脸上可以看出他想要说话，正在等待合适的时机。

“You are silent, but still I do not give up hope,” said the lady, turning round. —
“你沉默了，但我还是不放弃希望，”女士说着，转过身。 —

“Why are you silent?”
“你为什么不说话呢？”

“I should be as glad of any hope as you, Olga, but there is none,” Tsvyetkov answered, “we must look the hideous truth in the face. —
“我和你一样，奥尔加，都希望有希望，但实际上没有，”茨维特科夫回答道，“我们必须面对可怕的事实。 —

The boy has a tumour on the brain, and we must try to prepare ourselves for his death, for such cases never recover.”
孩子的大脑上有肿瘤，我们必须为他的死亡做好准备，因为这种情况从未康复。”

“Nikolay, are you certain you are not mistaken?”
“尼古拉，你确定你没有弄错吗？”

“Such questions lead to nothing. I am ready to answer as many as you like, but it will make it no better for us.”
“这样的问题毫无意义。我愿意回答你任意问题，但对我们来说没有任何好处。”

Olga Ivanovna pressed her face into the window curtains, and began weeping bitterly. —
奥尔加·伊万诺夫娜将脸埋在窗帘里，开始痛苦地哭泣。 —

The doctor got up and walked several times up and down the drawing-room, then went to the weeping woman, and lightly touched her arm. —
医生站起来，在客厅里走了几次来回，然后走到哭泣的女人身边，轻轻碰了碰她的胳膊。 —

Judging from his uncertain movements, from the expression of his gloomy face, which looked dark in the dusk of the evening, he wanted to say something.
从他不确定的动作，从在傍晚昏暗中显得黑沉的脸上的表情来看，他想要说些什么。

“Listen, Olga,” he began. “Spare me a minute’s attention; there is something I must ask you. —
“听着，奥尔加，”他开始说道。“请你给我留出一分钟的注意；我有件事情要问你。” —

You can’t attend to me now, though. I’ll come later, afterwards… . —
“你现在不能听我说，不过。我待会再来。”他说着走出了客厅。 —

” He sat down again, and sank into thought. —
他再次坐下，陷入了思考之中。 —

The bitter, imploring weeping, like the weeping of a little girl, continued. —
那苦涩、悲求的哭声，就像一个小女孩的哭声一样，持续着。 —

Without waiting for it to end, Tsvyetkov heaved a sigh and walked out of the drawing-room. —
没有等到哭声停止，茨维捷科夫叹了口气，走出了客厅。 —

He went into the nursery to Misha. The boy was lying on his back as before, staring at one point as though he were listening. —
他走进了儿童房找米沙。男孩还是躺在床上，像以前一样盯着一个地方，仿佛在倾听。 —

The doctor sat down on his bed and felt his pulse.
医生坐在床边，摸了摸他的脉搏。

“Misha, does your head ache?” he asked.
“米沙，你头疼吗？”他问道。

Misha answered, not at once: “Yes. I keep dreaming.”
米沙没有立刻回答：“是的。我一直做着梦。”

“What do you dream?”
“你做什么梦？”

“All sorts of things… .”
“各种各样的梦……”

The doctor, who did not know how to talk with weeping women or with children, stroked his burning head, and muttered:
医生不知道如何与哭泣的女人或孩子交谈，抚摸着他发烫的头，嘀咕道：

“Never mind, poor boy, never mind… . —
“别紧张，可怜的孩子，别紧张……” —

One can’t go through life without illness… . —
“人生总会有疾病的……” —

Misha, who am I—do you know me?”
米沙，我是谁——你认识我吗？”

Misha did not answer.
米莎没有回答。

“Does your head ache very badly?”
“你头痛得厉害吗？”

“Ve-ery. I keep dreaming.”
“非常厉害。我一直在做梦。”

After examining him and putting a few questions to the maid who was looking after the sick child, the doctor went slowly back to the drawing-room. —
医生检查了他，并向照顾这个生病孩子的女仆提出了一些问题，然后慢慢地回到客厅。 —

There it was by now dark, and Olga Ivanovna, standing by the window, looked like a silhouette.
现在天色已经黑了，站在窗前的奥尔加·伊万诺芙娜看起来像一个轮廓。

“Shall I light up?” asked Tsvyetkov.
“我点灯吗？”提普耶夫克问。

No answer followed. The house-fly was still brushing against the ceiling. —
没有人回答。苍蝇仍然在天花板上飞。 —

Not a sound floated in from outside as though the whole world, like the doctor, were thinking, and could not bring itself to speak. —
从外面没有一丝声音传进来，就好像整个世界，就像医生一样，都在思考，无法开口。 —

Olga Ivanovna was not weeping now, but as before, staring at the flower- bed in profound silence. —
奥尔加·伊万诺芙娜现在没有哭泣，但与之前一样，凝视着花坛，陷入深默。 —

When Tsvyetkov went up to her, and through the twilight glanced at her pale face, exhausted with grief, her expression was such as he had seen before during her attacks of acute, stupefying, sick headache.
当捷特科夫走到她跟前，在昏暗中瞥见她那憔悴、充满悲伤的脸庞时，她的表情就像他以前在她患急性、昏迷、剧痛性头痛的发作中见过的那样。

“Nikolay Trofimitch!” she addressed him, “and what do you think about a consultation?”
“尼古拉·特罗菲莫维奇！”她转向他，“你认为要不要求个会诊？”

“Very good; I’ll arrange it to-morrow.”
“很好，明天我会安排的。”

From the doctor’s tone it could be easily seen that he put little faith in the benefit of a consultation. —
从医生的语气可以很容易看出他对会诊的好处并不十分信任。 —

Olga Ivanovna would have asked him something else, but her sobs prevented her. —
奥尔加·伊万诺芙娜本想问他另外一些问题，但她的抽泣阻止了她。 —

Again she pressed her face into the window curtain. —
她再次把脸埋在窗帘里。 —

At that moment, the strains of a band playing at the club floated in distinctly. —
在那一刻，俱乐部里的乐队声清晰地飘入耳中。 —

They could hear not only the wind instruments, but even the violins and the flutes.
他们不仅能听到吹风乐器，甚至还能听到小提琴和长笛的声音。

“If he is in pain, why is he silent?” asked Olga Ivanovna. —
“他如果在痛苦，为什么不说出来呢？”奥尔加·伊万诺夫娜问道。 —

“All day long, not a sound, he never complains, and never cries. —
“整天整天，一声不响，从不抱怨，也不哭。 —

I know God will take the poor boy from us because we have not known how to prize him. —
我知道上帝将会把可怜的孩子从我们身边带走，因为我们不知道如何珍惜他。 —

Such a treasure!”
这样的宝贝！”

The band finished the march, and a minute later began playing a lively waltz for the opening of the ball.
乐队演奏完进行曲后，一分钟后开始演奏一支欢快的圆舞曲迎接舞会的开场。

“Good God, can nothing really be done?” moaned Olga Ivanovna. —
“天啊，难道真的就无计可施了吗？”奥尔加·伊万诺夫娜呻吟道。 —

“Nikolay, you are a doctor and ought to know what to do! —
“尼古拉，你是医生，应该知道该怎么办！ —

You must understand that I can’t bear the loss of him! —
你必须明白我无法承受失去他！ —

I can’t survive it.”
我无法活下去。”

The doctor, who did not know how to talk to weeping women, heaved a sigh, and paced slowly about the drawing-room. —
这位医生不知道怎么和哭泣的女人交谈，叹了口气，缓步走动在客厅里。 —

There followed a succession of oppressive pauses interspersed with weeping and the questions which lead to nothing. —
接下来是一连串令人沉闷的停顿，夹杂着哭泣和那些无法带来答案的问题。 —

The band had already played a quadrille, a polka, and another quadrille. It got quite dark. —
乐队已经演奏了一支四步舞，一支波尔卡和另一支四步舞。天色渐暗。 —

In the adjoining room, the maid lighted the lamp; —
在隔壁房间，女佣点亮了灯。 —

and all the while the doctor kept his hat in his hands, and seemed trying to say something. —
就在这时，医生始终捧着帽子，似乎想说点什么。 —

Several times Olga Ivanovna went off to her son, sat by him for half an hour, and came back again into the drawing-room; —
奥尔加·伊凡诺夫娜多次去看她儿子，坐在他身边半小时，然后再回到起居室； —

she was continually breaking into tears and lamentations. —
她不断地哭泣和悲叹。 —

The time dragged agonisingly, and it seemed as though the evening had no end.
时间拖得让人难以忍受，似乎晚上没有尽头。

At midnight, when the band had played the cotillion and ceased altogether, the doctor got ready to go.
午夜时分，乐队演奏了一曲随舞曲，并结束演奏，医生准备离开。

“I will come again to-morrow,” he said, pressing the mother’s cold hand. “You go to bed.”
“我明天会再来的。”他说着握着母亲冰冷的手，“你去睡吧。”

After putting on his greatcoat in the passage and picking up his walking-stick, he stopped, thought a minute, and went back into the drawing-room.
穿上走廊里的大衣，拿起手杖后，他停下来，想了一会儿，又回到起居室。

“I’ll come to-morrow, Olga,” he repeated in a quivering voice. “Do you hear?”
“我明天会再来的，奥尔加。”他用颤抖的声音重复道，“你听到了吗?”

She did not answer, and it seemed as though grief had robbed her of all power of speech. —
她没有回答，似乎悲伤已经剥夺了她所有言语的能力。 —

In his greatcoat and with his stick still in his hand, the doctor sat down beside her, and began in a soft, tender half- whisper, which was utterly out of keeping with his heavy, dignified figure:
医生穿着大衣，手里还拿着手杖，坐在她旁边，用柔和、温柔的一半耳语声开始说话，这与他沉重、庄严的形象完全不相符：

“Olga! For the sake of your sorrow which I share… . —
“奥尔加！为了你的我所分享的悲伤……” —

Now, when falsehood is criminal, I beseech you to tell me the truth. —
“现在，谎言是犯罪的，我恳请你告诉我真相。” —

You have always declared that the boy is my son. —
“你一直声称这个孩子是我的儿子。” —

Is that the truth?”
“这是真的吗？”

Olga Ivanovna was silent.
奥尔加·伊凡诺夫娜沉默着。

“You have been the one attachment in my life,” the doctor went on, “and you cannot imagine how deeply my feeling is wounded by falsehood . —
“你一直是我生命中唯一的依恋,” 医生继续说道，“你无法想象我感受被谎言伤害之深。” —

… Come, I entreat you, Olga, for once in your life, tell me the truth… . —
“请，Olga，我恳求你，这一次，告诉我实情…” —

At these moments one cannot lie. Tell me that Misha is not my son. I am waiting.”
“在这些时刻，一个人无法说谎。告诉我Misha不是我的儿子。我在等待。”

“He is.”
“他是。”

Olga Ivanovna’s face could not be seen, but in her voice the doctor could hear hesitation. He sighed.
Olga Ivanovna的脸无法看到，但在她的声音中，医生能听到犹豫。他叹了口气。

“Even at such moments you can bring yourself to tell a lie,” he said in his ordinary voice. —
“即使在这种时刻，你也能说谎，”他用平常的声音说道。 —

“There is nothing sacred to you! Do listen, do understand me… . —
“对你没有什么神圣的！请听着，理解我…” —

You have been the one only attachment in my life. —
“你一直是我生命中唯一的依恋。” —

Yes, you were depraved, vulgar, but I have loved no one else but you in my life. —
“是的，你曾堕落，庸俗，但我一生中除了你，没有爱过别人。” —

That trivial love, now that I am growing old, is the one solitary bright spot in my memories. —
“那种微小的爱，如今我变老了，是我回忆中唯一的光明点。” —

Why do you darken it with deception? What is it for?”
“你为什么要用欺骗来玷污它？这是为了什么？”

“I don’t understand you.”
“我不明白你的意思。”

“Oh my God!” cried Tsvyetkov. “You are lying, you understand very well! —
“天啊！” Tsvyetkov大喊道。“你在撒谎，你非常明白！ —

” he cried more loudly, and he began pacing about the drawing-room, angrily waving his stick. —
“他更加大声地喊道，并开始在客厅里踱步，愤怒地挥舞着手杖。 —

“Or have you forgotten? Then I will remind you! —
“或者你忘了？那我来提醒你！ —

A father’s rights to the boy are equally shared with me by Petrov and Kurovsky the lawyer, who still make you an allowance for their son’s education, just as I do! —
一个父亲对这个男孩的权利与我和Petrov和Kurovsky律师平等地分享，他们仍然像我一样给予你们儿子的教育补助金！ —

Yes, indeed! I know all that quite well! I forgive your lying in the past, what does it matter? —
是的，确实！我很清楚这一切！我原谅你过去的谎言，那又有什么关系呢？ —

But now when you have grown older, at this moment when the boy is dying, your lying stifles me! —
但是现在当你长大了，在这个男孩濒死的时刻，你的谎言让我窒息！ —

How sorry I am that I cannot speak, how sorry I am!”
我多么抱歉我不能说话，我多么抱歉！”

The doctor unbuttoned his overcoat, and still pacing about, said:
医生解开了大衣的扣子，仍在走来走去，说：

“Wretched woman! Even such moments have no effect on her! —
“可怜的女人！甚至这样的时刻也对她没有影响！ —

Even now she lies as freely as nine years ago in the Hermitage Restaurant! —
即使现在她像九年前在Hermitage餐厅里那样撒谎！ —

She is afraid if she tells me the truth I shall leave off giving her money, she thinks that if she did not lie I should not love the boy! —
她害怕如果告诉我实情，我会停止给她钱，她认为如果不撒谎我就不会爱这个男孩！ —

You are lying! It’s contemptible!”
你撒谎！这太卑鄙了！”

The doctor rapped the floor with his stick, and cried:
医生用手杖敲了敲地板，喊道：

“It’s loathsome. Warped, corrupted creature! —
“这太令人厌恶了。扭曲，腐化的生物！ —

I must despise you, and I ought to be ashamed of my feeling. Yes! —
我必须鄙视你，我应该对自己的感情感到羞耻。是的！ —

Your lying has stuck in my throat these nine years, I have endured it, but now it’s too much—too much.”
你的谎言让我在这九年里难以启齿，我忍受了，但现在太过分了—太过分了。”

From the dark corner where Olga Ivanovna was sitting there came the sound of weeping. —
在坐在黑暗角落的Olga Ivanovna那里传来了哭声。 —

The doctor ceased speaking and cleared his throat. A silence followed. —
医生停止说话，清了清嗓子。接着是一阵寂静。 —

The doctor slowly buttoned up his over-coat, and began looking for his hat which he had dropped as he walked about.
医生慢慢地将大衣系好扣子，开始找他掉在地上的帽子。

“I lost my temper,” he muttered, bending down to the floor. —
“我发火了，”他喃喃自语，弯下腰去地板上。 —

“I quite lost sight of the fact that you cannot attend to me now… . —
“我完全忘记了你现在不能照顾我。。。 —

God knows what I have said… . Don’t take any notice of it, Olga.”
上帝知道我说了什么。。。不要理会，奥尔加。”

He found his hat and went towards the dark corner.
他找到了帽子，走向黑暗的角落。

“I have wounded you,” he said in a soft, tender half-whisper, “but once more I entreat you, tell me the truth; —
“我伤害了你，”他轻柔、温柔地半耳语道，“但我再次恳求你告诉我实情； —

there should not be lying between us… . —
之间不应该有谎言。。。 —

I blurted it out, and now you know that Petrov and Kurovsky are no secret to me. —
我脱口而出，现在你知道彼得罗夫和库罗夫斯基对我不是秘密。 —

So now it is easy for you to tell me the truth.”
所以现在你告诉我实情很容易。”

Olga Ivanovna thought a moment, and with perceptible hesitation, said:
奥尔加·伊万诺夫娜想了一会儿，有些犹豫地说：

“Nikolay, I am not lying—Misha is your child.”
“尼古拉，我没有撒谎—米沙是你的孩子。”

“My God,” moaned the doctor, “then I will tell you something more: —
“我的上帝，”医生呻吟道，“那我再告诉你一些： —

I have kept your letter to Petrov in which you call him Misha’s father! —
我留着你给彼得罗夫的信，信里你称他为米沙的父亲！ —

Olga, I know the truth, but I want to hear it from you! Do you hear?”
奥尔加，我知道真相，但我想从你口中听到！你听到了吗？”

Olga Ivanovna made no reply, but went on weeping. —
奥尔加·伊万诺夫娜没有回答，继续哭泣。 —

After waiting for an answer the doctor shrugged his shoulders and went out.
在等待回答之后，医生耸了耸肩，走了出去。

“I will come to-morrow,” he called from the passage.
“我明天会过来的，”他从走廊喊道。

All the way home, as he sat in his carriage, he was shrugging his shoulders and muttering:
整个回家的路上，他坐在马车里，耸了耸肩，喃喃自语：

“What a pity that I don’t know how to speak! I haven’t the gift of persuading and convincing. —
“真可惜我不懂得说话!我没有说服和说服的天赋。 —

It’s evident she does not understand me since she lies! —
显然她不明白我在说什么，因为她在撒谎! —

It’s evident! How can I make her see? How?”
显而易见！我怎样才能让她明白?怎么办呢？”