I WENT out into the world as “shop-boy” at a fashionable boot-shop in themain street of the town.
我进入了世界，成为小镇主街上一家时尚靴店的“店童”。

My master was a small, round man. He had a brown, rugged face, greenteeth, and watery, mud-colored eyes. —-
我的老板是一个矮小、圆胖的人。他有一张褐色粗糙的脸，绿色的牙齿，和水汪汪的泥色眼睛。 —-

At first I thought he was blind, and tosee if my supposition was correct, I made a grimace.
起初我以为他是盲人，为了确认我的想法是否正确，我做了个鬼脸。

“Don’t pull your face about!” he said to me gently, but sternly. —-
“别扭扭脸！”他温和却又严厉地对我说。 —-

Thethought that those dull eyes could see me was unpleasant, and I did not wantto believe that this was the case. —-
想到那双迟钝的眼睛也能看见我，让我感到不舒服，我不想相信这是事实。 —-

Was it not more than probable that he hadguessed I was making grimaces ?
难道不是很有可能他猜到我在做鬼脸吗？

　　“I told you not to pull your face about,” he said again, hardly moving histhick lips.
“我告诉过你不要扭扭脸了。”他再次说，嘴唇几乎没动。

“Don’t scratch your hands,” his dry whisper came to me, as it were,stealthily. —-
“别挠手。”他干瘪的低语如潜行般传来。 —-

“You are serving in a first-class shop in the main street of thetown, and you must not forget it. —-
“你在镇上主要街道上的一家一流店里工作，你不能忘记这点。 —-

The door-boy ought to stand like a statue.”
门童应该像雕塑一样站立。”

　　I did not know what a statue was, and I couldn’t help scratching myhands, which were covered with red pimples and sores, for they had beensimply devoured by vermin.
我不知道雕塑是什么，我忍不住挠那被红疹和疮痂覆盖的手，因为它们简直被虱子咬得不像话。

　　“What did you do for a living when you were at home?” asked my master,looking at my hands.
“你在家的时候是靠什么为生的？”我的老板看着我的手问道。

　　I told him, and he shook his round head, which was closely covered withgray hair, and said in a shocked voice :
我告诉了他，他摇摇那密密覆盖着灰色头发的圆脑袋，用震惊的语气说：

　　“Rag-picking! Why, that is worse than begging or stealing!”
“拾破烂！这比乞讨或偷窃还要糟糕！”

　　I informed him, not without pride :
我不无自豪地告诉他：

　　“But I stole as well.”
“但是我也偷过。”

　　At this he laid his hands on his desk, looking just like a cat with her pawsup, and fixed his eyes on my face with a terrified expression as hewhispered :
于是他把手搁在桌子上，看起来就像一只把爪子举起来的猫，他惊恐地盯着我的脸 s，轻声说道：

　　“Wha — a — t? How did you steal?”
“怎么—怎么回事？你怎么偷的？”

　　I explained how and what I had stolen.
我解释了我是怎么偷的、偷了什么。

“Well, well, I look upon that as nothing but a prank. —-
“嗯，嗯，我认为那只是一个恶作剧。” —-

But if you rob me ofboots or money, I will have you put in prison, and kept there for the rest ofyour life.”
但是如果你偷我的靴子或钱，我就会让你被关进监狱，一辈子都不放出来。”

　　He said this quite calmly, and I was frightened, and did not like him anymore.
他说得很平静，我吓坏了，不再喜欢他了。

Besides the master, there were serving in the shop my cousin, SaschaJaakov, and the senior assistant, a competent, unctuous person with a redface. —-
除了主人之外，商店里还有我的堂兄萨沙雅科夫和一位资深助手，一个脸色红润、能干的人。 —-

Sascha now wore a brown frock-coat, a false shirt-front, a cravat, andlong trousers, and was too proud to take any notice of me.
现在萨沙穿着一件棕色的礼服外套，一块假的衬衫前胸，一条领带和长裤，太骄傲了，根本不理我。

When grandfather had brought me to my master, he had asked Sascha tohelp me and to teach me. —-
当爷爷把我带到我师傅那里时，他让萨沙帮助我，教我。 —-

Sascha had frowned with an air of importance ashe said warningly:
萨沙皱着眉头，带着一副重要的表情说道：

　　“He will have to do what I tell him, then.”
“他得听我的话。”

　　Laying his hand on my head, grandfather had forced me to bend myneck.
爷爷把手放在我的头上，强迫我低下头。

　　“You are to obey him; he is older than you both in years and experience.”
“你要听他的话；他比你年长，经验也更丰富。”

　　And Sascha said to me, with a nod :
而萨沙对我点点头，说道：

　　“Don’t forget what grandfather has said.” He lost no time in profiting byhis seniority.
“不要忘记祖父说过的话。”他立即利用自己的资历。

　　“Kashirin, don’t look so goggle-eyed,” his master would advise him.
“卡什林，别那么瞪大眼睛看，”他的主人会劝告他。

“I— I ‘m all right,” Sascha would mutter, putting his head down. —-
“我——我没事，”萨沙嘟囔着，低下头。 —-

But themaster would not leave him alone.
但主人不会放过他。

　　“Don’t butt; the customers will think you are a goat.”
“别顶头；顾客会以为你是只山羊。”

The assistant smiled respectfully, the master stretched his lips in ahideous grin, and Sascha, his face flushing, retreated behind the counter. —-
助手尊敬地微笑着，主人向他伸出丑陋的笑容，而萨沙脸红了，躲到柜台后面。 —-

Idid not like the tone of these conversations. —-
我不喜欢这些对话的口气。 —-

Many of the words they usedwere unintelligible to me, and sometimes they seemed to be speaking in astrange language. —-
他们用的许多词对我来说是晦涩难懂的，有时候他们似乎在说一种奇怪的语言。 —-

When a lady customer came in, the master would take hishands out of his pockets, tug at his mustache, and fix a sweet smile upon hisface — a smile which wrinkled his cheeks, but did not change the expressionof his dull eyes. —-
当一位女顾客进来时，主人会从口袋里抽出手来，拽着胡子，脸上挂上甜蜜的笑容——一种让他的面颊皱起来，但没有改变他那无趣眼神表情的笑容。 —-

The assistant would draw himself up, with his elbowspressed closely against his sides, and his wrists respectfully dangling. —-
助手挺胸抬起头，肘部紧贴在身体两侧，尊敬地摇摆着手腕。 —-

Saschawould blink shyly, trying to hide his protruding eyes, while I would stand atthe door, surreptitiously scratching my hands, and observing the ceremonialof selling.
萨沙羞怯地眨眼，试图隐藏凸出的眼睛，而我则站在门口，偷偷地挠着手，观察着销售的仪式。

Kneeling before the customer, the assistant would try on shoes withwonderfully deft fingers. —-
助手跪在顾客面前，用灵巧的手指试穿鞋子。 —-

He touched the foot of the woman so carefully thathis hands trembled, as if he were afraid of breaking her leg. —-
他那么小心翼翼地触摸女人的脚，以至于手颤抖着，仿佛他怕折断她的腿。 —-

But the leg wasstout enough. It looked like a bottle with sloping shoulders, turned neckdownward.
但那条腿足够结实。它看起来像一个斜肩的瓶子，翻倒的瓶颈。

　　One of these ladies pulled her foot away one day, shrieking :
这些女士中的一位某天突然把脚缩了回去，尖叫道：

　　“Oh, you are tickling me!”
“哦，你在挠我！”

　　“That is — because — you are so sensitive,” the assistant explainedhastily, with warmth.
“那是因为你很敏感，”助理匆匆解释道，带着热情。

　　It was comical to watch him fawning upon the customers, and I had toturn and look through the glass of the door to keep myself from laughing.
“看他巴结顾客实在太滑稽了，我不得不转身透过门上的玻璃来忍住不笑。

But something used to draw me back to watcli the sale. —-
但是总有什么让我回头去看销售。 —-

The proceedings ofthe assistant were very interesting, and while I looked at him I was thinkingthat I should never be able to make my fingers move so delicately, or sodeftly put boots on other people’s feet.
助理的举止非常有趣，我看着他的时候在想我永远也不可能让我的手指如此灵巧地移动，或者如此娴熟地给别人穿上鞋子。

It often happened that the master went away from the shop into a littleroom behind it, and he would call Sascha to him, leaving the assistant alonewith the customer. —-
经常有这样的情况，老板离开店铺走进后面的一个小房间，他会叫萨莎过去，把助理与顾客单独留在一起。 —-

Once, lingering over the foot of a red-haired woman, hetook it between his fingers and kissed it.
“有一次，在红头发女人的脚部逗留时，他拿起她的脚在手指间亲了一下。

　　“Oh,” breathed the woman, “what a bold man you are!”
“哦，”那女人喘着气说，“你是多么大胆的人啊！”

　　He puffed out his cheeks and emitted a long-drawn-out sound :
他吹起他的脸蛋，发出一个长长的声音：

　　“0 — 0 — hi”
“哦——哦——喂”

At this I laughed so much that, to keep my feet, I had to hang on to thehandle of the door. —-
此时我笑得太多了，为了站稳脚，我不得不抓住门把手。 —-

It flew open, and my head knocked against one of thepanes of glass and broke it. —-
门飞开了，我的头碰到了玻璃窗户的一块玻璃并把它打破了。 —-

The assistant stamped his foot at me, my masterhit me on the head with his heavy gold ring, and Sascha tried to pull my ears.
助理朝我跺了脚，我的老板用他沉重的金戒指打我的头，萨莎试图拽我的耳朵。

　　In the evening, when we were on our way home, he said to me, sternly:
“晚上回家的路上，他严厉地对我说：

“You will lose your place for doing things like that. —-
“像这样做事你会失去你的位置的。 —-

I ‘d like to knowwhere the joke comes in.” And then he explained: —-
我想知道笑话出在哪里。”然后他解释说： —-

“If ladies take a fancy tothe assistant, it is good for trade. —-
“如果女士对助手产生好感，对生意是有利的。 —-

A lady may not be in need of boots, but shecomes in and buys what she does not want just to have a look at theassistant, who pleases her. —-
一位女士可能并不需要靴子，但她进来买她不想要的东西，只是为了看看她喜欢的助手。 —-

But you — you can’t understand! One puts oneselfout for you, and — ”
但是，你——你无法理解！有人为你操心，而——”

　　This incensed me. No one put himself out for me, and he least of all.
这激怒了我。没有人为我费心，尤其是他。

In the morning the cook, a sickly, disagreeable woman, used to call mebefore him. —-
早晨，那位厨师，一个病弱讨厌的女人，常常在他面前叫我。 —-

I had to clean the boots and brush the clothes of the master, theassistant, and Sascha, get the samovar ready, bring in wood for all the stoves,and wash up. —-
我得清理主人、助手和萨沙的靴子和衣服，准备好沙漏，为所有火炉添木，洗碗。 —-

When I got to the shop I had to sweep the floor, dust, get thetea ready, carry goods to the customers, and go home to fetch the dinner, myduty at the door being taken in the meantime by Sascha, who, finding itlowering to his dignity, rated me.
到了店里，我得扫地、除尘，准备茶水，为顾客搬货物，回家做饭，门口的职责由此间萨沙接管，而他觉得这有损他的尊严，便责备我。

　　“Lazy young wretch! I have to do all your work for you.”
“懒惰的小混蛋！我得替你做所有的工作。”

This was a wearisome, dull life for me. —-
对我来说，这是一种疲倦乏味的生活。 —-

I was accustomed to liveindependently in the sandy streets of Kunavin, on the banks of the turbidOka, in the fields or woods, from morning to night. —-
我习惯独自生活在昆纳文沙乡，靠近混浊的奥卡河，从早到晚在街道、田地或树林里。 —-

I was parted fromgrandmother and from my comrades. —-
我与祖母和伙伴们被分开了。 —-

I had no one to speak to, and life wasshowing me her seamy, false side. —-
我没有人可以交谈，生活展示给我她肮脏虚伪的一面。 —-

There were occasions on which a customerwent away without making ‘ a purchase, when all three would feelthemselves affronted. —-
有时候，顾客没购买而离开，这时三人会感到受侮辱。 —-

The master would put his sweet smile away in hispocket as he said :
主人会把他甜美的微笑装进口袋里说道：

　　“Kashirin, put these things away.” Then he would grumble :
“Kashirin，把这些东西放好。”然后他会抱怨：

“There’s a pig of a woman! The fool found it dull sitting at home, so shemust come and turn our shop upside down! —-
“这真是头猪似的女人！这个傻瓜觉得待在家里无聊，所以必须来店里把我们搞得乱七八糟！ —-

If you were my wife, I ‘d give yousomething!”
如果你是我的妻子，我会给你点教训！”

His wife, a dried-up woman with black eyes and a large nose, simplymade a doormat of him. —-
他的妻子，一个干瘪的女人，黑眼睛，大鼻子，把他当成门垫一样对待。 —-

She used to scold him as if he were a servant.
她常常像对待仆人一样责骂他。

Often, after he had shown out a frequent customer with polite bows andpleasant words, they would all begin to talk about her in a vile and shamelessmanner, arousing in me a desire to run into the street after her and tell herwhat they said. —-
经常在他客气地为一个常客送行后，他们会开始用下流和不要脸的方式毫不留情地谈论她，引起我想冲到街上告诉她他们说的话的冲动。 —-

I knew, of course, that people generally speak evil of oneanother behind one another’s backs, but these spoke of every one in aparticularly revolting manner, as if they were in the front rank of goodpeople and had been appointed to judge the rest of the world. —-
我当然知道，人们通常在背后议论彼此的坏话，但这几个人以一种特别令人作呕的方式议论每个人，仿佛他们是最正直的人，被任命评判世界其他人一样。 —-

Envious ofmany of them, they were never known to praise any one, and knewsomething bad about everybody.
他们对许多人心怀嫉妒，从不赞扬任何人，对每个人都挖掘出一些坏话。

One day there came to the shop a young woman with bright, rosy cheeksand sparkling eyes, attired in a velvet cloak with a collar of black fur. —-
有一天，一个容光焕发、面色红润、眼睛闪烁的年轻女人来到了店里，穿着一件带黑色毛领的天鹅绒斗篷。 —-

Herface rose out of the fur like a wonderful flower. —-
她的脸从皮草里冉冉升起，像一朵美丽的花朵。 —-

When she had thrown thecloak off her shoulders and handed it to Sascha, she looked still morebeautiful. —-
她脱掉斗篷，递给萨沙时，看起来更加美丽。 —-

Her fine figure was fitted tightly with a blue-gray silk robe;diamonds sparkled in her ears. —-
她身穿蓝灰色丝质袍子，身材修长玲珑；她耳边闪烁着钻石。 —-

She reminded me of “Vassilissa theBeautiful,” and I could have believed that she was in truth the governor’swife. —-
她让我想起了“美丽的瓦西丽莎”，我几乎相信她真的是州长的妻子。 —-

They received her with particular respect, bending before her as if shewere a bright light, and almost choking themselves in their hurry to get outpolite words. —-
他们对她特别尊重，弯腰礼貌地对待她，几乎忘乎所以地争着说客气话。 —-

All three rushed about the shop like wild things : —-
三个人在店里像疯了一样乱跑： —-

theirreflections bobbed up and down in the glass of the cupboard. —-
他们的倒影在橱柜玻璃中上下晃动。 —-

But when sheleft, after having bought some expensive boots in a great hurry, the master,smacking his lips, whistled and said :
但当她匆匆离开，买了一双昂贵的靴子后，店主啧啧赞叹，嘴里发出啪嗒声，说道：

　　“Hussy!”
“贱人！”

　　“An actress — that sums her up,” said the assistant, contemptuously.
“一个演员——这就是她的全部，”助手轻蔑地说。

　　They began to talk of the lovers of the lady and the luxury in which she lived.
他们开始谈论这位女士的情人和她所生活的奢华生活。

After dinner the master went to sleep in the room behind the shop, and I,opening his gold watch, poured vinegar into the works. —-
晚饭后，店主去店后的房间睡觉了，我打开他的金表，倒入了醋。 —-

It was a moment ofsupreme joy to me when he awoke and came into the shop, with his watch inhis hand, muttering wildly:
当他醒来进入店里时，手里拿着他的表，一边嘀咕着，表情狂乱，那一刻对我来说是无比的快乐：

　　“What can have happened? My watch is all wet.
“究竟发生了什么事？我的表全湿了。

　　I never remember such a thing happening before. It is all wet; it will beruined.”
我前所未有地记得这样的事。它全湿了；它会被毁了。”

In addition to the burden of my duties in the shop and the housework, Iwas weighed down by depression. —-
除了在店内负担我的工作和家务外，我也被沮丧压得喘不过气来。 —-

I often thought it would be a good idea tobehave so badly that I should get my dismissal. —-
我经常想要表现得如此糟糕，以至于被解雇。 —-

Snow-covered people passedthe door of the shop without making a sound. —-
覆盖着雪的人们悄无声息地经过店的门。 —-

They looked as if on their wayto somebody’s funeral. —-
他们看起来好像在前往某人的葬礼。 —-

Having meant to accompany the body to the grave,they had been delayed, and, being late for the funeral procession, werehurrying to the graveside. —-
本想要随同尸体到坟墓的人，由于被耽搁了，现在迟到了，匆匆赶往坟地。 —-

The horses quivered with the effort of makingtheir way through the snow-drifts. —-
马在努力通过积雪，颤抖着。 —-

From the belfry of the church behind theshop the bells rang out with a melancholy sound every day. —-
每天从商店后面的教堂钟楼里，哀伤的铃声响起。 —-

It was Lent, andevery stroke of the bell fell upon my brain as if it had been a pillow, nothurting, but stupefying and deafening, me. —-
那是四旬斋期，钟声一次次地击中我的脑袋，就像是枕头一样，没有疼痛，只是让我昏昏沉沉、失聪。 —-

One day when I was in the yardunpacking a case of new goods just received, at the door of the shop, thewatchman of the church, a crooked old man, as soft as if he were made ofrags and as ragged as if he had been torn to pieces by dogs, approached me.
有一天，当我在院子里在商店门口拆开一箱新货时，教堂的钟声看守，一个弯曲的老人，软绵绵的，就像是由破布制成的，身上那么破烂，就像是被狗撕碎了一样，走向我。

　　“Are you going to be kind and steal some goloshes for me?” he asked.
“你要慷慨点偷点防水鞋给我吗？”他问道。

　　I was silent. He sat down on an empty case, yawned, made the sign of thecross over his mouth, and repeated:
我保持沉默。他坐在一只空箱子上，打个哈欠，用手指在嘴上划了个十字，重复道:

　　“Will you steal them for me?”
“你要为我偷吗？”

　　“It is wrong to steal,” I informed him.
“偷是不对的，”我告诉他。

　　“But people steal all the same. Old age must have its compensations.”
“但是人们还是偷。年老应该有报偿。”

He was pleasantly different from the people among whom I lived. —-
他和我所生活的人们有着明显的不同。 —-

I feltthat he had a firm belief in my readiness to steal, and I agreed to hand himthe goloshes through the window.
我感觉到他坚信我愿意去偷，于是我同意透过窗户把防水鞋递给他。

“That’s right,” he said calmly, without enthusiasm. —-
“做得好，”他平静地说，没有热情。 —-

“You are notdeceiving me? No, I see that you are not.”
“你没有欺骗我？不，我看得出你没有。”

He was silent for a moment, trampling the dirty, wet snow with the solesof his boots. —-
他沉默了一会儿，用鞋底踩着脏湿的雪。 —-

Then he lit a long pipe, and suddenly startled me.
然后点燃了一支长烟斗，突然吓了我一跳。

“But suppose it is I who deceive you? —-
“但假如是我在欺骗你呢？ —-

Suppose I take the goloshes to yourmaster, and tell him that you have sold them to me for half a ruble? —-
假设我把 goloshes 带给你的主人，并告诉他你以半卢布的价格卖给我了？ —-

Whatthen? Their price is two rubles, and you have sold them for half a ruble. —-
那又怎样？它们的价格是两卢布，你却以半卢布的价格卖了。 —-

As apresent, eh?”
作为一份礼物，嗯？

I gazed at him dumbly, as if he had already done what he said he woulddo; —-
我目瞪口呆地盯着他，仿佛他已经做了他说要做的事； —-

but he went on talking gently through his nose, looking at his boots, andblowing out blue smoke.
但他继续柔声抽着烟，看着靴子，从鼻子里说话。

　　“Suppose, for example, that your master has said to me, ‘Go and try thatyoungster, and see if he is a thief? What then?”
“比如，你的主人对我说，‘去试试那小家伙，看看他是不是个小偷？’那又怎样？”

　　“I shall not give you the goloshes,” I said, angry and frightened.
“我不会给你 goloshes，”我愤怒又害怕地说。

　　“You must give them now that you have promised.”
“既然你答应了，你就得给。”

　　He took me by the arm and drew me to him, and, tapping my foreheadwith his cold fingers, drawled:
他抓住我的胳膊，拉过来，用冰冷的手指敲了一下我的额头，啰嗦地说：

　　“What are you thinking of, with your ‘take this’ and ‘take that’ ?”
“你在想什么，提着这个，提那个？”

　　“You asked me for them yourself.”
“是你自己要的。”

“I might ask you to do lots of things. I might ask you to come and rob thechurch. —-
“我可能要你做很多事情。我可能要你来抢教堂。 —-

Would you do it? Do you think you can trust everybody? —-
你会做吗？你觉得每个人都可信吗？ —-

Ah, youyoung fool!” He pushed me away from him and stood up.
啊，你这个年轻的傻瓜！”他把我推开，站了起来。

“I don’t want stolen goloshes. I am not a gentleman, and I don’t weargoloshes. —-
“我不要偷来的 goloshes。我不是绅士，也不穿 goloshes。 —-

I was only making fun of you. For your simplicity, when Eastercomes, I will let you come up into the belfry and ring the bells and look at thetown.”
我只是在取笑你。复活节时，我会让你上钟楼敲钟，看看整个城镇。

　　“I know the town.”
我认识这个镇。

　　“It looks better from the belfry.”
从钟楼上看，它看起来更好。

Dragging his broken boots in the snow, he went slowly round the cornerof the church, and I looked after him, wondering dejectedly and fearfullywhether the old man had really been making fun of me, or had been sent bymy master to try me. —-
他在雪地里拖着破烂的靴子慢慢走过教堂的转角，我望着他，沮丧而恐惧地想着老人到底是在取笑我，还是被我的主人派来考验我。 —-

I did not want to go back to the shop.
我不想回到商店去。

　　Sascha came hurriedly into the yard and shouted:
萨沙匆匆走进院子，喊道：

　　“What the devil has become of you?”
“你到底哪儿去了？”

I shook my pincers at him in a sudden access of rage. —-
我突然暴怒地朝他摇了摇镊子。 —-

I knew that both heand the assistant robbed the master. —-
我知道他和助手都偷师主人。 —-

They would hide a pair of boots orslippers in the stovepipe, and when they left the shop, would slip them intothe sleeves of their overcoats. —-
他们会把一双靴子或拖鞋藏在炉管里，当他们离开店时，会把它们塞进大衣袖子里。 —-

I did not like this, and felt alarmed about it, forI remembered the threats of the master.
我不喜欢这样，感到很担心，因为我记得主人的威胁。

　　“Are you stealing?” I had asked Sascha.
“你在偷东西吗？”我问萨沙。

“Not I, but the assistant,” he would explain crossly. “I am only helpinghim. —-
“不是我，是助手，”他生气地解释道，“我只是帮他。 —-

He says, ‘Do as I tell you,’ and I have to obey. If I did not, he would dome some mischief. —-
他说‘照我说的做’，我只能听从。要是我不听，他会对我恶作剧。 —-

As for master, he was an assistant himself once, and heunderstands. —-
至于主人，他也曾经是助手，他懂的。 —-

But you hold your tongue.”
但你闭嘴。”

As he spoke, he looked in the glass and set his tie straight with just sucha movement of his naturally spreading fingers as the senior assistantemployed. —-
他说话时朝镜子里看了一眼，用助理主任那样抚平领带，展开手指的动作。 —-

He was unwearying in his demonstrations of his seniority andpower over me, scolding me in a bass voice, and ordering me about withthreatening gestures. —-
他总是不知疲倦地展示自己的资历和对我的权威，在低沉的嗓音中责骂我，用威胁的手势命令我。 —-

I was taller than he, but bony and clumsy, while he wascompact, flexible, and fleshy. —-
我比他更高，但是瘦骨嶙峋，笨拙，而他 compact, 灵活，丰满。 —-

In his frock-coat and long trousers he seemedan important and substantial figure in my eyes, and yet there was somethingludicrous and unpleasing about him. —-
他穿着长褂和长裤，我眼中，他仿佛是一个重要而可靠的人物，但是却也有些荒谬和令人不悦。 —-

He hated the cook, a curious woman, ofwhom it was impossible to decide whether she was good or bad.
他厌恶厨师，一个古怪的女人，令人无法判断她是好是坏。

“What I love most in the world is a fight,” she said, opening wide herburning black eyes. —-
“我最喜欢的事就是打架，”她说着，睁着燃烧的黑眼睛。 —-

“I don’t care what sort of fight it is, cock-fights, dogfights,or fights between men. —-
“我不在乎是什么样的打架，赛鸡，斗狗，还是人与人之间打斗，对我来说都一样。” —-

It is all the same to me.”
“我看待他们都一样。”

And if she saw cocks or pigeons fighting in the yard, she would throwaside her work and watch the fight to the end, standing dumb andmotionless at the window. —-
如果她看见院子里的公鸡或鸽子打架，她会抛下手头的工作，站在窗前一动不动地看完整场比赛。 —-

In the evenings she would say to me and Sascha:
晚上，她会对我和萨斯哈说：

　　“Why do you sit there doing nothing, children ? You had far better befighting.”
“你们为什么坐在那里什么也不做，孩子们？你们最好去打架。”

　　This used to make Sascha angry.
萨斯哈听了以后常常生气。

　　“I am not a child, you fool; I am junior assistant.”
“我不是孩子，你这个白痴；我是初级助理。”

　　“That does not concern me. In my eyes, while you remain unmarried,you are a child.”
“那跟我没关系。在我眼里，只要你还没结婚，你就是个孩子。”

　　“Fool! Blockhead!”
“白痴！呆瓜！”

　　“The devil is clever, but God does not love him.”
“恶魔很聪明，但上帝不爱他。”

　　Her talk was a special source of irritation to Sascha, and he used to teaseher ; but she would look at him contemptuously, askance, and say:
她的谈话让萨沙特别恼火，他常常拿她开玩笑；但她会轻蔑地斜视着他，说道：

　　“Ugh, you beetle! One of God’s mistakes!”
“呸，你这只甲虫！上帝的一个错误！”

Sometimes he would tell me to rub blacking or soot on her face when shewas asleep, stick pins into her pillow, or play other practical jokes on her; —-
有时他会让我在她熟睡时往她脸上擦鞋油或灰烬，往她枕头上插针，或者对她玩其他恶作剧； —-

butI was afraid of her. Besides, she slept very lightly and used to wake upfrequently. —-
但我害怕她。而且，她睡觉很轻，经常会醒来。 —-

Lighting the lamp, she would sit on the side of her bed, gazingfixedly at something in the corner. —-
点亮灯，她就坐在床边，凝视着角落里的某物。 —-

Sometimes she came over to me, where Islept behind the stove, and woke me up, saying hoarsely :
有时她会走到我身边，在炉子后面的地方叫醒我，嘶哑地说道：

　　“I can’t sleep, Leksyeka. I am not very well. Talk to me a little.”
“我睡不着，莱克谢卡。我不太舒服。跟我聊会儿吧。”

Half asleep, I used to tell her some story, and she would sit withoutspeaking, swaying from side to side. —-
我半睡半醒地给她讲了一些故事，她就坐着不说话，左右摆动。 —-

I had an idea that her hot body smelt ofwax and incense, and that she would soon die. —-
我以为她发烫的身体闻起来像蜡和香，她很快就会死去。 —-

Every moment I expected tosee her fall face downward on the floor and die. —-
我时刻都觉得她会俯身在地板上倒下去死去。 —-

In terror I would begin tospeak loudly, but she would check me.
在恐惧中我开始大声说话，但她制止了我。

　　“ ‘S-sh! You will wake the whole place up, and they will think that you aremy lover.”
“嘘！你会把整个地方都吵醒的，他们会以为你是我的情人。”

She always sat near me in the same attitude, doubled up, with her wristsbetween her knees, squeezing them against the sharp bones of her legs. —-
她总是坐在我旁边，保持同样的姿势，蜷缩着身体，手腕夹在膝盖间，用力挤压着她纤细的腿骨。 —-

Shehad no chest, and even through the thick linen night-dress her ribs werevisible, just like the ribs of a broken cask. —-
她没有胸部，即使穿着厚厚的亚麻睡衣，她的肋骨也是清晰可见，就像破桶的肋骨一样。 —-

After sitting a long time in silence,she would suddenly whisper:
经过长时间的沉黙后，她突然低声说道：

“What if I do die, it is a calamity which happens to all. —-
“如果我死了，那是所有人都会遇到的灾难。” —-

” Or she would asksome invisible person, “Well, I have lived my life, haven’t If“Sleep! —-
她会问某个看不见的人，“好吧，我已经过完了我的人生，对吧？ —-

” she would say, cutting me short in the middle of a word, and,straightening herself, would creep noiselessly across the dark kitchen.
“睡着吧！”她会说，突然间打断我说话，然后挺直身子，悄无声息地穿过黑暗的厨房。

　　“Witch!” Sascha used to call her behind her back.
“巫婆！”萨绍在她背后这样称呼她。

　　I put the question to him:
我向他提出问题：

　　“Why don’t you call her that to her face?”
“为什么你不当面这样称呼她呢？”

“Do you think that I am afraid to?” But a second later he said, with afrown: —-
“你认为我会害怕吗？”但一秒钟后，他皱着眉头说： —-

“No, I can’t say it to her face. She may really be a witch.”
“不，我无法当面这样说。她可能真的是个巫婆。”

　　Treating every one with the same scornful lack of consideration, sheshowed no indulgence to me, but would drag me out of bed at six o’clockevery morning, crying:
对待每个人都带着蔑视和冷漠，她对我也一样严厉，总是在清晨六点就把我从床上拽起来，大声喊道：

“Are you going to sleep forever? Bring the wood in! —-
“你难道要永远睡下去吗？把木柴拿进来！ —-

Get the samovarready! Clean the door-plate!”
准备好煮火器！擦一擦门牌！”

　　Sascha would wake up and complain:
萨绍会醒来抱怨道：

“What are you bawling like that for? I will tell the master. —-
“你为什么大声喊叫？我会告诉主人的。 —-

You don’t giveany one a chance to sleep.”
你不给任何人留有睡觉的机会。”

　　Moving quickly about the kitchen with her lean, withered body, shewould flash her blazing, sleepless eyes upon him.
她迅速在厨房里忙碌，瘦弱的身体迅速动着，她会在萨绍身上闪现着她那炽热、不眠的眼睛。

　　“Oh, it’s you, God’s mistake? If you were my son, I would give yousomething!”
“哦，是你，上帝的错误？如果你是我儿子，我会给你一些东西的！”

Sascha would abuse her, calling her “accursed one,” and when we weregoing to the shop he said to me: —-
萨莎会虐待她，称她为“被诅咒的人”，当我们去商店时，他对我说： —-

“We shall have to do something to get hersent away. —-
“我们必须想办法让她被送走。 —-

We’ll put salt in everything when she’s not looking. —-
当她不注意时我们会在所有食物里撒盐。 —-

If everythingis cooked with too much salt, they will get rid of her. —-
如果所有食物都加了太多盐，他们就会把她赶走。 —-

Or paraffin would do.
或者用煤油也行。

　　What are you gaping about?”
你在呆呆地干嘛？”

　　“Why don’t you do it yourself?”
“为什么你自己不去做呢？”

　　He snorted angrily :
他生气地哼了一声：

　　“Coward!”
“懦夫！”

The cook died under our very eyes. She bent down to pick up thesamovar, and suddenly sank to the floor without uttering a word, just as ifsome one had given her a blow on the chest. —-
厨师就在我们眼前死去。她弯下腰捡起热水壶，突然倒在地上，一言不发，就好像有人在她胸口上打了一拳。 —-

She moved over on her side,stretched out her arms, and blood trickled from her mouth.
她侧身着，伸直了手臂，嘴角溢血。

We both understood in a flash that she was dead, but, stupefied byterror, we gazed at her a long time without strength to say a word. —-
我们俩一下子就明白她已经死了，但是，被恐惧所震撼，我们看着她很长一段时间，没力气说一句话。 —-

At lastSascha rushed headlong out of the kitchen, and I, not knowing what to do,pressed close to the window in the light. —-
最后萨莎拔脚就跑出了厨房，而我，不知道该怎么办，紧贴在窗边的光亮处。 —-

The master came in, fussily squatteddown beside her, and touched her face with his finger.
主人进来，匆忙地蹲在她旁边，用手指摸了摸她的脸。

“She is dead; that’s certain,” he said. “What can have caused it? —-
“她死了，这是肯定的，”他说。“是什么原因导致了这一切？ —-

” He wentinto the corner where hung a small image of Nikolai Chudovortz and crossedhimself; —-
他走到挂着尼古拉·丘多沃尔茨的小图像的角落，然后十字架在胸前； —-

and, when he had prayed he went to the door and commanded:
祈祷完毕，他走到门口，下令：

　　“Kashirin, run quickly and fetch the police!”
“卡什林，快去叫警察！”

　　The police came, stamped about, received money for drinks, and went.
警察来了，踩来踩去，接受了喝酒的钱，然后走开了。

They returned later, accompanied by a man with a cart, lifted the cook by thelegs and the head, and carried her into the street. —-
他们后来又回来，带着一个拉车的人，把厨师从腿和头端起，抬到了街上。 —-

The mistress stood in thedoorway and watched them. —-
女主人站在门口看着他们。 —-

Then she said to me :
然后她对我说：

　　“Wash the floor!”
“把地板洗干净！”

　　And the master said :
主人说：

　　“It is a good thing that she died in the evening.”
“她在晚上去世是件好事。”

I could not understand why it was a good thing. —-
我不理解为什么这是一件好事。 —-

When we went to bedSascha said to me with unusual gentleness :
当我们上床睡觉时，萨夏对我说话特别温柔：

　　“Don’t put out the lamp!”
“不要关灯！”

　　“Are you afraid?”
“你害怕吗？”

He covered his head with the blanket, and lay silent a long time. —-
他用毯子遮住头，沉默了很长一段时间。 —-

Thenight was very quiet, as if it were listening for something, waiting forsomething. —-
夜晚非常安静，就好像在倾听着什么，等待着什么。 —-

It seemed to me that the next minute a bell rang out, andsuddenly the whole town was running and shouting in a great terrifieduproar.
我觉得接下来的一分钟，钟声响起，突然整个城镇都在发生恐慌和喧嚣的逃跑声。

　　Sascha put his nose out of the blanket and suggested softly:
萨沙探出头，轻声建议道：

　　“Let’s go and lie on the stove together.”
“让我们一起去炉子上躺一会儿。”

　　“It is hot there.”
“那里很热。”

　　After a silence he said:
沉默后，他说：

“How suddenly she went off, didn’t she? —-
“她是多么突然地走了，不是吗？ —-

I am sure she was a witch. Ican’t get to sleep.”
“我敢肯定她是女巫。我睡不着。”

　　“Nor I, either.”
“我也是。”

　　He began to tell tales about dead people — how they came out of theirgraves and wandered till midnight about the town, seeking the place wherethey had lived and looking for their relations.
他开始讲述关于死人的故事—他们是如何从坟墓里走出来，在镇上徘徊到半夜，寻找他们曾经居住过的地方，寻找他们的亲属。

“Dead people can only remember the town,” he said softly; —-
“死人只会记得镇子，”他轻声说道； —-

“but theyforget the streets and houses at once.”
“但他们很快就会忘记街道和房子。”

It became quieter and quieter and seemed to be getting darker. —-
越来越安静，似乎越来越暗了。 —-

Sascharaised his head and asked :
萨沙抬起头问道：

　　“Would you like to see what I have got in my trunk?”
“你想看看我箱子里有什么吗？”

I had long wanted to know what he hid in his trunk. —-
我很久以前就想知道他在箱子里藏着什么。 —-

He kept it lockedwith a padlock, and always opened it with peculiar caution. —-
他把箱子锁上了挂着挂锁，总是特别小心地打开。 —-

If I tried to peephe would ask harshly :
如果我试图偷看，他会严厉地问道：

　　“What do you want, eh?”
“你想干什么，啊？”

When I agreed, he sat up in bed without putting his feet to the floor, andordered me in a tone of authority to bring the trunk to the bed, and place it athis feet. —-
我同意后，他坐起来坐在床上，没有把脚放到地上，并下令我以一种有权威的口气把箱子拿到床边，放在他的脚边。 —-

The key hung round his neck with his baptismal cross. —-
钥匙挂在他的脖子上和他的洗礼十字架一起。 —-

Glancinground at the dark corners of the kitchen, he frowned importantly, unfastenedthe lock, blew on the lid of the trunk as if it had been hot, and at length,raising it, took out several linen garments.
看着厨房的阴暗角落，他严肃地皱着眉头，打开锁，像是它发烫似的吹了一口箱子的盖子，最后，抬起箱盖，拿出几件亚麻衣物。

　　The trunk was half-full of chemist’s boxes, packets of variously coloredtea-paper, and tins which had contained blacking or sardines.
箱子里塞满了药盒、各种颜色的茶纸包和曾装过黑油或沙丁鱼的罐头。

　　“What is it?”
“这是什么？”

　　“You shall see.”
“你会看到的。”

　　He put a foot on each side of the trunk and bent over it, singing softly :
他双脚分立在箱子两侧，弯下腰，轻声唱道：

　　“Czaru nebesnui ”
“Czaru nebesnui”

I expected to see toys. I had never possessed any myself, and pretendedto despise them, but not without a feeling of envy for those who did possessthem. —-
我以为里面是玩具。虽然我自己从未拥有过玩具，并且假装看不起它们，但心里还是有点羡慕那些拥有玩具的人。 —-

I was very pleased to think that Sascha, such a serious character, hadtoys, although he hid them shame-facedly; —-
我很高兴地想到，这么一个严肃的人物萨沙居然有玩具，尽管他很尴尬地藏起来； —-

but I quite understood his shame.
但我完全理解他的羞愧。

　　Opening the first box, he drew from it the frame of a pair of spectacles,put them on his nose, and, looking at me sternly, said :
打开第一个盒子，他从中拿出一副眼镜架戴在鼻子上，严肃地看着我，说道：

“It does not matter about there not being any glasses. —-
“没有镜片也没关系。 —-

This is a specialkind of spectacle.”
这是一种特殊的眼镜。”

　　“Let me look through them.”
“让我来戴戴。”

“They would not suit your eyes. They are for dark eyes, and yours arelight,” he explained, and began to imitate the mistress scolding; —-
“不适合你的眼睛。这是给深色眼睛用的，而你的是浅色的”，他解释道，并开始模仿女主人的责骂； —-

but suddenlyhe stopped, and looked about the kitchen with an expression of fear.
但突然间，他停下来，带着恐惧的表情环顾着厨房。

　　In a blacking tin lay many different kinds of buttons, and he explained tome with pride:
一个黑色锡罐里装着各种不同种类的纽扣，他自豪地对我解释道：

　　“I picked up all these in the street. All by myself! I already have thirty-seven.”
“这些我都是自己在街上捡到的。总共已经有三十七个了。”

In the third box was a large brass pin, also found in the street; —-
在第三个盒子里有一个大铜别针，也是在街上捡到的； —-

hobnails,worn-out, broken, and whole; buckles off shoes and slippers; —-
胶鞋钉，磨损的、破碎的和完好的；鞋子和拖鞋上脱下来的扣子； —-

brass door-handles, broken bone cane-heads; —-
铜门把手，断裂的骨头拐杖头； —-

girls’ fancy combs, “The Dream Book andOracle”; —-
女孩们的花梳，“梦境书”和神谕； —-

and many other things of similar value.
还有很多其他类似价值的东西。

When I used to collect rags I could have picked up ten times as manysuch useless trifles in one month. —-
当我还在收废纸的时候，一个月里我可以捡到十倍这么多的无用杂物。 —-

Sascha’s things aroused in me a feeling ofdisillusion, of agitation, and painful pity for him. —-
萨沙的物品在我心中引起了一种幻觉、不安和对他的痛苦的怜悯之情。 —-

But he gazed at every singlearticle with great attention, lovingly stroked them with his fingers, and stuckout his thick lips importantly. —-
但他却对每一个物品仔细观望，用手指爱怜地摸着它们，并认真地用他厚厚的嘴唇突出地指着。 —-

His protruding eyes rested on themaffectionately and solicitously ; —-
他凸出的眼珠充满深情，充满关怀； —-

but the spectacles made his childish face lookcomical.
但眼镜让他孩子般的脸看上去有些滑稽。

　　“Why have you kept these things?”
“你为什么留着这些东西？”

　　He flashed a glance at me through the frame of the spectacles, andasked :
他透过眼镜的镜框看了我一眼，问道：

　　“Would you like me to give you something?”
“你想要我给你点什么吗？”

　　“No; I don’t want anything.”
“不，我什么都不想要。”

He was obviously offended at the refusal and the poor impression hisriches had made. —-
他显然对拒绝和他的财富给人的不好印象感到生气。 —-

He was silent a moment; then he suggested quietly:
他沉默了片刻，然后安静地建议道：

　　“Get a towel and wipe them all; they are covered with dust.”
“拿一条毛巾把它们擦干净；它们上面都是灰尘了。”

When the things were all dusted and replaced, he turned over in the bed,with his face to the wall. —-
当所有的东西都被擦干净并放回原处后，他转身面向墙壁。 —-

The rain was pouring down. It dripped from theroof, and the wind beat against the window. —-
雨倾盆而下。雨水从屋顶滴落，风猛烈地吹打着窗户。 —-

Without turning toward me,Sascha said :
Sascha没有转过头对我说：

　　“You wait! When it is dry in the garden I will show you a thing —something to make you gasp.”
“你等等！等花园里干燥了我会给你看一个东西——让你吃惊的东西。”

　　I did not answer, as I was just dropping off to sleep.
我没有回答，因为我正要睡着。

After a few seconds he started up, and began to scrape the wall with hishands. —-
几秒钟后，他突然起身，开始用双手刮墙。 —-

With quivering earnestness, he said :
颤抖地认真说道：

　　“I am afraid — Lord, I am afraid! Lord, have mercy upon me! What is it?”
“我害怕——主啊，我害怕！主啊，怜悯我！这是什么？”

I was numbed by fear at this. I seemed to see the cook standing at thewindow which looked on the yard, with her back to me, her head bent, andher forehead pressed against the glass, just as she used to stand when shewas alive, looking at a cock-fight. —-
我被恐惧所麻痹。我仿佛看到了做饭的人站在朝向院子的窗户前，背对着我，低着头，额头贴在玻璃上，就像她活着时经常做的那样，看着一场斗鸡比赛。 —-

Sascha sobbed, and scraped on the wall. Imade a great effort and crossed the kitchen, as if I were walking on hot coals,without daring to look around, and lay down beside him. —-
Sascha啜泣着，继续刮着墙。我做出了巨大的努力，穿过厨房，仿佛踩在热炭上一样，不敢回头看，躺在他身边。 —-

At length,overcome by weariness, we both fell asleep.
最终，被疲惫所压倒，我们都睡着了。

A few days after this there was a holiday. —-
这件事以后的几天是假期。 —-

We were in the shop tillmidday, had dinner at home, and when the master had gone to sleep afterdinner, Sascha said to me secretly :
我们在商店里待到中午，回家吃了午饭，主人午饭后入睡后，Sascha悄悄对我说：

　　“Come along!”
“跟我来吧！”

　　I guessed that I was about to see the thing which was to make me gasp.
我猜到我即将看到的事情会让我倒抽一口凉气。

We went into the garden. On a narrow strip of ground between two housesstood ten old lime-trees, their stout trunks covered with green lichen, theirblack, naked branches sticking up lifelessly, and not one rook’s nest betweenthem. —-
我们走进了花园。在两栋房子之间的一块狭窄地带上长着十棵老椴树，它们粗壮的树干上长满了绿色的苔藓，它们的黑色光秃的树枝毫无生气地竖立着，之间没有一只乌鸦窝。 —-

They looked like monuments in a graveyard. There was nothingbesides these trees in the garden; —-
它们看起来像墓地里的纪念碑。花园里除了这些树没有别的东西； —-

neither bushes nor grass. The earth on thepathway was trampled and black, and as hard as iron, and where the bareground was visible under last year’s leaves it was also flattened, and assmooth as stagnant water.
既没有灌木也没有草。小径上的土地被踩得又黑又硬，和铁一样，露出去年落叶下的光秃地也被踩得平平的，像停滞的水一样光滑。

Sascha went to a corner of the fence which hid us from the street, stoodunder a lime-tree, and, rolling his eyes, glanced at the dirty windows of theneighboring house. —-
Sascha走到遮住我们离街道最近的篱笆角，站在一棵椴树下，瞪着脸看着邻居房子脏兮兮的窗户。 —-

Squatting on his haunches, he turned over a heap ofleaves with his hands, disclosing a thick root, close to which were placed twobricks deeply embedded in the ground. —-
蹲下来，他用双手翻动一堆叶子，露出一个厚实的根部，附近放着两块深深镶嵌在地里的砖头。 —-

He lifted these up, and beneath themappeared a piece of roof iron, and under this a square board. —-
他举起这两块砖，下面露出一块屋顶铁皮，下面是一个方形板。 —-

At length alarge hole opened before my eyes, running under the root of the tree.
最后我的眼前出现了一个大洞，延伸到树根下面。

　　Sascha lit a match and applied it to a small piece of wax candle, which heheld over the hole as he said to me:
Sascha点燃一根火柴，点燃一小块蜡烛，他拿着蜡烛盖住洞口对我说：

　　“Look in, only don’t be frightened.”
“往里看，只是别吓坏了。”

He seemed to be frightened himself. —-
他似乎自己也吓坏了。 —-

The piece of candle in his handshook, and he had turned pale. —-
他手中的蜡烛在颤抖，他变得苍白。 —-

His lips drooped unpleasantly, his eyes weremoist, and he stealthily put his free hand behind his back. —-
他的嘴唇下垂得令人不快，眼睛湿润，他悄悄地将空闲的手放在背后。 —-

He infected mewith his terror, and I glanced very cautiously into the depths under the root,which he had made into a vault, in the back of which he had lit three littletapers that filled the cave with a blue light. —-
他传染给我他的恐惧，我小心翼翼地朝他在树根下变成地窖的深处望去，那里点燃了三支蓝光填满了洞穴的小蜡烛。 —-

It was fairly broad, though indepth no more than the inside of a pail. —-
它相当宽阔，虽然深度不过是一个弃桶的大小。 —-

But it was broad, and the sides wereclosely covered with pieces of broken glass and broken earthenware. —-
但很宽，两边密密麻麻地覆盖着一片片破碎的玻璃和破碎的陶器。 —-

In thecenter, on an elevation, covered with a piece of red cloth, stood a little coffinornamented with silver paper, half covered with a fragment of materialwhich looked like a brocaded pall. —-
在中间，一块覆盖着一块红布的突起物上，立着一个小棺材，用银纸装饰，一半盖着一块象金边帷的碎片。 —-

From beneath this was thrust out a littlegray bird’s claw and the sharp-billed head of a sparrow. —-
从下面伸出一只小灰色鸟的爪和一只麻雀的尖嘴。 —-

Behind the coffinrose a reading-stand, upon which lay a brass baptismal cross, and aroundwhich burned three wax tapers, fixed in candlesticks made out of gold andsilver paper which had been wrapped round sweets.
棺材后面竖着一个阅读台，上面放着一个铜制的洗礼十字架，周围燃烧着三支蜡烛，插在用金银纸包裹着糖果的烛台中。

The thin flames bowed toward the entrance to the cave. —-
细火焰向洞穴入口鞠躬。 —-

The interior wasfaintly bright with many colored gleams and patches of light. —-
内部有许多色彩斑斓的闪烁和光斑微弱地照亮着。 —-

The odor ofwax, the warm smell of decay and soil, beat against my face, made my eyessmart, and conjured up a broken rainbow, which made a great display ofcolor. —-
蜡的气味、腐朽和土壤的温暖味道袭击着我的脸，使我的眼睛痛，勾起了彩虹的破碎画面，展现了大量的颜色。 —-

All this aroused in me such an overwhelming astonishment that itdispelled my terror.
这一切引起了我如此巨大的惊异，以至于驱散了我的恐惧。

　　“Is it good?”
“是好的吗？”

　　“What is it for?”
“这是干什么用的？”

　　“It is a chapel,” he explained. “Is it like one?”
“这是一个小教堂，”他解释说。“是不是像一个？”

　　“I don’t know.”
“我不知道。”

“And the sparrow is a dead person. —-
“麻雀就是一个死人。 —-

Perhaps there will be relics of him,because he suffered undeservedly.”
也许将会有他的遗物,因为他遭受了不应有的苦。”

　　“Did you find him dead?”
“你发现他死了吗？”

　　“No. He flew into the shed and I put my cap over him and smotheredhim.”
“没有。他飞进了棚里，我把我的帽子盖在他身上，把他闷死。”

　　“But why?”
“但为什么？”

　　“Because I chose to.”
“因为我选择这样做。”

　　He looked into my eyes and asked again :
他看着我的眼睛再次问道 :

　　“Is it good?”
“这好吗？”

　　“No.”
“不好。”

　　Then he bent over the hole, quickly covered it with the board, pressedthe bricks into the earth with the iron, stood up, and, brushing the dirt fromhis knees, asked sternly:
然后他弯下腰，迅速用板子盖住洞口，用铁把砖块压进泥土中，站起来，拍拍膝盖上的泥土，严厉地问道：

　　“Why don’t you like it?”
“你为什么不喜欢？”

　　“I am sorry for the sparrow.”
“我为那只麻雀感到遗憾。”

　　He stared at me with eyes which were perfectly stationary, like those of ablind person, and, striking my chest, cried :
他用一双完全静止的眼睛盯着我，像盲人一样，打着我的胸口，喊道：

“Fool, it is because you are envious that you say that you do not like it! —-
“傻瓜，你只是因为嫉妒才说你不喜欢！ —-

Isuppose you think that the one in your garden in Kanatnoe Street was betterdone.”
我猜你认为你康那特街上的那个更做得好。”

　　I remembered my summer-house, and said with conviction :
我记得我的夏宅，坚定地说道：

　　“Certainly it was better.”
“当然是更好。”

　　Sascha pulled off his coat and threw it on the ground, and, turning up hissleeves, spat on his hands and said:
Sascha脱下外套，扔在地上，卷起袖子，吐了口唾沫在手上，说道：

　　“If that is so, we will fight about it.”
“如果是这样，我们就打一架。”

I did not want to fight. My courage was undermined by depression; —-
我不想打架。我的勇气被沮丧削弱了； —-

I feltuneasy as I looked at the wrathful face of my cousin. —-
当我看着表情愤怒的表弟时，感到不安。 —-

He made a rush at me,struck my chest with his head, and knocked me over. —-
他向我冲过去，用头撞我的胸部，把我撞倒。 —-

Then he sat astride ofme and cried :
接着他骑在我身上大喊：

　　“Is it to be life or death?”
“是生是死？”

But I was stronger than he and very angry. —-
但我比他更强壮，非常愤怒。 —-

In a few minutes he was lyingface downward with his hands behind his head and a rattling in his throat.
几分钟后，他躺在地上，面朝下，手放在头后，喉咙里发出嘎嘎声。

Alarmed, I tried to help him up, but he thrust me away with his hands andfeet. —-
我感到担忧，想去帮他起来，但他用手脚推开我。 —-

I grew still more alarmed. I went away to one side, not knowing whatelse to do, and he raised his head and said :
我更加担心。我站到一边，不知道该怎么办，他抬起头说：

“Do you know what you have brought on yourself? —-
“你知不知道你招惹了什么事情？ —-

I will work things sothat when the master and mistress are not looking I shall have to complain ofyou, and then they will dismiss you.”
我会设法让你在主人和夫人不注意时出错，然后他们会解雇你。”

He went on scolding and threatening me, and his words infuriated me. —-
他继续责骂和威胁我，他的话激怒了我。 —-

Irushed to the cave, took away the stones, and threw the coffin containing thesparrow over the fence into the street. —-
我匆忙跑向山洞，移开石头，把装着麻雀的棺材扔过篱笆掉到街上。 —-

I dug Out all the inside of the cave andtrampled it under my feet.
我把山洞里的一切都挖空了，踩在脚下。

Sascha took my violence strangely. Sitting on the ground, with his mouthpartly covered and his eyebrows drawn together, he watched me, sayingnothing. —-
萨沙对我的暴力反应很奇怪。他坐在地上，嘴部被部分遮盖，眉头紧锁，默默地看着我，什么都不说。 —-

When I had finished, he stood up without any hurry, shook out hisclothes, threw on his coat, and then said calmly and ominously:
当我完成时，他不慌不忙地站起来，抖掉衣服上的灰尘，穿上外套，然后平静而不祥地说道：

“Now you will see what will happen; just wait a little! —-
“现在你将看到会发生什么；只需等一等！ —-

I arranged all thisfor you purposely; it is witchcraft. Aha!”
我特意为你安排了这一切；这是巫术。啊哈！”

I sank down as if his words had physically hurt me, and I felt quite coldinside. —-
他的话让我感觉仿佛受到了实质伤害，我内心感到非常冷。 —-

But he went away without glancing back at me, which accentuated hiscalm — ness still more. —-
但他走时没有回头看我，这更凸显了他的冷静。 —-

I made up my mind to run away from the town thenext day, to run away from my master, from Sascha with his witchcraft, fromthe whole of that worthless, foolish life.
我决定第二天就从这个城镇逃走，逃离我的主人，逃离有着巫术的萨沙，逃离那整个毫无价值、愚蠢的生活。

　　The next morning the new cook cried out when she called me:
第二天早上，新来的厨师叫我时尖叫起来：

　　“Good gracious! what have you been doing to your face?’
“天哪！你脸上到底发生了什么？”

　　“The witchcraft is beginning to take effect,” I thought, with a sinkingheart.
“巫术开始生效了，”我心中颓唐地想着。

But the cook laughed so heartily that I also smiled involuntarily, andpeeped into her glass. —-
但厨师笑得非常欢快，我也情不自禁地笑了，偷偷瞥了一眼镜子。 —-

My face was thickly smeared with soot.
我的脸上被烟灰厚厚地抹满了。

　　“Sascha did this?” I asked.
“萨沙是干的？”我问。

　　“Or I,” laughed the cook.
“或者是我，”厨师笑着说。

　　When I began to clean the boots, the first boot into which I put my handhad a pin in the lining, which ran into my finger.
当我开始清洁靴子时，第一只我伸手进去的靴子里有一根别针，刺进了我的手指。

　　“This is his witchcraft!”
“这就是他的巫术！”

There were pins or needles in all the boots, put in so skilfully that theyalways pricked my palm. —-
所有的靴子里都有别针或针，被放得如此熟练，总是刺到我的手掌。 —-

Then I took a bowl of cold water, and with greatpleasure poured it over the head of the wizard, who was either not awake orwas pretending to sleep.
然后我拿起一碗冷水，非常愉快地把水泼在那个巫师的头上，他要么还没醒，要么是假装睡着了。

But all the same I was miserable. I was always thinking of the coffincontaining the sparrow, with its gray crooked claws and its waxen billpathetically sticking upward, and all around the colored gleams whichseemed to be trying unsuccessfully to form themselves into a rainbow. —-
但我依然很痛苦。我总是想着那只装着麻雀的棺材，它那灰色弯曲的爪子和蜡制的喙可怜巴巴地向上伸着，四周弥漫着似乎无法成功形成彩虹的色彩闪光。 —-

In myimagination the coffin was enlarged, the claws of the bird grew, stretchedupward quivering, were alive.
在我的想象中，棺材变大了，鸟的爪子生长，颤抖着向上延伸着，是活的。

I made up my mind to run away that evening, but in warming up somefood on an oil-stove before dinner I absentmindedly let it catch fire. —-
“我下定决心当天晚上就逃走，但在晚饭前用油炉加热食物时，我粗心地让火着了。” —-

When Iwas trying to put the flames out, I upset the contents of the vessel over myhand, and had to be taken to the hospital. —-
当我试图扑灭火焰时，把容器里的东西倒在了手上，不得不被送往医院。 —-

I remember well that oppressivenightmare of the hospital. —-
我清楚地记得那个压抑的医院的噩梦。 —-

In what seemed to be a yellow — gray wildernessthere were huddled together, grum — bling and groaning, gray and whitefigures in shrouds, while a tall man on crutches, with eyebrows like whiskers,pulled his black beard and roared :
在一个看起来像黄灰色荒野的地方，有一群一起挤在一起、抱怨和呻吟的灰白色裹尸布身影，而一个腿上拄着拐杖、眉毛像胡须一样的高个子男人，拽着他的黑胡子咆哮道：

　　“I will report it to his Eminence!”
“我会向尊者汇报这件事！”

The pallet beds reminded me of the coffin, and the patients, lying withtheir noses upward, were like dead sparrows. —-
床位垫好像让我想起了棺材，躺在那里的病人们，鼻子朝上，就像死去的麻雀。 —-

The yellow walls rocked, theceiling curved outward like a sail, the floor rose and fell beside my cot.
黄色的墙壁摇晃着，天花板向外弯曲像帆船，我的床边的地板在我病床旁边起伏。

　　Everything about the place was hope — less and miserable, and the twigs oftrees tapped against the window like rods in some one’s hand.
这个地方一切都是无望和悲惨的，树枝敲打着窗户，像有人手中的鞭子。

　　At the door there danced a red-haired, thin dead person, drawing hisshroud round him with his thin hands and squeaking:
门口跳着一个红头发瘦弱的死人，用他那纤细的手拉紧裹尸布，嘎吱作响着：

　　“I don’t want mad people.”
“我不要疯子。”

　　The man on crutches shouted in his ear :
拄拐杖的人朝他耳边喊道：

　　“I shall report it to his Eminence!”
“我要向阁下报告！”

Grandfather, grandmother, and every one had told me that they alwaysstarved people in hospitals, so I looked upon my life as finished. —-
爷爷、奶奶，每个人都告诉我，在医院他们总是让人饿死，所以我把我的生命看作已经结束了。 —-

A womanwith glasses, also in a shroud, came to me, and wrote something on a slatehanging at the head of the bed. —-
一个戴着眼镜的女人，也身穿裹尸布，走到我这里，并在床头悬着的板上写了些东西。 —-

The chalk broke and fell all over me.
粉笔掉断了，洒在了我身上。

　　“What is your name?”
“你叫什么名字？”

　　“I have no name.”
“我没有名字。”

　　“But you must have one.”
“可是你一定有名字。”

　　“No.”
“没有。”

　　“Now, don’t be silly, or you will be whipped.”
“现在别胡闹，否则会被鞭打。”

I could well believe that they would whip me ; that was why I would notanswer her. —-
我完全相信他们会鞭打我；这就是为什么我不想回答她。 —-

She made a hissing sound like a cat, and went out noiselessly,also like a cat.
她发出像猫咪一样的嘶嘶声，无声无息地走了出去，也像一只猫一样。

　　Two lamps were lit. The yellow globes hung down from the ceiling liketwo eyes, hanging and winking, dazzled, and trying to get closer together.
两盏灯亮了。黄色灯泡垂挂在天花板上，像两只眼睛一样悬着，眨啊眨的，目眩神迷，试图靠近彼此。

　　Some one in the corner said:
角落里有人说道:

　　“How can I play without a hand?”
“没有了手我该怎么玩牌呢？”

　　“Ah, of course; they have cut off your hand.”
“啊，当然；他们砍掉了你的手。”

I came to the conclusion at once that they cut off a man’s hand becausehe played at cards! —-
我立刻得出结论，他们之所以砍掉一个人的手是因为他玩牌！ —-

What would they do with me before they starved me?
在他们饿死我之前他们会怎么对待我呢？

My hands burned and smarted just as if some one were pulling the bonesout of them. —-
我的双手灼热而疼痛，就好像有人正在把骨头从中间拔出来。 —-

I cried softly from fright and pain, and shut my eyes so that thetears should not be seen; —-
我轻声哭泣，因为害怕和疼痛，闭上眼睛，以免看到眼泪； —-

but they forced their way through my eyelids, and,trickling over my temples, fell into my ears.
但眼泪冲破眼睑，沿着太阳穴流淌，落入耳朵里。

The night came. All the inmates threw themselves upon their pallet beds,and hid themselves under gray blankets. —-
黑夜降临，所有的病人都躺在褥子上，裹在灰色的毯子里。 —-

Every minute it became quieter.
每一分钟都变得更加安静。

Only some one could be heard muttering in a comer, “It is no use ; —-
只能听到有人在角落里喃喃自语，“没用；他和她都是坏蛋。” —-

both heand she are rotters.”
我本想写封信给奶奶，告诉她要在我活着的时候来医院偷我走，但是我写不出来；

I would have written a letter to grandmother, telling her to come andsteal me from the hospital while I was still alive, but I could not write; —-
“两个都是坏蛋。” —-

myhands could not be used at all. I would try to find a way of getting out of theplace.
我的双手完全无法使用。我会设法找到一种办法离开这个地方。

The silence of the night became more intense every moment, as if it weregoing to last forever. —-
夜晚的寂静变得愈发浓厚，仿佛将永恒不变。 —-

Softly putting my feet to the floor, I went to the doubledoor, half of which was open. —-
缓缓将双脚落地，我走向双开门，其中一半已经敞开。 —-

In the corridor, under the lamp, on a woodenbench with a back to it, appeared a gray, bristling head surrounded bysmoke, looking at me with dark, hollow eyes. —-
在走廊上，在灯光下，在一个靠背的木椅上，出现了一个灰色毛发直立的头部，周围被烟雾围绕，用着黑洞洞的眼睛看着我。 —-

I had no time to hide myself.
我来不及藏身。

　　“Who is that wandering about ? Come here!”
“这里有人在四处乱逛吗？过来！”

The voice was not formidable; it was soft. I went to him. —-
那声音并不可怕；是柔和的。我走向他。 —-

I saw a roundface with short hair sticking out round it. —-
我看到一个圆脸，头发很短，围着头发长长地往外伸，就像是一圈银色的光环。 —-

On the head the hair was long andstuck out in all directions like a silver halo, and at the belt of this personhung a bunch of keys. —-
在他的头顶，头发长长地向各个方向伸展，就像是一顶银色的光环，腰间挂着一串钥匙。 —-

If his beard and hair had been longer, he would havelooked like the Apostle Peter.
如果他的胡须和头发再长一些，他看起来就像是使徒彼得了。

“You are the one with the burned hands? —-
“你就是那双被烧伤的手的人吗？ —-

Why are you wandering aboutat night? By whose authority?”
你为什么夜间漫无目的地四处闲逛？凭谁的权威？”

　　He blew a lot of smoke at my chest and face, and, putting his warmhands on my neck, drew me to him.
他朝我胸前和脸上吹了很多烟，然后温暖的手放在我的脖子上，拉过我。

　　“Are you frightened?”
“你害怕吗？”

　　“Yes.”
“是的。”

　　“Every one is frightened when they come here first, but that is nothing.
“每个人刚来这里时都会害怕，但那没什么大不了的。”

And you need not be afraid of me, of all people. I never hurt any one. —-
你不必害怕我，我从不伤害任何人。 —-

Wouldyou like to smoke”? No, don’t! It is too soon; wait a year or two. —-
你想抽烟吗？不，不用！现在还太早；等一两年吧。 —-

And whereare your parents? You have none? Ah, well, you don’t need them; —-
你的父母在哪里？他们没有？啊，那好吧，你不需要他们； —-

you will beable to get along without them. —-
你不需要他们；你能够独自生活。 —-

Only you must not be afraid, do you see?”
只是你不要害怕，明白吗？

It was a long time since I had come across any one who spoke to mesimply and kindly in language that I could understand, and it wasinexpressibly pleasant to me to listen to him. —-
很久没有遇到过用我能理解的简单和友好的语言与我交谈的人了，听他说话对我来说是无比愉快的。 —-

When he took me back to mycot I asked him :
当他带我回到我的小屋时，我问他：

　　“Come and sit beside me.”
“过来坐在我旁边。”

　　“All right,” he agreed.
“好的，”他同意了。

　　“Who are you?”
“你是谁？”

“I? I am a soldier, a real soldier, a Cossack. —-
“我？我是一个士兵，一个真正的士兵，一个哥萨克人。 —-

And I have been in the wars— well, of course I have! Soldiers live for war. —-
而且我参加了战争——当然了！士兵活着就是为了战争。 —-

I have fought with the Hun —garians, with the Circassians, and the Poles, as many as you like. —-
我与匈牙利人、车臣人和波兰人作战过，有多少你想要的。 —-

War, myboy, is a great profession.”
战争，我的孩子，是一个伟大的职业。”

　　I closed my eyes for a minute, and when I opened them, there, in theplace of the soldier, sat grandmother, in a dark frock, and he was standing byher. She was saying:
我闭上眼睛一分钟，当我睁开眼睛时，士兵的位置上坐着奶奶，她穿着一件深色的连衣裙，而他站在她旁边。她说道：

　　“Dear me! So they are all dead?”
“天哪！他们全都死了？”

　　The sun was playing in the room, now gilding every object, then hiding,and then looking radiantly upon us all again, just like a child frolicking.
太阳在房间里玩耍，有时在每个物体上镀金，有时躲起来，然后又灿烂地照耀我们，就像一个顽皮的孩子。

　　Babushka bent over me and asked :
奶奶俯身在我身边，问：

　　“What is it, my darling? They have been mutilating you? I told that oldred devil — ”
“怎么了，我亲爱的？他们把你伤害了吗？我告诉那个老红鬼——”

　　“I will make all the necessary arrangements,” said the soldier, goingaway, and grandmother, wiping the tears from her face, said:
士兵走开，说：“我会做好所有必要的安排。”奶奶擦去脸上的泪水，说：

　　“Our soldier, it seems, comes from Balakhna.”
“我们的士兵，看起来来自巴拉赫纳。”

I still thought that I must be dreaming, and kept silence. —-
我依然以为我一定是在做梦，于是保持了沉默。 —-

The doctorcame, bandaged my burns, and, behold! —-
医生来了，给我的烧伤包扎好了，看哪！ —-

I was sitting with grandmother in acab, and driving through the streets of the town. She told me:
我和奶奶坐在出租车里，穿行在城市的街道上。她告诉我：

“That grandfather of ours he is going quite out of his mind, and he is sogreedy that it is sickening to look at him. —-
“那位我们的祖父简直疯了，而且他太贪婪了，看着恶心。 —-

Not long ago he took a hundredrubles out of the office-book of Xlist the furrier, a new friend of his. —-
不久前，他从裘皮商X的办公账簿里拿了一百卢布，他是Xlist的新朋友。 —-

What aset-out there was! E-h-h-h!”
有多气派啊！耶——”

The sun shone brightly, and clouds floated in the sky like white birds. —-
阳光灿烂，白云在天空中飘动如白鸟。 —-

Wewent by the bridge across the Volga. The ice groaned under us, water wasvisible under the planks of the bridge, and the golden cross gleamed over thered dome of the cathedral in the market-place.
我们经过了横跨伏尔加河的桥梁。冰面在我们身下发出呻吟声，桥板下面可见水面，红色圆顶大教堂上的金十字闪闪发光。

We met a woman with a broad face. She was carrying an armful ofwillow-branches. —-
我们遇见了一个脸宽的妇人，她抱着一把柳树枝。 —-

The spring was coming; soon it would be Easter.
春天即将来临，很快就会是复活节。

　　“I love you very much. Grandmother!”
“奶奶，我非常爱你！”

　　This did not seem to surprise her. She answered in a calm voice :
她似乎并不感到惊讶。她平静地回答道：

“That is because we are of the same family. —-
“那是因为我们是同一个家庭的一员。 —-

But— and I do not say it boastfully — there are others who love me, too,thanks to thee, O Blessed Lady! —-
但——我并不是自吹自擂——也有其他人爱我，多亏了你，哦，受保佑的圣母！ —-

” She added, smiling:
”她微笑着补充道：

　　“She will soon be rejoicing; her Son will rise again! Ah, Variusha, mydaughter!”
“她很快将会感到喜悦；她的儿子将会再次升起！啊，瓦略沙，我的女儿！”

　　Then she was silent.
然后她沉默了。