Book 6 Chapter 21

PIERRE, as one of the most honoured guests, was obliged to sit down to boston with the old count, the general, and the colonel. As he sat at the boston-table he happened to be directly facing Natasha and he was struck by the curious change that had come over her since the day of the ball. Natasha was silent, and not only was she not so pretty as she had been at the ball, she would have been positively¹ plain but for the look of gentle indifference² to everything in her face

“What is wrong with her?” Pierre wondered, glancing at her. She was sitting by her sister at the tea-table; she gave reluctant answers to Boris at her side and did not look at him. After playing all of one suit and taking five tricks to his partner's satisfaction, Pierre, having caught the sound of greetings and the steps of some one entering while he took his tricks glanced at her again.

“Why, what has happened to her?” he said to himself in still greater wonder.

Prince Andrey was standing³ before her saying something to her with an expression of guarded tenderness on his face. She, lifting her head, was looking at him, flushing crimson⁴, and visibly trying to control her breathing, which came in panting gasps⁵. And the vivid glow of some inner fire that had been quenched⁶ before was alight in her again. She was utterly⁷ transformed. From a plain girl she was once more the beautiful creature she had been at the ball.

Prince Andrey went up to Pierre, and Pierre noticed a new, youthful expression in his friend's face. Several times Pierre changed his seat during the play, sitting sometimes with his back to Natasha, sometimes facing her, and during all the six rubbers he was observing her and his friend.

“Something very serious is happening between them,” thought Pierre, and a feeling at once of gladness and of bitterness made him agitated⁸ and forgetful of the game.

After six rubbers the general got up, saying it was of no use playing like that, and Pierre was at liberty. Natasha, at one side of the room, was talking to Sonya and Boris. Vera, with a subtle smile, was saying something to Prince Andrey. Pierre went up to his friend, and, asking whether they were talking secrets, sat down beside them. Vera, noticing Prince Andrey's attention to Natasha, felt that at a soirée, at a real soirée, it was absolutely necessary there should be delicate allusions⁹ to the tender passion, and seizing an opportunity when Prince Andrey was alone, began a conversation with him upon the emotions generally, and her sister in particular. She felt that, with a guest so intellectual as she considered Prince Andrey, she must put all her diplomatic tact¹¹ into the task before her. When Pierre went up to them he noticed that Vera was in full flow of self-complacent talk, while Prince Andrey seemed embarrassed—a thing that rarely happened to him.

“What do you think?” Vera was saying with a subtle smile. “You, prince, have so much penetration¹² and see into people's characters at once. What do you think about Natalie? Is she capable of constancy in her attachments¹³? Is she capable, like other women” (Vera meant herself) “of loving a man once for all and remaining faithful to him for ever? That's what I regard as true love! What do you think, prince?”

“I know your sister too little,” answered Prince Andrey, with a sarcastic¹⁴ smile, under which he tried to conceal¹⁵ his embarrassment¹⁶, “to decide a question so delicate; and, besides, I have noticed that the less attractive a woman is, the more constant she is apt to be,” he added, and he looked at Pierre, who at that moment joined them.

“Yes, that is true, prince. In these days,” pursued Vera (talking of “these days,” as persons of limited intellect as a rule love to do, supposing they have discovered and estimated the peculiarities¹⁷ of the times and that human characteristics do change with the times), “in these days a girl has so much liberty that the pleasure of being paid attention often stifles¹⁸ these feelings in her. And Natalie, it must be confessed, is very susceptible¹⁹ on that side.”

This going back to Natasha again made Prince Andrey contract his brows disagreeably. He tried to get up, but Vera persisted with a still more subtle smile.

“Nobody, I imagine, has been so much run after as she has,” Vera went on; “but no one, until quite of late, has ever made a serious impression on her. Of course, you know, count,” she turned to Pierre, “even our charming cousin, Boris, who, entre nous, was very, very far gone in the region of the tender passion …” She intended an allusion¹⁰ to the map of love then in fashion.

Prince Andrey scowled²⁰, and was mute.

“But, of course, you are a friend of Boris's?” Vera said to him

“Yes, I know him. …”

“He has probably told you of his childish love for Natasha?”

“Oh, was there a childish love between them?” asked Prince Andrey with a sudden, unexpected flush on his face.

“Yes. You know between cousins the close intimacy²¹ often leads to love. Cousinhood is a dangerous neighbourhood. Isn't it?”

“Oh, not a doubt of it,” said Prince Andrey, and with sudden and unnatural²² liveliness, he began joking with Pierre about the necessity of his being careful with his cousins at Moscow, ladies of fifty, and in the middle of these jesting remarks he got up, and taking Pierre's arm, drew him aside.

“Well, what is it?” said Pierre, who had been watching in wonder his friend's excitement, and noticed the glance he turned upon Natasha as he got up.

“I must, I must talk to you,” said Prince Andrey. “You know that pair of women's gloves” (he referred to the masonic gloves given to a newly initiated²³ brother to be entrusted²⁴ to the woman he loved). “I … but no, I will talk to you later on. …” And with a strange light in his eyes and a restlessness in his movements, Prince Andrey approached Natasha and sat down beside her. Pierre saw that Prince Andrey asked her some question, and she answered him, flushing hotly.

But at that moment Berg approached Pierre, and insisted upon his taking part in an argument between the general and the colonel on affairs in Spain.

Berg was satisfied and happy. The smile of glee never left his face. The soirée was a great success, and exactly like other soirées he had seen. Everything was precisely²⁵ similar: the ladies' refined conversation, and the cards, and after the cards the general raising his voice and the samovar and the tea cakes; but one thing was still lacking, which he had always seen at soirées, and wished to imitate. There was still wanting the usual loud conversation between the gentlemen and discussion about some serious intellectual question. The general had started that conversation, and Berg drew Pierre into it.

皮埃尔是最受尊敬的贵宾之一，他应与伊利亚·安德烈伊奇、将军和上校坐在同一张波士顿牌桌上。在波士顿牌桌上，皮埃尔恰好坐在娜塔莎对面，自从举办舞会后，她身上发生的可怕的变化使他大为惊讶。娜塔莎沉默寡言，如果她不装出一幅温顺的、对一切事物漠不关心的样子，她非但没有在舞会上那么俊俏，而且会变得很难看了。

“她怎么样了？”皮埃尔瞥了她一眼，心中想道。她在茶桌旁坐在姐姐身边，眼睛不望他，不乐意地向挨着她坐下来的鲍里斯回答什么话。皮埃尔打出了同样花色的牌，收起五张被吃掉的牌，他的对手感到高兴，这时他听见一片寒暄和走进房里来的步履声，他又朝她瞥了一眼。

“她出了什么事呢？”他愈益惊奇地自言自语。

安德烈公爵现出关怀备至的、温柔的表情站在她面前，对她说着什么话。她抬起头来望着他，满面通红，显然她力图抑制急促的呼吸。从前业已熄灭的她的内心的火焰，又复放射出明亮的光彩。她完全变样了。她又从那难看的模样变得像她在舞会上那样俊俏了。

安德烈公爵走到皮埃尔跟前，皮埃尔发现他朋友脸上重新流露出充满青春活力的表情。

在打纸牌的时候，皮埃尔接连有几次改变坐位，他时而把背对着娜塔莎，时而把脸对着她，在打六圈牌的当儿，他不断地观察她和他自己的朋友。

“他们之间在发生什么很重大的事。”皮埃尔想道，又喜又悲的感情使他激动不安，快要忘记打牌了。

打完六圈牌，将军站起来说，这样玩下去令人受不了。于是皮埃尔就有了片刻的空闲时间。娜塔莎在一旁和索尼娅、鲍里斯谈话。薇拉带着含蓄的微笑跟安德烈公爵谈着什么话。皮埃尔走到自己的朋友跟前，问他谈论的是否是秘密，然后在他们近旁坐下。薇拉发现安德烈公爵注意娜塔莎，她认为，在晚会上，在真正的晚会上，对爱情的微妙的暗示是不可或缺的，当安德烈公爵独自一人呆在那里的时候，她抽出一会儿工夫，开始同他谈论一般的爱情，以及她妹妹的情形。她觉得对这样一个聪明的（她认为安德烈公爵是个聪明人）客人她必须运用自己的外交手腕。

当皮埃尔走到他们跟前，他发现，薇拉正在洋洋自得地谈话，安德烈公爵（对他来说，这是少有的事）看样子感到困窘不安。

“你认为怎样？”薇拉带着含蓄的微笑说，“公爵，您富有洞察力，一下子就能明白人们的性格。您对娜塔莎的看法怎样？她的依恋心能否坚定不移？她能否与其他妇女一样（薇拉所指的是她自己），一爱上某人，就永远对他忠贞不渝？我认为这是真正的爱情。公爵，您认为怎样？”

“您的妹妹，我知道得太少了，”安德烈公爵带着讥讽的微笑答道，他想在微笑之下掩饰他的窘态，“为了要解答这样一个微妙的问题，我后来渐渐注意到，女人越是不讨人喜欢，她就越忠贞不渝。”他补充一句，看了看这时向他们跟前走来的皮埃尔。

“是的，这是实在的，公爵，在我们这个时代，”薇拉继续说（正像眼光狭小的人们那样，总喜欢提到我们这个时代，认为他们业已发现并且评定我们时代的特点，认为人们的天性随着时代而起变化），“在我们这个时代，女孩享有过多的自由，以致le　plaisir　d'être　courtisée①往往淹没她内心的真实情感。Et　Nathalie，il　faut　l'avouer，y　est　très　sensible②，话题回到娜塔莎，又使安德烈公爵闷闷不乐地蹙蹙额角；他想站起来，但是薇拉带着更微妙的微笑继续说。

“我以为，谁也不比她更像courtisée，”③薇拉说，“可是直到近来，她从来还没有认真地喜欢过什么人。伯爵。您知道，”她把脸转向皮埃尔说，“就连我们可爱的表弟鲍里斯，enAtre　nous④也深深地沉没于dans　le　pays　du　tendre……”⑤她所暗指的是当时广为流行的爱情图。

①法语：被人看中的快乐。

②法语：应当承认，娜塔莉（娜塔莎的法语称谓）对这件事是很敏感的。

③法语：追求的对象。

④法语：在我们之间说说，不可与外人道也。

⑤法语：异姓之乡。

安德烈公爵现出阴郁的神色，默不作声。

“您不是跟鲍里斯和睦相处吗？”薇拉对他说。

“是啊，我知道他……”

“他想必向您谈过童年时代他对娜塔莎的爱情吧？”

“有过童年的爱情，是吗？”安德烈公爵涨红了脸，忽然出乎意料地问道。

“是啊。Vous　savez　entre　consin　et　consine　cette　intimité　mène　quelquefois　à　l'amour：le　conAsinage　est　un　dangereux　voisinage．N'est　ce　pas？”①

①法语：您知道，表兄妹之间的亲近，常常会产生爱情。老表老表，提心吊胆。不是吗？

“啊，毫无疑问，”安德烈公爵说道，他忽然不自然地活跃起来，他开始跟皮埃尔开玩笑，说皮埃尔对他那些五十来岁的莫斯科的表亲们要小心谨慎，诙谐的谈话谈到半中间，他站了起来，挽起皮埃尔的手，把他领到一旁去。

“怎么啦？”皮埃尔说，他惊讶地观察他朋友的异常兴奋的神色，并且发觉他在站立时投向娜塔莎的目光。

“我应该，我应该跟你谈谈，”安德烈公爵说道，“你知道我们妇女的手套（他说的是共济会发给新近中选的师兄弟用以亲自送给心爱的女人的手套）。我……可是我呢，我以后跟你谈谈……”安德烈公爵的眼睛里闪烁出奇异的光彩，他的动作慌里慌张，他走到娜塔莎跟前，在她身旁坐下。皮埃尔看见安德烈公爵向她问句什么话，她满面通红，回答他的话。

但在这时候，贝格走到皮埃尔跟前，坚决地求他参加将军和上校之间就西班牙问题开展的争论。

贝格感到很满意而且很幸福。他脸上总是挂着喜悦的微笑。这次晚会开得很好，和他看见的其他晚会完全一样。晚会上的一切都很相像。女士们的尖声的谈话、纸牌、玩牌时抬高嗓门的将军、茶饮和饼干都很相像，可是还缺少一样，那就是他在其他晚会上经常看见的、他想效法的事情。男士们之间所缺乏的则是高声谈话，而且还缺乏有关重要的高深的问题的争论。这场谈话是由将军领头的，贝格吸收皮埃尔参加谈话。

1 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

2 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

5 gasps   

v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• He leant against the railing, his breath coming in short gasps. 他倚着栏杆，急促地喘气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• My breaths were coming in gasps. 我急促地喘起气来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 quenched   

解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却

参考例句：

• He quenched his thirst with a long drink of cold water. 他喝了好多冷水解渴。
• I quenched my thirst with a glass of cold beer. 我喝了一杯冰啤酒解渴。

7 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

8 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

9 allusions   

暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We should not use proverbs and allusions indiscriminately. 不要滥用成语典故。
• The background lent itself to allusions to European scenes. 眼前的情景容易使人联想到欧洲风光。

10 allusion   

n.暗示，间接提示

参考例句：

• He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
• She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

11 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

12 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

13 attachments   

n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物

参考例句：

• The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
• It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。

14 sarcastic   

adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的

参考例句：

• I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。
• She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

15 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

16 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

17 peculiarities   

n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪

参考例句：

• the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

18 stifles   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的第三人称单数 )； 镇压，遏制

参考例句：

• This stifles the development of the financial sector. 这就遏制了金融部门的发展。
• The fruits of such a system are a glittering consumer society which stifles creativity and individuality. 这种制度的结果就是一个压制创造性和个性的闪光的消费者社会。

19 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

20 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。

21 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

22 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

23 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

24 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。