《安娜·卡列宁娜》是文学中希世的瑰宝,也是世界艺术宝库中璀璨夺目的明珠。
小说中有两条平行的线索,当时有人说它没有“建筑术”,有人说它是“两部小说”。作者委婉地拒绝了这些批评。他说,该书结构之妙正在于圆拱衔接得天衣无缝——两条线索有“内在的联系”。对此众说纷纭。依我看,指的是有一个统一的主题,即当时资本主义迅猛发展带来的、作者所认为的灾难性的后果:一方面是贵族受资产阶级思想侵蚀,在家庭、婚姻等道德伦理观念方面发生激烈变化,卷首“奥布隆斯基家里一切都混乱了”一语有象征意义;另一方面是农业受资本主义破坏,国家面临经济发展的道路问题,也就是列文说的:“一切都翻了一个身,一切都刚刚开始安排。”以安娜为中心的线索(包括奥布隆斯基、卡列宁、弗龙斯基以至谢尔巴茨基等家族)和列文的线索,分别表现了这两方面的问题。
限于篇幅,下面只简单地谈谈男女两位主人公以及有关创作艺术的点滴看法。
小说以安娜·卡列宁娜命名,她的形象在小说中确实居于中心的位置。安娜不仅天生丽质,光艳夺人,而且纯真、诚实、端庄、聪慧,还有一个“复杂而有诗意的内心世界”。可是她遇人不淑,年轻时由姑母作主,嫁给一个头脑僵化、思想保守、虚伪成性并且没有活人感情的官僚卡列宁。在婚后八年间,她曾努力去爱丈夫和儿子。而现在由于“世风日变”,婚姻自由的思想激起了这个古井之水的波澜。与弗龙斯基的邂逅,重新唤醒了她对生活的追求。她要“生活”,也就是要爱情。她终于跨越了礼教的樊篱。作为已婚的端庄的妇女,要跨出这一步,需要有很大的决心和勇气,虽则在当时上流社会私通已司空见惯了。但她的勇气主要在于,不愿与无耻的贵族妇女同流合污,不愿像她们那样长期欺骗丈夫,毅然把暧昧的关系公开。这不啻向上流社会挑战,从而不见容于上流社会,同时也受到卡列宁的残酷报复:既不答应她离婚,又不让她亲近爱子。她徒然挣扎,曾为爱情而牺牲母爱,可这爱情又成了镜花水月。她终于越来越深地陷入悲剧的命运。
不过,虽说造成她的悲剧的是包括卡列宁、弗龙斯基在内的上流社会,安娜作为悲剧人物,本身也不是没有“过错”;再说她的性格后来还发生了令人惋惜的变化。这位留里克王室的后裔,受时代的洗礼而敢于为“生活”而同社会抗争,但她自己却未能完全挣脱旧思想意识的桎梏,她不仅一再对卡列宁怀有负罪感,而且也不能割断同上流社会的血缘关系,因此以见逐于它而感到无地自容。实际上她也没有真正学会爱。同弗龙斯基的一见钟情,似乎因他慷慨好施,主要却是倾心于他的仪表、风度,出于自己旺盛的生命力的自发要求,并不基于共同的思想感情。这种爱情是盲目的,实际上几乎全是情欲,而情欲是难以持久的。弗龙斯基初时为了虚荣心而猎逐她,一度因安娜的真挚的爱而变得严肃专一,但不久就因功名之心的蠕动而厌弃她。而安娜把爱情当作整个生活,沉溺其中,要弗龙斯基与她朝夕厮守一起,甚至甘为他的“无条件的奴隶”。于是她的精神品质渐渐失去了光彩。为了重新唤起弗龙斯基的爱,竟不惜以姿色的魅力编织“爱情的网”,并且逐渐习惯于“虚伪和欺骗的精神”。最后,她的爱越来越自私,以致在“不满足”时变成了恨。不过,我们不能因此而责备安娜,须知她生活在历史的转折时期。如果说她同社会的外在矛盾,是由于新事物受旧事物压制,那么,她自身的矛盾,则是新萌发的意识未能战胜根深蒂固的旧意识。何况当时能代替旧的道德观念的新观念尚未形成。因此可以说,她身上集中了时代的各种矛盾。她的自杀,从主观上说是寻求解脱,也是对弗龙斯基的报复及对上流社会的;客观上则是由于集中了各种时代的矛盾而无法克服,从而无可避免地成为这个转折时期祭坛的牺牲。这种必然性表明了安娜悲剧的深度。
列文也是深刻矛盾的人物。他鄙视彼得堡的宫廷贵族,却以出身世袭贵族而自豪;他不满于上流社会的荒淫和虚伪,却认为奢侈是贵族的本分;他反对以农奴制的“棍子”压制农民,却又向往于贵族的古风旧习;他厌恶资本主义并否定资本主义在发展的必然性,但他自己的农业经营显然是资本主义方式;他断言资产阶级所得的是“不义之财”,而自己却和劳动者进行“残酷的”斗争。这些正是这位“有心灵”、有道德感情的贵族在历史转折时期而背对历史发展所必然产生的思想矛盾。
与安娜不同,列文可以说是获得了真正的爱情和家庭的幸福。然而,良心的痛苦在折磨着他,在自己富裕同人民贫困对比下,他深深抱有负罪感。只是他不同于一般的忏悔贵族,他积极探索同人民接近的道路,并探索通过“不流血的”以达到与农民合作、共同富裕的道路。这种历史唯心主义的幻想在残酷的现实面前破灭了。他转而怀疑自己生存的意义,从社会经济的探索转向思想和道德的探索,要在各种哲学和宗教中寻求答案,却毫无所获。失望之余,他甚至要以自杀来解脱,最后从宗法制农民那里得到启示:要“为灵魂而活着”。他的不安的心灵似乎得到了归宿,但这归宿纯然是空想,无助于实际矛盾的解决,只不过是心灵悲剧的麻醉剂罢了。清醒的现实主义使作者在这里把小说煞住。如果情节再朝前进展,人物会从麻醉中苏醒过来,心灵的悲剧必定照旧在他面前展开。
与这两位主人公相联系的、亦即在他们这两条线索上的一些次要的人物,是伴随着他们出场并围绕他们而活动的。与安娜—卡列宁和安娜—弗龙斯基相联系的,主要是彼得堡上流社会的三个圈子和军界的某些贵族;与列文相联系的,主要是外省贵族、地主、农民以及个别商人。一般说来,安娜这条线索上的人物大多涉及道德伦理问题,列文这条线索上的人物大多涉及社会经济问题。当然,两者间有时也相互交叉。这些人物决不仅是两位主人公的陪衬或对照物,而且常常居于前景,在情节中占有相当重要的位置。正是赖有他们,作品才得以超出家庭关系的范围,突破家庭小说的框架,成为作者所说的“内容广泛的、自由的小说”,从而成为广泛反映十九世纪六七十年代社会生活的史诗性杰作。
就艺术来说,《安娜·卡列宁娜》确实令人叹为观止。它的融合无间、互相呼应的两条线索的结构,继《战争与和平》之后,又一次成为“背离欧洲形式”、找到“新的框架”的不世之作。再则这部小说的每一场面、每一插曲、每一画面,一般不只是“背景”或偶然的“布景”,而是整体的有机部分,这也显示出结构的严密性和完整性。
书中的人物性格,大都于典型性中见个性。但这么说未免简单了些。不仅奥布隆斯基、弗龙斯基、卡列宁等形象丰满、鲜明、生动,呼之欲出,就连寥寥几笔画成的插曲式人物,如一系列贵族、地主,彼得堡社交界的妇女,无不各具特色,历历在目;更不用说复杂、矛盾而又完整的安娜了。安娜这个形象在世界文学中,即使不说无与伦比,恐怕也罕有畴匹。这些人物虽是精雕细琢,但不像工笔画那样带有匠气。作者使用“积累的方法”,并非机械地凭借一次又一次的叙述,而是通过直接观察者的眼光或感受来描写。例如安娜,她先后在达里娅、弗龙斯基、基蒂、卡列宁、列文以及米哈伊罗夫等人心目中,分别呈现自己的一个侧面,正是这些不同的侧面“积累”成一个立体的、以至多角度的形象。同时,这些直接观察者由主观的不同的角度看到的不同侧面,何者符合真实,由于作者不置一词,给读者留下广阔想象的余地,又给这个形象蒙上了一层迷雾,客观上增添了它的复杂性。托尔斯泰还从进展中刻画性格。不过,奥布隆斯基和列文等是固有品质的逐渐展示,安娜和弗龙斯基的性格则是发展和变化的。
《安娜·卡列宁娜》是完全意义上的心理小说。不仅人物的内心生活描写充分,就是人物间的冲突也大都是心理上的,或是通过心理来表现的,因此全书心理描写的密度很大。虽则一般使用传统手法,即作者间接叙述或由人物的语言、动作或表情等直接表现,但笔墨十分细腻。例如总是在动态中写心理过程,一般是展示过程中的每一环节或每一横断面,把人物内心的每一颤动显现出来。这些过程一般不是直线式的,而其曲折反复也不是循环,而是螺旋形的进展,因此令人感到的不是繁复累赘,而是步步深入。而在不少场合,人物心理还是前后截然相反的,借用批评家巴赫金的术语来说,是“对话”式的。这种“对话”有时表现于较长的心理过程的始与终,是逐渐变化的结果;有时则是突然转折。前者如达里娅去探望安娜的那一插曲,后者如科兹内雪夫向瓦莲卡的求爱。但无论是渐进或是突变,都符合人物的性格或心理的规律。有时也进入半下意识的领域,如安娜从莫斯科回彼得堡的车上的那种迷离恍惚的心态。而在一些属于传统手法的内心独白中也有所创新。奥布隆斯基在利季娅·伊万诺夫娜伯爵夫人晚会上那段断断续续的内心独白,表现了人物头脑处于半睡眠的消极状态的凌乱的意识之流。特别是安娜在自杀前驱车经过街上时的心理活动:街上瞬息变换的各种外在印象不断引起她的自由联想,她不断由一种感触或回忆蓦地跳到另一种感触和回忆,她强烈激动、心烦意乱、百感交集的心境跃然纸上。作者是如此巧妙地运用了意识流手法的跳跃性,省略了许多不必要的环节和焊接点,使得人物的思路迅速转换而又十分自然,各种思绪断断续续,此起彼伏,互不连贯而又不凌乱无序。这可以说是文学中的意识流的神来之笔。
小说中还有许多脍炙人口的场面,许多描写生动的插曲,以及文笔的自然、质朴和真实……总之,可谈者尚多。
《安娜·卡列宁娜》问世一百多年了。这部出自巨匠之手的艺术杰作,不但没有减色,反而显得更为瑰丽。
陈 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.
小说中有两条平行的线索,当时有人说它没有“建筑术”,有人说它是“两部小说”。作者委婉地拒绝了这些批评。他说,该书结构之妙正在于圆拱衔接得天衣无缝——两条线索有“内在的联系”。对此众说纷纭。依我看,指的是有一个统一的主题,即当时资本主义迅猛发展带来的、作者所认为的灾难性的后果:一方面是贵族受资产阶级思想侵蚀,在家庭、婚姻等道德伦理观念方面发生激烈变化,卷首“奥布隆斯基家里一切都混乱了”一语有象征意义;另一方面是农业受资本主义破坏,国家面临经济发展的道路问题,也就是列文说的:“一切都翻了一个身,一切都刚刚开始安排。”以安娜为中心的线索(包括奥布隆斯基、卡列宁、弗龙斯基以至谢尔巴茨基等家族)和列文的线索,分别表现了这两方面的问题。
限于篇幅,下面只简单地谈谈男女两位主人公以及有关创作艺术的点滴看法。
小说以安娜·卡列宁娜命名,她的形象在小说中确实居于中心的位置。安娜不仅天生丽质,光艳夺人,而且纯真、诚实、端庄、聪慧,还有一个“复杂而有诗意的内心世界”。可是她遇人不淑,年轻时由姑母作主,嫁给一个头脑僵化、思想保守、虚伪成性并且没有活人感情的官僚卡列宁。在婚后八年间,她曾努力去爱丈夫和儿子。而现在由于“世风日变”,婚姻自由的思想激起了这个古井之水的波澜。与弗龙斯基的邂逅,重新唤醒了她对生活的追求。她要“生活”,也就是要爱情。她终于跨越了礼教的樊篱。作为已婚的端庄的妇女,要跨出这一步,需要有很大的决心和勇气,虽则在当时上流社会私通已司空见惯了。但她的勇气主要在于,不愿与无耻的贵族妇女同流合污,不愿像她们那样长期欺骗丈夫,毅然把暧昧的关系公开。这不啻向上流社会挑战,从而不见容于上流社会,同时也受到卡列宁的残酷报复:既不答应她离婚,又不让她亲近爱子。她徒然挣扎,曾为爱情而牺牲母爱,可这爱情又成了镜花水月。她终于越来越深地陷入悲剧的命运。
不过,虽说造成她的悲剧的是包括卡列宁、弗龙斯基在内的上流社会,安娜作为悲剧人物,本身也不是没有“过错”;再说她的性格后来还发生了令人惋惜的变化。这位留里克王室的后裔,受时代的洗礼而敢于为“生活”而同社会抗争,但她自己却未能完全挣脱旧思想意识的桎梏,她不仅一再对卡列宁怀有负罪感,而且也不能割断同上流社会的血缘关系,因此以见逐于它而感到无地自容。实际上她也没有真正学会爱。同弗龙斯基的一见钟情,似乎因他慷慨好施,主要却是倾心于他的仪表、风度,出于自己旺盛的生命力的自发要求,并不基于共同的思想感情。这种爱情是盲目的,实际上几乎全是情欲,而情欲是难以持久的。弗龙斯基初时为了虚荣心而猎逐她,一度因安娜的真挚的爱而变得严肃专一,但不久就因功名之心的蠕动而厌弃她。而安娜把爱情当作整个生活,沉溺其中,要弗龙斯基与她朝夕厮守一起,甚至甘为他的“无条件的奴隶”。于是她的精神品质渐渐失去了光彩。为了重新唤起弗龙斯基的爱,竟不惜以姿色的魅力编织“爱情的网”,并且逐渐习惯于“虚伪和欺骗的精神”。最后,她的爱越来越自私,以致在“不满足”时变成了恨。不过,我们不能因此而责备安娜,须知她生活在历史的转折时期。如果说她同社会的外在矛盾,是由于新事物受旧事物压制,那么,她自身的矛盾,则是新萌发的意识未能战胜根深蒂固的旧意识。何况当时能代替旧的道德观念的新观念尚未形成。因此可以说,她身上集中了时代的各种矛盾。她的自杀,从主观上说是寻求解脱,也是对弗龙斯基的报复及对上流社会的;客观上则是由于集中了各种时代的矛盾而无法克服,从而无可避免地成为这个转折时期祭坛的牺牲。这种必然性表明了安娜悲剧的深度。
列文也是深刻矛盾的人物。他鄙视彼得堡的宫廷贵族,却以出身世袭贵族而自豪;他不满于上流社会的荒淫和虚伪,却认为奢侈是贵族的本分;他反对以农奴制的“棍子”压制农民,却又向往于贵族的古风旧习;他厌恶资本主义并否定资本主义在发展的必然性,但他自己的农业经营显然是资本主义方式;他断言资产阶级所得的是“不义之财”,而自己却和劳动者进行“残酷的”斗争。这些正是这位“有心灵”、有道德感情的贵族在历史转折时期而背对历史发展所必然产生的思想矛盾。
与安娜不同,列文可以说是获得了真正的爱情和家庭的幸福。然而,良心的痛苦在折磨着他,在自己富裕同人民贫困对比下,他深深抱有负罪感。只是他不同于一般的忏悔贵族,他积极探索同人民接近的道路,并探索通过“不流血的”以达到与农民合作、共同富裕的道路。这种历史唯心主义的幻想在残酷的现实面前破灭了。他转而怀疑自己生存的意义,从社会经济的探索转向思想和道德的探索,要在各种哲学和宗教中寻求答案,却毫无所获。失望之余,他甚至要以自杀来解脱,最后从宗法制农民那里得到启示:要“为灵魂而活着”。他的不安的心灵似乎得到了归宿,但这归宿纯然是空想,无助于实际矛盾的解决,只不过是心灵悲剧的麻醉剂罢了。清醒的现实主义使作者在这里把小说煞住。如果情节再朝前进展,人物会从麻醉中苏醒过来,心灵的悲剧必定照旧在他面前展开。
与这两位主人公相联系的、亦即在他们这两条线索上的一些次要的人物,是伴随着他们出场并围绕他们而活动的。与安娜—卡列宁和安娜—弗龙斯基相联系的,主要是彼得堡上流社会的三个圈子和军界的某些贵族;与列文相联系的,主要是外省贵族、地主、农民以及个别商人。一般说来,安娜这条线索上的人物大多涉及道德伦理问题,列文这条线索上的人物大多涉及社会经济问题。当然,两者间有时也相互交叉。这些人物决不仅是两位主人公的陪衬或对照物,而且常常居于前景,在情节中占有相当重要的位置。正是赖有他们,作品才得以超出家庭关系的范围,突破家庭小说的框架,成为作者所说的“内容广泛的、自由的小说”,从而成为广泛反映十九世纪六七十年代社会生活的史诗性杰作。
就艺术来说,《安娜·卡列宁娜》确实令人叹为观止。它的融合无间、互相呼应的两条线索的结构,继《战争与和平》之后,又一次成为“背离欧洲形式”、找到“新的框架”的不世之作。再则这部小说的每一场面、每一插曲、每一画面,一般不只是“背景”或偶然的“布景”,而是整体的有机部分,这也显示出结构的严密性和完整性。
书中的人物性格,大都于典型性中见个性。但这么说未免简单了些。不仅奥布隆斯基、弗龙斯基、卡列宁等形象丰满、鲜明、生动,呼之欲出,就连寥寥几笔画成的插曲式人物,如一系列贵族、地主,彼得堡社交界的妇女,无不各具特色,历历在目;更不用说复杂、矛盾而又完整的安娜了。安娜这个形象在世界文学中,即使不说无与伦比,恐怕也罕有畴匹。这些人物虽是精雕细琢,但不像工笔画那样带有匠气。作者使用“积累的方法”,并非机械地凭借一次又一次的叙述,而是通过直接观察者的眼光或感受来描写。例如安娜,她先后在达里娅、弗龙斯基、基蒂、卡列宁、列文以及米哈伊罗夫等人心目中,分别呈现自己的一个侧面,正是这些不同的侧面“积累”成一个立体的、以至多角度的形象。同时,这些直接观察者由主观的不同的角度看到的不同侧面,何者符合真实,由于作者不置一词,给读者留下广阔想象的余地,又给这个形象蒙上了一层迷雾,客观上增添了它的复杂性。托尔斯泰还从进展中刻画性格。不过,奥布隆斯基和列文等是固有品质的逐渐展示,安娜和弗龙斯基的性格则是发展和变化的。
《安娜·卡列宁娜》是完全意义上的心理小说。不仅人物的内心生活描写充分,就是人物间的冲突也大都是心理上的,或是通过心理来表现的,因此全书心理描写的密度很大。虽则一般使用传统手法,即作者间接叙述或由人物的语言、动作或表情等直接表现,但笔墨十分细腻。例如总是在动态中写心理过程,一般是展示过程中的每一环节或每一横断面,把人物内心的每一颤动显现出来。这些过程一般不是直线式的,而其曲折反复也不是循环,而是螺旋形的进展,因此令人感到的不是繁复累赘,而是步步深入。而在不少场合,人物心理还是前后截然相反的,借用批评家巴赫金的术语来说,是“对话”式的。这种“对话”有时表现于较长的心理过程的始与终,是逐渐变化的结果;有时则是突然转折。前者如达里娅去探望安娜的那一插曲,后者如科兹内雪夫向瓦莲卡的求爱。但无论是渐进或是突变,都符合人物的性格或心理的规律。有时也进入半下意识的领域,如安娜从莫斯科回彼得堡的车上的那种迷离恍惚的心态。而在一些属于传统手法的内心独白中也有所创新。奥布隆斯基在利季娅·伊万诺夫娜伯爵夫人晚会上那段断断续续的内心独白,表现了人物头脑处于半睡眠的消极状态的凌乱的意识之流。特别是安娜在自杀前驱车经过街上时的心理活动:街上瞬息变换的各种外在印象不断引起她的自由联想,她不断由一种感触或回忆蓦地跳到另一种感触和回忆,她强烈激动、心烦意乱、百感交集的心境跃然纸上。作者是如此巧妙地运用了意识流手法的跳跃性,省略了许多不必要的环节和焊接点,使得人物的思路迅速转换而又十分自然,各种思绪断断续续,此起彼伏,互不连贯而又不凌乱无序。这可以说是文学中的意识流的神来之笔。
小说中还有许多脍炙人口的场面,许多描写生动的插曲,以及文笔的自然、质朴和真实……总之,可谈者尚多。
《安娜·卡列宁娜》问世一百多年了。这部出自巨匠之手的艺术杰作,不但没有减色,反而显得更为瑰丽。
陈 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。
奥布隆斯基家里一切都混乱了。妻子发觉丈夫和他们家从前的法国女家庭教师有暧昧关系,她向丈夫声明她不能和他再在一个屋子里住下去了。这样的状态已经继续了三天,不只是夫妻两个,就是他们全家和仆人都为此感到痛苦。家里的每个人都觉得他们住在一起没有意思,而且觉得就是在任何客店里萍水相逢的人也都比他们,奥布隆斯基全家和仆人更情投意合。妻子没有离开自己的房间一步,丈夫三天不在家了,小孩们像失了管教一样在家里到处乱跑。英国女家庭教师和女管家吵架,给朋友写了信,请替她找一个新的位置。
厨师昨天恰好在晚餐时走掉了,厨娘和车夫辞了工。
在吵架后的第三天,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇·奥布隆斯基公爵——他在交际场里是叫斯季瓦的——在照例的时间,早晨八点钟醒来,不在他妻子的寝室,却在他书房里的鞣皮沙发上。他在富于弹性的沙发上把他的肥胖的、保养得很好的身体翻转,好像要再睡一大觉似的,他使劲抱住一个枕头,把他的脸紧紧地偎着它;但是他突然跳起来,坐在沙发上,张开眼睛。
“哦,哦,怎么回事?”他想,重温着他的梦境。“怎么回事,对啦!阿拉宾在达姆施塔特①请客;不,不是达姆施塔特,而是在美国什么地方。不错,达姆施塔特是在美国。不错,阿拉宾在玻璃桌上请客,在座的人都唱Ilmiotesoro②,但也不是Ilmiotesoro,而是比那更好的;桌上还有些小酒瓶,那都是女人,”他回想着。
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①达姆施塔特,现今西德的一个城市。
②意大利语:我的宝贝。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇的眼睛快乐地闪耀着,他含着微笑沉思。“哦,真是有趣极了。有味的事情还多得很,可惜醒了说不出来,连意思都表达不出来。”而后看到从一幅罗纱窗帷边上射入的一线日光,他愉快地把脚沿着沙发边伸下去,用脚去搜索他的拖鞋,那双拖鞋是金色鞣皮的,上面有他妻子绣的花,是他去年生日时她送给他的礼物;照他九年来的习惯,每天他没有起来,就向寝室里常挂晨衣的地方伸出手去。他这才突然记起了他没有和为什么没有睡在妻子的房间而睡在自己的书房里。微笑从他的脸上消失,他皱起眉来。
“唉,唉,唉!”他叹息,回想着发生的一切事情。他和妻子吵架的每个细节,他那无法摆脱的处境以及最糟糕的,他自己的过错,又一齐涌上他的心头。
“是的,她不会饶恕我,她也不能饶恕我!而最糟的是这都是我的过错——都是我的过错;但也不能怪我。悲剧就在这里!”他沉思着。“唉,唉,唉!”他记起这场吵闹所给予他的极端痛苦的感觉,尽在绝望地自悲自叹。
最不愉快的是最初的一瞬间,当他兴高采烈的,手里拿着一只预备给他妻子的大梨,从剧场回来的时候,他在客厅里没有找到他妻子,使他大为吃惊的是,在书房里也没有找到,而终于发现她在寝室里,手里拿着那封泄漏了一切的倒霉的信。
她——那个老是忙忙碌碌和忧虑不安,而且依他看来,头脑简单的多莉①,动也不动地坐在那里,手里拿着那封信,带着恐怖、绝望和忿怒的表情望着他。
“这是什么?这?”她问,指着那封信。
回想起来的时候,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇,像常有的情形一样,觉得事情本身还没有他回答妻子的话的态度那么使他苦恼。
那一瞬间,在他身上发生了一般人在他们的极不名誉的行为突如其来地被揭发了的时候所常发生的现象。他没有能够使他的脸色适应于他的过失被揭穿后他在妻子面前所处的地位。没有感到受了委屈,矢口否认,替自己辩护,请求饶恕,甚至也没有索性不在乎——随便什么都比他所做的好——他的面孔却完全不由自主地(斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇是喜欢生理学的,他认为这是脑神经的反射作用②)——完全不由自主地突然浮现出他那素常的、善良的、因而痴愚的微笑。
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①多莉是他的妻子达里娅的英文名字。
②在《安娜·卡列宁娜》写成之前不久,在的一份杂志上,《脑神经的反射作用》的作者谢切诺夫教授正和其他的科学家进行着激烈的论战。对于这种事情一知半解的奥布隆斯基都轻而易举地想起这个术语,可见这场论战曾引起了当时公众的充分注意。
为了这种痴愚的微笑,他不能饶恕自己。看见那微笑,多莉好像感到肉体的痛苦一般颤栗起来,以她特有的火气脱口说出了一连串残酷的话,就冲出了房间。从此以后,她就不愿见她丈夫了。
“这都要怪那痴愚的微笑,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇想。
“但是怎么办呢?怎么办呢?”他绝望地自言自语说,找不出答案来。 二
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇是一个忠实于自己的人。他不能自欺欺人,不能使自己相信他后悔他的行为。他是一个三十四岁、漂亮多情的男子,他的妻子仅仅比他小一岁,而且做了五个活着、两个死了的孩子的母亲,他不爱她,这他现在并不觉得后悔。他后悔的只是他没有能够很好地瞒过他的妻子。但是他感到了他的处境的一切困难,很替他的妻子、小孩和自己难过。他也许能想办法把他的罪过隐瞒住他的妻子,要是他早料到,这个消息会这样影响她。他从来没有清晰地考虑过这个问题,但他模模糊糊地感到他的妻子早已怀疑他对她不忠实,她只是装做没有看见罢了。他甚至以为,她只是一个贤妻良母,一个疲惫的、渐渐衰老的、不再年轻、也不再美丽、毫不惹人注目的女人,应当出于公平心对他宽大一些。结果却完全相反。
“唉,可怕呀!可怕呀!”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇尽在自言自语,想不出办法来。“以前一切是多么顺遂呵!我们过得多快活;她因为孩子们而感到满足和幸福;我从来什么事情也不干涉她;随着她的意思去照管小孩和家事。自然,糟糕的是,她是我们家里的家庭女教师。真糟!和家里的家庭女教师胡来,未免有点庸俗,下流。但是一个多漂亮的家庭女教师呀!(他历历在目地回想着罗兰姑娘的恶作剧的黑眼睛和她的微笑。)但是毕竟,她在我们家里的时候,我从来未敢放肆过。最糟的就是她已经……好像命该如此!唉,唉!但是怎么,怎么办呀?”
除了生活所给予一切最复杂最难解决的问题的那个一般的解答之外,再也得不到其他解答了。那解答就是:人必须在日常的需要中生活——那就是,忘怀一切。要在睡眠中忘掉忧愁现在已不可能,至少也得到夜间才行;他现在又不能够回到酒瓶女人所唱的音乐中去;因此他只好在白昼梦中消愁解闷。
“我们等着瞧吧,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇自言自语,他站起来,穿上一件衬着蓝色绸里的灰色晨衣,把腰带打了一个结,于是,深深地往他的宽阔胸膛里吸了一口气,他摆开他那双那么轻快地载着他的肥胖身体的八字脚,迈着素常的稳重步伐走到窗前,他拉开百叶窗,用力按铃。他的亲信仆人马特维立刻应声出现,把他的衣服、长靴和电报拿来了。理发匠挟着理发用具跟在马特维后面走进来。
“衙门里有什么公文送来没有?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问,接过电报,在镜子面前坐下。
“在桌上,”马特维回答,怀着同情询问地瞥了他的主人一眼;停了一会,他脸上浮着狡狯的微笑补充说:“马车老板那儿有人来过。”
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇没有回答,只在镜里瞥了马特维一眼。从他们在镜子里交换的眼色中,可以看出来他们彼此很了解。斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇的眼色似乎在问:“你为什么对我说这个?你难道不知道?”
马特维把手放进外套口袋里,伸出一只脚,默默地、善良地、带着一丝微笑凝视着他的主人。
“我叫他们礼拜日再来,不到那时候不要白费气力来麻烦您或他们自己,”他说,他显然是事先准备好这句话的。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇看出来马特维想要开开玩笑,引得人家注意自己。他拆开电报看了一遍,揣测着电报里时常拼错的字眼,他的脸色开朗了。
“马特维,我妹妹安娜·阿尔卡季耶夫娜明天要来了,”他说,做手势要理发匠的光滑丰满的手停一会,他正在从他的长长的、鬈曲的络腮胡子中间剃出一条淡红色的纹路来。
“谢谢上帝!”马特维说,由这回答就显示出他像他的主人一样了解这次来访的重大意义,那就是,安娜·阿尔卡季耶夫娜,他所喜欢的妹妹,也许会促使夫妻和好起来。
“一个人,还是和她丈夫一道?”马特维问。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇不能够回答,因为理发匠正在剃他的上唇,于是举起一个手指来。马特维朝镜子里点点头。
“一个人。要在楼上收拾好一间房间吗?”
“去告诉达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜:她会吩咐的。”
“达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜?”马特维好像怀疑似地重复着。
“是的,去告诉她。把电报拿去;交给她,照她吩咐的去办。”
“您要去试一试吗,”马特维心中明白,但他却只说:
“是的,老爷。”
当马特维踏着那双咯吱作响的长靴,手里拿着电报,慢吞吞地走回房间来的时候,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇已经洗好了脸,梳过了头发,正在预备穿衣服。理发匠已经走了。
“达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜叫我对您说她要走了。让他——就是说您——高兴怎样办就怎样办吧,”他说,只有他的眼睛含着笑意,然后把手放进口袋里,歪着脑袋斜视着主人。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇沉默了一会。随即一种温和的而又有几分凄恻的微笑流露在他的好看的面孔上。
“呃,马特维?”他说,摇摇头。
“不要紧,老爷;事情自会好起来的。”马特维说。
“自会好起来的?”
“是的,老爷。”
“你这样想吗?谁来了?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问,听见门外有女人的衣服的究n声。
“我,”一个坚定而愉快的女人声音说,乳母马特廖娜·菲利蒙诺夫娜的严峻的麻脸从门后伸进来。
“哦,什么事,马特廖娜?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问,走到她面前。
虽然斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇在妻子面前一无是处,而且他自己也感觉到这点,但是家里几乎每个人(就连达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜的心腹,那个乳母也在内,)都站在他这边。
“哦,什么事?”他忧愁地问。
“到她那里去,老爷,再认一次错吧。上帝会帮助您的。她是这样痛苦,看见她都叫人伤心;而且家里一切都弄得乱七八糟了。老爷,您该怜悯怜悯孩子们。认个错吧,老爷。这是没有办法的!要图快活,就只好……”
“但是她不愿见我。”
“尽您的本分。上帝是慈悲的,向上帝祷告,老爷,向上帝祷告吧。”
“好的,你走吧,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇说,突然涨红了脸。“喂,给我穿上衣服。”他转向马特维说,毅然决然地脱下晨衣。
马特维已经举起衬衣,像马颈轭一样,吹去了上面的一点什么看不见的黑点,他带着显然的愉快神情把它套在他主人的保养得很好的身体上。 三
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇穿好了衣服,在身上洒了些香水,拉直衬衣袖口,照常把香烟、袖珍簿、火柴和那有着双重链子和表坠的表分置在各个口袋里,然后抖开手帕,虽然他很不幸,但是他感到清爽,芬芳,健康和肉体上的舒适,他两腿微微摇摆着走进了餐室,他的咖啡已摆在那里等他,咖啡旁边放着信件和衙门里送来的公文。
他阅读信件。有一封令人极不愉快,是一个想要买他妻子地产上的一座树林的商人写来的,出卖这座树林是绝对必要的;但是现在,在他没有和妻子和解以前,这个问题是无法谈的。最不愉快的是他的金钱上的利害关系要牵涉到他急待跟他妻子和解的问题上去。想到他会被这种利害关系所左右,他会为了卖树林的缘故去跟他妻子讲和——想到这个,就使他不愉快了。
看完了信,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇把衙门里送来的公文拉到面前,迅速地阅过了两件公事,用粗铅笔做了些记号,就把公文推在一旁,端起咖啡;他一面喝咖啡,一面打开油墨未干的晨报,开始读起来。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇定阅一份自由主义派的报纸,不是极端自由主义派的而是代表大多数人意见的报纸。虽然他对于科学、艺术和并没有特别兴趣,但他对这一切问题却坚持抱着与大多数人和他的报纸一致的意见。只有在大多数人改变了意见的时候,他这才随着改变,或者,更严格地说,他并没有改变,而是意见本身不知不觉地在他心中改变了。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇并没有选择他的主张和见解;这些主张和见解是自动到他这里来的,正如他并没有选择帽子和上衣的样式,而只是穿戴着大家都在穿戴的。生活于上流社会里的他——由于普通在成年期发育成熟的,对于某种精神活动的要求——必须有见解正如必须有帽子一样。如果说他爱自由主义的见解胜过爱他周围许多人抱着的保守见解是有道理的,那倒不是由于他认为自由主义更合理,而是由于它更适合他的生活方式。自由党说一切都是坏的,的确,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇负债累累,正缺钱用。自由党说结婚是完全过时的制度,必须改革才行;而家庭生活的确没有给斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇多少乐趣,而且逼得他说谎做假,那是完全违反他的本性的。自由党说,或者毋宁说是暗示,宗教的作用只在于箝制人民中那些野蛮阶层;而斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇连做一次短短的礼拜,都站得腰酸腿痛,而且想不透既然现世生活过得这么愉快,那么用所有这些可怕而夸张的言词来谈论来世还有什么意思。而且,爱说笑话的斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇常喜欢说:如果人要夸耀自己的祖先,他就不应当到留里克①为止,而不承认他的始祖——猴子,他喜欢用这一类的话去难倒老实的人。就这样,自由主义的倾向成了斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇的一种习癖,他喜欢他的报纸,正如他喜欢饭后抽一支雪茄一样,因为它在他的脑子里散布了一层轻雾。他读社论,社论认为,在现在这个时代,叫嚣急进主义有吞没一切保守分子的危险,叫嚣政府应当采取适当措施扑灭的祸害,这类叫嚣是毫无意思的;正相反,“照我们的意见,危险并不在于假想的的祸害,而在于阻碍进步的墨守成规,”云云。他又读了另外一篇关于财政的论文,其中提到了边沁和密勒②,并对政府某部有所讽刺。凭着他特有的机敏,他领会了每句暗讽的意义,猜透了它从何而来,针对什么人,出于什么动机而发;这,像平常一样,给予他一定的满足。
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①留里克(死于879),的建国者,留里克王朝(869—1598)的始祖。
②边沁(1748—1832),英国资产阶级法律学家和伦理学家,功利主义的代表人物。密勒(1806—1372),英国哲学家,活动家,经济学家。在伦理学上他接近边沁的功利主义。
但是今天这种满足被马特廖娜·菲利蒙诺夫娜的劝告和家中的不如意状态破坏了。还在报上看到贝斯特伯爵①已赴威斯巴登②的传说,看到医治白发、出售轻便马车和某青年征求职业的广告;但是这些新闻报导并没有像平常那样给予他一种宁静的讥讽的满足。
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①贝斯特伯爵(1809—1886),奥匈帝国首相,俾斯麦的政敌。
②威斯巴登,德国西部的城市,在莱茵河畔,是矿泉疗养地。
看过了报,喝完了第二杯咖啡,吃完了抹上黄油的面包,他立起身来,拂去落在背心上的面包屑,然后,挺起宽阔的胸膛,他快乐地微笑着,并不是因为他心里有什么特别愉快的事——快乐的微笑是由良好的消化引起的。
但是这快乐的微笑立刻使他想起了一切,他又变得沉思了。
可以听到门外有两个小孩的声音(斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇听出来是他的小男孩格里沙和他的大女儿塔尼娅的声音),他们正在搬弄什么东西,打翻了。
“我对你说了不要叫乘客坐在车顶上。”小女孩用英语嚷着,“拾起来!”
“一切都是乱糟糟的,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇想,“孩子们没有人管,到处乱跑。”他走到门边去叫他们。他们抛下那当火车用的匣子,向父亲走来。
那小女孩,她父亲的宝贝,莽撞地跑进来,抱住他,笑嘻嘻地吊在他的脖颈上,她老喜欢闻他的络腮胡子散发出的闻惯的香气。最后小女孩吻了吻他那因为弯屈的姿势而涨红的、闪烁着慈爱光辉的面孔,松开了她的两手,待要跑开去,但是她父亲拉住了她。
“妈妈怎样了?”他问,抚摸着他女儿的滑润柔软的小脖颈。“你好,”他说,向走上来问候他的男孩微笑着说。
他意识到他并不怎么爱那男孩,但他总是尽量同样对待;可是那男孩感觉到这一点,对于他父亲的冷淡的微笑并没有报以微笑。
“妈妈?她起来了,”女孩回答。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇叹了口气。“这么说她又整整一夜没有睡,”他想。
“哦,她快活吗?”
小女孩知道,她父亲和母亲吵了架,母亲不会快活,父亲也一定明白的,他这么随随便便地问她只是在作假。因此她为她父亲涨红了脸。他立刻觉察出来,也脸红了。
“我不知道,”她说。“她没有说要我们上课,她只是说要我们跟古里小姐到外祖母家去走走。”
“哦,去吧,塔尼娅,我的宝宝。哦,等一等!”他说,还拉牢她,抚摸着她的柔软的小手。
他从壁炉上取下他昨天放在那里的一小盒糖果,拣她最爱吃的,给了她两块,一块巧克力和一块软糖。
“给格里沙?”小女孩指着巧克力说。
“是,是。”又抚摸了一下她的小肩膀,他吻了吻她的发根和脖颈,就放她走了。
“马车套好了,”马特维说,“但是有个人为了请愿的事要见您。”
“来了很久吗?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问。
“半个钟头的光景。”
“我对你说了多少次,有人来马上告诉我!”
“至少总得让您喝完咖啡,”马特维说,他的声调粗鲁而又诚恳,使得人不能够生气。
“那么,马上请那个人进来吧,”奥布隆斯基说,烦恼地皱着眉。
那请愿者,参谋大尉加里宁的寡妻,来请求一件办不到的而且不合理的事情;但是斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇照例请她坐下,留心地听她说完,没有打断她一句,并且给了她详细的指示,告诉她怎样以及向谁去请求,甚至还用他的粗大、散漫、优美而清楚的笔迹,敏捷而流利地替她写了一封信给一位可以帮她忙的人。打发走了参谋大尉的寡妻以后,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇拿起帽子,站住想了想他忘记什么没有。看来除了他要忘记的——他的妻子以外,他什么也没有忘记。
“噢,是的!”他垂下头,他的漂亮面孔带着苦恼的表情。
“去呢,还是不去?”他自言自语;而他内心的声音告诉他,他不应当去,那除了弄虚作假不会有旁的结果;要改善、弥补他们的关系是不可能的,因为要使她再具有魅力而且能够引人爱怜,或者使他变成一个不能恋爱的老人,都不可能。现在除了欺骗说谎之外不会有旁的结果;而欺骗说谎又是违反他的天性的。
“可是迟早总得做的;这样下去不行,”他说,极力鼓起勇气。他挺着胸,拿出一支纸烟,吸了两口,就投进珠母贝壳烟灰碟里去,然后迈着迅速的步伐走过客厅,打开了通到他妻子寝室的另一扇房门。 四
达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜穿着梳妆短衣站在那里,她那曾经是丰满美丽、现在却变稀疏了的头发,用发针盘在她的脑后,她的面容消瘦憔悴,一双吃惊的大眼睛,因为她面容的消瘦而显得更加触目。各式各样的物件散乱地摆满一房间,她站在这些物件当中一个开着的衣柜前面,她正从里面挑拣什么东西。听到她丈夫的脚步声,她停住了,朝门口望着,徒然想要装出一种严厉而轻蔑的表情。她感觉得她害怕他,害怕快要到来的会见。她正在企图做她三天以来已经企图做了十来回的事情——把她自己和孩子们的衣服清理出来,带到她母亲那里去——但她还是没有这样做的决心;但是现在又像前几次一样,她尽在自言自语地说,事情不能像这样下去,她一定要想个办法惩罚他,羞辱他,哪怕报复一下,使他尝尝他给予她的痛苦的一小部分也好。她还是继续对自己说她要离开他,但她自己也意识到这是不可能的;这是不可能的,因为她不能摆脱那种把他当自己丈夫看待、而且爱他的习惯。况且,她感到假如在这里,在她自己家里,她尚且不能很好地照看她的五个小孩,那么,在她要把他们通通带去的地方,他们就会更糟。事实上,在这三天内,顶小的一个孩子因为吃了变了质的汤害病了,其余的昨天差不多没有吃上午饭。她意识到要走开是不可能的;但是,还在自欺欺人,她继续清理东西,装出要走的样子。
"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.
奥布隆斯基家里一切都混乱了。妻子发觉丈夫和他们家从前的法国女家庭教师有暧昧关系,她向丈夫声明她不能和他再在一个屋子里住下去了。这样的状态已经继续了三天,不只是夫妻两个,就是他们全家和仆人都为此感到痛苦。家里的每个人都觉得他们住在一起没有意思,而且觉得就是在任何客店里萍水相逢的人也都比他们,奥布隆斯基全家和仆人更情投意合。妻子没有离开自己的房间一步,丈夫三天不在家了,小孩们像失了管教一样在家里到处乱跑。英国女家庭教师和女管家吵架,给朋友写了信,请替她找一个新的位置。
厨师昨天恰好在晚餐时走掉了,厨娘和车夫辞了工。
在吵架后的第三天,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇·奥布隆斯基公爵——他在交际场里是叫斯季瓦的——在照例的时间,早晨八点钟醒来,不在他妻子的寝室,却在他书房里的鞣皮沙发上。他在富于弹性的沙发上把他的肥胖的、保养得很好的身体翻转,好像要再睡一大觉似的,他使劲抱住一个枕头,把他的脸紧紧地偎着它;但是他突然跳起来,坐在沙发上,张开眼睛。
“哦,哦,怎么回事?”他想,重温着他的梦境。“怎么回事,对啦!阿拉宾在达姆施塔特①请客;不,不是达姆施塔特,而是在美国什么地方。不错,达姆施塔特是在美国。不错,阿拉宾在玻璃桌上请客,在座的人都唱Ilmiotesoro②,但也不是Ilmiotesoro,而是比那更好的;桌上还有些小酒瓶,那都是女人,”他回想着。
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①达姆施塔特,现今西德的一个城市。
②意大利语:我的宝贝。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇的眼睛快乐地闪耀着,他含着微笑沉思。“哦,真是有趣极了。有味的事情还多得很,可惜醒了说不出来,连意思都表达不出来。”而后看到从一幅罗纱窗帷边上射入的一线日光,他愉快地把脚沿着沙发边伸下去,用脚去搜索他的拖鞋,那双拖鞋是金色鞣皮的,上面有他妻子绣的花,是他去年生日时她送给他的礼物;照他九年来的习惯,每天他没有起来,就向寝室里常挂晨衣的地方伸出手去。他这才突然记起了他没有和为什么没有睡在妻子的房间而睡在自己的书房里。微笑从他的脸上消失,他皱起眉来。
“唉,唉,唉!”他叹息,回想着发生的一切事情。他和妻子吵架的每个细节,他那无法摆脱的处境以及最糟糕的,他自己的过错,又一齐涌上他的心头。
“是的,她不会饶恕我,她也不能饶恕我!而最糟的是这都是我的过错——都是我的过错;但也不能怪我。悲剧就在这里!”他沉思着。“唉,唉,唉!”他记起这场吵闹所给予他的极端痛苦的感觉,尽在绝望地自悲自叹。
最不愉快的是最初的一瞬间,当他兴高采烈的,手里拿着一只预备给他妻子的大梨,从剧场回来的时候,他在客厅里没有找到他妻子,使他大为吃惊的是,在书房里也没有找到,而终于发现她在寝室里,手里拿着那封泄漏了一切的倒霉的信。
她——那个老是忙忙碌碌和忧虑不安,而且依他看来,头脑简单的多莉①,动也不动地坐在那里,手里拿着那封信,带着恐怖、绝望和忿怒的表情望着他。
“这是什么?这?”她问,指着那封信。
回想起来的时候,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇,像常有的情形一样,觉得事情本身还没有他回答妻子的话的态度那么使他苦恼。
那一瞬间,在他身上发生了一般人在他们的极不名誉的行为突如其来地被揭发了的时候所常发生的现象。他没有能够使他的脸色适应于他的过失被揭穿后他在妻子面前所处的地位。没有感到受了委屈,矢口否认,替自己辩护,请求饶恕,甚至也没有索性不在乎——随便什么都比他所做的好——他的面孔却完全不由自主地(斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇是喜欢生理学的,他认为这是脑神经的反射作用②)——完全不由自主地突然浮现出他那素常的、善良的、因而痴愚的微笑。
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①多莉是他的妻子达里娅的英文名字。
②在《安娜·卡列宁娜》写成之前不久,在的一份杂志上,《脑神经的反射作用》的作者谢切诺夫教授正和其他的科学家进行着激烈的论战。对于这种事情一知半解的奥布隆斯基都轻而易举地想起这个术语,可见这场论战曾引起了当时公众的充分注意。
为了这种痴愚的微笑,他不能饶恕自己。看见那微笑,多莉好像感到肉体的痛苦一般颤栗起来,以她特有的火气脱口说出了一连串残酷的话,就冲出了房间。从此以后,她就不愿见她丈夫了。
“这都要怪那痴愚的微笑,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇想。
“但是怎么办呢?怎么办呢?”他绝望地自言自语说,找不出答案来。 二
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇是一个忠实于自己的人。他不能自欺欺人,不能使自己相信他后悔他的行为。他是一个三十四岁、漂亮多情的男子,他的妻子仅仅比他小一岁,而且做了五个活着、两个死了的孩子的母亲,他不爱她,这他现在并不觉得后悔。他后悔的只是他没有能够很好地瞒过他的妻子。但是他感到了他的处境的一切困难,很替他的妻子、小孩和自己难过。他也许能想办法把他的罪过隐瞒住他的妻子,要是他早料到,这个消息会这样影响她。他从来没有清晰地考虑过这个问题,但他模模糊糊地感到他的妻子早已怀疑他对她不忠实,她只是装做没有看见罢了。他甚至以为,她只是一个贤妻良母,一个疲惫的、渐渐衰老的、不再年轻、也不再美丽、毫不惹人注目的女人,应当出于公平心对他宽大一些。结果却完全相反。
“唉,可怕呀!可怕呀!”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇尽在自言自语,想不出办法来。“以前一切是多么顺遂呵!我们过得多快活;她因为孩子们而感到满足和幸福;我从来什么事情也不干涉她;随着她的意思去照管小孩和家事。自然,糟糕的是,她是我们家里的家庭女教师。真糟!和家里的家庭女教师胡来,未免有点庸俗,下流。但是一个多漂亮的家庭女教师呀!(他历历在目地回想着罗兰姑娘的恶作剧的黑眼睛和她的微笑。)但是毕竟,她在我们家里的时候,我从来未敢放肆过。最糟的就是她已经……好像命该如此!唉,唉!但是怎么,怎么办呀?”
除了生活所给予一切最复杂最难解决的问题的那个一般的解答之外,再也得不到其他解答了。那解答就是:人必须在日常的需要中生活——那就是,忘怀一切。要在睡眠中忘掉忧愁现在已不可能,至少也得到夜间才行;他现在又不能够回到酒瓶女人所唱的音乐中去;因此他只好在白昼梦中消愁解闷。
“我们等着瞧吧,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇自言自语,他站起来,穿上一件衬着蓝色绸里的灰色晨衣,把腰带打了一个结,于是,深深地往他的宽阔胸膛里吸了一口气,他摆开他那双那么轻快地载着他的肥胖身体的八字脚,迈着素常的稳重步伐走到窗前,他拉开百叶窗,用力按铃。他的亲信仆人马特维立刻应声出现,把他的衣服、长靴和电报拿来了。理发匠挟着理发用具跟在马特维后面走进来。
“衙门里有什么公文送来没有?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问,接过电报,在镜子面前坐下。
“在桌上,”马特维回答,怀着同情询问地瞥了他的主人一眼;停了一会,他脸上浮着狡狯的微笑补充说:“马车老板那儿有人来过。”
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇没有回答,只在镜里瞥了马特维一眼。从他们在镜子里交换的眼色中,可以看出来他们彼此很了解。斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇的眼色似乎在问:“你为什么对我说这个?你难道不知道?”
马特维把手放进外套口袋里,伸出一只脚,默默地、善良地、带着一丝微笑凝视着他的主人。
“我叫他们礼拜日再来,不到那时候不要白费气力来麻烦您或他们自己,”他说,他显然是事先准备好这句话的。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇看出来马特维想要开开玩笑,引得人家注意自己。他拆开电报看了一遍,揣测着电报里时常拼错的字眼,他的脸色开朗了。
“马特维,我妹妹安娜·阿尔卡季耶夫娜明天要来了,”他说,做手势要理发匠的光滑丰满的手停一会,他正在从他的长长的、鬈曲的络腮胡子中间剃出一条淡红色的纹路来。
“谢谢上帝!”马特维说,由这回答就显示出他像他的主人一样了解这次来访的重大意义,那就是,安娜·阿尔卡季耶夫娜,他所喜欢的妹妹,也许会促使夫妻和好起来。
“一个人,还是和她丈夫一道?”马特维问。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇不能够回答,因为理发匠正在剃他的上唇,于是举起一个手指来。马特维朝镜子里点点头。
“一个人。要在楼上收拾好一间房间吗?”
“去告诉达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜:她会吩咐的。”
“达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜?”马特维好像怀疑似地重复着。
“是的,去告诉她。把电报拿去;交给她,照她吩咐的去办。”
“您要去试一试吗,”马特维心中明白,但他却只说:
“是的,老爷。”
当马特维踏着那双咯吱作响的长靴,手里拿着电报,慢吞吞地走回房间来的时候,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇已经洗好了脸,梳过了头发,正在预备穿衣服。理发匠已经走了。
“达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜叫我对您说她要走了。让他——就是说您——高兴怎样办就怎样办吧,”他说,只有他的眼睛含着笑意,然后把手放进口袋里,歪着脑袋斜视着主人。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇沉默了一会。随即一种温和的而又有几分凄恻的微笑流露在他的好看的面孔上。
“呃,马特维?”他说,摇摇头。
“不要紧,老爷;事情自会好起来的。”马特维说。
“自会好起来的?”
“是的,老爷。”
“你这样想吗?谁来了?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问,听见门外有女人的衣服的究n声。
“我,”一个坚定而愉快的女人声音说,乳母马特廖娜·菲利蒙诺夫娜的严峻的麻脸从门后伸进来。
“哦,什么事,马特廖娜?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问,走到她面前。
虽然斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇在妻子面前一无是处,而且他自己也感觉到这点,但是家里几乎每个人(就连达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜的心腹,那个乳母也在内,)都站在他这边。
“哦,什么事?”他忧愁地问。
“到她那里去,老爷,再认一次错吧。上帝会帮助您的。她是这样痛苦,看见她都叫人伤心;而且家里一切都弄得乱七八糟了。老爷,您该怜悯怜悯孩子们。认个错吧,老爷。这是没有办法的!要图快活,就只好……”
“但是她不愿见我。”
“尽您的本分。上帝是慈悲的,向上帝祷告,老爷,向上帝祷告吧。”
“好的,你走吧,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇说,突然涨红了脸。“喂,给我穿上衣服。”他转向马特维说,毅然决然地脱下晨衣。
马特维已经举起衬衣,像马颈轭一样,吹去了上面的一点什么看不见的黑点,他带着显然的愉快神情把它套在他主人的保养得很好的身体上。 三
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇穿好了衣服,在身上洒了些香水,拉直衬衣袖口,照常把香烟、袖珍簿、火柴和那有着双重链子和表坠的表分置在各个口袋里,然后抖开手帕,虽然他很不幸,但是他感到清爽,芬芳,健康和肉体上的舒适,他两腿微微摇摆着走进了餐室,他的咖啡已摆在那里等他,咖啡旁边放着信件和衙门里送来的公文。
他阅读信件。有一封令人极不愉快,是一个想要买他妻子地产上的一座树林的商人写来的,出卖这座树林是绝对必要的;但是现在,在他没有和妻子和解以前,这个问题是无法谈的。最不愉快的是他的金钱上的利害关系要牵涉到他急待跟他妻子和解的问题上去。想到他会被这种利害关系所左右,他会为了卖树林的缘故去跟他妻子讲和——想到这个,就使他不愉快了。
看完了信,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇把衙门里送来的公文拉到面前,迅速地阅过了两件公事,用粗铅笔做了些记号,就把公文推在一旁,端起咖啡;他一面喝咖啡,一面打开油墨未干的晨报,开始读起来。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇定阅一份自由主义派的报纸,不是极端自由主义派的而是代表大多数人意见的报纸。虽然他对于科学、艺术和并没有特别兴趣,但他对这一切问题却坚持抱着与大多数人和他的报纸一致的意见。只有在大多数人改变了意见的时候,他这才随着改变,或者,更严格地说,他并没有改变,而是意见本身不知不觉地在他心中改变了。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇并没有选择他的主张和见解;这些主张和见解是自动到他这里来的,正如他并没有选择帽子和上衣的样式,而只是穿戴着大家都在穿戴的。生活于上流社会里的他——由于普通在成年期发育成熟的,对于某种精神活动的要求——必须有见解正如必须有帽子一样。如果说他爱自由主义的见解胜过爱他周围许多人抱着的保守见解是有道理的,那倒不是由于他认为自由主义更合理,而是由于它更适合他的生活方式。自由党说一切都是坏的,的确,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇负债累累,正缺钱用。自由党说结婚是完全过时的制度,必须改革才行;而家庭生活的确没有给斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇多少乐趣,而且逼得他说谎做假,那是完全违反他的本性的。自由党说,或者毋宁说是暗示,宗教的作用只在于箝制人民中那些野蛮阶层;而斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇连做一次短短的礼拜,都站得腰酸腿痛,而且想不透既然现世生活过得这么愉快,那么用所有这些可怕而夸张的言词来谈论来世还有什么意思。而且,爱说笑话的斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇常喜欢说:如果人要夸耀自己的祖先,他就不应当到留里克①为止,而不承认他的始祖——猴子,他喜欢用这一类的话去难倒老实的人。就这样,自由主义的倾向成了斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇的一种习癖,他喜欢他的报纸,正如他喜欢饭后抽一支雪茄一样,因为它在他的脑子里散布了一层轻雾。他读社论,社论认为,在现在这个时代,叫嚣急进主义有吞没一切保守分子的危险,叫嚣政府应当采取适当措施扑灭的祸害,这类叫嚣是毫无意思的;正相反,“照我们的意见,危险并不在于假想的的祸害,而在于阻碍进步的墨守成规,”云云。他又读了另外一篇关于财政的论文,其中提到了边沁和密勒②,并对政府某部有所讽刺。凭着他特有的机敏,他领会了每句暗讽的意义,猜透了它从何而来,针对什么人,出于什么动机而发;这,像平常一样,给予他一定的满足。
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①留里克(死于879),的建国者,留里克王朝(869—1598)的始祖。
②边沁(1748—1832),英国资产阶级法律学家和伦理学家,功利主义的代表人物。密勒(1806—1372),英国哲学家,活动家,经济学家。在伦理学上他接近边沁的功利主义。
但是今天这种满足被马特廖娜·菲利蒙诺夫娜的劝告和家中的不如意状态破坏了。还在报上看到贝斯特伯爵①已赴威斯巴登②的传说,看到医治白发、出售轻便马车和某青年征求职业的广告;但是这些新闻报导并没有像平常那样给予他一种宁静的讥讽的满足。
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①贝斯特伯爵(1809—1886),奥匈帝国首相,俾斯麦的政敌。
②威斯巴登,德国西部的城市,在莱茵河畔,是矿泉疗养地。
看过了报,喝完了第二杯咖啡,吃完了抹上黄油的面包,他立起身来,拂去落在背心上的面包屑,然后,挺起宽阔的胸膛,他快乐地微笑着,并不是因为他心里有什么特别愉快的事——快乐的微笑是由良好的消化引起的。
但是这快乐的微笑立刻使他想起了一切,他又变得沉思了。
可以听到门外有两个小孩的声音(斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇听出来是他的小男孩格里沙和他的大女儿塔尼娅的声音),他们正在搬弄什么东西,打翻了。
“我对你说了不要叫乘客坐在车顶上。”小女孩用英语嚷着,“拾起来!”
“一切都是乱糟糟的,”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇想,“孩子们没有人管,到处乱跑。”他走到门边去叫他们。他们抛下那当火车用的匣子,向父亲走来。
那小女孩,她父亲的宝贝,莽撞地跑进来,抱住他,笑嘻嘻地吊在他的脖颈上,她老喜欢闻他的络腮胡子散发出的闻惯的香气。最后小女孩吻了吻他那因为弯屈的姿势而涨红的、闪烁着慈爱光辉的面孔,松开了她的两手,待要跑开去,但是她父亲拉住了她。
“妈妈怎样了?”他问,抚摸着他女儿的滑润柔软的小脖颈。“你好,”他说,向走上来问候他的男孩微笑着说。
他意识到他并不怎么爱那男孩,但他总是尽量同样对待;可是那男孩感觉到这一点,对于他父亲的冷淡的微笑并没有报以微笑。
“妈妈?她起来了,”女孩回答。
斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇叹了口气。“这么说她又整整一夜没有睡,”他想。
“哦,她快活吗?”
小女孩知道,她父亲和母亲吵了架,母亲不会快活,父亲也一定明白的,他这么随随便便地问她只是在作假。因此她为她父亲涨红了脸。他立刻觉察出来,也脸红了。
“我不知道,”她说。“她没有说要我们上课,她只是说要我们跟古里小姐到外祖母家去走走。”
“哦,去吧,塔尼娅,我的宝宝。哦,等一等!”他说,还拉牢她,抚摸着她的柔软的小手。
他从壁炉上取下他昨天放在那里的一小盒糖果,拣她最爱吃的,给了她两块,一块巧克力和一块软糖。
“给格里沙?”小女孩指着巧克力说。
“是,是。”又抚摸了一下她的小肩膀,他吻了吻她的发根和脖颈,就放她走了。
“马车套好了,”马特维说,“但是有个人为了请愿的事要见您。”
“来了很久吗?”斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇问。
“半个钟头的光景。”
“我对你说了多少次,有人来马上告诉我!”
“至少总得让您喝完咖啡,”马特维说,他的声调粗鲁而又诚恳,使得人不能够生气。
“那么,马上请那个人进来吧,”奥布隆斯基说,烦恼地皱着眉。
那请愿者,参谋大尉加里宁的寡妻,来请求一件办不到的而且不合理的事情;但是斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇照例请她坐下,留心地听她说完,没有打断她一句,并且给了她详细的指示,告诉她怎样以及向谁去请求,甚至还用他的粗大、散漫、优美而清楚的笔迹,敏捷而流利地替她写了一封信给一位可以帮她忙的人。打发走了参谋大尉的寡妻以后,斯捷潘·阿尔卡季奇拿起帽子,站住想了想他忘记什么没有。看来除了他要忘记的——他的妻子以外,他什么也没有忘记。
“噢,是的!”他垂下头,他的漂亮面孔带着苦恼的表情。
“去呢,还是不去?”他自言自语;而他内心的声音告诉他,他不应当去,那除了弄虚作假不会有旁的结果;要改善、弥补他们的关系是不可能的,因为要使她再具有魅力而且能够引人爱怜,或者使他变成一个不能恋爱的老人,都不可能。现在除了欺骗说谎之外不会有旁的结果;而欺骗说谎又是违反他的天性的。
“可是迟早总得做的;这样下去不行,”他说,极力鼓起勇气。他挺着胸,拿出一支纸烟,吸了两口,就投进珠母贝壳烟灰碟里去,然后迈着迅速的步伐走过客厅,打开了通到他妻子寝室的另一扇房门。 四
达里娅·亚历山德罗夫娜穿着梳妆短衣站在那里,她那曾经是丰满美丽、现在却变稀疏了的头发,用发针盘在她的脑后,她的面容消瘦憔悴,一双吃惊的大眼睛,因为她面容的消瘦而显得更加触目。各式各样的物件散乱地摆满一房间,她站在这些物件当中一个开着的衣柜前面,她正从里面挑拣什么东西。听到她丈夫的脚步声,她停住了,朝门口望着,徒然想要装出一种严厉而轻蔑的表情。她感觉得她害怕他,害怕快要到来的会见。她正在企图做她三天以来已经企图做了十来回的事情——把她自己和孩子们的衣服清理出来,带到她母亲那里去——但她还是没有这样做的决心;但是现在又像前几次一样,她尽在自言自语地说,事情不能像这样下去,她一定要想个办法惩罚他,羞辱他,哪怕报复一下,使他尝尝他给予她的痛苦的一小部分也好。她还是继续对自己说她要离开他,但她自己也意识到这是不可能的;这是不可能的,因为她不能摆脱那种把他当自己丈夫看待、而且爱他的习惯。况且,她感到假如在这里,在她自己家里,她尚且不能很好地照看她的五个小孩,那么,在她要把他们通通带去的地方,他们就会更糟。事实上,在这三天内,顶小的一个孩子因为吃了变了质的汤害病了,其余的昨天差不多没有吃上午饭。她意识到要走开是不可能的;但是,还在自欺欺人,她继续清理东西,装出要走的样子。
"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.