IN THE YEAR 1811 there was living in Moscow a French doctor called Metivier, who was rapidly coming into fashion. —
1811年，莫斯科的一位名叫麦迪维尔的法国医生正在迅速走红。 —

He was a very tall, handsome man, polite as only a Frenchman is, and was said by every one in Moscow to be an extraordinarily clever doctor. —
他是一个非常高大英俊的男人，举止得体，只有法国人才有的绅士风度，并且被莫斯科的每一个人誉为极其聪明的医生。 —

He was received in the very best houses, not merely as a doctor, but as an equal.
他受到最上流社交圈的欢迎，不仅仅是作为医生，还是平起平坐的朋友。

Prince Nikolay Andreitch had always ridiculed medicine, but of late he had by Mademoiselle Bourienne’s advice allowed this doctor to see him, and had become accustomed to his visits. —
尼古拉·安德列维奇亲王一直嘲笑医学，但最近在波琳妮小姐的建议下，他允许这位医生来看他，并且渐渐习以为常了。 —

Metivier used to see the old prince twice a week.
麦迪维尔每周会见一次老亲王。

On St. Nikolay’s day, the name-day of the old prince, all Moscow was driving up to the approach of his house, but he gave orders for no one to be admitted to see him. —
在老亲王的名字日——尼古拉日，整个莫斯科都驶向他的宅邸，但他下令不让任何人进去见他。 —

Only a few guests, of whom he gave a list to Princess Marya, were to be invited to dinner.
只有一些客人会被邀请参加晚宴，他将名单交给了玛丽亚公主。

Metivier, who arrived in the morning with his felicitations, thought himself as the old prince’s doctor entitled to forcer la consigne, as he told Princess Marya, and went in to the prince. —
早晨，梅蒂维耶尔带着祝贺来了，他把自己当作老王子的医生，觉得有权利去违抗命令，就像他告诉玛丽亚公主的那样，并走进了王子的房间。 —

It so happened that on that morning of his name-day the old prince was in one of his very worst tempers. —
偏偏在他的名字日的这个早晨，老王子情绪非常糟糕。 —

He had spent the whole morning wandering about the house, finding fault with every one, and affecting not to understand what was said to him and to be misunderstood by everybody. —
他整个早上都在房子里晃悠，对每个人都挑剔，故意装作听不懂别人说什么，而且似乎每个人都误解他。 —

Princess Marya knew that mood well from subdued and fretful grumbling, which usually found vent in a violent outburst of fury, and as though facing a cocked and loaded gun, she went all the morning in expectation of an explosion. —
玛丽亚公主对这种情绪非常了解，通常会表现出低沉不悦的抱怨，最后会爆发出愤怒的大爆发，就像面对着一把上膛的枪一样。整个早上她都在等待爆炸的发生。 —

The morning passed off fairly well, till the doctor’s arrival. —
早上过得还算不错，直到医生到来。 —

After admitting the doctor, Princess Marya sat down with a book in the drawing-room near the door, where she could hear all that passed in the prince’s study.
在医生进来后，玛丽亚公主拿着一本书坐在门口的客厅里，可以听到王子书房里发生的一切。

At first she heard Metivier’s voice alone, then her father’s voice, then both voices began talking at once. —
一开始她只听到梅蒂维埃的声音，然后是她父亲的声音，然后两个声音同时说话。 —

The door flew open, and in the doorway she saw the handsome, terrified figure of Metivier with his shock of black hair, and the old prince in a skull-cap and dressing-gown, his face hideous with rage and his eyes lowered.
门猛地打开，门口她看到了梅蒂维埃那张帅气而惊恐的脸，他的黑发散乱，还有穿着骷髅帽和睡袍的老王子，他脸色狰狞地怒吼着，目光低垂。

“You don’t understand,” screamed the old prince, “but I do! —
“你们不懂”，老王子尖声喊道，“我明白！ —

French spy, slave of Bonaparte, spy, out of my house—away, I tell you! —
法国间谍，波拿巴的奴隶，间谍，滚出我的家门――快走，我告诉你！ —

” And he slammed the door. Metivier, shrugging his shoulders, went up to Mademoiselle Bourienne, who ran out of the next room at the noise.
”他砰地一声关上了门。梅蒂维埃耸耸肩，走向了从隔壁房间冲出来的布瑞涅小姐。

“The prince is not quite well, bile and rush of blood to the head. —
“王子还不太舒服，胆汁和血液冲到头顶上了。 —

Calm yourself, I will look in to-morrow,” said Metivier; —
放心，我明天会来瞧看的，”梅蒂维埃说着， —

and putting his fingers to his lips he hurried off.
他用手指捂住嘴唇，匆匆离开了。

Through the door could be heard steps shuffling in slippers and shouts: —
透过门，能听到拖着拖鞋的脚步声和喊叫声： —

“Spies, traitors, traitors everywhere! —
“间谍，叛徒，到处都是叛徒！ —

Not a minute of peace in my own house!”
在自己家里连一分钟的平静都没有！”

After Metivier’s departure the old prince sent for his daughter, and the whole fury of his passion spent itself on her. —
梅蒂维耶离开后，老王子派人召来了他的女儿，他对她发泄了他全部的愤怒。 —

She was to blame for the spy’s having been admitted to see him. —
她应该为那个间谍被允许见到他而负责。 —

Had not he told her, told her to make a list, and that those not on the list were on no account to be admitted? —
难道他没有告诉她要列个清单，那些不在清单上的绝对不能被允许进来吗？ —

Why then had that scoundrel been shown up? She was to blame for everything. —
那个恶棍为什么还被带了进来？一切都是她的错。 —

With her he could not have a minute of peace, could not die in peace, he told her.
他告诉她，因为她，他无法得到片刻的宁静，无法在宁静中离世。

“No, madame, we must part, we must part, I tell you! —
“不，夫人，我们必须分离，我告诉你，我们必须分离！ —

I can put up with no more,” he said, and went out of the room. —
我再也不能忍受了，”他说着，走出了房间。 —

And as though afraid she might find some comfort, he turned back and trying to assume an air of calmness, he added: —
仿佛担心她会找到些许慰藉，他回过头来，试图装出一副平静的样子，他补充道： —

“And don’t imagine that I have said this in a moment of temper; —
“别以为我是一时冲动说的； —

no, I’m quite calm and I have thought it well over, and it shall be so—you shall go away, and find some place for yourself! —
不，我很冷静，我已经好好考虑过了，就这样吧——你要离开，给自己找个地方！ —

…” But he could not restrain himself, and with the vindictive fury which can only exist where a man loves, obviously in anguish, he shook his fists and screamed at her: —
“啊！要是有人傻到娶她！”他狠狠关上门，叫来了布里安娜小姐，然后回到书房。 —

“Ah! if some fool would marry her!” He slammed the door, sent for Mademoiselle Bourienne, and subsided into his study.
下午两点钟，他所挑选的六位客人来赴宴。

At two o’clock the six persons he had selected arrived to dinner. —
那些客人分别是著名的拉斯托普钦伯爵、洛普津亲王及其侄子、普列捷夫将军（是他在军中的老战友），以及年轻一代的皮埃尔和鲍里斯·德鲁别茨科伊，他们在客厅等候他。 —

Those guests—the celebrated Count Rastoptchin, Prince Lopuhin and his nephew, General Tchatrov, an old comrade of the prince’s in the field, and of the younger generation Pierre and Boris Drubetskoy were awaiting him in the drawing-room. —
鲍里斯不久前来莫斯科休假，一直渴望拜见尼古拉·安德烈奇亲王，并以某种方式获得了他的青睐，老王子对他作了个例外，让他进了家门，这与他通常不让未婚年轻人入内的规定相悖。 —

Boris, who had come on leave to Moscow shortly before, had been anxious to be presented to Prince Nikolay Andreitch, and had succeeded in so far ingratiating himself in his favour, that the old prince made in his case an exception from his usual rule of excluding all young unmarried men from his house.
莫斯科前来的鲍里斯为了拜见尼古拉·安德烈奇亲王并曾经成功地在他心中树立了好感，以至于这位老亲王对他做出了一个例外，不再遵循他通常排除所有年轻未婚男子的规定。

The prince did not receive what is called “society,” but his house was the centre of a little circle into which—though it was not talked of much in the town—it was more flattering to be admitted than anywhere else. —
王子没有得到所谓的“社交”，但他的家成为一个小圈子的中心，尽管在城里这件事没有被谈论得很多，但能被允许加入这个圈子比任何其他地方都更令人受宠若惊。 —

Boris had grasped that fact a week previously, when he heard Rastoptchin tell the commander-in-chief of Moscow, who had invited him to dine on St. Nikolay’s day, that he could not accept his invitation.
鲍里斯在一周前就已经明白了这个事实，他在听到拉斯托普钦告诉莫斯科总指挥，他不能接受他在圣尼古拉节邀请他共进晚餐的邀请时，已经明白了这个事实。

“On that day I always go to pay my devotions to the relics of Prince Nikolay Andreitch.”
“在那天，我总是去敬拜尼古拉·安德烈奇亲王的遗物。”

“Oh yes, yes…” assented the commander-in-chief. “How is he?…”
“噢是的，是的……”总指挥表示同意。“他怎么样了？……”

The little party assembled before dinner in the old-fashioned, lofty drawing-room, with its old furniture, was like the solemn meeting of some legal council board.
在老式的高大客厅里，大家在晚餐前集合，屋子里摆满了旧式家具，气氛庄严，像一个法律顾问委员会的庄重会议。

All sat silent, or if they spoke, spoke in subdued tones. —
所有人都寂静无声，或者说话时声音很低。 —

Prince Nikolay Andreitch came in, serious and taciturn. —
尼古拉·安德烈奇亲王走进来，一脸严肃而沉默。 —

Princess Marya seemed meeker and more timid than usual. —
玛丽亚公主似乎比平常更加温顺和胆小。 —

The guests showed no inclination to address their conversation to her, for they saw that she had no thought for what they were saying. —
客人们明显没有倾向性地将他们的对话引向她，因为他们看到她对他们的言谈毫无兴趣。 —

Count Rastoptchin maintained the conversation alone, relating the latest news of the town and the political world. —
拉斯托普钦伯爵独自维持着对话，他传达了城市和政治世界最新的消息。 —

Lopuhin and the old general took part in the conversation at rare intervals. —
洛普芙和老将军偶尔参与对话。 —

Prince Nikolay Andreitch listened like a presiding judge receiving a report submitted to him, only testifying by his silence, or from time to time by a brief word, that he was taking cognizance of the facts laid before him.
尼古拉·安得烈奇亲王像个审判长一样静静地听着，只通过沉默或偶尔的简短回答来表明自己正在理解所展示给他的事实。

The tone of the conversation was based on the assumption that no one approved of what was being done in the political world. —
对话的语气基于一个假设，即没有人赞同政治世界中正在发生的事情。 —

Incidents were related obviously confirming the view that everything was going from bad to worse. —
明显有迹象的事件证实了一切越来越糟的观点。 —

But in every story that was told, and in every criticism that was offered, what was striking was the way that the speaker checked himself, or was checked, every time the line was reached where a criticism might have reference to the person of the Tsar himself.
但在每个故事的叙述中，以及每个批评的提出中，让人印象深刻的是演讲者在进入可能涉及沙皇本人的批评时，自觉地自我约束或被他人制止。

At dinner the conversation turned on the last political news, Napoleon’s seizure of the possessions of the Duke of Oldenburg, and the Russian note, hostile to Napoleon, which had been despatched to all the European courts.
在晚餐时，谈话转向了最新的政治新闻，拿破仑夺取了奥尔登堡公爵的财产，以及俄罗斯针对拿破仑的敌对声明，已经发送到所有欧洲国家的使馆。

“Bonaparte treats all Europe as a pirate does a captured vessel,” said Rastoptchin, repeating a phrase he had uttered several times before. —
“波拿巴把整个欧洲当作一个海盗对待一只被捕获的船舶，”拉斯托普钦重复了他之前说过多次的一句话。 —

“One only marvels at the long-suffering or the blindness of the ruling sovereigns. —
“人们对统治者的容忍或盲目让人惊奇。” —

Now it’s the Pope’s turn, and Bonaparte doesn’t scruple to try and depose the head of the Catholic Church, and no one says a word. —
现在轮到教皇了，波拿巴毫不犹豫地试图废黜天主教的领导人，而没有人说一句话。 —

Our Emperor alone has protested against the seizure of the possessions of the Duke of Oldenburg. —
我们的皇帝是唯一抗议夺取奥尔登堡公爵财产的国家元首。 —

And even…” Count Rastoptchin broke off, feeling that he was on the very border line beyond which criticism was impossible.
“甚至……”拉斯托普钦伯爵打断了，感到自己已经到了无法批评的边界线以外。

“Other domains have been offered him instead of the duchy of Oldenburg,” said the old prince. —
“对于奥尔登堡公国，还有其他领地被提供给他了。”老王子说道。 —

“He shifts the dukes about, as I might move my serfs from Bleak Hills to Bogutcharovo and the Ryazan estates.”
“他像我一样，把公爵们调走，就像我把我的农奴从布利克山庄调到博古恰罗沃和梁赞庄园一样。”

“The Duke of Oldenburg supports his misfortune with admirable force of character and resignation,” said Boris putting in his word respectfully. —
“奥尔登堡公爵以令人钦佩的坚强和无怨无悔的性格支持他的不幸，”鲍里斯尊敬地插话道。 —

He said this because on his journey from Petersburg he had had the honour of being presented to the duke. —
他这样说是因为在从圣彼得堡的旅途中，他有幸见到了公爵。 —

The old prince looked at the young man as though he would have liked to say something in reply, but changed his mind, considering him too young.
老王子看着这个年轻人，似乎想要回答一些话，但改变了主意，觉得他还年轻。

“I have read our protest about the Oldenburg affair, and I was surprised at how badly composed the note was,” said Count Rastoptchin in the casual tone of a man criticising something with which he is very familiar.
“我读过关于奥尔登堡事件的抗议信，我对这封信的构成非常糟糕感到吃惊，”拉斯托普钦伯爵以一种随意的语气说道，仿佛是在批评他非常熟悉的事物。

Pierre looked at Rastoptchin in na?ve wonder, unable to understand why he should be troubled by the defective composition of the note.
皮埃尔惊讶地望着拉斯托普钦，不明白为什么他会因为便条的结构有问题而烦恼。

“Does it matter how the note is worded, count,” he said, “if the meaning is forcible?”
“亲爱的伯爵，如果意思很有力，便条的措辞有什么关系呢？”他说道。

“My dear fellow, with our five hundred thousand troops, it should be easy to have a good style,” said Count Rastoptchin.
“我亲爱的朋友，凭我们五十万部队，写出一份好的便条应该不难吧。”拉斯托普钦伯爵说道。

Pierre perceived the point of Count Rastoptchin’s dissatisfaction with the wording of the note.
皮埃尔明白了拉斯托普钦伯爵对便条措辞不满的原因。

“I should have thought there were scribblers enough to write it,” said the old prince. —
“我本以为有足够的庸才可以写出来呢！”老王子说道。 —

“Up in Petersburg they do nothing but write—not notes only, but new laws they keep writing. —
“在彼得堡他们除了写便条，还写新法律。 —

My Andryusha up there has written a whole volume of new laws for Russia. —
那个我儿子安德鲁夏在那写了一整本的法律给俄罗斯。 —

Nowadays they’re always at it!” And he laughed an unnatural laugh.
现在他们总是在写啊！”他发出一声不自然的笑声。

The conversation paused for a moment; the old general cleared his throat to draw attention.
对话停顿了一下，老将军清了清嗓子引起大家的注意。

“Did you hear of the last incident at the review in Petersburg? —
“你听说过彼得堡阅兵式上发生的最新一件事吗？ —

Didn’t the new French ambassadors expose themselves!”
这些新任法国大使可真丢脸！”

“Eh? Yes, I did hear something; he said something awkward in the presence of his majesty.”
“嗯？是的，我确实听到了些什么；他在陛下面前说了一些尴尬的话。”

“His majesty drew his attention to the grenadier division and the parade march,” pursued the general; —
“将军接着说，陛下把他的注意力引向炮兵师和游行，” —

“and it seems the ambassador took no notice and had the insolence to say ‘We in France,’ says he, ‘don’t pay attention to such trivial matters.’ —
“但这位大使竟然没有注意到，还厚颜无耻地说：‘在法国，’他说，‘我们不会关注这种琐事。’” —

The emperor did not vouchsafe him a reply. —
皇帝没有回应他。 —

At the review that followed the emperor, they say, did not once deign to address him.”
据说在之后的检阅中，皇帝连一次与他交谈都没有。

Every one was silent; upon this fact which related to the Tsar personally, no criticism could be offered.
大家都保持沉默；对于这个与沙皇个人有关的事实，无法提出批评。

“Impudent rogues!” said the old prince. “Do you know Metivier? —
“无耻的混蛋！”老王子说。“你们认识梅蒂维尔吗？ —

I turned him out of the house to-day. He was here, he was allowed to come in, in spite of my begging no one should be admitted,” said the old prince, glancing angrily at his daughter. —
我今天把他赶出了家门。他在这里，尽管我恳求不要让任何人进来。”老王子生气地瞪了一眼他的女儿。 —

And he told them his whole conversation with the French doctor and his reasons for believing Metivier to be a spy. —
他向他们讲述了与法国医生的整个对话以及他相信梅蒂维尔是间谍的原因。 —

Though his reasons were very insufficient and obscure, no one raised an objection.
尽管他的理由非常不充分和隐晦，没有人提出异议。

After the meat, champagne was handed round. —
在吃完肉后，香槟被递了过去。 —

The guests rose from their places to congratulate the old prince. —
客人们站起身来祝贺老王子。 —

Princess Marya too went up to him. He glanced at her with a cold, spiteful glance, and offered her his shaven, wrinkled cheek. —
玛丽亚公主也走近他。他用冷酷、怨恨的目光看着她，然后把他修剪得光洁、皱纹纵横的脸颊给了她。 —

The whole expression of his face told her that their morning’s conversation was not forgotten, that his resolution still held good, and that it was only owing to the presence of their visitors that he did not tell her so now.
他脸上的整个表情告诉她，他们早上的对话还没有被忘记，他的决心仍然坚定，只是因为有客人在场，他现在没有告诉她这件事。

When they went into the drawing-room to coffee, the old men sat together.
他们进入客厅喝咖啡时，老人们坐在一起。

Prince Nikolay Andreitch grew more animated, and began to express his views on the impending war. —
尼古拉·安德烈奇王子变得更加兴奋，开始表达他对即将到来的战争的看法。 —

He said that our wars with Bonaparte would be unsuccessful so long as we sought alliances with the Germans and went meddling in European affairs, into which we had been drawn by the Peace of Tilsit. —
他说，只要我们寻求与德国人的联盟并干涉欧洲事务，我们与波拿巴的战争就会不成功，而这一切都是由于蒂尔西特和平协议将我们卷入其中。 —

We had no business to fight for Austria or against Austria. —
我们没有理由为奥地利战斗，也没有理由反对奥地利。 —

Our political interests all lay in the East, and as regards Bonaparte, the one thing was an armed force on the frontier, and a firm policy, and he would never again dare to cross the Russian frontier, as he had done in 1807.
我们的政治利益都在东方，至于波拿巴，他唯一需要的就是在边境上有一支武装力量和坚定的政策，他将再也不敢像1807年那样越过俄国边境了。

“And how should we, prince, fight against the French!” said Count Rastoptchin. —
“那么，亲王，我们怎样才能对抗法国人！”拉斯托普金伯爵说。 —

“Can we arm ourselves against our teachers and divinities? —
“我们能对抗我们的教师和神灵吗？ —

Look at our young men, look at our ladies. —
看看我们的年轻人，看看我们的女士们。 —

Our gods are the French, and Paris—our Paradise.”
我们的神是法国人，巴黎是我们的天堂。”

He began talking more loudly, obviously with the intention of being heard by every one.
他开始大声说话，显然是想让每个人都能听到。

“Our fashions are French, our ideas are French, our feelings are French! —
“我们的时尚是法国的，我们的思想是法国的，我们的情感是法国的！ —

You have sent Metivier about his business because he’s a Frenchman and a scoundrel, but our ladies are crawling on their hands and knees after him. —
你开除了梅蒂维尔因为他是法国人和无赖，但我们的女士们却在他身后匍匐不前。 —

Yesterday I was at an evening party, and out of five ladies three were Catholics and had a papal indulgence for embroidering on Sundays. —
昨天晚上我去参加了一个晚会，五个女士中有三个是天主教徒，有周日的教宗特赦书来允许她们绣花。” —

And they sitting all but naked, like the sign-boards of some public bath-house, if you’ll excuse my saying so. —
而他们半裸着坐着，像某个公共澡堂的招牌一样，如果您不介意我这么说的话。 —

Ah, when one looks at our young people, prince, one would like to take Peter the Great’s old cudgel out of the museum and break a few ribs in the good old Russian style, to knock the nonsense out of them!”
啊，当我们看着我们的年轻人时，王子，我们都想从彼得大帝的旧棍子中拿出来，以俄罗斯式的方式打破他们几根肋骨，敲散他们的无聊想法！

All were silent. The old prince looked at Rastoptchin with a smile on his face and shook his head approvingly.
大家都保持沉默。老王子微笑着看着拉斯托普金，满意地摇了摇头。

“Well, good-bye, your excellency; don’t you be ill,” said Rastoptchin, getting up with the brisk movements characteristic of him, and holding out his hand to the old prince.
“好了，再见，阁下；您别生病，”拉斯托普金说，以他特有的敏捷动作站起身来，伸出手给老王子。

“Good-bye, my dear fellow. Your talk is a music I’m always glad to listen to! —
“再见了，亲爱的朋友。您的谈话对我来说是一种音乐，我总是乐意倾听！” —

” said the old prince, keeping hold of his hand and offering him his cheek for a kiss. —
”老王子说着，仍然握着他的手，将脸颊伸过来让他亲吻。 —

The others, too, got up when Rastoptchin did.
其他人也在拉斯托普金站起身时站了起来。