“THE medical experts have striven to convince us that the prisoner is out of his mind and, in fact, a maniac1. I maintain that he is in his right mind, and that if he had not been, he would have behaved more cleverly. As for his being a maniac, that I would agree with, but only in one point, that is, his fixed2 idea about the three thousand. Yet I think one might find a much simpler cause than his tendency to insanity3. For my part I agree thoroughly4 with the young doctor who maintained that the prisoner’s mental faculties5 have always been normal, and that he has only been irritable6 and exasperated7. The object of the prisoner’s continual and violent anger was not the sum itself; there was a special motive8 at the bottom of it. That motive is jealousy9!”
Here Ippolit Kirillovitch described at length the prisoner’s fatal passion for Grushenka. He began from the moment when the prisoner went to the “young person’s” lodgings10 “to beat her” — “I use his own expression,” the prosecutor11 explained — “but instead of beating her, he remained there, at her feet. That was the beginning of the passion. At the same time the prisoner’s father was captivated by the same young person — a strange and fatal coincidence, for they both lost their hearts to her simultaneously12, though both had known her before. And she inspired in both of them the most violent, characteristically Karamazov passion. We have her own confession13: ‘I was laughing at both of them.’ Yes, the sudden desire to make a jest of them came over her, and she conquered both of them at once. The old man, who worshipped money, at once set aside three thousand roubles as a reward for one visit from her, but soon after that, he would have been happy to lay his property and his name at her feet, if only she would become his lawful14 wife. We have good evidence of this. As for the prisoner, the tragedy of his fate is evident; it is before us. But such was the young person’s ‘game.’ The enchantress gave the unhappy young man no hope until the last moment, when he knelt before her, stretching out hands that were already stained with the blood of his father and rival. It was in that position that he was arrested. ‘Send me to Siberia with him, I have brought him to this, I am most to blame,’ the woman herself cried, in genuine remorse15 at the moment of his arrest.
“The talented young man, to whom I have referred already, Mr. Rakitin, characterised this heroine in brief and impressive terms: ‘She was disillusioned16 early in life, deceived and ruined by a betrothed17, who seduced18 and abandoned her. She was left in poverty, cursed by her respectable family and taken under the protection of a wealthy old man, whom she still, however, considers as her benefactor19. There was perhaps much that was good in her young heart, but it was embittered20 too early. She became prudent21 and saved money. She grew sarcastic22 and resentful against society.’ After this sketch23 of her character it may well be understood that she might laugh at both of them simply from mischief24, from malice25.
“After a month of hopeless love and moral degradation26, during which he betrayed his betrothed and appropriated money entrusted27 to his honour, the prisoner was driven almost to frenzy28, almost to madness by continual jealousy — and of whom? His father! And the worst of it was that the crazy old man was alluring29 and enticing30 the object of his affection by means of that very three thousand roubles, which the son looked upon as his own property, part of his inheritance from his mother, of which his father was cheating him. Yes, I admit it was hard to bear! It might well drive a man to madness. It was not the money, but the fact that this money was used with such revolting cynicism to ruin his happiness!”
Then the prosecutor went on to describe how the idea of murdering his father had entered the prisoner’s head, and illustrated31 his theory with facts.
“At first he only talked about it in taverns32 — he was talking about it all that month. Ah, he likes being always surrounded with company, and he likes to tell his companions everything, even his most diabolical34 and dangerous ideas; he likes to share every thought with others, and expects, for some reason, that those he confides35 in will meet him with perfect sympathy, enter into all his troubles and anxieties, take his part and not oppose him in anything. If not, he flies into a rage and smashes up everything in the tavern33. (Then followed the anecdote36 about Captain Snegiryov.) Those who heard the prisoner began to think at last that he might mean more than threats, and that such a frenzy might turn threats into actions.”
Here the prosecutor described the meeting of the family at the monastery37, the conversations with Alyosha, and the horrible scene of violence when the prisoner had rushed into his father’s house just after dinner.
“I cannot positively38 assert,” the prosecutor continued, “that the prisoner fully39 intended to murder his father before that incident. Yet the idea had several times presented itself to him, and he had deliberated on it — for that we have facts, witnesses, and his own words. I confess, gentlemen of the jury,” he added, “that till to-day I have been uncertain whether to attribute to the prisoner conscious premeditation. I was firmly convinced that he had pictured the fatal moment beforehand, but had only pictured it, contemplating40 it as a possibility. He had not definitely considered when and how he might commit the crime.
“But I was only uncertain till to-day, till that fatal document was presented to the court just now. You yourselves heard that young lady’s exclamation41, ‘It is the plan, the programme of the murder!’ That is how she defined that miserable42, drunken letter of the unhappy prisoner. And, in fact, from that letter we see that the whole fact of the murder was premeditated. It was written two days before, and so we know now for a fact that, forty-eight hours before the perpetration of his terrible design, the prisoner swore that, if he could not get money next day, he would murder his father in order to take the envelope with the notes from under his pillow, as soon as Ivan had left. ‘As soon as Ivan had gone away’ — you hear that; so he had thought everything out, weighing every circumstance, and he carried it all out just as he had written it. The proof of premeditation is conclusive43; the crime must have been committed for the sake of the money, that is stated clearly, that is written and signed. The prisoner does not deny his signature.
“I shall be told he was drunk when he wrote it. But that does not diminish the value of the letter, quite the contrary; he wrote when drunk what he had planned when sober. Had he not planned it when sober, he would not have written it when drunk. I shall be asked: Then why did he talk about it in taverns? A man who premeditates such a crime is silent and keeps it to himself. Yes, but he talked about it before he had formed a plan, when he had only the desire, only the impulse to it. Afterwards he talked less about it. On the evening he wrote that letter at the Metropolis44 tavern, contrary to his custom he was silent, though he had been drinking. He did not play billiards45, he sat in a corner, talked to no one. He did indeed turn a shopman out of his seat, but that was done almost unconsciously, because he could never enter a tavern without making a disturbance46. It is true that after he had taken the final decision, he must have felt apprehensive47 that he had talked too much about his design beforehand, and that this might lead to his arrest and prosecution48 afterwards. But there was nothing for it; he could not take his words back, but his luck had served him before, it would serve him again. He believed in his star, you know! I must confess, too, that he did a great deal to avoid the fatal catastrophe49. ‘To-morrow I shall try and borrow the money from everyone,’ as he writes in his peculiar50 language,’ and if they won’t give it to me, there will be bloodshed.’”
Here Ippolit Kirillovitch passed to a detailed51 description of all Mitya’s efforts to borrow the money. He described his visit to Samsonov, his journey to Lyagavy. “Harassed, jeered52 at, hungry, after selling his watch to pay for the journey (though he tells us he had fifteen hundred roubles on him — a likely story), tortured by jealousy at having left the object of his affections in the town, suspecting that she would go to Fyodor Pavlovitch in his absense, he returned at last to the town, to find, to his joy, that she had not been near his father. He accompanied her himself to her protector. (Strange to say, he doesn’t seem to have been jealous of Samsonov, which is psychologically interesting.) Then he hastens back to his ambush53 in the back gardens, and then learns that Smerdyakov is in a fit, that the other servant is ill — the coast is clear and he knows the ‘signals’ — what a temptation! Still he resists it; he goes off to a lady who has for some time been residing in the town, and who is highly esteemed54 among us, Madame Hohlakov. That lady, who had long watched his career with compassion55, gave him the most judicious56 advice, to give up his dissipated life, his unseemly love-affair, the waste of his youth and vigour57 in pot-house debauchery, and to set off to Siberia to the gold mines: ‘that would be an outlet58 for your turbulent energies, your romantic character, your thirst for adventure.’”
After describing the result of this conversation and the moment when the prisoner learnt that Grushenka had not remained at Samsonov’s, the sudden frenzy of the luckless man worn out with jealousy and nervous exhaustion59, at the thought that she had deceived him and was now with his father, Ippolit Kirillovitch concluded by dwelling60 upon the fatal influence of chance. “Had the maid told him that her mistress was at Mokroe with her former lover, nothing would have happened. But she lost her head, she could only swear and protest her ignorance, and if the prisoner did not kill her on the spot, it was only because he flew in pursuit of his false mistress.
“But note, frantic61 as he was, he took with him a brass62 pestle63. Why that? Why not some other weapon? But since he had been contemplating his plan and preparing himself for it for a whole month, he would snatch up anything like a weapon that caught his eye. He had realised for a month past that any object of the kind would serve as a weapon, so he instantly, without hesitation64, recognised that it would serve his purpose. So it was by no means unconsciously, by no means involuntarily, that he snatched up that fatal pestle. And then we find him in his father’s garden — the coast is clear, there are no witnesses, darkness and jealousy. The suspicion that she was there, with him, with his rival, in his arms, and perhaps laughing at him at that moment — took his breath away. And it was not mere65 suspicion, the deception66 was open, obvious. She must be there, in that lighted room, she must be behind the screen; and the unhappy man would have us believe that he stole up to the window, peeped respectfully in, and discreetly67 withdrew, for fear something terrible and immoral68 should happen. And he tries to persuade us of that, us, who understand his character, who know his state of mind at the moment, and that he knew the signals by which he could at once enter the house.” At this point Ippolit Kirillovitch broke off to discuss exhaustively the suspected connection of Smerdyakov with the murder. He did this very circumstantially, and everyone realised that, although he professed69 to despise that suspicion, he thought the subject of great importance.
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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prosecutor
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| n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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disillusioned
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| a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的 | |
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betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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seduced
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| 诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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enticing
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| adj.迷人的；诱人的 | |
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illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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taverns
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| n.小旅馆，客栈，酒馆( tavern的名词复数 ) | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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confides
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的第三人称单数 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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monastery
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| n.修道院，僧院，寺院 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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billiards
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| n.台球 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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pestle
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| n.杵 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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immoral
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| adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的 | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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