EVERY morning at six o’clock I set out tor my work in the market-place. —
每天早晨六点，我就出发去市场工作。 —

Imet interesting people there. There was the carpenter, Osip, a gray-hairedman who looked like Saint Nikolai, a clever workman, and witty; —
在那里我遇到了一些有趣的人。有木匠奥西普，一个像圣尼古拉一样的白发老人，他既是巧匠又是诙谐的人； —

there wasthe humpbacked slater, Ephimushka, the pious bricklayer, Petr, a thoughtfulman who also reminded me of a saint; —
还有驼背的瓦工埃菲穆什卡，虔诚的砌砖工彼得，一个沉思的人，也让我想起了圣人； —

the plasterer, Gregory Shishlin, aflaxen-bearded, blue-eyed, handsome man, beaming with quiet good-nature.
抹灰工格里戈里·什什林，一个金发碧眼、英俊帅气、满脸温和笑容的人。

I had come to know these people during the second part of my life at thedraughtsman’s house. —
我在绘图师家的第二个阶段认识了这些人。 —

Every Sunday they used to appear in the kitchen,grave, important-looking, with pleasant speech, and with words which had anew flavor for me. —
每个星期日，他们会出现在厨房里，严肃、显得很重要，言谈愉快，用着对我而言带有新意味的词句。 —

All these solid-looking peasants had seemed to me then tobe easy to read, good through and through, all pleasantly different from thespiteful, thieving, drunken inhabitants of the Kunavin and its environs.
这些看起来结实的农民，那时候对我来说似乎很好懂，善良体贴，与库纳温和周围地区那些恶意、偷窃、酗酒的居民完全不同。

The plasterer, Shishlin, pleased me most of all, and I actually asked if Imight join his gang of workmen. —
抹灰工什什林让我最为喜欢，实际上我甚至请求能加入他的工人队伍。 —

But scratching his golden brow with a whitefinger, he gently refused to have me.
但他用白皙的手指抓着金色额头 gently 拒绝了我。

　　“It is too soon for you,” he said. “Our work is not easy; wait anotheryear.”
“对你来说太早了，”他说。 “我们的工作并不容易，再等一年吧。”

　　Then throwing up his handsome head, he asked:
然后他昂起英俊的头，问道：

“You don’t like the way you are living? Never mind, have patience; —
“你不喜欢现在的生活方式？别担心，耐心点； —

learnto live a life of your own, and then you will be able to bear it!”
学会过上自己的生活，然后你就能承受了！”

　　I do not know all that I gained from this good advice, but I remember itgratefully.
我不知道我从这个好建议中获得了什么，但我心怀感激地记得。

These people used to come to my master’s house every Sunday morning,sit on benches round the kitchen-table, and talk of interesting things whilethey waited for my master. —
这些人每个星期天早上会来到我的主人家，围坐在厨房桌旁的长凳上，谈论有趣的事情，等待我的主人到来。 —

When he came, he greeted them loudly and gayly,shaking their strong hands, and then sat down in the chief corner. —
当他来的时候，他大声而高兴地向他们打招呼，握着他们强壮的手，然后坐在主角落。 —

Theyproduced their accounts and bundles of notes, the workmen placed theirtattered account-books on the table, and the reckoning up for the weekbegan.
他们拿出他们的账目和一叠叠的纸币，工人们把破旧的账本放在桌子上，开始了这周的结算。

Joking and bantering, the master would try to prove them wrong in theirreckoning, and they did the same to him. —
组时开玩笑，师傅试图证明他们的算账有错，他们也反过来这么做。 —

Sometimes there was a fiercedispute, but more often friendly laughter.
有时候会有激烈的争执，但更多的是友好的笑声。

　　“Eh, you’re a dear man; you were born a rogue!” the workmen would sayto the master.
“噢，你是个好人;你生来就是个流氓！”工人们会对师傅说。

　　And he answered, laughing in some confusion:
他笑着回答，有些窘迫说：

　　“And what about you, wild fowl? There’s as much roguery about you asabout me!”
“那你呢，野禽？关于你和关于我一样有一样多的狡猾！”

　　“How should we be anything else, friend?” agreed Ephimushka, butgrave Petr said :
“朋友，我们怎么能有别的样子呢？” Ephimushka同意了, 但是认真的Petr说：

　　“You live by what you steal; what you earn you give to God and theemperor.”
“你靠偷来谋生;你所赚的你都奉献给了上帝和皇帝。”

　　“Well, then I’ll willingly make a burnt offering of you,” laughed themaster.
“好吧，那我愿意把你们献祭给火！”师傅笑着说。

　　They led him on good-naturedly :
他们友好地引导着他：

　　“Set fire to us, you mean?”
“放火烧我们，你是这个意思吗？”

　　“Burn us in a fiery furnace?”
“把我们扔进火炉里烧吗？”

　　Gregory Shishlin, pressing his luxuriant beard to his breast with hishands, said in a sing-song voice :
Gregory Shishlin，用手把他浓密的胡须贴在胸前，用一种吟诵的声音说：

“Brothers, let us do our business without cheating. —
“兄弟们，让我们做生意不要欺骗。 —

If we will only livehonestly, how happy and peaceful we shall be, eh? —
如果我们只过诚实的生活，我们会多么幸福和平静啊，对吧？ —

Shall we not, dearpeople?”
亲爱的人们，难道不是吗？

His blue eyes darkened, grew moist ; at that moment he lookedwonderfully handsome. —
他的蓝眼睛变得阴沉，变得湿润；那一刻他看起来极为帅气。 —

His question seemed to have upset them all; —
他的问题似乎让他们都很不安； —

they allturned away from him in confusion.
他们都迷惑地转身背对着他。

　　“A peasant does not cheat much,” grumbled good-looking Osip with asigh, as if he pitied the peasant.
“农民并不作假太多，”好看的奥西普咕噜咕噜地抱怨道，仿佛在可怜农民。

　　The dark bricklayer, bending his round-shouldered back over the table,said thickly:
暗色砌砖工人弯下了鼓背，嘟囔地说：

　　“Sin is like a sort of bog; the farther you go, the more swampy it gets!”
“罪象一种沼泽；走得越远，越是湿泥泞滑！”

　　And the master said to them, as if he were making a speech :
主人像在发表演讲一样对他们说：

　　“What about me? I go into it because something calls me. Though I don’twant to.”
“那么我呢？我是被某种东西召唤着陷入其中。虽然我并不想。”

　　After this philosophising they again tried to get the better of one another,but when they had finished their accounts, perspiring and tired from theeffort, they went out to the tavern to drink tea, inviting the master to go withthem.
在这番哲学讨论后，他们又试图彼此较劲，但当他们完成了账目，因付出的努力而满身大汗疲惫之时，他们出去到酒馆喝茶，也邀请主人一起去。

On the market-place it was my duty to watch these people, to see thatthey did not steal nails, or bricks, or boards. —
在市场上，我有责任看管这些人，确保他们不偷钉子、砖块或木板。 —

Every one of them, in additionto my master’s work, held contracts of his own, and would try to stealsomething for his own work under my very nose.
他们每个人除了主人的工作外，还有自己的合同，会在我的眼皮底下偷些东西来做自己的工作。

　　They welcomed me kindly, and Shishlin said :
他们友好地欢迎我，希什林说：

“Do you remember how you wanted to come into my gang? —
“你还记得你曾想要加入我的团队吗？ —

And look atyou now; put over me as chief!”
现在看着你，将我任命为首领！

　　“Well, well,” said Osip bantcringly, “keep watch over the river-banks, andmay God help you!”
“好吧，好吧”，奥西普开玩笑地说，“守护河岸，愿上帝保佑你！”

　　Petr observed in an unfriendly tone :
彼得用不友好的口吻观察着说：

　　“They have put a young crane to watch old mice.”
“他们让一个年轻的仓鼠来看守老老鼠。”

My duties were a cruel trial to me. I felt ashamed in the presence of thesepeople. —
我的职责对我来说是一个残酷的考验。在这些人面前，我感到羞愧。 —

They all seemd to possess some special knowledge which was hiddenfrom the rest of the world, and I had to watch them as if they had beenthieves and tricksters. —
他们似乎都拥有一些隐瞒于世界其他人之外的特殊知识，我不得不像对待小偷和骗子一样盯着他们。 —

The first part of the time it was very hard for me, butOsip soon noticed this, and one day he said to me privately :
起初，对我来说是非常艰难的，但奥西普很快注意到了这一点，有一天私下对我说：

　　“Look here, young fellow, you won’t do any good by sulking —understand ?”
“听着，小伙子，生气对你没有好处，懂吗？”

　　Of course I did not understand, but I felt that he realized the absurdity ofmy position, and I soon arrived at a frank understanding with him.
当然我不明白，但我感觉到他意识到了我的处境荒谬之处，我很快与他达成了坦诚的了解。

　　He took me aside in a corner and explained:
他把我拉到角落里解释道：

“If you want to know, the biggest thief among us is the bricklayer,Petrukha. —
“如果你想知道，我们中最大的小偷是砌砖工彼特鲁哈。 —

He is a man with a large family, and he is greedy. You want towatch him well. —
他有一个大家庭，他很贪心。你要好好盯着他。 —

Nothing is too small for him; everything comes in handy. —
对他来说没有太小的东西；什么都派得上用场。 —

Apound of nails, a dozen of bricks, a bag of mortar — he’ll take all. He is agood man. —
一磅钉子，一打砖，一袋灰浆 — 他都会拿走。他是个好人。 —

God-fearing, of severe ideas, and well educated, but he loves tosteal! —
敬畏上帝，思想严谨，受过良好教育，但他喜欢偷窃！ —

Ephimushka lives like a woman.
Ephimushka像一个女人生活。

He is peaceable, and is harmless as far as you are concerned. —
他是和平的，对你来说是无害的。 —

He isclever, too — humpbacks are never fools! And there’s Gregory Shishlin. —
他也很聪明 — 座头鲸从不是傻瓜！还有格列高里·什什林。 —

Hehas a fad — he will neither take from others nor give of his own. He works fornothing; —
他有一种怪癖 — 他既不愿意接受别人的东西，也不愿意给予自己的东西。他无偿工作； —

any one can take him in, but he can deceive no one. —
任何人都可以欺骗他，但他无法欺骗任何人。 —

He is notgoverned by his reason.”
他不受理性支配。”

　　“He is good, then?”
“那他是善良的，对吧？”

　　Osip looked at me as if I were a long way from him, and uttered thesememorable words :
奥西普看着我，仿佛我离他很远，说下了这些令人难忘的话：

　　“True enough, he is good. To be good is the easiest way for lazy people.
“说得对，他是善良的。对于懒人来说，善良是最容易的方式。

　　To be good, my boy, does not need brains.”
善良，我的孩子，并不需要大脑。”

　　“And what about you?” I asked Osip.
“那你呢？”我问奥西普。

　　He laughed and answered:
他笑着回答：

“I? I am like a young girl. When I am a grandmother I will tell you allabout myself; —
“我？我就像一个年轻姑娘。等我成为祖母时，我会告诉你关于我自己的一切； —

till then you will have to wait. In the meanwhile you can setyour brains to work to find out where the real T is hidden. —
在那之前你会一直等待。与此同时，你可以动动脑筋，找出真正的T藏在哪里。 —

Find out; that iswhat you have to do!”
找出来；那是你要做的事！”

　　He had upset all my ideas of himself and his friends.
他打乱了我对他及他的朋友们的所有想法。

It was difficult for me to doubt the truth of his statement. —
让我难以怀疑他的陈述的真实性。 —

I saw thatEphimushka, Petr, and Gregory regarded the handsome old man as moreclever and more learned in worldly wisdom than themselves. —
我看到埃菲穆恰、彼得和格里戈里把这位英俊老人视为比他们自己更聪明、更学识渊博。 —

They tookcounsel with him about everything, listened attentively to his advice, andshowed him every sign of respect.
他们在一切事情上都向他请教，认真倾听他的建议，并表现出对他的尊重。

“Will you be so good as to give us your advice,” they would ask him. —
“您能给我们一些建议吗？”他们会问他。 —

Butafter one of these questions, when Osip had gone away, the bricklayer saidsoftly to Grigori:
但在其中一个问题之后，当奥西普走开后，那位砌砖匠轻声对格里戈里说：

　　“Heretic!”
“异端者！”

　　And Grigori burst out laughing and added:
格里戈里突然大笑起来，接着又说道：

　　“Clown!”
“小丑！”

　　The plasterer warned me in a friendly way:
这位抹灰工友好地警告我说：

“You look out for yourself with the old man, Maximich. —
“小心点，麦斯米奇先生。你要小心，不然他会在一个小时内让你绕着他的手指转，他是个狠角色。愿上帝保佑你免受他的伤害。” —

You must becareful, or he will twist you round his finger in an hour; —
“他会做什么伤害？” —

he is a bitter oldman. God save you from the harm he can do.”
那位英俊的工人眨着眼睛回答说：“那我也说不清楚。”

　　“What harm?”
我完全不明白他的意思。

　　“That I can’t say!” answered the handsome workman, blinking.
我觉得所有人当中最诚实、最虔诚的，是砌砖的工人彼得；

I did not understand him in the least. —
他言简意赅，隐晦地表达一切； —

I thought that the most honest andpious man of them all was the bricklayer, Petr; —
他的思绪大多停留在上帝、地狱和死亡之上。 —

He spoke of everythingbriefly, suggestively; —
“唉！我的孩子们，我的兄弟们，你们怎么能不害怕呢？” —

his thoughts rested mostly upon God, hell, and death.
“坟墓和教堂墓地谁也不放过，谁也逃不过。”

“Ekh! my children, my brothers, how can you not be afraid”? —
他经常胃痛，有些日子甚至一点东西都吃不下。 —

How canyou not look forward, when the grave and the churchyard let no one passthem?”
有时候会不吃任何东西。

He always had the stomachache, and there were some days when hecould not eat anything at all. —
有些日子他几乎什么都吃不下。 —

Even a morsel of bread brought on the pain tosuch an extent as to cause convulsions and a dreadful sickness.
一块面包的一口带来的疼痛使他痉挛，引发了可怕的疾病。

Humpbacked Ephimushka also seemed a very good and honest, butalways queer fellow. —
驼背的埃菲木什卡也好像是个非常善良诚实，但总是古怪的家伙。 —

Sometimes he was happy and foolish, like a harmlesslunatic. —
有时他很幸福愚蠢，像一个无害的疯子。 —

He was everlastingly falling in love with different women, aboutwhom he always used the same words:
他总是爱上不同的女人，对她们总是说着同样的话：

　　“I tell you straight, she is not a woman, but a flower in cream — ei, bo —o!”
“我告诉你，她不是一个女人，而是一朵奶油花—是，呀—哦！”

　　When the lively women of Kunavin Street came to wash the floors in theshops, Ephimushka let himself down from the roof, and standing in a cornersomewhere, mumbled, blinking his gray, bright eyes, stretch — ing hismouth from ear to ear:
当库纳文街上活泼的女人们来洗店铺里的地板时，埃菲木什卡从屋顶上爬下来，站在某个角落里，眯着灰色明亮的眼睛，嘟囔着，眨巴着，嘴角从耳朵一直伸展到耳朵：

“Such a butterfly as the Lord has sent to me; such a joy has descendedupon me! —
“主已经给我送来了这样一只蝴蝶；如此的喜悦降临到我身上！” —

Well, what is she but a flower in cream, and grateful I ought to befor the chance which has brought me such a gift! —
“她又何尝不是一朵奶油花呢？我应该感激命运让我得到这样一份礼物！” —

Such beauty makes me fullof life, afire!”
“这样的美丽让我充满活力，燃起我的火焰！”

　　At first the women used to laugh at him, calling out to each other:
起初，女人们会笑着对他说话，互相喊到：

　　“Listen to the humpback running on! Oh Lord!”
“听听这驼背的在胡说八道！哦，天哪！”

The slater caused no little laughter. —
这个瓦工师傅引起了不少笑声。 —

His high cheek-boned face wore asleepy expression, and he used to talk as if he were raving, his honeyedphrases flowing in an intoxicating stream which obviously went to thewomen’s heads. —
他颧骨高高的脸上带着一个昏昏欲睡的表情，说话的语气就像在胡言乱语，他那甜蜜的措辞像醉人的幽流一样明显地迷住了那些女人。 —

At length one of the elder ones said to her friend in a tone ofamazement :
最后，其中一个老一点的女人惊奇地对她的朋友说：

　　“Just listen to how that man is going on! A clean young fellow he is!”
“听听那个人怎么胡说八道！他是个清洁的年轻人！”

　　“He sings like a bird.”
“他唱歌像一只鸟。”

　　“Or like a beggar in the church porch,” said an obstinate girl, refusing togive way.
“或者像一个顽固的女孩在教堂门廊里乞讨，拒绝让步。”

But Ephimushka was not like a beggar at all. He stood firmly, like a squattree-trunk; —
但Ephimushka一点也不像一个乞丐。他站得稳稳当当，就像一根矮矮的树干； —

his voice rang out like a challenge; his words became more andmore alluring; —
他的声音响亮地发出挑战；他的话语变得越来越诱人； —

the women listened to him in silence. In fact, it seemed as ifhis whole being was flowing away in a tender, narcotic speech.
女人们静静地倾听着他。实际上，他似乎全身都在一种温柔的麻醉言语中流逝。

　　It ended in his saying to his mates in a tone of astonishment at suppertime,or after the Sabbath rest, shak — ing his heavy, angular head:
“结束时，他在晚饭时间或安息日之后对他的同伴们惊讶地说道，震撼着他肥重、角形的头部：

“Well, what a sweet little woman, a dear little thing! —
“哇，多可爱的女人，多么可爱的小东西！ —

I have never beforecome across anything like her!”
我从来没有遇到过像她这样的人！”

When he spoke of his conquests Ephimushka was not boastful, norjeered at the victim of his charms, as the others always did. —
当他谈到自己的征服时，Ephimushka既不夸耀，也不讥讽他魅力的受害者，就像其他人总是做的那样。 —

He was onlyjoyfully and gratefully touched, his gray eyes wide open with astonishment.
他只是欣喜地感动、感激，他灰色的眼睛睁得大大的，充满惊讶。

　　Osip, shaking his head, exclaimed :
Osip摇着头喊道：

　　“Oh, you incorrigible fellow! How old are you?”
“哦，你这个顽固的家伙！你几岁了？”

“Forty — four years, but that’s nothing! —
“四十四岁，但没什么！ —

I have grown five years youngertoday, as if I had bathed in the healing water of a river. —
今天我像在一条河里沐浴了治愈之水一样变年轻了五岁。 —

I feel thoroughly fit,and my heart is at peace! —
我感到非常健康，我的心也平静了起来！” —

Some women can produce that effect, diVThe bricklayer said coarsely:
有些女人可以产生这种效果。

　　“You are going on for fifty. You had better be careful, or you will find thatyour loose way of life will leave a bitter taste.”
“你都快五十岁了。最好小心点，否则你会发现你放纵的生活方式会留下苦味。”

　　“You are shameless, Ephimushka!” sighed Grigori Shishlin.
“你真是无耻，埃菲穆什卡！”格里戈里·什什林叹了口气。

　　And it seemed to — me that the handsome fellow envied the success ofthe humpback.
看起来那个英俊的家伙嫉妒驼背的成功。

　　Osip looked round on us all from under his level silver brows, and saidjestingly:
奥西普从他那双平直的银色眉毛下面环顾我们众人，开玩笑地说:

　　“Every Mashka has her fancies. One will love cups and spoons, anotherbuckles and earrings, but all Mashkas will be grandmothers in time.”
“每个玛什卡都有自己的幻想。一个会喜欢杯子和勺子，另一个会喜欢扣子和耳环，但所有的玛什卡最终都会变成奶奶。”

Shishlin was married, but his wife was living in the country, so he alsocast his eyes on the floorscrubbers. —
什什林已经结婚，但他的妻子住在乡下，所以他也看上了拖地的女仆们。 —

They were all of them easy of approach.
他们都很容易接近。

All of them “earned a bit” to add to their income, and they regarded thismethod of earning money in that poverty — stricken area as simply as theywould have regarded any other kind of work. —
他们所有人都“赚了一点”以增加他们的收入，他们把这种赚钱的方式视为在那个贫困地区做任何其他工作一样简单。 —

But the handsome workmannever approached the women. —
但那名英俊的工人从未接近过这些女人。 —

He just gazed at them from afar with apeculiar expression, as if he were pitying some one — himself or them. —
他只是从远处凝视着她们，带着一种特殊的表情，仿佛在怜悯某个人——也许是他自己，也许是她们。 —

Butwhen they be — gan to sport with him and tempt him, he laughed bash —fully and went away.
但当她们开始和他嬉戏诱惑他时，他羞涩地笑着走开了。

　　“Well, you —”
“那么，你——”

“What’s the matter with you, you fool?” asked Ephimushka, amazed. —
“你这个傻瓜怎么了？”艾菲穆什卡惊讶地问道。 —

“Doyou mean to say you are going to lose the chance?”
“难道你要放弃这个机会吗？”

　　“I am a married man,” Grigori reminded him.
“我是一个已婚男人，” 格里戈里提醒他。

　　“Well, do you think your wife will know anything about it?”
“那你认为你妻子会知道吗？”

　　“My wife would always know if I lived unchastely. I can’t deceive her, mybrother.”
“如果我过不正洁的生活，她总会知道的。我不能欺骗她，我的兄弟。”

　　“How can she know?”
“她怎么会知道呢？”

“That I can’t say, but she is bound to know, while she lives chaste herself; —
“我说不清楚，但她必然会知道，就像她自己保持纯洁一样； —

and if I lead a chaste life, and she were to sin, I should know it.”
如果我过着正洁的生活，而她犯了罪，我会知道。”

　　“But how?” cried Ephimushka, but Grigori repeated calmly:
“但是怎么会知道？”艾菲穆什卡叫道。但格里戈里平静地重复道：

　　“That I can’t say.”
“那我不能说。”

　　The slater waved his hands agitatedly.
那位瓦工手忙脚乱地挥动着双手。

　　“There, if you please! Chaste, and doesn’t know! Oh, you blockhead!”
“看，你听着！贞洁而且一无所知！哦，你这蠢蛋！”

　　Shishlin’s workmen, numbering seven, treated him as one of themselvesand not as their master, and behind his back they nicknamed him “The Calf.”
席什林的七个工人把他当作自己人而不是主人，背地里他们把他称作“小牛”。

　　When he came to work and saw that they were lazy, he would take atrowel, or a spade, and artistically do the work himself, calling out coaxingly:
每当他来上班发现他们懒散时，他就会拿起砌墙刀或铁锨，亲自做起工作来，并夸赞地呼喊：

　　“Set to work, children, set to work!”
“开工吧，孩子们，开始工作吧！”

　　One day, carrying out the task which my master had angrily set me, Isaid to Grigori :
有一天，我正在愤怒地完成我的任务时对格里戈里说：

　　“What bad workmen you have.”
“你的工人真差劲。”

　　He seemed surprised.
他似乎吃了一惊。

　　“Why?”
“为什么？”

　　“This work ought to have been finished yesterday, and they won’t finishit even today.”
“这项工作昨天就应该完成了，他们甚至今天都做不完。”

　　“That is true; they won’t have time,” he agreed, and after a silence headded cautiously:
“没错，他们没时间。”他同意了，然后小心地补充道：

“Of course, I see that by rights I ought to dismiss them, but you see theyare all my own people from my own village. —
“当然，按道理我应该解雇他们，但你看，他们都是我的乡亲，来自我的村子。 —

And then again the punishmentof God is that every man should eat bread by the sweat of his brow, and thepunishment is for all of us — for you and me, too. —
再说，上帝的惩罚是每个人都要劳动才能谋生，这个惩罚是针对我们所有人的 — 包括你和我。 —

But you and I labor lessthan they do, and — well, it would be awkward to dismiss them.”
但你和我比他们劳动少，还有 — 嗯，解雇他们会很尴尬。”

　　He lived in a dream. He would walk along the deserted streets of themarket-place, and suddenly halt — ing on one of the bridges over theObvodni Canal, would stand for a long time at the railings, looking into thewater, at the sky, or into the distance beyond the Oka. If one overtook himand asked:
他生活在一个梦幻中。他会沿着荒凉的市场街道漫步，突然停下来 ——站在奥博夫德尼运河上的一个桥上，长时间地站在栏杆旁，凝视着水面，天空，或者远方的奥卡河。如果有人赶上他并问道：

　　“What are you doing?”
“你在做什么？”

“What?” he would reply, waking up and smiling confusedly. —
“什么？”他会醒过来，迷惑地微笑着回答。 —

“I was juststanding, looking about me a bit.”
“我只是站着，看看周围。”

　　“God has arranged everything very well, brother,” he would often say.
“上帝安排得很好，兄弟，”他经常会说。

“The sky, the earth, the flowing rivers, the steamboats running. —
“天空、大地、流动的河流、奔流的轮船。 —

You can geton a boat and go where you like — to Riazan, or to Ribinsk, to Perm, toAstrakhan. —
你可以坐船去任何地方 ——去梁赞，或者去里宾斯克，去彼尔姆，去阿斯特拉罕。 —

I went to Riazan once. It wasn’t bad — a little town — but verydull, duller than Nijni. Our Nijni is wonderful, gay! —
我去过梁赞一次。那里还好 ——一个小镇 ——但很沉闷，比伊翁伊还沉闷。我们的伊翁伊是美妙的，热闹的！ —

And Astrakhan is stillduller. There are a lot of Kalmucks there, and I don’t like them. —
阿斯特拉罕还更沉闷。那里有很多卡尔默克人，我不喜欢他们。 —

I don’t likeany of those Mordovans, or Kalmucks, Persians, or Germans, or any of theother nations.”
我不喜欢任何那些蒙古人、卡尔默克人、波斯人、德国人，或者其他任何民族。”

　　He spoke slowly ; his words cautiously felt for sympathy in others, andalways found it in the bricklayer, Petr.
他说话很慢；他的话语小心地寻求他人的共鸣，在砌砖工彼得身上总能找到。

　　“Those are not nations, but nomads,” said Petr with angry conviction.
“那些不是民族，而是游牧民族，”彼得愤怒地坚定地说。

　　“They came into the world before Christ and they’ll go out of it before Hecomes again.”
“他们在基督降生之前就存在了，也会在他再次降临之前消失。”

　　Grigori became animated ; he beamed.
格里高利变得兴奋；他笑逐颜开。

“That’s it, isn’t it? But I love a pure race like the Russians, my brother,with a straight look. —
“就是这样，对吧？但我爱纯净的种族，像俄罗斯人，我的兄弟，纯洁的眼神。” —

I don’t like Jews, either, and I cannot understand howthey are the people of God. It is wisely arranged, no doubt.”
我也不喜欢犹太人，我不明白他们是如何成为上帝的子民的。毫无疑问，这是明智的安排。”

　　The slater added darkly :
铺瓦工暗暗地说道：

　　“Wisely — but there is a lot that is superfluous!”
“的确是明智的，但有很多是多余的！”

　　Osip listened to what they said, and then put in, mockingly andcaustically :
Osip嘲讽而尖刻地插话说：

“There is much that is superfluous, and your conversation belongs tothat category. —
“有很多是多余的，你们的谈话就属于这一类。哎呀！你们这帮唠叨的人；你们需要挨揍，所有的人！” —

Ekh! you bab — blers; you want a thrashing, all of you!”
Osip自己保持沉默，不可能猜到他会和谁一致意见，或是与谁争吵。

Osip kept himself to himself, and it was impossible to guess with whomhe would agree, or with whom he would quarrel. —
有时他似乎倾向于平静地同意所有人和所有的想法； —

Sometimes he seemedinclined to agree calmly with all men, and with all their ideas; —
但更多的时候，人们看到他对他们都感到厌烦，认为他们都是半疯子，他对Petr、Grigori和Ephimushka说道： —

but more oftenone saw that he was bored by all of them, regarding them as half-witted, andhe said to Petr, Grigori, and Ephimushka:
“啊，你们这些野种畜生！”

　　“Ekh, you sow’s whelps!”
他们笑了，不是很开心也不是很情愿，但他们笑了。

　　They laughed, not very cheerfully or willingly, but still they laughed.
我的主人每天给我五戈比克的饭钱。这不够，所以我有点饿。

My master gave me five copecks a day for food. This was not enough, andI was rather hungry. —
看到这个情况，工人们邀请我和他们一起吃早餐和晚餐，有时承包商也会请我去酒馆和他们一起喝茶。 —

Seeing this, the workmen invited me to breakfast andsup — per with them, and sometimes the contractors would invite me to atavern to drink tea with them. —
我乐意接受这些邀请。我喜欢坐在他们中间听他们慢吞吞的谈话，他们奇怪的故事。 —

I willingly accepted the invitations. I loved tosit among them and listen to their slow speeches, their strange stories. —
我通过朗读教堂书籍给他们带来了极大的乐趣。 —

I gavethem great pleasure by my readings out of church books.
他们邀请了我将教堂书籍朗读给他们听。

“You ‘ve stuck to books till you are fed up with them. —
“你一直沉迷于书籍直到厌倦了。 —

Your crop is stuffedwith them,” said Osip, regarding me attentively with his cornflower-blueeyes. —
你的粮仓里塞满了它们，”奥西普说着，用他那矢车菊蓝的眼睛专注地看着我。 —

It was difficult to catch their expression; —
要捕捉它们的表情是困难的； —

his pupils always seemed to befloating, melting.
他的瞳孔似乎总是飘浮、融化。

“Take it a drop at a time — it is better; —
“一点点地消化吧 — 这样会好一些； —

and when you are grown up, youcan be a monk and console the people by your teaching, and in that way youmay become a millionaire.”
等你长大了，你可以当一个修道士，通过你的教导来慰藉人们，这样你可能会成为百万富翁。”

　　“A missioner,” corrected the bricklayer in a voice which for some reasonsounded aggrieved.
　“一个传教士，”砖匠用一种为某种原因显得不快的声音纠正道。

　　“What?” asked Osip.
　“什么？”奥西普问道。

　　“A missioner is what you mean! You are not deaf, are you?”
　“你指的是传教士！你不是聋子，对吧？”

“All right, then, a missioner, and dispute with heretics. —
“好吧，传教士，与异教徒争论。 —

And even thosewhom you reckon as heretics have the right to bread. —
就连你认为是异教徒的人也有权利享有面包。 —

One can live even witha heretic, if one exercises discretion.”
即使与异教徒一起生活，只要行事谨慎，也是可以的。”

　　Grigori laughed in an embarrassed manner, and Petr said in his beard :
　格里高里尴尬地笑了笑，佩特小声说道：

　　“And wizards don’t have a bad time of it, and other kinds of godlesspeople.”
　“巫师的日子也不算糟糕，还有其他种类的不信教的人。”

　　But Osip returned quickly:
　但奥西普立刻回答道：

　　“A wizard is not a man of education; education is not usually apossession of the wizard.”
巫师并非受过教育的人；受教育通常不是巫师所具有的特质。

　　And he told me :
他告诉我：

“Now look at this; just listen. In our district there lived a peasant, Tushekwas his name, an emaciated little man, and idle. —
“现在看看这个；听着。在我们的区域里住着一个农夫，名叫图舍克，一个消瘦的小个子，懒惰。 —

He lived like a feather,blown about here and there by the wind, neither a worker nor a do-nothing.
他像一根羽毛般生活，被风吹来吹去，既不是工作者也不是无所事事的人。

Well, one day he took to praying, because he had nothing else to do, andafter wandering about for two years, he suddenly showed himself in a newcharacter. —
有一天，他开始祈祷，因为别的事情他没别的事情做了，他围着转了两年，突然展现出了一个新的形象。 —

His hair hung down over his shoulders ; he wore a skull-cap, and abrown cassock of leather; —
他的头发垂到肩膀上；他戴着一顶头巾，穿着一件棕色的皮袍； —

he looked on all of us with a baneful eye, and saidstraight out : ‘Repent, ye cursed! —
他用一种邪恶的眼光看着我们大家，并直言不讳地说：‘悔改吧，你们这些被咒诅的人！’ —

’ And why not repent, especially if youhappened to be a woman”? And the business ran its course: —
“为什么不忏悔呢，尤其是如果你碰巧是一个女人”？而这场生意也一帆风顺： —

Tushek overfed,Tushek drunk, Tushek having his way with the women to his heart’s content—”
Tushek酒足饭饱，Tushek喝醉，Tushek尽情地享受着和女人们做爱—

　　The bricklayer interrupted him angrily :
抹灰工生气地打断他：

　　“What has that got to do with the matter, his over-feeding, oroverdrinking”?”
“他过度饮食或过量饮酒与此事有什么关系”？

　　“What else has to do with it, then?”
“那还有什么关系呢”？

　　“His words are all that matter.”
“只有他的言词有关紧要。”

　　“Oh, I took no notice of his words; I am abundantly gifted with wordsmyself.”
“我从不理会他的言辞；我自己的言辞已经足够了。”

　　“We know all we want to know about Tushinkov, Dmitri Vassilich,” saidPetr indignantly, and Grigori said nothing, but let his head droop, and gazedinto his glass.
“季里基瓦西里奇，我们对Tushinkov已了然于胸，” Petr生气地说，而Grigori一言不发，只是垂下头，凝视着杯中的酒。

“I don’t dispute it,” replied Osip peaceably. —
“我不反驳，”Osip和平地回答。 —

“I was just telling ourMaximich of the different pathways to the morsel — ”
“我刚才正告诉我们Maximich各种各样的获得食物的路径—— ”

　　“Some of the roads lead to prison!”
“一些路通向监狱！”

“Occasionally,” agreed Osip. “But you will meet with priests on all kindsof paths; —
“偶尔会是这样，”Osip表示同意。“但你会在各种路径上遇到神父； —

one must learn where to turn off.”
人们必须学会在哪里转弯。”

He was always somewhat inclined to make fun of these pious people, theplasterer and the bricklayer; —
他总有些倾向于嘲笑那些虔诚的人，抹灰工和砌砖工； —

perhaps he did not like them, but he skilfullyconcealed the fact. —
也许他不喜欢他们，但他巧妙地隐藏了这一事实。 —

His attitude towards people was always elusive.
他对人的态度总是难以捉摸。

He looked upon Ephimushka more indulgently, with more favor thanupon the other. —
他对埃菲穆什卡比对其他人更加宽容，更加看顾。 —

The slater did not enter into discussions about God, thetruth, sects, the woes of humanity, as his friends did. —
滑石工没有像他的朋友们那样参与关于上帝、真理、派别和人类苦难的讨论。 —

Setting his chairsidewise to the table, so that its back should not be in the way of his hump,he would calmly drink glass after glass of tea. —
他把椅子靠在桌子旁边，使驼峰不会碍事，然后静静地喝着一杯又一杯茶。 —

Then, suddenly alert, he wouldglance round the smoky room, listening to the incoherent babel of voices,and darting up, swiftly disap — pear. —
突然警觉起来，他会扫视这个烟雾弥漫的房间，听着交织在一起的喧闹声，然后迅速地消失。 —

That meant that some one had comeinto the tavern to whom Ephimushka owed money, — he had a good dozencreditors, — so, as some of them used to beat him when they saw him, he justfled from sin.
这意味着有人进了酒馆，埃菲穆什卡欠他钱，他曾经有过一打的债主，一些人在见到他时还会打他，所以他只能逃离罪恶。

“They get angry, the oddities!” he would say in a tone of surprise. —
“这些怪人真是生气！”他惊讶地说。 —

“Can’tthey understand that if I had the money I would give it to them?”
“他们怎么会不明白如果我有钱，我会给他们的呢？”

　　“Oh, bitter poverty!” Osip sped after him.
“哦，苦逼的贫困！”奥西普在他后面追着说。

Sometimes Ephimushka sat deep in thought, hearing and seeingnothing; —
有时候埃菲穆什卡陷入深思，什么也听不见、看不到； —

his high cheek-boned face softened, his pleasant eyes lookingpleasanter than usual.
他那高颧骨的脸上变得柔和起来，好看的眼睛比平时更加温和。

　　“What are you thinking about?” they would ask him. .
“你在想什么？”他们会问他。

“I was thinking that if I were rich I would marry a real lady, anoblewoman — by God, I would! —
“我在想，如果我富有了，我就会娶一个真正的女士，一个贵族女人-天呐，我会！ —

A colonel’s daughter, for example, and,Lord! how I would love her! —
比如上校的女儿，上帝啊！我会多么爱她！ —

I should be on fire with love of her. because, mybrothers, I once roofed the country house of a certain colonel — ”
我会为她燃烧着爱火，因为，兄弟们，我曾经给某位上校的乡间别墅盖过屋顶-”

　　“And he had a widowed daughter; we ‘ve heard all that before!”
“他还有一个寡妇女儿；我们以前都听说过了！”

　　interrupted Petr in an unfriendly tone.
彼得用不友好的语气打断道。

　　But Ephimushka, spreading his hands out on his knees, rocked to andfro, his hump looking as if it were chiselling the air, and continued:
但是埃菲默什卡双手摊开放在膝盖上，瘤儿摇摆着，仿佛在雕刻空气，继续说道：

“Sometimes she went into the garden, all in white: glorious she looked. —
“有时她穿着白色衣裳走进花园：她看起来真美丽。 —

Ilooked at her from the roof, and I didn’t know what the sun had done to me.
我从屋顶上看着她，不知道太阳对我做了什么。

But what caused that white light? It was as if a white dove had flown fromunder her feet! —
但是是什么造成了那白光？就像一只白鸽从她脚下飞起来！ —

She was just a cornflower in cream! With such a lady as that,one would like all one’s life to be night.”
她就像忽然间从奶油中绽放的矢车菊！有这么一个夫人，一个愿意让自己整个生命沉溺在黑夜中。”

“And how would you get anything to eat? —
“你怎么能吃得到东西呢？”提出了Petr的粗鲁疑问。但这并没有打扰到Ephimushka。 —

” asked Petr gruffly. But this didnot disturb Ephimushka.
“主啊！”他叫道。“我们需要很多吗？再说，她很富有。”

　　“Lord!” he exclaimed. “Should we want much? Besides, she is rich.”
Osip笑了笑。

　　Osip laughed.
“Ephimushka，你这个流氓，什么时候开始放纵自己呢？”

　　“And when are you going in for all this dissipation, Ephimushka, yourogue?”
Ephimushka从不讨论其他话题，只谈论女人，而且他是个不可靠的工人。

Ephimushka never talked on any other subject but women, and he wasan unreliable workman. —
有时他工作得非常出色和赚钱，有时候却一点进展也没有； —

At one time he worked excellently and profitably, atanother time he did not get on at all; —
他的木槌敲打着木梁，懒洋洋地留下裂痕。 —

his wooden hammer tapped the ridgeslazily, leaving crevices. —
他总是散发着火车油的气味，但他也有自己的味道，一种健康、愉快的味道，就像新鲜切下的树一样。 —

He always smelt of train-oil, but he had a smell of hisown as well, a healthy, pleasant smell like that of a newly cut tree.
与木匠讨论任何有趣的事情都行。

One could discuss everything that was interesting with the carpenter. —
他的话总能激起一个人的感情，但很难分辨他是认真还是在开玩笑。 —

Hiswords always stirred one’s feelings, but it was hard to tell when he wasserious and when joking.
对于Grigori来说，最好谈论上帝；

With Grigori it was better to talk about God; —
“Grisha，你知道有些人不信上帝吗？” —

this was a subject which heloved, and on which he was an authority.
他静静地笑了。

　　“Grisha,” I asked, “do you know there are people who do not believe inGod?”
And how would you get anything to eat?

　　He laughed quietly.
言归正传, 我问, Grigori，您知道有些人不信上帝吗？”

　　“What do you mean?”
“你是什么意思？”

　　“They say there is no God.”
“他们说没有上帝。”

　　“Oh, that’s what you mean! I know that.”
“哦，你是这个意思！我知道。”

　　And as if he were brushing away invisible flies, he went on:
他好像在拍掉无形的苍蝇一样，接着说道：

“King David said in his time, you remember, ‘The fool hath said in hisheart “There is no God.” ’ That’s what he said about that kind of fool. —
“大卫王在他的时代说过，你记得吧，‘愚人心里说‘没有上帝。’ ’那是他对那种愚人说的。 —

Wecan’t do without God!”
我们不能没有上帝！”

　　Osip said, as if agreeing with him :
“奥西普说，好像在赞同他：

　　“Take away God from Petrukha here, and he will show you!”
“把上帝从彼特鲁哈这里拿走，看他会怎么样！”

Shishlin’s handsome face became stern. —
西什林的英俊面孔变得严肃起来。 —

He touched his beard withfingers the nails of which were covered with dried lime, and saidmysteriously:
他用指甲上沾满了干石灰的手指摸了摸胡须，神秘地说道：

　　“God dwells in every incarnate being; the conscience and all the inner lifeis God-given.”
“上帝存在于每个化身之中；良心和所有内在生活都是上帝给予的。”

　　“And sin?’
“那罪呢？”

“Sin comes from the flesh, from Satan! —
“罪来自肉体，来自撒旦！ —

Sin is an external thing, likesmallpox, and nothing more! —
罪是一种外在的东西，像天花一样，不过如此！ —

He who thinks too much of sin, sins all themore. If you do not remember sin, you will not sin. —
“想太多罪的人，反而越犯罪。如果你不去记住罪，你就不会犯罪。” —

Thoughts about sin arefrom Satan, the lord of the flesh, who suggests.”
对于罪恶的想法是来自撒旦，肉体之主，他在耳边悄悄地提醒。

　　The bricklayer queried this.
这名砌砖工的疑问。

　　“You are wrong there.”
“你错了。”

“I am not! God is sinless, and man is in His image and likeness. —
“我不是！上帝是无罪的，人是按祂的形象和样式塑造的。 —

It is theimage of God, the flesh, which sins, but His likeness cannot sin; it is a spirit.”
罪恶是上帝的形像，肉体是犯罪的，但祂的样式不可犯罪；那是一种精神。”

　　He smiled triumphantly, but Petr growled :
他得意地微笑着，但彼得怒吼道：

　　“That is wrong.”
“那么错了。”

　　“According to you, I suppose,” Osip asked the brick-layer, “if you don’tsin, you can’t repent, and if you don’t repent, you won’t be saved?”
砖匠问：“按照你的说法，如果你不犯罪，就不能忏悔，如果你不忏悔，就无法得救？”

　　“That’s a more hopeful way. Forget the devil and you cease to love God,the fathers said.”
“这是更有希望的方式。忘记魔鬼，你就不再爱上帝，祖先们曾这样说。”

Shishlin was not intemperate, but two glasses would make him tipsy. —
希什林禁不住酒劲，两杯就会让他醉醺醺。 —

Hisface would be flushed, his eyes childish, and his voice would be raised insong.
他的脸涨红了，眼睛幼稚，声音高亢地唱着歌。

“How good everything is, brothers! —
“一切多么美好啊，兄弟们！ —

Here we live, work a little, and haveas much as we want to eat, God be praised! —
我们在这里生活，工作一点，吃得饱饱的，感谢上帝！ —

Ah, how good it is!”
啊，多么美好！”

　　He wept. The tears trickled down his beard and gleamed on the silkenhairs like false pearls.
他哭了。泪滴下他的胡须，在丝绸般的毛发上闪烁着像假珍珠一样的光泽。

His laudation of our life and those tears were unpleasant to me. —
他对我们生活的赞美和那些眼泪让我感到不快。 —

Mygrandmother had sung the praises of life more convincingly, moresympathetically, and not so crudely.
我奶奶对生活的赞美更具有说服力，更富同情心，而不那么粗俗。

All these discussions kept me in a continual tension, and aroused a dullemotion in me. —
所有这些讨论使我处于不断的紧张状态，并激发了我内心的一种迟钝情绪。 —

I had already read many books about peasants, and I sawhow utterly unlike the peasants in the books were to those in real life. —
我已经读过很多关于农民的书，看到了书中的农民与真实生活中的农民有多么不同。 —

Inbooks they were all unhappy. Good or evil characters, they were all poorer inwords and ideas than peasants in real life. —
在书中，他们都是不快乐的。善良的或邪恶的角色，他们的言辞和想法都远远不如真实生活中的农民。 —

In books they spoke less of God, ofsects, of churches, and more of government, land, and law. —
在书中，他们少谈到上帝、宗派、教堂，而更多地谈论政府、土地和法律。 —

They spoke lessabout women, too, but quite as coarsely, though more kindly. —
他们也少谈论女人，但同样粗鲁，尽管更为慈祥。 —

For thepeasants in real life, women were a pastime, but a danger — ous one. —
对于真实生活中的农民来说，女人是一种消遣，但也是一种危险 — — —

Onehad to be artful with women; other — wise they would gain the upper handand spoil one’s whole life. —
必须对女人狡猾；否则她们就会占据上风，毁掉一个人的整个生活。 —

The muzhik in books may be good or bad, but he isaltogether one or the other. —
书中的农民可以是善良或邪恶，但总是极端的。 —

The real muzhik is neither wholly good norwholly bad, but he is wonderfully interesting. —
真实生活中的农民既不是完全善良也不完全邪恶，但他们非常有趣。 —

If the peasant in real life doesnot blurt out all his thoughts to you, you have a feeling that he is keepingsomething back which he means to keep for himself alone, and that veryunsaid, hidden thing is the most important thing about him.
如果农民在真实生活中没有一口气告诉你他所有的想法，你就会感觉到他有所保留，他有些东西是自己独有的，而那些未说出的、隐藏的东西是关于他最重要的事情。

Of all the peasants I had read of in books, the one I liked the best wasPetr in “The Carpenter’s Gang.” I wanted to read the story to my comrades,and I brought the book to the Yarmaka. —
在书中我最喜欢的农民是《木匠帮的彼得》中的Petr。我想跟我的同志们一起读这个故事，于是我把这本书带到了Yarmaka。 —

I often spent the night in one oranother of the workshops ; —
我经常在一个工作间或另一个过夜； —

sometimes it was because I was so tired that Ilacked the strength to get home.
有时是因为太累了，没力气回家。

　　When I told them that I had a book about carpenters, my statementaroused a lively interest, espe — cially in Osip. He took the book out of myhands, and turned over the leaves distrustfully, shaking his head.
当我告诉他们我有一本关于木匠的书时，我的话引起了浓厚的兴趣，特别是奥西普。他从我手中拿过书，怀疑地翻看着书页，摇着头。

“And it is really written about us! Oh, you rascal! Who wrote it? Somegentleman? —
“这本书真的是关于我们写的！哦，你这个恶棍！谁写的？某位绅士吗？ —

I thought as much! Gentlemen, and chinovniks especially, areexperts at anything. —
我早就想到了！绅士们，特别是官员们，什么都是专家。 —

Where God does not even guess, a chinovnik has it allsettled in his mind. —
在上帝还没有想到的地方，官员们心里早就有了定见。 —

That’s what they live for.”
他们就是为此而活着。”

　　“You speak very irreverently of God, Osip,” observed Petr.
“你对上帝说话很不恭敬，奥西普。”彼得观察到。

“That’s all right! My words are less to God than a snowflake or a drop ofrain are to me. —
“没关系！我的话对上帝来说不及一片雪花或一滴雨水对我来说重要。 —

Don’t you worry; you and I don’t touch God.”
别担心，你我与上帝毫不相干。”

He suddenly began to play restlessly, throwing off sharp little sayingslike sparks from a flint, cutting off with them, as with scissors, whatever wasdispleasing to him. —
他突然变得不安地玩耍起来，像从硬石头上刮下的火花一样，用尖利的小句割断他不喜欢的东西。 —

Several times in the course of the day he asked me :
一天里他几次问我：

　　“Are we going to read, Maximich? That’s right! A good idea!”
“我们要读书吗，马克西米奇？这是个好主意！”

When the hour for rest arrived we had supper with him in his workshop,and after supper appeared Petr with his assistant Ardalon, and Shishlin withthe lad Phoma. In the shed where the gang slept there was a lamp burning,and I began to read. —
休息时间到了，我们和他一起在他的作坊里吃晚餐，晚餐后，彼得和他的助手阿尔达隆，还有席什林和那个小伙子福马出现了。在团伙们睡觉的棚屋里有盏灯亮着，我开始阅读。 —

They listened without speaking, but they moved about,and very soon Ardalon said crossly:
他们静静地听着，但他们四处走动，很快阿尔达隆生气地说：

　　“I’ve had enough of this!”
“我受够了！”

And he went out. The first to fall asleep was Grigori, with his mouth opensurprisingly; —
然后他走了出去。第一个睡着的是格里戈里，他张着嘴巴，让人惊讶地入睡了。 —

then the carpenters fell asleep ; but Petr, Osip, and Phoma drewnearer to me and listened attentively. —
然后木匠们睡着了；但Petr，Osip和Phoma靠近我，聚精会神地听着。 —

When I finished reading Osip put outthe lamp at once. —
当我读完时，Osip立刻灭了灯。 —

By the stars it was nearly midnight.
从星星的位置看，几乎是半夜了。

　　Petr asked in the darkness :
　Petr在黑暗中问道：

　　“What was that written for? Against whom?”
　“这是为了写给谁？反对谁？”

　　“Now for sleep!” said Osip, taking off his boots.
　“现在该睡觉了！”Osip脱掉靴子说道。

　　Petr persisted in his question :
　Petr坚持着问：

　　“I asked, against whom was that written?”
　“我问，这是写给谁反对谁的？”

　　“I suppose they know!” replied Osip, arranging himself for sleep on ascaffolding.
　“我想他们知道！”Osip回答，躺在一个脚手架上准备睡觉。

“If it is written against stepmothers, it is a waste of time. —
“如果是反对继母写的，那就浪费时间了。这不会让继母变得更好，”砌墙工坚定地说道。 —

It won’t makestepmothers any better,” said the bricklayer firmly. —
“如果是写给Petr的，也是徒劳的；他的罪在于他的回答。对于谋杀，你会去西伯利亚，就是这样！ —

“And if it is meant forPetr. it is also futile; his sin in his answer. —
“书籍对于这样的罪行毫无用处；没用，对吧？” —

For murder you go to Siberia, andthat’s all there is about it! —
　Osip没有回答，砌墙工补充道： —

Books are no good for such sins; no use, eh?”
　如果是反对继母写的，那就浪费时间了。这不会让继母变得更好，

　　Osip did not reply, and the bricklayer added :
书籍对于这样的罪行毫无用处；没用，对吧？”

“They can do nothing themselves and so they discuss other people’swork. —
“他们自己什么都做不了，所以他们讨论其他人的工作。 —

Like women at a meeting. Good-by, it is bedtime.”
就像开会的妇女一样。再见，已经是睡觉的时间了。”

　　He stood for a minute in the dark blue square of the open door, andasked:
他站在敞开的深蓝色门口一分钟，问道：

　　“Are you asleep, Osip? What do you think about it?”
“奥西普，你睡着了吗？你怎么看？”

　　“Eh?” responded the carpenter sleepily.
“嗯？”木匠困倦地回答。

　　“All right; go to sleep.”
“好的，去睡觉吧。”

Shishlin had fallen on his side where he had been sitting. —
席什林已经倒在他坐的地方。 —

Phoma lay onsome trampled straw beside me. The whole neighborhood was asleep. —
福马躺在我旁边一堆踩过的稻草上。整个邻里都已经入睡。 —

In thedistance rose the shriek of the railway engines, the heavy rumbling of ironwheels, the clang of buffers. —
远处传来火车发动机的尖叫声、铁车轮的沉重隆隆声、缓冲器的撞击声。 —

In the shed rose the sound of snoring indifferent keys. I felt uncomfortable. —
棚里传来不同钥匙的打呼声。我感到不舒服。 —

I had expected some sort of discussion,and there had been nothing of the kind.
我原本期待有某种讨论，但却一点都没有。

　　But suddenly Osip spoke softly and evenly :
但突然奥西普轻而平稳地说道：

“My child, don’t you believe anything of that. You are young; —
“我的孩子，不要相信任何这种说法。你还年轻；你还有很长的一段时间要活下去；珍藏你的思想。 —

you have along while to live; treasure > up your thoughts. —
你自己的感觉是比别人的双倍还有价值的。” —

Your own sense is worthtwice some one else’s. —
您自己的感觉是比别人的双倍还有价值的。 —

Are you asleep, Phoma?”
“你睡着了吗，福马？”

　　“No,” replied Phoma with alacrity.
“没有，”福马爽快地回答道。

“That’s right! You have both received some education, so you go onreading. —
“对了！你们都接受过一些教育，所以继续阅读吧。 —

But don’t believe all you read. They can print anything, you know.
但不要相信所有你所读到的。他们可以印刷任何东西，你知道的。

　　That is their business!”
那是他们的生意！”

　　He lowered his feet from the scaffolding, and resting his hands on theedge of the plank, bent over us, and continued:
他从脚手架上放下脚，双手搁在木板的边缘，俯身朝我们说道，并继续说：

“How ought you to regard books? Denunciation of certain people, that’swhat a book is! —
“你们应该怎样看待书籍？谴责某些人，这就是书的作用！ —

Look, they say, and see what sort of a man this is — acarpenter, or any one else — and here is a gentleman, a different kind ofman! —
瞧，他们说，看看这个人是怎样的 — 一个木匠，或者其他人 — 这里是一个绅士，一个不同种类的人！ —

A book is not written without an object, and generally around someone.”
书是有目的编写的，通常是围绕着某个人。”

　　Phoma said thickly:
福马含糊地说道：

　　“Petr was right to kill that contractor!”
“彼得对那个承包商开枪是正确的！”

“That was wrong. It can never be right to kill a man. —
“那是错误的。杀人永远不可能是对的。 —

I know that you donot love Grigori, but put that thought away from you. —
我知道你不喜欢格里戈里，但把那个念头从心头驱走。 —

We are none of us richpeople. Today I am master, tomorrow a workman again.”
我们都不是富人。今天我是主人，明天又是一个工人。”

　　“I did not mean you, Uncle Osip.”
“我不是在说你，奥西普叔叔。”

　　“It is all the same.”
“一切都一样。”

　　“You are just — ”
“你只是—”

“Wait; I am telling you why these books are written,” Osip interruptedPhoma’s angry words. —
“等等；我告诉你为什么写这些书，”奥西普打断了福玛愤怒的话语。 —

“It is a very cunning idea! Here we have a gentlemanwithout a muzhik; —
“这是一个非常狡猾的主意！这里有一个没有农民的绅士； —

here a muzhik without a gentleman! Look now! Both thegentleman and the muzhik are badly off. —
这里有一个没有绅士的农民！看吧！绅士和农民都过得不好。 —

The gentleman grows weak, crazy,and the muzhik becomes boastful, drunken, sickly, and offensive. —
绅士变得虚弱，疯狂，而农民变得自负，酗酒，虚弱，讨厌。 —

That’swhat happens! But in his lord’s castle it was better, they say. —
就是这样！但据说在领主的城堡里就好得多。 —

The lord hidhimself behind the muzhik and the muzhik behind the master, and so theywent round and round, well-fed, and peaceful. —
领主躲在农民身后，农民躲在主人身后，于是他们一圈又一圈地转，饱食，和平。 —

I don’t deny that it was morepeaceful living with the nobles. —
我不否认与贵族生活更和平。 —

It was no advantage to the lord if his muzhikwas poor, but it was to his good if he was rich and intelligent. —
对领主来说，如果他的农民贫穷就没有好处，但如果他富有聪明就对他有利。 —

He was then aweapon in his hand. I know all about it; —
那时他就成为他手中的武器。我了解一切； —

you see I lived in a nobleman’sdomain for nearly forty years. —
你看我在一个贵族领地生活了将近四十年。 —

There’s a lot of my experience written on myhide.”
我的身上有很多经验写在我的皮上。”

　　I remembered that the carter, Petr, who committed suicide, used to talkin the same way about the nobility, and it was very unpleasant to my mindthat the ideas of Osip should run on the same lines as those of that evil oldman.
我记得那位自杀的车夫彼得也曾以同样的方式谈论贵族，而奥西普的思想和那个邪恶老人相同，这让我很不愉快。

　　Osip touched my leg with his hand, and went on :
奥西普用手碰了碰我的腿，然后继续说道：

“One must understand books and all sorts of writings. —
“人必须理解书籍和各种文字。 —

No one doesanything without a reason, and books are not written for nothing, but tomuddle people’s heads. —
“没有人做事情是没有原因的，书籍也不是无缘无故写出来的，而是为了让人们头脑混乱。 —

Every one is created with intelligence, without whichno one can wield an ax, or sew a shoe.”
“每个人都生来具有智慧，没有智慧就无法砍树或缝鞋。”

He spoke for a long time, and lay down. —
他讲了很长时间，然后躺了下来。 —

Again he jumped up, throwinggently his well turned, quaint phrases into the darkness and quietness.
他再次跳起，将他那用典雅而独特的措辞轻轻投入黑暗和寂静中。

“They say that the rlobles are quite a different race from the peasants,but it is not true. —
“有人说贵族与农民是完全不同的种族，但这是不对的。 —

We are just like the nobles, only we happen to have beenbom low down in the scale. —
“我们和贵族是一样的，只不过我们恰好是在社会等级低下出生了。 —

Of course a noble learns from books, while Ilearn by my own noddle, and a gentleman has a delicate skin; —
“当然贵族是从书本学习，而我则靠自己的脑袋，绅士皮肤敏感； —

that is all thedifference. No — o, lads, it is time there was a new way of living; —
只是这之间有点差别。不，伙计们，是时候有一种新的生活方式了； —

all thesewritings ought to be thrown aside! Let every one ask himself ‘What am IT Aman! —
“所有这些著作都应该被抛弃！每个人都应该问自己‘我是谁！’ —

‘And what is he? Also a man! What then? Does God need hissuperfluous wealth? —
“‘他又是谁！那又怎么样？上帝需要他多余的财富吗？ —

No-o, we are equal in the sight of God when it comes togifts.”
“不，当谈到天赋时，我们在上帝的眼中都是平等的。”

　　At last, in the morning, when the dawn had put out the light of the stars,Osip said to me:
最终，在清晨，当黎明熄灭了星星的光芒时，奥西普对我说：

“You see how I could write? I have talked about things that I have neverthought about. —
“你看，我可以写作吧？我谈论了我从未思考过的事情。 —

But you mustn’t place too much faith in what I say. —
“但你不要对我说的话过分信任。” —

I wastalking more because I was sleepless than with any serious intention. —
我说起来更多是因为我失眠，而不是有什么严肃意图。 —

You liedown and think of something to amuse you. —
你躺下想些能让你开心的事情。 —

Once there was a raven whichflew from the fields to the hills, from boundary to boundary, and livedbeyond her time; —
曾经有一只乌鸦，从田野飞往山丘，从边界到边界，活得超过了她的时间； —

the Lord punished her. The raven is dead and dried up.
主惩罚了她。那只乌鸦已经死了，枯干了。

What is the meaning of that? There is no meaning in it, none. —
那有什么含义？没有任何意义，没有。 —

Now go tosleep; it will soon be time to get up.”
现在去睡觉吧；很快就是起床的时间了。