通译双语文库:童年Chapter 10 The Sort Of Man My Father Was

童年|Childhood

Chapter 10 The Sort Of Man My Father Was

属类：双语小说【分类】世界名著 -[作者: 列夫-托尔斯泰] 阅读：[10939] 登录会员即可添加到文库收藏夹，方便以后查看

Chapter 10 The Sort Of Man My Father Was

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他是上一世纪的人，具有那个世纪年青人所共有的那种难以捉摸的侠义精神、富于进取心、过于自信、待人宽厚和耽于酒色的性格。他看不起我们这个世纪的人，这一方面是由于他天生的骄傲所造成，一方面是因为他恼怒在我们这个时代得不到像在他那个时代的权势和成就。他生平的两大嗜好是打牌和女人；他一生中赢过几百万卢布，同数不清的、各个阶层的女人发生过关系。

Papa was a gentleman of the last century, with all the chivalrous character, self-reliance, and gallantry of the youth of that time. Upon the men of the present day he looked with a contempt arising partly from inborn pride and partly from a secret feeling of vexation that, in this age of ours, he could no longer enjoy the influence and success which had been his in his youth. His two principal failings were gambling and gallantry, and he had won or lost, in the course of his career, several millions of roubles.

他身材魁伟，体格端正；走路时迈着奇特的小步子，爱耸一边的肩膀，小眼睛里永远含着笑意，大鹰钩鼻子，线条不端正的嘴唇仿佛不好意思地、却很惬意地抿着，发音有缺陷，有点咬舌，头顶秃得很厉害，我所能追忆得起的我父亲的外表，就是这些。凭着这副仪表，他不仅能够出名，而且还是个 a bonnes fortunes的 ① ，不论哪个阶层、哪种地位的人，都毫无例外地喜欢他，特别是那些他想取悦的人。

①a bonnes for-tuneS：法语“走运的。”

Tall and of imposing figure, he walked with a curiously quick, mincing gait, as well as had a habit of hitching one of his shoulders. His eyes were small and perpetually twinkling, his nose large and aquiline, his lips irregular and rather oddly (though pleasantly) compressed, his articulation slightly defective and lisping, and his head quite bald. Such was my father’s exterior from the days of my earliest recollection. It was an exterior which not only brought him success and made him a man a bonnes fortunes but one which pleased people of all ranks and stations. Especially did it please those whom he desired to please.

不论他同什么人交往，他都知道怎样占上风。他从来不是最上层社会里的人，但是他却经常同这个阶层的人物交往，而且博得他们的尊敬。他极其骄傲和自信，他既不得罪别人，又在舆论中提高自己的声誉。他富于独创性．但并非总是这样，他用自己的创见作为换取社会名誉地位或者金银财富的手段。

At all junctures he knew how to take the lead, for, though not deriving from the highest circles of society, he had always mixed with them, and knew how to win their respect. He possessed in the highest degree that measure of pride and self-confidence which, without giving offence, maintains a man in the opinion of the world. He had much originality, as well as the ability to use it in such a way that it benefited him as much as actual worldly position or fortune could have done.

在他看来，世界上什么都不足为奇：不论他的地位多么显赫，他都觉得那是命中注定。他非常善于避而不提和摆脱人所共知的、充满小小的烦恼和悲伤的生活的阴暗面，使人不能不羡慕他。对于能够获得舒适和享受的一切事情，他是行家，而且很会享用它们。

Nothing in the universe could surprise him, and though not of eminent attainments in life, he seemed born to have acquired them. He understood so perfectly how to make both himself and others forget and keep at a distance the seamy side of life, with all its petty troubles and vicissitudes, that it was impossible not to envy him. He was a connoisseur in everything which could give ease and pleasure, as well as knew how to make use of such knowledge.

他最得意的是同达官要人来往，这部分是通过我母亲的亲戚，部分是通过他童年时代的伴侣，他心里对这些人很愤慨，因为他们的官衔远远超过他，而他始终是一个退伍的近卫军中尉。

Likewise he prided himself on the brilliant connections which he had formed through my mother’s family or through friends of his youth, and was secretly jealous of any one of a higher rank than himself--any one, that is to say, of a rank higher than a retired lieutenant of the Guards.

他，像所有的退伍军人一样，不知道怎样穿着入时；不过，他的打扮却很独特而优美。他总穿着十分宽大轻便的衣服，翻领卷袖的漂亮衬衫……不论他穿什么，都很适合他那魁梧的身材、强壮的体格、秃头和沉着而自信的动作。

Moreover, like all ex-officers, he refused to dress himself in the prevailing fashion, though he attired himself both originally and artistically--his invariable wear being light, loose-fitting suits, very fine shirts, and large collars and cuffs.Everything seemed to suit his upright figure and quiet, assured air.

他多情善感，甚至好掉眼泪。时常，在朗诵的时候，当他读到动人的地方，他的声音就颤抖起来，眼泪汪汪，于是就难受地把书放下。

He was sensitive to the pitch of sentimentality, and, when reading a pathetic passage, his voice would begin to tremble and the tears to come into his eyes, until he had to lay the book aside.

他爱好音乐，自己弹钢琴伴奏，唱他的朋友A某所作的浪漫曲、茨冈曲、或者歌剧中的一些曲子；但是他不喜欢古典音乐，不顾公论，公然说贝多芬的奏鸣曲使他昏昏欲睡，兴味索然，他认为再也没有比谢苗诺娃所唱的《不要唤醒我的青春》 ① ，或者茨阿女郎塔纽莎唱的《并不孤独》更美妙的东西。

①谢苗诺娃（1787-1876）：俄罗斯歌剧女歌唱家。

Likewise he was fond of music, and could accompany himself on the piano as he sang the love songs of his friend A- or gipsy songs or themes from operas; but he had no love for serious music, and would frankly flout received opinion by declaring that, whereas Beethoven’s sonatas wearied him and sent him to sleep, his ideal of beauty was "Do not wake me, youth" as Semenoff sang it, or "Not one" as the gipsy Taninsha rendered that ditty.

他生就那么一种性格，认为好东西必须群众公认。群众公认为是好的，他才认为好。天知道他是否有什么道德信念？他一生中享尽了福，以致没有时间形成自己的信念，又加上，他在生活中那么走运，使他认为信念是不必要的。

His nature was essentially one of those which follow public opinion concerning what is good, and consider only that good which the public declares to be so. [It may be noted that the author has said earlier in the chapter that his father possessed "much originality."] God only knows whether he had any moral convictions. His life was so full of amusement that probably he never had time to form any, and was too successful ever to feel the lack of them.

上了年纪，他对事物形成了固定的看法和一定之规，但是一切都建立在实用的基础上。凡是给予他幸福或乐趣的行动和生活方式，他就认为是好的，而且认为，人人都应该经常依此行事。他说话娓娓动听，而这种本领，在我看来，给他的规则增添了灵活性；他能够把同一个行为说成是最可爱的戏游行为或者说成是卑鄙无耻的行径。

As he grew to old age he looked at things always from a fixed point of view, and cultivated fixed rules--but only so long as that point or those rules coincided with expediency, The mode of life which offered some passing degree of interest--that, in his opinion, was the right one and the only one that men ought to affect. He had great fluency of argument; and this, I think, increased the adaptability of his morals and enabled him to speak of one and the same act, now as good, and now, with abuse, as abominable.