ON THE 31ST of December, on the eve of the new year 1810, a ball was given by a grand personage who had been a star of the court of Catherine. —
1810年新年前夕，一位曾经是叶卡捷琳娜女王朝炙手可热的人物在英国长堤举办了一场舞会。 —

The Tsar and the diplomatic corps were to be present at this ball.
沙皇和外交使团也将出席这个舞会。

The well-known mansion of this grandee in the English Embankment was illuminated by innumerable lights. —
这位贵族的闻名宅邸在英国长堤被无数灯光照亮。 —

The police were standing at the lighted entry, laid with red baize; —
入口处铺设着红色绒毯，警察站在被照明的入口处； —

and not merely policemen, but a police commander was at the entrance, and dozens of officers of the police. —
不仅仅是警察，入口处还有一位警察指挥官和几十名警官。 —

Carriages kept driving away, and fresh ones kept driving up, with grooms in red livery and grooms in plumed hats. —
马车不断驶离，新的马车带着红色制服的仆人和戴羽毛帽的仆人驶上来。 —

From the carriages emerged men wearing uniforms, stars, and ribbons; —
从马车上走下来的是身穿制服、佩戴星章和丝带的男士们； —

while ladies in satin and ermine stepped carefully out on the carriage steps, that were let down with a bang, and then walked hurriedly and noiselessly over the baize of the entry.
而穿着缎子和貂皮的女士们小心翼翼地走下车台，并大声地下了脚步踏在绒毯上。

Almost every time a new carriage drove up, a whisper ran through the crowd and hats were taken off. —
几乎每当一辆新马车驶入时，人群中都会传出轻声的窃窃私语，帽子也会脱下。 —

“The Emperor?…No, a minister…prince…ambassador…Don’t you see the plumes? —
“皇帝？…不，是大臣…王子…大使…难道你没看见那些羽毛吗？ —

…” was audible in the crowd. One person, better dressed than the rest, seemed to know every one, and mentioned by name all the most celebrated personages of the day.
…”人群中传来一声。一个比其他人穿得更好的人似乎认识每个人，并逐个提到当今最有名的人物。

A third of the guests had already arrived at this ball, while the Rostovs, who were to be present at it, were still engaged in hurried preparations.
抵达舞会的客人已经有三分之一了，而罗斯托夫家族，他们打算出席此次舞会，仍在忙于短暂的准备。

Many had been the discussions and the preparations for that ball in the Rostov family; —
在罗斯托夫家族中，关于那场舞会的讨论和准备非常多； —

many the fears that an invitation might not arrive, that the dresses would not be ready, and that everything would not be arranged as it ought to be.
人们担心着邀请可能不会到来，服装可能还没准备好，一切可能都无法按照应有的安排进行。

The Rostovs were to be accompanied by Marya Ignatyevna Peronsky, a friend and relation of the countess, a thin and yellow maid-of-honour of the old court, who was acting as a guide to the provincial Rostovs in the higher circles of Petersburg society.
罗斯托夫家族将会有玛丽亚·伊格纳季耶夫娜·佩罗恩斯卡娅陪同，她是伯爵夫人的朋友和亲戚，也是一位瘦削、肤色黄的老法庭的女宫廷侍女，负责引导省级罗斯托夫家族进入彼得堡社交圈。

At ten o’clock the Rostovs were to drive to Tavritchesky Garden to call for the maid-of-honour. —
十点钟时，罗斯托夫一家将前往塔夫里切斯基花园，去接那位女宫廷侍女。 —

Meantime it was five minutes to ten, and the young ladies were not yet dressed.
与此同时，距离十点还有五分钟，年轻的女士们还没穿好衣服。

Natasha was going to her first great ball. —
娜塔莎要去参加她的第一个盛大舞会。 —

She had got up at eight o’clock that morning, and had spent the whole day in feverish agitation and activity. —
她早上八点起床，整个一天都处于充满焦虑和忙碌的状态。 —

All her energies had since morning been directed to the one aim of getting herself, her mother, and Sonya as well dressed as possible. —
自从早上起来以来，她一直将所有精力都集中在让自己、妈妈和索尼娅尽可能打扮得漂亮上。 —

Sonya and her mother put themselves entirely in her hands. —
索尼娅和她的妈妈完全交给她安排。 —

The countess was to wear a dark red velvet dress; —
女伯爵要穿一件深红色天鹅绒裙子。 —

the two girls white tulle dresses over pink silk slips, and roses on their bodices. —
两个女孩要穿着白色雪纺裙子和粉色丝绸内衬，并在胸前装饰上戴着玫瑰花。 —

They were to wear their hair à la grecque.
她们要以希腊女子的发式来梳妆打扮。

All the essentials were ready. Feet, arms, necks, and ears had been washed, scented, and powdered with peculiar care in readiness for the ball. —
所有的基本准备都已经完成。脚、手臂、脖子和耳朵都已经经过特别细致的洗涤、香气和粉饰，为舞会做好了准备。 —

Openwork silk stockings and white satin shoes with ribbons had been put on. —
穿上了透明丝袜和白色缎子鞋子，系着丝带。 —

The hairdressing was almost accomplished. Sonya was finishing dressing, so was the countess; —
发型已经几乎完成了。索尼娅正在最后打扮，女伯爵也是。 —

but Natasha, who had been busily looking after every one, was behindhand. —
然而，忙着照顾其他人的娜塔莎却没有及时准备好。 —

She was still sitting before the looking-glass with a peignoir thrown over her thin shoulders. —
她依旧坐在镜子前，薄单衣披在纤细的肩膀上。 —

Sonya, already dressed, stood in the middle of the room, and was trying to fasten in a last ribbon, hurting her little finger as she pressed the pin with a scrooping sound into the silk.
索尼娅已经穿好衣服，站在房间中央，正在试图扎紧最后一个丝带，她捏紧针尖，发出刺耳的声音，弄疼了小手指。

“Not like that, Sonya, not like that!” said Natasha, turning her head, and clutching her hair in both hands, as the maid arranging it was not quick enough in letting it go. —
“不是那样，索尼娅，不是那样！”娜塔莎转过头来，双手抓住自己的头发，因为理发师没有及时放手。 —

“The ribbon mustn’t go like that; come here. —
“丝带不可以那样放，请过来。” —

” Sonya squatted down. Natasha pinned the ribbon in her own way.
索尼娅蹲下身子，娜塔莎用自己的方式别上丝带。

“Really, miss, you mustn’t do so,” said the maid, holding Natasha’s hair.
“真的，小姐，你不能那样做。”女仆抓住娜塔莎的头发。

“Oh, my goodness! Afterwards! There, that’s right, Sonya.”
“哦天哪！之后再说！好了，这样就对了，索尼娅。”

“Will you soon be ready?” they heard the countess’s voice. “It will be ten in a minute.”
他们听到了女伯爵的声音，“你们快准备好了吗？一分钟之后就十点了。”

“Immediately, immediately.… And are you ready, mamma?”
“马上，马上……妈妈，你准备好了吗？”

“Only my cap to fasten on.”
“只剩下我的帽子要扣上了。”

“Don’t do it without me,” shouted Natasha; “you don’t know how to!”
“不要不带我做，”娜塔莎大声喊道；“你不会的！”

“But it’s ten o’clock already.”
“但已经十点了。”

It had been arranged to be at the ball at half-past ten, and Natasha still had to dress, and they had to drive to Tavritchesky Garden.
安排好了要在晚上十点半出席舞会，娜塔莎还需要打扮，他们还要开车去塔夫里茨基花园。

When her coiffure was finished, Natasha, in her mother’s dressing-jacket and a short petticoat under which her dancing-shoes could be seen, ran up to Sonya, looked her over, and then ran to her mother. —
当她的发型完成后，娜塔莎穿着母亲的睡袍，短裙下露出她的舞鞋，跑到索尼娅跟前，审视了她一下，然后跑向母亲。 —

Turning her head round, she pinned on her cap, and hurriedly kissing her grey hair, ran back to the maids who were shortening her skirt.
她转过头，别上了帽子，匆忙地吻了吻她的灰发，又跑回那些正在给她缩短裙子的女仆们那里。

All attention was now centred on Natasha’s skirt, which was too long. —
所有的注意力现在都集中在娜塔莎的裙子上，它太长了。 —

Two maids were running it up round the edge, hurriedly biting off the threads. —
两个女仆急忙把它沿边缝起来，匆忙地咬断线头。 —

A third one, with pins in her teeth and lips, was running from the countess to Sonya; —
第三个女仆嘴里含着针，匆忙从女伯爵那边跑到索尼娅那边； —

a fourth was holding up the whole tulle dress in her arms.
第四个女仆抱着整个纱裙。

“Mavrushka, quicker, darling!”
“马夫鲁什卡，快点，亲爱的！”

“Give me that thimble, miss.”
“给我那个顶针，小姐。”

“Will you be quick?” said the count from outside the door, coming in. —
“你会快点吗？”大人物从门外说着，走了进来。 —

“Here are your smelling-salts. Madame Peronsky must be tired of waiting.”
“这是你的香袋，佩罗斯基夫人一定等得不耐烦了。”

“Ready, miss,” said the maid, lifting up the shortened tulle skirt on two fingers, blowing something off it, and giving it a shake to show her appreciation of the transparency and purity of what she had in her hands.
“准备好了，小姐，”女仆说着，用两根手指托起缩短的薄纱裙子，拍去上面的东西，摇了摇，以显示她手中所拿之物的透明和纯洁。

Natasha began putting on the dress.
娜塔莎开始穿上那件裙子。

“In a minute, in a minute, don’t come in, papa,” she shouted to her father at the door, from under the tulle of the dress that concealed all her face. —
“等一下，等一下，爸爸不要进来，”她从遮住了整张脸的薄纱裙子下面喊着门外的父亲。 —

Sonya slammed the door. A minute later the count was admitted. —
索尼娅砰地关上了门。一分钟后伯爵被允许进来。 —

He was wearing a blue frock coat, stockings, and dancing-shoes, and was perfumed and pomaded.
他穿着一件蓝色的礼服、长筒袜和舞鞋，还香水和油膏。

“Ah, papa, how nice you look, lovely!” said Natasha, standing in the middle of the room, stroking out the folds of her tulle.
“啊，爸爸，你看起来多漂亮，多美！”娜塔莎站在房间中央，在她的薄纱裙子的褶皱上抚摸着。

“If you please, miss, if you please…” said a maid, pulling up the skirt and turning the pins from one corner of her mouth to the other with her tongue.
“小姐，如果您愿意的话，如果您愿意…”一个女仆说着，用舌头将裙子拉起来，用嘴角夹住别针。

“Say what you like!” cried Sonya, with despair in her voice, as she gazed at Natasha’s skirt, “say what you like! —
“你想说什么就说吧！”索尼娅尖声喊道，声音中充满绝望，她看着娜塔莎的裙子，“你想说什么就说吧！ —

—it’s too long still!”
- 这还是太长了！”

Natasha walked a little further off to look at herself in the pierglass. The skirt was too long.
娜塔莎走远一点，走到镜子前照了照自己。裙子太长了。

“My goodness, madam, it’s not a bit too long,” said Mavrushka, creeping along the floor on her knees after her young lady.
“天哪，夫人，这一点也不长。”玛弗什卡爬在地板上，跪着追着她的小姐说。

“Well, if it’s long, we’ll tack it up, in one minute, we’ll tack it up,” said Dunyasha, a resolute character. —
“好吧，如果太长，我们一分钟内可以把它改短。”杜尼亚莎说，态度坚决。 —

And taking a needle out of the kerchief on her bosom she set to work again on the floor.
她从胸前的头巾里拿出一根针，再次在地板上开工。

At that moment the countess in her cap and velvet gown walked shyly with soft steps into the room.
就在那时，身穿帽子和天鹅绒长袍的女伯爵羞怯地走进房间，脚步轻柔。

“Oo-oo! my beauty!” cried the count. “She looks nicer than any of you! —
“喔，我的美人！”伯爵叫道，“她比你们谁都好看！ —

”…He would have embraced her, but, flushing, she drew back to avoid being crumpled.
“……他本来要拥抱她的，但她红着脸退后，避免被弄皱。

“Mamma, the cap should be more on one side,” said Natasha. —
“妈妈，帽子的一侧应该更多一些，”娜塔莎说。 —

“I’ll pin it fresh,” and she darted forward. —
“我将重新别针好，”她迅速走过去。 —

The maids turning up her skirt, not prepared for her hasty movement, tore off a piece of the tulle.
女仆们抬高了她的裙子，没有准备好迅速移动，撕掉了一块蕾丝。

“Oh, mercy! What was that? Really it’s not my fault…”
“哦，我的天！那是什么？真的不是我的错……”

“It’s all right, I’ll run it up, it won’t show,” said Dunyasha.
“没关系，我会缝补好，看不出来，”顿亚莎说。

“My beauty, my queen!” said the old nurse coming in at the doorway. —
“我的美人，我的皇后！”老护士走进门口说道。 —

“And Sonyushka, too; ah, the beauties!…”
“还有索尼乌什卡，啊，多么美丽啊！…”

At a quarter past ten they were at last seated in their carriage and driving off. —
在十点一刻，他们终于坐在马车里离开了。 —

But they still had to drive to Tavritchesky Garden
但他们还得开车去塔夫里切斯基公园。

Madame Peronsky was ready and waiting. In spite of her age and ugliness, just the same process had been going on with her as with the Rostovs, not with flurry, for with her it was a matter of routine. —
佩龙斯卡夫人已经准备好并等着了。尽管她年龄大且相貌平庸，但与罗斯托夫家族一样，同样的过程也正在进行，只是没有那么匆忙，因为对她来说这是常规事务。 —

Her elderly and unprepossessing person had been also washed and scented and powdered; —
她老年且不起眼的外貌也已被洗净、香气弥漫，并且撒上粉末； —

she had washed as carefully behind her ears, and like the Rostovs’ nurse, her old maid had enthusiastically admired her mistress’s attire, when she came into the drawing-room in her yellow gown adorned with her badge of a maid-of-honour. —
她仔细地洗了洗耳后的部分，并像罗斯托夫家的保姆一样，她的老女仆也热情地赞美她主人穿的黄色长袍，那上面装饰着她作为女官的徽章。 —

Madame Peronsky praised the Rostovs’ costumes, and they praised her attire and her taste. —
佩罗斯基夫人赞扬了罗斯托夫家人的服装，而他们则称赞她的衣着和品味。 —

Then, careful of their coiffures and their dresses, at eleven o’clock they settled themselves in the carriages and drove off.
然后，她们细心整理了发型和衣服，十一点钟时，她们上了车并驶离了。