自译 契诃夫短篇 A WORK OF ART 己所不欲

A WORK OF ART 己所不欲

原作契诃夫 Translated by Constance Garnett 1886

SASHA SMIRNOV, the only son of his mother, holding under his arm, something wrapped up in No. 223 of the Financial News, assumed a sentimental expression, and went into Dr. Koshelkov’s consulting-room.

孙小刚兴高采烈地来到侯大夫的候诊室，胳膊底下揣着一件裹着报纸的东西。

“Ah, dear lad!” was how the doctor greeted him. “Well! how are we feeling? What good news have you for me?”

“哟，刚子！”侯大夫问候道，“好点了吧？这几天感觉怎么样？”

Sasha blinked, laid his hand on his heart and said in an agitated voice: “Mamma sends her greetings to you, Ivan Nikolaevitch, and told me to thank you.... I am the only son of my mother and you have saved my life... you have brought me through a dangerous illness and... we do not know how to thank you.”

刚子眨了眨眼，手摸着胸脯，不能自已地开口道：“大夫，我妈让我来谢谢您……我妈就我这一个儿子，您救我一命就是救了我全家…您把我治好了…我下辈子做牛做马也要报答您。”

“Nonsense, lad!” said the doctor, highly delighted. “I only did what anyone else would have done in my place.”

“太客气啦！”侯大夫很受用，“当大夫的不给人治病还叫大夫吗。”

“I am the only son of my mother... we are poor people and cannot of course repay you, and we are quite ashamed, doctor, although, however, mamma and I... the only son of my mother, earnestly beg you to accept in token of our gratitude... this object, which... An object of great value, an antique bronze.... A rare work of art.”

“我妈就我这一个儿子…我们家里穷，没办法报答您，惭愧啊，大夫，我们太对不起您了…这是我跟我妈的一点心意…求您收下吧…这是件古董，一件铜器…是件好宝贝。”

“You shouldn’t!” said the doctor, frowning. “What’s this for!”

“使不得！”侯大夫皱眉道，“我哪能要你们的东西！”

“No, please do not refuse,” Sasha went on muttering as he unpacked the parcel. “You will wound mamma and me by refusing.... It’s a fine thing... an antique bronze.... It was left us by my deceased father and we have kept it as a precious souvenir. My father used to buy antique bronzes and sell them to connoisseurs... Mamma and I keep on the business now.”

“您就拿着吧。”刚子边拆包裹边嘟哝着，“您要是不要的话我和我妈会过意不去的…您看，多好的东西，这是我爸爸临走的时候留下的，我们家一直收藏着。我爸爸以前就是倒腾铜器的…我和我妈现在也干这行。”

Sasha undid the object and put it solemnly on the table. It was a not very tall candelabra of old bronze and artistic workmanship. It consisted of a group: on the pedestal stood two female figures in the costume of Eve and in attitudes for the description of which I have neither the courage nor the fitting temperament. The figures were smiling coquettishly and altogether looked as though, had it not been for the necessity of supporting the candlestick, they would have skipped off the pedestal and have indulged in an orgy such as is improper for the reader even to imagine.

刚子解开包裹，把东西郑重地摆在了桌子上。是一件精雕细刻，上了年头的大烛台。这件烛台应该是成对的：底座上刻着两个从头光到脚的女的，至于二人的神情，碍于风序良俗，我就不细细描述了。她们的脸上都挂着浪笑，仿佛她俩的本职不是支撑烛台，而是别的什么有伤风化的事，至于是什么就供您自行遐想吧。

Looking at the present, the doctor slowly scratched behind his ear, cleared his throat and blew his nose irresolutely.

看了看礼物，侯大夫挠了挠耳朵背，清了清嗓，踌躇不定地醒了醒鼻子。

“Yes, it certainly is a fine thing,” he muttered, “but... how shall I express it?... it’s... h’m... it’s not quite for family reading. It’s not simply decolleté but beyond anything, dash it all. . . .”

“啊哈哈，是，是不错。”他小声道，“不过…嘶…怎么说呢？这，这…不太适合摆在家里。首先说它缺一个配对的，再者这玩意儿实在不像话……”

“How do you mean?”

“什么叫不像话？”

“The serpent-tempter himself could not have invented anything worse.... Why, to put such a phantasmagoria on the table would be defiling the whole flat.”

“好家伙，让外人看见还以为打窑子里顺出来的呢……这玩意儿在家里没法放啊。”

“What a strange way of looking at art, doctor!” said Sasha, offended. “Why, it is an artistic thing, look at it! There is so much beauty and elegance that it fills one’s soul with a feeling of reverence and brings a lump into one’s throat! When one sees anything so beautiful one forgets everything earthly.... Only look, how much movement, what an atmosphere, what expression!”

“您不懂，这是艺术！”刚子反对道，“您看看，您看看！多美丽，多优雅，您看了不觉得感动吗，不觉得想哭吗？我都快掉眼泪了……您看这造型，这神韵，这气质！”

“I understand all that very well, my dear boy,” the doctor interposed, “but you know I am a family man, my children run in here, ladies come in.”

“刚子你别急，我懂，我都懂。”侯大夫拦道，“可是回头叫我老婆孩子看见多不合适，再说来我这儿看病的还有大姑娘，让人家瞧见了也不行啊。”

“Of course if you look at it from the point of view of the crowd,” said Sasha, “then this exquisitely artistic work may appear in a certain light.... But, doctor, rise superior to the crowd, especially as you will wound mamma and me by refusing it. I am the only son of my mother, you have saved my life.... We are giving you the thing most precious to us and... and I only regret that I have not the pair to present to you. . . .”

“您怎么能跟他们一般见识呢？”刚子说道，“您把它想得太庸俗了……您得拿艺术的眼光去欣赏它，您千万别推托，这可是我们的一片心意啊。我妈就我这一个儿子，您救了我的命，就是救了我妈的命…我们家也没什么值得给您的了…真对不起，好容易有个拿得出手的宝贝还不是成对的……”

“Thank you, my dear fellow, I am very grateful... Give my respects to your mother but really consider, my children run in here, ladies come.... However, let it remain! I see there’s no arguing with you.”

“没事，刚子，这情我领了……回头替我给家里带个好，但是你这个，我这儿真的不合适，我家里有老婆孩子，还有来看病的，我……算了，好，我收下！咱也别争了。”

“And there is nothing to argue about,” said Sasha, relieved. “Put the candlestick here, by this vase. What a pity we have not the pair to it! It is a pity! Well, good-bye, doctor.”

“您甭客气。”刚子高兴道，“您就摆在花瓶边上吧。就是可惜不是成对的了！太可惜了！您忙吧，大夫，我走了。”

After Sasha’s departure the doctor looked for a long time at the candelabra, scratched behind his ear and meditated.

刚子走后，侯大夫盯了烛台很久，一边挠耳背，一边思索着。

“It’s a superb thing, there’s no denying it,” he thought, “and it would be a pity to throw it away.... But it’s impossible for me to keep it.... H’m!... Here’s a problem! To whom can I make a present of it, or to what charity can I give it?”

“东西是好东西，”他想道，“扔了就可惜了……不过在家里也没法放啊…怎么办哪…头疼！要么找地方捐出去，要么就找个人送了吧。”

After long meditation he thought of his good friend, the lawyer Uhov, to whom he was indebted for the management of legal business.

想了好一会儿，他想起一好朋友，贺律师，他帮过他不少忙。

“Excellent,” the doctor decided, “it would be awkward for him as a friend to take money from me, and it will be very suitable for me to present him with this. I will take him the devilish thing! Luckily he is a bachelor and easy-going.”

“正好，”侯大夫决定道，“我俩这交情给钱就生分了，何不卖个人情把这东西送给他。这倒霉玩意儿给他得了！反正他没结婚，人也挺好说话的。”

Without further procrastination the doctor put on his hat and coat, took the candelabra and went off to Uhov’s.

说干就干，侯大夫穿衣戴帽，拎着大烛台就去了贺律师那儿。

“How are you, friend!” he said, finding the lawyer at home. “I’ve come to see you... to thank you for your efforts.... You won’t take money so you must at least accept this thing here.... See, my dear fellow.... The thing is magnificent!”

“贺大哥！您好您好！”他去了正赶上老贺在家，“我来看您来了…谢谢您帮我那么些忙…您还说不收我的钱，但不答谢您我这心里总过意不去，这么着，我送您一件宝贝…您看看！”

On seeing the bronze the lawyer was moved to indescribable delight.

一看见大烛台，老贺的眼睛一亮。

“What a specimen!” he chuckled. “Ah, deuce take it, to think of them imagining such a thing, the devils! Exquisite! Ravishing! Where did you get hold of such a delightful thing?”

“好宝贝！”他乐道，“嚯，这玩意儿谁做出来的！漂亮！绝了！你哪儿弄来的？”

After pouring out his ecstasies the lawyer looked timidly towards the door and said: “Only you must carry off your present, my boy.... I can’t take it. . . .”

乐了一阵过后，老贺难为情地瞅了瞅房门，说道：“您的心意我领了，但您还是拿回去吧…我不能要……”

“Why?” cried the doctor, disconcerted.

“为什么？”侯大夫慌张地喊道。

“Why... because my mother is here at times, my clients... besides I should be ashamed for my servants to see it.”

“因为…我妈隔三差五会过来，我这儿一天到晚还老有客户…再者说，让用人看见了也不合适啊。”

“Nonsense! Nonsense! Don’t you dare to refuse!” said the doctor, gesticulating. “It’s piggish of you! It’s a work of art!... What movement. . . what expression! I won’t even talk of it! You will offend me!”

“拿着吧拿着吧！别客气！”侯大夫的胳膊都抡飞了，“你不懂！这是艺术！你看这…这这这…是吧！你看我都没法形容了！你不要我可翻脸了！”

“If one could plaster it over or stick on fig-leaves...”

“那起码也把那该挡的地方挡上点吧……”

But the doctor gesticulated more violently than before, and dashing out of the flat went home, glad that he had succeeded in getting the present off his hands.

侯大夫的胳膊抡得更圆了，他脚底抹油一溜烟跑回了家，心想这块烫手山芋总算是让出去了。

When he had gone away the lawyer examined the candelabra, fingered it all over, and then, like the doctor, racked his brains over the question what to do with the present.

侯大夫走后，贺律师聚精会神地欣赏着烛台，又拿在手里把玩了一番，紧接着也和侯大夫一样抓耳挠腮，琢磨着该怎么处理掉这件东西。

“It’s a fine thing,” he mused, “and it would be a pity to throw it away and improper to keep it. The very best thing would be to make a present of it to someone.... I know what! I’ll take it this evening to Shashkin, the comedian. The rascal is fond of such things, and by the way it is his benefit tonight.”

“东西是真不错。”他思索道，“问题是扔了吧可惜，留着吧丢脸。最好找个人送出去得了…对了！拿给那说相声的小曲，这小子就稀罕这个，今晚正好有他的场。”

No sooner said than done. In the evening the candelabra, carefully wrapped up, was duly carried to Shashkin’s. The whole evening the comic actor’s dressing-room was besieged by men coming to admire the present; the dressing-room was filled with the hum of enthusiasm and laughter like the neighing of horses. If one of the actresses approached the door and asked: “May I come in?” the comedian’s husky voice was heard at once: “No, no, my dear, I am not dressed!”

说去就去，一点不含糊。傍晚时分，大烛台果然包好了送到了小曲手上。整个晚上后台都闹翻了，一群大老爷们儿挤在一块参观这件宝贝，一个个笑起来跟马打响鼻似的，说笑声把房顶都震塌了。只要有女演员凑到门口，问里边：“能让我看看吗？”小曲那阳刚的声音准是第一个响起：“别进来，换衣服呢！”

After the performance the comedian shrugged his shoulders, flung up his hands and said: “Well what am I to do with the horrid thing? Why, I live in a private flat! Actresses come and see me! It’s not a photograph that you can put in a drawer!”

散场后，小曲耸着肩膀甩着手抱怨道：“我怎么摊上这么个倒霉玩意？好家伙，幸亏我一个人住，可哪天没个女的来找我！这又不是相片能搁在抽屉里！”

“You had better sell it, sir,” the hairdresser who was disrobing the actor advised him. “There’s an old woman living about here who buys antique bronzes. Go and enquire for Madame Smirnov... everyone knows her.”

“您卖了不就行了。”化妆的在一旁说道，“咱这儿有个孙大娘专门收老铜器。您上街问问就行…差不多都知道她。”

The actor followed his advice.... Two days later the doctor was sitting in his consulting-room, and with his finger to his brow was meditating on the acids of the bile. All at once the door opened and Sasha Smirnov flew into the room. He was smiling, beaming, and his whole figure was radiant with happiness. In his hands he held something wrapped up in newspaper.

小曲还真听了他的话……两天后，侯大夫坐在候诊室里，正在那儿琢磨事。突然间门开了，刚子跟长了翅膀似的冲了进来。他脸上发着光，喜气洋洋的，嘴巴都咧到耳朵根了。他手上捧着一件裹着报纸的东西。

“Doctor!” he began breathlessly, “imagine my delight! Happily for you we have succeeded in picking up the pair to your candelabra! Mamma is so happy.... I am the only son of my mother, you saved my life. . . .”

“大夫！”他气喘吁吁地说道，“太好了！我们找着配对的了！我妈都乐坏了…她就我这一个儿子，您是我们家的大恩人……”

And Sasha, all of a tremor with gratitude, set the candelabra before the doctor. The doctor opened his mouth, tried to say something, but said nothing: he could not speak.

刚子乐得直哆嗦，咣当一声把烛台放到了桌上。侯大夫张了张嘴，晾了半天，一个字也说不出来。