THE CHORUS GIRL歌女

原作契訶夫 Translated by Constance Garnett 1886

ONE day when she was younger and better-looking, and when her voice was stronger, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, her adorer, was sitting in the outer room in her summer villa. It was intolerably hot and stifling. Kolpakov, who had just dined and drunk a whole bottle of inferior port, felt ill-humoured and out of sorts. Both were bored and waiting for the heat of the day to be over in order to go for a walk.

早在小菊更年輕，更漂亮，嗓子更好的時候，有位叫程世美的先生看上了她，這天他來到鄉(xiāng)下找小菊，在房子外間坐著。天熱極了，熱得人喘不上氣。程先生剛吃完飯，還喝了瓶劣酒，不由得心火旺盛，煩躁難平。兩人閑得無聊，都等著熱勁兒過去，好出去走走。

All at once there was a sudden ring at the door. Kolpakov, who was sitting with his coat off, in his slippers, jumped up and looked inquiringly at Pasha.

冷不丁傳來一聲門響。程先生沒穿外套，腳踩著一雙拖鞋，一聽見動靜嚇得跳了起來，直瞅著小菊。

“It must be the postman or one of the girls,” said the singer.

“可能是團里的姐妹，要不就是送信的。”歌女說道。

Kolpakov did not mind being found by the postman or Pasha’s lady friends, but by way of precaution gathered up his clothes and went into the next room, while Pasha ran to open the door. To her great surprise in the doorway stood, not the postman and not a girl friend, but an unknown woman, young and beautiful, who was dressed like a lady, and from all outward signs was one.

程先生倒不怕被郵差和歌女看見，但小心駛得萬年船，他還是收拾起衣服躲到了里屋，小菊連忙跑過去開門。一開門小菊大吃一驚，門口站著的不是同事或郵差，而是一位年輕美貌的女士，打扮得很講究，明眼一看就知道是有身份的人。

The stranger was pale and was breathing heavily as though she had been running up a steep flight of stairs.

這位來客臉色慘白，喘得上氣不接下氣，仿佛在外面跑了一圈似的。

“What is it?” asked Pasha.

“您找誰？”小菊問道。

The lady did not at once answer. She took a step forward, slowly looked about the room, and sat down in a way that suggested that from fatigue, or perhaps illness, she could not stand; then for a long time her pale lips quivered as she tried in vain to speak.

女士沒接話。她徑直邁進門檻，緩緩看了看屋里，然后跌坐在地，可能是累了，也可能是身體有病。她嘴唇都白了，口中含混了好久，可就是說不出話。

“Is my husband here?” she asked at last, raising to Pasha her big eyes with their red tear-stained lids.

“我丈夫在嗎？”她終于問道。她抬起頭，用一雙哭紅的大眼睛看著小菊。

“Husband?” whispered Pasha, and was suddenly so frightened that her hands and feet turned cold. “What husband?” she repeated, beginning to tremble.

“您丈夫？”小菊突然間嚇得手腳冰涼，輕聲道，“您丈夫？”小菊重復(fù)著，忍不住打起了哆嗦。

“My husband,... Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov.”

“對，我丈夫…程世美?！?/p>

“N... no, madam.... I... I don’t know any husband.”

“我不認(rèn)識您丈夫…我，我這兒沒別人。”

A minute passed in silence. The stranger several times passed her handkerchief over her pale lips and held her breath to stop her inward trembling, while Pasha stood before her motionless, like a post, and looked at her with astonishment and terror.

一分鐘過去，二人誰也沒出聲。來客一次次拿手絹捂住嘴，想把抽泣壓下去。小菊像根桿子似的杵在她面前，一臉的驚慌失措。

“So you say he is not here?” the lady asked, this time speaking with a firm voice and smiling oddly.

“你說你不認(rèn)識他？”女士詭異地笑著，冷冷地發(fā)問道。

“I... I don’t know who it is you are asking about.”

“您…您走錯了?！?/p>

“You are horrid, mean, vile . . .” the stranger muttered, scanning Pasha with hatred and repulsion. “Yes, yes... you are horrid. I am very, very glad that at last I can tell you so!”

“你這個臭不要臉，沒羞沒臊的禍害…”女士憤恨地盯著小菊，一臉的看不起，“就是你…你這個死妖精。狐貍精！我早就憋著想罵你了，你聽見了嗎？狐貍精！”

Pasha felt that on this lady in black with the angry eyes and white slender fingers she produced the impression of something horrid and unseemly, and she felt ashamed of her chubby red cheeks, the pock-mark on her nose, and the fringe on her forehead, which never could be combed back. And it seemed to her that if she had been thin, and had had no powder on her face and no fringe on her forehead, then she could have disguised the fact that she was not “respectable,” and she would not have felt so frightened and ashamed to stand facing this unknown, mysterious lady.

眼見這位身著黑衣，眼里冒火，指如蔥白的女士對自己發(fā)了這么大的火，小菊后悔自己沒有好好打扮一下，現(xiàn)在可好，自己那肥嘟嘟的臉蛋、坑洼洼的鼻子、亂糟糟的劉海都讓人家看了個遍，身上的窮酸氣想遮也遮不住，這下在人前可丟盡面子了。

“Where is my husband?” the lady went on. “Though I don’t care whether he is here or not, but I ought to tell you that the money has been missed, and they are looking for Nikolay Petrovitch.... They mean to arrest him. That’s your doing!”

“我丈夫在哪兒？”女士追問道，“我不管那個沒長進的在不在你這兒，你聽好，人家查出他挪用公款了，他們在抓他……他要是被抓起來都是你害的！”

The lady got up and walked about the room in great excitement. Pasha looked at her and was so frightened that she could not understand.

女士站起身，憤憤地在屋里轉(zhuǎn)悠。小菊被嚇蒙了，愣愣地望著她。

“He’ll be found and arrested to-day,” said the lady, and she gave a sob, and in that sound could be heard her resentment and vexation. “I know who has brought him to this awful position! Low, horrid creature! Loathsome, mercenary hussy!” The lady’s lips worked and her nose wrinkled up with disgust. “I am helpless, do you hear, you low woman?... I am helpless; you are stronger than I am, but there is One to defend me and my children! God sees all! He is just! He will punish you for every tear I have shed, for all my sleepless nights! The time will come; you will think of me! . . .”

“他今天就要被抓進去了。”女士說著哭了出來，哭聲里充滿了怨憤，“都是你！你這個偷男人的狐貍精！呸！不要臉！別人辛辛苦苦賺幾個錢都讓你騙去了！”女士恨得咬牙切齒，厭惡道，“我叫你害成這樣你高興了吧，死賤人？你厲害，我拼不過你，你先別急著樂，別忘了還有老天呢！老天會給我討個公道！我吃過的苦，流過的淚你都得還！等著吧，你沒有好下場！”

Silence followed again. The lady walked about the room and wrung her hands, while Pasha still gazed blankly at her in amazement, not understanding and expecting something terrible.

又是一陣沉默。女士在屋里走來走去，手捏得嘎吱響。小菊仍然是一臉驚愕地望著她，被罵得云里霧里，只知道出大事了。

“I know nothing about it, madam,” she said, and suddenly burst into tears.

“這跟我沒關(guān)系啊，太太！”小菊突然大哭道。

“You are lying!” cried the lady, and her eyes flashed angrily at her. “I know all about it! I’ve known you a long time. I know that for the last month he has been spending every day with you!”

“少騙人！”女士大吼一聲，恨之入骨地盯著她，“我什么都知道！你們倆不是一天兩天的了。自打上月他哪天不往你這兒跑！”

“Yes. What then? What of it? I have a great many visitors, but I don’t force anyone to come. He is free to do as he likes.”

“是，他是來了，他來不來我管得著嗎？他非要來我有什么辦法？來我這兒的人多了，可我從來沒勾引過誰。還不是他自己要來的。”

“I tell you they have discovered that money is missing! He has embezzled money at the office! For the sake of such a... creature as you, for your sake he has actually committed a crime. Listen,” said the lady in a resolute voice, stopping short, facing Pasha. “You can have no principles; you live simply to do harm — that’s your object; but one can’t imagine you have fallen so low that you have no trace of human feeling left! He has a wife, children.... If he is condemned and sent into exile we shall starve, the children and I.... Understand that! And yet there is a chance of saving him and us from destitution and disgrace. If I take them nine hundred roubles to-day they will let him alone. Only nine hundred roubles!”

“別轉(zhuǎn)移話題，都告訴你他偷錢的事讓人查出來了！他私吞局里的公款哪！就為了…為了你這么個東西，為了你他連事業(yè)都不要了。聽著！”女士一聲暴喝，死盯住小菊，“你再怎么傷風(fēng)敗俗，沒羞沒臊也得有點人性吧！他有老婆，有孩子……要是他讓人家關(guān)起來，我們就沒飯吃了，我們?nèi)揖鸵I死了……你明白嗎！不過現(xiàn)在還有挽救的機會，只要我今天拿回去九萬塊錢他們就放他一馬。我只要九萬！”

“What nine hundred roubles?” Pasha asked softly. “I... I don’t know.... I haven’t taken it.”

“什么九萬塊錢？”小菊柔聲說道，“我…我沒錢?！?/p>

“I am not asking you for nine hundred roubles.... You have no money, and I don’t want your money. I ask you for something else.... Men usually give expensive things to women like you. Only give me back the things my husband has given you!”

“我沒問你要錢……你就是有錢我也不稀得要。我只求你把東西還給我……你們半開門的不都常收人家東西嗎。你把我丈夫給你的還給我就行！”

“Madam, he has never made me a present of anything!” Pasha wailed, beginning to understand.

“太太，他什么都沒給我??！”小菊這才緩過神來，哭號道。

“Where is the money? He has squandered his own and mine and other people’s.... What has become of it all? Listen, I beg you! I was carried away by indignation and have said a lot of nasty things to you, but I apologize. You must hate me, I know, but if you are capable of sympathy, put yourself in my position! I implore you to give me back the things!”

“那錢都哪兒去了？他拿了自己的錢，我的錢，還有別人的錢……這些錢還能飛了不成？行行好吧，我求求你了！我錯了，我不好，我剛才氣糊涂了，我不該那么說你。我知道你恨我，可我都這么慘了，你就不能可憐可憐我嗎！我只求你把他的東西還回來！”

“H’m!” said Pasha, and she shrugged her shoulders. “I would with pleasure, but God is my witness, he never made me a present of anything. Believe me, on my conscience. However, you are right, though,” said the singer in confusion, “he did bring me two little things. Certainly I will give them back, if you wish it.”

“我！”小菊無能為力地聳了聳肩，“我也想幫您，但我對天發(fā)誓，他什么都沒給我。真的，不騙您。哦，對了，”小菊急糊涂了，“他是送過我兩件小玩意。您別急，我這就給您。”

Pasha pulled out one of the drawers in the toilet-table and took out of it a hollow gold bracelet and a thin ring with a ruby in it.

小菊從梳妝臺抽屜里拿出一個鏤空的金鐲子，還有一枚嵌了紅寶石的小戒指。

“Here, madam!” she said, handing the visitor these articles.

“給您！”她把東西遞了過去。

The lady flushed and her face quivered. She was offended.

女士氣得嘴直哆嗦，臉燒得通紅。她真動了肝火。

“What are you giving me?” she said. “I am not asking for charity, but for what does not belong to you... what you have taken advantage of your position to squeeze out of my husband... that weak, unhappy man.... On Thursday, when I saw you with my husband at the harbour you were wearing expensive brooches and bracelets. So it’s no use your playing the innocent lamb to me! I ask you for the last time: will you give me the things, or not?”

“你什么意思？”她咬牙切齒道，“我用不著你可憐。我叫你把從我丈夫手里騙來的東西還給我…把別人的東西還回去就這么難嗎？別裝了，禮拜四你跟他在港口溜達的時候不是穿戴得挺光鮮嗎。上這兒裝什么清白！我再問你一次，那些東西你給是不給？”

“You are a queer one, upon my word,” said Pasha, beginning to feel offended. “I assure you that, except the bracelet and this little ring, I’ve never seen a thing from your Nikolay Petrovitch. He brings me nothing but sweet cakes.”

“你有完沒完，都和你說了，”小菊也生氣了，“除了這兩樣他什么也沒給我，你先生就沒給我送過東西。他每次來也就帶一個蛋糕?！?/p>

“Sweet cakes!” laughed the stranger. “At home the children have nothing to eat, and here you have sweet cakes. You absolutely refuse to restore the presents?”

“蛋糕！”女士譏笑道，“我?guī)讉€孩子連飯都吃不上，你還有蛋糕吃。你是不是不打算還了？”

Receiving no answer, the lady sat, down and stared into space, pondering.

小菊沒回話，女士跌坐下去，眼神空洞地望著屋里。

“What’s to be done now?” she said. “If I don’t get nine hundred roubles, he is ruined, and the children and I am ruined, too. Shall I kill this low woman or go down on my knees to her?”

“這可怎么辦？”她自語道，“要是拿不回這九萬塊錢他就完了，我們這一家就完了。我是該殺了這賤人還是該給她跪下？”

The lady pressed her handkerchief to her face and broke into sobs.

女士拿手絹擋住臉，痛聲大哭起來。

“I beg you!” Pasha heard through the stranger’s sobs. “You see you have plundered and ruined my husband. Save him.... You have no feeling for him, but the children... the children... What have the children done?”

“你就可憐可憐我吧！”她撕心裂肺地號啕道，“你把他害成這樣也知足了吧。我求你救救他吧…哪怕不為了他，你也看在孩子的面上…你忍心再害了他們嗎…孩子犯什么錯了？”

Pasha imagined little children standing in the street, crying with hunger, and she, too, sobbed.

小菊想象著孩子們流離失所、餓得嚎啕大哭的樣子，自己也落淚了。

“What can I do, madam?” she said. “You say that I am a low woman and that I have ruined Nikolay Petrovitch, and I assure you... before God Almighty, I have had nothing from him whatever.... There is only one girl in our chorus who has a rich admirer; all the rest of us live from hand to mouth on bread and kvass. Nikolay Petrovitch is a highly educated, refined gentleman, so I’ve made him welcome. We are bound to make gentlemen welcome.”

“我能有什么辦法啊，太太？”她說道，“你罵我害了你先生，可是我對天發(fā)誓，我從他身上沒得到一點好處…我們團里就一個女孩傍上了大款，其他哪個不是吃了上頓沒下頓。程先生是個規(guī)矩人，所以我才讓他來的。我們哪敢拂了人家的面子啊?！?/p>

“I ask you for the things! Give me the things! I am crying.... I am humiliating myself.... If you like I will go down on my knees! If you wish it!”

“還我！把東西還我！我哭得還不夠慘嗎…我都低三下四地求你了還不夠嗎…好，我下跪，我下跪你樂意了吧！”

Pasha shrieked with horror and waved her hands. She felt that this pale, beautiful lady who expressed herself so grandly, as though she were on the stage, really might go down on her knees to her, simply from pride, from grandeur, to exalt herself and humiliate the chorus girl.

小菊嚇得叫了出來。她怕這位激昂得和臺上演戲一樣的太太當(dāng)真給她跪下，這一跪無異于用她的尊貴來羞辱自己這個小歌女。

“Very well, I will give you things!” said Pasha, wiping her eyes and bustling about. “By all means. Only they are not from Nikolay Petrovitch.... I got these from other gentlemen. As you please. . . .”

“夠了！我給你！”小菊抹干了淚，大喊道，“我什么都給你。不過這些都不是你丈夫送的…都是別人給我的。你等著……”

Pasha pulled out the upper drawer of the chest, took out a diamond brooch, a coral necklace, some rings and bracelets, and gave them all to the lady.

小菊把箱子最頂上的抽屜拉開，拿出一支鉆石胸針，一條珊瑚項鏈，幾枚戒指和鐲子，統(tǒng)統(tǒng)交給了女士。

“Take them if you like, only I’ve never had anything from your husband. Take them and grow rich,” Pasha went on, offended at the threat to go down on her knees. “And if you are a lady... his lawful wife, you should keep him to yourself. I should think so! I did not ask him to come; he came of himself.”

“拿著吧，這里面可沒有一樣是你丈夫給的。拿走換錢去吧?！毙【諝鈮牧?，“虧你還是個太太…你要真是他老婆早應(yīng)該把他看住了，哪還用放這通馬后炮！誰求著他來了，還不是他自己要來的。”

Through her tears the lady scrutinized the articles given her and said:

小菊流著淚，女士仔細(xì)地檢查著拿到的東西，說道：

“This isn’t everything.... There won’t be five hundred roubles’ worth here.”

“肯定不止這點……這才五萬塊不到?！?/p>

Pasha impulsively flung out of the chest a gold watch, a cigar-case and studs, and said, flinging up her hands:

小菊氣得從箱子里抓起一塊金表、一個煙盒、還有幾顆金扣一把摔在她手上，說道：

“I’ve nothing else left.... You can search!”

“就這么些，沒了！不信你自己搜去！”

The visitor gave a sigh, with trembling hands twisted the things up in her handkerchief, and went out without uttering a word, without even nodding her head.

女士嘆了口氣，兩手哆嗦著拿手絹包住東西，連句話也不說、連頭都不點就走了出去。

The door from the next room opened and Kolpakov walked in. He was pale and kept shaking his head nervously, as though he had swallowed something very bitter; tears were glistening in his eyes.

里屋的門開了，程世美走了出來。他的臉白得像死人，不停地?fù)u著頭，仿佛咽了一副苦藥。他眼里閃爍著淚光。

“What presents did you make me?” Pasha asked, pouncing upon him. “When did you, allow me to ask you?”

“你給過我什么？”小菊猛撲過去，質(zhì)問道，“你什么時候送過我東西了，??？”

“Presents... that’s no matter!” said Kolpakov, and he tossed his head. “My God! She cried before you, she humbled herself. . . .”

“東西…什么東西！”程先生把頭一甩，不耐煩道，“媳婦?。∷谀忝媲翱蘖?，她竟然還求你……”

“I am asking you, what presents did you make me?” Pasha cried.

“你沒聽見嗎，我問你給過我什么東西？”小菊大喊道。

“My God! She, a lady, so proud, so pure.... She was ready to go down on her knees to... to this wench! And I’ve brought her to this! I’ve allowed it!”

“她，她這么尊貴，這么清白的人……竟然要…要給你跪下，給一個臭婊子跪下！都是我害了她！都是我害了她！”

He clutched his head in his hands and moaned.

他死死抱住頭，呻吟不止。

“No, I shall never forgive myself for this! I shall never forgive myself! Get away from me... you low creature!” he cried with repulsion, backing away from Pasha, and thrusting her off with trembling hands. “She would have gone down on her knees, and... and to you! Oh, my God!”

“我該死！我該死！都是我這個混賬！你給我滾…***，你給我滾！”他大吼著，步步遠(yuǎn)離開小菊，仿佛見著塊爛瘡一樣，然后哆嗦著手把她甩到了一旁，“她差點給你跪下，你也配…你也配！混賬！混賬！”

He rapidly dressed, and pushing Pasha aside contemptuously, made for the door and went out.

他立馬換好衣服，鄙夷地把小菊推開，奪門而出。

Pasha lay down and began wailing aloud. She was already regretting her things which she had given away so impulsively, and her feelings were hurt. She remembered how three years ago a merchant had beaten her for no sort of reason, and she wailed more loudly than ever.

小菊倒在地上，放聲痛哭著。她后悔自己一氣之下白送了那么多東西，更傷心自己被人這樣玷污。她想起三年前有個商人無緣無故就把她打了一頓，號啕得更兇了。