IN THE MIDDLE of the summer Princess Marya, to her surprise, received a letter from Prince Andrey, who was in Switzerland. In it he told her strange and surprising news. He informed his sister of his engagement to the younger Rostov. His whole letter was full of loving enthusiasm for his betrothed1, and tender and confiding2 affection for his sister. He wrote that he had never loved as he loved now, and that it was only now that he saw all the value and meaning of life. He begged his sister to forgive him for having said nothing of his plans to her on his last visit to Bleak3 Hills, though he had spoken of it to his father. He had said nothing to her for fear Princess Marya would beg her father to give his consent, and, without attaining5 her object, would irritate her father and draw all the weight of his displeasure upon herself. The matter was not, however, then, he wrote to her, so completely settled as now. “At that time our father insisted on a delay of a year, and now six months, half of the period specified6, is over, and I remain firmer than ever in my resolution. If it were not for the doctors keeping me here at the waters I should be back in Russia myself; but, as it is, I must put off my return for another three months. You know me and my relations with our father. I want nothing from him. I have been, and always shall be, independent; but to act in opposition7 to his will, to incur8 his anger when he has perhaps not long left to be with us, would destroy half my happiness. I am writing a letter to him now, and I beg you to choose a favourable9 moment to give him the letter, and to let me know how he looks at the whole matter, and if there is any hope of his agreeing to shorten the year by three months.”
After long hesitations10, doubts, and prayers, Princess Marya gave the letter to her father. The next day the old prince said to her calmly:
“Write to your brother to wait till I'm dead.… He won't have long to wait. I shall soon set him free.”
The princess tried to make some reply, but her father would not let her speak, and went on, getting louder and louder. “Let him marry, let him marry, the dear fellow.… A nice connection!… Clever people, eh? Rich, eh? Oh yes, a fine stepmother for Nikolushka she'll make! You write to him he can marry her to-morrow. Nikolushka shall have her for a stepmother, and I'll marry little Bourienne!… Ha, ha, ha, and so he shall have a stepmother too! Only there's one thing, I won't have any more women-folk about my house; he may marry and go and live by himself. Perhaps you'll go and live with him too?” He turned to Princess Marya: “You're welcome to, and good luck to you!”
After this outburst the prince did not once allude11 to the subject again. But his repressed anger at his son's poor-spirited behaviour found a vent12 in his treatment of his daughter. He now added to his former subjects for jeering13 and annoying her a new one—allusions to a stepmother and gallantries to Mademoiselle Bourienne.
“Why shouldn't I marry her?” he would say to his daughter. “A capital princess she will make!” And latterly, to her perplexity and amazement14, Princess Marya began to notice that her father was really beginning to attach himself more and more closely to the French-woman. Princess Marya wrote to Prince Andrey and told him how their father had taken the letter, but comforted her brother with hopes that he would become reconciled to the idea.
Nikolushka and his education, her brother Andrey and religion, were Princess Marya's joys and consolations15. But apart from those, since every one must have personal hopes, Princess Marya cherished, in the deepest secrecy16 of her heart, a hidden dream and hope that was the source of the chief comfort in her life. This comforting dream and hope was given her by “God's folk”—the crazy prophets and the pilgrims, who visited her without the prince's knowledge. The longer Princess Marya lived, the more experience and observation she had of life, the more she wondered at the shortsightedness of men, who seek here on earth for enjoyment17, toil18, suffer, strive and do each other harm to attain4 that impossible, visionary, and sinful happiness. Prince Andrey had loved a wife; she died; that was not enough for him, he wanted to bind19 his happiness to another woman. Her father did not want that, because he coveted20 a more distinguished21 or a wealthier match for Andrey. And they were all striving, and suffering, and in torment22, and sullying their souls, their eternal souls, to attain a bliss23 the duration of which was but a moment. Not only do we know that for ourselves. Christ, the Son of God, came down upon earth and told us that this life is but for a moment, is but a probation24; yet we still cling to it and think to find happiness in it. “How is it no one has realised that?” Princess Marya wondered. “No one but these despised people of God who, with wallets over their shoulders, come to me by the back stairs, afraid of the prince catching25 sight of them, and not from fear of ill-usage, but from fear of tempting26 him to sin. To leave home and country, give up all thoughts of worldly blessings27, and clinging to nothing, to wander from place to place in a home-spun smock under a different name, doing people no harm, but praying for them, praying equally for those who drive them away and those who succour them: higher than that truth and that life there is no truth and no life!”
There was one Pilgrim-woman, Fedosyushka, a quiet, little woman of about fifty, marked by smallpox28, who had been wandering for over thirty years barefooted and wearing chains. Princess Marya was particularly fond of her. One day when sitting in a dark room, by the light only of the lamp before the holy picture, Fedosyushka told her about her life. Princess Marya felt all at once so strongly that Fedosyushka was the one person who had found the right way of life, that she resolved to go on a pilgrimage herself. When Fedosyushka had gone to bed Princess Marya pondered a long while over it, and at last made up her mind that—however strange it might be—she must go on a pilgrimage. She confided29 her intention to no one but a monk30, Father Akinfy, and this priest approved of her project. On the pretence31 of getting presents for pilgrim women, Princess Marya had prepared for herself the complete outfit32 of a pilgrim—a smock, plaited shoes, a full-skirted coat, and a black kerchief. Often she went to her secret wardrobe, where she kept them, and stood in uncertainty33 whether the time to carry out her plan had come or not.
Often as she listened to the pilgrims' tales, their simple phrases—that had become mechanical to them, but were to her ears full of the deepest significance—worked upon her till she was several times ready to throw up everything and run away from home. In imagination she already saw herself with Fedosyushka in a coarse smock, trudging34 along the dusty road with her wallet and her staff, going on her pilgrimage, free from envy, free from earthly love, free from all desires, from one saint to another; and at last thither35 where there is neither sorrow nor sighing, but everlasting36 joy and blessedness.
“I shall come to one place. I shall pray there, and before I have time to grow used to it, to love it, I shall go on further. And I shall go on till my legs give way under me and I lie down and die somewhere, and reach at last that quiet, eternal haven37, where is neither sorrow nor sighing!…” thought Princess Marya.
But then at the sight of her father, and still more of little Nikolushka, she wavered in her resolution, wept in secret, and felt that she was a sinner, that she loved her father and her nephew more than God.
公爵小姐玛丽亚于仲夏接到安德烈公爵从瑞士寄来的一封意外的书信，他在书信中通知她一则可怕的、出乎意料的消息。安德烈公爵宣布，他和罗斯托娃订婚了。整封信都流露出他对未婚妻的爱情的喜悦和对妹妹的温情与信任。他写道，他从来没有像现在这样爱恋，他现在才懂得生活，真正了解生活，他请求妹妹原谅，他到了童山，没有把决定订婚的事告诉他妹妹，虽然他向他父亲谈到这件事，但他没有把这件事告诉她，是因为她会请求父亲同意这门婚事，假如达不到目的，就会使得父亲恼怒，父亲势必要向她发泄不满情绪，她就得遭到严厉的责难。不过，他写道，那时候这件事还没有最后决定，现在就不一样了。“那时候父亲给我一年的期限，眼看过了六个月，规定的期限满了一半，我现在比任何时候都更坚定了。如果大夫们不把我留在这里采用矿泉水治疗，我本人就到俄国去了，可是现在我只得将归期再推迟三个月。你知道我，也知道我和父亲之间的关系。我不需要他的什么东西，我过去是，现在是，将来永远是不依附任何人的，我们和他相处的时间也许不会太长了，但是在这个时候做什么违背他的意旨的事情，惹他发脾气，势必会损害我的一半幸福。我现在给他写一封内容相同的信，请你择定良机把信转交给他，并且告诉我他对这件事的看法，看看是否有希望，要他同意把期限缩短三个月。”
在长时间的犹豫、疑惑和祈祷以后，公爵小姐玛丽亚把信交给父亲了。第二天老公爵心平气和地对她说：
“给哥哥写信，在我未死之前，要他等一等……时间不会太长了，我很快给予他行动自由……”
公爵小姐心里想反驳什么，可是父亲不让她开口，他的嗓音越抬越高了。
“结婚吧，结婚吧，亲爱的……是个好亲属！……都是聪明人，是不是呢？富有的人，是不是呢？是的，尼古卢什卡有个好继母。给他写封信，即使明天娶妻也行。她当尼古卢什卡的后娘，我就来娶布里安！……哈，哈，哈，他没有后娘也呆不下去啊！只是要当心一点，我们家里不需要更多的妇女，让他娶妻吧，自个儿独立生活。也许你也迁到他那里去，是吗？”他把脸转向公爵小姐玛丽亚，说道：“愿上天保佑，挨挨冻吧，挨挨冻吧……挨挨冻吧！……”
在这次发怒之后，公爵一次也不再提这件事了。但因儿子的意志薄弱，一种不露声色的懊丧在父女关系上显示出来了。在从前的嘲笑口实中，又增添了一个新话题——关于继母关于向布里安小姐献殷勤的话题。
“我干嘛不和她结婚呢？”他对女儿说，“以后会有个挺好的公爵夫人！”近来使公爵小姐玛丽亚感到困惑和惊奇的是，她开始发现，她的父亲的确越来越靠近法国女人了。公爵小姐玛丽亚给安德烈公爵写信，说父亲怎样看待他的来信，但是她安慰哥哥，认为有希望使她父亲采取容忍的态度。
尼古卢什卡和他的教育，安德烈和宗教，是公爵小姐玛丽亚的慰藉和欢愉；但是除此而外，每个人都应怀有个人的希望，所以公爵小姐玛丽亚在她隐秘的灵魂深处也潜藏着给她的生活带来主要慰藉的幻想和希望。神亲们——疯修士和云游派教徒瞒着公爵访问过她，给予她以可资慰藉的幻想和希望。公爵小姐玛丽亚的生活经历愈多，见识愈广，她就对那些在国土之上寻求享乐与幸福的人的鼠目寸光愈益感到惊奇；为了获得那不能获得的虚构的、罪孽的幸福，人们不断地劳动、受苦受难，互相争斗，互相危害。“安德烈公爵爱他的妻子，她已经死了。更有甚者，他还要把自己的幸福和别的妇女联系在一起。父亲并无此意图，因为他希冀安德烈能有更为优美、更为富裕的夫妇生活。为了获得昙花一现的幸福，他们互相争斗，受苦受难，互相折磨，损害自己的灵魂——永生的灵魂。而且我们自己也知道这一点，基督——即上帝之子已降临凡间，他对我们说，人生是短暂的人生，是一种考验。但是我们大家都把它抓住，想从其中觅得幸福。怎么竟没有人能够领会呢？”公爵小姐玛丽亚想道。“除开这些被人蔑视的神亲而外，没有人能够领会这个道理，那些神亲肩背行囊从后门向我走来，因为他们惧怕被公爵望见，他们不是害怕吃到他的苦头，而是为了使他不致于造孽。他们抛弃家庭、故乡，抛弃对人间种种福利的操心，穿着粗麻布衣服，改名换姓，无牵无挂地从一处漫游至他处，不危害任何人，而为他人祈祷，为驱赶他们的人祈祷，也为庇护他们的人祈祷，高于这种真理和人生的真理的人生是没有的啊！”
有一个名叫费多秀什卡的云游派女教徒，五十岁了，身材矮小，禀性恬静，脸上长满了麻子，她光着脚，戴上枷锁，已经漫游三十多年了。公爵小姐玛丽亚特别喜欢她。有一天，在那点燃着一盏长明灯的昏暗的房间里，费多秀什卡讲她自己的生活史，公爵小姐玛丽亚的脑际骤然出现了一个念头，她认为唯独费多秀什卡找到了正确的人生之路，她也决定亲自去各地漫游。当费多秀什卡走去就寝的时候，公爵小姐玛丽亚思忖了良久，不管这件事看来是多么古怪，最后她拿定了主意：她要去各地漫游。她把她自己的意图只告诉一个忏悔师修士阿金菲神甫，忏悔师对她的意图表示赞许。公爵小姐玛丽亚遂以捐赠云游派女教徒礼物为藉口，给她自己储备了女教徒穿的全套服装、衬衣、草鞋、长身上衣和黑色头巾。公爵小姐玛丽亚常常走到珍藏的五斗橱前面，伫立着，犹豫不决，心里想，实现她的意愿的时刻是否已经来到了。
她常常静听云游派女教徒们讲故事，她们那些普通的、在她们看来都是呆板的，在她看来却是充满深刻含义的言词使她十分激动，她有几次竟想抛弃一切，从家中逃走。她在她自己的想象中看见自己和费多秀什卡，她们穿着粗麻布衣服，持着手杖，背着行囊，在尘埃滚滚的路上行走；他们长途漫游时，心中已排除嫉妒心理，已排除人世的爱情和欲望，从一些主的仆人那里向另一些主的仆人那里走去，终于走到既无悲伤，亦无太息，只有永恒的欢乐和无上幸福的地方。
“我来到一个地方，我便祈祷一会儿，还没有习惯这个地方，还没有爱上这个地方，我又向前走了。我一直走得两腿发软，躺下来，在某个地方死去，终于走到一个永恒的、享受安逸生活的环境，那里既无悲伤、亦无太息！……”公爵小姐玛丽亚想道。
可是后来，她看见了她的父亲，尤其是看见了小科科，她的意愿渐渐打消了，她悄悄地哭着，心里觉得她是个罪人，她爱父亲和侄子，尤甚于上帝。
收听单词发音 |
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betrothed
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confiding
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| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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specified
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| adj.特定的 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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incur
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| vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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hesitations
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| n.犹豫( hesitation的名词复数 )；踌躇；犹豫（之事或行为）；口吃 | |
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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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consolations
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| n.安慰，慰问( consolation的名词复数 )；起安慰作用的人（或事物） | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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probation
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| n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期) | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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trudging
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的现在分词形式） | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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