The very corpulence and middle-age of Tchichikoff are calculated to injure him from the very outset: corpulence is unpardonable in a hero, and many fair ladies will turn away in disgust, and say, "Fie! how ugly, how very uninteresting!" Alas5! all this is but too well known to the author, for the more he has looked about him, the more he has found it the case that perfect heroes are the only ones that meet with success in this world.
On glancing at all the productions of foreign genius, he has never met with any but fair and perfect heroes and heroines, and even in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" he was astonished at finding none but youthful, fair, and virtuous6 sufferers.
These, then, are the characters that have met, and still seem to meet with unbounded success in the reading world, though they have been, in our humble7 opinion, hunted down as it were with a Russian knout, ever since romance became fashionable. Our task, as a Russian author, is a very difficult one indeed, and especially so at the present moment; and unless we can lay before our reader something unmistakeably original, we ought not to have ventured on it. However, trusting in indulgence, and boldly asserting that the perfect and virtuous heroes are completely used up, we beg to introduce an imposing8 hero.
Dark and humble is the origin of our friend Tchichikoff. His parents he knew belonged to a lower degree of nobility, but whether of hereditary9 or acquired rank, he was profoundly ignorant; there was no family resemblance between them; at least, such was the opinion of a near relative of his mother's, a woman who was present at his birth. She exclaimed, as she took the new born babe in her arms, "He has not at all turned out what I expected he would be! He ought at least to have resembled his mother," which would have been even better, but he was born simply as the proverb says, "not like his father nor like his mother, but like a passing stranger."
His early life presented but acid-tasteing incidents and recollections, as if regarded through a pane10 of glass frozen over and covered with snow; he had no friend, no play companion in his early youth. He greeted the world in a country-house with low windows, which were never opened either in winter or summer; his father was a sickly-looking man, who wore a long kaftan or surtout, felt shoes on his bare feet, kept continually heaving deep sighs, walked up and down his room with evident preoccupation, and used to spit frequently into a spittoon standing11 in a corner; he also sat often uninterruptedly upon a wooden chair before a table with a pen in his hand and some ink on his fingers, and even upon his lips, his eyes fatigued12 by eternal copyings.
"Never tell a falsehood, fear God and pray for the Emperor, respect your superiors and cherish your benefactors," were the sentences and exhortations13 to which our hero had to listen while still a child and incapable14 of judging their importance; the continual and uniform noise of his father's feet dad in their felt shoes, and dragging across the floor, accompanied by the well-known but harsh voice of his parent, saying, "You are noisy again, you little rogue15!" This is the triste picture of his early childhood, of which he had now scarcely preserved a faint recollection.
But in life all changes unexpectedly; on a fine and sunshiny morning in the spring, when snow had disappeared from the fields and the roads, the father took his son and seated himself with him in a modest telega, drawn16 by a small horse of the race called 'the hawk17' by Russian horse dealers18; this open equipage was guided by a little hunchbacked coachman, the only representative of his family and the only serf Tchichikoff's father possessed19, as he was also the only servant to do all the work in his master's house. This hawk-race horse dragged them along the high road for more than two days and a half; they slept on the road, crossed the brooks20 and rivers, fed on cold fish pies and roast mutton, and arrived only late on the third day in the small town of Bobruisk, their destination.
Before the eyes of the little boy, glittered in unexpected magnificence the houses, shops, and streets of the little town, and so much was he at first bewildered by what he saw that he involuntarily opened his mouth widely, and kept it so for some time. His ecstacy was, however, interrupted by the quadruped hawk, falling with the telega into a deep hole, which was the entrance into a narrow lane, which led, as they advanced, down a steep declivity21 and was buried in mud on either side; for a long time the poor hawk-horse kept exerting itself and kicking about on all fours, assisted by both the hunchbacked coachman and the master himself, until at last the strength of all three combined brought the vehicle out of the hole, and before a small modest-looking house, with two scrubby poplars before and a small insignificant22 garden behind.
This house was inhabited by a relation of Tchichikoff's mother, an old trembling woman much advanced in years, and who, notwithstanding her age, went every morning to market, and on her return from there, used to dry her wet stockings by holding them up and close to the samovar! When she beheld24 the little boy, she took him on her knees, clapped his rosy25 cheeks with both her hands, and seemed exceedingly pleased with his childish corpulence. With this original and affectionate woman he was to remain for the future, and go daily to the parish-school of the town of Bobruisk.
After passing the night with them, his father left them the next morning and started at once on his road home again. At their separation no tears flowed from the parental26 eyes, but he presented his son with half a rouble, a few caresses27 and what is more valuable still, with the following exhortations:
"Now then my boy, Pavluschka, study and learn, do not be foolish nor become a good-for-nothing boy, but try as much as possible to please and always obey your masters. If you obey your superiors; then, whether you have been successful or not in your studies, if Providence28 refuses you natural talents, you will still be able to get on in the world and go-ahead, even before all others. Have little or nothing to do with gay companions, they will teach you nothing good; but if you cannot avoid making acquaintances, then he upon friendly terms only with those richer than yourself, for they might be later of use to you by their influence. Do not drink or play foolish tricks by standing treat, but conduct yourself in such a manner that others may treat and compliment you. Above all, be careful and economic and spare and gather up all your pence, for money is the most influential29 thing in this world. Your friends and gay companions will be the first to betray and desert you in case of need, but the money you have saved will never betray you in whatever circumstances you may find yourself placed. You can do much and succeed in everything in this world provided you have money."
After concluding his instructions and advice, the father parted with his son, took his seat on his telega, and the quadruped-hawk trotted30 along the high road towards home, and from that time the lowly little boy never saw his fond parent again; but his parting words and advice remained deeply impressed in his innocent soul.
Young Pavluschka went to school, immediately, on the following day. Any particular talent, for any particular science, was not observable in the boy; he distinguished31 himself more by assiduous application and orderly behaviour: but his want of talent, was counterbalanced by a mind full of practical wisdom. He at once understood and appreciated his peculiar32 position, and behaved in regard to his companions in such a manner, that they not only treated him always, but even gave him an excellent opportunity to reserve the greatest portion of the sweet-meats and knick-knacks, to sell at a later date, on very advantageous33 terms, to the very donors34. Whilst still a child, he possessed sufficient strength of mind to refuse himself, and abstain35 from everything. Of the half-rouble given to him on the departure of his father, he had not spent a single copek, on the contrary, at the end of the year the sum at his disposal had increased considerably36, showing nearly an incredible result of his carefulness and speculative37 mind. He commenced his speculation38 by making an hussar on horseback, out of wax, and sold him uncommonly39 advantageously. After this, his first success, he ventured sometime later into a variety of other speculations40; such as buying honey-cakes in the marketplace, which he took with him to school and seated himself near those of his school-fellows, who were the richest, and as soon as he saw them moving about on their forms, with evident uneasiness, he took it for granted that his friend felt the pang41 of hunger, and immediately passed him under the bench a honey-cake or a copek-loaf, for which the other was but too glad to pay him at once, in order to satisfy the cravings of his boyish appetite.
He passed nearly two months at home devoting all his time and attention to the education of a mouse, for which he had made with his own little hands a wooden cage, and at last he had succeeded so far as to make the little animal sit up on its hind23 legs, lie down and get up again when commanded, and ultimately sold it very advantageously indeed. When he had economised about five roubles, he got himself a small bag, which he had sown himself, put the round sum of five into it, tied the bag up, and began to collect his rising capital in another.
As regards his conduct towards his teacher, he behaved himself, if possible, with even more wisdom. It must be observed that the master of that school was extraordinarily42 fond of quietude and good conduct, and could not bear the sight of intelligent and lively boys; he imagined that they would infallibly laugh at him. It was sufficient for any of the more intelligent boys to show their talent or make the master guess that they possessed some, even if it was betrayed by a slight movement with the eye-brows, it would have been sufficient to attract upon them his anger and resentment43. He would persecute44 and punish the intelligent boy with unrelenting severity.
"'Twill cure you of your pretentions and want of respect, you saucy45 boy, and bring you back to your right senses; I'll make you kneel down—you shall have a day's fasting!" And the poor boy, not able to account for his punishment, had to kneel down and fast nearly every day.
"Disposition46 and talent! all that is stuff and nonsense!" he used to say: "I only look at your conduct. I will give any boy good marks for all sciences, no matter whether he know even the alpha of it, provided his conduct is good and praiseworthy; but wherever I observe a spirit of insubordination and inclination47 to ridicule48, I'll give that boy a nought49, whether he be talented enough to put a Solomon in his pocket!"
Thus spoke50 the master in the public school of Bobruisk, to his pupils, no doubt because he had himself been brought up in an establishment where the silent system was carried to such a perfection that a fly would have been heard flying across the school-room; where not one of the scholars in the course of the whole year had had ever any occasion to cough or blow his nose, and when not even the slightest noise ever betrayed that there were any scholars assembled.
Tchichikoff was also successful herein, and at once understood the animus51 of his school-master, and in what his general conduct towards him ought to consist. He never winked52 once, nor did he raise his eye-brows during the whole time the school hours lasted, however mischievously53 his school-fellows pinched and annoyed him; scarcely had he heard the bell ring as a sign for their dismissal, when he rushed forward before anyone else could have a chance, to hand his master his three-cornered headdress; when he had shown him this attention, he generally hastened to leave the school immediately, and always managed so well, as to meet his master at least three times on his road home, in order to have an opportunity to salute54 him, and take his cap off in the most respectful manner.
His man?uvres with his school-master were crowned with complete success. During the whole time of his being at the school, he always received the best marks, and on leaving it he was dismissed with the most flattering testimonials, and presented with a book with gold edges, and the following inscription55 in gold letters: "For praiseworthy application, and meritorious56 conduct."
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1
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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corporeal
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| adj.肉体的，身体的；物质的 | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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5
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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6
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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7
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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8
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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exhortations
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| n.敦促( exhortation的名词复数 )；极力推荐；（正式的）演讲；（宗教仪式中的）劝诫 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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18
dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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parental
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| adj.父母的；父的；母的 | |
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caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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29
influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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30
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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31
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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32
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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donors
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| n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者 | |
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35
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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36
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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39
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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40
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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41
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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42
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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43
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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44
persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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45
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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46
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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47
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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48
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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49
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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50
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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51
animus
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| n.恶意；意图 | |
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52
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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53
mischievously
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| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
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54
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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55
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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56
meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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