DAVOUST was to the Emperor Napoleon what Araktcheev was to Alexander. Davoust was not like Araktcheev a coward, but he was as exacting1 and as cruel, and as unable to express his devotion except by cruelty.
In the mechanism2 of the state organism these men are as necessary as wolves in the organism of nature. And they are always to be found in every government; they always make their appearance and hold their own, incongruous as their presence and their close relations with the head of the state may appear. It is only on the theory of this necessity that one can explain the fact that a man so cruel—capable of pulling out grenadiers' moustaches with his own hand—though unable, from the weakness of his nerves, to face danger, so uncultured, so boorish3 as Araktcheev, was able to retain such influence with a sovereign of chivalrous4 tenderness and nobility of character like Alexander.
Balashov found Davoust sitting on a tub in a barn adjoining a peasant's hut. He was occupied in writing, auditing5 accounts. An adjutant was standing6 beside him. Better quarters could have been found, but Marshal Davoust was one of these people who purposely put themselves into the most dismal7 conditions of life in order to have a right to be dismal. For the same reason they always persist in being busy and in a hurry.
“How could one be thinking of the bright side of life when, as you see, I am sitting on a tub in a dirty barn, hard at work?” was what his face expressed.
The great desire and delight of such people on meeting others enjoying life is to throw their own gloomy, dogged activity into their faces. Davoust gave himself that satisfaction when Balashov was brought in. He appeared even more deeply engrossed8 in his work when the Russian general entered, and glancing through his spectacles at the face of Balashov, who looked cheerful from the brightness of the morning and his talk with Murat, he did not get up, did not stir even, but scowled9 more than before, and grinned malignantly10.
Observing the disagreeable impression made on Balashov by this reception, Davoust raised his head, and asked him frigidly11 what he wanted.
Assuming that such a reception could only be due to Davoust's being unaware12 that he was a general on the staff of Alexander, and his representative indeed before Napoleon, Balashov hastened to inform him of his rank and his mission. But, contrary to his expectations, Davoust became even surlier and ruder on hearing Balashov's words.
“Where is your despatch13?” he said. “Give it to me. I will send it to the Emperor.”
Balashov said that he was under orders to hand the document to the Emperor in person.
“The commands of your Emperor are obeyed in your army; but here,” said Davoust, “you must do what you are told.”
And, as though to make the Russian general still more sensible of his dependence14 on brute15 force, Davoust sent the adjutant for the officer on duty.
Balashov took out the packet that contained the Tsar's letter, and laid it on the table (a table consisting of a door laid across two tubs with the hinges still hanging on it). Davoust took the packet and read the address on it.
“You are perfectly16 at liberty to show me respect or not, as you please,” said Balashov. “But, permit me to observe that I have the honour to serve as a general on the staff of his majesty…”
Davoust glanced at him without a word, and plainly derived17 satisfaction from signs of emotion and confusion on Balashov's face.
“You will be shown what is fitting,” he said, and putting the envelope in his pocket he walked out of the barn.
A minute later an adjutant of the marshal's, Monsieur de Castre, came in and conducted Balashov to the quarters that had been assigned him.
He dined that day in the barn with the marshal, sitting down to the door laid across the tubs.
Next day Davoust went out early in the morning, but before starting he sent for Balashov, and told him peremptorily18 that he begged him to remain there, to move on with the baggage-waggons should the command be given to do so, and to have no conversation with any one but Monsieur de Castre.
After four days spent in solitude19 and boredom20, with a continual sense of dependence and insignificance21, particularly galling22 after the position of power which he had hitherto occupied, after several marches with the marshal's baggage and the French troops, who were in possession of the whole district, Balashov was brought back to Vilna, now occupied by the French, and re-entered the town by the very gate by which he had left it four days earlier.
Next day the Emperor's gentleman-in-waiting, Count de Turenne, came to Balashov with a message that it was the Emperor Napoleon's pleasure to grant him an audience.
Four days before sentinels of the Preobrazhensky regiment23 had been on guard before the very house to which Balashov was conducted. Now two French grenadiers were on duty before it, wearing fur caps and blue uniforms open over the breast, while an escort of hussars and Uhlans, and a brilliant suite24 of adjutants, pages, and generals were waiting for Napoleon to come out, forming a group round his saddle-horse at the steps and his Mameluke, Rustan. Napoleon received Balashov in the very house in Vilna from which Alexander had despatched him.
达乌是拿破仑皇帝手下的阿拉克切耶夫——阿拉克切耶夫不是懦夫（怕死鬼），但却是那种死板残酷，不残酷就无法表达自己的忠诚的人。在国家的组织机构中需要有这类人，正如自然界中需要豺狼一样。尽管他们的存在和接近政府首脑好像很不正常，但这类人常有，总是出现，经常存在。唯有这种必要性才能解释一个亲手扯掉掷弹兵胡子，神经衰弱得经受不住危险的残酷的人，一个没有教养，不是朝廷近臣的阿拉克切耶夫能在具有骑士般高尚和温存性格的亚历山大手下拥有如此大的权力。
巴拉瑟夫在一间农民的棚屋里见到了达乌元帅，达乌坐在木桶上忙于案头工作（他正在查帐）。副官站在他身旁，本来可找到更好的住处，但达乌元帅却是一个那种故意（偏要）置身于最阴暗角落里，以便使其有权成为更阴森的人。为此这种人总是忙忙碌碌，辛苦操劳。“您瞧，在这间肮脏的棚屋里，我坐在木桶上工作，哪有人生幸福的想头呢！”他的脸上就是这么一副表情。这种人的主要乐趣和需要是：面对生命的活力，他更是把这种活力投入令人沉闷的持续不断的工作中去。当巴拉瑟夫被带进来时，达乌获得了这种乐趣。俄国将军进来时，他却更专心一意地作自己的事，他透过眼镜扫了一眼巴拉瑟夫那由于美丽早晨和与缪拉谈话的美好感受而生机勃勃的脸，他没有站起来，甚至动也没动一下，还把眉头皱得更紧，恶毒地冷冷一笑。
达乌发现由于他的这种接待，巴拉瑟夫面上露出不愉快的表情，于是抬起头来，冷冷地问他要干什么。
巴拉瑟夫认为他所以受到这样的接待，只能是因为达乌不知道他是亚历山大皇帝的高级侍从，甚至是皇帝的要面见拿破仑的代表，他连忙通报了自己的身份和使命。与他的期望相反，达乌听完后却更冷淡，更不礼貌了。
“您的公文包呢？”他说，“Donnez－le moi，Je l'enverBrai à lémpereur．”①
巴拉瑟夫说，他奉命要亲自把公文呈交皇帝本人。
①法语：把它给我，我来送呈皇帝。
“您的皇帝的命令只能在您们的军队里执行，而在这里，”
达乌说，“叫您怎么做，您就应怎么办。”
好像是为了让俄罗斯将军更深地感觉到暴力支配，达乌派副官去找值班军官。
巴拉瑟夫取出装有皇帝信件的公文包，放到桌子上（所谓桌子，是放在两只木桶上的一扇门板，门板上面还竖立着被扯下的门环）。达乌取过公文，读着上面的字。
“您完全有权尊重我或不尊重我，”巴拉瑟夫说，“但是请您让我对您说，我荣任皇帝陛下高级侍从武官之职……”
达乌默默地看了他一眼，显然，巴拉瑟夫脸上表现出的一些激动和不安使达乌心满意足。
“您就会受到应有的尊重。”他说，把公文包放入衣袋中，走出棚屋。
过了一分钟，元帅的副官德·嗄斯特列先生走进来，把巴拉瑟夫领到为他准备的住处。
这天巴拉瑟夫与元帅一起就在棚屋里那张架在木桶上的门板上进餐。
第二天，达乌一大早把巴拉瑟夫请到自己那里，庄严地对他说，他请他留在这里，与行李车同行，如果未经吩咐，除德·嗄斯特列先生外，不准与其他任何人谈话。
在过了四天孤独、寂寞，感到受人支配和卑微的生活之后，特别是在不久前还生活于那种声势显赫的圈子，在跟随元帅的行李车和这个地区的法国占领军行进了几站路后，这种受人支配和卑微的感觉更强烈了。巴拉瑟夫被送到现已被法军占领的维尔纳，进了四天前他走出的那座城门。
第二天，皇帝的高级侍从杜伦冶爵来见巴拉瑟夫，转达他拿破仑皇帝愿意召见他。
四天前，巴拉瑟夫也被领进同一幢房子，那时房门外站着普列奥·布拉任斯基团的岗哨，现在却站着两名身穿敞襟蓝制服，头戴毛茸茸的皮帽的掷弹兵，此外还有恭候拿破仑出来的一队骠骑兵和枪骑兵，一群服饰华美的侍从武官、少年侍从以及将军们，这些人都站在台阶前拿破仑的坐骑和他的马木留克兵鲁斯坦周围。拿破仑就在维尔纳那座亚历山大曾派巴拉瑟夫出使的宅邸里接见巴拉瑟夫。
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exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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boorish
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| adj.粗野的，乡巴佬的 | |
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chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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auditing
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| n.审计，查账，决算 | |
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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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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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malignantly
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| 怀恶意地； 恶毒地； 有害地； 恶性地 | |
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frigidly
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| adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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dependence
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| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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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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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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boredom
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| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
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insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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galling
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| adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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