Bersenyev followed him to his attic1. He was surprised to see a number of studies, statuettes, and busts2, covered with damp cloths, set about in all the corners of the room.
‘Well I see you have been at work in earnest,’ he observed to Shubin.
‘One must do something,’ he answered. ‘If one thing doesn’t do, one must try another. However, like a true Corsican, I am more concerned with revenge than with pure art. Trema, Bisanzia!’
‘I don’t understand you,’ said Bersenyev.
‘Well, wait a minute. Deign4 to look this way, gracious friend and benefactor5, my vengeance6 number one.’
Shubin uncovered one figure, and Bersenyev saw a capital bust3 of Insarov, an excellent likeness7. The features of the face had been correctly caught by Shubin to the minutest detail, and he had given him a fine expression, honest, generous, and bold.
Bersenyev went into raptures8 over it.
‘That’s simply exquisite9!’ he cried. ‘I congratulate you. You must send it to the exhibition! Why do you call that magnificent work your vengeance?’
‘Because, sir, I intended to offer this magnificent work as you call it to Elena Nikolaevna on her name day. Do you see the allegory? We are not blind, we see what goes on about us, but we are gentlemen, my dear sir, and we take our revenge like gentlemen. . . . But here,’ added Shubin, uncovering another figure, ‘as the artist according to modern aesthetic10 principles enjoys the enviable privilege of embodying11 in himself every sort of baseness which he can turn into a gem12 of creative art, we in the production of this gem, number two, have taken vengeance not as gentlemen, but simply en canaille’
He deftly13 drew off the cloth, and displayed to Bersenyev’s eyes a statuette in Dantan’s style, also of Insarov. Anything cleverer and more spiteful could not be imagined. The young Bulgarian was represented as a ram14 standing15 on his hind-legs, butting16 forward with his horns. Dull solemnity and aggressiveness, obstinacy17, clumsiness and narrowness were simply printed on the visage of the ‘sire of the woolly flock,’ and yet the likeness to Insarov was so striking that Bersenyev could not help laughing.
‘Eh? is it amusing?’ said Shubin. ‘Do you recognise the hero? Do you advise me to send it too to the exhibition? That, my dear fellow, I intend as a present for myself on my own name day. . . . Your honour will permit me to play the fool.’
And Shubin gave three little leaps, kicking himself behind with his heels.
Bersenyev picked up the cloth off the floor — and threw it over the statuette.
‘Ah, you, magnanimous’— began Shubin. ‘Who the devil was it in history was so particularly magnanimous? Well, never mind! And now,’ he continued, with melancholy18 triumph, uncovering a third rather large mass of clay, ‘you shall behold19 something which will show you the humility20 and discernment of your friend. You will realise that he, like a true artist again, feels the need and the use of self-castigation. Behold!’
The cloth was lifted and Bersenyev saw two heads, modelled side by side and close as though growing together. . . . He did not at once know what was the subject, but looking closer, he recognised in one of them Annushka, in the other Shubin himself. They were, however, rather caricatures than portraits. Annushka was represented as a handsome fat girl with a low forehead, eyes lost in layers of fat, and a saucily21 turned-up nose. Her thick lips had an insolent22 curve; her whole face expressed sensuality, carelessness, and boldness, not without goodnature. Himself Shubin had modelled as a lean emaciated23 rake, with sunken cheeks, his thin hair hanging in weak wisps about his face, a meaningless expression in his dim eyes, and his nose sharp and thin as a dead man’s.
Bersenyev turned away with disgust. ‘A nice pair, aren’t they, my dear fellow?’ said Shubin; ‘won’t you graciously compose a suitable title? For the first two I have already thought of titles. On the bust shall be inscribed24: “A hero resolving to liberate25 his country.” On the statuette: “Look out, sausage-eating Germans!” And for this work what do you think of “The future of the artist Pavel Yakovlitch Shubin?” Will that do?’
‘Leave off,’ replied Bersenyev. ‘Was it worth while to waste your time on such a ——’ He could not at once fix on a suitable word.
‘Disgusting thing, you mean? No, my dear fellow, excuse me, if anything ought to go to the exhibition, it’s that group.’
‘It’s simply disgusting,’ repeated Bersenyev. ‘And besides, it’s nonsense. You have absolutely no such degrading tendencies to which, unhappily, our artists have such a frequent bent26. You have simply libelled yourself.’
‘Do you think so?’ said Shubin gloomily. ‘I have none of them, and if they come upon me, the fault is all one person’s. Do you know,’ he added, tragically27 knitting his brows, ‘that I have been trying drinking?’
‘Nonsense?’
‘Yes, I have, by God,’ rejoined Shubin; and suddenly grinning and brightening — ‘but I didn’t like it, my dear boy, the stuff sticks in my throat, and my head afterwards is a perfect drum. The great Lushtchihin himself — Harlampy Lushtchihin — the greatest drunkard in Moscow, and a Great Russian drunkard too, declared there was nothing to be made of me. In his words, the bottle does not speak to me.’
Bersenyev was just going to knock the group over but Shubin stopped him.
‘That’ll do, my dear boy, don’t smash it; it will serve as a lesson, a scare-crow.’
Bersenyev laughed.
‘If that’s what it is, I will spare your scarecrow then,’ he said. And now, ‘Long live eternal true art!’
‘Long live true art!’ put in Shubin. ‘By art the good is better and the bad is not all loss!’
The friends shook hands warmly and parted.
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1
attic
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| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
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busts
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| 半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕 | |
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bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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4
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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6
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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7
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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8
raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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10
aesthetic
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| adj.美学的，审美的，有美感 | |
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embodying
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| v.表现( embody的现在分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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12
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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15
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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16
butting
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| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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19
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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21
saucily
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| adv.傲慢地，莽撞地 | |
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22
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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23
emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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24
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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25
liberate
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| v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由 | |
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26
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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tragically
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| adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地 | |
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