The town of X. to which our friends set off was under the jurisdiction1 of a governor, who was still a young man, and who was at once progressive and despotic, as so often happens with Russians. Before the end of the first year of his governorship, he had managed to quarrel not only with the marshal of nobility, a retired2 guards-officer, who kept open house and a stud of horses, but even with his own subordinates. The resulting feuds3 at length grew to such proportions that the ministry4 in Petersburg found it necessary to send a trusted official with a commission to investigate everything on the spot. The choice of the authorities fell on Matvei Ilyich Kolyazin, the son of that Kolyazin under whose protection the brothers Kirsanov had been when they were students in Petersburg. He was also a “young man,” that is to say, he was only just over forty, but he was well on the way to becoming a statesman and already wore two stars on his breast — admittedly, one of them was a foreign star and not of the first magnitude. Like the governor, upon whom he had come to pass judgment5, he was considered a “progressive,” and though he was already a bigwig he was not altogether like the majority of bigwigs. Of himself he had the highest opinion, his vanity knew no bounds, but his manners were simple, he had a friendly face, he listened indulgently and laughed so good-naturedly that on first acquaintance he might even have been taken for “a jolly good fellow.” On important occasions, however, he knew, so to speak, how to make his authority felt. “Energy is essential,” he used to say then; “l’energie est la première qualité d’un homme d’état“ yet in spite of all that, he was habitually6 cheated, and any thoroughly7 experienced official could twist him round his finger. Matvei Ilyich used to speak with great respect about Guizot, and tried to impress everyone with the idea that he did not belong to the class of routine officials and old-fashioned bureaucrats8, that not a single phenomenon of social life escaped his attention . . . He was quite at home with phrases of the latter kind. He even followed (with a certain casual condescension9, it is true) the development of contemporary literature — as a grown-up man who meets a crowd of street urchins10 will sometimes join them out of curiosity. In reality, Matvei Ilyich had not got much further than those politicians of the time of Alexander I, who used to prepare for an evening party at Madame Svyechin’s by reading a page of Condillac; only his methods were different and more modern. He was a skillful courtier, and extremely cunning hypocrite, and little more; he had no aptitude11 for handling public affairs, and his intellect was scanty12, but he knew how to manage his own affairs successfully; no one could get the better of him there, and of course, that is a most important thing.
Matvei Ilyich received Arkady with the amiability13, or should we say playfulness, characteristic of the enlightened higher official. He was astonished, however, when he heard that both the cousins he had invited had stayed at home in the country. “Your father was always a queer fellow,” he remarked, playing with the tassels14 of his magnificent velvet15 dressing16 gown, and turning suddenly to a young official in a faultlessly buttoned-up uniform, he shouted with an air of concern, “What?” The young man, whose lips were almost glued together from prolonged silence, came forward and looked in perplexity at his chief . . . But having embarrassed his subordinate, Matvei Ilyich paid him no further attention. Our higher officials are fond of upsetting their subordinates, and they resort to quite varied17 means of achieving that end. The following method, among others, is often used, “is quite a favorite,” as the English say: a high official suddenly ceases to understand the simplest words and pretends to be deaf; he asks, for instance, what day of the week it is.
He is respectfully informed, “Today’s Friday, your Excellency.”
“Eh? What? What’s that? What do you say?” the great man repeats with strained attention.
“Today’s Friday, your Excellency.”
“Eh? What? What’s Friday? What Friday?”
“Friday, your Excellency, the day of the week.”
“What, are you presuming to teach me something?”
Matvei Ilyich remained a higher official, though he considered himself a liberal.
“I advise you, my dear boy, to go and call on the governor,” he said to Arkady. “You understand I don’t advise you to do so on account of any old-fashioned ideas about the necessity of paying respect to the authorities, but simply because the governor is a decent fellow; besides, you probably want to get to know the society here . . . You’re not a bear, I hope? And he’s giving a large ball the day after tomorrow.”
“Will you be at the ball?” inquired Arkady.
“He gives it in my honor,” answered Matvei Ilyich, almost pityingly. “Do you dance?”
“Yes, I dance, but not well.”
“That’s a pity! There are pretty women here, and it’s a shame for a young man not to dance. Of course I don’t say that because of any old conventions; I would never suggest that a man’s wit lies in his feet, but Byronism has become ridiculous — il a fait son temps.”
“But, uncle, it’s not because of Byronism that I don’t . . .”
“I’ll introduce you to some of the local ladies and take you under my wing,” interrupted Matvei Ilyich, and he laughed a self-satisfied laugh. “You’ll find it warm, eh?”
A servant entered and announced the arrival of the superintendent18 of government institutions, an old man with tender eyes and deep lines round his mouth, who was extremely fond of nature, especially on summer days, when, to use his words, every little busy bee takes a little bribe19 from every little flower.” Arkady withdrew.
He found Bazarov at the inn where they were staying, and took a long time to persuade him to accompany him to the governor’s.
“Well, it can’t be helped,” said Bazarov at last. “It’s no good doing things by halves. We came to look at the landowners, so let us look at them!”
The governor received the young men affably, but he did not ask them to sit down, nor did he sit down himself. He was perpetually fussing and hurrying; every morning he put on a tight uniform and an extremely stiff cravat20; he never ate or drank enough; he could never stop making arrangements. He invited Kirsanov and Bazarov to his ball, and within a few minutes he invited them a second time, taking them for brothers and calling them Kisarov.
They were on their way back from the governor’s, when suddenly a short man in Slav national dress jumped out of a passing carriage and crying “Evgeny Vassilich,” rushed up to Bazarov.
“Ah, it’s you, Herr Sitnikov,” remarked Bazarov, still walking along the pavement. “What chance brought you here?”
“Just fancy, quite by accident,” the man replied, and returning to the carriage, he waved his arms several times and shouted, “Follow, follow us! My father had business here,” he went on, jumping across the gutter21, “and so he asked me to come . . . I heard today you had arrived and have already been to visit you.” (In fact on returning home the friends did find there a card with the corners turned down, bearing the name Sitnikov, in French on one side, and in Slavonic characters on the other.) “I hope you are not coming from the governor’s.”
“It’s no use hoping. We’ve come straight from him.”
“Ah, in that case I will call on him, too . . . Evgeny Vassilich, introduce me to your . . . to the . . . .”
“Sitnikov, Kirsanov,” mumbled22 Bazarov, without stopping.
“I am much honored,” began Sitnikov, stepping sideways, smirking23 and pulling off his overelegant gloves. “I have heard so much . . . I am an old acquaintance of Evgeny Vassilich and I may say — his disciple24. I owe to him my regeneration . . . ”
Arkady looked at Bazarov’s disciple. There was an expression of excited stupidity in the small but agreeable features of his well-groomed face; his little eyes, which looked permanently25 surprised, had a staring uneasy look, his laugh, too, was uneasy — an abrupt26 wooden laugh.
“Would you believe it,” he continued, “when Evgeny Vassilich for the first time said before me that we should acknowledge no authorities, I felt such enthusiasm . . . my eyes were opened! By the way, Evgeny Vassilich, you simply must get to know a lady here who is really capable of understanding you and for whom your visit would be a real treat; you may have heard of her?”
“Who is it?” grunted27 Bazarov unwillingly28.
“Kukshina, Eudoxie, Evdoksya Kukshina. She’s a remarkable29 nature,émancipeé in the true sense of the word, an advanced woman. Do you know what? Let us all go and visit her now. She lives only two steps from here . . . We will have lunch there. I suppose you have not lunched yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“Well, that’s splendid. She has separated, you understand, from her husband; she is not dependent on anyone.”
“Is she pretty?” Bazarov broke in.
“N— no, one couldn’t say that.”
“Then what the devil are you asking us to see her for?”
“Ha! You must have your joke . . . she will give us a bottle of champagne30.”
“So that’s it. The practical man shows himself at once. By the way, is your father still in the vodka business?”
“Yes,” said Sitnikov hurriedly and burst into a shrill31 laugh. “Well, shall we go?”
“You wanted to meet people, go along,” said Arkady in an undertone.
“And what do you say about it, Mr. Kirsanov?” interposed Sitnikov. “You must come too — we can’t go without you.”
“But how can we burst in upon her all at once?”
“Never mind about that. Kukshina is a good sort!”
“Will there be a bottle of champagne?” asked Bazarov.
“Three!” cried Sitnikov, “I’ll answer for that.”
“What with?”
“My own head.”
“Better with your father’s purse. However, we’ll come along.”
收听单词发音 |
1
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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feuds
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| n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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6
habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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7
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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8
bureaucrats
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| n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言 | |
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condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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urchins
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| n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆 | |
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aptitude
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| n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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tassels
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| n.穗( tassel的名词复数 )；流苏状物；（植物的）穗；玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰 | |
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15
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
smirking
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| v.傻笑( smirk的现在分词 ) | |
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24
disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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27
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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28
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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29
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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30
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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31
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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