AN OLD GENERAL OF REPUTE.
一位声誉卓著的老将军。

The man on whom depended the easing of the fate of the Petersburg prisoners was an old General of repute–a baron of German descent, who, as it was said of him, had outlived his wits. —
这位关系到减轻彼得堡囚犯命运的人是一位声誉卓著的老将军，一个身为德国裔男爵的人，据说他已经失去了理智。 —

He had received a profusion of orders, but only wore one of them, the Order of the White Cross. He had received this order, which he greatly valued, while serving in the Caucasus, because a number of Russian peasants, with their hair cropped, and dressed in uniform and armed with guns and bayonets, had killed at his command more than a thousand men who were defending their liberty, their homes, and their families. —
他得到了许多勋章，但只佩戴了一个，那就是白十字勋章。他在高加索地区服役时得到了这个他非常珍视的勋章，因为有一群俄罗斯农民听从他的命令，剪短了头发，穿上制服，拿着枪和刺刀，杀死了千余人，这些人在捍卫自己的自由、家园和家人。 —

Later on he served in Poland, and there also made Russian peasants commit many different crimes, and got more orders and decorations for his uniform. —
之后他在波兰服役，同样让俄罗斯农民犯下许多不同的罪行，换取他的制服上更多的勋章和奖章。 —

Then he served somewhere else, and now that he was a weak, old man he had this position, which insured him a good house, an income and respect. —
之后他在其他地方服役， 如今他是一个虚弱的老人，享有这个职位，保障他拥有一座好房子、一个收入和尊重。 —

He strictly observed all the regulations which were prescribed “from above,” and was very zealous in the fulfilment of these regulations, to which he ascribed a special importance, considering that everything else in the world might be changed except the regulations prescribed “from above.” —
他严格遵守从“上面”规定的所有规章制度，并且非常热心地履行这些规定，他认为这些规定具有特殊的重要性，认为这世上除了从“上面”规定的那些规定，其他事情都可以更改。 —

His duty was to keep political prisoners, men and women, in solitary confinement in such a way that half of them perished in 10 years’ time, some going out of their minds, some dying of consumption, some committing suicide by starving themselves to death, cutting their veins with bits of glass, hanging, or burning themselves to death.
他的职责是把政治犯人，无论男性还是女性，单独关押起来，以致于他们中有一半在十年的时间里死去，有的精神失常，有的死于结核病，有的选择饿死、用玻璃碴割脉、上吊、或者烧死自己。

The old General was not ignorant of this; it all happened within his knowledge; —
老将军并非无所不知；这一切都发生在他的知识范围之内； —

but these cases no more touched his conscience than accidents brought on by thunderstorms, floods, etc. —
但这些事例对他的良心没有任何触动，就好像由于雷暴、洪水等意外情况引起的事故那样。 —

These cases occurred as a consequence of the fulfilment of regulations prescribed “from above” by His Imperial Majesty. —
这些情况发生是因为履行了陛下口中“从上面”规定的规定。 —

These regulations had to be carried out without fail, and therefore it was absolutely useless to think of the consequences of their fulfilment. —
这些规定必须无论如何都要执行，因此想这些执行带来的后果是完全没有用的。 —

The old General did not even allow himself to think of such things, counting it his patriotic duty as a soldier not to think of them for fear of getting weak in the carrying out of these, according to his opinion, very important obligations. —
老将军甚至不允许自己去考虑这些事情，他认为作为一个士兵，不该因为考虑这些事情而在履行他认为非常重要的义务时变得软弱。 —

Once a week the old General made the round of the cells, one of the duties of his position, and asked the prisoners if they had any requests to make. —
每周一次，老将军会巡视牢房，这是他职责范围内的一项任务，他会问囚犯们是否有什么要求。 —

The prisoners had all sorts of requests. —
囚犯们有各种各样的要求。 —

He listened to them quietly, in impenetrable silence, and never fulfilled any of their requests, because they were all in disaccord with the regulations. —
他静静地听着，表情坚定无法渗透，从来不会满足任何他们的要求，因为所有这些都与规定不符。 —

Just as Nekhludoff drove up to the old General’s house, the high notes of the bells on the belfry clock chimed “Great is the Lord,” and then struck two. —
就在涅赫留多夫开车来到老将军的宅邸时，钟楼的钟声传来，高音响起“上帝伟大”，然后敲响了两下。 —

The sound of these chimes brought back to Nekhludoff’s mind what he had read in the notes of the Decembrists [the Decembrists were a group who attempted, but failed, to put an end to absolutism in Russia at the time of the accession of Nicholas the First] about the way this sweet music repeated every hour re-echoes in the hearts of those imprisoned for life.
这些钟声让涅赫留多夫想起了他在“十二月党人”笔记中读到的关于这美妙音乐如何每小时重复，在无期徒刑者心中回荡的事情。

Meanwhile the old General was sitting in his darkened drawing-room at an inlaid table, turning a saucer on a piece of paper with the aid of a young artist, the brother of one of his subordinates. —
与此同时，老将军坐在他昏暗的客厅里的一张镶嵌桌旁，正在和一位年轻艺术家一起用碟子在一张写满字母的纸上玩游戏，这位艺术家是他的下属的兄弟。 —

The thin, weak, moist fingers of the artist were pressed against the wrinkled and stiff-jointed fingers of the old General, and the hands joined in this manner were moving together with the saucer over a paper that had all the letters of the alphabet written on it. —
薄薄的、虚弱的、湿润的手指被压在老将军皱纹和僵硬的手指上，这样联合在一起的手正一起随着碟子在一张纸上移动，纸上写着字母表。 —

The saucer was answering the questions put by the General as to how souls will recognise each other after death.
碟子正在回答将军提出的问题，问的是灵魂在死后如何辨认彼此。

When Nekhludoff sent in his card by an orderly acting as footman, the soul of Joan of Arc was speaking by the aid of the saucer. —
当涅赫留多夫通过一个军士充当侍者送进自己的名片时，圣女贞德的灵魂正在通过碟子的帮助说话。 —

The soul of Joan of Arc had already spelt letter by letter the words: —
圣女贞德的灵魂已经一个字母一个字母拼出了这句话： —

“They well knew each other,” and these words had been written down. —
“他们彼此相互了解得很清楚”，这些话已经被记录下来。 —

When the orderly came in the saucer had stopped first on b, then on y, and began jerking hither and thither. —
当勤务兵走进房间时，茶碟先停在了 b 上，然后又停在了 y 上，开始左右颤动。 —

This jerking was caused by the General’s opinion that the next letter should be b, i. —
这种颤动是由将军认为下一个字母应该是 b, i 引起的。 —

e., Joan of Arc ought to say that the souls will know each other by being cleansed of all that is earthly, or something of the kind, clashing with the opinion of the artist, who thought the next letter should be l, i. —
即，圣女贞德应该说灵魂将彼此认识是因为被净化，摆脱了所有尘世的东西，或者类似的内容，与艺术家的观点相冲突，他认为下一个字母应该是 l, i。 —

e., that the souls should know each other by light emanating from their astral bodies. —
即，灵魂应该通过从他们的星体散发出的光来认识彼此。 —

The General, with his bushy grey eyebrows gravely contracted, sat gazing at the hands on the saucer, and, imagining that it was moving of its own accord, kept pulling the saucer towards b. —
将军，他浓密的灰色眉毛严肃地皱起，坐在茶碟旁看着手在上面，想象着它是自己移动的，并不断地将茶碟拉向 b 的方向。 —

The pale-faced young artist, with his thin hair combed back behind his cars, was looking with his lifeless blue eyes into a dark corner of the drawing-room, nervously moving his lips and pulling the saucer towards l.
苍白面孔的年轻艺术家，他薄薄的头发梳在耳后，用无神的蓝色眼睛盯着客厅角落里，紧张地嘴唇动着，把茶碟往 l 的方向拉。

The General made a wry face at the interruption, but after a moment’s pause he took the card, put on his pince-nez, and, uttering a groan, rose, in spite of the pain in his back, to his full height, rubbing his numb fingers.
将军对打扰做了个苦笑，但停顿片刻后接过名片，戴上鼻镜，发出一声呻吟，尽管背部疼痛，仍站起来，揉着麻木的手指。

“Ask him into the study.”
“请他进书房。”

“With your excellency’s permission I will finish it alone,” said the artist, rising. —
“请您允许，我自己来完成它。”艺术家站起来说。 —

“I feel the presence.”
“我感到有人在场。”

“All right, finish alone,” the General said, severely and decidedly, and stepped quickly, with big, firm and measured strides, into his study.
“好吧，你自己完成吧，”将军严厉而坚决地说道，然后大步迅速地走进书房。

“Very pleased to see you,” said the General to Nekhludoff, uttering the friendly words in a gruff tone, and pointing to an armchair by the side of the writing-table. —
“很高兴见到你，”将军对涅赫鲁多夫说，语气粗糙，指了指写字桌旁边的扶手椅。 —

“Have you been in Petersburg long?”
“你在彼得堡待了多久？”

Nekhludoff replied that he had only lately arrived.
涅赫鲁多夫回答说他最近才到达。

“Is the Princess, your mother, well?”
“王妃，你母亲，身体好吗？”

“My mother is dead.”
“我母亲已经去世了。”

“Forgive me; I am very sorry. My son told me he had met you.”
“请原谅，我很遗憾。我儿子告诉我他见过你。”

The General’s son was making the same kind of career for himself that the father had done, and, having passed the Military Academy, was now serving in the Inquiry Office, and was very proud of his duties there. —
将军的儿子正在走与父亲类似的道路，已经毕业于军事学院，现在在调查办公室服役，并为自己的责任感到骄傲。 —

His occupation was the management of Government spies.
他的工作是管理政府间谍。

“Why, I served with your father. We were friends–comrades. And you; are you also in the Service?”
“为什么，我曾与你父亲一起服役。我们是朋友，战友。而你呢，你也在服役吗？”

“No, I am not.”
“不，我没有。”

The General bent his head disapprovingly.
将军不满地低下头。

“I have a request to make, General.”
“将军，我有一个请求。”

“Very pleased. In what way can I be of service to you? —
“很高兴。我能为你做些什么呢？” —

If my request is out of place pray pardon me. —
“如果我的请求有失礼之处，请原谅我。” —

But I am obliged to make it.”
“但我必须提出。”

“What is it?”
“是什么事？”

“There is a certain Gourkevitch imprisoned in the fortress; —
“要求能会见被囚禁在要塞里的格尔克维奇; —

his mother asks for an interview with him, or at least to be allowed to send him some books.”
他的母亲请求能与他见面，或者至少允许送他一些书。”

The General expressed neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction at Nekhludoff’s request, but bending his head on one side he closed his eyes as if considering. —
将军对涅赫鲁多夫的请求既不表示满意也不表示不满，但他歪着头闭上眼睛，仿佛在考虑。 —

In reality he was not considering anything, and was not even interested in Nekhludoff’s questions, well knowing that he would answer them according to the law. —
事实上，他什么也没有在考虑，甚至对涅赫鲁多夫的问题并不感兴趣，因为他知道自己会根据法律回答。 —

He was simply resting mentally and not thinking at all.
他只是在精神上休息，并没有在思考。

“You see,” he said at last, “this does not depend on me. —
“你看，”他最终说，“这不取决于我。 —

There is a regulation, confirmed by His Majesty, concerning interviews; —
有一个关于会见的规定，由陛下确认过; —

and as to books, we have a library, and they may have what is permitted.”
至于书籍，我们有图书馆，他们可以拿允许的。”

“Yes, but he wants scientific books; he wishes to study.”
“是的，但他想要科学书籍; 他想要学习。”

“Don’t you believe it,” growled the General. —
“将军咆哮说：“你们别信这一套。” —

“It’s not study he wants; it is just only restlessness.”
“他不是想要学习，而只是想要消磨无聊的时间。”

“But what is to be done? They must occupy their time somehow in their hard condition,” said Nekhludoff.
“但是该怎么办呢？在艰苦的条件下，他们必须想办法打发时间，”涅赫鲁多夫说。

“They are always complaining,” said the General. “We know them.”
“他们总是在抱怨，”将军说。“我们了解他们。”

He spoke of them in a general way, as if they were all a specially bad race of men. —
他泛泛地谈论他们，好像他们都是一群特别坏的人。 —

“They have conveniences here which can be found in few places of confinement,” said the General, and he began to enumerate the comforts the prisoners enjoyed, as if the aim of the institution was to give the people imprisoned there a comfortable home.
“这里设施相当齐全，在少数监禁场所才可找到这样的设施，”将军说，并开始罗列囚犯享有的舒适条件，好像这个机构的宗旨是为囚禁在这里的人提供一个舒适的家。

“It is true it used to be rather rough, but now they are very well kept here,” he continued. —
“确实，过去可能有些粗糙，但现在他们在这里过得很好，”他继续说。 —

“They have three courses for dinner–and one of them meat–cutlets, or rissoles; —
“午餐有三道菜–其中一道是肉–肉饼或肉丸； —

and on Sundays they get a fourth–a sweet dish. —
周日他们还会得到第四道菜，甜点。 —

God grant every Russian may eat as well as they do.”
愿上帝保佑每个俄罗斯人都能像他们一样吃得那么好。”

Like all old people, the General, having once got on to a familiar topic, enumerated the various proofs he had often given before of the prisoners being exacting and ungrateful.
和所有年长的人一样，将军一旦谈及熟悉的话题，就会列举他曾多次提到的囚犯苛求和忘恩负义的各种证据。

“They get books on spiritual subjects and old journals. We have a library. Only they rarely read. —
“他们能得到关于精神话题和旧杂志的书籍。我们有一个图书馆。只不过他们很少阅读。 —

At first they seem interested, later on the new books remain uncut, and the old ones with their leaves unturned. —
起初，他们似乎很感兴趣，后来新书保持不翻阅，旧书连翻页都没动。 —

We tried them,” said the old General, with the dim likeness of a smile. —
我们进行了测试，”老将军带着微弱的笑容说。 —

“We put bits of paper in on purpose, which remained just as they had been placed. —
“我们故意放入纸屑，结果它们保持原样未动。” —

Writing is also not forbidden,” he continued. —
“写作也不是被禁止的，”他继续说道。 —

“A slate is provided, and a slate pencil, so that they can write as a pastime. —
“他们提供了一块粉板和一支粉笔，这样他们可以用来写作消遣。 —

They can wipe the slate and write again. But they don’t write, either. —
他们可以擦掉粉板后重新写。但他们也不会写。 —

Oh, they very soon get quite tranquil. At first they seem restless, but later on they even grow fat and become very quiet.” —
“噢，他们很快就会变得非常安静。起初他们似乎很不安，但后来他们甚至会变得肥胖，变得非常安静。” —

Thus spoke the General, never suspecting the terrible meaning of his words.
正是这位将军这样说着，却从未怀疑自己话语中的可怕含义。

Nekhludoff listened to the hoarse old voice, looked at the stiff limbs, the swollen eyelids under the grey brows, at the old, clean-shaved, flabby jaw, supported by the collar of the military uniform, at the white cross that this man was so proud of, chiefly because he had gained it by exceptionally cruel and extensive slaughter, and knew that it was useless to reply to the old man or to explain the meaning of his own words to him.
纳赫卢多夫听着这位嘶哑老人的声音，看着僵硬的肢体，灰色眉毛下浮肿的眼皮，看着老人那干净剃过的下巴，靠着军装的领子支撑着，看着这位老人因为通过极其残酷和广泛的屠杀获得的白色十字勋章而感到骄傲，纳赫卢多夫知道回答这位老人或向他解释自己话语的意义是无用的。

He made another effort, and asked about the prisoner Shoustova, for whose release, as he had been informed that morning, orders were given.
他又做了一次努力，询问关于那位曾被告知当天早晨下令释放的囚犯肖斯托娃。

“Shoustova–Shoustova? I cannot remember all their names, there are so many of them,” he said, as if reproaching them because there were so many. —
“肖斯托娃—肖斯托娃？我记不住她们的名字，他们太多了，”他说，仿佛在责备她们名字太多。 —

He rang, and ordered the secretary to be called. —
他按铃，吩咐秘书进来。 —

While waiting for the latter, he began persuading Nekhludoff to serve, saying that “honest noblemen,” counting himself among the number, “were particularly needed by the Tsar and–the country,” he added, evidently only to round off his sentence. —
在等待对方的时候，他开始劝说纳赫卢多夫效力，说“诚实的贵族”，把自己也算在其中，“是沙皇和国家特别需要的”，他补充道，显然只是为了结束他的话。 —

“I am old, yet I am serving still, as well as my strength allows.”
“我年纪大了，但我还在尽我所能地服务。

The secretary, a dry, emaciated man, with restless, intelligent eyes, came in and reported that Shoustova was imprisoned in some queer, fortified place, and that he had received no orders concerning her.
秘书，一个瘦削的男人，眼睛中闪烁着不安和聪明的光芒，进来报告说肖斯托娃被关押在某个奇怪的、设防的地方，他并没有收到关于她的任何命令。

“When we get the order we shall let her out the same day. We do not keep them; —
“我们收到命令后会当天释放她。我们不会把他们留着； —

we do not value their visits much,” said the General, with another attempt at a playful smile, which only distorted his old face.
我们并不很重视他们的访问，”将军说，又试图露出一个谐趣的笑容，却只是扭曲了他那老迈的面容。

Nekhludoff rose, trying to keep from expressing the mixed feelings of repugnance and pity which he felt towards this terrible old man. —
纳赫卢多夫站起来，努力克制自己对这位可怕老人感到的厌恶和怜悯之情。 —

The old man on his part considered that he should not be too severe on the thoughtless and evidently misguided son of his old comrade, and should not leave him without advice.
老人则认为他不应该对这位粗心无知、显然误入歧途的老战友的儿子太过严厉，也不应该不给他建议就离开他。

“Good-bye, my dear fellow; do not take it amiss. It is my affection that makes me say it. —
“再见，我亲爱的朋友；不要误会，正是因为我深情才说这话。 —

Do not keep company with such people as we have at our place here. —
不要和我们这里的那些人来往。 —

There are no innocent ones among them. All these people are most immoral. —
他们中没有一个是清白的。所有这些人都很不道德。 —

We know them,” he said, in a tone that admitted no possibility of doubt. —
我们了解他们，”他说，语气坚定，不容置疑。 —

And he did not doubt, not because the thing was so, but because if it was not so, he would have to admit himself to be not a noble hero living out the last days of a good life, but a scoundrel, who sold, and still continued in his old age to sell, his conscience.
他不怀疑，不是因为事情确实如此，而是因为如果不是这样，他就得承认自己并不是一个高尚的英雄，度过美好生活的最后时光，而是一个卖出，并仍然在年老之时继续出卖自己良心的恶棍。

“Best of all, go and serve,” he continued; “the Tsar needs honest men–and the country,” he added. —
“最好还是去效忠吧，”他继续道，“沙皇需要诚实的人—而且这个国家，”他补充道。 —

“Well, supposing I and the others refused to serve, as you are doing? Who would be left? —
“好吧，如果我和其他人像你这样拒绝服役呢？谁会留下来？ —

Here we are, finding fault with the order of things, and yet not wishing to help the Government.”
我们在这里挑剔着现状，却又不愿帮助政府。”

With a deep sigh Nekhludoff made a low bow, shook the large, bony hand condescendingly stretched out to him and left the room.
涅赫拉杜诺夫深深地叹了口气，低头鞠了个躬，握了那只向他伸出的粗大瘦骨嶙峋的手，然后离开了房间。

The General shook his head reprovingly, and rubbing his back, he again went into the drawing-room where the artist was waiting for him. —
将手背搓着，将头摇着，将失望的神色落到那位艺术家的身上。 —

He had already written down the answer given by the soul of Joan of Arc. The General put on his pince-nez and read, “Will know one another by light emanating from their astral bodies.”
他已经写下了圣女贞德的灵魂所给出的回答。将扎根于星体的光予以褒扬，将眼睛闭上的将军戴上眼镜读道：“透过他们星体发出的光束相互辨认。”

“Ah,” said the General, with approval, and closed his eyes. —
“啊，”将军赞许地说着，闭上了眼睛。 —

“But how is one to know if the light of all is alike?” —
“但人们如何分辨出所有的光是否一样呢？” —

he asked, and again crossed fingers with the artist on the saucer.
他问道，再次在小碟上与艺术家交叉了手指。

The isvostchik drove Nekhludoff out of the gate.
马车夫将涅赫拉杜诺夫开出了大门。

It is dull here, sir, he said, turning to Nekhludoff. —
“这里很沉闷，先生，”他转向涅赫鲁多夫说。 —

“I almost wished to drive off without waiting for you.”
“我几乎想在不等你的情况下就开车离开。”

Nekhludoff agreed. “Yes, it is dull,” and he took a deep breath, and looked up with a sense of relief at the grey clouds that were floating in the sky, and at the glistening ripples made by the boats and steamers on the Neva.
涅赫鲁多夫表示同意。“是的，很无聊，”他深深吸了口气，抬头看着天空中漂浮的灰云，以及涅瓦河上船只和轮船掀起的闪闪波纹。

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