Anna, in that first period of her emancipation1 and rapid return to health, felt herself unpardonably happy and full of the joy of life. The thought of her husband's unhappiness did not poison her happiness. On one side that memory was too awful to be thought of. On the other side her husband's unhappiness had given her too much happiness to be regretted. The memory of all that had happened after her illness: her reconciliation2 with her husband, its breakdown3, the news of Vronsky's wound, his visit, the preparations for divorce, the departure from her husband's house, the parting from her son--all that seemed to her like a delirious4 dream, from which she had waked up alone with Vronsky abroad. The thought of the harm caused to her husband aroused in her a feeling like repulsion, and akin5 to what a drowning man might feel who has shaken off another man clinging to him. That man did drown. It was an evil action, of course, but it was the sole means of escape, and better not to brood over these fearful facts.
One consolatory6 reflection upon her conduct had occurred to her at the first moment of the final rupture7, and when now she recalled all the past, she remembered that one reflection. "I have inevitably8 made that man wretched," she thought; "but I don't want to profit by his misery9. I too am suffering, and shall suffer; I am losing what I prized above everything--I am losing my good name and my son. I have done wrong, and so I don't want happiness, I don't want a divorce, and shall suffer from my shame and the separation from my child." But, however sincerely Anna had meant to suffer, she was not suffering. Shame there was not. With the tact10 of which both had such a large share, they had succeeded in avoiding Russian ladies abroad, and so had never placed themselves in a false position, and everywhere they had met people who pretended that they perfectly11 understood their position, far better indeed than they did themselves. Separation from the son she loved--even that did not cause her anguish12 in these early days. The baby girl--HIS child--was so sweet, and had so won Anna's heart, since she was all that was left her, that Anna rarely thought of her son.
The desire for life, waxing stronger with recovered health, was so intense, and the conditions of life were so new and pleasant, that Anna felt unpardonably happy. The more she got to know Vronsky, the more she loved him. She loved him for himself, and for his love for her. Her complete ownership of him was a continual joy to her. His presence was always sweet to her. All the traits of his character, which she learned to know better and better, were unutterably dear to her. His appearance, changed by his civilian13 dress, was as fascinating to her as though she were some young girl in love. In everything he said, thought, and did, she saw something particularly noble and elevated. Her adoration14 of him alarmed her indeed; she sought and could not find in him anything not fine. She dared not show him her sense of her own insignificance15 beside him. It seemed to her that, knowing this, he might sooner cease to love her; and she dreaded16 nothing now so much as losing his love, though she had no grounds for fearing it. But she could not help being grateful to him for his attitude to her, and showing that she appreciated it. He, who had in her opinion such a marked aptitude17 for a political career, in which he would have been certain to play a leading part--he had sacrificed his ambition for her sake, and never betrayed the slightest regret. He was more lovingly respectful to her than ever, and the constant care that she should not feel the awkwardness of her position never deserted18 him for a single instant. He, so manly19 a man, never opposed her, had indeed, with her, no will of his own, and was anxious, it seemed, for nothing but to anticipate her wishes. And she could not but appreciate this, even though the very intensity20 of his solicitude21 for her, the atmosphere of care with which he surrounded her, sometimes weighed upon her.
Vronsky, meanwhile, in spite of the complete realization22 of what he had so long desired, was not perfectly happy. He soon felt that the realization of his desires gave him no more than a grain of sand out of the mountain of happiness he had expected. It showed him the mistake men make in picturing to themselves happiness as the realization of their desires. For a time after joining his life to hers, and putting on civilian dress, he had felt all the delight of freedom in general of which he had known nothing before, and of freedom in his love,--and he was content, but not for long. He was soon aware that there was springing up in his heart a desire for desires--ennui. Without conscious intention he began to clutch at every passing caprice, taking it for a desire and an object. Sixteen hours of the day must be occupied in some way, since they were living abroad in complete freedom, outside the conditions of social life which filled up time in Petersburg. As for the amusements of bachelor existence, which had provided Vronsky with entertainment on previous tours abroad, they could not be thought of, since the sole attempt of the sort had led to a sudden attack of depression in Anna, quite out of proportion with the cause--a late supper with bachelor friends. Relations with the society of the place--foreign and Russian--were equally out of the question owing to the irregularity of their position. The inspection23 of objects of interest, apart from the fact that everything had been seen already, had not for Vronsky, a Russian and a sensible man, the immense significance Englishmen are able to attach to that pursuit.
And just as the hungry stomach eagerly accepts every object it can get, hoping to find nourishment24 in it, Vronsky quite unconsciously clutched first at politics, then at new books, and then at pictures.
As he had from a child a taste for painting, and as, not knowing what to spend his money on, he had begun collecting engravings, he came to a stop at painting, began to take interest in it, and concentrated upon it the unoccupied mass of desires which demanded satisfaction.
He had a ready appreciation25 of art, and probably, with a taste for imitating art, he supposed himself to have the real thing essential for an artist, and after hesitating for some time which style of painting to select--religious, historical, realistic, or genre26 painting--he set to work to paint. He appreciated all kinds, and could have felt inspired by any one of them; but he had no conception of the possibility of knowing nothing at all of any school of painting, and of being inspired directly by what is within the soul, without caring whether what is painted will belong to any recognized school. Since he knew nothing of this, and drew his inspiration, not directly from life, but indirectly27 from life embodied28 in art, his inspiration came very quickly and easily, and as quickly and easily came his success in painting something very similar to the sort of painting he was trying to imitate.
More than any other style he liked the French--graceful and effective--and in that style he began to paint Anna's portrait in Italian costume, and the portrait seemed to him, and to everyone who saw it, extremely successful.
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emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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consolatory
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| adj.慰问的，可藉慰的 | |
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rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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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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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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genre
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| n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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embodied
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| v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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