When Alexey Alexandrovitch reached the race-course, Anna was already sitting in the pavilion beside Betsy, in that pavilion where all the highest society had gathered. She caught sight of her husband in the distance. Two men, her husband and her lover, were the two centers of her existence, and unaided by her external senses she was aware of their nearness. She was aware of her husband approaching a long way off, and she could not help following him in the surging crowd in the midst of which he was moving. She watched his progress towards the pavilion, saw him now responding condescendingly to an ingratiating bow, now exchanging friendly, nonchalant greetings with his equals, now assiduously trying to catch the eye of some great one of this world, and taking off his big round hat that squeezed the tips of his ears. All these ways of his she knew, and all were hateful to her. "Nothing but ambition, nothing but the desire to get on, that's all there is in his soul," she thought; "as for these lofty ideals, love of culture, religion, they are only so many tools for getting on."
From his glances towards the ladies' pavilion (he was staring straight at her, but did not distinguish his wife in the sea of muslin, ribbons, feathers, parasols and flowers) she saw that he was looking for her, but she purposely avoided noticing him.
"Alexey Alexandrovitch!" Princess Betsy called to him; "I'm sure you don't see your wife: here she is."
"There's so much splendor2 here that one's eyes are dazzled," he said, and he went into the pavilion. He smiled to his wife as a man should smile on meeting his wife after only just parting from her, and greeted the princess and other acquaintances, giving to each what was due--that is to say, jesting with the ladies and dealing3 out friendly greetings among the men. Below, near the pavilion, was standing4 an adjutant-general of whom Alexey Alexandrovitch had a high opinion, noted5 for his intelligence and culture. Alexey Alexandrovitch entered into conversation with him.
There was an interval6 between the races, and so nothing hindered conversation. The adjutant-general expressed his disapproval7 of races. Alexey Alexandrovitch replied defending them. Anna heard his high, measured tones, not losing one word, and every word struck her as false, and stabbed her ears with pain.
When the three-mile steeplechase was beginning, she bent8 forward and gazed with fixed9 eyes at Vronsky as he went up to his horse and mounted, and at the same time she heard that loathsome10, never-ceasing voice of her husband. She was in an agony of terror for Vronsky, but a still greater agony was the never-ceasing, as it seemed to her, stream of her husband's shrill11 voice with its familiar intonations12.
"I'm a wicked woman, a lost woman," she thought; "but I don't like lying, I can't endure falsehood, while as for HIM (her husband) it's the breath of his life--falsehood. He knows all about it, he sees it all; what does he care if he can talk so calmly? If he were to kill me, if he were to kill Vronsky, I might respect him. No, all he wants is falsehood and propriety," Anna said to herself, not considering exactly what it was she wanted of her husband, and how she would have liked to see him behave. She did not understand either that Alexey Alexandrovitch's peculiar13 loquacity14 that day, so exasperating15 to her, was merely the expression of his inward distress16 and uneasiness. As a child that has been hurt skips about, putting all his muscles into movement to drown the pain, in the same way Alexey Alexandrovitch needed mental exercise to drown the thoughts of his wife that in her presence and in Vronsky's, and with the continual iteration of his name, would force themselves on his attention. And it was as natural for him to talk well and cleverly, as it is natural for a child to skip about. He was saying:
"Danger in the races of officers, of cavalry17 men, is an essential element in the race. If England can point to the most brilliant feats18 of cavalry in military history, it is simply owing to the fact that she has historically developed this force both in beasts and in men. Sport has, in my opinion, a great value, and as is always the case, we see nothing but what is most superficial."
"It's not superficial," said Princess Tverskaya. "One of the officers, they say, has broken two ribs19."
Alexey Alexandrovitch smiled his smile, which uncovered his teeth, but revealed nothing more.
"We'll admit, princess, that that's not superficial," he said, "but internal. But that's not the point," and he turned again to the general with whom he was talking seriously; "we mustn't forget that those who are taking part in the race are military men, who have chosen that career, and one must allow that every calling has its disagreeable side. It forms an integral part of the duties of an officer. Low sports, such as prizefighting or Spanish bull-fights, are a sign of barbarity. But specialized20 trials of skill are a sign of development."
"No, I shan't come another time; it's too upsetting," said Princess Betsy. "Isn't it, Anna?"
"It is upsetting, but one can't tear oneself away," said another lady. "If I'd been a Roman woman I should never have missed a single circus."
Anna said nothing, and keeping her opera glass up, gazed always at the same spot.
At that moment a tall general walked through the pavilion. Breaking off what he was saying, Alexey Alexandrovitch got up hurriedly, though with dignity, and bowed low to the general.
"You're not racing21?" the officer asked, chaffing him.
"My race is a harder one," Alexey Alexandrovitch responded deferentially22.
And though the answer meant nothing, the general looked as though he had heard a witty23 remark from a witty man, and fully24 relished25 la pointe de la sauce.
"There are two aspects," Alexey Alexandrovitch resumed: "those who take part and those who look on; and love for such spectacles is an unmistakable proof of a low degree of development in the spectator, I admit, but..."
"Princess, bets!" sounded Stepan Arkadyevitch's voice from below. addressing Betsy. "Who's your favorite?"
"Anna and I are for Kuzovlev," replied Betsy.
"I'm for Vronsky. A pair of gloves?"
"Done!"
"But it is a pretty sight, isn't it?"
Alexey Alexandrovitch paused while there was talking about him, but he began again directly.
"I admit that manly26 sports do not..." he was continuing.
But at that moment the racers started, and all conversation ceased. Alexey Alexandrovitch too was silent, and everyone stood up and turned towards the stream. Alexey Alexandrovitch took no interest in the race, and so he did not watch the racers, but fell listlessly to scanning the spectators with his weary eyes. His eyes rested upon Anna.
Her face was white and set. She was obviously seeing nothing and no one but one man. Her hand had convulsively clutched her fan, and she held her breath. He looked at her and hastily turned away, scrutinizing27 other faces.
"But here's this lady too, and others very much moved as well; it's very natural," Alexey Alexandrovitch told himself. He tried not to look at her, but unconsciously his eyes were drawn28 to her. He examined that face again, trying not to read what was so plainly written on it, and against his own will, with horror read on it what he did not want to know.
The first fall--Kuzovlev's, at the stream--agitated everyone, but Alexey Alexandrovitch saw distinctly on Anna's pale, triumphant29 face that the man she was watching had not fallen. When, after Mahotin and Vronsky had cleared the worst barrier, the next officer had been thrown straight on his head at it and fatally injured, and a shudder30 of horror passed over the whole public, Alexey Alexandrovitch saw that Anna did not even notice it, and had some difficulty in realizing what they were talking of about her. But more and more often, and with greater persistence31, he watched her. Anna, wholly engrossed32 as she was with the race, became aware of her husband's cold eyes fixed upon her from one side.
She glanced round for an instant, looked inquiringly at him, and with a slight frown turned away again.
"Ah, I don't care!" she seemed to say to him, and she did not once glance at him again.
The race was an unlucky one, and of the seventeen officers who rode in it more than half were thrown and hurt. Towards the end of the race everyone was in a state of agitation33, which was intensified34 by the fact that the Tsar was displeased35.
收听单词发音 |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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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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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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8
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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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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loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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intonations
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| n.语调，说话的抑扬顿挫( intonation的名词复数 )；（演奏或唱歌中的）音准 | |
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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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loquacity
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| n.多话，饶舌 | |
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exasperating
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| adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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specialized
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| adj.专门的，专业化的 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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deferentially
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| adv.表示敬意地，谦恭地 | |
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witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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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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relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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scrutinizing
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的现在分词 ) | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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31
persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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