自译 契诃夫短篇小说 黑夜

IN THE DARK 黑夜

原作契诃夫 Translated by Constance Garnett 1886

A FLY of medium size made its way into the nose of the assistant procurator, Gagin. It may have been impelled by curiosity, or have got there through frivolity or accident in the dark; anyway, the nose resented the presence of a foreign body and gave the signal for a sneeze. Gagin sneezed, sneezed impressively and so shrilly and loudly that the bed shook and the springs creaked. Gagin’s wife, Marya Mihalovna, a full, plump, fair woman, started, too, and woke up. She gazed into the darkness, sighed, and turned over on the other side. Five minutes afterwards she turned over again and shut her eyes more firmly but she could not get to sleep again. After sighing and tossing from side to side for a time, she got up, crept over her husband, and putting on her slippers, went to the window.

一只中等个头的苍蝇飞进了高律师鼻子。或许是好奇使然，或许是天太黑看不清路，反正无论如何，鼻子显然对这位来客不太满意，运动真气要把它轰出去。只见高律师虎躯一震，一个喷嚏打得床板都晃，弹簧也嘎吱作响。高律师的太太也被吓醒了。高太太长得漂亮，身材那叫一个丰满。她睁开眼望了望屋里的一团黑，叹了口气，翻身躺下了。五分钟过后，她又翻了个身，眼睛闭得更紧了，可就是睡不着。高太太叹着气在床上来回翻悠了一会儿，终于起了床，爬过睡得正香的丈夫，穿上拖鞋走到了窗边。

It was dark outside. She could see nothing but the outlines of the trees and the roof of the stables. There was a faint pallor in the east, but this pallor was beginning to be clouded over. There was perfect stillness in the air wrapped in slumber and darkness. Even the watchman, paid to disturb the stillness of night, was silent; even the corncrake — the only wild creature of the feathered tribe that does not shun the proximity of summer visitors — was silent.

外面一片漆黑，只能够看见树木的轮廓和马厩的屋顶。东方有一星微弱的白色，却也渐渐被乌云遮蔽。四下鸦雀无声，万物都沉睡在寂静的黑暗里。连打更的也不出声了，甚至连田里的野鸡——鸟类家族里唯一从猎枪下幸存的孤苗——也一声不鸣。

The stillness was broken by Marya Mihalovna herself. Standing at the window and gazing into the yard, she suddenly uttered a cry. She fancied that from the flower garden with the gaunt, clipped poplar, a dark figure was creeping towards the house. For the first minute she thought it was a cow or a horse, then, rubbing her eyes, she distinguished clearly the outlines of a man.

这份寂静还是被高太太打破了。正望着窗外的院子，她突然发出一声尖叫。由花坛旁的白杨树后恍惚冒出一个黑影往房子这儿凑。刚开始她以为是头牲口，可揉揉眼睛仔细一瞧，那明明白白是个人。

Then she fancied the dark figure approached the window of the kitchen and, standing still a moment, apparently undecided, put one foot on the window ledge and disappeared into the darkness of the window.

那个黑影似乎来到了厨房窗前，先原地犹豫了一会儿，然后把一条腿迈进窗台，消失在阴影之中。

“A burglar!” flashed into her mind and a deathly pallor overspread her face.

“有贼！”高太太猛然惊觉，脸唰一下白了。

And in one instant her imagination had drawn the picture so dreaded by lady visitors in country places — a burglar creeps into the kitchen, from the kitchen into the dining-room . . . the silver in the cupboard . . . next into the bedroom . . . an axe . . . the face of a brigand . . . jewelry. . . . Her knees gave way under her and a shiver ran down her back.

高太太脑中立刻想象出一幅画面——贼人从厨房进屋，由厨房进到餐厅…拿走碗柜的银器…再进到卧室…拿起一把斧子…贼人的脸…家里的珠宝……她吓得跪在地上，后背连冷汗都吓出来了。

“Vassya!” she said, shaking her husband, “Basile! Vassily Prokovitch! Ah! mercy on us, he might be dead! Wake up, Basile, I beseech you!”

“当家的！”她拽着高先生猛晃，“醒醒！姓高的！起来！别吓我，你说句话呀！起来，快起来，出事了！”

“W-well?” grunted the assistant procurator, with a deep inward breath and a munching sound.

“啊？咋了？”高律师咕哝着深吸了一口气，嘴里还吧唧着。

“For God’s sake, wake up! A burglar has got into the kitchen! I was standing at the window looking out and someone got in at the window. He will get into the dining-room next . . . the spoons are in the cupboard! Basile! They broke into Mavra Yegorovna’s last year.”

“快起来！厨房进贼了！我刚才看见有人爬窗户进来了。人这会儿都偷到餐厅了……碗柜里还存着银勺子呢！别睡了！去年邻居家就这么进的贼。”

“Wha — what’s the matter?”

“出，呵——欠，出什么事了？”

“Heavens! he does not understand. Do listen, you stupid! I tell you I’ve just seen a man getting in at the kitchen window! Pelagea will be frightened and . . . and the silver is in the cupboard!”

“睡睡睡！就知道睡。你给我醒醒！我亲眼看见他从厨房爬进来的。要是把潘婶吓着可怎么办……咱家的银器还在碗柜里放着呢！”

“Stuff and nonsense!”

“胡说八道！”

“Basile, this is unbearable! I tell you of a real danger and you sleep and grunt! What would you have? Would you have us robbed and murdered?”

“姓高的，我跟你说话呢！贼都进家了你还有心思睡觉！你什么意思？非得等他把咱家偷光了，再把咱们全家杀了你才高兴是吧？”

The assistant procurator slowly got up and sat on the bed, filling the air with loud yawns.

高律师慢悠悠爬起了床，坐在床上呵欠连天。

“Goodness knows what creatures women are! he muttered. “Can’t leave one in peace even at night! To wake a man for such nonsense!”

“嚷嚷，就知道嚷嚷。有病！”他咕哝道，“觉都不让人睡！你看见什么了吓成这样？”

“But, Basile, I swear I saw a man getting in at the window!”

“姓高的，我亲眼看见有人爬窗户进来了！”

“Well, what of it? Let him get in. . . . That’s pretty sure to be Pelagea’s sweetheart, the fireman.”

“爬就爬呗，怕什么？让他进来有什么的……八成是潘婶的相好，那个消防队的。”

“What! what did you say?”

“谁？你说是谁？”

“I say it’s Pelagea’s fireman come to see her.”

“我说是潘婶的相好找她来了。”

“Worse than ever!” shrieked Marya Mihalovna. “That’s worse than a burglar! I won’t put up with cynicism in my house!”

“不像话！”高太太尖声道，“这还不如进贼呢！我不许咱们家有这种伤风败俗的事！”

“Hoity-toity! We are virtuous! . . . Won’t put up with cynicism? As though it were cynicism! What’s the use of firing off those foreign words? My dear girl, it’s a thing that has happened ever since the world began, sanctified by tradition. What’s a fireman for if not to make love to the cook?”

“嚯！装什么大圣人！伤风败俗？哪儿伤风败俗了？不就是男女那点事吗？天经地义的，人家爱怎么样你管得了吗？”

“No, Basile! It seems you don’t know me! I cannot face the idea of such a . . . such a . . . in my house. You must go this minute into the kitchen and tell him to go away! This very minute! And to-morrow I’ll tell Pelagea that she must not dare to demean herself by such proceedings! When I am dead you may allow immorality in your house, but you shan’t do it now! . . . Please go!”

“姓高的！我不许咱们家有人干…干…干这种事。你现在就给我下去叫他滚！快去！明天看我不把潘婶好好教训一顿！真有她的，把男人往咱家里带……等我死了你们爱怎么着怎么着，我活一天就不许有这种事！你快去啊！”

“Damn it,” grumbled Gagin, annoyed. “Consider with your microscopic female brain, what am I to go for?”

“你脑子有病吧。”高律师生气了，闷声道，“我下去干什么？”

“Basile, I shall faint! . . .”

“你去不去，你再不去我去！”

Gagin cursed, put on his slippers, cursed again, and set off to the kitchen. It was as dark as the inside of a barrel, and the assistant procurator had to feel his way. He groped his way to the door of the nursery and waked the nurse.

高律师骂了句街，穿上拖鞋，又骂了一句，这才往厨房走。屋里伸手不见五指，只能摸着黑走路。他摸索到婴儿房门口，叫醒了保姆。

“Vassilissa,” he said, “you took my dressing-gown to brush last night — where is it?”

“李婶，”他说道，“我那件睡袍你昨晚拿去洗了是不——你放哪儿了？”

“I gave it to Pelagea to brush, sir.”

“我拿给潘婶洗去了。”

“What carelessness! You take it away and don’t put it back — now I’ve to go without a dressing-gown!”

“你呀你！你拿走就不知道再拿回来吗？得，我就这么光着去吧！”

On reaching the kitchen, he made his way to the corner in which on a box under a shelf of saucepans the cook slept.

来到厨房，高律师摸索到一个摆着架子的墙角，架子上放满了锅，架子底下摆着个盒子，厨子潘婶就睡在这儿。

“Pelagea,” he said, feeling her shoulder and giving it a shake, “Pelagea! Why are you pretending? You are not asleep! Who was it got in at your window just now?”

“潘婶。”他晃了晃潘婶肩膀，“喂，潘婶！别装了！装睡想骗谁呢！刚才谁从外面爬进来了？”

“Mm . . . m . . . good morning! Got in at the window? Who could get in?”

“呼…嗯…嗯？几点了？窗户？谁进窗户了？”

“Oh come, it’s no use your trying to keep it up! You’d better tell your scamp to clear out while he can! Do you hear? He’s no business to be here!”

“少来这套，装什么糊涂！叫你那相好赶紧穿衣服走人吧！听见没有？我们家不进外人！”

“Are you out of your senses, sir, bless you? Do you think I’d be such a fool? Here one’s running about all day long, never a minute to sit down and then spoken to like this at night! Four roubles a month . . . and to find my own tea and sugar and this is all the credit I get for it! I used to live in a tradesman’s house, and never met with such insult there!”

“您糊涂了吧？您把我当什么人了？我一天到晚累死累活，深更半夜的还得挨这通骂！我一个月才挣四十块……连盒茶叶都买不起！我以前在别人家干从来没受过这份气！”

“Come, come — no need to go over your grievances! This very minute your grenadier must turn out! Do you understand?”

“行行行，甭跟我废话！让你那相好赶紧走！听明白没有？”

“You ought to be ashamed, sir,” said Pelagea, and he could hear the tears in her voice. “Gentlefolks . . . educated, and yet not a notion that with our hard lot . . . in our life of toil” — she burst into tears. “It’s easy to insult us. There’s no one to stand up for us.”

“哪有您这么说话的。”高律师听见潘婶在哭，“您冤枉人…拿我们伺候人的开心……”她哇地一声哭闹起来，“我们一天到晚累死累活的，到头来还是没出息，净让人说笑解闷。”

“Come, come . . . I don’t mind! Your mistress sent me. You may let a devil in at the window for all I care!”

“你看你，别这样…哭什么！我太太叫我来的。我不就是担心你把外人放进来了吗！”

There was nothing left for the assistant procurator but to acknowledge himself in the wrong and go back to his spouse.

疑问解除，高律师知道自己错怪人家了，一心只想回屋。

“I say, Pelagea,” he said, “you had my dressing-gown to brush. Where is it?”

“那什么，潘婶。”他说道，“我睡袍在你这儿吧。你放哪儿了？”

“Oh, I am so sorry, sir; I forgot to put it on your chair. It’s hanging on a peg near the stove.”

“哟，对不起，我洗完忘给送给您了。就在炉子那儿挂着。”

Gagin felt for the dressing-gown by the stove, put it on, and went quietly back to his room.

高律师摸到睡袍，披在身上，悄悄回了屋。

When her husband went out Marya Mihalovna got into bed and waited. For the first three minutes her mind was at rest, but after that she began to feel uneasy.

高律师走后，高太太躺在床上等着。头三分钟还不慌不忙，时间一长心里就打起鼓了。

“What a long time he’s gone,” she thought. “It’s all right if he is there . . . that immoral man . . . but if it’s a burglar?”

“怎么还不回来。”她想道，“要是个来…来伤风败俗的倒也罢了…万一真是个贼怎么办？”

And again her imagination drew a picture of her husband going into the dark kitchen . . . a blow with an axe . . . dying without uttering a single sound . . . a pool of blood! . . .

她想象着自己先生走进漆黑的厨房…一道斧光闪过…一声没出就倒在地上…躺在血泊之中……

Five minutes passed . . . five and a half . . . at last six. . . . A cold sweat came out on her forehead.

五分钟过去了…五分半…六分……高太太脑门渗起了冷汗。

“Basile!” she shrieked, “Basile!”

“当家的！”她尖叫道，“当家的！”

“What are you shouting for? I am here.” She heard her husband’s voice and steps. “Are you being murdered?”

“来了来了。喊什么？”屋里响起了高先生的声音和脚步声，“谁要杀你是怎么的？”

The assistant procurator went up to the bedstead and sat down on the edge of it.

高律师坐到床边。

“There’s nobody there at all,” he said. “It was your fancy, you queer creature. . . . You can sleep easy, your fool of a Pelagea is as virtuous as her mistress. What a coward you are! What a . . . .”

“压根就没人进来。”他说道，“都是你胡琢磨，一天到晚都想些什么……快睡吧，潘婶比你还圣人。瞧把你吓得那样！真是……”

And the deputy procurator began teasing his wife. He was wide awake now and did not want to go to sleep again.

高律师这会儿也不困了，肆意嘲笑起自己太太。

“You are a coward!” he laughed. “You’d better go to the doctor to-morrow and tell him about your hallucinations. You are a neurotic!”

“看你那小胆！”他笑道，“就你这样的趁早看大夫去吧。可别吓出病来！”

“What a smell of tar,” said his wife— “tar or something . . . onion . . . cabbage soup!”

“哪儿来的焦油味，”高太太说道，“不是焦油…像洋葱…有点像白菜汤！”

“Y-yes! There is a smell . . . I am not sleepy. I say, I’ll light the candle. . . . Where are the matches? And, by the way, I’ll show you the photograph of the procurator of the Palace of Justice. He gave us all a photograph when he said good-bye to us yesterday, with his autograph.”

“还真是！哪儿来的味……也不是做梦啊。等我点个蜡烛……火柴放哪儿了？对，昨天检察官来我们单位参观，临走还一人送了张签名照，我拿给你看看。”

Gagin struck a match against the wall and lighted a candle. But before he had moved a step from the bed to fetch the photographs he heard behind him a piercing, heartrending shriek. Looking round, he saw his wife’s large eyes fastened upon him, full of amazement, horror, and wrath. . . .

高律师拿火柴在墙上一划，点亮了蜡烛。还没等他直起腰去拿照片，只听得自己背后响起一声刺耳的惨叫。回头一看，高太太睁大了眼紧盯着他，又惊讶，又害怕，又愤怒……

“You took your dressing-gown off in the kitchen?” she said, turning pale.

“你在厨房把睡袍脱了？”她脸色越来越白。

“Why?”

“没啊，这不穿着吗？”

“Look at yourself!”

“你看你身上！”

The deputy procurator looked down at himself, and gasped.

高律师低头瞅了一眼，倒抽一口凉气。

Flung over his shoulders was not his dressing-gown, but the fireman’s overcoat. How had it come on his shoulders? While he was settling that question, his wife’s imagination was drawing another picture, awful and impossible: darkness, stillness, whispering, and so on, and so on.

披在他身上的不是睡袍，而是一件消防服。这衣服打哪儿来的？高律师琢磨着这个谜团，与此同时，高太太脑中已经想象出另一幅画面，可谓是不堪入目、伤风败俗：黑暗，静谧，耳语，以及等等，等等。