现实百态 》 白癡 The Idiot 》
譯本前言：被賤害的和被毀滅的美 The Idiot I.
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
The Idiot I.
本書19世紀俄國大文豪陀思妥耶夫斯基的重要作品之一。小說描寫19世紀60年代出身貴族家庭的絶色女子娜斯塔霞常年受地主托茨基蹂躪，托茨基出一大筆錢要把她嫁給卑鄙無恥的加尼亞。就在女主人公的生日晚會上，被人們視為白癡的年輕公爵梅詩金突然出現，無條件娶娜斯塔霞為妻，這使她深受感動。在與公爵即將舉行婚禮的那天，她儘管深愛着公爵，但還是跟花花公子羅果仁跑。最遭羅果仁殺害。小說對農奴改革俄國上層社會作泛的描繪，涉及雜的心理和道德問題。善良、寬容的梅什金公爵無力對周圍的人施加影響，也不能為他們造福，這個堂吉訶德式的人物的努力是徒勞的，明作者企圖以信仰和愛來拯救世界的幻想的破滅。
譯本前言：被賤害的和被毀滅的美
石國雄
十九世紀六十年代，處於一個大轉、大變化的時期。１８６１年實行農奴改革以，的社會經濟經着一個重要的過程。從上看，貴族統治階級進行有利於自己的農奴改革；保住自己的統治地位，統治阻遏形勢的展，而在經濟上，資本主義迅速展，如列寧指出的，“１８６１年以，資本主義的展是這樣的迅速，用數十年的工夫就完成歐洲某些國整整幾個世紀才能完成的轉變。”＊國內外企業主追求利潤，現出瘋狂的積極性。金錢的勢力越來越大，強烈地影響着社會的傳統道德和生活方式。社會矛盾也更加尖銳。這是一個由“資産階級的（資本主義的）生産方式代替農奴制度的（或封建制度的）生産方式的”＊＊過渡時期。究竟應走上什麽樣的展之路，是當時普遍關心的問題，也是社會思想爭的中心問題。文學界也在尋求社會展道路的答，他們通過塑造正面人物來答這個問題。１８６４年主義者車爾尼雪夫斯基就寫小說《怎麽辦？》，塑造拉赫梅托夫等新人的形象。同一時期巴任寫《斯捷潘·魯列夫》、拉戈維申斯基寫《黎明之前》、斯列普佐夫寫《難時刻》等，他們所描寫的主人公，有的走民間，喚起群衆迎接風暴和戰；有的為新思想所鼓舞，與富裕的家庭、與庸俗的環境决裂；有的忠於主義理想，揭露貴族自由主義。他們都與現存社會格格不入，但並不忍耐和寬容，而是積極行動，探求新的道路。
＊《列寧全集》，人民出版社， １９５９年，第１７，第１０４頁。
＊＊同上，第９２頁。
陀思妥耶夫斯基（１８２１－１８８１）從彼得堡工學院畢業就獻身文學事業。他受到林斯基、涅拉索夫的進步影響，繼承果戈派批判現實主義傳統，在《窮人》等早期創作中描繪城市小人物，現他們的內心美，揭露社會對他們的壓迫和摧殘。四十年代未他參加空想社會主義性質的彼特拉謝夫斯基派小組，受到沙皇政府的，驗過面臨死刑的恐懼，又改判苦役。四年監獄生活使他在精神上、思想上經受不了深重的磨難。接着又是服兵役和充軍。等他再度恢自由的時候，原先那通過爭改造社會的追求，已隨着那苦難的歲月一起逝去，代替青年時代理想的是順從和忍受那似乎不可抗拒的制度的力量。但是，陀思妥耶夫斯基始終關心着社會問題，註視着社會的變化，忠於現實主義的創作原則，仍然深刻地反映社會現實，塑造鮮明的人物性格，寫下《被欺凌的和被侮辱的》、《死屋手記》、《賭徒》、《罪與罰》等，對資本主義世界作悲憤的揭露，對底層的窮人們傾註深厚的同情。１８６７年，他開始長篇小說《白癡》的創作，１８６８年完成。
在這部新作中，陀思妥耶夫斯基繼續自己創作的主題，塑造被侮辱和被損害的形象，揭受不了農奴改革貴族資産階級過去是，現在依然是摧殘人間美好事物的罪魁禍首，也暴露資本主義社會中金錢腐蝕、毒害、毀滅人的罪惡。而作為美的現，作為這個惡社會的犧牲品，作為被毀滅的美的化身，便是女主人公納斯塔西婭·費利帕夫娜。
納斯塔西婭是美的。小說在她未出場前已經通過羅戈任之口讓讀者知道，這是個令羅戈任神魂顛倒的美人，以致他甘違抗父命去見她贈送鑽石耳環。接着又通過梅什金公爵見到的照片，為讀者勾勒出一個美貌出衆的女人肖像，甚至連葉潘欽的小姐見照片也不由得出“一個人有這樣的美，就可以推翻整個世界”的贊嘆。她的美留給梅什金公爵深刻的印象，乃至在驀地見到她本人時便被她的風姿驚愕得笨手笨腳，不知所措。但是，就是在這驚人的美貌中，梅什金也現其中藴含着悲哀、驕傲、輕、甚至仇恨，因而又引起一種憐憫；讓人受不了這美，讓人感到這是奇怪的美。作者已經一開始就為我們揭示納斯塔西婭身上的美的不和諧、不協調。
事實也正是這樣。納斯塔西婭自幼失去雙親，由貴族托茨基收留，寄養在總管鄰里里程。過五年，托茨基去領他，無意中現已是十二歲的小姑娘聰明美麗。猶如鑒物品優劣的行一樣，托茨基看出納斯塔西婭有着可塑的價值，便不惜在她身上花費，為她請家庭教師，使她受到良好的教育。四年以，又專門給她一幢房子，配備書、畫、樂器，還讓一位女地主來陪伴和照料，納斯塔西婭儼然成貴族莊園的金小姐。可是，也就在這時，托茨基占有她，這裏成他逍遙作樂的墅。事情不僅於此，過四五年，托茨基想跟出身富貴的葉潘欽將軍小姐締結婚姻，便欲快將納斯塔西婭甩掉。他甚至以七萬五盧的代價將她嫁給葉潘欽將軍的秘書加尼亞，而葉潘欽將軍也懷着不可告人的陰暗目的，竭力促成這一婚事；納斯塔西婭不過是托茨基、葉潘欽之流的玩物和商品，她的美一開始就伴隨着深深的悲劇。
雖然納斯塔西婭的美遭到褻讀和玷污，但是她的內心是高傲純潔的。她雖享受着托茨基為她提供的舒適環境，可是她生活得十分儉，對金錢毫不動心，在彼得堡度過的五年潔身生活中竟沒有絲毫積蓄；她也沒有被托茨基為她巧妙安排的那些公爵、驃騎兵之流所，保持她那孤傲高潔的品性；她遠離上流社會，並不涉足紙醉金迷的花花世界，而是閉門讀書，愛好音樂，至多也是結交一些平常人……更主要的是，在這個溫文嫻靜、知識豐富的柔弱女子身上，有一顆剛強的心，一副錚錚鐵骨。對於托茨基的卑鄙無恥，她懷着深深的蔑視和憎恨，這甚至使托茨基都感到害怕、擔擾，並不得不以另一種眼光來看待受到他侮辱的這個女人。這便是納斯塔西婭的美中含着的悲哀、驕傲、輕及仇恨的由來。陀思妥夫斯基一方面把美已受到摧殘、另一分又竭力要維護自己純潔的美的納斯塔西婭呈現給讀者。如果說在托茨基之前納斯塔西婭不知道捍衛自己的話，那麽在經受不了這一切以，當她意識到要把握自己命運的時候，她這捍衛自己美的努力又會是怎樣一種遭遇呢？
納斯塔西婭自然不想依附於托茨基，也不想做公子哥兒的花瓶，她崇尚過一種獨立、清白的生活。她之所以和加尼亞結交，是因為看重他能吃苦耐勞地工作，獨自維持着全家的生計。但是，當她現加尼亞明知這是托茨基和葉潘欽有用心的安排，是為金錢和她結婚，她的心顫慄，失望，並進而迸出憤怒的火花。她當着大的，把羅戈任用來買她的１０萬盧付之一炬。連視金錢如命的加尼亞（用羅戈任的話說，要掏出３個盧，他就可以趴在地上，一直爬到瓦西利耶夫斯基島）也不得不在這充滿銅臭的火光前畏而卻步，更令出大價買她的羅戈任震驚目呆。納斯塔西婭的舉動無疑是對托茨基、葉潘欽之流的抗拒，在她看來，與其是成為背地買賣勾當的犧牲品，不如將這骯的拍賣公開化，這是對虛偽的社會的挑戰；這一舉動也是對加尼亞，羅戈任之流的反擊，是對金錢勢力的示威，當面表面反面方面正面迎面滿面封面地面路面世面平面斜面前面下面四面十面一面洗心革面方方面面面貌面容面色面目面面俱到上似乎納斯塔西婭出賣自己，實際上焚燒１０萬盧正是她高傲人性的勝利，是她對金錢買賣的勝利，是她對托茨基，葉潘欽，加尼亞、羅戈任的勝利。焚燒１０萬盧的火光照亮納斯塔西婭高潔不污的靈魂，也照出要用金綫買賣她的美的那一人污濁惡的嘴臉。
納斯塔西誣蔑視金錢、鄙視托茨基，過五年潔身自好的生活，備不帶一點東西地離開托茨基，現出她心高氣傲的品格；另一方面，托茨基對她的玷污又深深地傷害她，使她十分自卑，擺脫不自覺低賤的陰影，認為“最好還是到街頭去，那是我應該去的地方”。因此，雖然她遇見梅什金公爵第一次看到這是真正理解和尊重她的人，但是她不願意因為自已的低賤而毀公爵，她寧肯犧牲自己，要使公爵獲得幸福。因此她竭力要促成公爵和阿格拉婭的婚姻。然而，納斯塔西婭是自認卑賤，是自己覺得配不上公爵。她不容許別人對她的人格有絲毫貶低和鄙視，一旦別人侮辱她的人格，她便奮而抗起，堅决捍衛自己的尊嚴和權利，這也就使她最在懷有偏見的阿格拉婭前又要奪梅什金公爵。她生活的環境造成她這又自卑又自尊的矛盾性格，我們看到她的心地善良和純潔，也看到她那被扭麯和損害的心靈。最終這又使她在與梅什金公爵舉行婚禮的最時刻拋下公爵而隨羅戈任而去。
羅戈任是一個富子弟，繼承父親的大筆遺産。他對於納斯塔西但的愛是狂熱的，但這愛是對美色的愛；是一種占有欲的愛，是與其父親對金錢的占有一樣的一種私有的欲望；他粗俗、驕橫、狹隘、嫉妒，雖然買下納斯塔西婭，納斯塔西婭卻絶不愛他。她次隨他而去，可是羅戈任始終未能得到她。他知道她愛梅什金公爵，因而跟蹤公爵，甚至想要謀害這個曾被他稱為兄弟的情敵。最，終於在可望不可及、我得不到你也想得到的極端私有心理的支配下，殺害納斯塔西婭。
納斯塔西婭的悲劇命運、鮮明地揭示她所生存的世界扼殺她的美這一罪惡的本質。她的美不僅沒有能推翻世界，相反被它毀滅。陀思妥耶夫斯基作為偉大的藝學家全家家庭家乡正是無情地把這一種美，把這純潔、苦難、高傲、反抗的美毀滅給人們看，他那深刻的筆觸所及的女主人公那時而嫻靜時而悲憤、時而理智時而瘋狂、時而自卑對而傲慢、時而通達時而偏執的姓种种氏場景，無不令人震撼、令人嘆惜。作塑造的納斯塔西婭的形象成為文學，也是世界文學中最鮮明生動、光彩照人的婦女形象之一。
納斯塔西婭的毀滅是《白癡》所描寫的美的毀滅的一個方面。作為美被毀滅的另一個方面，那就是作者所愛的男主人公梅什金公爵的悲劇。在寫作這部小說的時候，作者曾經這樣說：“長篇小說的主要思想是描繪一個絶對美好的人物。世界上再沒有比這件事更難的。特是現在。所有的作，不僅是的甚至是歐洲的作，如果誰想描繪絶對的美，總是感到無能為力，因為這是一個無比難的任務。美是理想，而理想，無論是我們還是文明的歐洲，都還未形成。世界上衹有一個絶對美好的人物——，因此這位無可比擬、無限美好的人物的出現當然也是永恆的奇跡……”
這段話清楚地明作者意欲創造一個類似那樣的美好人物，可是社會本身又不可能讓這樣的美好人物存在。作者實際上在塑造其心愛的主人公時就已經給他註定悲劇的命運。
梅什金公爵雖然是個貴族的裔，可是實際上池已淪落為一個貧民，靠富商帕夫列謝夫的接濟而在遙遠的端士治療他那可憐的白癡病。當他一開始出現在駛往彼得堡的列車上時，他已是個幾乎治愈疾病的正常人。如同一般，他自遙遠的異鄉來到祖國，處身於一個他全然生疏，不瞭解的陌生社會之中。他一開始就現出由於長期遠離塵世而形成的單純和天真，而這正是陀思妥耶夫斯基賦予梅什金公爵的主要性格特。在他的筆記這樣寫着：“怎樣才能使主人公這個人物獲得讀者的好感？如果堂吉柯德和匹威作為善良的人物而引起讀者的好感捕獲獲得得成功，那麽這是因為他們可笑。長篇小說的主人公公爵，如果不是可笑，那麽他具有另一個可愛的特，他天真！＊＊比如他一下子就對紈絝子弟羅戈任産生好感；他以為能在同族的親戚葉潘欽將軍那得到關懷和幫助；他一見到納斯塔西婭的照片，便毫不掩飾地現出對她的愛戀和同情；……但是，梅什金公爵面臨的社會卻是個充滿銅臭、等級觀念的爾虞我詐的虛偽世界，在這個世界卻容不得一點真誠、坦率和單純，因而毫無社交經驗的梅什金公爵在這個世界中因為自己的善良、坦誠、正直、同情而常常被人們看做是不正常，被他們稱為“白癡”。例如，他剛到葉潘欽將軍，就順口在將軍夫人前提到納斯塔西婭，殊不知納斯塔西婭牽動着這個家庭的諸多神經，以至加尼亞駡他“真是個白癡！”；當他瞭解到納斯塔西婭面臨的抉擇，在競相買賣的托茨基、加尼亞、羅戈任之流前雖然明，他把納斯塔西婭看做是純潔的女人，欽佩她從地獄出來還一塵不染，不會因她曾是托茨基的情婦而害鱢，永遠不會責怪她，把娶她看作是一種光榮，一種當面表面反面方面正面迎面滿面封面地面路面世面平面斜面前面下面四面十面一面洗心革面方方面面面貌面容面色面目面面俱到，而且要一輩子尊敬她。可是托茨基卻在心駡他是“白癡”。
＊《陀思妥耶夫斯基論藝》，灕江出版社，１９８８年，第３２６頁。
＊＊《陀思妥那大斯基論藝》，灕江出版社，１９８８年，第３８０頁。
梅什金公爵的單純天真，也許還不是現在他的純率直，沒有低卑自私的動機和打算，他的單純天真更主要的現是，在這個充滿欺騙、嫉妒、敵意、仇恨的世界他寬容忍耐一切，且企圖以自己的同情和憐憫來維護和解救受到蹂躪的美。他對世界的看法：他寬恕一切，處處看到原因，看不到不可寬怒的罪惡原諒一切。……如果說在瑞士鄉間他尚能用他的同情憐憫在同樣單純天真的孩子們中間喚起共鳴而使一個受到摧殘的女子得到一絲心靈的慰籍（但終究改變不她那毀滅的命運）的話，那麽在弱肉強食、光怪陸離的彼得堡，他的同情和憐憫，他的寬容和忍耐卻能給人給己帶來痛苦的毀滅。
梅什金公爵總是用他那溫順的忍辱負重的精神來對待他所遇到的一切。加尼亞是個心胸狹隘、精於盤算、富有野心、氣躁性浮的人，他利用梅什金公爵為他傳遞書信給阿格拉婭，卻還日日聲聲責駡公爵是白癡，梅什金明明感到受侮辱，還是原諒他，住到他鄰里里程，更有甚者，梅什金阻擋加尼亞欲打因對納斯塔西婭出言不遜的瓦婭，卻反而被加尼亞打耳光，可是他僅僅出“您將來會對這舉動感到多麽羞愧嗎”的無力感嘆，而且很快他就原諒加尼亞，甚至示從今以永遠不會把您當做卑鄙的人”；羅戈任粗魯、野蠻，沒有教養也沒有道德，公爵親眼目睹他如何出錢買下納斯塔西婭，也明明知道他能加深納斯塔西婭的痛苦，而且公爵也總能現他那冷酷陰森的目光，他始終像幽靈似的出現在公爵周圍，甚至企圖舉刀謀害被他視作情敵的公爵。縱然在他們之間有着這一切，梅什金公爵始終把羅戈任看作是朋友甚或是兄弟，仍然對他推心置腹以換取諒解，仍然不念舊惡以重修和好，直至最當羅戈任殺害納斯塔西婭，他還能與他情同手足般地一起躺在死者身旁平心靜氣地談論生的一切。梅什金公爵的精神簡直到莫名其妙、令人驚訝的地步。然而他這寬容卻並不能感化加尼亞、羅戈任之流。加尼亞在懺悔一通之，依舊懷着要得到金錢而娶納斯塔西婭的目的去參加她將作出抉擇的晚會；羅戈任也始終把他看作情敵、始終把納斯塔西婭看作己物而最殺死她泄憤。梅什金公爵的寬容、忍耐，在生活中的惡前，在社會中的當面表面反面方面正面迎面滿面封面地面路面世面平面斜面前面下面四面十面一面洗心革面方方面面面貌面容面色面目面面俱到前顯得何等蒼白無力！
＊陀思妥那夭斯基語，引自留科夫《陀思妥那大斯基關於美好人物的小說》，見《白癡》，聯文學出版社，１９６０年，第５頁。
那麽他的同情和憐憫是否又能拯救別人呢？他對納斯塔西婭的愛，是出於同情和憐憫的愛。他贊嘆她的美貌，但是他更為她深深掩藏的悲哀所動心。他固然稱贊她的純潔、欽佩她的出污泥而不染，但他的示要娶納斯塔西婭是出於不忍心看着她跳出托茨基的虎口又落入羅戈任之狼爪。納斯塔西婭是個心高氣傲的女性，她確實第一次遇見一個純潔和高尚的人，但是她不願意因自已的過去而毀公爵這樣的“孩子”，她不接受公爵那出自同情和憐憫的愛，因此她心愛着公爵可又竭力要避他，她次三番或從羅戈任那逃走，或離開梅什金公爵，都是這心理矛盾的現。及至最納斯塔西婭要梅什金在阿格拉婭前態時，公爵也仍然是帶着哀憐和責備的口吻對阿格拉婭說：“……她是那樣不幸的人嗎！”他在這心態下迫不得已接受納斯塔西婭，實際上不過是納斯塔西婭願意這樣，他這樣做。他坦白地對人說，當時不過是受不住納斯塔西婭的臉：“在他對她的愛情的確包含着一種好像對於一個可憐的、生病的嬰兒的柔情。”而納斯塔西婭也完全明白，她並不能使梅什金公爵得到安慰，而是不安，她覺察到他的憂愁，她知道阿格拉婭對他有什麽意義，乃至結婚前夕她痛哭流涕地公爵示“我做的是什麽事！我把你弄成這個樣子！”梅什金公爵的同情和憐憫沒有解救納斯塔西婭，而是增加她的痛苦，使她最終絶望，直至舉行婚禮她終於又一次投羅戈任而落得毀滅的悲慘結局。在納斯塔西婭的悲劇中，梅什金公爵難道沒有過錯？正如小說中葉夫蓋尼·帕夫洛維奇梅什金公爵指出的那樣，他對納斯塔西婭“從一開始的時候起就是虛偽的，既以虛偽開始，也就應該以虛偽告終；這是自然的法則。……所以會生這一切事情，首先是由於您天生不通世故（……），其次是由於您的過分純；再其次，是由於您不知分寸（……），最，是由於您的頭腦有一大堆信念，而您的性格又特誠實……”
梅什金公爵的軟弱，也毀阿格拉婭的幸福。阿格拉婭不滿於過平庸的生活，不受到家庭的庇護，她希望逃出家庭，渴望行動，做點有益於社會的事情，她要變更自己的社會地位，去從事教育工作。她選擇梅什金公爵，企望從他那得到幫助。但是梅什金公爵的優柔寡斷，對納斯塔西婭的憐憫的愛同時卻傷害阿格拉婭的愛，使阿格拉婭絶望，最皈依天主教，嫁給一個波蘭者。
梅什金公爵因他那同情和憐憫同時毀兩個女性，也毀自己。他既失去憐憫的愛，也失去真情的愛，這雙重的打擊終於使他的白癡病再次發達。這次已經是很難治愈，他又成真正的白癡。
寬容，忍耐，同情、憐憫這些本來屬於一個美好人物的美好品質，在這個無情，冷酪、爭，殘忍的社會卻變成使別人更加痛苦不幸也找害自己的有害的慢性藥物，陀思妥耶夫斯基本意要塑造一個美好的人物，想用美來拯救世養，可是結果恰恰是，非但這個式的美好人物未能拯救世界的苦難，反而連同其美德一起被這可惡的世界毀滅。梅什金公爵是陀思妥耶夫斯基的理想人物，看起來雖然不切實際，甚至近似荒誕，可是同時他又正如作者自己說的：“白癡是更為現實的人”，“我的理想主義比他們的現實主義更為現實。”＊＊“我對現實（藝中的）有自己獨特的看法，而且被大多數人稱之為幾乎是荒誕的和特殊的事物，對於我來說，有時構成現實的本質。事物的平凡性和對它的陳腐看法，依我看來，還不能算現實主義，甚至恰好相反，難道我的荒誕的‘白癡’不是現實，而且是最平凡的現實！正是現在必然在我們脫離根基的社會階層中産生出這樣的人物，這類社會階層真正變得荒誕。……”＊＊＊陀思妥耶夫斯基揭示他那理想人物無法在那個社會生存的本質，這也正是其現實主義的力量！
說到作品的藝成就，筆者不想在這裏多作贅述。讀過小說，誰也忘不納斯塔西婭怒焚十萬盧的驚心動魄的場，也忘不納斯塔西婭被害梅什金公爵和羅戈任共同守靈那凄楚可悲的情景……讀過小說，誰不會為美麗的高潔的納斯塔西婭的身世感到悲憤，誰不會為純天真的梅什金公爵的被毀感到痛惜……這一切都歸功於陀思妥耶夫斯基的不朽的筆力。盧那察爾斯基對於藝學家全家家庭家乡陀思妥耶夫斯基有過非常精闢的分析：“陀思妥耶夫斯是抒情藝學家全家家庭家乡，他所有的中篇和長篇小說都是一道傾泄他的親身感受的火熱的河流。這是他的靈魂奧秘的連續的自白，這是披肝瀝膽的熱烈的渴望。這便是他創作的第一個因素，基本因素。第二個因素是當他讀者白他的信念的時候，總是渴望感染他們，說服和打動他們。……陀思妥耶夫斯基不用直截當的形式而用虛構敘事的形式達他的感受、自白。他把他的自白、他的靈魂的熱烈呼籲包括在事件的鋪敘之中。……凌駕於他那直抒情懷、披肝瀝膽的渴望之上，還有第三個基本動機 宏大的，無窮的，強烈的生活的渴望。正是這熱烈的不可抑的生的渴望，使陀思妥耶夫斯基首先變成藝學家全家家庭家乡，他創造偉大的和卑劣的人物，創造衆神和生靈。……陀思妥耶夫斯基同他所有的主角緊密相聯。他的血在他們的血管中奔流。他的心在他所創造的一切形象當面表面反面方面正面迎面滿面封面地面路面世面平面斜面前面下面四面十面一面洗心革面方方面面面貌面容面色面目面面俱到跳動，陀思妥耶夫斯基在痛苦中生育他的形象，他的心急劇地跳動着，他吃力地喘息着……他竭力使讀者去接近他的主角的思想感情的激流、思想感情的萬花筒，因此，陀思妥耶夫斯基被稱為心理學作者。”＊這對於《白癡》也是完全適用的。
＊《陀思妥耶夫斯基論藝》，灕江出版社， １９８８年，第３８０頁。
＊＊同上，第３２７頁。
＊＊＊同上，第３２９頁。
最，此機會淋漓江出版社示衷心的感謝，承蒙他們對我的信任，把重譯世界名著《白癡》的任務交付給我。鑒於本人語言文學修養的不足，譯文有不當之處，敬請專、讀者指正。
＊盧那察爾斯基《論文學》，人民文學出版社，１９７８年，第２１４－２１５頁。
The Idiot (Russian: Идиот, Idiot) is a novel written by 19th century Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published serially in Russky Vestnik between 1868 and 1869. The Idiot is ranked beside some of Dostoevsky's other works as one of the most brilliant literary achievements of the Russian "Golden Age" of Literature. It was not published in English until the 20th century.
Plot
27-year-old Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin returns to Russia after spending several years at a Swiss sanatorium. Scorned by the society of St. Petersburgh for his Idiocy as being too generous and innocent, he finds himself at the center of a struggle between a rich, kept woman and a gorgeous, virtuous girl who both wish to win his affection. Unfortunately, Myshkin's very goodness seems to bring disaster to all he meets, leading to a climax that tragically reveals how, in a world obsessed with money, power, and sexual conquest, a sanatorium is the only place for a saint.
Major themes
An imperfectly perfect man, for although physically flawed and as gullible as a babe, Dostoevsky's Myshkin possesses all of the qualities which affirm Man's greatness, and the ultimate assurance of doom when placed in a frivolous, and unjust environment; a transcending Christ.
—T. Reid
Dostoyevsky's motives for writing The Idiot stem from his desire to depict the "positively good man". This man is naturally likened to Christ in many ways. Dostoyevsky uses Myshkin's introduction to the Petersburg society as a way to contrast the nature of Russian society at the time and the isolation and innocence of this good man. This is highlighted by his conflicts and relationship with Rogozhin. Indeed, Myshkin and Rogozhin are contrasted from the outset. Myshkin is associated with light, Rogozhin with dark. For example, in their initial descriptions on the train, Myshkin is described as having light hair and blue eyes, while Rogozhin has "dark features". Rogozhin's house is submerged in darkness, with iron bars on the windows. He is not only an embodiment of darkness, but surrounded by it. The two characters are clearly antithetical. If Myshkin should be seen as Christ, Rogozhin could easily be seen as the Devil. "Rog", in Russian, means horn, adding credence to such an assertion, although the primary association of his name is with rogozha ("bast"), possibly hinting at his humble origins.
Despite their difference, they are both after Nastasya Filippovna—good and bad (and mediocre, in the image of Ganya) strive for the same thing. Love itself is shown in various manifestations, spurred by various motives. While vain Ganya wishes to marry Nastasya in order that he might, through acquisition of a large dowry, spark some of the individuality which he senses he lacks, Rogozhin loves Nastasya with a deep passion. Myshkin, however, loves her out of pity, out of Christian love. This love for her supersedes even the romantic love he has for Aglaia. It is important to note that Aglaia developed a great appreciation for Myshkin's purity of heart and capacity for empathic love, even that he felt for Nastasya. Aglaia and her sisters came to identify Myshkin with the protagonist of a famous Russian poem by Pushkin, "The Poor Knight", because of the Prince's quixotic, tragic quest to defend the honor of Nastasya in the face of the ridicule, and at times contempt, he faced from all his acquaintances. And she grew to love him not in spite of this, but even more so because of it. At a gathering at the Prince's home that included her family and several of the Prince's friends, Aglaia flushes hotly when Kolya enigmatically and ironically declares "There's nothing better than the Poor Knight!" Though the comment is partially mocking him, in the depths of Aglaia's heart she agrees with this fully. In the end, though, Aglaia cannot completely eradicate her jealousy of Nastasya, and cannot measure up to the heights of the Prince's sympathetic love when he apparently scorns her in a final effort to save Nastasya.
There is a parallel between Rogozhin and the Russian upper-class society. The materialistic society which praises the values Myshkin represents and professes itself to be "good", cannot accommodate Prince Myshkin; Rogozhin, though he truly loves Nastasya, commits murder in the end. Nastasya herself has been corrupted by a depraved society. Her beauty and initial innocence have led Totsky (perhaps the most repugnant of characters in the novel) to keep her as a concubine and she falls into a quasi-madness.
Adaptations and tributes
* Several filmmakers have produced adaptations of the novel, among them L'idiot (Georges Lampin 1946), a 1951 version by Akira Kurosawa, a 1958 version by Russian director Ivan Pyryev, and Mani Kaul's 1992 Hindi version
* In 2001, Down House, a tongue-in-cheek modern adaptation/parody of the novel, was filmed by Russian director Roman Kachanov, using the late 1990s Moscow underworld of mafia and drug addicts as the setting; it featured Fyodor Bondarchuk as the Prince and the co-writer of the script, Ivan Okhlobystin as Rogozhin.
* Christian Bale's character in The Machinist is seen reading The Idiot in the opening minutes of the film
* In 2003 Russian State Television produced an 10-part, 8-hour mini-series of the work, which is available with English subtitles.
* In 1999 Czech director Saša Gedeon produced a modern cinematic reinterpretation of The Idiot entitled The Return of the Idiot (Návrat idiota).
* The Polish director Andrzej Wajda adapted the last chapter of The Idiot as the feature film Nastasja in 1994.
* The Russian composer Nikolai Myaskovsky planned an opera on The Idiot during World War I, but did not complete it.
* The Harlan Ellison short story Prince Myshkin and Hold the Relish features a friendly debate on Dostoevsky and The Idiot between the narrator and a vendor at Pink's Hot Dogs in Los Angeles.
* In 2008, the theatre director Katie Mitchell premiered "...some trace of her", a multimedia exploration of the novel's central themes.
* The famous Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky planned an adaptation after The Idiot, but had died before it was realized.
* The German novelist Hermann Hesse wrote in 1919 a short piece about the book called Thoughts on The Idiot of Dostoevsky, later released in a compilation of essays called My Belief: Essays on Life and Art.
* In Act 1, Scene 2 of Mel Brooks' musical The Producers, Max Bialystock jokingly addresses Leo Bloom as "Prince Miskin." This also occurs in the original film.
* In the 1998 pilot episode of T.V. show "Seven Days," Frank Parker (played by Jonathan LaPaglia) has a copy of The Idiot on his desk inside the insane asylum.
* In 2009 Lithuanian theatre director Eimuntas Nekrošius directed "Idiotas", performance in 4 parts.
* In 1985, Polish director Andrzej Zulawski directed the feature film "L'Amour Braque" (Limpet Love), as an homage to Dostoevsky's "The Idiot". Its end credits state that "The film is inspired by Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot" and intended as a homage to the great writer". It stars Sophie Marceau as what most likely is the part of Nastasja Philipovna.
* BBC Radio 7 broadcast a 4-episode adaptation of "The Idiot" entitled "Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot," in June 2010. It starred Paul Rhys as Prince Myshkin.
Translations to English
Since The Idiot was first published in Russian, there have been a number of translations to English over the years, including those by:
* Frederick Whishaw (1887)
* Constance Garnett (1913)
o Revised by Anna Brailovsky (2003)
* Eva Martin (1915)
* David Magarshack (1955)
* Henry and Olga Carlisle (1980)
* Alan Myers (1992)
* Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (2002)
* David McDuff (2004)
* John W. Strahan (1965)
The Constance Garnett translation has for many years been accepted as the definitive English translation, but more recently it has come under criticism for being dated. The Garnett translation, however, still remains widely available because it is now in the public domain. Some writers, such as Anna Brailouvsky, have based their translations on Garnett's. Since the 1990s new English translations have appeared that have made the novel more accessible to English readers. The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation (2000) states that the Alan Myers version is the best currently available, though since then, new translations by David McDuff and Pevear & Volokhonsky have also been well received.
The Idiot I.
Towards the end of November, during a thaw, at nine o'clock one morning, a train on the Warsaw and Petersburg railway was approaching the latter city at full speed. The morning was so damp and misty that it was only with great difficulty that the day succeeded in breaking; and it was impossible to distinguish anything more than a few yards away from the carriage windows.
Some of the passengers by this particular train were returning from abroad; but the third-class carriages were the best filled, chiefly with insignificant persons of various occupations and degrees, picked up at the different stations nearer town. All of them seemed weary, and most of them had sleepy eyes and a shivering expression, while their complexions generally appeared to have taken on the colour of the fog outside.
When day dawned, two passengers in one of the third-class carriages found themselves opposite each other. Both were young fellows, both were rather poorly dressed, both had remarkable faces, and both were evidently anxious to start a conversation. If they had but known why, at this particular moment, they were both remarkable persons, they would undoubtedly have wondered at the strange chance which had set them down opposite to one another in a third-class carriage of the Warsaw Railway Company.
One of them was a young fellow of about twenty-seven, not tall, with black curling hair, and small, grey, fiery eyes. His nose was broad and flat, and he had high cheek bones; his thin lips were constantly compressed into an impudent, ironical--it might almost be called a malicious--smile; but his forehead was high and well formed, and atoned for a good deal of the ugliness of the lower part of his face. A special feature of this physiognomy was its death-like pallor, which gave to the whole man an indescribably emaciated appearance in spite of his hard look, and at the same time a sort of passionate and suffering expression which did not harmonize with his impudent, sarcastic smile and keen, self-satisfied bearing. He wore a large fur--or rather astrachan--overcoat, which had kept him warm all night, while his neighbour had been obliged to bear the full severity of a Russian November night entirely unprepared. His wide sleeveless mantle with a large cape to it--the sort of cloak one sees upon travellers during the winter months in Switzerland or North Italy--was by no means adapted to the long cold journey through Russia, from Eydkuhnen to St. Petersburg.
The wearer of this cloak was a young fellow, also of about twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age, slightly above the middle height, very fair, with a thin, pointed and very light coloured beard; his eyes were large and blue, and had an intent look about them, yet that heavy expression which some people affirm to be a peculiarity. as well as evidence, of an epileptic subject. His face was decidedly a pleasant one for all that; refined, but quite colourless, except for the circumstance that at this moment it was blue with cold. He held a bundle made up of an old faded silk handkerchief that apparently contained all his travelling wardrobe, and wore thick shoes and gaiters, his whole appearance being very un-Russian.
His black-haired neighbour inspected these peculiarities, having nothing better to do, and at length remarked, with that rude enjoyment of the discomforts of others which the common classes so often show:
"Cold?"
"Very," said his neighbour, readily. "and this is a thaw, too. Fancy if it had been a hard frost! I never thought it would be so cold in the old country. I've grown quite out of the way of it."
"What, been abroad, I suppose?"
"Yes, straight from Switzerland."
"Wheugh! my goodness!" The black-haired young fellow whistled, and then laughed.
The conversation proceeded. The readiness of the fair-haired young man in the cloak to answer all his opposite neighbour's questions was surprising. He seemed to have no suspicion of any impertinence or inappropriateness in the fact of such questions being put to him. Replying to them, he made known to the inquirer that he certainly had been long absent from Russia, more than four years; that he had been sent abroad for his health; that he had suffered from some strange nervous malady--a kind of epilepsy, with convulsive spasms. His interlocutor burst out laughing several times at his answers; and more than ever, when to the question, " whether he had been cured?" the patient replied:
"No, they did not cure me."
"Hey! that's it! You stumped up your money for nothing, and we believe in those fellows, here!" remarked the black-haired individual, sarcastically.
"Gospel truth, sir, Gospel truth!" exclaimed another passenger, a shabbily dressed man of about forty, who looked like a clerk, and possessed a red nose and a very blotchy face. "Gospel truth! All they do is to get hold of our good Russian money free, gratis, and for nothing. "
"Oh, but you're quite wrong in my particular instance," said the Swiss patient, quietly. "Of course I can't argue the matter, because I know only my own case; but my doctor gave me money--and he had very little--to pay my journey back, besides having kept me at his own expense, while there, for nearly two years."
"Why? Was there no one else to pay for you?" asked the black- haired one.
"No--Mr. Pavlicheff, who had been supporting me there, died a couple of years ago. I wrote to Mrs. General Epanchin at the time (she is a distant relative of mine), but she did not answer my letter. And so eventually I came back."
"And where have you come to?"
"That is--where am I going to stay? I--I really don't quite know yet, I--"
Both the listeners laughed again.
"I suppose your whole set-up is in that bundle, then?" asked the first.
"I bet anything it is!" exclaimed the red-nosed passenger, with extreme satisfaction, "and that he has precious little in the luggage van!--though of course poverty is no crime--we must remember that!"
It appeared that it was indeed as they had surmised. The young fellow hastened to admit the fact with wonderful readiness.
"Your bundle has some importance, however," continued the clerk, when they had laughed their fill (it was observable that the subject of their mirth joined in the laughter when he saw them laughing); "for though I dare say it is not stuffed full of friedrichs d'or and louis d'or--judge from your costume and gaiters--still--if you can add to your possessions such a valuable property as a relation like Mrs. General Epanchin, then your bundle becomes a significant object at once. That is, of course, if you really are a relative of Mrs. Epanchin's, and have not made a little error through--well, absence of mind, which is very common to human beings; or, say--through a too luxuriant fancy?"
"Oh, you are right again," said the fair-haired traveller, "for I really am ALMOST wrong when I say she and I are related. She is hardly a relation at all; so little, in fact, that I was not in the least surprised to have no answer to my letter. I expected as much."
"H'm! you spent your postage for nothing, then. H'm! you are candid, however--and that is commendable. H'm! Mrs. Epanchin--oh yes! a most eminent person. I know her. As for Mr. Pavlicheff, who supported you in Switzerland, I know him too--at least, if it was Nicolai Andreevitch of that name? A fine fellow he was--and had a property of four thousand souls in his day."
"Yes, Nicolai Andreevitch--that was his name," and the young fellow looked earnestly and with curiosity at the all-knowing gentleman with the red nose.
This sort of character is met with pretty frequently in a certain class. They are people who know everyone--that is, they know where a man is employed, what his salary is, whom he knows, whom he married, what money his wife had, who are his cousins, and second cousins, etc., etc. These men generally have about a hundred pounds a year to live on, and they spend their whole time and talents in the amassing of this style of knowledge, which they reduce--or raise--to the standard of a science.
During the latter part of the conversation the black-haired young man had become very impatient. He stared out of the window, and fidgeted, and evidently longed for the end of the journey. He was very absent; he would appear to listen-and heard nothing; and he would laugh of a sudden, evidently with no idea of what he was laughing about.
"Excuse me," said the red-nosed man to the young fellow with the bundle, rather suddenly; "whom have I the honour to be talking to?"
"Prince Lef Nicolaievitch Muishkin," replied the latter, with perfect readiness.
"Prince Muishkin? Lef Nicolaievitch? H'm! I don't know, I'm sure! I may say I have never heard of such a person," said the clerk, thoughtfully. "At least, the name, I admit, is historical. Karamsin must mention the family name, of course, in his history- -but as an individual--one never hears of any Prince Muishkin nowadays."
"Of course not," replied the prince; "there are none, except myself. I believe I am the last and only one. As to my forefathers, they have always been a poor lot; my own father was a sublieutenant in the army. I don't know how Mrs. Epanchin comes into the Muishkin family, but she is descended from the Princess Muishkin, and she, too, is the last of her line."
"And did you learn science and all that, with your professor over there?" asked the black-haired passenger.
"Oh yes--I did learn a little, but--"
"I've never learned anything whatever," said the other.
"Oh, but I learned very little, you know!" added the prince, as though excusing himself. "They could not teach me very much on account of my illness. "
"Do you know the Rogojins?" asked his questioner, abruptly.
"No, I don't--not at all! I hardly know anyone in Russia. Why, is that your name?"
"Yes, I am Rogojin, Parfen Rogojin."
"Parfen Rogojin? dear me--then don't you belong to those very Rogojins, perhaps--" began the clerk, with a very perceptible increase of civility in his tone.
"Yes--those very ones," interrupted Rogojin, impatiently, and with scant courtesy. I may remark that he had not once taken any notice of the blotchy-faced passenger, and had hitherto addressed all his remarks direct to the prince.
"Dear me--is it possible?" observed the clerk, while his face assumed an expression of great deference and servility--if not of absolute alarm: "what, a son of that very Semen Rogojin-- hereditary honourable citizen--who died a month or so ago and left two million and a half of roubles?"
"And how do YOU know that he left two million and a half of roubles?" asked Rogojin, disdainfully, and no deigning so much as to look at the other. "However, it's true enough that my father died a month ago, and that here am I returning from Pskoff, a month after, with hardly a boot to my foot. They've treated me like a dog! I've been ill of fever at Pskoff the whole time, and not a line, nor farthing of money, have I received from my mother or my confounded brother!"
"And now you'll have a million roubles, at least--goodness gracious me!" exclaimed the clerk, rubbing his hands.
"Five weeks since, I was just like yourself," continued Rogojin, addressing the prince, "with nothing but a bundle and the clothes I wore. I ran away from my father and came to Pskoff to my aunt's house, where I caved in at once with fever, and he went and died while I was away. All honour to my respected father's memory--but he uncommonly nearly killed me, all the same. Give you my word, prince, if I hadn't cut and run then, when I did, he'd have murdered me like a dog."
"I suppose you angered him somehow?" asked the prince, looking at the millionaire with considerable curiosity But though there may have been something remarkable in the fact that this man was heir to millions of roubles there was something about him which surprised and interested the prince more than that. Rogojin, too, seemed to have taken up the conversation with unusual alacrity it appeared that he was still in a considerable state of excitement, if not absolutely feverish, and was in real need of someone to talk to for the mere sake of talking, as safety-valve to his agitation.
As for his red-nosed neighbour, the latter--since the information as to the identity of Rogojin--hung over him, seemed to be living on the honey of his words and in the breath of his nostrils, catching at every syllable as though it were a pearl of great price.
"Oh, yes; I angered him--I certainly did anger him," replied Rogojin. "But what puts me out so is my brother. Of course my mother couldn't do anything--she's too old--and whatever brother Senka says is law for her! But why couldn't he let me know? He sent a telegram, they say. What's the good of a telegram? It frightened my aunt so that she sent it back to the office unopened, and there it's been ever since! It's only thanks to Konief that I heard at all; he wrote me all about it. He says my brother cut off the gold tassels from my father's coffin, at night because they're worth a lot of money!' says he. Why, I can get him sent off to Siberia for that alone, if I like; it's sacrilege. Here, you--scarecrow!" he added, addressing the clerk at his side, "is it sacrilege or not, by law?'
"Sacrilege, certainly--certainly sacrilege," said the latter.
"And it's Siberia for sacrilege, isn't it?"
"Undoubtedly so; Siberia, of course!"
"They will think that I'm still ill," continued Rogojin to the prince, "but I sloped off quietly, seedy as I was, took the train and came away. Aha, brother Senka, you'll have to open your gates and let me in, my boy! I know he told tales about me to my father--I know that well enough but I certainly did rile my father about Nastasia Philipovna that's very sure, and that was my own doing."
"Nastasia Philipovna?" said the clerk, as though trying to think out something.
"Come, you know nothing about HER," said Rogojin, impatiently.
"And supposing I do know something?" observed the other, triumphantly.
"Bosh! there are plenty of Nastasia Philipovnas. And what an impertinent beast you are!" he added angrily. "I thought some creature like you would hang on to me as soon as I got hold of my money. "
"Oh, but I do know, as it happens," said the clerk in an aggravating manner. "Lebedeff knows all about her. You are pleased to reproach me, your excellency, but what if I prove that I am right after all? Nastasia Phillpovna's family name is Barashkoff--I know, you see-and she is a very well known lady, indeed, and comes of a good family, too. She is connected with one Totski, Afanasy Ivanovitch, a man of considerable property, a director of companies, and so on, and a great friend of General Epanchin, who is interested in the same matters as he is."
"My eyes!" said Rogojin, really surprised at last. "The devil take the fellow, how does he know that?"
"Why, he knows everything--Lebedeff knows everything! I was a month or two with Lihachof after his father died, your excellency, and while he was knocking about--he's in the debtor's prison now--I was with him, and he couldn't do a thing without Lebedeff; and I got to know Nastasia Philipovna and several people at that time."
"Nastasia Philipovna? Why, you don't mean to say that she and Lihachof--" cried Rogojin, turning quite pale.
"No, no, no, no, no! Nothing of the sort, I assure you!" said Lebedeff, hastily. "Oh dear no, not for the world! Totski's the only man with any chance there. Oh, no! He takes her to his box at the opera at the French theatre of an evening, and the officers and people all look at her and say, 'By Jove, there's the famous Nastasia Philipovna!' but no one ever gets any further than that, for there is nothing more to say."
"Yes, it's quite true," said Rogojin, frowning gloomily; "so Zaleshoff told me. I was walking about the Nefsky one fine day, prince, in my father's old coat, when she suddenly came out of a shop and stepped into her carriage. I swear I was all of a blaze at once. Then I met Zaleshoff--looking like a hair-dresser's assistant, got up as fine as I don't know who, while I looked like a tinker. 'Don't flatter yourself, my boy,' said he; 'she's not for such as you; she's a princess, she is, and her name is Nastasia Philipovna Barashkoff, and she lives with Totski, who wishes to get rid of her because he's growing rather old--fifty- five or so--and wants to marry a certain beauty, the loveliest woman in all Petersburg.' And then he told me that I could see Nastasia Philipovna at the opera-house that evening, if I liked, and described which was her box. Well, I'd like to see my father allowing any of us to go to the theatre; he'd sooner have killed us, any day. However, I went for an hour or so and saw Nastasia Philipovna, and I never slept a wink all night after. Next morning my father happened to give me two government loan bonds to sell, worth nearly five thousand roubles each. 'Sell them,' said he, 'and then take seven thousand five hundred roubles to the office, give them to the cashier, and bring me back the rest of the ten thousand, without looking in anywhere on the way; look sharp, I shall be waiting for you.' Well, I sold the bonds, but I didn't take the seven thousand roubles to the office; I went straight to the English shop and chose a pair of earrings, with a diamond the size of a nut in each. They cost four hundred roubles more than I had, so I gave my name, and they trusted me. With the earrings I went at once to Zaleshoff's. 'Come on!' I said, 'come on to Nastasia Philipovna's,' and off we went without more ado. I tell you I hadn't a notion of what was about me or before me or below my feet all the way; I saw nothing whatever. We went straight into her drawing-room, and then she came out to us.
"I didn't say right out who I was, but Zaleshoff said: 'From Parfen Rogojin, in memory of his first meeting with you yesterday; be so kind as to accept these!'
"She opened the parcel, looked at the earrings, and laughed.
"'Thank your friend Mr. Rogojin for his kind attention,' says she, and bowed and went off. Why didn't I die there on the spot? The worst of it all was, though, that the beast Zaleshoff got all the credit of it! I was short and abominably dressed, and stood and stared in her face and never said a word, because I was shy, like an ass! And there was he all in the fashion, pomaded and dressed out, with a smart tie on, bowing and scraping; and I bet anything she took him for me all the while!
"'Look here now,' I said, when we came out, 'none of your interference here after this-do you understand?' He laughed: 'And how are you going to settle up with your father?' says he. I thought I might as well jump into the Neva at once without going home first; but it struck me that I wouldn't, after all, and I went home feeling like one of the damned."
"My goodness!" shivered the clerk. "And his father," he added, for the prince's instruction, "and his father would have given a man a ticket to the other world for ten roubles any day--not to speak of ten thousand!"
The prince observed Rogojin with great curiosity; he seemed paler than ever at this moment.
"What do you know about it?" cried the latter. "Well, my father learned the whole story at once, and Zaleshoff blabbed it all over the town besides. So he took me upstairs and locked me up, and swore at me for an hour. 'This is only a foretaste,' says he; 'wait a bit till night comes, and I'll come back and talk to you again.'
"Well, what do you think? The old fellow went straight off to Nastasia Philipovna, touched the floor with his forehead, and began blubbering and beseeching her on his knees to give him back the diamonds. So after awhile she brought the box and flew out at him. 'There,' she says, 'take your earrings, you wretched old miser; although they are ten times dearer than their value to me now that I know what it must have cost Parfen to get them! Give Parfen my compliments,' she says, 'and thank him very much!' Well, I meanwhile had borrowed twenty-five roubles from a friend, and off I went to Pskoff to my aunt's. The old woman there lectured me so that I left the house and went on a drinking tour round the public-houses of the place. I was in a high fever when I got to Pskoff, and by nightfall I was lying delirious in the streets somewhere or other!"
"Oho! we'll make Nastasia Philipovna sing another song now!" giggled Lebedeff, rubbing his hands with glee. "Hey, my boy, we'll get her some proper earrings now! We'll get her such earrings that--"
"Look here," cried Rogojin, seizing him fiercely by the arm, "look here, if you so much as name Nastasia Philipovna again, I'll tan your hide as sure as you sit there!"
"Aha! do--by all means! if you tan my hide you won't turn me away from your society. You'll bind me to you, with your lash, for ever. Ha, ha! here we are at the station, though."
Sure enough, the train was just steaming in as he spoke.
Though Rogojin had declared that he left Pskoff secretly, a large collection of friends had assembled to greet him, and did so with profuse waving of hats and shouting.
"Why, there's Zaleshoff here, too!" he muttered, gazing at the scene with a sort of triumphant but unpleasant smile. Then he suddenly turned to the prince: "Prince, I don't know why I have taken a fancy to you; perhaps because I met you just when I did. But no, it can't be that, for I met this fellow " (nodding at Lebedeff) "too, and I have not taken a fancy to him by any means. Come to see me, prince; we'll take off those gaiters of yours and dress you up in a smart fur coat, the best we can buy. You shall have a dress coat, best quality, white waistcoat, anything you like, and your pocket shall be full of money. Come, and you shall go with me to Nastasia Philipovna's. Now then will you come or no?"
"Accept, accept, Prince Lef Nicolaievitch" said Lebedef solemnly; "don't let it slip! Accept, quick!"
Prince Muishkin rose and stretched out his hand courteously, while he replied with some cordiality:
"I will come with the greatest pleasure, and thank you very much for taking a fancy to me. I dare say I may even come today if I have time, for I tell you frankly that I like you very much too. I liked you especially when you told us about the diamond earrings; but I liked you before that as well, though you have such a dark-clouded sort of face. Thanks very much for the offer of clothes and a fur coat; I certainly shall require both clothes and coat very soon. As for money, I have hardly a copeck about me at this moment."
"You shall have lots of money; by the evening I shall have plenty; so come along!"
"That's true enough, he'll have lots before evening!" put in Lebedeff.
"But, look here, are you a great hand with the ladies? Let's know that first?" asked Rogojin.
"Oh no, oh no! said the prince; "I couldn't, you know--my illness--I hardly ever saw a soul."
"H'm! well--here, you fellow-you can come along with me now if you like!" cried Rogojin to Lebedeff, and so they all left the carriage.
Lebedeff had his desire. He went off with the noisy group of Rogojin's friends towards the Voznesensky, while the prince's route lay towards the Litaynaya. It was damp and wet. The prince asked his way of passers-by, and finding that he was a couple of miles or so from his destination, he determined to take a droshky.
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