“我的天!我是在什么地方?”他说。他一想起这个问题就觉得头昏。
“We will have some claretclaret n.红葡萄酒, 深紫红色, or mead, or Bremen beer,” said one of the guests, “will you drink with us?”
“我得喝点红葡萄酒!蜜酒和卜列门啤酒也好。”有一位客人说,“请您也来跟我们一起喝吧。” Two maids came in. One of them had a cap on her head of two colors. They poured out the wine, bowed their heads, and withdrew.
这时两个女孩子走进来了,其中一个戴着一顶有两种颜色的帽子。她们倒出酒来,行了屈膝礼。
The counsellor felt a cold shiver run all over him. “What is this? what does it mean?” said he, but he was obliged to drink with them, for they overpowered the good man with their politeness. He became at last desperatedesperate adj.不顾一切的, 拚死的, 令人绝望的, and when one of them said he was tipsy, he did not doubt the mans word in the least—only begged them to get a droschky, and then they thought he was speaking the Muscovite language. Never before had he been in such rough and vulgar company. “One might believe that the country was going back to heathenismheathenism n.异教, 偶像崇拜, 异教教义, ” he observed. “This is the most terrible moment of my life.”
司法官的背上冷了半截。“这是怎么一回事儿?”他说。但是他不得不和他们一起喝酒。他们对这位好先生非常客气,弄得他简直不晓得怎样办才好。有一个人说他醉了,他对这句话没有丝毫的怀疑,他要求他们替他喊一辆“德洛西基” (过去俄国的一种马车)来。于是大家就以为他在讲莫斯科方言了。他从来没有跟这样一群粗鲁和庸俗的人混在一起过。他想:这真叫人相信这个国家退化到野蛮时代了。“这真是我一生中最可怕的时刻。”
Just then it came into his mind that he would stoop under the table, and so creep to the door. He tried it, but before he reached the entry, the rest discovered what he was about, and seized him by the feet, when, luckily for him, off came the goloshes, and with them vanished the whole enchantment. The counsellor now saw quite plainly a lamp, and a large building behind it, everything looked familiarfamiliar adj.熟悉的, 常见的, 听惯的, 亲近的n.密友, 熟客, 常客 and beautiful. He was in East Street, as it now appears, he lay with his legs turned towards a porch, and just by him sat the watchman asleep.
不过,在这同时,他的灵机一动,想要钻进桌子底下,偷偷地爬到门那儿溜出去。但是当他刚刚一爬到门口的时候,别人就发现了他的活动。大家抱住他的双脚。这时,也算是他的运气,他的一双套鞋被拉掉了——因此整个的幻景也就消逝了。司法官现在清楚地看见他面前点着一盏很亮的灯,灯后面有一幢大房子。他认识这房子和它周围的别的房子。这就是我们大家所知道的东街。他躺在地上,双脚正对着大门。看门人坐在他对面,在打盹。
“Is it possible that I have been lying here in the street dreaming?” said he. “Yes, this is East Street, how beautifully bright and gay it looks! It is quite shocking that one glass of punch should have upset me like this.”
“我的天!难道我一直是躺在街上做梦吗?”他说。“是的,这是东街!真是张灯结彩,热闹非凡!可怕得很,那杯混合酒居然把我弄得那样醉!”
Two minutes afterwards he sat in a droschky, which was to drive him to Christians Haven. He thought of all the terror and anxiety which he had undergone, and felt thankful from his heart for the reality and comfort of modern times, which, with all their errors, were far better than those in which he so lately found himself.
两分钟以后,他坐进了一辆马车,向克利斯仙码头驰去。他把他刚才经历过的不安和苦恼思索了一下,他不禁衷心地称赞幸福的现实——我们所处的这个时代。我们这个时代虽然缺点不少,比起他刚才进入的那个时代究竟好得多。
The Watchmans Adventures
守夜人的故事
“Well, I declare, there lies a pair of goloshes,” said the watchman. “No doubt, they belong to the lieutenant who lives up stairs. They are lying just by his door.” Gladly would the honest man have rung, and given them in, for a light was still burning, but he did not wish to disturb the other people in the house, so he let them lie. “These things must keep the feet very warm,” said he, “they are of such nice soft leather.” Then he tried them on, and they fitted his feet exactly.
“咳,这儿有一双套鞋!”守夜人说。“这一定是楼上的那位中尉的套鞋。恰恰放在门边!”这位老实人倒是很想按按门铃,把套鞋交给原主的,因为楼上的灯还是亮着。不过他不愿意把屋子里的人吵醒,所以就不这样做了。“穿上这样一双东西一定很暖和!”他说。“皮子是这样柔软!”鞋子恰恰适合他的脚。
“Now,” said he, “how droll things are in this world! Theres that man can lie down in his warm bed, but he does not do so. There he goes pacing up and down the room. He ought to be a happy man. He has neither wife nor children, and he goes out into company every evening. Oh, I wish I were he, then I should be a happy man.”
“这个世界也真是滑稽!中尉现在可能已经在他温暖的床上睡了,但是你相信他会睡吗?他正在房间里走来走去呢。他真是一个幸福的人!他既没有妻子,也没有孩子!他每天晚上总是去参加一个什么晚会。我希望我能像他,这样我也可以成为一个幸福的人了!”
As he uttered this wish, the goloshes which he had put on took effect, and the watchman at once became the lieutenantlieutenant n.陆军中尉, 海军上尉, 副职官员. There he stood in his room, holding a little piece of pink paper between his fingers, on which was a poem,—a poem written by the lieutenant himself. Who has not had, for once in his life, a moment of poetic inspiration? and at such a moment, if the thoughts are written down, they flow in poetry. The following verses were written on the pink paper:
当他说出了他的愿望以后,他所穿上的这双套鞋就立刻产生效果:这个守夜人在身体和思想方面就变成了那位中尉。他现在是在楼上的房间里,手指间夹着一小张粉红色的纸,纸上写的是一首诗——中尉亲手写的一首诗,因为人们在一生中谁都有过富有诗意的一瞬间。如果一个人把这一瞬间的思想写下来,那么他就可说是在做诗了。下面是中尉写的诗:
“OH WERE I RICH!
“Oh were I rich! How oft, in youths bright hour,
When youthful pleasures banish every care,
I longed for riches but to gain a power,
The sword and plume and uniform to wear!
The riches and the honor came for me,
Yet still my greatest wealth was poverty:
Ah, help and pity me!
“让我发财吧!
“让我发财吧!我祈祷过好几次,
那时我不过是一两尺高的孩子。
让我发财吧!我要成一个军官,
戴上羽毛,穿起制服,挂上宝剑。
后来我居然也当上了军官,
可是很不幸,我一直没有发财!
上帝呀,请您伸出援助的手来!
“Once in my youthful hours, when gay and free,
A maiden loved me, and her gentle kiss,
Rich in its tender love and purity,
Taught me, alas! too much of earthly bliss.
Dear child! She only thought of youthful glee,
She loved no wealth, but fairy tales and me.
Thou knowest: ah, pity me!
“有天晚上——我是既幸福又年轻,
一个七岁的姑娘吻了我的嘴唇,
因为我是一个拥有故事和童话的富人,
可是说到钱财,我仍然是穷得要命。
不过孩子对于童话却非常欢迎,
所以我很富有,只是,唉,没有钱,
我们的上帝清清楚楚知道这一点!
“Oh were I rich! again is all my prayer:
That child is now a woman, fair and free,
As good and beautiful as angels are.
Oh, were I rich in lovers poetry,
To tell my fairy tale, loves richest lore!
But no, I must be silent—I am poor.
Ah, will thou pity me?
“我仍向上帝祈祷:让我发财吧!
那个七岁的姑娘现在已经长大。
她是那么美丽、聪明和善良;
惟愿她知道我心中对她的向往,
惟愿她对我好,像从前那样。
但是我很穷,不敢对她表示:
这就是我们的上帝的意旨!
“Oh were I rich in truth and peace below,
I need not then my poverty bewail.
To thee I dedicatededicate vt.献(身), 致力, 题献(一部著作给某人) these lines of woe,
Will thou not understand the mournfulmournful adj.悲哀的 tale?
A leaf on which my sorrows I relate
Dark story of a darker night of fate.
Ah, bless and pity me!”
“只要我发财,过得舒服和愉快,
我也就不在纸上写下我的悲哀。
我热恋的人啊,如果你对我了解,
请读这首诗——它代表我的青春时代。
不过最好你还是对我不要了解,
因为我很穷,前途是一团漆黑——
愿我们的上帝祝福你!”