Pestsov liked thrashing an argument out to the end, and was not satisfied with Sergey Ivanovitch's words, especially as he felt the injustice1 of his view.
"I did not mean," he said over the soup, addressing Alexey Alexandrovitch, "mere2 density3 of population alone, but in conjunction with fundamental ideas, and not by means of principles."
"It seems to me," Alexey Alexandrovitch said languidly, and with no haste, "that that's the same thing. In my opinion, influence over another people is only possible to the people which has the higher development, which..."
"But that's just the question," Pestsov broke in in his bass4.
He was always in a hurry to speak, and seemed always to put his whole soul into what he was saying. "In what are we to make higher development consist? The English, the French, the Germans, which is at the highest stage of development? Which of them will nationalize the other? We see the Rhine provinces have been turned French, but the Germans are not at a lower stage!" he shouted. "There is another law at work there."
"I fancy that the greater influence is always on the side of true civilization," said Alexey Alexandrovitch, slightly lifting his eyebrows5.
"But what are we to lay down as the outward signs of true civilization?" said Pestsov.
"I imagine such signs are generally very well known," said Alexey Alexandrovitch.
"But are they fully6 known?" Sergey Ivanovitch put in with a subtle smile. "It is the accepted view now that real culture must be purely7 classical; but we see most intense disputes on each side of the question, and there is no denying that the opposite camp has strong points in its favor."
"You are for classics, Sergey Ivanovitch. Will you take red wine?" said Stepan Arkadyevitch.
"I am not expressing my own opinion of either form of culture," Sergey Ivanovitch said, holding out his glass with a smile of condescension8, as to a child. "I only say that both sides have strong arguments to support them," he went on, addressing Alexey Alexandrovitch. "My sympathies are classical from education, but in this discussion I am personally unable to arrive at a conclusion. I see no distinct grounds for classical studies being given a preeminence9 over scientific studies."
"The natural sciences have just as great an educational value," put in Pestsov. "Take astronomy, take botany, or zoology10 with its system of general principles."
"I cannot quite agree with that," responded Alexey Alexandrovitch "It seems to me that one must admit that the very process of studying the forms of language has a peculiarly favorable influence on intellectual development. Moreover, it cannot be denied that the influence of the classical authors is in the highest degree moral, while, unfortunately, with the study of the natural sciences are associated the false and noxious11 doctrines12 which are the curse of our day."
Sergey Ivanovitch would have said something, but Pestsov interrupted him in his rich bass. He began warmly contesting the justice of this view. Sergey Ivanovitch waited serenely13 to speak, obviously with a convincing reply ready.
"But," said Sergey Ivanovitch, smiling subtly, and addressing Karenin, "One must allow that to weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of classical and scientific studies is a difficult task, and the question which form of education was to be preferred would not have been so quickly and conclusively14 decided15 if there had not been in favor of classical education, as you expressed it just now, its moral--disons le mot--anti-nihilist influence."
"If it had not been for the distinctive17 property of anti-nihilistic influence on the side of classical studies, we should have considered the subject more, have weighed the arguments on both sides," said Sergey Ivanovitch with a subtle smile, "we should have given elbow-room to both tendencies. But now we know that these little pills of classical learning possess the medicinal property of anti-nihilism, and we boldly prescribe them to our patients.... But what if they had no such medicinal property?" he wound up humorously.
At Sergey Ivanovitch's little pills, everyone laughed; Turovtsin in especial roared loudly and jovially18, glad at last to have found something to laugh at, all he ever looked for in listening to conversation.
Stepan Arkadyevitch had not made a mistake in inviting19 Pestsov. With Pestsov intellectual conversation never flagged for an instant. Directly Sergey Ivanovitch had concluded the conversation with his jest, Pestsov promptly20 started a new one.
"I can't agree even," said he, "that the government had that aim. The government obviously is guided by abstract considerations, and remains21 indifferent to the influence its measures may exercise. The education of women, for instance, would naturally be regarded as likely to be harmful, but the government opens schools and universities for women."
And the conversation at once passed to the new subject of the education of women.
Alexey Alexandrovitch expressed the idea that the education of women is apt to be confounded with the emancipation22 of women, and that it is only so that it can be considered dangerous.
"I consider, on the contrary, that the two questions are inseparably connected together," said Pestsov; "it is a vicious circle. Woman is deprived of rights from lack of education, and the lack of education results from the absence of rights. We must not forget that the subjection of women is so complete, and dates from such ages back that we are often unwilling23 to recognize the gulf24 that separates them from us," said he.
"You said rights," said Sergey Ivanovitch, waiting till Pestsov had finished, "meaning the right of sitting on juries, of voting, of presiding at official meetings, the right of entering the civil service, of sitting in parliament..."
"Undoubtedly."
"But if women, as a rare exception, can occupy such positions, it seems to me you are wrong in using the expression 'rights.' It would be more correct to say duties. Every man will agree that in doing the duty of a juryman, a witness, a telegraph clerk, we feel we are performing duties. And therefore it would be correct to say that women are seeking duties, and quite legitimately25. And one can but sympathize with this desire to assist in the general labor26 of man."
"Quite so," Alexey Alexandrovitch assented27. "The question, I imagine, is simply whether they are fitted for such duties."
"They will most likely be perfectly28 fitted," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, "when education has become general among them. We see this..."
"How about the proverb?" said the prince, who had a long while been intent on the conversation, his little comical eyes twinkling. "I can say it before my daughter: her hair is long, because her wit is..."
"Just what they thought of the negroes before their emancipation!" said Pestsov angrily.
"What seems strange to me is that women should seek fresh duties," said Sergey Ivanovitch, "while we see, unhappily, that men usually try to avoid them."
"Duties are bound up with rights--power, money, honor; those are what women are seeking," said Pestsov.
"Just as though I should seek the right to be a wet-nurse and feel injured because women are paid for the work, while no one will take me," said the old prince.
Turovtsin exploded in a loud roar of laughter and Sergey Ivanovitch regretted that he had not made this comparison. Even Alexey Alexandrovitch smiled.
"Yes, but a man can't nurse a baby," said Pestsov, "while a woman..."
"No, there was an Englishman who did suckle his baby on board ship," said the old prince, feeling this freedom in conversation permissible29 before his own daughters.
"There are as many such Englishmen as there would be women officials," said Sergey Ivanovitch.
"Yes, but what is a girl to do who has no family?" put in Stepan Arkadyevitch, thinking of Masha Tchibisova, whom he had had in his mind all along, in sympathizing with Pestsov and supporting him.
"If the story of such a girl were thoroughly30 sifted31, you would find she had abandoned a family--her own or a sister's, where she might have found a woman's duties," Darya Alexandrovna broke in unexpectedly in a tone of exasperation32, probably suspecting what sort of girl Stepan Arkadyevitch was thinking of.
"But we take our stand on principle as the ideal," replied Pestsov in his mellow33 bass. "Woman desires to have rights, to be independent, educated. She is oppressed, humiliated34 by the consciousness of her disabilities."
"And I'm oppressed and humiliated that they won't engage me at the Foundling," the old prince said again, to the huge delight of Turovtsin, who in his mirth dropped his asparagus with the thick end in the sauce.
收听单词发音 |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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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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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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preeminence
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| n.卓越,杰出 | |
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zoology
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| n.动物学，生态 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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13
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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jovially
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| adv.愉快地，高兴地 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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legitimately
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| ad.合法地；正当地，合理地 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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27
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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31
sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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34
humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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