“KIND sir, be so good as to notice a poor, hungry man. I have not tasted food for three days. —-
“善良的先生，请您注意一位贫困而饥饿的人。我已经三天没有尝过食物了。” —-

I have not a five-kopeck piece for a night’s lodging. I swear by God! —-
“我没有一枚五戈比的硬币用来过夜。我以上帝为证！” —-

For five years I was a village schoolmaster and lost my post through the intrigues of the Zemstvo. —-
“我曾经是一个村庄的教师，因为村政府的阴谋而失去了工作。” —-

I was the victim of false witness. I have been out of a place for a year now.”
“我是虚假证人的受害者。我已经失业一年了。”

Skvortsov, a Petersburg lawyer, looked at the speaker’s tattered dark blue overcoat, at his muddy, drunken eyes, at the red patches on his cheeks, and it seemed to him that he had seen the man before.
彼得堡的律师斯科沃尔索夫看着说话者破烂的深蓝色外套，泥泞而醉醺醺的眼睛，脸颊上的红斑，感觉自己曾经见过这个人。

“And now I am offered a post in the Kaluga province,” the beggar continued, “but I have not the means for the journey there. —-
“现在我被提供在卡卢加省的职位，但我没有旅行的资金。” —-

Graciously help me! I am ashamed to ask, but . . . —-
“请慷慨帮助我！我很不好意思向您请求，但是……” —-

I am compelled by circumstances.”
“我是被环境所迫。”

Skvortsov looked at his goloshes, of which one was shallow like a shoe, while the other came high up the leg like a boot, and suddenly remembered.
斯科沃尔索夫看着他的一只鞋子一样的雨靴，还有另一只像靴子一样高的高筒雨鞋，并突然记起了。

“Listen, the day before yesterday I met you in Sadovoy Street,” he said, “and then you told me, not that you were a village schoolmaster, but that you were a student who had been expelled. —-
“听着，前天我在萨多沃伊街遇到了你，你告诉我你是被开除的学生，而不是村庄的教师。 —-

Do you remember?”
你还记得吗？”

“N-o. No, that cannot be so!” the beggar muttered in confusion. —-
“N-o. 不，不可能！”乞丐困惑地咕哝道。 —-

“I am a village schoolmaster, and if you wish it I can show you documents to prove it.”
“我是一个村庄的教师，如果您愿意的话，我可以出示文件证明。”

“That’s enough lies! You called yourself a student, and even told me what you were expelled for. —-
“说够了谎言！你自称是学生，甚至告诉我你是因为什么被开除的。 —-

Do you remember?”
你还记得吗？”

Skvortsov flushed, and with a look of disgust on his face turned away from the ragged figure.
斯科沃尔佐夫脸色发红，厌恶地转身离开了那个脏兮兮的人。

“It’s contemptible, sir!” he cried angrily. “It’s a swindle! —-
“真可恶，先生！”他愤怒地喊道。“这是一个欺诈！ —-

I’ll hand you over to the police, damn you! —-
“我要把你交给警察，该死的！ —-

You are poor and hungry, but that does not give you the right to lie so shamelessly!”
你虽然贫穷饥饿，但这并不给你撒谎如此无耻的权利！

The ragged figure took hold of the door-handle and, like a bird in a snare, looked round the hall desperately.
那个脏兮兮的人抓住门把手，像被困在陷阱中的鸟一样，绝望地环顾四周的大厅。

“I . . . I am not lying,” he muttered. “I can show documents.”
“我…我没有说谎，”他嘟囔道。“我可以出示文件。”

“Who can believe you?” Skvortsov went on, still indignant. —-
“谁会相信你？”斯科沃尔佐夫继续愤怒地说。 —-

“To exploit the sympathy of the public for village schoolmasters and students—it’s so low, so mean, so dirty! —-
“借助公众对乡村教师和学生的同情，这太卑鄙了，太无耻了！ —-

It’s revolting!”
太令人厌恶了！”

Skvortsov flew into a rage and gave the beggar a merciless scolding. —-
斯科沃尔佐夫勃然大怒，毫不留情地训斥了这个乞丐。 —-

The ragged fellow’s insolent lying aroused his disgust and aversion, was an offence against what he, Skvortsov, loved and prized in himself: —-
那个脏兮兮的人无耻的谎言引起了他的厌恶和反感，是对他自己所热爱和珍惜的东西的冒犯： —-

kindliness, a feeling heart, sympathy for the unhappy. —-
仁慈、善良的心，对不幸者的同情。 —-

By his lying, by his treacherous assault upon compassion, the individual had, as it were, defiled the charity which he liked to give to the poor with no misgivings in his heart. —-
通过他的谎言，通过对同情心的背叛，那个人仿佛亵渎了他内心无拘无束地给予穷人的施舍。 —-

The beggar at first defended himself, protested with oaths, then he sank into silence and hung his head, overcome with shame.
乞丐起初为自己辩护，发誓抗议，然后沉默下来，低头忍受着羞愧。

“Sir!” he said, laying his hand on his heart, “I really was . . . lying! —-
“先生！”他把手搭在胸口上说，“我真的…说谎了！ —-

I am not a student and not a village schoolmaster. All that’s mere invention! —-
我不是学生，也不是村里的校长。那些都是编造的故事！ —-

I used to be in the Russian choir, and I was turned out of it for drunkenness. But what can I do? —-
我曾经在俄罗斯合唱团唱歌，但因为酗酒而被开除了。但是我能怎么办呢？ —-

Believe me, in God’s name, I can’t get on without lying—when I tell the truth no one will give me anything. —-
相信我，上帝保佑，如果不撒谎我就无法生存了——当我说真话的时候，没有人会给我任何东西。 —-

With the truth one may die of hunger and freeze without a night’s lodging! —-
只凭真话可能会挨饿和露宿街头一夜！ —-

What you say is true, I understand that, but . —-
你说的是真的，我理解，但是… —-

. . what am I to do?”
我应该怎么办呢？

“What are you to do? You ask what are you to do? —-
“你问我怎么办？” —-

” cried Skvortsov, going close up to him. —-
斯科沃尔佐夫冲上前去喊道。 —-

“Work—that’s what you must do! You must work!”
“工作——你必须工作！你必须工作！”

“Work. . . . I know that myself, but where can I get work?”
“工作…我自己知道，但是我哪里找得到工作呢？”

“Nonsense. You are young, strong, and healthy, and could always find work if you wanted to. —-
“胡说！你年轻、强壮、健康，要是你愿意就总能找到工作。 —-

But you know you are lazy, pampered, drunken! You reek of vodka like a pothouse! —-
但是你知道你懒惰、被宠坏、爱喝酒！你身上散发着酒香，就像一个酒肆里的人一样！ —-

You have become false and corrupt to the marrow of your bones and fit for nothing but begging and lying! —-
你变得虚伪和腐败到骨子里，一无是处，只适合乞讨和撒谎！ —-

If you do graciously condescend to take work, you must have a job in an office, in the Russian choir, or as a billiard-marker, where you will have a salary and have nothing to do! —-
如果你真慈悲地接受工作，你肯定要在办公室、俄罗斯合唱团或者当台球记分员的职位上，你会有工资但是不用干什么！ —-

But how would you like to undertake manual labour? —-
但你愿意做体力劳动吗？ —-

I’ll be bound, you wouldn’t be a house porter or a factory hand! —-
我敢肯定，你肯定不是当佣人或工厂工人！ —-

You are too genteel for that!”
你太有教养了！”

“What things you say, really . . .” said the beggar, and he gave a bitter smile. —-
“你说的话，真是……”乞丐说着，苦笑了一下。 —-

“How can I get manual work? It’s rather late for me to be a shopman, for in trade one has to begin from a boy; —-
“我怎么能找到体力劳动的工作呢？当售货员来说，对我来说已经有点晚了，因为在商业行业里，一个人必须从少年时期开始； —-

no one would take me as a house porter, because I am not of that class . . . . —-
没有人会雇佣我当佣人，因为我不属于那个阶层…… —-

And I could not get work in a factory; one must know a trade, and I know nothing.”
而且我也找不到工厂的工作，人必须懂一门手艺，而我什么都不懂。”

“Nonsense! You always find some justification! Wouldn’t you like to chop wood?”
“胡说八道！你总是找借口！难道你不想去劈柴吗？”

“I would not refuse to, but the regular woodchoppers are out of work now.”
“我不会拒绝，但是现在砍柴的正式木工工人都失业了。”

“Oh, all idlers argue like that! As soon as you are offered anything you refuse it. —-
“哦，所有的懒汉都是这样争辩！一旦给你提供任何东西，你就拒绝。” —-

Would you care to chop wood for me?”
“你愿意为我劈柴吗？”

“Certainly I will. . .”
“当然愿意……”

“Very good, we shall see. . . . Excellent. We’ll see!” Skvortsov, in nervous haste; —-
“非常好，我们会看到……太棒了。我们会看到的！”Skvortsov急切而紧张地，带着恶毒的快感擦了擦手，把厨师从厨房叫了出来。 —-

and not without malignant pleasure, rubbing his hands, summoned his cook from the kitchen.
“嗨，奥尔加，”他对她说，“带这位先生去棚子里劈柴。”

“Here, Olga,” he said to her, “take this gentleman to the shed and let him chop some wood.”
乞丐耸了耸肩膀，似乎感到困惑，犹豫不决地跟着厨师走了。

The beggar shrugged his shoulders as though puzzled, and irresolutely followed the cook. —-
—-

It was evident from his demeanour that he had consented to go and chop wood, not because he was hungry and wanted to earn money, but simply from shame and amour propre, because he had been taken at his word. —-
从他的神态来看，显然他同意去劈柴，不是因为他饥饿想赚钱，而只是出于羞耻和自尊心，因为他被别人当真了。 —-

It was clear, too, that he was suffering from the effects of vodka, that he was unwell, and felt not the faintest inclination to work.
很明显，他也明显受到伏特加的影响，他生病了，一点也没有工作的意愿。

Skvortsov hurried into the dining-room. There from the window which looked out into the yard he could see the woodshed and everything that happened in the yard. —-
斯科霍尔佐夫匆匆走进餐厅。从窗子望出去，他能看到木棚和院子里发生的一切。 —-

Standing at the window, Skvortsov saw the cook and the beggar come by the back way into the yard and go through the muddy snow to the woodshed. —-
站在窗前，斯科霍尔佐夫看到厨师和乞丐从后门进入院子，穿过泥泞的雪地走向木棚。 —-

Olga scrutinized her companion angrily, and jerking her elbow unlocked the woodshed and angrily banged the door open.
奥尔加生气地盯着伴侣，把胳膊肘跳动一下，打开木棚门，生气地摔上门。

“Most likely we interrupted the woman drinking her coffee,” thought Skvortsov. —-
“很可能我们打断了女人喝咖啡，”斯科霍尔佐夫想。 —-

“What a cross creature she is!”
“她真是个难相处的人！”

Then he saw the pseudo-schoolmaster and pseudo-student seat himself on a block of wood, and, leaning his red cheeks upon his fists, sink into thought. —-
然后他看到那个冒充学校教师和学生的人坐在一块木头上，把红红的脸腮架在拳头上，沉浸在思考中。 —-

The cook flung an axe at his feet, spat angrily on the ground, and, judging by the expression of her lips, began abusing him. —-
厨师愤怒地扔下一把斧头，生气地在地上吐了一口唾沫，从她的嘴唇表情来看，肯定是在骂他。 —-

The beggar drew a log of wood towards him irresolutely, set it up between his feet, and diffidently drew the axe across it. —-
乞丐犹豫地把一段木头拉过来，双脚之间竖起来，笨拙地用斧头砍过去。 —-

The log toppled and fell over. The beggar drew it towards him, breathed on his frozen hands, and again drew the axe along it as cautiously as though he were afraid of its hitting his golosh or chopping off his fingers. —-
木头倒下来了。乞丐把它拉过来，对着冻僵的手吹了口气，再次小心翼翼地用斧头砍过去，仿佛害怕砍到自己的鞋子或者剁掉手指一样。 —-

The log fell over again.
木头又倒下来了。

Skvortsov’s wrath had passed off by now, he felt sore and ashamed at the thought that he had forced a pampered, drunken, and perhaps sick man to do hard, rough work in the cold.
斯科霍尔佐夫的愤怒已经消退了，他感到痛苦和羞愧，想到自己强迫一个贪吃、醉酒、也许还生病的人在寒冷中做艰苦、粗糙的工作。

“Never mind, let him go on . . .” he thought, going from the dining-room into his study. —-
“没关系，让他继续吧……”他想着，从餐厅走进他的书房。 —-

“I am doing it for his good!”
“我是为他好！”

An hour later Olga appeared and announced that the wood had been chopped up.
一个小时后，奥尔加出现了并宣布木材已经被砍成了碎片。

“Here, give him half a rouble,” said Skvortsov. —-
“给他半卢布吧”，斯科沃尔索夫说道。 —-

“If he likes, let him come and chop wood on the first of every month. —-
“如果他愿意，就让他每个月的第一天来砍柴吧。我们总能找到给他干活的。” —-

. . . There will always be work for him.”
…总有给他做的工作。

On the first of the month the beggar turned up and again earned half a rouble, though he could hardly stand. —-
每个月的第一天，那个乞丐都会出现并再次赚到半卢布，尽管他几乎站不稳脚。 —-

From that time forward he took to turning up frequently, and work was always found for him: —-
从那时开始，他常常出现，总能找到他干活的地方： —-

sometimes he would sweep the snow into heaps, or clear up the shed, at another he used to beat the rugs and the mattresses. —-
有时他会把雪扫成堆，清理小屋；另一次他会拍打地毯和床垫。 —-

He always received thirty to forty kopecks for his work, and on one occasion an old pair of trousers was sent out to him.
他总是能拿到三十到四十个戈比的报酬，还有一次他收到了一条旧裤子。

When he moved, Skvortsov engaged him to assist in packing and moving the furniture. —-
当他搬家时，斯科沃尔索夫请他帮忙打包和搬运家具。 —-

On this occasion the beggar was sober, gloomy, and silent; —-
这次乞丐清醒、阴郁而沉默； —-

he scarcely touched the furniture, walked with hanging head behind the furniture vans, and did not even try to appear busy; —-
他几乎不碰家具，低着头跟在搬运车后面走，甚至不再试图故作忙碌； —-

he merely shivered with the cold, and was overcome with confusion when the men with the vans laughed at his idleness, feebleness, and ragged coat that had once been a gentleman’s. —-
他只是因为寒冷而瑟瑟发抖，在搬运车的工人们嘲笑他的懒散、虚弱和一度属于绅士的破烂外衣时感到混乱不堪。 —-

After the removal Skvortsov sent for him.
搬家结束后，斯科沃尔索夫找到了他。

“Well, I see my words have had an effect upon you,” he said, giving him a rouble. —-
“好吧，我看到我的话对你产生了影响”，他说着递给他一卢布。 —-

“This is for your work. I see that you are sober and not disinclined to work. —-
“这是给你的工作报酬。我看到你清醒并且愿意工作。” —-

What is your name?”
“你叫什么名字？”

“Lushkov.”
“卢什科夫。”

“I can offer you better work, not so rough, Lushkov. Can you write?”
“我可以给你更好的工作，不那么辛苦，卢什科夫。你会写字吗？”

“Yes, sir.”
“会，先生。”

“Then go with this note to-morrow to my colleague and he will give you some copying to do. —-
“那么明天带着这封信去找我的同事，他会给你一些抄写的工作。 —-

Work, don’t drink, and don’t forget what I said to you. Good-bye.”
“工作，不要喝酒，别忘了我刚才说的话。再见。”

Skvortsov, pleased that he had put a man in the path of rectitude, patted Lushkov genially on the shoulder, and even shook hands with him at parting.
斯科沃尔佐夫满意地认为他把一个人引向正轨，友好地拍了拍卢什科夫的肩膀，甚至与他握手告别。

Lushkov took the letter, departed, and from that time forward did not come to the back-yard for work.
卢什科夫接过信，离开了，从那时起就不再来后院工作了。

Two years passed. One day as Skvortsov was standing at the ticket-office of a theatre, paying for his ticket, he saw beside him a little man with a lambskin collar and a shabby cat’s-skin cap. —-
两年过去了。一天，当斯科沃尔佐夫站在剧院的售票处付票款时，他看到他旁边站着一个脖子上戴着兔皮领子、破旧的猫皮帽子的小个子男人。 —-

The man timidly asked the clerk for a gallery ticket and paid for it with kopecks.
这个男人小心翼翼地向售票员要了一张楼座的票，并用戈比付了钱。

“Lushkov, is it you?” asked Skvortsov, recognizing in the little man his former woodchopper. —-
“卢什科夫，是你吗？”斯科沃尔佐夫问道，认出了那个小个子男人是他以前的樵夫。 —-

“Well, what are you doing? Are you getting on all right?”
“你现在做什么呢？过得还好吗？”

“Pretty well. . . . I am in a notary’s office now. I earn thirty-five roubles.”
“还不错……我现在在一个公证处工作。我一个月挣三十五卢布。”

“Well, thank God, that’s capital. I rejoice for you. I am very, very glad, Lushkov. —-
“好啊，谢天谢地，太棒了。我为你感到高兴。我非常、非常高兴，卢什科夫。 —-

You know, in a way, you are my godson. It was I who shoved you into the right way. —-
你知道，从某种意义上说，你是我的教子。是我把你引入了正确的道路。” —-

Do you remember what a scolding I gave you, eh? —-
你还记得我当时对你的责骂吗，嗯？ —-

You almost sank through the floor that time. —-
那一次你差点陷入地板下。 —-

Well, thank you, my dear fellow, for remembering my words.”
“谢谢你，亲爱的朋友，还记得我的话。”

“Thank you too,” said Lushkov. “If I had not come to you that day, maybe I should be calling myself a schoolmaster or a student still. —-
“也谢谢你，”卢什科夫说。“如果当时我没有来找你，也许现在我还只能自称为教师或学生。 —-

Yes, in your house I was saved, and climbed out of the pit.”
是的，在你的家里我得救了，从深渊里爬了出来。”

“I am very, very glad.”
“我非常非常高兴。”

“Thank you for your kind words and deeds. What you said that day was excellent. —-
“谢谢你的亲切言辞和行动。你当天说的话很精彩。 —-

I am grateful to you and to your cook, God bless that kind, noble-hearted woman. —-
我对你和你的厨师心怀感激，愿上帝保佑那位慈善、高尚的女士。 —-

What you said that day was excellent; I am indebted to you as long as I live, of course, but it was your cook, Olga, who really saved me.”
你当天说的话很精彩；我当然感激你一辈子，但是真正救了我的是你的厨师奥尔加。”

“How was that?”
“是怎么回事？”

“Why, it was like this. I used to come to you to chop wood and she would begin: —-
“是这样的。以前我常去你那里劈柴，她就开始： —-

‘Ah, you drunkard! You God-forsaken man! And yet death does not take you! —-
‘啊，你这个酒鬼！你这个被上帝遗弃的人！然而死神却没有带走你！ —-

’ and then she would sit opposite me, lamenting, looking into my face and wailing: —-
’然后她会坐在我对面，哀怨地看着我的脸，哀嚎着： —-

‘You unlucky fellow! You have no gladness in this world, and in the next you will burn in hell, poor drunkard! —-
‘你这个倒霉蛋！你在这个世界上没有一点快乐，在下一个世界上你将在地狱中燃烧，可怜的酒鬼！ —-

You poor sorrowful creature!’ and she always went on in that style, you know. —-
你这个可怜的可悲之人！’她总是那样继续下去，你知道的。” —-

How often she upset herself, and how many tears she shed over me I can’t tell you. —-
她有多经常自己难过，以及因我而流下多少眼泪，我无法告诉你。 —-

But what affected me most—she chopped the wood for me! —-
但最让我感动的是，她替我劈柴！ —-

Do you know, sir, I never chopped a single log for you—she did it all! —-
先生，你知道吗，我从不为你劈过一根柴，全部都是她做的！ —-

How it was she saved me, how it was I changed, looking at her, and gave up drinking, I can’t explain. —-
她是如何救了我，我又是如何因她而改变，戒酒了，我无法解释。 —-

I only know that what she said and the noble way she behaved brought about a change in my soul, and I shall never forget it. —-
我只知道她说的话和她高尚的行为改变了我的灵魂，我永远不会忘记。 —-

It’s time to go up, though, they are just going to ring the bell.”
是时候上去了，虽然他们正要敲钟。

Lushkov bowed and went off to the gallery.
卢什科夫鞠躬离开去了画廊。