“PAVEL VASSILYEVITCH, there’s a lady here, asking for you,” Luka announced. —-
“帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇，这里有位女士找你，”卢卡宣布。 —-

“She’s been waiting a good hour. . . .”
“她等了一个小时了……”

Pavel Vassilyevitch had only just finished lunch. Hearing of the lady, he frowned and said:
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇刚吃完午饭。听说有个女士找他，他皱了皱眉头说：

“Oh, damn her! Tell her I’m busy.”
“哦，见鬼！告诉她我很忙。”

“She has been here five times already, Pavel Vassilyevitch. —-
“她已经来过五次了，帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇。 —-

She says she really must see you. . . . She’s almost crying.”
她说她真的必须见你……她几乎要哭了。”

“H’m . . . very well, then, ask her into the study.”
“哼……好吧，那就请她到书房来。”

Without haste Pavel Vassilyevitch put on his coat, took a pen in one hand, and a book in the other, and trying to look as though he were very busy he went into the study. —-
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇不慌不忙地穿上外套，一手拿着笔，一手拿着书，假装自己非常忙碌地走进了书房。 —-

There the visitor was awaiting him—a large stout lady with a red, beefy face, in spectacles. —-
在那里等着他的来访者——一位身材高大的肥胖女士，戴着眼镜，面色红润。 —-

She looked very respectable, and her dress was more than fashionable (she had on a crinolette of four storeys and a high hat with a reddish bird in it). —-
她看起来非常体面，衣着也非常时尚（她身穿四层的裙撑和一顶带有红色鸟的高帽子）。 —-

On seeing him she turned up her eyes and folded her hands in supplication.
看到他，她翻起眼睛，双手合十祈求道。

“You don’t remember me, of course,” she began in a high masculine tenor, visibly agitated. —-
“你肯定不记得我了，”她以高亢的男性音调开始说话，明显心情紧张。 —-

“I . . . I have had the pleasure of meeting you at the Hrutskys. —-
“我……我曾有幸在赫鲁茨基家见过你。 —-

. . . I am Mme. Murashkin. . . .”
……我是穆拉什金夫人……”

“A. . . a . . . a . . . h’m . . . Sit down! What can I do for you?”
“啊……哈……嗯……呃……坐下吧！你有什么事？”

“You . . . you see . . . I . . . I . . . —-
“你……你看……我……我……” —-

” the lady went on, sitting down and becoming still more agitated. “You don’t remember me. . . —-
“那个女士说着，坐下来后更加激动起来。“你不记得我了. . . —-

. I’m Mme. Murashkin. . . . You see I’m a great admirer of your talent and always read your articles with great enjoyment. —-
我是穆拉什金女士……你看，我是你才华的极大崇拜者，总是非常享受地阅读你的文章。 —-

. . . Don’t imagine I’m flattering you—God forbid! —-
请不要以为我在奉承你——但愿上帝保佑！ —-

—I’m only giving honour where honour is due. . . . I am always reading you . . . always! —-
—我只会恭敬地给予应有的尊重……我一直在阅读你……一直！ —-

To some extent I am myself not a stranger to literature— that is, of course . . . —-
在一定程度上，我自己对文学并不陌生—当然， —-

I will not venture to call myself an authoress, but . . . still I have added my little quota . . . —-
我不敢自称为女作家，但是…我还是做出了自己微小的贡献… —-

I have published at different times three stories for children. . . . —-
我已经在不同的时间发表了三个儿童故事…… —-

You have not read them, of course. . . . I have translated a good deal and . —-
您当然没有读过它们。我翻译了相当多的部分。 —-

. . and my late brother used to write for The Cause.”
我已经去世的哥哥曾为”事业”写过东西。

“To be sure . . . er—er—er——What can I do for you?”
“确实……额，额，额……我能为你做什么吗？”

“You see . . . (the lady cast down her eyes and turned redder) I know your talents . . . —-
“你看……（女士垂下眼睛，脸红了）我知道你的才华…… —-

your views, Pavel Vassilyevitch, and I have been longing to learn your opinion, or more exactly . . —-
你的观点，巴维尔·瓦西列维奇，我一直渴望了解你的意见，更准确地说…… —-

. to ask your advice. I must tell you I have perpetrated a play, my first-born —pardon pour l’expression! —-
向你征求建议。我必须告诉你，我写了一部剧作，我生命中的第一部作品——请原谅我这个说法！ —-

—and before sending it to the Censor I should like above all things to have your opinion on it.”
在提交给审查官之前，我最希望听到的就是你对它的意见。”

Nervously, with the flutter of a captured bird, the lady fumbled in her skirt and drew out a fat manuscript.
女士紧张地像一个被捕获的鸟一样，在裙子里摸索着，拿出一本厚厚的手稿。

Pavel Vassilyevitch liked no articles but his own. —-
巴维尔·瓦西列维奇除了自己的文章之外，没有喜欢任何人的作品。 —-

When threatened with the necessity of reading other people’s, or listening to them, he felt as though he were facing the cannon’s mouth. —-
当他面临阅读别人的文章或倾听时，他感觉好像面对着炮口。 —-

Seeing the manuscript he took fright and hastened to say:
看到手稿，他吓坏了，赶紧说道：

“Very good, . . . leave it, . . . I’ll read it.”
“非常好……留下来吧……我会读的。”

“Pavel Vassilyevitch,” the lady said languishingly, clasping her hands and raising them in supplication, “I know you’re busy. —-
“巴维尔·瓦西列维奇，”女士躺倒地说，双手紧握在一起，苦苦哀求道，”我知道你很忙。 —-

. . . Your every minute is precious, and I know you’re inwardly cursing me at this moment, but . . —-
你的每一分钟都很珍贵，我知道你此刻内心中诅咒着我，但是…… —-

. Be kind, allow me to read you my play . . . . —-
请善良一点，允许我读给你听我的剧作…… —-

Do be so very sweet!”
请你真的非常甜蜜一点！”

“I should be delighted . . .” faltered Pavel Vassilyevitch; “but, Madam, I’m . . . —-
“我应该很高兴的……”帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇结结巴巴地说道，“但是，夫人，我很……我现在必须马上出发。” —-

I’m very busy . . . . I’m . . . I’m obliged to set off this minute.”
“我非常忙……我……我不得不出发。”

“Pavel Vassilyevitch,” moaned the lady and her eyes filled with tears, “I’m asking a sacrifice! —-
“帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇，”夫人哀叹道，眼泪盈满眼眶，“我在求你做个牺牲！ —-

I am insolent, I am intrusive, but be magnanimous. —-
“我很无礼，我很冒犯，但请你宽宏大量。 —-

To-morrow I’m leaving for Kazan and I should like to know your opinion to-day. —-
“明天我就要去喀山了，我希望今天知道你的意见。 —-

Grant me half an hour of your attention . . . —-
“给我半个小时的时间…… —-

only one half-hour . . . I implore you!”
“只有半个小时……我恳求你！”

Pavel Vassilyevitch was cotton-wool at core, and could not refuse. —-
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇本质是棉花一样柔软的人，无法拒绝。 —-

When it seemed to him that the lady was about to burst into sobs and fall on her knees, he was overcome with confusion and muttered helplessly.
当他感到夫人即将哭泣跪倒时，他感到困惑不堪，支支吾吾地说道。

“Very well; certainly . . . I will listen . . . I will give you half an hour.”
“好吧，当然……我会听的……我会给你半个小时。”

The lady uttered a shriek of joy, took off her hat and settling herself, began to read. —-
夫人发出一声欢叫，摘下帽子，安顿下来，开始朗读。 —-

At first she read a scene in which a footman and a house maid, tidying up a sumptuous drawing-room, talked at length about their young lady, Anna Sergyevna, who was building a school and a hospital in the village. —-
起初，她朗读了一个场景，一个仆人和一个女佣在整理一间豪华客厅时，详细谈论他们的小姐安娜·谢尔盖耶芙娜，在村里修建学校和医院的事情。 —-

When the footman had left the room, the maidservant pronounced a monologue to the effect that education is light and ignorance is darkness; —-
当仆人离开房间时，女佣发表了一段关于教育是光明，无知是黑暗的独白。 —-

then Mme. Murashkin brought the footman back into the drawing-room and set him uttering a long monologue concerning his master, the General, who disliked his daughter’s views, intended to marry her to a rich kammer junker, and held that the salvation of the people lay in unadulterated ignorance. —-
然后，玛姆穆拉什金把仆人带回客厅，让他发表了一段长长的独白，讲述了他的主人，将军，不喜欢女儿的观点，打算把她嫁给一个富有的国库事务官，认为人民的救赎在于纯粹的无知。 —-

Then, when the servants had left the stage, the young lady herself appeared and informed the audience that she had not slept all night, but had been thinking of Valentin Ivanovitch, who was the son of a poor teacher and assisted his sick father gratuitously. —-
然后，当仆人离开舞台时，年轻的小姐本人出现并告诉观众她整夜未眠，一直在想着瓦伦丁·伊凡诺维奇，他是一个贫穷教师的儿子，免费为他生病的父亲提供帮助。 —-

Valentin had studied all the sciences, but had no faith in friendship nor in love; —-
瓦伦丁学过所有的科学，但对友谊和爱情毫无信心； —-

he had no object in life and longed for death, and therefore she, the young lady, must save him.
他没有生活目标，渴望死亡，所以她，那位年轻女士，必须拯救他；

Pavel Vassilyevitch listened, and thought with yearning anguish of his sofa. —-
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇听着，渴望地思考着他的沙发； —-

He scanned the lady viciously, felt her masculine tenor thumping on his eardrums, understood nothing, and thought:
他恶狠狠地扫视着那位女士，感受到她那男性化的声音震动他的耳膜，一无所知，心想：

“The devil sent you . . . as though I wanted to listen to your tosh! —-
“鬼才派你过来……我才不想听你的废话！ —-

It’s not my fault you’ve written a play, is it? My God! —-
这不是我的错，你写了一出戏剧，是吗？天哪！ —-

what a thick manuscript! What an infliction!”
多么厚的手稿！多么折磨人啊！”

Pavel Vassilyevitch glanced at the wall where the portrait of his wife was hanging and remembered that his wife had asked him to buy and bring to their summer cottage five yards of tape, a pound of cheese, and some tooth-powder.
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇瞥了一眼挂着妻子肖像的墙，想起妻子曾让他买五码带子、一磅奶酪和一些洗牙粉带到他们的夏别墅去。

“I hope I’ve not lost the pattern of that tape,” he thought, “where did I put it? —-
“希望我没有把带子的图案弄丢，”他想，“我把它放在哪里了？ —-

I believe it’s in my blue reefer jacket. . . . —-
我相信它在我的蓝色厚外套里…… —-

Those wretched flies have covered her portrait with spots already, I must tell Olga to wash the glass. —-
那些该死的苍蝇已经把她的肖像弄得满是斑点，我得告诉奥尔加洗玻璃。 —-

. . . She’s reading the twelfth scene, so we must soon be at the end of the first act. —-
……她正在念第十二场，所以我们应该快到第一幕的结尾了。 —-

As though inspiration were possible in this heat and with such a mountain of flesh, too! —-
在这种炎热和堆积如山的肉体中，怎么可能有灵感呢！ —-

Instead of writing plays she’d much better eat cold vinegar hash and sleep in a cellar. . . .”
她最好吃点凉拌醋杂碎，睡在地窖里，而不是写剧本……”

“You don’t think that monologue’s a little too long? —-
“你不觉得独白太长了吗？ —-

” the lady asked suddenly, raising her eyes.
“那位女士突然问道，抬起了眼睛。

Pavel Vassilyevitch had not heard the monologue, and said in a voice as guilty as though not the lady but he had written that monologue:
Pavel Vassilyevitch 没有听到那个独白，他的语气听起来像是不是女士写的，而是他写的：

“No, no, not at all. It’s very nice. . . .”
“不，不，一点都不。很好的……”

The lady beamed with happiness and continued reading:
那位女士因为开心而笑容满面，继续读下去：

ANNA: You are consumed by analysis. Too early you have ceased to live in the heart and have put your faith in the intellect.
ANNA：你被分析吞噬了。你太早不再以感性而是依赖理智生活。

VALENTIN: What do you mean by the heart? That is a concept of anatomy. —-
VALENTIN: 你所说的感性是指什么？那只是解剖学上的一个概念。 —-

As a conventional term for what are called the feelings, I do not admit it.
作为所谓的感觉的一个传统术语，我并不认同。

ANNA (confused): And love? Surely that is not merely a product of the association of ideas? —-
ANNA（困惑）：那爱呢？爱难道不仅仅是联想的产物吗？ —-

Tell me frankly, have you ever loved?
坦白告诉我，你有过爱吗？

VALENTIN (bitterly): Let us not touch on old wounds not yet healed. —-
VALENTIN（痛苦）：我们不要触及尚未愈合的旧伤口。 —-

(A pause.) What are you thinking of?
（一段沉默）你在想什么？

ANNA: I believe you are unhappy.
ANNA：我相信你很不幸。

During the sixteenth scene Pavel Vassilyevitch yawned, and accidently made with his teeth the sound dogs make when they catch a fly. —-
在第十六场景期间，Pavel Vassilyevitch 打了个哈欠，意外发出了狗捉苍蝇时发出的声音。 —-

He was dismayed at this unseemly sound, and to cover it assumed an expression of rapt attention.
他对这个不合时宜的声音感到沮丧，并假装专注的表情来掩饰。

“Scene seventeen! When will it end?” he thought. “Oh, my God! —-
“第十七场景！什么时候才能结束啊？”他想，“哦，天啊！ —-

If this torture is prolonged another ten minutes I shall shout for the police. —-
如果这种折磨再延长十分钟，我会大声呼叫警察。 —-

It’s insufferable.”
真受不了。

But at last the lady began reading more loudly and more rapidly, and finally raising her voice she read “Curtain.”
但最后女士开始读得更响亮、更快，最后她提高了声音读道“幕”。

Pavel Vassilyevitch uttered a faint sigh and was about to get up, but the lady promptly turned the page and went on reading.
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇发出了轻轻的叹息，正要站起来，但女士立即翻了页继续读。

ACT II.—Scene, a village street. On right, School. On left, Hospital. —-
第二幕——场景：一个村子的街道。右边是学校，左边是医院。 —-

Villagers, male and female, sitting on the hospital steps.
男女村民坐在医院的台阶上。

“Excuse me,” Pavel Vassilyevitch broke in, “how many acts are there?”
“对不起，” 帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇插话道，“一共有几幕？”

“Five,” answered the lady, and at once, as though fearing her audience might escape her, she went on rapidly.
“五幕，” 女士回答道，同时又迅速地继续读下去，似乎担心观众会跑掉。

VALENTIN is looking out of the schoolhouse window. —-
瓦伦丁从学校窗户里望出去。 —-

In the background Villagers can be seen taking their goods to the Inn.
在背景中，可以看到村民们把货物拿到客栈去。

Like a man condemned to be executed and convinced of the impossibility of a reprieve, Pavel Vassilyevitch gave up expecting the end, abandoned all hope, and simply tried to prevent his eyes from closing, and to retain an expression of attention on his face. —-
像一个被判了死刑并深知无法获得缓刑的人一样，帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇不再期待结局，放弃了一切希望，只是努力阻止自己的眼睛闭上，并在脸上保持专注的表情。 —-

. . . The future when the lady would finish her play and depart seemed to him so remote that he did not even think of it.
. . . 那位女士完成她的剧本并离开的未来对他来说是如此遥远，以至于他甚至没有想过。

“Trooo—too—too—too . . .” the lady’s voice sounded in his ears. —-
“嘟——嘟——嘟——嘟……”女士的声音在他的耳边响起。 —-

“Troo—too—too . . . sh—sh—sh—sh . . .”
“嘟——嘟——嘟……嘘——嘘——嘘——嘘……”

“I forgot to take my soda,” he thought. “What am I thinking about? Oh—my soda. . . . —-
“我忘了带苏打水，”他想。“我在想什么呢？哦——我的苏打水……” —-

Most likely I shall have a bilious attack. . . . —-
最有可能的是我会有胆汁性发作. . . —-

It’s extraordinary, Smirnovsky swills vodka all day long and yet he never has a bilious attack. —-
这真是不可思议，斯米尔诺夫斯基整天都在喝伏特加，却从未有过胆汁性发作。 —-

. . . There’s a bird settled on the window . —-
. . . 有只鸟停在窗户上。 —-

. . a sparrow. . . .”
. . 一只麻雀. . . 。”

Pavel Vassilyevitch made an effort to unglue his strained and closing eyelids, yawned without opening his mouth, and stared at Mme. Murashkin. —-
帕维尔·瓦西列夫奇努力撑开疲惫并即将闭合的眼皮, 没有张开嘴巴打了个哈欠, 望着穆拉什金夫人。 —-

She grew misty and swayed before his eyes, turned into a triangle and her head pressed against the ceiling. . . .
她在他眼前变得模糊并晃动起来, 变成了一个三角形，她的头压在天花板上. . . 。

VALENTIN No, let me depart.
瓦伦丁:不，让我离开吧。

ANNA (in dismay): Why?
安娜（惊慌失措）：为什么？

VALENTIN (aside): She has turned pale! (To her) Do not force me to explain. —-
瓦伦丁（心里话）:她变得苍白了！（对她说）别逼我解释。 —-

Sooner would I die than you should know the reason.
我宁愿死也不让你知道原因。

ANNA (after a pause): You cannot go away. . . .
安娜（停顿后）：你不能走开. . . 。

The lady began to swell, swelled to an immense size, and melted into the dingy atmosphere of the study—only her moving mouth was visible; —-
这位女士开始膨胀，膨胀到巨大的大小，并融入了阴暗的书房气氛——只有她移动的嘴巴可见； —-

then she suddenly dwindled to the size of a bottle, swayed from side to side, and with the table retreated to the further end of the room . . .
然后她突然缩小到一个瓶子的大小，摇摆着，带着桌子退到了房间的另一端. . .

VALENTIN (holding ANNA in his arms): You have given me new life! —-
瓦伦丁（抱着安娜）：你给了我新的生命！ —-

You have shown me an object to live for! —-
你向我展示了一个值得活下去的目标！ —-

You have renewed me as the Spring rain renews the awakened earth! But . . . —-
你像春雨一样使我焕发生机，唤醒了沉睡的大地！但是… —-

it is too late, too late! The ill that gnaws at my heart is beyond cure. . . .
太晚了，太晚了！困扰我心灵的病痛无药可救…

Pavel Vassilyevitch started and with dim and smarting eyes stared at the reading lady; —-
帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇惊讶地睁大了眼睛，凝视着那位正在阅读的女士； —-

for a minute he gazed fixedly as though understanding nothing. . . .
他定定地凝视了一分钟，仿佛什么也不明白…

SCENE XI.—The same. The BARON and the POLICE INSPECTOR with assistants.
第十一场景——同一个地方。男爵和警察督察与助手们。

VALENTIN: Take me!
瓦伦丁：带我走吧！

ANNA: I am his! Take me too! Yes, take me too! I love him, I love him more than life!
安娜：我是他的！也带走我吧！是的，也带走我！我爱他，我爱他胜过生命！

BARON: Anna Sergyevna, you forget that you are ruining your father . . . .
男爵：安娜·谢尔盖耶夫娜，你忘记了你正在毁掉你父亲…

The lady began swelling again. . . . Looking round him wildly Pavel Vassilyevitch got up, yelled in a deep, unnatural voice, snatched from the table a heavy paper-weight, and beside himself, brought it down with all his force on the authoress’s head. . . .
女士的身体再次肿胀起来…帕维尔·瓦西里耶维奇狂野地四处张望着，站起身来，用一种低沉而不自然的声音大喊起来，他双手从桌上抓起一块沉重的文具，失去理智地全力向那位女作者的头上砸去…

“Give me in charge, I’ve killed her!” he said to the maidservant who ran in, a minute later.
“拿我去坐牢吧，我杀了她！”他对跑进来的女仆说道，一分钟后。

The jury acquitted him.
陪审团宣判他无罪。