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Chapter 22 The Mazurka
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AFTERWARDS the same young man formed one of the first couple in a mazurka. He sprang to his feet, took his partner's hand, and then, instead of executing the pas de Basques which Mimi had taught us, glided1 forward till he arrived at a corner of the room, stopped, divided his feet, turned on his heels, and, with a spring, glided back again. I, who had found no partner for this particular dance and was sitting on the arm of Grandmamma's chair, thought to myself:

"What on earth is he doing? That is not what Mimi taught us. And there are the Iwins and Etienne all dancing in the same way- without the pas de Basques! Ah! and there is Woloda too! He too is adopting the new style, and not so badly either. And there is Sonetchka, the lovely one! Yes, there she comes!" I felt immensely happy at that moment.

The mazurka came to an end, and already some of the guests were saying good-bye to Grandmamma. She was evidently tired, yet she assured them that she felt vexed2 at their early departure. Servants were gliding3 about with plates and trays among the dancers, and the musicians were carelessly playing the same tune4 for about the thirteenth time in succession, when the young lady whom I had danced with before, and who was just about to join in another mazurka, caught sight of me, and, with a kindly5 smile, led me to Sonetchka And one of the innumerable Kornakoff princesses, at the same time asking me, "Rose or Hortie?"

"Ah, so it's YOU!" said Grandmamma as she turned round in her armchair. "Go and dance, then, my boy."

Although I would fain have taken refuge behind the armchair rather than leave its shelter, I could not refuse; so I got up, said, "Rose," and looked at Sonetchka. Before I had time to realise it, however, a hand in a white glove laid itself on mine, and the Kornakoff girl stepped forth6 with a pleased smile and evidently no suspicion that I was ignorant of the steps of the dance. I only knew that the pas de Basques (the only figure of it which I had been taught) would be out of place. However, the strains of the mazurka falling upon my ears, and imparting their usual impulse to my acoustic7 nerves (which, in their turn, imparted their usual impulse to my feet), I involuntarily, and to the amazement8 of the spectators, began executing on tiptoe the sole (and fatal) pas which I had been taught.

So long as we went straight ahead I kept fairly right, but when it came to turning I saw that I must make preparations to arrest my course. Accordingly, to avoid any appearance of awkwardness, I stopped short, with the intention of imitating the " wheel about"

which I had seen the young man perform so neatly9.

Unfortunately, just as I divided my feet and prepared to make a spring, the Princess Kornakoff looked sharply round at my legs with such an expression of stupefied amazement and curiosity that the glance undid10 me. Instead of continuing to dance, I remained moving my legs up and down on the same spot, in a sort of extraordinary fashion which bore no relation whatever either to form or rhythm. At last I stopped altogether. Every-one was looking at me--some with curiosity, some with astonishment11, some with disdain12, and some with compassion13, Grandmamma alone seemed unmoved.

"You should not dance if you don't know the step," said Papa's angry voice in my ear as, pushing me gently aside, he took my partner's hand, completed the figures with her to the admiration14 of every one, and finally led her back to, her place. The mazurka was at an end.

Ah me! What had I done to be punished so heavily?

*************************

"Every one despises me, and will always despise me," I thought to myself. "The way is closed for me to friendship, love, and fame! All, all is lost!"

Why had Woloda made signs to me which every one saw, yet which could in no way help me? Why had that disgusting princess looked at my legs? Why had Sonetchka--she was a darling, of course!--yet why, oh why, had she smiled at that moment?

Why had Papa turned red and taken my hand? Can it be that he was ashamed of me?

Oh, it was dreadful! Alas15, if only Mamma had been there she would never have blushed for her Nicolinka!

How on the instant that dear image led my imagination captive! I seemed to see once more the meadow before our house, the tall lime-trees in the garden, the clear pond where the ducks swain, the blue sky dappled with white clouds, the sweet-smelling ricks of hay. How those memories--aye, and many another quiet, beloved recollection--floated through my mind at that time!

 

被我抢走舞伴的那个青年,在马祖卡舞里跳第一对。他从座位上跳起来,拉住舞伴的手,不照米米教给我们的pas de Baspues ① 跳,却一直朝前跑去;跑到屋角,停下来,叉开腿,用鞋后跟跺地板,转个身,一边跳,一边朝前跑。

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①paS be Basgues:法语“巴斯克舞的步法”。

我因为跳马祖卡舞没有舞伴,就坐在外祖母的高背安乐椅后面观看。

“他搞的是什么名堂?”我暗自思量。“一点也不象米米教给我们的:她总是对我们说,跳马祖卡舞都用脚尖跳,使脚从容不迫地做圆形动作;而结果却完全不是那样的跳法。伊文家的人和艾坚,大家都在跳舞,谁也不跳Pas de Basques,连我们的沃洛佳,也学了新的跳法。这倒不错!……而索妮奇卡是多么可爱的人儿呀?!她到那边去了……”我觉得快乐极了。

马祖卡舞快结束了:有几个上了年纪的男人和太太前来同外祖母告别,坐车走了。仆人们躲闪着跳舞的人们,小心翼翼地往后面房间里端餐具。外祖母显然疲倦了,勉勉强强地说着话,声音拉得很长;乐队开始懒洋洋地奏那已经奏了第三十次的曲子。跟我跳过舞的那个大姑娘,跳花样时看到我,脸上堆着假笑,大概想借此来讨好外祖母,领着索妮奇卡和无数公爵小姐中的一位走到我跟前。“Rose ou ho utie?” ① 。她对我说。

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①“Rose ou hortie?”:法语“是玫瑰还是荨麻?”

“噢,你在这儿!”外祖母说,在安乐椅上转过身来。“去吧,亲爱的,去吧。”

虽然当时我宁愿整个藏在外祖母的椅子下面,也不愿从椅子后边走出来,但是怎么能拒绝呢?我站起来,说了声“rose”,就怯生生地望了索妮奇卡一眼。我还没有明白过来,一只戴白手套的手就放在我的手里了,公爵小姐笑盈盈地冲向前去,一点也没有料到我根本不懂怎么跳法。

我知道我跳pas de Basques是不适当的,不合礼仪的,甚至会完全使我丢脸;但是马祖卡舞熟悉的曲调对我的听觉起了作用,把熟悉的动作传给我的听觉神经,而听觉神经又把这运动传送到我的脚上;我的脚就完全不由自主地,踮着脚尖跳起那种莫名其妙、圆形的、滑行舞步来,全场观众看了都很惊异。我们一直往前跳时,还可以凑合一阵,但是该转弯的时候我就发现,如果我不小心在意,就一定会跑到前面去了。为了避免这种煞风景的事情,我稍稍停住脚步,打算依照领舞的那个青年所跳的优美舞步来跳个特别花样。但是我的脚刚一分开,准备跳跃,围着我飞快旋转的公爵小姐就带着茫然的好奇和惊异的神情瞅着我的脚。这种眼光使我万分狼狈!我心慌意乱,竟然不再跳舞了,却以最奇怪的姿态原地踏起步来,既不合拍,也不同任何东西协调,最后我完全停下来。所有的人都望着我,有的怀着惊异的神情,有的带着好奇的样子,有的露出嘲讽的笑容,又有的含着怜悯的神色;只有外祖母毫不在意在望着。

“Il ne fallait pas danser,si Vons ne savez pas! ① ”爸爸在我耳边生气地说着,轻轻地把我推开,拉住我的舞伴的手,照古老的式样同她跳了一圈,在观众的喝彩声中,把她送到原位上。马祖卡舞立刻结束了。

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①“ll ne fallait Pas danser,si vous ne savez pas!”:法语“如果你不会跳,就不要跳”。

“天啊!你为什么这么厉害地惩罚我呀!”……

大家都看不起我,而且会永远看不起我……通往友谊、爱情、光荣等等的道路都给我堵上了……一切都完蛋了!沃洛佳干么向我做那些人人都看得见、而且对我毫无补益的手势呢?那个讨厌的公爵小姐为什么那样望了望我的脚呢?索妮奇卡干么……她是一个可爱的人儿;但是当时她为什么微微一笑呢?爸爸为什么脸红了,揪住我的胳臂?难道他也替我害羞吗?嗅,这太可怕了!要是妈妈在这儿,她就不会因为她的尼古连卡而脸红……于是我的想像远远地飞驰到这个可爱的形象那里去了。我想起房前那片草地和花园里高大的菩提树、上面有燕子盘旋的清澈的池塘、飘着透明的白云的蔚蓝色天空、一堆堆新割下来的芬芳的干草,另外,在我那烦恼的想像中,还出现了许许多多平静而愉快的回忆。


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 glided dc24e51e27cfc17f7f45752acf858ed1     
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔
参考例句:
  • The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
  • They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 vexed fd1a5654154eed3c0a0820ab54fb90a7     
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论
参考例句:
  • The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
  • He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
3 gliding gliding     
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的
参考例句:
  • Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
  • The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。
4 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
5 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
6 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
7 acoustic KJ7y8     
adj.听觉的,声音的;(乐器)原声的
参考例句:
  • The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
  • Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。
8 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
9 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
10 Undid 596b2322b213e046510e91f0af6a64ad     
v. 解开, 复原
参考例句:
  • The officer undid the flap of his holster and drew his gun. 军官打开枪套盖拔出了手枪。
  • He did wrong, and in the end his wrongs undid him. 行恶者终以其恶毁其身。
11 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇,惊异
参考例句:
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
12 disdain KltzA     
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑
参考例句:
  • Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
  • A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。
13 compassion 3q2zZ     
n.同情,怜悯
参考例句:
  • He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
  • Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
14 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
15 alas Rx8z1     
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句:
  • Alas!The window is broken!哎呀!窗子破了!
  • Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而,真理很少带有浪漫色彩。


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