From time to time distant thunder could be heard—a circumstance which greatly increased my impatience5 to arrive at the inn where we were to spend the night. A thunderstorm always communicated to me an inexpressibly oppressive feeling of fear and gloom.
Yet we were still ten versts from the next village, and in the meanwhile the large purple cloudbank—arisen from no one knows where—was advancing steadily6 towards us. The sun, not yet obscured, was picking out its fuscous shape with dazzling light, and marking its front with grey stripes running right down to the horizon. At intervals7, vivid lightning could be seen in the distance, followed by low rumbles8 which increased steadily in volume until they merged9 into a prolonged roll which seemed to embrace the entire heavens. At length, Vassili got up and covered over the britchka, the coachman wrapped himself up in his cloak and lifted his cap to make the sign of the cross at each successive thunderclap, and the horses pricked10 up their ears and snorted as though to drink in the fresh air which the flying clouds were outdistancing. The britchka began to roll more swiftly along the dusty road, and I felt uneasy, and as though the blood were coursing more quickly through my veins11. Soon the clouds had veiled the face of the sun, and though he threw a last gleam of light to the dark and terrifying horizon, he had no choice but to disappear behind them.
Suddenly everything around us seemed changed, and assumed a gloomy aspect. A wood of aspen trees which we were passing seemed to be all in a tremble, with its leaves showing white against the dark lilac background of the clouds, murmuring together in an agitated12 manner. The tops of the larger trees began to bend to and fro, and dried leaves and grass to whirl about in eddies13 over the road. Swallows and white-breasted swifts came darting14 around the britchka and even passing in front of the forelegs of the horses. While rooks, despite their outstretched wings, were laid, as it were, on their keels by the wind. Finally, the leather apron15 which covered us began to flutter about and to beat against the sides of the conveyance16.
The lightning flashed right into the britchka as, cleaving17 the obscurity for a second, it lit up the grey cloth and silk galloon of the lining18 and Woloda’s figure pressed back into a corner.
Next came a terrible sound which, rising higher and higher, and spreading further and further, increased until it reached its climax19 in a deafening20 thunderclap which made us tremble and hold our breaths. “The wrath21 of God”—what poetry there is in that simple popular conception!
The pace of the vehicle was continually increasing, and from Philip’s and Vassili’s backs (the former was tugging22 furiously at the reins23) I could see that they too were alarmed.
Bowling rapidly down an incline, the britchka cannoned24 violently against a wooden bridge at the bottom. I dared not stir and expected destruction every moment.
Crack! A trace had given way, and, in spite of the ceaseless, deafening thunderclaps, we had to pull up on the bridge.
Leaning my head despairingly against the side of the britchka, I followed with a beating heart the movements of Philip’s great black fingers as he tied up the broken trace and, with hands and the butt-end of the whip, pushed the harness vigorously back into its place.
My sense of terror was increasing with the violence of the thunder. Indeed, at the moment of supreme25 silence which generally precedes the greatest intensity26 of a storm, it mounted to such a height that I felt as though another quarter of an hour of this emotion would kill me.
Just then there appeared from beneath the bridge a human being who, clad in a torn, filthy27 smock, and supported on a pair of thin shanks bare of muscles, thrust an idiotic28 face, a tremulous, bare, shaven head, and a pair of red, shining stumps29 in place of hands into the britchka.
“M-my lord! A copeck for—for God’s sake!” groaned30 a feeble voice as at each word the wretched being made the sign of the cross and bowed himself to the ground.
I cannot describe the chill feeling of horror which penetrated31 my heart at that moment. A shudder32 crept through all my hair, and my eyes stared in vacant terror at the outcast.
Vassili, who was charged with the apportioning33 of alms during the journey, was busy helping34 Philip, and only when everything had been put straight and Philip had resumed the reins again had he time to look for his purse. Hardly had the britchka begun to move when a blinding flash filled the welkin with a blaze of light which brought the horses to their haunches. Then, the flash was followed by such an ear-splitting roar that the very vault35 of heaven seemed to be descending36 upon our heads. The wind blew harder than ever, and Vassili’s cloak, the manes and tails of the horses, and the carriage-apron were all slanted37 in one direction as they waved furiously in the violent blast.
Presently, upon the britchka’s top there fell some large drops of rain—“one, two, three:” then suddenly, and as though a roll of drums were being beaten over our heads, the whole countryside resounded38 with the clatter39 of the deluge40.
From Vassili’s movements, I could see that he had now got his purse open, and that the poor outcast was still bowing and making the sign of the cross as he ran beside the wheels of the vehicle, at the imminent41 risk of being run over, and reiterated42 from time to time his plea, “For-for God’s sake!” At last a copeck rolled upon the ground, and the miserable43 creature—his mutilated arms, with their sleeves wet through and through, held out before him—stopped perplexed44 in the roadway and vanished from my sight.
The heavy rain, driven before the tempestuous45 wind, poured down in pailfuls and, dripping from Vassili’s thick cloak, formed a series of pools on the apron. The dust became changed to a paste which clung to the wheels, and the ruts became transformed into muddy rivulets46.
At last, however, the lightning grew paler and more diffuse47, and the thunderclaps lost some of their terror amid the monotonous48 rattling49 of the downpour. Then the rain also abated50, and the clouds began to disperse3. In the region of the sun, a lightness appeared, and between the white-grey clouds could be caught glimpses of an azure51 sky.
Finally, a dazzling ray shot across the pools on the road, shot through the threads of rain—now falling thin and straight, as from a sieve—, and fell upon the fresh leaves and blades of grass. The great cloud was still louring black and threatening on the far horizon, but I no longer felt afraid of it—I felt only an inexpressibly pleasant hopefulness in proportion, as trust in life replaced the late burden of fear. Indeed, my heart was smiling like that of refreshed, revivified Nature herself.
Vassili took off his cloak and wrung52 the water from it. Woloda flung back the apron, and I stood up in the britchka to drink in the new, fresh, balm-laden air. In front of us was the carriage, rolling along and looking as wet and resplendent in the sunlight as though it had just been polished. On one side of the road boundless53 oatfields, intersected in places by small ravines which now showed bright with their moist earth and greenery, stretched to the far horizon like a checkered54 carpet, while on the other side of us an aspen wood, intermingled with hazel bushes, and parquetted with wild thyme in joyous55 profusion56, no longer rustled57 and trembled, but slowly dropped rich, sparkling diamonds from its newly-bathed branches on to the withered58 leaves of last year.
From above us, from every side, came the happy songs of little birds calling to one another among the dripping brushwood, while clear from the inmost depths of the wood sounded the voice of the cuckoo. So delicious was the wondrous59 scent60 of the wood, the scent which follows a thunderstorm in spring, the scent of birch-trees, violets, mushrooms, and thyme, that I could no longer remain in the britchka. Jumping out, I ran to some bushes, and, regardless of the showers of drops discharged upon me, tore off a few sprigs of thyme, and buried my face in them to smell their glorious scent.
Then, despite the mud which had got into my boots, as also the fact that my stockings were soaked, I went skipping through the puddles61 to the window of the carriage.
“Lubotshka! Katenka!” I shouted as I handed them some of the thyme, “Just look how delicious this is!”
The girls smelt62 it and cried, “A-ah!” but Mimi shrieked63 to me to go away, for fear I should be run over by the wheels.
“Oh, but smell how delicious it is!” I persisted.
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1
dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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2
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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3
disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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7
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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8
rumbles
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| 隆隆声，辘辘声( rumble的名词复数 ) | |
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9
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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eddies
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| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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14
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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15
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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17
cleaving
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| v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的现在分词 ) | |
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18
lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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20
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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21
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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23
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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24
cannoned
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| vi.与…猛撞（cannon的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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25
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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29
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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30
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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31
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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32
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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33
apportioning
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| vt.分摊，分配（apportion的现在分词形式） | |
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34
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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35
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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37
slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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38
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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39
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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40
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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41
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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42
reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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44
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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45
tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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46
rivulets
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| n.小河，小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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47
diffuse
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| v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的 | |
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48
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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49
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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50
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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51
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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52
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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53
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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54
checkered
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| adj.有方格图案的 | |
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55
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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56
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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57
rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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59
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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60
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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61
puddles
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| n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 ) | |
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62
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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63
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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