ON THE THIRD DAY after Christmas Nikolay dined at home, which he had rarely done of late. —
在圣诞节过后的第三天，尼古拉在家中用餐，这是他最近很少做的事情。 —

This was a farewell dinner in Nikolay’s honour, as he was to set off with Denisov after the baptism festival to rejoin his regiment. —
这是一次为尼古拉举行的告别晚餐，因为他将在洗礼节后与德尼索夫一起离开，重新加入他的团队。 —

Twenty persons were dining, among them Dolohov and Denisov.
共有二十个人共进晚餐，其中包括多洛霍夫和德尼索夫。

Never had the love in the air of the Rostovs’ house, never had the atmosphere of being in love, made itself so strongly felt as during those Christmas holidays. —
在罗斯托夫家里，从未像在这个圣诞节假期那样，爱意弥漫在空气中，从未有过如此浓厚的爱情氛围。 —

“Seize the moment of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only thing real in the world; —
“抓住幸福的时刻，去爱和被爱！那是世界上唯一真实的东西； —

the rest is all nonsense. And that is the one thing we are interested in here,” was the sentiment that atmosphere was eloquent of.
其他都是废话。这是我们在这里唯一感兴趣的东西。”这种氛围所表达的情感是雄辩的。

After exhausting two pairs of horses, as he did every day without having been everywhere he ought to have been, and everywhere he had been invited, Nikolay reached home just at dinner-time. —
在耗尽两对马匹之后，就像他每天都这样，在没有到达他应该到达的地方，也没有到达他受邀去过的地方之前，尼古拉刚好在晚餐时间到达了家。 —

As soon as he went in he felt that intense atmosphere of love in the house, but in addition to that he became conscious of a strange embarrassment that seemed to prevail between certain persons in the company. —
他一进门就感受到了这个房子里浓厚的爱的氛围，但除此之外，他还意识到场中某些人之间似乎存在着一种奇怪的尴尬。 —

Sonya seemed particularly disturbed, so did Dolohov and the old countess, and in a lesser degree Natasha. —
索尼娅显得特别心烦，多洛霍夫和老伯爵也是如此，而娜塔莎则程度较轻。 —

Nikolay saw that something must have passed before dinner between Sonya and Dolohov, and with the delicate instinct characteristic of him, he was very sympathetic and wary with both of them during dinner. —
尼古拉意识到午餐前索尼娅和多洛霍夫之间必定发生了某些事情，凭他那敏感细腻的本能，他在晚餐期间对他们俩都很同情且提高了警觉。 —

On that evening there was to be one of the dances given by Iogel, the dancing-master, during the holidays to his pupils.
那天晚上，要举行一个舞会，由舞蹈教师尤格尔给他的学生们举办，这是放假期间的一项活动。

“Nikolenka, are you going to Iogel’s? Please, do go,” said Natasha; —
“尼科琳卡，你打算去尤格尔家吗？拜托你去吧，”娜塔莎说道； —

“he particularly begged you to, and Vassily Dmitritch” (this was Denisov) “is going.”
“他特意请你去，还有瓦西里·德米特里奇”（指的是德尼索夫）“也去。”

“Where would I not go at the countess’s commands! —
“请嘛，位高权重的伯爵命令，我能不去吗！” —

” said Denisov, who had jestingly taken up the role of Natasha’s knight in the Rostov household. —
”德尼索夫开玩笑地接过娜塔莎家中骑士的角色说道。 —

“I am ready to dance the pas de chale.”
“我准备好跳Pas de Chale了。”

“If I have time! I promised the Arharovs; they have a party,” said Nikolay.
“如果我有时间的话！我答应了阿哈罗夫一家；他们有个派对。”尼古拉说道。

“And you? …” he turned to Dolohov. And as soon as he had asked the question, he saw that he should not have asked it.
“那你呢？…”他转向多洛霍夫。但他问完这个问题后，意识到自己不应该问这个问题。

“Yes, possibly …” Dolohov answered coldly and angrily, glancing at Sonya; —
“是的，可能…”多洛霍夫冷冰冰地生气地回答着，他瞥了一眼索尼娅； —

and he glanced again, scowling at Nikolay with exactly the same look with which he had looked at Pierre at the club dinner.
他再次瞥了一眼，用同样的目光怒视着尼古拉，就像在俱乐部晚宴上看皮埃尔那样。

“There’s something wrong,” thought Nikolay; —
“有些不对劲。”尼古拉想。 —

and he was still more confirmed in that surmise, when immediately after dinner Dolohov went away. —
他对这个猜测更加坚信了一点，当多洛霍夫晚饭后立刻离开时。 —

He beckoned Natasha, and asked her what had happened.
他招手示意娜塔莎，并询问发生了什么。

“I was looking for you,” said Natasha, running out to him. —
“我一直在找你。”娜塔莎跑出来对他说。 —

“I told you so, and still you wouldn’t believe me,” she said triumphantly; —
“我告诉过你了，可你还是不相信我。”她得意地说道； —

“he has made Sonya an offer.”
“他向索尼娅求婚了。”

Little as Nikolay had been thinking of Sonya of late, he felt as if something were being torn from him when he heard this. —
虽然尼古拉最近对索尼娅没有多想，但当他听到这个消息时，他感觉好像有什么东西从他身上被剥离掉了。 —

Dolohov was a good, and in some respects a brilliant, match for the portionless orphan Sonya. From the point of view of the countess and of society it was out of the question for her to refuse him. —
多洛霍夫对于一贫如洗的孤儿索尼娅而言，从某些方面来说是一个好且杰出的匹配。从贵妇人和社会的角度来看，她不可能拒绝他。 —

And so Nikolay’s first feeling when he heard of it was one of exasperation against Sonya. He braced himself up to say, “And a capital thing, too; —
因此，尼古拉第一次听到这件事的时候，对索尼娅感到十分恼火。他鼓起勇气说：“这也是一件很棒的事情； —

of course she must forget her childish promises and accept the offer”; —
当然她必须忘记她的孩子气的承诺，并接受这个提议”； —

but he had not succeeded in saying this when Natasha said:
但是，他还没有说完时，娜塔莎说：

“Only fancy! she has refused him, absolutely refused him! —
“你能想象！她拒绝了他，彻底地拒绝了他！ —

She says she loves some one else,” she added after a brief pause.
她说她爱着别人，”她在稍作停顿后补充道。

“Yes, my Sonya could not do otherwise!” thought Nikolay.
“是的，我的索尼娅无法做到其他！”尼古拉心想。

“Mamma begged her ever so many times not to, but she refused; —
“妈妈恳求她很多次不去，但她拒绝了； —

and I know she won’t change, if she has said a thing.…”
“而且我知道她不会改变，如果她说了一件事…”

“And mamma begged her not to!” Nikolay said reproachfully.
“妈妈恳求她别去！”尼古拉责备道。

“Yes,” said Natasha. “Do you know, Nikolenka—don’t be angry— but I know you won’t marry her. —
“是的，”娜塔莎说。“你知道吗，尼科连卡——不要生气——但我知道你不会娶她。 —

I know—I don’t know why—but I know for certain that you won’t marry her.”
“我知道——我不知道为什么——但我很确定你不会娶她。”

“Well, you can’t know that,” said Nikolay; —
“嗯，你不能知道这个，”尼古拉说； —

“but I want to talk to her. How charming Sonya is! —
“但我想和她谈谈。索尼娅是多么迷人啊！” —

” he added, smiling.
”他补充道，微笑着。

“Yes, she is so charming! I’ll send her in to you.” And Natasha kissed her brother and ran away.
“是啊，她太迷人了！我会让她进来见你。”娜塔莎亲了亲她兄弟，然后跑开了。

A minute later Sonya came in, looking frightened, distraught, and guilty. —
一分钟后，索尼娅进来了，看起来害怕、心神不宁、内疚。 —

Nikolay went up to her and kissed her hand. —
尼古拉走到她面前，亲吻了她的手。 —

It was the first time since his return that they had talked alone and of their love.
这是他回来后他们第一次私下谈论他们的爱情。

“Sophie,” he said to her, at first timidly, but more and more boldly as he went on, “if you were simply refusing a brilliant, an advantageous match—but he’s a splendid, noble fellow … he’s my friend…”
“索菲，”他开始时有些胆怯地对她说道，但随着他的话越来越大胆，“如果你只是拒绝了一次华丽而有利的配对-但他是个出色的，高贵的人……他是我的朋友……”

Sonya interrupted him.
索尼娅打断了他。

“I have refused him,” she said hastily.
“我已经拒绝了他，”她急忙说道。

“If you are refusing him for my sake, I am afraid that I…”
“如果你为了我的缘故拒绝他，我担心我会……”

Sonya again cut him short. With frightened, imploring eyes she looked at him.
索尼娅再次打断他，用害怕而乞求的眼神看着他。

“Nikolenka, don’t say that to me,” she said.
“尼科林卡，别对我说那样的话，”她说道。

“No, I must. Perhaps it’s suffisance on my part, but still it’s better to say it. —
“不，我必须说。也许这是我自以为是，但还是最好说出来。 —

If you are refusing him on my account, I ought to tell you the whole truth. —
如果你为了我而拒绝他，我应该告诉你全部真相。 —

I love you, I believe, more than any one …”
我爱你，我相信，比任何人都要多……”

“That’s enough for me,” said Sonya, flushing crimson.
“对我来说已经足够了，”索尼娅脸红了。

“No; but I have been in love a thousand times, and I shall fall in love again, though such a feeling of affection, confidence and love I have for no one as for you. —
“不；但我已经爱过上千次，我还会再次坠入爱河，虽然我对任何人都没有像对你一样的爱、信任和情感。 —

Then I am young. Mamma does not wish it. Well—in fact—I can make no promise. —
然后，我年纪还轻。妈妈不希望。好吧-实际上-我不能作出任何承诺。 —

And I beg you to consider the offer of Dolohov,” he said, with an effort articulating the name of his friend.
“我恳求你考虑一下Dolohov的提议，”他费力地念出他朋友的名字。

“Don’t speak to me of it. I want nothing. —
“别跟我谈这个。我什么也不想要。” —

I love you as a brother, and shall always love you, and I want nothing more.”
“我像兄弟一样爱你，将永远爱着你，我什么也不想要。”

“You are an angel; I’m not worthy of you, but I am only afraid of deceiving you.”
“你是天使；我不配拥有你，但我只是害怕欺骗你。”

Nikolay kissed her hand once more.
尼古拉再次吻了她的手。