《安娜·卡列寧娜》是文學中希世的瑰寶,也是世界藝術寶庫中璀璨奪目的明珠。
小說中有兩條平行的綫索,當時有人說它沒有“建築術”,有人說它是“兩部小說”。作者委婉地拒絶了這些批評。他說,該書結構之妙正在於圓拱銜接得天衣無縫——兩條綫索有“內在的聯繫”。對此衆說紛紜。依我看,指的是有一個統一的主題,即當時資本主義迅猛發展帶來的、作者所認為的災難性的後果:一方面是貴族受資産階級思想侵蝕,在家庭、婚姻等道德倫理觀念方面發生激烈變化,捲首“奧布隆斯基傢裏一切都混亂了”一語有象徵意義;另一方面是農業受資本主義破壞,國傢面臨經濟發展的道路問題,也就是列文說的:“一切都翻了一個身,一切都剛剛開始安排。”以安娜為中心的綫索(包括奧布隆斯基、卡列寧、弗竜斯基以至謝爾巴茨基等傢族)和列文的綫索,分別表現了這兩方面的問題。
限於篇幅,下面衹簡單地談談男女兩位主人公以及有關創作藝術的點滴看法。
小說以安娜·卡列寧娜命名,她的形象在小說中確實居於中心的位置。安娜不僅天生麗質,光豔奪人,而且純真、誠實、端莊、聰慧,還有一個“復雜而有詩意的內心世界”。可是她遇人不淑,年輕時由姑母作主,嫁給一個頭腦僵化、思想保守、虛偽成性並且沒有活人感情的官僚卡列寧。在婚後八年間,她曾努力去愛丈夫和兒子。而現在由於“世風日變”,婚姻自由的思想激起了這個古井之水的波瀾。與弗竜斯基的邂逅,重新喚醒了她對生活的追求。她要“生活”,也就是要愛情。她終於跨越了禮教的樊籬。作為已婚的端莊的婦女,要跨出這一步,需要有很大的决心和勇氣,雖則在當時上流社會私通已司空見慣了。但她的勇氣主要在於,不願與無恥的貴族婦女同流合污,不願像她們那樣長期欺騙丈夫,毅然把曖昧的關係公開。這不啻嚮上流社會挑戰,從而不見容於上流社會,同時也受到卡列寧的殘酷報復:既不答應她離婚,又不讓她親近愛子。她徒然掙紮,曾為愛情而犧牲母愛,可這愛情又成了鏡花水月。她終於越來越深地陷入悲劇的命運。
不過,雖說造成她的悲劇的是包括卡列寧、弗竜斯基在內的上流社會,安娜作為悲劇人物,本身也不是沒有“過錯”;再說她的性格後來還發生了令人惋惜的變化。這位留裏剋王室的後裔,受時代的洗禮而敢於為“生活”而同社會抗爭,但她自己卻未能完全掙脫舊思想意識的桎梏,她不僅一再對卡列寧懷有負罪感,而且也不能割斷同上流社會的血緣關係,因此以見逐於它而感到無地自容。實際上她也沒有真正學會愛。同弗竜斯基的一見鐘情,似乎因他慷慨好施,主要卻是傾心於他的儀表、風度,出於自己旺盛的生命力的自發要求,並不基於共同的思想感情。這種愛情是盲目的,實際上幾乎全是情欲,而情欲是難以持久的。弗竜斯基初時為了虛榮心而獵逐她,一度因安娜的真摯的愛而變得嚴肅專一,但不久就因功名之心的蠕動而厭棄她。而安娜把愛情當作整個生活,沉溺其中,要弗竜斯基與她朝夕廝守一起,甚至甘為他的“無條件的奴隸”。於是她的精神品質漸漸失去了光彩。為了重新喚起弗竜斯基的愛,竟不惜以姿色的魅力編織“愛情的網”,並且逐漸習慣於“虛偽和欺騙的精神”。最後,她的愛越來越自私,以致在“不滿足”時變成了恨。不過,我們不能因此而責備安娜,須知她生活在歷史的轉折時期。如果說她同社會的外在矛盾,是由於新事物受舊事物壓製,那麽,她自身的矛盾,則是新萌發的意識未能戰勝根深蒂固的舊意識。何況當時能代替舊的道德觀念的新觀念尚未形成。因此可以說,她身上集中了時代的各種矛盾。她的自殺,從主觀上說是尋求解脫,也是對弗竜斯基的報復及對上流社會的;客觀上則是由於集中了各種時代的矛盾而無法剋服,從而無可避免地成為這個轉折時期祭壇的犧牲。這種必然性表明了安娜悲劇的深度。
列文也是深刻矛盾的人物。他鄙視彼得堡的宮廷貴族,卻以出身世襲貴族而自豪;他不滿於上流社會的荒淫和虛偽,卻認為奢侈是貴族的本分;他反對以農奴製的“棍子”壓製農民,卻又嚮往於貴族的古風舊習;他厭惡資本主義並否定資本主義在發展的必然性,但他自己的農業經營顯然是資本主義方式;他斷言資産階級所得的是“不義之財”,而自己卻和勞動者進行“殘酷的”鬥爭。這些正是這位“有心靈”、有道德感情的貴族在歷史轉折時期而背對歷史發展所必然産生的思想矛盾。
與安娜不同,列文可以說是獲得了真正的愛情和家庭的幸福。然而,良心的痛苦在折磨着他,在自己富裕同人民貧睏對比下,他深深抱有負罪感。衹是他不同於一般的懺悔貴族,他積極探索同人民接近的道路,並探索通過“不流血的”以達到與農民合作、共同富裕的道路。這種歷史唯心主義的幻想在殘酷的現實面前破滅了。他轉而懷疑自己生存的意義,從社會經濟的探索轉嚮思想和道德的探索,要在各種哲學和宗教中尋求答案,卻毫無所獲。失望之餘,他甚至要以自殺來解脫,最後從宗法製農民那裏得到啓示:要“為靈魂而活着”。他的不安的心靈似乎得到了歸宿,但這歸宿純然是空想,無助於實際矛盾的解决,衹不過是心靈悲劇的麻醉劑罷了。清醒的現實主義使作者在這裏把小說煞住。如果情節再朝前進展,人物會從麻醉中蘇醒過來,心靈的悲劇必定照舊在他面前展開。
與這兩位主人公相聯繫的、亦即在他們這兩條綫索上的一些次要的人物,是伴隨着他們出場並圍繞他們而活動的。與安娜—卡列寧和安娜—弗竜斯基相聯繫的,主要是彼得堡上流社會的三個圈子和軍界的某些貴族;與列文相聯繫的,主要是外省貴族、地主、農民以及個別商人。一般說來,安娜這條綫索上的人物大多涉及道德倫理問題,列文這條綫索上的人物大多涉及社會經濟問題。當然,兩者間有時也相互交叉。這些人物决不僅是兩位主人公的陪襯或對照物,而且常常居於前景,在情節中占有相當重要的位置。正是賴有他們,作品纔得以超出家庭關係的範圍,突破家庭小說的框架,成為作者所說的“內容廣泛的、自由的小說”,從而成為廣泛反映十九世紀六七十年代社會生活的史詩性傑作。
就藝術來說,《安娜·卡列寧娜》確實令人嘆為觀止。它的融合無間、互相呼應的兩條綫索的結構,繼《戰爭與和平》之後,又一次成為“背離歐洲形式”、找到“新的框架”的不世之作。再則這部小說的每一場面、每一插麯、每一畫面,一般不衹是“背景”或偶然的“布景”,而是整體的有機部分,這也顯示出結構的嚴密性和完整性。
書中的人物性格,大都於典型性中見個性。但這麽說未免簡單了些。不僅奧布隆斯基、弗竜斯基、卡列寧等形象豐滿、鮮明、生動,呼之欲出,就連寥寥幾筆畫成的插麯式人物,如一係列貴族、地主,彼得堡社交界的婦女,無不各具特色,歷歷在目;更不用說復雜、矛盾而又完整的安娜了。安娜這個形象在世界文學中,即使不說無與倫比,恐怕也罕有疇匹。這些人物雖是精雕細琢,但不像工筆畫那樣帶有匠氣。作者使用“積纍的方法”,並非機械地憑藉一次又一次的敘述,而是通過直接觀察者的眼光或感受來描寫。例如安娜,她先後在達裏婭、弗竜斯基、基蒂、卡列寧、列文以及米哈伊羅夫等人心目中,分別呈現自己的一個側面,正是這些不同的側面“積纍”成一個立體的、以至多角度的形象。同時,這些直接觀察者由主觀的不同的角度看到的不同側面,何者符合真實,由於作者不置一詞,給讀者留下廣阔想象的餘地,又給這個形象蒙上了一層迷霧,客觀上增添了它的復雜性。托爾斯泰還從進展中刻畫性格。不過,奧布隆斯基和列文等是固有品質的逐漸展示,安娜和弗竜斯基的性格則是發展和變化的。
《安娜·卡列寧娜》是完全意義上的心理小說。不僅人物的內心生活描寫充分,就是人物間的衝突也大都是心理上的,或是通過心理來表現的,因此全書心理描寫的密度很大。雖則一般使用傳統手法,即作者間接敘述或由人物的語言、動作或表情等直接表現,但筆墨十分細膩。例如總是在動態中寫心理過程,一般是展示過程中的每一環節或每一橫斷面,把人物內心的每一顫動顯現出來。這些過程一般不是直綫式的,而其麯折反復也不是循環,而是蠃旋形的進展,因此令人感到的不是繁復纍贅,而是步步深入。而在不少場合,人物心理還是前後截然相反的,藉用批評傢巴赫金的術語來說,是“對話”式的。這種“對話”有時表現於較長的心理過程的始與終,是逐漸變化的結果;有時則是突然轉折。前者如達裏婭去探望安娜的那一插麯,後者如科茲內雪夫嚮瓦蓮卡的求愛。但無論是漸進或是突變,都符合人物的性格或心理的規律。有時也進入半下意識的領域,如安娜從莫斯科回彼得堡的車上的那種迷離恍惚的心態。而在一些屬於傳統手法的內心獨白中也有所創新。奧布隆斯基在利季婭·伊萬諾夫娜伯爵夫人晚會上那段斷斷續續的內心獨白,表現了人物頭腦處於半睡眠的消極狀態的凌亂的意識之流。特別是安娜在自殺前驅車經過街上時的心理活動:街上瞬息變換的各種外在印象不斷引起她的自由聯想,她不斷由一種感觸或回憶驀地跳到另一種感觸和回憶,她強烈激動、心煩意亂、百感交集的心境躍然紙上。作者是如此巧妙地運用了意識流手法的跳躍性,省略了許多不必要的環節和焊接點,使得人物的思路迅速轉換而又十分自然,各種思緒斷斷續續,此起彼伏,互不連貫而又不凌亂無序。這可以說是文學中的意識流的神來之筆。
小說中還有許多膾炙人口的場面,許多描寫生動的插麯,以及文筆的自然、質樸和真實……總之,可談者尚多。
《安娜·卡列寧娜》問世一百多年了。這部出自巨匠之手的藝術傑作,不但沒有減色,反而顯得更為瑰麗。
陳 燊
1994.4
Everything was in confusion in the Oblonskys' house. The wife had discovered that the husband was carrying on an intrigue with a French girl, who had been a governess in their family, and she had announced to her husband that she could not go on living in the same house with him. This position of affairs had now lasted three days, and not only the husband and wife themselves, but all the members of their family and household, were painfully conscious of it. Every person in the house felt that there was so sense in their living together, and that the stray people brought together by chance in any inn had more in common with one another than they, the members of the family and household of the Oblonskys. The wife did not leave her own room, the husband had not been at home for three days. The children ran wild all over the house; the English governess quarreled with the housekeeper, and wrote to a friend asking her to look out for a new situation for her; the man-cook had walked off the day before just at dinner time; the kitchen-maid, and the coachman had given warning.
Three days after the quarrel, Prince Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky--Stiva, as he was called in the fashionable world-- woke up at his usual hour, that is, at eight o'clock in the morning, not in his wife's bedroom, but on the leather-covered sofa in his study. He turned over his stout, well-cared-for person on the springy sofa, as though he would sink into a long sleep again; he vigorously embraced the pillow on the other side and buried his face in it; but all at once he jumped up, sat up on the sofa, and opened his eyes.
"Yes, yes, how was it now?" he thought, going over his dream. "Now, how was it? To be sure! Alabin was giving a dinner at Darmstadt; no, not Darmstadt, but something American. Yes, but then, Darmstadt was in America. Yes, Alabin was giving a dinner on glass tables, and the tables sang, Il mio tesoro--not Il mio tesoro though, but something better, and there were some sort of little decanters on the table, and they were women, too," he remembered.
Stepan Arkadyevitch's eyes twinkled gaily, and he pondered with a smile. "Yes, it was nice, very nice. There was a great deal more that was delightful, only there's no putting it into words, or even expressing it in one's thoughts awake." And noticing a gleam of light peeping in beside one of the serge curtains, he cheerfully dropped his feet over the edge of the sofa, and felt about with them for his slippers, a present on his last birthday, worked for him by his wife on gold-colored morocco. And, as he had done every day for the last nine years, he stretched out his hand, without getting up, towards the place where his dressing-gown always hung in his bedroom. And thereupon he suddenly remembered that he was not sleeping in his wife's room, but in his study, and why: the smile vanished from his face, he knitted his brows.
"Ah, ah, ah! Oo!..." he muttered, recalling everything that had happened. And again every detail of his quarrel with his wife was present to his imagination, all the hopelessness of his position, and worst of all, his own fault.
"Yes, she won't forgive me, and she can't forgive me. And the most awful thing about it is that it's all my fault--all my fault, though I'm not to blame. That's the point of the whole situation," he reflected. "Oh, oh, oh!" he kept repeating in despair, as he remembered the acutely painful sensations caused him by this quarrel.
Most unpleasant of all was the first minute when, on coming, happy and good-humored, from the theater, with a huge pear in his hand for his wife, he had not found his wife in the drawing-room, to his surprise had not found her in the study either, and saw her at last in her bedroom with the unlucky letter that revealed everything in her hand.
She, his Dolly, forever fussing and worrying over household details, and limited in her ideas, as he considered, was sitting perfectly still with the letter in her hand, looking at him with an expression of horror, despair, and indignation.
"What's this? this?" she asked, pointing to the letter.
And at this recollection, Stepan Arkadyevitch, as is so often the case, was not so much annoyed at the fact itself as at the way in which he had met his wife's words.
There happened to him at that instant what does happen to people when they are unexpectedly caught in something very disgraceful. He did not succeed in adapting his face to the position in which he was placed towards his wife by the discovery of his fault. Instead of being hurt, denying, defending himself, begging forgiveness, instead of remaining indifferent even--anything would have been better than what he did do--his face utterly involuntarily (reflex spinal action, reflected Stepan Arkadyevitch, who was fond of physiology)--utterly involuntarily assumed its habitual, good-humored, and therefore idiotic smile.
This idiotic smile he could not forgive himself. Catching sight of that smile, Dolly shuddered as though at physical pain, broke out with her characteristic heat into a flood of cruel words, and rushed out of the room. Since then she had refused to see her husband.
"It's that idiotic smile that's to blame for it all," thought Stepan Arkadyevitch.
"But what's to be done? What's to be done?" he said to himself in despair, and found no answer.
小說中有兩條平行的綫索,當時有人說它沒有“建築術”,有人說它是“兩部小說”。作者委婉地拒絶了這些批評。他說,該書結構之妙正在於圓拱銜接得天衣無縫——兩條綫索有“內在的聯繫”。對此衆說紛紜。依我看,指的是有一個統一的主題,即當時資本主義迅猛發展帶來的、作者所認為的災難性的後果:一方面是貴族受資産階級思想侵蝕,在家庭、婚姻等道德倫理觀念方面發生激烈變化,捲首“奧布隆斯基傢裏一切都混亂了”一語有象徵意義;另一方面是農業受資本主義破壞,國傢面臨經濟發展的道路問題,也就是列文說的:“一切都翻了一個身,一切都剛剛開始安排。”以安娜為中心的綫索(包括奧布隆斯基、卡列寧、弗竜斯基以至謝爾巴茨基等傢族)和列文的綫索,分別表現了這兩方面的問題。
限於篇幅,下面衹簡單地談談男女兩位主人公以及有關創作藝術的點滴看法。
小說以安娜·卡列寧娜命名,她的形象在小說中確實居於中心的位置。安娜不僅天生麗質,光豔奪人,而且純真、誠實、端莊、聰慧,還有一個“復雜而有詩意的內心世界”。可是她遇人不淑,年輕時由姑母作主,嫁給一個頭腦僵化、思想保守、虛偽成性並且沒有活人感情的官僚卡列寧。在婚後八年間,她曾努力去愛丈夫和兒子。而現在由於“世風日變”,婚姻自由的思想激起了這個古井之水的波瀾。與弗竜斯基的邂逅,重新喚醒了她對生活的追求。她要“生活”,也就是要愛情。她終於跨越了禮教的樊籬。作為已婚的端莊的婦女,要跨出這一步,需要有很大的决心和勇氣,雖則在當時上流社會私通已司空見慣了。但她的勇氣主要在於,不願與無恥的貴族婦女同流合污,不願像她們那樣長期欺騙丈夫,毅然把曖昧的關係公開。這不啻嚮上流社會挑戰,從而不見容於上流社會,同時也受到卡列寧的殘酷報復:既不答應她離婚,又不讓她親近愛子。她徒然掙紮,曾為愛情而犧牲母愛,可這愛情又成了鏡花水月。她終於越來越深地陷入悲劇的命運。
不過,雖說造成她的悲劇的是包括卡列寧、弗竜斯基在內的上流社會,安娜作為悲劇人物,本身也不是沒有“過錯”;再說她的性格後來還發生了令人惋惜的變化。這位留裏剋王室的後裔,受時代的洗禮而敢於為“生活”而同社會抗爭,但她自己卻未能完全掙脫舊思想意識的桎梏,她不僅一再對卡列寧懷有負罪感,而且也不能割斷同上流社會的血緣關係,因此以見逐於它而感到無地自容。實際上她也沒有真正學會愛。同弗竜斯基的一見鐘情,似乎因他慷慨好施,主要卻是傾心於他的儀表、風度,出於自己旺盛的生命力的自發要求,並不基於共同的思想感情。這種愛情是盲目的,實際上幾乎全是情欲,而情欲是難以持久的。弗竜斯基初時為了虛榮心而獵逐她,一度因安娜的真摯的愛而變得嚴肅專一,但不久就因功名之心的蠕動而厭棄她。而安娜把愛情當作整個生活,沉溺其中,要弗竜斯基與她朝夕廝守一起,甚至甘為他的“無條件的奴隸”。於是她的精神品質漸漸失去了光彩。為了重新喚起弗竜斯基的愛,竟不惜以姿色的魅力編織“愛情的網”,並且逐漸習慣於“虛偽和欺騙的精神”。最後,她的愛越來越自私,以致在“不滿足”時變成了恨。不過,我們不能因此而責備安娜,須知她生活在歷史的轉折時期。如果說她同社會的外在矛盾,是由於新事物受舊事物壓製,那麽,她自身的矛盾,則是新萌發的意識未能戰勝根深蒂固的舊意識。何況當時能代替舊的道德觀念的新觀念尚未形成。因此可以說,她身上集中了時代的各種矛盾。她的自殺,從主觀上說是尋求解脫,也是對弗竜斯基的報復及對上流社會的;客觀上則是由於集中了各種時代的矛盾而無法剋服,從而無可避免地成為這個轉折時期祭壇的犧牲。這種必然性表明了安娜悲劇的深度。
列文也是深刻矛盾的人物。他鄙視彼得堡的宮廷貴族,卻以出身世襲貴族而自豪;他不滿於上流社會的荒淫和虛偽,卻認為奢侈是貴族的本分;他反對以農奴製的“棍子”壓製農民,卻又嚮往於貴族的古風舊習;他厭惡資本主義並否定資本主義在發展的必然性,但他自己的農業經營顯然是資本主義方式;他斷言資産階級所得的是“不義之財”,而自己卻和勞動者進行“殘酷的”鬥爭。這些正是這位“有心靈”、有道德感情的貴族在歷史轉折時期而背對歷史發展所必然産生的思想矛盾。
與安娜不同,列文可以說是獲得了真正的愛情和家庭的幸福。然而,良心的痛苦在折磨着他,在自己富裕同人民貧睏對比下,他深深抱有負罪感。衹是他不同於一般的懺悔貴族,他積極探索同人民接近的道路,並探索通過“不流血的”以達到與農民合作、共同富裕的道路。這種歷史唯心主義的幻想在殘酷的現實面前破滅了。他轉而懷疑自己生存的意義,從社會經濟的探索轉嚮思想和道德的探索,要在各種哲學和宗教中尋求答案,卻毫無所獲。失望之餘,他甚至要以自殺來解脫,最後從宗法製農民那裏得到啓示:要“為靈魂而活着”。他的不安的心靈似乎得到了歸宿,但這歸宿純然是空想,無助於實際矛盾的解决,衹不過是心靈悲劇的麻醉劑罷了。清醒的現實主義使作者在這裏把小說煞住。如果情節再朝前進展,人物會從麻醉中蘇醒過來,心靈的悲劇必定照舊在他面前展開。
與這兩位主人公相聯繫的、亦即在他們這兩條綫索上的一些次要的人物,是伴隨着他們出場並圍繞他們而活動的。與安娜—卡列寧和安娜—弗竜斯基相聯繫的,主要是彼得堡上流社會的三個圈子和軍界的某些貴族;與列文相聯繫的,主要是外省貴族、地主、農民以及個別商人。一般說來,安娜這條綫索上的人物大多涉及道德倫理問題,列文這條綫索上的人物大多涉及社會經濟問題。當然,兩者間有時也相互交叉。這些人物决不僅是兩位主人公的陪襯或對照物,而且常常居於前景,在情節中占有相當重要的位置。正是賴有他們,作品纔得以超出家庭關係的範圍,突破家庭小說的框架,成為作者所說的“內容廣泛的、自由的小說”,從而成為廣泛反映十九世紀六七十年代社會生活的史詩性傑作。
就藝術來說,《安娜·卡列寧娜》確實令人嘆為觀止。它的融合無間、互相呼應的兩條綫索的結構,繼《戰爭與和平》之後,又一次成為“背離歐洲形式”、找到“新的框架”的不世之作。再則這部小說的每一場面、每一插麯、每一畫面,一般不衹是“背景”或偶然的“布景”,而是整體的有機部分,這也顯示出結構的嚴密性和完整性。
書中的人物性格,大都於典型性中見個性。但這麽說未免簡單了些。不僅奧布隆斯基、弗竜斯基、卡列寧等形象豐滿、鮮明、生動,呼之欲出,就連寥寥幾筆畫成的插麯式人物,如一係列貴族、地主,彼得堡社交界的婦女,無不各具特色,歷歷在目;更不用說復雜、矛盾而又完整的安娜了。安娜這個形象在世界文學中,即使不說無與倫比,恐怕也罕有疇匹。這些人物雖是精雕細琢,但不像工筆畫那樣帶有匠氣。作者使用“積纍的方法”,並非機械地憑藉一次又一次的敘述,而是通過直接觀察者的眼光或感受來描寫。例如安娜,她先後在達裏婭、弗竜斯基、基蒂、卡列寧、列文以及米哈伊羅夫等人心目中,分別呈現自己的一個側面,正是這些不同的側面“積纍”成一個立體的、以至多角度的形象。同時,這些直接觀察者由主觀的不同的角度看到的不同側面,何者符合真實,由於作者不置一詞,給讀者留下廣阔想象的餘地,又給這個形象蒙上了一層迷霧,客觀上增添了它的復雜性。托爾斯泰還從進展中刻畫性格。不過,奧布隆斯基和列文等是固有品質的逐漸展示,安娜和弗竜斯基的性格則是發展和變化的。
《安娜·卡列寧娜》是完全意義上的心理小說。不僅人物的內心生活描寫充分,就是人物間的衝突也大都是心理上的,或是通過心理來表現的,因此全書心理描寫的密度很大。雖則一般使用傳統手法,即作者間接敘述或由人物的語言、動作或表情等直接表現,但筆墨十分細膩。例如總是在動態中寫心理過程,一般是展示過程中的每一環節或每一橫斷面,把人物內心的每一顫動顯現出來。這些過程一般不是直綫式的,而其麯折反復也不是循環,而是蠃旋形的進展,因此令人感到的不是繁復纍贅,而是步步深入。而在不少場合,人物心理還是前後截然相反的,藉用批評傢巴赫金的術語來說,是“對話”式的。這種“對話”有時表現於較長的心理過程的始與終,是逐漸變化的結果;有時則是突然轉折。前者如達裏婭去探望安娜的那一插麯,後者如科茲內雪夫嚮瓦蓮卡的求愛。但無論是漸進或是突變,都符合人物的性格或心理的規律。有時也進入半下意識的領域,如安娜從莫斯科回彼得堡的車上的那種迷離恍惚的心態。而在一些屬於傳統手法的內心獨白中也有所創新。奧布隆斯基在利季婭·伊萬諾夫娜伯爵夫人晚會上那段斷斷續續的內心獨白,表現了人物頭腦處於半睡眠的消極狀態的凌亂的意識之流。特別是安娜在自殺前驅車經過街上時的心理活動:街上瞬息變換的各種外在印象不斷引起她的自由聯想,她不斷由一種感觸或回憶驀地跳到另一種感觸和回憶,她強烈激動、心煩意亂、百感交集的心境躍然紙上。作者是如此巧妙地運用了意識流手法的跳躍性,省略了許多不必要的環節和焊接點,使得人物的思路迅速轉換而又十分自然,各種思緒斷斷續續,此起彼伏,互不連貫而又不凌亂無序。這可以說是文學中的意識流的神來之筆。
小說中還有許多膾炙人口的場面,許多描寫生動的插麯,以及文筆的自然、質樸和真實……總之,可談者尚多。
《安娜·卡列寧娜》問世一百多年了。這部出自巨匠之手的藝術傑作,不但沒有減色,反而顯得更為瑰麗。
陳 燊
1994.4
Everything was in confusion in the Oblonskys' house. The wife had discovered that the husband was carrying on an intrigue with a French girl, who had been a governess in their family, and she had announced to her husband that she could not go on living in the same house with him. This position of affairs had now lasted three days, and not only the husband and wife themselves, but all the members of their family and household, were painfully conscious of it. Every person in the house felt that there was so sense in their living together, and that the stray people brought together by chance in any inn had more in common with one another than they, the members of the family and household of the Oblonskys. The wife did not leave her own room, the husband had not been at home for three days. The children ran wild all over the house; the English governess quarreled with the housekeeper, and wrote to a friend asking her to look out for a new situation for her; the man-cook had walked off the day before just at dinner time; the kitchen-maid, and the coachman had given warning.
Three days after the quarrel, Prince Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky--Stiva, as he was called in the fashionable world-- woke up at his usual hour, that is, at eight o'clock in the morning, not in his wife's bedroom, but on the leather-covered sofa in his study. He turned over his stout, well-cared-for person on the springy sofa, as though he would sink into a long sleep again; he vigorously embraced the pillow on the other side and buried his face in it; but all at once he jumped up, sat up on the sofa, and opened his eyes.
"Yes, yes, how was it now?" he thought, going over his dream. "Now, how was it? To be sure! Alabin was giving a dinner at Darmstadt; no, not Darmstadt, but something American. Yes, but then, Darmstadt was in America. Yes, Alabin was giving a dinner on glass tables, and the tables sang, Il mio tesoro--not Il mio tesoro though, but something better, and there were some sort of little decanters on the table, and they were women, too," he remembered.
Stepan Arkadyevitch's eyes twinkled gaily, and he pondered with a smile. "Yes, it was nice, very nice. There was a great deal more that was delightful, only there's no putting it into words, or even expressing it in one's thoughts awake." And noticing a gleam of light peeping in beside one of the serge curtains, he cheerfully dropped his feet over the edge of the sofa, and felt about with them for his slippers, a present on his last birthday, worked for him by his wife on gold-colored morocco. And, as he had done every day for the last nine years, he stretched out his hand, without getting up, towards the place where his dressing-gown always hung in his bedroom. And thereupon he suddenly remembered that he was not sleeping in his wife's room, but in his study, and why: the smile vanished from his face, he knitted his brows.
"Ah, ah, ah! Oo!..." he muttered, recalling everything that had happened. And again every detail of his quarrel with his wife was present to his imagination, all the hopelessness of his position, and worst of all, his own fault.
"Yes, she won't forgive me, and she can't forgive me. And the most awful thing about it is that it's all my fault--all my fault, though I'm not to blame. That's the point of the whole situation," he reflected. "Oh, oh, oh!" he kept repeating in despair, as he remembered the acutely painful sensations caused him by this quarrel.
Most unpleasant of all was the first minute when, on coming, happy and good-humored, from the theater, with a huge pear in his hand for his wife, he had not found his wife in the drawing-room, to his surprise had not found her in the study either, and saw her at last in her bedroom with the unlucky letter that revealed everything in her hand.
She, his Dolly, forever fussing and worrying over household details, and limited in her ideas, as he considered, was sitting perfectly still with the letter in her hand, looking at him with an expression of horror, despair, and indignation.
"What's this? this?" she asked, pointing to the letter.
And at this recollection, Stepan Arkadyevitch, as is so often the case, was not so much annoyed at the fact itself as at the way in which he had met his wife's words.
There happened to him at that instant what does happen to people when they are unexpectedly caught in something very disgraceful. He did not succeed in adapting his face to the position in which he was placed towards his wife by the discovery of his fault. Instead of being hurt, denying, defending himself, begging forgiveness, instead of remaining indifferent even--anything would have been better than what he did do--his face utterly involuntarily (reflex spinal action, reflected Stepan Arkadyevitch, who was fond of physiology)--utterly involuntarily assumed its habitual, good-humored, and therefore idiotic smile.
This idiotic smile he could not forgive himself. Catching sight of that smile, Dolly shuddered as though at physical pain, broke out with her characteristic heat into a flood of cruel words, and rushed out of the room. Since then she had refused to see her husband.
"It's that idiotic smile that's to blame for it all," thought Stepan Arkadyevitch.
"But what's to be done? What's to be done?" he said to himself in despair, and found no answer.
幸福的家庭都是相似的,不幸的家庭各有各的不幸。
奧布隆斯基傢裏一切都混亂了。妻子發覺丈夫和他們傢從前的法國女家庭教師有曖昧關係,她嚮丈夫聲明她不能和他再在一個屋子裏住下去了。這樣的狀態已經繼續了三天,不衹是夫妻兩個,就是他們全家和僕人都為此感到痛苦。傢裏的每個人都覺得他們住在一起沒有意思,而且覺得就是在任何客店裏萍水相逢的人也都比他們,奧布隆斯基全家和僕人更情投意合。妻子沒有離開自己的房間一步,丈夫三天不在傢了,小孩們像失了管教一樣在傢裏到處亂跑。英國女家庭教師和女管傢吵架,給朋友寫了信,請替她找一個新的位置。
廚師昨天恰好在晚餐時走掉了,廚娘和車夫辭了工。
在吵架後的第三天,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇·奧布隆斯基公爵——他在交際場裏是叫斯季瓦的——在照例的時間,早晨八點鐘醒來,不在他妻子的寢室,卻在他書房裏的鞣皮沙發上。他在富於彈性的沙發上把他的肥胖的、保養得很好的身體翻轉,好像要再睡一大覺似的,他使勁抱住一個枕頭,把他的臉緊緊地偎着它;但是他突然跳起來,坐在沙發上,張開眼睛。
“哦,哦,怎麽回事?”他想,重溫着他的夢境。“怎麽回事,對啦!阿拉賓在達姆施塔特①請客;不,不是達姆施塔特,而是在美國什麽地方。不錯,達姆施塔特是在美國。不錯,阿拉賓在玻璃桌上請客,在座的人都唱Ilmiotesoro②,但也不是Ilmiotesoro,而是比那更好的;桌上還有些小酒瓶,那都是女人,”他回想着。
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①達姆施塔特,現今西德的一個城市。
②意大利語:我的寶貝。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇的眼睛快樂地閃耀着,他含着微笑沉思。“哦,真是有趣極了。有味的事情還多得很,可惜醒了說不出來,連意思都表達不出來。”而後看到從一幅羅紗窗帷邊上射入的一綫日光,他愉快地把腳沿着沙發邊伸下去,用腳去搜索他的拖鞋,那雙拖鞋是金色鞣皮的,上面有他妻子綉的花,是他去年生日時她送給他的禮物;照他九年來的習慣,每天他沒有起來,就嚮寢室裏常挂晨衣的地方伸出手去。他這纔突然記起了他沒有和為什麽沒有睡在妻子的房間而睡在自己的書房裏。微笑從他的臉上消失,他皺起眉來。
“唉,唉,唉!”他嘆息,回想着發生的一切事情。他和妻子吵架的每個細節,他那無法擺脫的處境以及最糟糕的,他自己的過錯,又一齊涌上他的心頭。
“是的,她不會饒恕我,她也不能饒恕我!而最糟的是這都是我的過錯——都是我的過錯;但也不能怪我。悲劇就在這裏!”他沉思着。“唉,唉,唉!”他記起這場吵鬧所給予他的極端痛苦的感覺,盡在絶望地自悲自嘆。
最不愉快的是最初的一瞬間,當他興高采烈的,手裏拿着一隻預備給他妻子的大梨,從劇場回來的時候,他在客廳裏沒有找到他妻子,使他大為吃驚的是,在書房裏也沒有找到,而終於發現她在寢室裏,手裏拿着那封泄漏了一切的倒黴的信。
她——那個老是忙忙碌碌和憂慮不安,而且依他看來,頭腦簡單的多莉①,動也不動地坐在那裏,手裏拿着那封信,帶着恐怖、絶望和忿怒的表情望着他。
“這是什麽?這?”她問,指着那封信。
回想起來的時候,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇,像常有的情形一樣,覺得事情本身還沒有他回答妻子的話的態度那麽使他苦惱。
那一瞬間,在他身上發生了一般人在他們的極不名譽的行為突如其來地被揭發了的時候所常發生的現象。他沒有能夠使他的臉色適應於他的過失被揭穿後他在妻子面前所處的地位。沒有感到受了委屈,矢口否認,替自己辯護,請求饒恕,甚至也沒有索性不在乎——隨便什麽都比他所做的好——他的面孔卻完全不由自主地(斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇是喜歡生理學的,他認為這是腦神經的反射作用②)——完全不由自主地突然浮現出他那素常的、善良的、因而癡愚的微笑。
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①多莉是他的妻子達裏婭的英文名字。
②在《安娜·卡列寧娜》寫成之前不久,在的一份雜志上,《腦神經的反射作用》的作者謝切諾夫教授正和其他的科學家進行着激烈的論戰。對於這種事情一知半解的奧布隆斯基都輕而易舉地想起這個術語,可見這場論戰曾引起了當時公衆的充分註意。
為了這種癡愚的微笑,他不能饒恕自己。看見那微笑,多莉好像感到肉體的痛苦一般顫慄起來,以她特有的火氣脫口說出了一連串殘酷的話,就衝出了房間。從此以後,她就不願見她丈夫了。
“這都要怪那癡愚的微笑,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇想。
“但是怎麽辦呢?怎麽辦呢?”他絶望地自言自語說,找不出答案來。 二
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇是一個忠實於自己的人。他不能自欺欺人,不能使自己相信他後悔他的行為。他是一個三十四歲、漂亮多情的男子,他的妻子僅僅比他小一歲,而且做了五個活着、兩個死了的孩子的母親,他不愛她,這他現在並不覺得後悔。他後悔的衹是他沒有能夠很好地瞞過他的妻子。但是他感到了他的處境的一切睏難,很替他的妻子、小孩和自己難過。他也許能想辦法把他的罪過隱瞞住他的妻子,要是他早料到,這個消息會這樣影響她。他從來沒有清晰地考慮過這個問題,但他模模糊糊地感到他的妻子早已懷疑他對她不忠實,她衹是裝做沒有看見罷了。他甚至以為,她衹是一個賢妻良母,一個疲憊的、漸漸衰老的、不再年輕、也不再美麗、毫不惹人註目的女人,應當出於公平心對他寬大一些。結果卻完全相反。
“唉,可怕呀!可怕呀!”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇盡在自言自語,想不出辦法來。“以前一切是多麽順遂呵!我們過得多快活;她因為孩子們而感到滿足和幸福;我從來什麽事情也不干涉她;隨着她的意思去照管小孩和傢事。自然,糟糕的是,她是我們傢裏的家庭女教師。真糟!和傢裏的家庭女教師鬍來,未免有點庸俗,下流。但是一個多漂亮的家庭女教師呀!(他歷歷在目地回想着羅蘭姑娘的惡作劇的黑眼睛和她的微笑。)但是畢竟,她在我們傢裏的時候,我從來未敢放肆過。最糟的就是她已經……好像命該如此!唉,唉!但是怎麽,怎麽辦呀?”
除了生活所給予一切最復雜最難解决的問題的那個一般的解答之外,再也得不到其他解答了。那解答就是:人必須在日常的需要中生活——那就是,忘懷一切。要在睡眠中忘掉憂愁現在已不可能,至少也得到夜間纔行;他現在又不能夠回到酒瓶女人所唱的音樂中去;因此他衹好在白晝夢中消愁解悶。
“我們等着瞧吧,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇自言自語,他站起來,穿上一件襯着藍色綢裏的灰色晨衣,把腰帶打了一個結,於是,深深地往他的寬闊胸膛裏吸了一口氣,他擺開他那雙那麽輕快地載着他的肥胖身體的八字腳,邁着素常的穩重步伐走到窗前,他拉開百葉窗,用力按鈴。他的親信僕人馬特維立刻應聲出現,把他的衣服、長靴和電報拿來了。理發匠挾着理發用具跟在馬特維後面走進來。
“衙門裏有什麽公文送來沒有?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問,接過電報,在鏡子面前坐下。
“在桌上,”馬特維回答,懷着同情詢問地瞥了他的主人一眼;停了一會,他臉上浮着狡獪的微笑補充說:“馬車老闆那兒有人來過。”
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇沒有回答,衹在鏡裏瞥了馬特維一眼。從他們在鏡子裏交換的眼色中,可以看出來他們彼此很瞭解。斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇的眼色似乎在問:“你為什麽對我說這個?你難道不知道?”
馬特維把手放進外套口袋裏,伸出一隻腳,默默地、善良地、帶着一絲微笑凝視着他的主人。
“我叫他們禮拜日再來,不到那時候不要白費氣力來麻煩您或他們自己,”他說,他顯然是事先準備好這句話的。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇看出來馬特維想要開開玩笑,引得人傢註意自己。他拆開電報看了一遍,揣測着電報裏時常拼錯的字眼,他的臉色開朗了。
“馬特維,我妹妹安娜·阿爾卡季耶夫娜明天要來了,”他說,做手勢要理發匠的光滑豐滿的手停一會,他正在從他的長長的、鬈麯的絡腮鬍子中間剃出一條淡紅色的紋路來。
“謝謝上帝!”馬特維說,由這回答就顯示出他像他的主人一樣瞭解這次來訪的重大意義,那就是,安娜·阿爾卡季耶夫娜,他所喜歡的妹妹,也許會促使夫妻和好起來。
“一個人,還是和她丈夫一道?”馬特維問。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇不能夠回答,因為理發匠正在剃他的上唇,於是舉起一個手指來。馬特維朝鏡子裏點點頭。
“一個人。要在樓上收拾好一間房間嗎?”
“去告訴達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜:她會吩咐的。”
“達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜?”馬特維好像懷疑似地重複着。
“是的,去告訴她。把電報拿去;交給她,照她吩咐的去辦。”
“您要去試一試嗎,”馬特維心中明白,但他卻衹說:
“是的,老爺。”
當馬特維踏着那雙咯吱作響的長靴,手裏拿着電報,慢吞吞地走回房間來的時候,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇已經洗好了臉,梳過了頭髮,正在預備穿衣服。理發匠已經走了。
“達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜叫我對您說她要走了。讓他——就是說您——高興怎樣辦就怎樣辦吧,”他說,衹有他的眼睛含着笑意,然後把手放進口袋裏,歪着腦袋斜視着主人。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇沉默了一會。隨即一種溫和的而又有幾分凄惻的微笑流露在他的好看的面孔上。
“呃,馬特維?”他說,搖搖頭。
“不要緊,老爺;事情自會好起來的。”馬特維說。
“自會好起來的?”
“是的,老爺。”
“你這樣想嗎?誰來了?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問,聽見門外有女人的衣服的究n聲。
“我,”一個堅定而愉快的女人聲音說,乳母馬特廖娜·菲利蒙諾夫娜的嚴峻的麻臉從門後伸進來。
“哦,什麽事,馬特廖娜?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問,走到她面前。
雖然斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇在妻子面前一無是處,而且他自己也感覺到這點,但是傢裏幾乎每個人(就連達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜的心腹,那個乳母也在內,)都站在他這邊。
“哦,什麽事?”他憂愁地問。
“到她那裏去,老爺,再認一次錯吧。上帝會幫助您的。她是這樣痛苦,看見她都叫人傷心;而且傢裏一切都弄得亂七八糟了。老爺,您該憐憫憐憫孩子們。認個錯吧,老爺。這是沒有辦法的!要圖快活,就衹好……”
“但是她不願見我。”
“盡您的本分。上帝是慈悲的,嚮上帝禱告,老爺,嚮上帝禱告吧。”
“好的,你走吧,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇說,突然漲紅了臉。“喂,給我穿上衣服。”他轉嚮馬特維說,毅然决然地脫下晨衣。
馬特維已經舉起襯衣,像馬頸軛一樣,吹去了上面的一點什麽看不見的黑點,他帶着顯然的愉快神情把它套在他主人的保養得很好的身體上。 三
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇穿好了衣服,在身上灑了些香水,拉直襯衣袖口,照常把香煙、袖珍簿、火柴和那有着雙重鏈子和表墜的表分置在各個口袋裏,然後抖開手帕,雖然他很不幸,但是他感到清爽,芬芳,健康和肉體上的舒適,他兩腿微微搖擺着走進了餐室,他的咖啡已擺在那裏等他,咖啡旁邊放着信件和衙門裏送來的公文。
他閱讀信件。有一封令人極不愉快,是一個想要買他妻子地産上的一座樹林的商人寫來的,出賣這座樹林是絶對必要的;但是現在,在他沒有和妻子和解以前,這個問題是無法談的。最不愉快的是他的金錢上的利害關係要牽涉到他急待跟他妻子和解的問題上去。想到他會被這種利害關係所左右,他會為了賣樹林的緣故去跟他妻子講和——想到這個,就使他不愉快了。
看完了信,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇把衙門裏送來的公文拉到面前,迅速地閱過了兩件公事,用粗鉛筆做了些記號,就把公文推在一旁,端起咖啡;他一面喝咖啡,一面打開油墨未幹的晨報,開始讀起來。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇定閱一份自由主義派的報紙,不是極端自由主義派的而是代表大多數人意見的報紙。雖然他對於科學、藝術和並沒有特別興趣,但他對這一切問題卻堅持抱着與大多數人和他的報紙一致的意見。衹有在大多數人改變了意見的時候,他這纔隨着改變,或者,更嚴格地說,他並沒有改變,而是意見本身不知不覺地在他心中改變了。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇並沒有選擇他的主張和見解;這些主張和見解是自動到他這裏來的,正如他並沒有選擇帽子和上衣的樣式,而衹是穿戴着大傢都在穿戴的。生活於上流社會裏的他——由於普通在成年期發育成熟的,對於某種精神活動的要求——必須有見解正如必須有帽子一樣。如果說他愛自由主義的見解勝過愛他周圍許多人抱着的保守見解是有道理的,那倒不是由於他認為自由主義更合理,而是由於它更適合他的生活方式。自由黨說一切都是壞的,的確,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇負債纍纍,正缺錢用。自由黨說結婚是完全過時的制度,必須改革纔行;而家庭生活的確沒有給斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇多少樂趣,而且逼得他說謊做假,那是完全違反他的本性的。自由黨說,或者毋寧說是暗示,宗教的作用衹在於箝製人民中那些野蠻階層;而斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇連做一次短短的禮拜,都站得腰酸腿痛,而且想不透既然現世生活過得這麽愉快,那麽用所有這些可怕而誇張的言詞來談論來世還有什麽意思。而且,愛說笑話的斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇常喜歡說:如果人要誇耀自己的祖先,他就不應當到留裏剋①為止,而不承認他的始祖——猴子,他喜歡用這一類的話去難倒老實的人。就這樣,自由主義的傾嚮成了斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇的一種習癖,他喜歡他的報紙,正如他喜歡飯後抽一支雪茄一樣,因為它在他的腦子裏散布了一層輕霧。他讀社論,社論認為,在現在這個時代,叫囂急進主義有吞沒一切保守分子的危險,叫囂政府應當采取適當措施撲滅的禍害,這類叫囂是毫無意思的;正相反,“照我們的意見,危險並不在於假想的的禍害,而在於阻礙進步的墨守成規,”雲雲。他又讀了另外一篇關於財政的論文,其中提到了邊沁和密勒②,並對政府某部有所諷刺。憑着他特有的機敏,他領會了每句暗諷的意義,猜透了它從何而來,針對什麽人,出於什麽動機而發;這,像平常一樣,給予他一定的滿足。
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①留裏剋(死於879),的建國者,留裏剋王朝(869—1598)的始祖。
②邊沁(1748—1832),英國資産階級法律學家和倫理學家,功利主義的代表人物。密勒(1806—1372),英國哲學家,活動傢,經濟學家。在倫理學上他接近邊沁的功利主義。
但是今天這種滿足被馬特廖娜·菲利蒙諾夫娜的勸告和傢中的不如意狀態破壞了。還在報上看到貝斯特伯爵①已赴威斯巴登②的傳說,看到醫治白發、出售輕便馬車和某青年徵求職業的廣告;但是這些新聞報導並沒有像平常那樣給予他一種寧靜的譏諷的滿足。
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①貝斯特伯爵(1809—1886),奧匈帝國首相,俾斯麥的政敵。
②威斯巴登,德國西部的城市,在萊茵河畔,是礦泉療養地。
看過了報,喝完了第二杯咖啡,吃完了抹上黃油的面包,他立起身來,拂去落在背心上的面包屑,然後,挺起寬闊的胸膛,他快樂地微笑着,並不是因為他心裏有什麽特別愉快的事——快樂的微笑是由良好的消化引起的。
但是這快樂的微笑立刻使他想起了一切,他又變得沉思了。
可以聽到門外有兩個小孩的聲音(斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇聽出來是他的小男孩格裏沙和他的大女兒塔尼婭的聲音),他們正在搬弄什麽東西,打翻了。
“我對你說了不要叫乘客坐在車頂上。”小女孩用英語嚷着,“拾起來!”
“一切都是亂糟糟的,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇想,“孩子們沒有人管,到處亂跑。”他走到門邊去叫他們。他們拋下那當火車用的匣子,嚮父親走來。
那小女孩,她父親的寶貝,莽撞地跑進來,抱住他,笑嘻嘻地吊在他的脖頸上,她老喜歡聞他的絡腮鬍子散發出的聞慣的香氣。最後小女孩吻了吻他那因為彎屈的姿勢而漲紅的、閃爍着慈愛光輝的面孔,鬆開了她的兩手,待要跑開去,但是她父親拉住了她。
“媽媽怎樣了?”他問,撫摸着他女兒的滑潤柔軟的小脖頸。“你好,”他說,嚮走上來問候他的男孩微笑着說。
他意識到他並不怎麽愛那男孩,但他總是盡量同樣對待;可是那男孩感覺到這一點,對於他父親的冷淡的微笑並沒有報以微笑。
“媽媽?她起來了,”女孩回答。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇嘆了口氣。“這麽說她又整整一夜沒有睡,”他想。
“哦,她快活嗎?”
小女孩知道,她父親和母親吵了架,母親不會快活,父親也一定明白的,他這麽隨隨便便地問她衹是在作假。因此她為她父親漲紅了臉。他立刻覺察出來,也臉紅了。
“我不知道,”她說。“她沒有說要我們上課,她衹是說要我們跟古裏小姐到外祖母傢去走走。”
“哦,去吧,塔尼婭,我的寶寶。哦,等一等!”他說,還拉牢她,撫摸着她的柔軟的小手。
他從壁爐上取下他昨天放在那裏的一小盒糖果,揀她最愛吃的,給了她兩塊,一塊巧剋力和一塊軟糖。
“給格裏沙?”小女孩指着巧剋力說。
“是,是。”又撫摸了一下她的小肩膀,他吻了吻她的發根和脖頸,就放她走了。
“馬車套好了,”馬特維說,“但是有個人為了請願的事要見您。”
“來了很久嗎?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問。
“半個鐘頭的光景。”
“我對你說了多少次,有人來馬上告訴我!”
“至少總得讓您喝完咖啡,”馬特維說,他的聲調粗魯而又誠懇,使得人不能夠生氣。
“那麽,馬上請那個人進來吧,”奧布隆斯基說,煩惱地皺着眉。
那請願者,參謀大尉加裏寧的寡妻,來請求一件辦不到的而且不合理的事情;但是斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇照例請她坐下,留心地聽她說完,沒有打斷她一句,並且給了她詳細的指示,告訴她怎樣以及嚮誰去請求,甚至還用他的粗大、散漫、優美而清楚的筆跡,敏捷而流利地替她寫了一封信給一位可以幫她忙的人。打發走了參謀大尉的寡妻以後,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇拿起帽子,站住想了想他忘記什麽沒有。看來除了他要忘記的——他的妻子以外,他什麽也沒有忘記。
“噢,是的!”他垂下頭,他的漂亮面孔帶着苦惱的表情。
“去呢,還是不去?”他自言自語;而他內心的聲音告訴他,他不應當去,那除了弄虛作假不會有旁的結果;要改善、彌補他們的關係是不可能的,因為要使她再具有魅力而且能夠引人愛憐,或者使他變成一個不能戀愛的老人,都不可能。現在除了欺騙說謊之外不會有旁的結果;而欺騙說謊又是違反他的天性的。
“可是遲早總得做的;這樣下去不行,”他說,極力鼓起勇氣。他挺着胸,拿出一支紙煙,吸了兩口,就投進珠母貝殼煙灰碟裏去,然後邁着迅速的步伐走過客廳,打開了通到他妻子寢室的另一扇房門。 四
達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜穿着梳妝短衣站在那裏,她那曾經是豐滿美麗、現在卻變稀疏了的頭髮,用發針盤在她的腦後,她的面容消瘦憔悴,一雙吃驚的大眼睛,因為她面容的消瘦而顯得更加觸目。各式各樣的物件散亂地擺滿一房間,她站在這些物件當中一個開着的衣櫃前面,她正從裏面挑揀什麽東西。聽到她丈夫的腳步聲,她停住了,朝門口望着,徒然想要裝出一種嚴厲而輕衊的表情。她感覺得她害怕他,害怕快要到來的會見。她正在企圖做她三天以來已經企圖做了十來回的事情——把她自己和孩子們的衣服清理出來,帶到她母親那裏去——但她還是沒有這樣做的决心;但是現在又像前幾次一樣,她盡在自言自語地說,事情不能像這樣下去,她一定要想個辦法懲罰他,羞辱他,哪怕報復一下,使他嘗嘗他給予她的痛苦的一小部分也好。她還是繼續對自己說她要離開他,但她自己也意識到這是不可能的;這是不可能的,因為她不能擺脫那種把他當自己丈夫看待、而且愛他的習慣。況且,她感到假如在這裏,在她自己傢裏,她尚且不能很好地照看她的五個小孩,那麽,在她要把他們通通帶去的地方,他們就會更糟。事實上,在這三天內,頂小的一個孩子因為吃了變了質的湯害病了,其餘的昨天差不多沒有吃上午飯。她意識到要走開是不可能的;但是,還在自欺欺人,她繼續清理東西,裝出要走的樣子。
"Oh, it's awful! oh dear, oh dear! awful!" Stepan Arkadyevitch kept repeating to himself, and he could think of nothing to be done. "And how well things were going up till now! how well we got on! She was contented and happy in her children; I never interfered with her in anything; I let her manage the children and the house just as she liked. It's true it's bad HER having been a governess in our house. That's bad! There's something common, vulgar, in flirting with one's governess. But what a governess!" (He vividly recalled the roguish black eyes of Mlle. Roland and her smile.) "But after all, while she was in the house, I kept myself in hand. And the worst of it all is that she's already...it seems as if ill-luck would have it so! Oh, oh! But what, what is to be done?"
There was no solution, but that universal solution which life gives to all questions, even the most complex and insoluble. That answer is: one must live in the needs of the day--that is, forget oneself. To forget himself in sleep was impossible now, at least till nighttime; he could not go back now to the music sung by the decanter-women; so he must forget himself in the dream of daily life.
"Then we shall see," Stepan Arkadyevitch said to himself, and getting up he put on a gray dressing-gown lined with blue silk, tied the tassels in a knot, and, drawing a deep breath of air into his broad, bare chest, he walked to the window with his usual confident step, turning out his feet that carried his full frame so easily. He pulled up the blind and rang the bell loudly. It was at once answered by the appearance of an old friend, his valet, Matvey, carrying his clothes, his boots, and a telegram. Matvey was followed by the barber with all the necessaries for shaving.
"Are there any papers form the office?" asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, taking the telegram and seating himself at the looking-glass.
"On the table," replied Matvey, glancing with inquiring sympathy at his master; and, after a short pause, he added with a sly smile, "They've sent from the carriage-jobbers."
Stepan Arkadyevitch made no reply, he merely glanced at Matvey in the looking-glass. In the glance, in which their eyes met in the looking-glass, it was clear that they understood one another. Stepan Arkadyevitch's eyes asked: "Why do you tell me that? don't you know?"
Matvey put his hands in his jacket pockets, thrust out one leg, and gazed silently, good-humoredly, with a faint smile, at his master.
"I told them to come on Sunday, and till then not to trouble you or themselves for nothing," he said. He had obviously prepared the sentence beforehand.
Stepan Arkadyevitch saw Matvey wanted to make a joke and attract attention to himself. Tearing open the telegram, he read it through, guessing at the words, misspelt as they always are in telegrams, and his face brightened.
"Matvey, my sister Anna Arkadyevna will be here tomorrow," he said, checking for a minute the sleek, plump hand of the barber, cutting a pink path through his long, curly whiskers.
"Thank God!" said Matvey, showing by this response that he, like his master, realized the significance of this arrival--that is, that Anna Arkadyevna, the sister he was so fond of, might bring about a reconciliation between husband and wife.
"Alone, or with her husband?" inquired Matvey.
Stepan Arkadyevitch could not answer, as the barber was at work on his upper lip, and he raised one finger. Matvey nodded at the looking-glass.
"Alone. Is the room to be got ready upstairs?"
"Inform Darya Alexandrovna: where she orders."
"Darya Alexandrovna?" Matvey repeated, as though in doubt.
"Yes, inform her. Here, take the telegram; give it to her, and then do what she tells you."
"You want to try it on," Matvey understood, but he only said, "Yes sir."
Stepan Arkadyevitch was already washed and combed and ready to be dressed, when Matvey, stepping deliberately in his creaky boots, came back into the room with the telegram in his hand. The barber had gone.
"Darya Alexandrovna told me to inform you that she is going away. Let him do--that is you--as he likes," he said, laughing only with his eyes, and putting his hands in his pockets, he watched his master with his head on one side. Stepan Arkadyevitch was silent a minute. Then a good-humored and rather pitiful smile showed itself on his handsome face.
"Eh, Matvey?" he said, shaking his head.
"It's all right, sir; she will come round," said Matvey.
"Come round?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you think so? Who's there?" asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, hearing the rustle of a woman's dress at the door.
"It's I," said a firm, pleasant, woman's voice, and the stern, pockmarked face of Matrona Philimonovna, the nurse, was thrust in at the doorway.
"Well, what is it, Matrona?" queried Stepan Arkadyevitch, going up to her at the door.
Although Stepan Arkadyevitch was completely in the wrong as regards his wife, and was conscious of this himself, almost every one in the house (even the nurse, Darya Alexandrovna's chief ally) was on his side.
"Well, what now?" he asked disconsolately.
"Go to her, sir; own your fault again. Maybe God will aid you. She is suffering so, it's sad to hee her; and besides, everything in the house is topsy-turvy. You must have pity, sir, on the children. Beg her forgiveness, sir. There's no help for it! One must take the consequences..."
"But she won't see me."
"You do your part. God is merciful; pray to God, sir, pray to God."
"Come, that'll do, you can go," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, blushing suddenly. "Well now, do dress me." He turned to Matvey and threw off his dressing-gown decisively.
Matvey was already holding up the shirt like a horse's collar, and, blowing off some invisible speck, he slipped it with obvious pleasure over the well-groomed body of his master.
奧布隆斯基傢裏一切都混亂了。妻子發覺丈夫和他們傢從前的法國女家庭教師有曖昧關係,她嚮丈夫聲明她不能和他再在一個屋子裏住下去了。這樣的狀態已經繼續了三天,不衹是夫妻兩個,就是他們全家和僕人都為此感到痛苦。傢裏的每個人都覺得他們住在一起沒有意思,而且覺得就是在任何客店裏萍水相逢的人也都比他們,奧布隆斯基全家和僕人更情投意合。妻子沒有離開自己的房間一步,丈夫三天不在傢了,小孩們像失了管教一樣在傢裏到處亂跑。英國女家庭教師和女管傢吵架,給朋友寫了信,請替她找一個新的位置。
廚師昨天恰好在晚餐時走掉了,廚娘和車夫辭了工。
在吵架後的第三天,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇·奧布隆斯基公爵——他在交際場裏是叫斯季瓦的——在照例的時間,早晨八點鐘醒來,不在他妻子的寢室,卻在他書房裏的鞣皮沙發上。他在富於彈性的沙發上把他的肥胖的、保養得很好的身體翻轉,好像要再睡一大覺似的,他使勁抱住一個枕頭,把他的臉緊緊地偎着它;但是他突然跳起來,坐在沙發上,張開眼睛。
“哦,哦,怎麽回事?”他想,重溫着他的夢境。“怎麽回事,對啦!阿拉賓在達姆施塔特①請客;不,不是達姆施塔特,而是在美國什麽地方。不錯,達姆施塔特是在美國。不錯,阿拉賓在玻璃桌上請客,在座的人都唱Ilmiotesoro②,但也不是Ilmiotesoro,而是比那更好的;桌上還有些小酒瓶,那都是女人,”他回想着。
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①達姆施塔特,現今西德的一個城市。
②意大利語:我的寶貝。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇的眼睛快樂地閃耀着,他含着微笑沉思。“哦,真是有趣極了。有味的事情還多得很,可惜醒了說不出來,連意思都表達不出來。”而後看到從一幅羅紗窗帷邊上射入的一綫日光,他愉快地把腳沿着沙發邊伸下去,用腳去搜索他的拖鞋,那雙拖鞋是金色鞣皮的,上面有他妻子綉的花,是他去年生日時她送給他的禮物;照他九年來的習慣,每天他沒有起來,就嚮寢室裏常挂晨衣的地方伸出手去。他這纔突然記起了他沒有和為什麽沒有睡在妻子的房間而睡在自己的書房裏。微笑從他的臉上消失,他皺起眉來。
“唉,唉,唉!”他嘆息,回想着發生的一切事情。他和妻子吵架的每個細節,他那無法擺脫的處境以及最糟糕的,他自己的過錯,又一齊涌上他的心頭。
“是的,她不會饒恕我,她也不能饒恕我!而最糟的是這都是我的過錯——都是我的過錯;但也不能怪我。悲劇就在這裏!”他沉思着。“唉,唉,唉!”他記起這場吵鬧所給予他的極端痛苦的感覺,盡在絶望地自悲自嘆。
最不愉快的是最初的一瞬間,當他興高采烈的,手裏拿着一隻預備給他妻子的大梨,從劇場回來的時候,他在客廳裏沒有找到他妻子,使他大為吃驚的是,在書房裏也沒有找到,而終於發現她在寢室裏,手裏拿着那封泄漏了一切的倒黴的信。
她——那個老是忙忙碌碌和憂慮不安,而且依他看來,頭腦簡單的多莉①,動也不動地坐在那裏,手裏拿着那封信,帶着恐怖、絶望和忿怒的表情望着他。
“這是什麽?這?”她問,指着那封信。
回想起來的時候,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇,像常有的情形一樣,覺得事情本身還沒有他回答妻子的話的態度那麽使他苦惱。
那一瞬間,在他身上發生了一般人在他們的極不名譽的行為突如其來地被揭發了的時候所常發生的現象。他沒有能夠使他的臉色適應於他的過失被揭穿後他在妻子面前所處的地位。沒有感到受了委屈,矢口否認,替自己辯護,請求饒恕,甚至也沒有索性不在乎——隨便什麽都比他所做的好——他的面孔卻完全不由自主地(斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇是喜歡生理學的,他認為這是腦神經的反射作用②)——完全不由自主地突然浮現出他那素常的、善良的、因而癡愚的微笑。
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①多莉是他的妻子達裏婭的英文名字。
②在《安娜·卡列寧娜》寫成之前不久,在的一份雜志上,《腦神經的反射作用》的作者謝切諾夫教授正和其他的科學家進行着激烈的論戰。對於這種事情一知半解的奧布隆斯基都輕而易舉地想起這個術語,可見這場論戰曾引起了當時公衆的充分註意。
為了這種癡愚的微笑,他不能饒恕自己。看見那微笑,多莉好像感到肉體的痛苦一般顫慄起來,以她特有的火氣脫口說出了一連串殘酷的話,就衝出了房間。從此以後,她就不願見她丈夫了。
“這都要怪那癡愚的微笑,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇想。
“但是怎麽辦呢?怎麽辦呢?”他絶望地自言自語說,找不出答案來。 二
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇是一個忠實於自己的人。他不能自欺欺人,不能使自己相信他後悔他的行為。他是一個三十四歲、漂亮多情的男子,他的妻子僅僅比他小一歲,而且做了五個活着、兩個死了的孩子的母親,他不愛她,這他現在並不覺得後悔。他後悔的衹是他沒有能夠很好地瞞過他的妻子。但是他感到了他的處境的一切睏難,很替他的妻子、小孩和自己難過。他也許能想辦法把他的罪過隱瞞住他的妻子,要是他早料到,這個消息會這樣影響她。他從來沒有清晰地考慮過這個問題,但他模模糊糊地感到他的妻子早已懷疑他對她不忠實,她衹是裝做沒有看見罷了。他甚至以為,她衹是一個賢妻良母,一個疲憊的、漸漸衰老的、不再年輕、也不再美麗、毫不惹人註目的女人,應當出於公平心對他寬大一些。結果卻完全相反。
“唉,可怕呀!可怕呀!”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇盡在自言自語,想不出辦法來。“以前一切是多麽順遂呵!我們過得多快活;她因為孩子們而感到滿足和幸福;我從來什麽事情也不干涉她;隨着她的意思去照管小孩和傢事。自然,糟糕的是,她是我們傢裏的家庭女教師。真糟!和傢裏的家庭女教師鬍來,未免有點庸俗,下流。但是一個多漂亮的家庭女教師呀!(他歷歷在目地回想着羅蘭姑娘的惡作劇的黑眼睛和她的微笑。)但是畢竟,她在我們傢裏的時候,我從來未敢放肆過。最糟的就是她已經……好像命該如此!唉,唉!但是怎麽,怎麽辦呀?”
除了生活所給予一切最復雜最難解决的問題的那個一般的解答之外,再也得不到其他解答了。那解答就是:人必須在日常的需要中生活——那就是,忘懷一切。要在睡眠中忘掉憂愁現在已不可能,至少也得到夜間纔行;他現在又不能夠回到酒瓶女人所唱的音樂中去;因此他衹好在白晝夢中消愁解悶。
“我們等着瞧吧,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇自言自語,他站起來,穿上一件襯着藍色綢裏的灰色晨衣,把腰帶打了一個結,於是,深深地往他的寬闊胸膛裏吸了一口氣,他擺開他那雙那麽輕快地載着他的肥胖身體的八字腳,邁着素常的穩重步伐走到窗前,他拉開百葉窗,用力按鈴。他的親信僕人馬特維立刻應聲出現,把他的衣服、長靴和電報拿來了。理發匠挾着理發用具跟在馬特維後面走進來。
“衙門裏有什麽公文送來沒有?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問,接過電報,在鏡子面前坐下。
“在桌上,”馬特維回答,懷着同情詢問地瞥了他的主人一眼;停了一會,他臉上浮着狡獪的微笑補充說:“馬車老闆那兒有人來過。”
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇沒有回答,衹在鏡裏瞥了馬特維一眼。從他們在鏡子裏交換的眼色中,可以看出來他們彼此很瞭解。斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇的眼色似乎在問:“你為什麽對我說這個?你難道不知道?”
馬特維把手放進外套口袋裏,伸出一隻腳,默默地、善良地、帶着一絲微笑凝視着他的主人。
“我叫他們禮拜日再來,不到那時候不要白費氣力來麻煩您或他們自己,”他說,他顯然是事先準備好這句話的。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇看出來馬特維想要開開玩笑,引得人傢註意自己。他拆開電報看了一遍,揣測着電報裏時常拼錯的字眼,他的臉色開朗了。
“馬特維,我妹妹安娜·阿爾卡季耶夫娜明天要來了,”他說,做手勢要理發匠的光滑豐滿的手停一會,他正在從他的長長的、鬈麯的絡腮鬍子中間剃出一條淡紅色的紋路來。
“謝謝上帝!”馬特維說,由這回答就顯示出他像他的主人一樣瞭解這次來訪的重大意義,那就是,安娜·阿爾卡季耶夫娜,他所喜歡的妹妹,也許會促使夫妻和好起來。
“一個人,還是和她丈夫一道?”馬特維問。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇不能夠回答,因為理發匠正在剃他的上唇,於是舉起一個手指來。馬特維朝鏡子裏點點頭。
“一個人。要在樓上收拾好一間房間嗎?”
“去告訴達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜:她會吩咐的。”
“達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜?”馬特維好像懷疑似地重複着。
“是的,去告訴她。把電報拿去;交給她,照她吩咐的去辦。”
“您要去試一試嗎,”馬特維心中明白,但他卻衹說:
“是的,老爺。”
當馬特維踏着那雙咯吱作響的長靴,手裏拿着電報,慢吞吞地走回房間來的時候,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇已經洗好了臉,梳過了頭髮,正在預備穿衣服。理發匠已經走了。
“達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜叫我對您說她要走了。讓他——就是說您——高興怎樣辦就怎樣辦吧,”他說,衹有他的眼睛含着笑意,然後把手放進口袋裏,歪着腦袋斜視着主人。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇沉默了一會。隨即一種溫和的而又有幾分凄惻的微笑流露在他的好看的面孔上。
“呃,馬特維?”他說,搖搖頭。
“不要緊,老爺;事情自會好起來的。”馬特維說。
“自會好起來的?”
“是的,老爺。”
“你這樣想嗎?誰來了?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問,聽見門外有女人的衣服的究n聲。
“我,”一個堅定而愉快的女人聲音說,乳母馬特廖娜·菲利蒙諾夫娜的嚴峻的麻臉從門後伸進來。
“哦,什麽事,馬特廖娜?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問,走到她面前。
雖然斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇在妻子面前一無是處,而且他自己也感覺到這點,但是傢裏幾乎每個人(就連達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜的心腹,那個乳母也在內,)都站在他這邊。
“哦,什麽事?”他憂愁地問。
“到她那裏去,老爺,再認一次錯吧。上帝會幫助您的。她是這樣痛苦,看見她都叫人傷心;而且傢裏一切都弄得亂七八糟了。老爺,您該憐憫憐憫孩子們。認個錯吧,老爺。這是沒有辦法的!要圖快活,就衹好……”
“但是她不願見我。”
“盡您的本分。上帝是慈悲的,嚮上帝禱告,老爺,嚮上帝禱告吧。”
“好的,你走吧,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇說,突然漲紅了臉。“喂,給我穿上衣服。”他轉嚮馬特維說,毅然决然地脫下晨衣。
馬特維已經舉起襯衣,像馬頸軛一樣,吹去了上面的一點什麽看不見的黑點,他帶着顯然的愉快神情把它套在他主人的保養得很好的身體上。 三
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇穿好了衣服,在身上灑了些香水,拉直襯衣袖口,照常把香煙、袖珍簿、火柴和那有着雙重鏈子和表墜的表分置在各個口袋裏,然後抖開手帕,雖然他很不幸,但是他感到清爽,芬芳,健康和肉體上的舒適,他兩腿微微搖擺着走進了餐室,他的咖啡已擺在那裏等他,咖啡旁邊放着信件和衙門裏送來的公文。
他閱讀信件。有一封令人極不愉快,是一個想要買他妻子地産上的一座樹林的商人寫來的,出賣這座樹林是絶對必要的;但是現在,在他沒有和妻子和解以前,這個問題是無法談的。最不愉快的是他的金錢上的利害關係要牽涉到他急待跟他妻子和解的問題上去。想到他會被這種利害關係所左右,他會為了賣樹林的緣故去跟他妻子講和——想到這個,就使他不愉快了。
看完了信,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇把衙門裏送來的公文拉到面前,迅速地閱過了兩件公事,用粗鉛筆做了些記號,就把公文推在一旁,端起咖啡;他一面喝咖啡,一面打開油墨未幹的晨報,開始讀起來。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇定閱一份自由主義派的報紙,不是極端自由主義派的而是代表大多數人意見的報紙。雖然他對於科學、藝術和並沒有特別興趣,但他對這一切問題卻堅持抱着與大多數人和他的報紙一致的意見。衹有在大多數人改變了意見的時候,他這纔隨着改變,或者,更嚴格地說,他並沒有改變,而是意見本身不知不覺地在他心中改變了。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇並沒有選擇他的主張和見解;這些主張和見解是自動到他這裏來的,正如他並沒有選擇帽子和上衣的樣式,而衹是穿戴着大傢都在穿戴的。生活於上流社會裏的他——由於普通在成年期發育成熟的,對於某種精神活動的要求——必須有見解正如必須有帽子一樣。如果說他愛自由主義的見解勝過愛他周圍許多人抱着的保守見解是有道理的,那倒不是由於他認為自由主義更合理,而是由於它更適合他的生活方式。自由黨說一切都是壞的,的確,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇負債纍纍,正缺錢用。自由黨說結婚是完全過時的制度,必須改革纔行;而家庭生活的確沒有給斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇多少樂趣,而且逼得他說謊做假,那是完全違反他的本性的。自由黨說,或者毋寧說是暗示,宗教的作用衹在於箝製人民中那些野蠻階層;而斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇連做一次短短的禮拜,都站得腰酸腿痛,而且想不透既然現世生活過得這麽愉快,那麽用所有這些可怕而誇張的言詞來談論來世還有什麽意思。而且,愛說笑話的斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇常喜歡說:如果人要誇耀自己的祖先,他就不應當到留裏剋①為止,而不承認他的始祖——猴子,他喜歡用這一類的話去難倒老實的人。就這樣,自由主義的傾嚮成了斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇的一種習癖,他喜歡他的報紙,正如他喜歡飯後抽一支雪茄一樣,因為它在他的腦子裏散布了一層輕霧。他讀社論,社論認為,在現在這個時代,叫囂急進主義有吞沒一切保守分子的危險,叫囂政府應當采取適當措施撲滅的禍害,這類叫囂是毫無意思的;正相反,“照我們的意見,危險並不在於假想的的禍害,而在於阻礙進步的墨守成規,”雲雲。他又讀了另外一篇關於財政的論文,其中提到了邊沁和密勒②,並對政府某部有所諷刺。憑着他特有的機敏,他領會了每句暗諷的意義,猜透了它從何而來,針對什麽人,出於什麽動機而發;這,像平常一樣,給予他一定的滿足。
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①留裏剋(死於879),的建國者,留裏剋王朝(869—1598)的始祖。
②邊沁(1748—1832),英國資産階級法律學家和倫理學家,功利主義的代表人物。密勒(1806—1372),英國哲學家,活動傢,經濟學家。在倫理學上他接近邊沁的功利主義。
但是今天這種滿足被馬特廖娜·菲利蒙諾夫娜的勸告和傢中的不如意狀態破壞了。還在報上看到貝斯特伯爵①已赴威斯巴登②的傳說,看到醫治白發、出售輕便馬車和某青年徵求職業的廣告;但是這些新聞報導並沒有像平常那樣給予他一種寧靜的譏諷的滿足。
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①貝斯特伯爵(1809—1886),奧匈帝國首相,俾斯麥的政敵。
②威斯巴登,德國西部的城市,在萊茵河畔,是礦泉療養地。
看過了報,喝完了第二杯咖啡,吃完了抹上黃油的面包,他立起身來,拂去落在背心上的面包屑,然後,挺起寬闊的胸膛,他快樂地微笑着,並不是因為他心裏有什麽特別愉快的事——快樂的微笑是由良好的消化引起的。
但是這快樂的微笑立刻使他想起了一切,他又變得沉思了。
可以聽到門外有兩個小孩的聲音(斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇聽出來是他的小男孩格裏沙和他的大女兒塔尼婭的聲音),他們正在搬弄什麽東西,打翻了。
“我對你說了不要叫乘客坐在車頂上。”小女孩用英語嚷着,“拾起來!”
“一切都是亂糟糟的,”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇想,“孩子們沒有人管,到處亂跑。”他走到門邊去叫他們。他們拋下那當火車用的匣子,嚮父親走來。
那小女孩,她父親的寶貝,莽撞地跑進來,抱住他,笑嘻嘻地吊在他的脖頸上,她老喜歡聞他的絡腮鬍子散發出的聞慣的香氣。最後小女孩吻了吻他那因為彎屈的姿勢而漲紅的、閃爍着慈愛光輝的面孔,鬆開了她的兩手,待要跑開去,但是她父親拉住了她。
“媽媽怎樣了?”他問,撫摸着他女兒的滑潤柔軟的小脖頸。“你好,”他說,嚮走上來問候他的男孩微笑着說。
他意識到他並不怎麽愛那男孩,但他總是盡量同樣對待;可是那男孩感覺到這一點,對於他父親的冷淡的微笑並沒有報以微笑。
“媽媽?她起來了,”女孩回答。
斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇嘆了口氣。“這麽說她又整整一夜沒有睡,”他想。
“哦,她快活嗎?”
小女孩知道,她父親和母親吵了架,母親不會快活,父親也一定明白的,他這麽隨隨便便地問她衹是在作假。因此她為她父親漲紅了臉。他立刻覺察出來,也臉紅了。
“我不知道,”她說。“她沒有說要我們上課,她衹是說要我們跟古裏小姐到外祖母傢去走走。”
“哦,去吧,塔尼婭,我的寶寶。哦,等一等!”他說,還拉牢她,撫摸着她的柔軟的小手。
他從壁爐上取下他昨天放在那裏的一小盒糖果,揀她最愛吃的,給了她兩塊,一塊巧剋力和一塊軟糖。
“給格裏沙?”小女孩指着巧剋力說。
“是,是。”又撫摸了一下她的小肩膀,他吻了吻她的發根和脖頸,就放她走了。
“馬車套好了,”馬特維說,“但是有個人為了請願的事要見您。”
“來了很久嗎?”斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇問。
“半個鐘頭的光景。”
“我對你說了多少次,有人來馬上告訴我!”
“至少總得讓您喝完咖啡,”馬特維說,他的聲調粗魯而又誠懇,使得人不能夠生氣。
“那麽,馬上請那個人進來吧,”奧布隆斯基說,煩惱地皺着眉。
那請願者,參謀大尉加裏寧的寡妻,來請求一件辦不到的而且不合理的事情;但是斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇照例請她坐下,留心地聽她說完,沒有打斷她一句,並且給了她詳細的指示,告訴她怎樣以及嚮誰去請求,甚至還用他的粗大、散漫、優美而清楚的筆跡,敏捷而流利地替她寫了一封信給一位可以幫她忙的人。打發走了參謀大尉的寡妻以後,斯捷潘·阿爾卡季奇拿起帽子,站住想了想他忘記什麽沒有。看來除了他要忘記的——他的妻子以外,他什麽也沒有忘記。
“噢,是的!”他垂下頭,他的漂亮面孔帶着苦惱的表情。
“去呢,還是不去?”他自言自語;而他內心的聲音告訴他,他不應當去,那除了弄虛作假不會有旁的結果;要改善、彌補他們的關係是不可能的,因為要使她再具有魅力而且能夠引人愛憐,或者使他變成一個不能戀愛的老人,都不可能。現在除了欺騙說謊之外不會有旁的結果;而欺騙說謊又是違反他的天性的。
“可是遲早總得做的;這樣下去不行,”他說,極力鼓起勇氣。他挺着胸,拿出一支紙煙,吸了兩口,就投進珠母貝殼煙灰碟裏去,然後邁着迅速的步伐走過客廳,打開了通到他妻子寢室的另一扇房門。 四
達裏婭·亞歷山德羅夫娜穿着梳妝短衣站在那裏,她那曾經是豐滿美麗、現在卻變稀疏了的頭髮,用發針盤在她的腦後,她的面容消瘦憔悴,一雙吃驚的大眼睛,因為她面容的消瘦而顯得更加觸目。各式各樣的物件散亂地擺滿一房間,她站在這些物件當中一個開着的衣櫃前面,她正從裏面挑揀什麽東西。聽到她丈夫的腳步聲,她停住了,朝門口望着,徒然想要裝出一種嚴厲而輕衊的表情。她感覺得她害怕他,害怕快要到來的會見。她正在企圖做她三天以來已經企圖做了十來回的事情——把她自己和孩子們的衣服清理出來,帶到她母親那裏去——但她還是沒有這樣做的决心;但是現在又像前幾次一樣,她盡在自言自語地說,事情不能像這樣下去,她一定要想個辦法懲罰他,羞辱他,哪怕報復一下,使他嘗嘗他給予她的痛苦的一小部分也好。她還是繼續對自己說她要離開他,但她自己也意識到這是不可能的;這是不可能的,因為她不能擺脫那種把他當自己丈夫看待、而且愛他的習慣。況且,她感到假如在這裏,在她自己傢裏,她尚且不能很好地照看她的五個小孩,那麽,在她要把他們通通帶去的地方,他們就會更糟。事實上,在這三天內,頂小的一個孩子因為吃了變了質的湯害病了,其餘的昨天差不多沒有吃上午飯。她意識到要走開是不可能的;但是,還在自欺欺人,她繼續清理東西,裝出要走的樣子。
"Oh, it's awful! oh dear, oh dear! awful!" Stepan Arkadyevitch kept repeating to himself, and he could think of nothing to be done. "And how well things were going up till now! how well we got on! She was contented and happy in her children; I never interfered with her in anything; I let her manage the children and the house just as she liked. It's true it's bad HER having been a governess in our house. That's bad! There's something common, vulgar, in flirting with one's governess. But what a governess!" (He vividly recalled the roguish black eyes of Mlle. Roland and her smile.) "But after all, while she was in the house, I kept myself in hand. And the worst of it all is that she's already...it seems as if ill-luck would have it so! Oh, oh! But what, what is to be done?"
There was no solution, but that universal solution which life gives to all questions, even the most complex and insoluble. That answer is: one must live in the needs of the day--that is, forget oneself. To forget himself in sleep was impossible now, at least till nighttime; he could not go back now to the music sung by the decanter-women; so he must forget himself in the dream of daily life.
"Then we shall see," Stepan Arkadyevitch said to himself, and getting up he put on a gray dressing-gown lined with blue silk, tied the tassels in a knot, and, drawing a deep breath of air into his broad, bare chest, he walked to the window with his usual confident step, turning out his feet that carried his full frame so easily. He pulled up the blind and rang the bell loudly. It was at once answered by the appearance of an old friend, his valet, Matvey, carrying his clothes, his boots, and a telegram. Matvey was followed by the barber with all the necessaries for shaving.
"Are there any papers form the office?" asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, taking the telegram and seating himself at the looking-glass.
"On the table," replied Matvey, glancing with inquiring sympathy at his master; and, after a short pause, he added with a sly smile, "They've sent from the carriage-jobbers."
Stepan Arkadyevitch made no reply, he merely glanced at Matvey in the looking-glass. In the glance, in which their eyes met in the looking-glass, it was clear that they understood one another. Stepan Arkadyevitch's eyes asked: "Why do you tell me that? don't you know?"
Matvey put his hands in his jacket pockets, thrust out one leg, and gazed silently, good-humoredly, with a faint smile, at his master.
"I told them to come on Sunday, and till then not to trouble you or themselves for nothing," he said. He had obviously prepared the sentence beforehand.
Stepan Arkadyevitch saw Matvey wanted to make a joke and attract attention to himself. Tearing open the telegram, he read it through, guessing at the words, misspelt as they always are in telegrams, and his face brightened.
"Matvey, my sister Anna Arkadyevna will be here tomorrow," he said, checking for a minute the sleek, plump hand of the barber, cutting a pink path through his long, curly whiskers.
"Thank God!" said Matvey, showing by this response that he, like his master, realized the significance of this arrival--that is, that Anna Arkadyevna, the sister he was so fond of, might bring about a reconciliation between husband and wife.
"Alone, or with her husband?" inquired Matvey.
Stepan Arkadyevitch could not answer, as the barber was at work on his upper lip, and he raised one finger. Matvey nodded at the looking-glass.
"Alone. Is the room to be got ready upstairs?"
"Inform Darya Alexandrovna: where she orders."
"Darya Alexandrovna?" Matvey repeated, as though in doubt.
"Yes, inform her. Here, take the telegram; give it to her, and then do what she tells you."
"You want to try it on," Matvey understood, but he only said, "Yes sir."
Stepan Arkadyevitch was already washed and combed and ready to be dressed, when Matvey, stepping deliberately in his creaky boots, came back into the room with the telegram in his hand. The barber had gone.
"Darya Alexandrovna told me to inform you that she is going away. Let him do--that is you--as he likes," he said, laughing only with his eyes, and putting his hands in his pockets, he watched his master with his head on one side. Stepan Arkadyevitch was silent a minute. Then a good-humored and rather pitiful smile showed itself on his handsome face.
"Eh, Matvey?" he said, shaking his head.
"It's all right, sir; she will come round," said Matvey.
"Come round?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you think so? Who's there?" asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, hearing the rustle of a woman's dress at the door.
"It's I," said a firm, pleasant, woman's voice, and the stern, pockmarked face of Matrona Philimonovna, the nurse, was thrust in at the doorway.
"Well, what is it, Matrona?" queried Stepan Arkadyevitch, going up to her at the door.
Although Stepan Arkadyevitch was completely in the wrong as regards his wife, and was conscious of this himself, almost every one in the house (even the nurse, Darya Alexandrovna's chief ally) was on his side.
"Well, what now?" he asked disconsolately.
"Go to her, sir; own your fault again. Maybe God will aid you. She is suffering so, it's sad to hee her; and besides, everything in the house is topsy-turvy. You must have pity, sir, on the children. Beg her forgiveness, sir. There's no help for it! One must take the consequences..."
"But she won't see me."
"You do your part. God is merciful; pray to God, sir, pray to God."
"Come, that'll do, you can go," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, blushing suddenly. "Well now, do dress me." He turned to Matvey and threw off his dressing-gown decisively.
Matvey was already holding up the shirt like a horse's collar, and, blowing off some invisible speck, he slipped it with obvious pleasure over the well-groomed body of his master.