I WAS in a boat with my master, passing along the market-place betweenshops which were flooded to the height of the second story. —
我跟我的主人坐在一艘小船上，在市场之间穿行，而商店被淹没到了第二层楼的高度。 —

I plied the oars,while my master sat in the stern. —
我划着桨，而我的主人坐在船尾。 —

The paddle wheel, which was useless as arudder, was deep in the water, and the boat veered about awkwardly,meandering from street to street on the quiet, muddily sleepy waters.
轮船桨轮，作为舵，深深地沉在水中，船身笨拙地游动，在宁静、泥泞且昏昏欲睡的水域中，在街道之间曲曲折折地过渡。

“Ekh! The water gets higher and higher. The devil take it! —
“呃！水越来越高了。鬼才管这个！ —

It is keepingthe work back,” grumbled my master as he smoked a cigar, the smoke ofwhich had an odor of burning cloth. —
它让工作延误了，”主人抱怨着，他边吸着一支雪茄，那烟味有燃着的布料的气味。 —

“Gently!” he cried in alarm, “we arerunning into a lamp-post! —
“小心！”他惊恐地喊道，“我们要撞上路灯柱了！ —

” He steered the boat out of danger and scolded me: “They have given me a boat, the wretches! —
”他将小船转开，避过了危险，并责备我：“他们给了我一条破船！混蛋们！” —

” He showed me the spot onwhich, after the water had subsided, the work of rebuilding would begin.
他指给我看，在水退后重建工作将从那个位置开始。

With his face shaved to a bluish tint, his mustache clipped short, and a cigarin his mouth, he did not look like a contractor. —
他刮得脸色苍白，胡须剪得短短的，嘴里叼着一支烟，看起来一点也不像一个承包商。 —

He wore a leathern jacket,high boots to his knees, and a game-bag was slung over his shoulders. —
他身穿皮夹克，穿着及膝的高靴，肩上携着一只打猎包。 —

At hisfeet was an expensive two-barelled gun, manufactured by Lebed. From timeto time he restlessly changed the position of his leathern cap, pulling it overhis eyes, pouting his lips and looking cau — tiously around. —
他脚边放着一支昂贵的两管枪，是Lebed公司制造的。他不时焦躁地换动着皮帽的位置，戴在眼睛上，嘟起嘴唇，小心翼翼地四处张望。 —

He pushed thecap to the back of his head, looked younger, and smiled beneath hismustache, thinking of something pleasant. —
他把帽子往后挪了挪，看起来年轻了一些，嘴唇底下隐隐露出了笑意，想着什么开心的事。 —

No one would have thought thathe had a lot of work to do, and that the long time the water took in subsidingworried him. —
没人会认为他有很多工作要做，担心着水会花费很长时间才能退去。 —

Evidently thoughts wholly unconnected with business werepassing through his mind.
显然，他脑海里有些与生意毫无关系的想法。

And I was overwhelmed by a feeling of quiet amazement; —
我沉浸在一种宁静的惊奇感中； —

it seemed sostrange to look upon that dead town, the straight rows of buildings withclosed windows. —
看着那座死一般的城镇，一排排带着紧闭窗户的建筑物。 —

The town was simply flooded with water, and seemed to befloating past our boat. The sky was gray. —
城镇被水淹没，宛如在我们的船旁漂浮。天空灰蒙蒙的。 —

The sun had been lost in the clouds,but sometimes shone through them in large, silver, wintry patches.
太阳被云层遮蔽了，但有时透过云层间的大片银色的冬日光斑。

The water also was gray and cold; its flow was unnoticeable; —
水也是灰蒙蒙的，冰冷的；它的流动是难以察觉的； —

it seemed tobe congealed, fixed to one place, like the empty houses beside the shops,which were painted a dirty yellow. —
它仿佛凝固了一般，固定在某个地方，就像商店旁那些涂成肮脏黄色的空房子。 —

When the pale sun looked through theclouds, all around grew slightly brighter. —
当苍白的太阳透过云层，四周变得略微明亮起来。 —

The water reflected the gray textureof the sky; —
水反映着灰蒙蒙的天空的质感； —

our boat seemed to hang in the air between two skies; —
我们的船仿佛悬浮在两片天空之间； —

the stonebuildings also lifted themselves up, and with a scarcely perceptiblemovement floated toward the Volga, or the Oka. Around the boat werebroken casks, boxes, baskets, fragments of wood and straw; —
石建筑也自己往上悬浮起来，几乎看不出有移动，朝着伏尔加河或奥卡河漂流。船周围散落着破裂的桶、箱子、篮子、木头和稻草的碎片； —

sometimes a rodor joist of wood floated like a dead snake on the surface.
有时一根木杆或梁被像一条死蛇一样漂浮在表面上。

Here and there windows were opened. —
各处窗户开着。 —

On the roofs of the rows ofgalleries linen was drying, or felt boots stuck. out. —
在廊子排的屋顶上晾晒着亚麻布，或者是挂着毡靴。 —

A woman looked out of awindow onto the gray waters. —
一名妇女从窗户张望着灰色的水面。 —

A boat was moored to the top of the cast-ironcolumns of a galley; —
一只小船停泊在铸铁柱子的顶端； —

her red deck made the reflection of the water look greasyand meat-like.
她的红色甲板使水面的倒影看起来油腻和肉质。

　　Nodding his head at these signs of life, my master explained to me:
我的主人指着这些生活迹象，对我解释道：

“This is where the market watchman lives. —
“这就是市场看守的住处。 —

He climbs out of the windowonto the roof, gets into his boat, and goes out to see if there are any thievesabout. —
他从窗户爬到屋顶上，进入小船，出去巡逻看看附近有没有贼。 —

And if there are none, he thieves on his own account.”
如果没有，他自己会偷。”

He spoke lazily, calmly, thinking of something else. —
他慵懒地、平静地说着，心不在焉。 —

All around was quiet,deserted, and unreal, as if it were part of a dream. —
四周寂静、荒凉、不真实，仿佛是梦的一部分。 —

The Volga and the Okaflowed into an enormous lake; —
伏尔加和奥卡流入了一个巨大的湖。 —

in the distance on a rugged hillside the townwas painted in motley colors. —
在遥远山坡上，小镇被涂上斑斓的色彩。 —

Gardens were still somberly clothed, but thebuds were bursting on the trees, and foliage clad houses and churches in awarm, green mantle. —
花园依然衣着朴素，但是树上鲜花盛开，绿叶装点着房屋和教堂，披上了温暖的绿袍。 —

Over the water crept the muffled sound of the Easter-tide bells. —
在水面上传来复活节钟声的低语。 —

The murmur of the town was audible, while here it was just like aforgotten graveyard.
小镇的喧嚣声依旧可闻，而这里却宛如一座被遗忘的墓地。

Our boat wended its way between two rows of black trees; —
我们的小船穿行在两排黑树之间； —

we were onthe high road to the old cathedral. The cigar was in my master’s way ; —
我们正驶向古老大教堂的高速公路上。雪茄挡住了主人的视线； —

itsacrid smoke got into his eyes and caused him to run the nose of the boat intothe trunks of the trees. —
刺鼻的烟雾钻进他的眼睛，导致他把船的鼻子撞到树干上。 —

Upon which he cried, irritably and in surprise:
于是他不耐烦地惊讶地说道：

　　“What a rotten boat this is!”
“这是多破船啊！”

　　“But you are not steering it.”
“但你没在划船。”

“How can I?” he grumbled. “When there are two people in a boat, onealways rows while the other steers. —
“我怎么能呢？”他抱怨道。“两个人在一艘船上的时候，一个总是划船，而另一个总是驾船。 —

There — look! There’s the Chinese block.”
“看那里！那是中国街区。”

I knew the market through and through; —
我对市场了如指掌； —

I knew that comical-lookingblock of buildings with the ridiculous roofs on which sat, with crossed legs,figures of Chinamen in plaster of Paris. There had been a time when I andmy playfellow had thrown stones at them, and some of the Chinamen hadhad their heads and hands broken off by me. —
我认识那个滑稽的建筑群，有着可笑的屋顶，上面坐着一群用石膏塑造的中国人。曾经有一段时间，我和我的小伙伴朝他们扔石头，有些中国人的头和手被我打掉过。 —

But I no longer took any pridein that sort of thing.
但我不再以那种事为荣。

“Rubbish!” said my master, pointing to the block. —
“垃圾！”我的主人指着那块石头说道。 —

“If I had been allowedto build it — ”
“如果我被允许建造它的话——”

　　He whistled and pushed his cap to the back of his head.
他吹了个口哨，将帽子向后方推了推。

But somehow I thought that he would have built that town of stone justas dingily, on that low-lying ground which was flooded by the waters of tworivers every year. —
但不知怎的，我觉得他即使在那个每年被两条河流淹没的低洼地上，也会以石头建造那座城镇，变得一团糟。 —

And he would even have invented the Chinese block.
而且他甚至会发明中国的石头。

　　Throwing his cigar over the side of the boat, he spat after it in disgust,saying:
他将雪茄丢在船边，厌恶地吐了口唾沫，说道：

“Life is very dull, Pyeshkov, very dull. There are no educated people — noone to talk to. —
“生活很无聊，皮什科夫，非常无聊。这里没有受过教育的人——没有人可以交谈。 —

If one wants to show off one’s gifts, who is there to beimpressed? Not a soul! —
如果一个人想炫耀自己的才华，又有谁会受到印象呢？一个人也没有！ —

All the people here are carpenters, stone-masons,peasants — ”
这里所有的人都是木匠、石匠、农民——”

He looked straight ahead at the white mosque which rose picturesquelyout of the water on a small hill, and continued as. —
他径直朝着水映白色清真寺的小山眺望，接着说道。 —

if he were recollectingsomething he had forgotten :
好像在回忆起自己遗忘的事情：

“I began to drink beer and smoke cigars when I was working under aGerman. —
“我在一个德国人手下工作时开始喝啤酒和抽雪茄。 —

The Germans, my brother, are a business-like race — such wildfowl! —
德国人，我的兄弟，是个务实的民族——如此狂野！ —

Drinking beer is a pleasant occupation, but I have never got used tosmoking cigars. —
喝啤酒是一种愉快的活动，但我从未习惯抽雪茄。 —

And when you ‘ve been smoking, your wife grumbles: ‘Whatis it that you smell of? —
当你抽烟后，你的妻子会抱怨：‘你身上是什么味道？’” —

It is like the smell at the harness-makers. —
就像是车辕匠那种气味。 —

’ Ah, brother,the longer we live, the more artful we grow. —
“啊，兄弟，我们活得越久，就变得越狡猾。” —

Well, well, true to oneself — ”
“嗯，嗯，忠于自己——”

Placing the oar against the side of the boat, he took up his gun and shotat a Chinaman on a roof. —
他把桨靠在船边，拿起枪朝着屋顶上的一个中国人开枪。 —

No harm came to the latter; the shot buried itself inthe roof and the wall, raising a dusty smoke.
那个人没有受伤；子弹埋在了屋顶和墙壁中，升起一股灰尘烟雾。

　　“That was a miss,” he admitted without regret, and he again loaded hisgun.
“这是个失误，”他毫不遗憾地承认道，然后重新装填枪支。

“How do you get on with the girls? Are you keen on them? No? —
“你和女孩们相处得怎么样？你对她们感兴趣吗？不？ —

Why, Iwas in love when I was only thirteen.”
当我只有十三岁时，我就爱上了。

He told me, as if he were telling a dream, the story of his first love for thehousemaid of the architect to whom he had been apprenticed. —
他告诉我，仿佛在讲述一个梦，他对自己师傅的女佣的初恋故事。 —

Softlysplashed the gray water, washing the corners of the buildings; —
灰色的水轻轻拍打着建筑物的角落； —

beyond thecathedral dully gleamed a watery waste; black twigs rose here and thereabove it. —
在大教堂的对面，一片黑沉的水域闪烁着暗淡的树枝。 —

In the icon-painter’s workshop they often sang the Seminarski song:
在制图员的工作室里时常传来《塞米纳尔斯基之歌》的歌声：

　　“O blue sea, Stormy sea …”
“啊，蔚蓝的大海，汹涌的海……”

　　That blue sea must have been deadly dull.
那蔚蓝的大海一定是死板乏味的。

“I never slept at nights,” went on my master. —
“我每晚都睡不着觉，”我的师傅继续说道。 —

“Sometimes I got out of bedand stood at her door, shivering like a dog. It was a cold house! —
“有时候我下了床站在她的门口，像只狗一样发抖。那是一间冷冷的房子！ —

The mastervisited her at night. He might have discovered me, but I was not afraid, not 11”
师傅晚上造访她。他本可以发现我，但我并不害怕，不害怕。”

　　He spoke thoughtfully, like a person looking at an old worn-out coat, andwondering if he could wear it once more.
他沉思地说着，像一个看着一件旧旧的外套，想着能否再次穿上的人。

“She noticed me, pitied me, unfastened her door, and called me: —
“她注意到了我，可怜我，打开了她的门，叫我进来： —

‘Comein, you little fool.’ ”
‘来吧，你这个小傻瓜。’”

　　I had heard many stories of this kind, and they bored me, although therewas one pleasing feature about them — almost every one spoke of their “firstlove” without boasting, or obscenity, and often so gently and sadly that Iunderstood that the story of their first love was the best in their lives.
我听说过许多这样的故事，虽然有时候我觉得有些厌烦，但也有一个令人愉悦的地方 — 几乎每个人都谈论他们的“初恋”，而没有吹嘘或下流，常常是如此温柔而悲伤，以至于我明白了他们的初恋故事是他们生命中最美好的故事。

　　Laughing and shaking his head, my master exclaimed wonderingly:
笑着摇着头，我的师傅惊讶地喊道：

“But that’s the sort of thing you don’t tell your wife; no, no! —
“但这种事你不要告诉你的妻子；不，不！ —

Well, there’sno harm in it, but you never tell. That’s a story — ”
嗯，这没什么坏处，但你永远不要说。那是一个故事——”

He was telling the story to himself, not to me. If he had been silent, Ishould have spoken. —
他是在自言自语，而不是对我讲。如果他保持沉默，我会开口的。 —

In that quietness and desolation one had to talk, or sing,or play on the harmonica, or one would fall into a heavy, eternal sleep in themidst of that dead town, drowned in gray, cold water.
在那种宁静和荒凉中，人必须说话，或唱歌，或用口风琴演奏，否则就会在那个死寂的城镇中陷入沉重的永恒的睡眠，淹没在灰色冷水中。

“In the first place, don’t marry too soon,” he counseled me. —
“首先，不要太早结婚，”他劝告我。 —

“Marriage,brother, is a matter of the mostIN IHE WORLD 401 stupendous importance. —
“结婚，兄弟，是世界上最重要的事情。 —

You can live where youlike and how you like, according to your will. —
你可以按照你的意愿住在任何你喜欢的地方。 —

You can live in Persia as aMahommedan ; in Moscow as a man about town. —
你可以在波斯像一个穆斯林一样生活；在莫斯科像一个城市男士那样生活。 —

You can arrange your lifeas you choose. You can give everything a trial. —
你可以按照你选择的方式安排你的生活。你可以试试各种东西。 —

But a wife, brother, is like theweather — you can never rule her! —
但是，妻子，兄弟，就像天气——你永远无法控制她！ —

You can’t take a wife and throw her asidelike an old boot.”
你不能娶一个妻子然后像丢掉旧靴子一样抛弃她。”

　　His face changed. He gazed into the gray water with knitted brows,rubbing his prominent nose with his fingers, and muttered:
他的脸色变了。他用手指揉着突出的鼻子，眉头紧锁地凝视着灰色的水面，喃喃道：

“Yes, brother, look before you leap. —
“是的，兄弟，三思而后行。 —

Let us suppose that you are beset onall sides, and still continue to stand firm ; —
假设你四面受敌，仍然坚守； —

even then there is a special traplaid for each one of us.”
甚至在那种情况下，对每个人都设有特别的陷阱。”

　　We were now amongst the vegetation in the lake of Meshtcherski, whichwas fed by the Volga.
我们现在置身于Meshtcherski湖的植被中，这里是由伏尔加河所供水。

　　“Row softly,” whispered my master, pointing his gun into the bushes.
“轻点划船”，我的主人小声说着，指向灌木丛里的枪口。

　　After he had shot a few lean woodcocks, he suggested:
在他射中几只瘦弱的木䴙时，他建议道：

　　“Let us go to Kunavin Street. I will spend the evening there, and you cango home and say that I am detained by the contractors.”
“让我们去Kunavin街吧。我会在那里度过晚上，你可以回家，告诉他们我被承包商留住了。”

Setting him down at one of the streets on the outskirts of the town,which was also flooded, I returned to the market-place on the Stravelka,moored the boat, and sitting in it, gazed at the confluence of the two rivers,at the town, the steamboats, the sky, which was just like the gorgeous wing ofsome gigantic bird, all white feathery clouds. —
我将他放在城镇边缘的某条街上，那里也被淹没，然后我回到了Stravelka市场，把船停好，坐在船上凝视着两条河流的交汇处，城镇、轮船、天空，那仿佛是某只巨大鸟类的绚丽羽翼，白色的羽毛云。 —

The golden sun peeped throughthe blue gaps between the clouds, and with one glance at the earthtransfigured everything thereon. —
金黄的阳光洒下来，穿过云层之间的蓝色缝隙，用一瞥将大地都变得焕然一新。 —

Brisk, determined movement went on allaround me: —
我周围一片忙碌、果断的动作： —

the swift current of the rivers lightly bore innumerable planks ofwood; —
河流的急流轻轻地运送着无数木板； —

on these planks bearded peasants stood firmly, wielding long polesand shouting to one another, or to approaching steamers. —
在这些木板上，胡子拉碴的农民站得牢固，挥动着长杆，互相呼喊，或者向过往的轮船喊话。 —

A little steamerwas pulling an empty barge against the stream. —
一艘小轮船正拖着一艘空驶的驳船逆流航行。 —

The river dragged at it, and_shook it. It turned its nose round like a pike and panted, firmly setting itswheels against the water, which was rushing furiously to meet it. —
河水拖着它，摇晃着它。它转动着鱼的鼻子一样的头部，喘着气，牢固地将轮子靠在急速奔流的水上。 —

On a bargewith their legs hanging over the side sat four peasants, shoulder to shoulder.
在一艘驳船上，四个农民并肩坐着，脚悬在船舷之外。

　　One of them wore a red shirt, and sang a song the words of which I could nothear, but I knew it.
其中一个穿着红色的衬衫，唱着一首歌，我听不清歌词，但我明白这首歌。

I felt that here on the living river I knew all, was in touch with all, andcould understand all; —
我感觉到自己在这活动的河流上了解一切，与一切联系，能理解一切； —

and the town which lay flooded behind me was an evildream, an imagination of my master’s, as difficult to understand as he washimself.
而身后被淹没的城镇对我来说是一个邪恶的梦，是我主人的幻想，像他自己一样难以理解。

When I had satiated myself by gazing at all there was to see, I returnedhome, feeling that I was a grown man, capable of any kind of work. —
当我饱览了所有想看的一切后，我回到家，感到自己是个成熟的男人，能够从事任何工作。 —

On theway I looked from the hill of the Kreml on to the Volga in the distance. —
在回家的路上，我从克里姆林山上远眺伏尔加河。 —

Fromthe hill, the earth appeared enormous, and promised all that one couldpossibly desire.
从山上看，大地显得巨大，允诺满足一切所需。

I had books at home. In the flat which Queen Margot had occupied therenow lived a large family, — five young ladies, each one more beautiful thanthe others, and two schoolboys — and these people used to give me books. —
我家里有书。在曾经住过的平房里，现在住着一大家子人——五个年轻姑娘，一个比一个更美，还有两个小学生——他们常借书给我。 —

Iread Turgenieff with avidity, amazed to find how intelligible, simple, andpellucid as autumn he was; —
我渴望阅读屠格涅夫的作品，惊讶地发现他的作品是如此易懂、简单、清晰； —

how pure were his characters, and how — goodeverything was about which he succinctly dis coursed. —
他的人物是如此纯洁，他简洁描述一切都是如此好。 —

I read Pomyalovski’s“Bourse” and was again amazed; —
我又惊叹地阅读了庞雅罗夫斯基的“交易所”； —

it was so strangely like the life in the icon-painting workshop. —
它与圣像工作室里的生活如此类似。 —

I was so well acquainted with that desperate tediumwhich precipitated one into cruel pranks. —
那种突然引发对残酷恶作剧的极度乏味我十分熟悉。 —

I enjoyed reading Russian books. Ialways felt that there was something about them familiar and melancholy, asif there were hidden in their pages the frozen sound of the Lenten bell, whichpealed forth softly as soon as one opened a book.
我喜欢阅读俄国文学。我总觉得这些书有种熟悉而忧郁的气氛，仿佛它们的页页中隐藏着复活节钟声的冰冻音响，只等翻开书本便轻轻响起。

　　“Dead Souls” I read reluctantly; “Letters from the House of the Dead,”
我勉强看完《死魂灵》，还有《死囚之家信》，也是如此。

also. “Dead Souls,” “Dead Houses,” “Three Deaths,” “Living Relics”— thesebooks with titles so much alike arrested my attention against my will, andaroused a lethargic repugnance for all such books. —
《死魂灵》，《死囚之家》，《三个死亡》，《活着的圣物》——这些标题如此相似的书引起了我不愿意的注意，唤起对所有这类书籍的麻木厌恶。 —

“Signs of the Times,”
我不喜欢《现代信号》，《一步一步》，《该做的事情》，《斯莫林村志》，以及其他同类书籍。

“Step by Step,” “WOiat to Do,” and “Chronicles of the Village of Smourin,” Idid not care for, nor any other books of the same kind. —
但我喜欢狄更斯和沃尔特·司各特。我反复阅读这些作家的书，总是乐在其中。 —

But I was delightedwith Dickens and Walter Scott. I read these authors with the greatestenjoyment, the same books over and over again. —
返回到原来乐趣去。 —

The works of Walter Scottreminded me of a high mass on a great feast day in rich churches —somewhat long and tedious, but always solemn. —
沃尔特·司各特的作品让我想起在富饶的教堂里庄严而漫长的大型节日弥撒。 —

Dickens still remains to meas the author to whom I respectfully bow ; —
狄更斯仍然是我尊敬鞠躬的作者； —

he was a man who had awonderful apprehension of that most difficult of arts — love of humannature.
他是一个对最难的艺术——对人类本性的热爱有着奇妙的领悟力。

In the evenings a large company of people used to gather on the roof: —
晚上，一大群人常聚集在屋顶上： —

thebrothers K. and their sisters, grown up; the snub-nosed schoolboy,Vyacheslav Semashko; —
兄弟K.和他们已经长大的姐妹们，圆鼻的学生维亚切斯拉夫·谢马什科； —

and sometimes Miss Ptitzin, the daughter of animportant official, appeared there, too. —
有时候还会有重要官员的女儿皮茨金小姐也会出现在那里。 —

They talked of books and poetry. Thiswas something which appealed to me, and which I could understand; —
他们谈论书籍和诗歌。这是一件吸引我的事情，我也能理解； —

I hadread more than all of them together. —
我读过的书比他们所有人加起来都要多。 —

But sometimes they talked about thehigh school, and com plained about the teachers. —
但有时候他们谈论高中，并抱怨老师。 —

When I listened to theserecitals, I felt that I had more liberty than my friends, and was amazed attheir patience. —
当我听他们的讲述时，觉得自己比朋友们更自由，对他们的耐心感到惊讶。 —

And yet I envied them; they had opportunities of learning!
然而我却羡慕他们；他们有学习的机会！

My comrades were older than I, but I felt that I was the elder. —
我的同学比我大，但我感觉自己更老成。 —

I waskeener-witted, more experienced than they. This worried me somewhat; —
我头脑敏锐，比他们更有经验。这让我有点烦恼； —

Iwanted to feel more in touch with them. —
我希望能更与他们保持联系。 —

I used to get home late in theevening, dusty and dirty, steeped in impressions very different from theirs —in the main very monotonous. —
我经常深夜回家，满身灰尘，弥漫着与他们大不相同的冗长印象——主要是非常单调。 —

They talked a lot about young ladies, and ofbeing in love with this one and that one, and they used to try their hands atwriting poetry. —
他们经常谈论年轻女士，说起爱上这个那个，还尝试写诗。 —

They frequently solicited my help in this matter. —
他们经常向我寻求帮助。 —

I willinglyapplied myself to versification, and it was easy for me to find the rhymes, butfor some reason or other my verses always took a humorous turn, and Inever could help associating Miss Ptitzin, to whom the poetry was generallydedicated, with fruits and vegetables.
我很乐意致力于写诗，很容易找到押韵的词，但不知为何，我的诗总是带有幽默的色彩，我总是不由自主地把常常致诗给的普蒂兹因小姐和水果蔬菜联系在一起。

　　Semashko said to me:
塞马申科对我说：

　　“Do you call that poetry? It is as much like poetry as hobnails would be.”
“你把那叫诗？这跟诗一点关系都没有，就像铁钉和诗没有关系一样。”

Not wishing to be behind them in anything, I also fell in love with MissPtitzin. —
为了在这方面不落后于他们，我也爱上了普蒂兹因小姐。 —

I do not remember how I declared my feelings, but I know that theaffair ended badly. —
我不记得自己是如何表白的，但我知道那件事以失败告终。 —

On the stagnant green water of the Zvyezdin Pond floateda plank, and I proposed to give the young lady a ride on it. —
在琴湖的停滞绿水上漂着一块木板，我提议让这位年轻女士坐上去划船。 —

She agreed. Ibrought the log to the bank; it held me alone quite well. —
她同意了。我把木头划到岸边；它能承载住我一个人。 —

But when thegorgeously dressed young lady, all ribbons and lace, graciously stepped onthe other end, and I proudly pushed off with a stick, the accursed log rolledaway from under us and my young lady went head over heels into the water.
但是当穿着让人眼花缭乱的年轻女士，身穿丝带和蕾丝，优雅地踏上另一端时，我骄傲地用棍子推开，可恨的木板滚开，我爱人翻滚摔进了水里。

I threw myself in knightly fashion after her, and swiftly brought her toshore. —
我豁出去跟在她后面，迅速把她带上岸。 —

Fright and the green mire of the pond had quite destroyed her beautyI Shaking her wet fist at me threateningly, she cried:
惊恐和琴湖的绿泥完全摧毁了她的美丽。她抖着湿漉漉的拳头威胁我，喊道：

　　“You threw me in the water on purpose!”
“你故意把我推到水里！”

　　And refusing to believe in the sincerity of my protestations, from thattime she treated me as an enemy.
从那时起，她拒绝相信我的诚意辩解，对我以敌人相待。

On the whole, I did not find living in the town very interesting. —
总的来说，我并不觉得住在城里很有趣。 —

My oldmistress was as hostile as she had ever been; the young one regarded mewith contempt; —
我的老师傅一如往常地充满敌意；年轻的女人则带着轻蔑的眼光看着我； —

Victorushka more freckled than ever, snorted at every one,and was everlastingly aggrieved about something.
Victorushka比以往任何时候都更布满雀斑，对每个人都不满，并总是对某事感到委屈；

　　My master had many plans to draw. He could not get through all thework with his brother, and so he engaged my stepfather as assistant.
我的主人有很多画要画。他无法完成所有工作，于是雇佣了我的继父作为助手；

One day I came home from the market-place early, about five o’clock,and going into the dining-room, saw the man whose existence I hadforgotten, at the table beside the master. —
有一天我早早从市场回到家，大约五点钟，走进餐厅，看到了一个我已经忘记了存在的男人，在主人旁边的桌子旁； —

He held his hand out to me.
他向我伸出手。

　　“How do you do?”
“你好吗？”

I drew back at the unexpectedness of it. —
我因此突如其来的举动而退却。 —

The fire of the past had beensuddenly rekindled, and burned my heart.
过去时光的火焰突然重新燃起，烧灼着我的心。

My stepfather looked at me with a smile on his terribly emaciated face ; —
我的继父微微带笑地看着我，他那憔悴至极的脸上带着笑容； —

his dark eyes were larger than ever. He looked altogether worn out anddepressed. —
他那双黑眼睛显得比以往更大，整个人看起来疲惫而沮丧。 —

I placed my hand in his thin, hot fingers.
我将手放在他纤细、发热的手指上。

　　“Well, so we ‘ve met again,” he said, coughing.
“嗯，我们又见面了，”他说，咳嗽起来。

　　I left them, feeling as weak as if I had been beaten.
我离开时感觉虚弱得仿佛被打败了一般。

Our manner to each other was cautious and restrained; —
我们彼此之间保持着谨慎和拘束的态度； —

he called me bymy first name and my pa — tronymic, and spoke to me as an equal.
他称呼我用我的姓氏和父亲的名字，并且和我交谈时像对待平等的人一样。

　　“When you go to the shops, please buy me a quarter of a pound ofLapherm’s tobacco, a hundred pack — ets of Vitcorson’s, and a pound ofboiled sausage.”
“你去商店时，请给我买一份拉菲姆的烟草一四分之一磅、维克特森的一百包香烟、以及一磅熟香肠。”

The money which he gave me was always unpleasantly heated by his hothands. —
他给我交的钱总是不舒服地被他炽热的手捂热了。 —

It was plain that he was a consumptive, and not long to be aninhabitant of this earth. —
很明显他是个肺病患者，不会在这个地球上停留太久。 —

He knew this, and would say in a calm, deep voice,twisting his pointed black beard:
他知道这一点，会用冷静而低沉的声音说，扭动着尖状的黑胡子：

　　“My illness is almost incurable. However, if I take plenty of meat I mayget better — I may get better.”
“我的病几乎是不治的。不过，如果我多吃点肉，或许会好起来－或许会好起来。”

He ate an unbelievably large amount; —
他吃的量令人难以置信； —

he smoked cigarettes, which wereonly out of his lips when he was eating. —
吃饭时甚至还把香烟夹在嘴唇间。 —

Every day I bought him sausages,ham, sardines, but grandmother’s sister said with an air of certainty, and forsome reason maliciously :
我每天给他买香肠、火腿、沙丁鱼，但奶奶的姐姐带着肯定的口气说，不知为何带着恶意：

　　“It is no use to feed Death with dainties; you cannot deceive him.”
“给死神喂美味是没用的；你无法欺骗他。”

　　The mistress regarded my stepfather with an air of injury, reproachfullyadvised him to try this or that medicine, but made fun of him behind hisback.
女主人对我的继父满脸委屈地建议他尝试这种或那种药物，但背地里却取笑他。

“A fine gentleman! The crumbs ought to be swept up more often in thedining-room, he says; —
“一个好绅士！餐厅里的面包屑应该经常扫，他说； —

crumbs cause the flies to multiply, he says.”
面包屑会导致苍蝇繁殖，他说。”

　　The young mistress said this, and the old mistress repeated after her:
年轻的女主人说了这话，老女主人跟着重复：

“What do you mean — a fine gentleman! —
“你是什么意思 — 一个好绅士！ —

With his coat all worn andshiny, and he always scraping it with a clothes-brush. —
穿着锃亮的外套，总是用衣刷刷他衣服。 —

He is so faddy; theremust not be a speck of dust on it!”
他如此挑剔；那上面不能有一点灰尘！”

　　But the master spoke soothingly to them :
但主人对他们说话时是温和的：

　　“Be patient, wild fowl, he will soon be dead!”
“耐心些，野鸭们，他很快会死的！”

This senseless hostility of the middle class toward a man of good birthsomehow drew me and my step-father closer together. —
中产阶级对贵族出身的人毫无意义的敌意，不知怎么地，将我和我的继父拉得更近了。 —

The crimson agaric isan un wholesome fungus, yet it is so beautiful. —
红菇是一种有毒的真菌，但它如此美丽。 —

Suffocated among thesepeople, my stepfather was like a fish which had accidentally fallen into afowl-run — an absurd comparison, as everything in that life was absurd.
在这些人中窒息，我的继父就像是一条意外跌入鸡舍的鱼 — 这是一个荒谬的比喻，因为那段生活中的一切都是荒谬的。

I began to find in him resemblances to “Good Business” — a man whom Icould never forget. —
我开始发现他身上有些像“好生意” — 一个我永远无法忘记的人。 —

I adorned him and my Queen with the best that I got outof books. —
我用书中最好的东西装饰了他和我的女王。 —

I gave them all that was most pure in me, all the fantasies born ofmy reading. —
我把我最纯净的一切都奉献给了他们，所有我阅读中产生的幻想。 —

My stepfather was just such another man, aloof and unloved, as“Good Business. —
我的继父就是这样一个人，疏远而不受爱，像“好买卖”一样。 —

” He behaved alike to every one in the house, never spokefirst, and answered questions put to him with a peculiar politeness andbrevity. —
他对待家里的每个人都一样，从不先说话，回答问题时态度礼貌且简短。 —

I was delighted when he taught my masters. —
他教我的时候我很高兴。 —

Standing at the table,bent double, he would tap the thick paper with his dry nails, and suggestcalmly :
弯腰站在桌前，他用干裂的指甲敲击厚重的纸张，并平静地建议道：

“Here you will have to have a keystone. —
“这里你需要一个拱顶。” —

That will halve the force of thepressure; —
“那会减半支柱的压力； —

otherwise the pillar will crash through the walls.”
不然支柱就会穿透墙壁。”

　　“That’s true, the devil take it,” muttered the master, and his wife said tohim, when my stepfather had gone out:
“真是的，该死的，”师傅嘀咕着，他的妻子对他说，当我的继父走出去时：

　　“It is simply amazing to me that you can allow any one to teach you yourbusiness like that!”
“你居然让别人这样教你做生意，我简直惊讶！”

　　For some reason she was always especially irritated when my stepfathercleaned his teeth and gargled after supper, protruding his harshly outlinedAdam’s apple.
因为某种原因，每当继父晚饭后刷牙漱口时，她总是特别恼火，尖锐地说道：

　　“In my opinion,” she would say in a sour voice, “it is injurious to you tobend your head back like that, Evgen Vassilvich!”
“在我看来，你像那样后仰头对你是有害的，叶甫根·瓦西里耶维奇！”

　　Smiling politely he asked:
微笑着有礼貌地问道：

　　“Why?”
“为什么？”

　　“Because — I am sure it is.”
因为-我肯定是这样的。

　　He began to clean his bluish nails with a tiny bone stick.
他开始用一根小骨棒清洁他的青灰色指甲。

　　“He is cleaning his nails again ; well, I never!” exclaimed the mistress.
“他又在清理他的指甲了；哎呀，我从没见过！”女主人惊叹道。

“He is dying — and there he“Ekh!” sighed the master. —
“他正在垂死-那里他——呃！”男主人叹息道。 —

“What a lot of stupidity has flourished in you,wild fowl!”
“你身上满是愚蠢，野禽！”

“Why do you say that?” asked his wife, confused. —
“你为什么这么说？”他的妻子感到困惑。 —

But the old mistresscomplained passionately to God at night :
但老女主人在晚上激烈地向上帝抱怨：

　　“Lord, they have laid that rotten creature on my shoulders, and Victor isagain pushed on one side.”
“主啊，他们把那个腐烂的家伙放在我肩膀上，而维克托又被推到一边了。”

Victorushka began to mock the manners of my step-father, — hisleisurely walk, the assured movements of his lordly hands, his skill in tying acravat, and his dainty way of eating. —
维克托仍旧开始嘲笑继父的举止-他悠闲的步行，傲慢的手势，打领带的娴熟技巧，以及挑食的方式。 —

He would ask coarsely : “Maximov,what’s the French for ‘knee’? —
他粗鲁地问道：“马克西莫夫，‘膝盖’的法语怎么说呢？ —

” “I am called Evgen Vassilevich,” my stepfatherreminded him calmly.
“我被叫做叶甫盖尼瓦西列维奇”，我的继父镇定地提醒他。

“All right. Well, what is ‘the chest’? —
“好的。那‘胸’怎么说？ —

” Victorushka would say to his motherat supper: —
，维克托会在晚餐时对他的母亲说： —

“Ma mere, donnez moi encore du pickles! —
“妈妈，再给我一些泡菜吧！ —

” “Oh, you Frenchman!”
“哦，你这个法国人！”

　　the old woman would say, much affected.
老妇人感动地说道。

My stepfather, as unmoved as if he were deaf or dumb, chewed his meatwithout looking at any one. —
我的继父像聋子或哑巴一样不动声色地嚼着肉，没有看向任何人。 —

One day the elder brother said to the younger:
有一天，哥哥对弟弟说：

　　“Now that you are learning French, Victor, you ought to have a mistress.”
“维克多，既然你在学法语，你应该有个情人。”

　　This was the only time I remember seeing my step-father smile quietly.
“这是我记得我继父安静地微笑的唯一一次。”

　　But the young mistress let her spoon fall on the table in her agitation,and cried to her husband :
“但是年轻的情人满腔激动地让勺子掉在桌子上，并对丈夫大喊道：”

　　“Aren’t you ashamed to talk so disgustingly before me?”
“你竟然在我面前这么恶心地说话，你不觉得丢脸吗？”

　　Sometimes my stepfather came to me in the dark vestibule, where I sleptunder the stairs which led to fhe attic, and where, sitting on the stairs by thewindow, I used to read.
“有时候，我的继父会来到我在黑暗的门厅睡觉的地方，在通往阁楼的楼梯下，我坐在楼梯上的窗前读书。”

“Reading?” he would say, blowing out smoke. —
“读书？”他说着，吐出了烟。 —

There came a hissingsound from his chest like the hissing of a fire-stick. —
“从他胸膛发出了一阵嘶嘶声，像火柴棍的声音。” —

“What is the book?”
“这本书是什么？”

　　I showed it to him.
“我把书给他看。”

　　“Ah,” he said, glancing at the title, “I think I have read it. Will yousmoke?”
“啊，”他看了看书名道，“我想我读过。你要抽烟吗？”

　　We smoked, looking out of the window onto the dirty yard. He said:
“我们一边抽烟一边望着脏乱的院子。他说：”

　　“It is a great pity that you cannot study; it seems to me that you haveability.”
“你不能学习实在太可惜了，我觉得你很有能力。”

　　“I am studying; I read.”
我正在学习；我读书。

　　“That is not enough; you need a school; a system.”
这还不够；你需要一个学校；一个系统。

　　I felt inclined to say to him:
我感觉想对他说：

　　“You had the advantages of both school and system, my fine fellow, andwhat is the result ?”
“你有过学校和系统的优势，我的朋友，结果如何？”

　　But he added, as if he had read my thoughts :
但他接着说，仿佛读懂了我的想法：

“Given the proper disposition, a school is a good educator. —
“只要有恰当的心态，学校是一个好的教育者。 —

Only very welleducated people make any mark in life.”
只有受过很好教育的人才能在生活中有所成就。”

　　But once he counseled me:
但他曾劝告我：

　　“You would be far better away from here. I see no sense or advantage toyou in staying.”
“你离开这里会更好。我看不出你留在这里有什么意义或好处。”

　　“I like the work.”
“我喜欢这项工作。”

　　“Ah — what do you find to like?”
“啊 — 你觉得哪里值得喜欢？”

　　“I find it interesting to work with them.”
“我觉得和他们一起工作很有趣。”

　　“Perhaps you are right.”
“也许你是对的。”

　　But one day he said:
但有一天他说：

　　“What trash they are in the main, our employers — trash!”
“我们的雇主大多数都是些废物 — 废物！”

　　When I remembered how and when my mother had uttered that word, Iinvoluntarily drew back from him. He asked, smiling:
当我想起母亲是如何何时说出那个词的，我不由自主地就从他身边退了回去。他笑着问道：

　　“Don’t you think so?”
“你觉得呢？”

　　“I don’t know.”
“我不知道。”

　　“Well, they are; I can see that.”
“嗯，他们是的；我能看出来。”

　　“But I like the master, anyhow.”
“但无论如何我还是喜欢那位主人。”

　　“Yes, you are right; he is a worthy man, but strange.”
“是的，你说得对；他是个诚实的人，但是很奇怪。”

　　I should have liked to talk with him about books, but it was plain that hedid not care for them, and one day he advised me :
我本想和他谈谈书，但很明显他对此不感兴趣，有一天他劝我说：

“Don’t be led away; everything is very much embellished in books,distorted one way or another. —
“不要被牵引，书中的一切都被加以修饰，或者以某种方式扭曲。 —

Most writers of books are people like ourmaster, small people.”
大多数书籍作者都是像我们的主人那样小人物。”

　　Such judgments seemed very daring to me, and quite corrupted me.
这样的判断对我来说似乎非常大胆，完全腐化了我。

　　On the same occasion he asked me :
在同一场合，他问我：

　　“Have you read any of Goncharov’s works?”
“你读过冈察洛夫的作品吗？”

　　“ The Frigate Palada.’ ”
“‘帕拉达号’。”

“That’s a dull book. But really, Goncharov is the cleverest writer inRussia. —
“那是本沉闷的书。但实际上，冈察洛夫是俄罗斯最聪明的作家。 —

I advise you to read his novel, ‘Oblomov. —
我建议你读他的小说‘奥布洛莫夫’。 —

’ That is by far the truest andmost daring book he wrote; —
那是他写过的最真实、最大胆的一本书；事实上，是俄罗斯文学中最好的书。” —

in fact, it is the best book in Russian literature.”
对狄更斯的作品，他说道：

　　Of Dickens’ works he said:
“我向你保证，那些都是废话。但在‘新时代’上有一件非常有趣的事——《圣安东尼的诱惑》。

“They are rubbish, I assure you. But there is a most interesting thingrunning in the ‘Nova Vremya/ — The Temptation of St. Anthony. —
你读过吗？看来你喜欢一切与教会有关的东西，‘圣安东尼的诱惑’ —

’ You readit? Apparently you like all that pertains to the church, and ‘The Temptation’
应该是一个适合你的有益题材。”

　　ought to be a profitable subject for you.”
他给我带来一捆包含连载的文件，我读了福楼拜的学术作品。

He brought me a bundle of papers containing the serial, and I readFlaubert’s learned work. —
“The Temptation of St. Anthony”。 —

It reminded me of the innumerable lives of holymen, scraps of history told by the valuers, but it made no very deepimpression on me. —
这让我想起了无数圣人的生平故事，评价人士们传颂的碎片历史，但对我并没有什么深刻的印象。 —

I much preferred the “Memoirs of Upilio Faimali, Tamerof Wild Beasts,” which was printed alongside of it.
我更喜欢《厄皮里奥·法玛利，野兽驯兽师的回忆录》，它就印在它旁边。

　　When I acknowledged this fact to my stepfather, he remarked coolly:
当我向继父承认这一事实时，他冷冷地评论道：

　　“That means that you are still too young to read such things! However,don’t forget about that book.”
“那意味着你还太年轻，不应该读这些东西！不过，别把那本书忘了。”

Sometimes he would sit with me for a long time without saying a word,just coughing and puffing out smoke continuously. —
有时他会陪着我很长一段时间，一言不发，只是不断咳嗽并喷出烟雾。 —

His beautiful eyes burnedpainfully, and I looked at him furtively, and forgot that this man, who wasdying so honestly and simply, without complaint, had once been so closelyrelated to my mother, and had insulted her. —
他那双美丽的眼睛痛苦地闪耀着，我偷偷地看着他，忘记了这个正在如此诚实地、坦然地无怨无悔地即将死去的人曾与我的母亲有过密切的关系，并且侮辱过她。 —

I knew that he lived with somesort of seamstress, and thought of her with wonder and pity. —
我知道他和某种裁缝住在一起，我对她感到惊奇和怜悯。 —

How could shenot shrink from embracing those lanky bones, from kissing that mouthwhich gave forth such an oppressive odor of putrescence ? —
她怎么会不退避那些瘦削的骨头，不避开亲吻那张传出浓重腐臭的口腔呢？ —

Just like “GoodBusiness,” my stepfather often uttered peculiarly characteristic sayings:
就像《好生意》，我的继父经常说出很有特色的话：

　　“I love hounds; they are stupid, but I love them. They are very beautiful.
“我喜欢猎犬；它们愚蠢，但我喜欢它们。它们非常美丽。

　　Beautiful women arc often stupid, too.”
漂亮的女人也常常愚蠢。”

　　I thought, not without pride:
我不无骄傲地想：

　　“Ah, if he had only known Queen Margotl”
“啊，如果他曾经认识过玛戈皇后！”

　　“People who live for a long time in the same house all have the same kindof face,” was one of his sayings which I wrote down in my note-book.
“住在同一房子里很长时间的人，他们的脸都长得一样。”是他的一句话，我在笔记本上写下了。

I listened for these sayings of his, as if they had been treats. —
我满心期待他说出这些话语，好像它们是美味一样。 —

It waspleasant to hear unusual, literary words used in a house where every onespoke a colorless language, which had hardened into well-worn, undiversified forms. —
在一个所有人谈话都是单调的语言，已经变得陈旧和缺乏变化形式的家里，听到不寻常的文学用词是一种愉悦。 —

My stepfather never spoke to me of my mother; he nevereven uttered her name. —
我的继父从未和我谈论过我的母亲；他甚至从未提起过她的名字。 —

This pleased me, and aroused in me a feeling ofsympathetic consideration for him.
这让我感到高兴，并唤起了我对他的同情考虑。

Once I asked him about God — I do not remember what brought up thesubject. —
有一次我问他关于上帝 —— 我已经不记得是什么引起了这个话题。 —

He looked at me, and said very calmly:
他看着我，非常平静地说道：

　　“I don’t know. I don’t believe in God.”
　　“我不知道。我不相信上帝。”

I remembered Sitanov, and told my stepfather about him. —
我想起了斯坦诺夫，然后告诉继父。 —

Havinglistened attentively to me, he observed, still calmly:
他认真地听着我，然后依然平静地观察说：

“He was in doubt; and those who are in doubt must believe insomething. —
“他是怀疑者；而那些怀疑的人必须信仰某种东西。 —

As for me, I simply do not believe!”
至于我，我就是不相信！”

　　“But is that possible?”
　　“那真的可能吗？”

　　“Why not? You can see for yourself I don’t believe.”
　　“为什么不可能呢？你自己看我就是不相信。”

I saw nothing, except that he was dying. I hardly pitied him; —
除了他正在死去这一点，我没有看到任何东西。我几乎没有同情他； —

my firstfeeling was one of keen and genuine interest in the nearness of a dyingperson, in the mystery of death.
我的第一个感觉是对一个垂死之人的近在身旁的浓烈和真诚的兴趣，以及对死亡之谜的兴趣。

Here was a man sitting close to me, his knee touching mine, warm,sensate, calmly regarding people in the light of their relations to himself; —
在这儿坐着一个与我近在咫尺的人，他的膝盖碰到我的，温暖、敏感，平静地将人们看作是与自己的关系相关的； —

speaking about everything like a person who possessed power to judge andto settle affairs; —
谈论一切，就像一个拥有审判权和解决事务能力的人； —

in whom lay something necessary to me, or something good,blended with something unnecessary to me. —
在他身上蕴含着对我来说必要或有益的东西，与对我无关的东西混合在一起。 —

This being of incomprehensiblecom plexity was the receptacle of continuous whirlwinds of thought. —
这个难以理解的复杂存在是持续思绪旋转的容器。 —

It wasnot as if I were merely brought in contact with him, but it seemed as if hewere part of myself, that he lived somewhere within me. —
不仅是我与他有所联系，而且似乎他是我自己的一部分，住在我某处。 —

I thought about himcontinually, and the shadow of his soul lay across mine. —
我不断地想着他，他的灵魂的影子横亘在我的身上。 —

And tomorrow hewould disappear entirely, with all that was hidden in his head and his heart,with all that I seemed to read in his beautiful eyes. —
明天他将完全消失，带着他脑海和心灵中所有的秘密，以及我似乎在他那美丽的眼睛里读到的一切。 —

When he went, another ofthe living threads which bound me to life would be snapped. —
当他走时，又会断开我与生活的另一根活线。 —

His memorywould be left, but that would be something finite within me, forever limited,immutable. —
他的记忆会留下，但那将是永远有限、不变的一部分。 —

But that which is alive changes, progresses. —
但那活着的东西会变化、进步。 —

But these werethoughts, and behind them lay those inexpressible words which give birth toand nourish them, which strike to the very roots of life, demanding ananswer to the question, Why?
但这些只是思维，背后还有那些无法言说的词语，孕育并滋养它们，深入生命根源，要求回答一个问题，为什么？

“I shall soon have to lie by, it seems to me,” said my stepfather one rainyday. —
“看来我很快就得躺下了，”一天下雨天，我的继父说。 —

“This stupid weakness! I don’t feel inclined to do anything.”
“这种蠢弱！我没有做事的兴致。”

The next day, at the time of evening tea, he brushed the crumbs of breadfrom the table and from his knees with peculiar care, and brushed somethinginvisible from his person. —
第二天傍晚喝茶时，他特别仔细地从桌子上和膝盖上刷去面包屑，以及从他身上刷去一些看不见的东西。 —

The old mistress, looking at him from under herbrows, whispered to her daughter-in-law:
老女主人从眉头下看着他，对儿媳妇悄声说：

　　“Look at the way he is plucking at himself, and brushing himself.”
“看他是如何拣拉自己，刷自己的。”

　　He did not come to work for two days, and then the old mistress put alarge white envelope in my hand, saying :
他连续两天没有来上班，然后老板娘递给我一个大大的白色信封，说：

“Here you are! A woman brought this yesterday about noon, and I forgotto give it to you. —
“给你！昨天中午左右有个女人送来的，我忘了给你。” —

A pretty little woman she was, but what she wants with you Ican’t imagine, and that’s the truth!”
“那女人挺漂亮的，但她找你干什么我实在想不出来，这是实话！”

　　On a slip of paper with a hospital stamp, inside the envelope, was writtenin large characters:
在信封里面的一张带有医院印章的纸条上，用大字写着：

“When you have an hour to spare, come and see me. —
“有空时，来看看我吧。 —

I am in theMartinovski Hospital. “E. M.”
我在Martinovski医院。E. M。”

　　The next morning I was sitting in a hospital ward on my stepfather’s bed.
第二天早上，我坐在医院病房里，坐在继父的床边。

It was a long bed, and his feet, in gray, worn socks, stuck out through therails. —
床很长，他的脚穿着灰色破旧的袜子从床栏中伸出。 —

His beautiful eyes, dully wandering over the yellow walls, rested on myface and on the small hands of a young girl who sat on a bench at the head ofthe bed. —
他那美丽的眼睛呆呆地游离在黄色的墙上，然后停留在我的脸上和一位年轻女孩细小的手上，她坐在床头的长凳上。 —

Her hands rested on the pillow, and my stepfather rubbed his cheekagainst them, his mouth hanging open. —
她的手放在枕头上，我的继父把脸擦在她的手上，嘴巴张得很大。 —

She was a plump girl, wearing ashiny, dark frock. The tears flowed slowly over her oval face; —
她是一个丰满的女孩，穿着一件闪亮的暗色连衣裙。泪水缓缓地滑过她的椭圆脸； —

her wet blueeyes never moved from my stepfather’s face, with its sharp bones, large,sharp-pointed nose, and dark mouth.
她湿润的蓝眼睛始终没有从我继父的面孔上移开，他有尖骨、大尖鼻和深邃的嘴。

“The priest ought to be here,” she whispered, “but he forbids it — he doesnot understand. —
“神父应该在这里，”她低声说，“但他不允许——他不理解。 —

” And taking her hands from the pillow, she pressed them toher breast as if praying.
她把手从枕头上抬起，按在胸前，仿佛在祈祷。

In a minute my stepfather came to himself, looked at the ceiling andfrowned, as if he were trying to remember something. —
过了一会儿，我的继父清醒过来，看着天花板皱眉，好像在努力回忆某事。 —

Then he stretched hislank hand toward me.
然后他伸出他纤瘦的手向我。

　　“You? Thank you. Here I am, you sec. I feel .o stupid.”
“你？谢谢。在这里你看见了吧。我觉得…好蠢。”

The effort tired him; he closed his eyes. —
这个努力使他疲惫不堪；他闭上了眼睛。 —

I stroked his long cold fingerswith the blue nails. —
我抚摸着他那又长又冷的带着蓝色指甲的手指。 —

The girl asked softly:
女孩轻声问道：

　　“Evgen Vassilvich, introduce us, please!”
“叶甫盖尼·瓦西里耶维奇，介绍一下我们，好吗？”

“You must know each other,” he said, indicating her with his eyes. —
他指着她用眼神示意说，“你们应该互相认识。” —

“Adear creature — ”
“亲爱的人——”

He stopped speaking, his mouth opened wider and wider, and hesuddenly shrieked out hoarsely, like a raven. —
他停止说话，嘴巴越张越大，突然尖叫着，像乌鸦一样嘶哑。 —

Throwing herself on the bed,clutching at the blanket, waving her bare arms about, the girl also screamed,burying her head in the tossed pillow.
她扑倒在床上，紧紧抓住毯子，挥动着赤裸的双臂，女孩也尖声尖叫着，把头埋进扔乱的枕头里。

My stepfather died quickly, and as soon as he was dead, he regainedsome of his good looks. —
我继父死得很快，一死他又恢复了一些好看的神色。 —

I left the hospital with the girl on my arm. Shestaggered like a sick person, and cried. —
我搀扶着这个女孩走出医院。她蹒跚地走着，像个病人，哭泣着。 —

Her handkerchief was squeezed into aball in her hand; —
她的手绢被握成一团在手中； —

she alternately applied it to her eyes, and rolling it tighter,gazed at it as if it were her last and most precious possession.
她时而把它贴在眼睛上，时而揉成更紧，凝视着它好像这是她最后最珍贵的东西。

　　Suddenly she stood still, pressing close to me, and said:
突然她停住了，紧紧贴着我，说道：

　　“I shall not live till the winter. Oh Lord, Lord! What does it mean?”
“我活不到冬天。哦主啊，主啊！这是什么意思？”

　　Then holding out her hand, wet with tears, to me:
随后，她把满是泪水的手伸向我：

　　“Good-by. He thought a lot of you. He will be buried tomorrow.”
“再见。他很重视你。明天他就会被埋葬了。”

　　“Shall I see you home?’
“我送你回家吧？’

　　She looked about her.
她四处张望。

　　“What for? It is daytime, not night.”
“为什么呢？现在是白天，不是夜晚。”

From the corner of a side street I looked after her. —
我从一条小巷的拐角处看着她离去。 —

She walked slowly,like a person who has nothing to hurry for. It was August. —
她慢慢地走着，就像一个没有什么好着急的人。那是八月。 —

The leaves werealready beginning to fall from the trees. —
叶子已经开始从树上掉落了。 —

I had no time to follow my stepfatherto the graveyard, and I never saw the girl again.
我没有时间跟着我的继父去墓地，我再也没有见过那个女孩。