Chapter 9 A First Essay In Love

PRETENDING to gather some "American fruit" from a tree, Lubotshka suddenly plucked a leaf upon which was a huge caterpillar¹, and throwing the insect with horror to the ground, lifted her hands and sprang away as though afraid it would spit at her. The game stopped, and we crowded our heads together as we stooped to look at the curiosity.

I peeped over Katenka's shoulder as she was trying to lift the caterpillar by placing another leaf in its way. I had observed before that the girls had a way of shrugging their shoulders whenever they were trying to put a loose garment straight on their bare necks, as well as that Mimi always grew angry on witnessing this manoeuvre² and declared it to be a chambermaid's trick. As Katenka bent³ over the caterpillar she made that very movement, while at the same instant the breeze lifted the fichu on her white neck. Her shoulder was close to my lips, I looked at it and kissed it, She did not turn round, but Woloda remarked without raising his head, "What spooniness!" I felt the tears rising to my eyes, and could not take my gaze from Katenka. I had long been used to her fair, fresh face, and had always been fond of her, but now I looked at her more closely, and felt more fond of her, than I had ever done or felt before.

When we returned to the grown-ups, Papa informed us, to our great joy, that, at Mamma's entreaties⁴, our departure was to be postponed⁵ until the following morning. We rode home beside the carriage--Woloda and I galloping⁶ near it, and vieing with one another in our exhibition of horsemanship and daring. My shadow looked longer now than it had done before, and from that I judged that I had grown into a fine rider. Yet my complacency was soon marred⁷ by an unfortunate occurrence, Desiring to outdo Woloda before the audience in the carriage, I dropped a little behind.

Then with whip and spur I urged my steed forward, and at the

same time assumed a natural, graceful⁸ attitude, with the intention

of whooting past the carriage on the side on which Katenka was

seated. My only doubt was whether to halloo or not as I did so.

In the event, my infernal horse stopped so abruptly⁹ when just

level with the carriage horses that I was pitched forward on

to its neck and cut a very sorry figure!

 

柳博奇卡装做从树上摘一种美国水果的样子，她揪下的一片树叶上有一条大毛毛虫，她恐怖地把它扔到地上，举起双手跳到一旁，好象害怕里边会窜出什么东西似的。游戏停止了。我们都伏在地上，头凑在一起，观察这个稀奇的东西。

我从卡简卡的肩头望过去，她把一片叶子放在毛毛虫爬行的路上，想把它拾起来。

我注意到，好多姑娘都有耸肩膀的习惯，想用这种动作调整一下滑下肩头的开领衣裳。我还记得，米米看见这种动作总是很生气，说：“C’est un geste de f emme chambre ① ”。卡简卡伏在毛毛虫上面时，就做了这种动作，同时一阵清风吹起她因在脖颈上的小围巾。她做这个动作的时候，她的肩膀离我的嘴唇只有两指远。我不再降毛毛虫了，看着看着，我就使劲吻了吻卡简卡的肩头。她没有回过头来，但是我觉察到，她的勃颈和耳朵都红了。沃洛佳头也没抬，轻蔑地说：

--------

①c’est un gesre de femmede chambre：法语“这是使女的姿势。”

“这算什么柔情呀？”

我的眼里涌出了泪水。

我目不转晴地望着卡简卡。我早就看惯了她那金发下面鲜艳的小脸蛋，总是很喜欢它；现在我愈是仔细地观察，我就愈喜欢它了。我们回到大人们那里的时候，使我们大为高兴的是，爸爸宣布说，由于妈妈的请求，我们推迟到明天早晨动身。

我们骑着马跟着马车一起回去。沃洛佳和我想在骑术和胆量上比个高低，在马车旁边大显身手。我的影子比以前长了些，根据影子来判断，我想像我具有十分漂亮的骑手的姿态；但是我体验到的这种自我欣赏的心情，不久就被下面桩事故破坏了。我为了要迷住坐在马车里的所有的人，就落后一点，然后鞭打脚踢，策马前进，摆出从容而优雅的姿势，想要象一阵旋风似的从卡简卡坐的马车那边冲过去。只是我不知道，究竟是不声不响地疾驰过去好呢，还是大喊一声的好。但是，我那匹可恶的马在和拉着车的马齐头并进的时候，任凭我怎么努力，还是停了下来，而且停得那么突然，使我从马鞍上滑到马颈上，险些儿摔下去。

1 caterpillar   

n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫

参考例句：

• A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的。
• A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶。

2 manoeuvre   

n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动

参考例句：

• Her withdrawal from the contest was a tactical manoeuvre.她退出比赛是一个战术策略。
• The clutter of ships had little room to manoeuvre.船只橫七竖八地挤在一起，几乎没有多少移动的空间。

3 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

4 entreaties   

n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He began with entreaties and ended with a threat. 他先是恳求，最后是威胁。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves. 暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

6 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

7 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

8 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

9 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。