自译 契诃夫短篇小说 变故
BAD WEATHER 变故
原作契诃夫 Translated by Constance Garnett 1887
BIG raindrops were pattering on the dark windows. It was one of those disgusting summer holiday rains which, when they have begun, last a long time — for weeks, till the frozen holiday maker grows used to it, and sinks into complete apathy. It was cold; there was a feeling of raw, unpleasant dampness. The mother-in-law of a lawyer, called Kvashin, and his wife, Nadyezhda Filippovna, dressed in waterproofs and shawls, were sitting over the dinner table in the dining-room. It was written on the countenance of the elder lady that she was, thank God, well-fed, well-clothed and in good health, that she had married her only daughter to a good man, and now could play her game of patience with an easy conscience; her daughter, a rather short, plump, fair young woman of twenty, with a gentle anæmic face, was reading a book with her elbows on the table; judging from her eyes she was not so much reading as thinking her own thoughts, which were not in the book. Neither of them spoke. There was the sound of the pattering rain, and from the kitchen they could hear the prolonged yawns of the cook.
烟尘尘的窗玻璃上敲打着豆大的雨滴。夏天的雨有时候一下就是好几周，任你有再大的火气也得给浇没了。天很凉，四处湿潮潮的。孔万顺孔律师的婆婆和媳妇冯氏同坐在餐桌前，各人都穿着雨衣、围着披肩。老太太挺有福相，一看就是吃穿不愁、丰衣足食的主儿。给亲闺女找了这么个好人家/好姑爷（或作：把…嫁/许给了），自己就可以安安心心地打打牌了。冯氏二十不到，个头不高，身段也不算纤细，长得倒是漂亮。她趴在桌上读着书，表情很安娴，却好像没大有精神。说是看书，其实她的心思哪在书上。这娘俩都不说话，只有滴滴答答的雨声，和厨房里厨子拖腔拉调的呼噜。
Kvashin himself was not at home. On rainy days he did not come to the summer villa, but stayed in town; damp, rainy weather affected his bronchitis and prevented him from working. He was of the opinion that the sight of the grey sky and the tears of rain on the windows deprived one of energy and induced the spleen. In the town, where there was greater comfort, bad weather was scarcely noticed.
孔律师没在家。孔家在乡下和城里各有一套房子，每逢雨天他准要留在城里。他一下雨就犯支气管炎，咳嗽得没法工作。一看见灰沉沉的天、滴答答的雨，他就和瘪了气似的，一肚子的闷火。城里的条件肯定比乡下舒服，天气再坏也无甚影响。
After two games of patience, the old lady shuffled the cards and took a glance at her daughter.
独自打了两圈牌，老太太把牌一洗，看了看自己闺女。
“I have been trying with the cards whether it will be fine to-morrow, and whether our Alexey Stepanovitch will come,” she said. “It is five days since he was here.... The weather is a chastisement from God.”
“我用牌算算这雨明天能不能停，顺子几时能回来，”她说道，“都出去五天了……这场雨准是老天爷不高兴了。”
Nadyezhda Filippovna looked indifferently at her mother, got up, and began walking up and down the room.
冯氏瞅了瞅母亲，直起身，在屋里走来走去。
“The barometer was rising yesterday,” she said doubtfully, “but they say it is falling again to-day.”
“昨天晴雨表倒是在往上升，”她担忧道，“可今天听他们说又降下去了。”
The old lady laid out the cards in three long rows and shook her head.
老太太把牌分成三大行，摇了摇头。
“Do you miss him?” she asked, glancing at her daughter.
“你想他吗？”老太太扫了一眼冯氏，问道。
“Of course.”
“怎么不想。”
“I see you do. I should think so. He hasn’t been here for five days. In May the utmost was two, or at most three days, and now it is serious, five days! I am not his wife, and yet I miss him. And yesterday, when I heard the barometer was rising, I ordered them to kill a chicken and prepare a carp for Alexey Stepanovitch. He likes them. Your poor father couldn’t bear fish, but he likes it. He always eats it with relish.”
“说的是啊。他都出去五天了。五月那会儿顶多就两三天，现在可好，五天！别说你做媳妇的了，连我都想他。昨天听说要好天了，我还特意叫他们给他杀了只鸡，炖了条鱼呢。顺子就好这口。你爹倒是也爱吃鱼，就是他那个身子消受不了。他回回吃鱼都吃得喷香。”
“My heart aches for him,” said the daughter. “We are dull, but it is duller still for him, you know, mamma.”
“我挺挂念顺子的。”冯氏说道，“咱们在家都闲得发闷，他在城里还不得憋坏了。”
“I should think so! In the law-courts day in and day out, and in the empty flat at night alone like an owl.”
“那可不！黑天白日往法院跑，夜里到家连个说话的也没有，那不得寂寞死。”
“And what is so awful, mamma, he is alone there without servants; there is no one to set the samovar or bring him water. Why didn’t he engage a valet for the summer months? And what use is the summer villa at all if he does not care for it? I told him there was no need to have it, but no, ‘It is for the sake of your health,’ he said, and what is wrong with my health? It makes me ill that he should have to put up with so much on my account.”
“就是，他那儿连伺候人的都没有，也没个好端茶送水的。他也是，花点钱雇个下人多好！再者说，一天天放着乡下的房子不来，还要这儿有什么用？我早就跟他说不用费这么些钱，他还硬和我犟，说让我在这儿好好休养休养，真是，我又没病，有什么好休养的？为了我让他白遭那么多罪我怎么过意得去。”
Looking over her mother’s shoulder, the daughter noticed a mistake in the patience, bent down to the table and began correcting it. A silence followed. Both looked at the cards and imagined how their Alexey Stepanovitch, utterly forlorn, was sitting now in the town in his gloomy, empty study and working, hungry, exhausted, yearning for his family....
冯氏走到老太太身后，恰巧看见有张牌出错了，于是俯下身把牌整理好。又是一阵沉默。两人各盯着牌，想象着孔万顺一个人孤孤单单待在市里，业务压身、腹内无食，身边没一个知疼着热的，天可怜见，他得多想回乡下和她们团聚啊……
“Do you know what, mamma?” said Nadyezhda Filippovna suddenly, and her eyes began to shine. “If the weather is the same to-morrow I’ll go by the first train and see him in town! Anyway, I shall find out how he is, have a look at him, and pour out his tea.”
“妈，我有主意了！”冯氏眼一冒光，突然开口道，“要是明天雨还不停，我就搭早班车去市里看他！最起码看看他怎么样，给他烧点茶水什么的。”
And both of them began to wonder how it was that this idea, so simple and easy to carry out, had not occurred to them before. It was only half an hour in the train to the town, and then twenty minutes in a cab. They said a little more, and went off to bed in the same room, feeling more contented.
两人这才反应过来，这么简单的办法怎么早就没想到呢。进城坐火车只用半个钟头，下车再坐二十分钟的马车就到了。母女俩又聊了几句话就回屋休息了，俩人睡在同一张床上，彼此都觉得放心了点。
“Oho-ho-ho.... Lord, forgive us sinners!” sighed the old lady when the clock in the hall struck two. “There is no sleeping.”
“哎呀…都这钟点了！”钟敲了两点，老太太叹息道，“怎么就是睡不着啊。”
“You are not asleep, mamma?” the daughter asked in a whisper. “I keep thinking of Alyosha. I only hope he won’t ruin his health in town. Goodness knows where he dines and lunches. In restaurants and taverns.”
“妈，你也睡不着吗？”冯氏小声嘀咕道，“我满脑子都是顺子。他在市里可别把身体搞坏了。他也不会做饭，肯定天天下馆子。”
“I have thought of that myself,” sighed the old lady. “The Heavenly Mother save and preserve him. But the rain, the rain!”
“就是。”老太太叹道，“求菩萨多保佑吧。唉，这雨还不停，没完没了的！”
In the morning the rain was not pattering on the panes, but the sky was still grey. The trees stood looking mournful, and at every gust of wind they scattered drops. The footprints on the muddy path, the ditches and the ruts were full of water. Nadyezhda Filippovna made up her mind to go.
早上，雨停了，天还是阴着。树木没精打采的，每逢劲风吹过总带下一树的雨点。泥土地上的车辙脚印、沟沟渠渠都积满了水。冯氏准备动身了。
“Give him my love,” said the old lady, wrapping her daughter up. “Tell him not to think too much about his cases.... And he must rest. Let him wrap his throat up when he goes out: the weather — God help us! And take him the chicken; food from home, even if cold, is better than at a restaurant.”
“给我带个好。”老太太帮闺女打扮齐整，嘱咐道，“叫他少惦记工作……保重身体要紧。告诉他出门的时候把围脖围好，眼下这天儿——雨啊，你歇歇吧！把这只鸡也捎过去，咱自家做的哪怕凉了也比饭馆的好吃。”
The daughter went away, saying that she would come back by an evening train or else next morning.
冯氏走了，说回头赶晚车或者明早回来。
But she came back long before dinner-time, when the old lady was sitting on her trunk in her bedroom and drowsily thinking what to cook for her son-in-law’s supper.
谁成想她下午早早就回来了，老太太还坐在卧室的大衣箱上，迷迷糊糊地琢磨着晚饭该给姑爷做点什么。
Going into the room her daughter, pale and agitated, sank on the bed without uttering a word or taking off her hat, and pressed her head into the pillow.
冯氏浑身打战、脸色苍白地闯进屋，一声不吭，连帽子都没摘就扑到了床上，把脑袋深埋进枕头里。
“But what is the matter,” said the old lady in surprise, “why back so soon? Where is Alexey Stepanovitch?”
“怎么了？”老太太讶异道，“怎么这么快就回来了？顺子呢？”
Nadyezhda Filippovna raised her head and gazed at her mother with dry, imploring eyes.
冯氏抬起头，用哭干的泪眼望着母亲。
“He is deceiving us, mamma,” she said.
“妈，他外面有人了。”她说道。
“What are you saying? Christ be with you!” cried the old lady in alarm, and her cap slipped off her head. “Who is going to deceive us? Lord, have mercy on us!”
“你说什么！谁告诉你的？”老太太惶恐道，连帽子都吓掉了，“谁有人了？你把话说清楚！”
“He is deceiving us, mamma!” repeated her daughter, and her chin began to quiver.
“妈，顺子在外面有人了！”冯氏又说了一遍，脸蛋止不住颤了起来。
“How do you know?” cried the old lady, turning pale.
“你怎么知道的？”老太太脸也白了，高声道。
“Our flat is locked up. The porter tells me that Alyosha has not been home once for these five days. He is not living at home! He is not at home, not at home!”
“房子锁着门，根本就没人住。看门的说这五天压根就没见着顺子。他没在家住！他没在家，他没在家！”
She waved her hands and burst into loud weeping. uttering nothing but: “Not at home! Not at home!”
冯氏挥着手，号啕大哭着，能听清的只有一句话：“没在家！没在家！”
She began to be hysterical.
她有点疯癫了。
“What’s the meaning of it?” muttered the old woman in horror. “Why, he wrote the day before yesterday that he never leaves the flat! Where is he sleeping? Holy Saints!”
“怎么会这样？”老太太惊恐地嘟哝道，“不应该啊，他前天还写信说一直在家里来着！这几天他都在哪儿睡的觉？不会的！不会的！”
Nadyezhda Filippovna felt so faint that she could not take off her hat. She looked about her blankly, as though she had been drugged, and convulsively clutched at her mother’s arms.
冯氏哭得晕头转向，简直没力气把帽子摘下来。她如同抽了大烟一样，神志不清地打量着周围，一下子扑进了母亲的怀里。
“What a person to trust: a porter!” said the old lady, fussing round her daughter and crying. “What a jealous girl you are! He is not going to deceive you, and how dare he? We are not just anybody. Though we are of the merchant class, yet he has no right, for you are his lawful wife! We can take proceedings! I gave twenty thousand roubles with you! You did not want for a dowry!”
“别哭了！看门的告诉你什么就是什么？”老太太胡乱走着，也哭得一把泪，“没来由的你吃什么风醋！他怎么可能在外面找人？他凭什么在外面找人？咱们也是有身份的人家。就算咱家是干买卖/做生意的，你可是他明媒正娶的媳妇，他有什么资格干这种荒唐事！我跟他打不完的官司！你出门的时候我贴了两万的嫁妆！你当初连他家一分钱的彩礼都没要！”
And the old lady herself sobbed and gesticulated, and she felt faint, too, and lay down on her trunk. Neither of them noticed that patches of blue had made their appearance in the sky, that the clouds were more transparent, that the first sunbeam was cautiously gliding over the wet grass in the garden, that with renewed gaiety the sparrows were hopping about the puddles which reflected the racing clouds.
老太太也跟着痛哭流涕、伸手比划起来，不一会儿老太太也头晕了，气力不支躺在了大衣箱上。母女俩只顾着哭闹，全不见乌云下露出了几抹蓝天，云渐渐散了，阳光不声不响地滑过潮湿的绿草，一池池小水洼倒映着浮云，鸟雀们兴高采烈地在水坑里蹦跶着。
Towards evening Kvashin arrived. Before leaving town he had gone to his flat and had learned from the porter that his wife had come in his absence.
傍晚时分，顺子回来了。出城之前他回了趟家，从门房那儿听说了自己媳妇找上门的事。
“Here I am,” he said gaily, coming into his mother-in-law’s room and pretending not to notice their stern and tear-stained faces. “Here I am! It’s five days since we have seen each other!”
“我回来了。”他欢笑着走进卧室，假装没看见两人满脸的厉色与泪痕，“回来了！这五天忙得，可算回家了！”
He rapidly kissed his wife’s hand and his mother-in-law’s, and with the air of man delighted at having finished a difficult task, he lolled in an arm-chair.
他连忙向媳妇和婆婆道了好，又扮出一脸刚办完什么大差事的喜色，一屁股栽进了扶手椅。
“Ough!” he said, puffing out all the air from his lungs. “Here I have been worried to death. I have scarcely sat down. For almost five days now I have been, as it were, bivouacking. I haven’t been to the flat once, would you believe it? I have been busy the whole time with the meeting of Shipunov’s and Ivantchikov’s creditors; I had to work in Galdeyev’s office at the shop.... I’ve had nothing to eat or to drink, and slept on a bench, I was chilled through.... I hadn’t a free minute. I hadn’t even time to go to the flat. That’s how I came not to be at home, Nadyusha, . . And Kvashin, holding his sides as though his back were aching, glanced stealthily at his wife and mother-in-law to see the effect of his lie, or as he called it, diplomacy. The mother-in-law and wife were looking at each other in joyful astonishment, as though beyond all hope and expectation they had found something precious, which they had lost.... Their faces beamed, their eyes glowed....
“我的天！”他长出了一口气，说道，“可累死我了。我这几天四处叫人使唤，都没个工夫坐下歇歇。好家伙，我忙得连家都没回。两家欠债的叫我跟债主说情，这两宗事我忙得昏天黑地的。我整天在老臧那儿忙活……连口饭也没得吃，连口水也没得喝，就睡在大椅子上，差点没把我冻死……一刻钟也闲不得，哪儿有工夫回家。媳妇，就是这么回事，所以你找我的时候我才不在的……”说罢，顺子扭了扭身，装作背疼的样子，实际上偷偷察看着媳妇和婆婆的反应，想看看自己的谎，或者用他的话，自己的理由，圆不圆满/成不成功。只见二人惊喜地对视了一下，仿佛突然间找回了什么丢失的宝贝似的……二人满脸放光，眼睛一闪一闪的……
“My dear man,” cried the old lady, jumping up, “why am I sitting here? Tea! Tea at once! Perhaps you are hungry?”
“好姑爷！”老太太高喊一声，站了起来，“人都死哪儿去了？上茶！快上茶！看把你累的，肯定饿了吧？”
“Of course he is hungry,” cried his wife, pulling off her head a bandage soaked in vinegar. “Mamma, bring the wine, and the savouries. Natalya, lay the table! Oh, my goodness, nothing is ready!”
“肯定饿得不轻。”冯氏把脑门的湿毛巾一扔，高声道，“妈，好酒好菜预备上。干活儿的，还不收拾桌子！麻利点！麻利点！什么事非得人说才知道干吗/不说就不知道干是不是？”
And both of them, frightened, happy, and bustling, ran about the room. The old lady could not look without laughing at her daughter who had slandered an innocent man, and the daughter felt ashamed....
母女俩又惊，又喜，手忙脚乱地跑出了卧室。老太太一个劲儿笑话闺女吃醋，白白冤枉了好人；冯氏羞得脸都红了……
The table was soon laid. Kvashin, who smelt of madeira and liqueurs and who could scarcely breathe from repletion, complained of being hungry, forced himself to munch and kept on talking of the meeting of Shipunov’s and Ivantchikov’s creditors, while his wife and mother-in-law could not take their eyes off his face, and both thought:
酒菜备齐了。顺子顾不得自己一身的酒味和撑得满满当当的肚子，硬是嚷嚷着饿了，强逼着自己咽下一口口饭菜，嘴里还谈论着那两个债主的事。冯氏和老太太的目光一刻不离开他，二人都心想着：
“How clever and kind he is! How handsome!”
“他真机灵，真老实！真漂亮！”
“All serene,” thought Kvashin, as he lay down on the well-filled feather bed. “Though they are regular tradesmen’s wives, though they are Philistines, yet they have a charm of their own, and one can spend a day or two of the week here with enjoyment. . . .”
“嘿，妥了。”躺在鼓蓬蓬的羽绒床上，顺子心想道，“别说，那帮小商小贩的媳妇一个个俗归俗，可也算得上别具一格的好货色，每周能一块儿过个一两天/睡个一两觉也是件美事哪……”
He wrapped himself up, got warm, and as he dozed off, he said to himself:
他盖上被，闭上眼，在心里嘀咕道：
“All serene!”
“嘿，妥了！”
