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1楼 by Ivan Turgenev 屠格涅夫 There lived a fool. 曾经有一个愚人。 For a long time he lived in peace and contentment; but by degrees rumours began to reach him that he was regarded on all sides as a vulgar idiot. 有很长一段时间，他平静而知足地生活；但是渐渐地，周遭人都认为他是个卑劣的白痴的谣言传到了他那里。 The fool was abashed and began to ponder gloomily how he might put an end to these unpleasant rumours. 愚人感到羞愧, 于是开始忧郁地思考他该怎样对这些令人不快的谣传做个了断。 A sudden idea, at last, illuminated his dull little brain.... And, without the slightest delay, he put it into practice. 一个突然的想法，最终，照亮了他那迟钝的小小的头脑。。。于是，没有一丝迟缓，他把它付诸实践。 A friend met him in the street, and fell to praising a well-known painter.... 一个朋友在街上遇见他，并开始赞美一个著名的画家。。。 'Upon my word!' cried the fool,' that painter was out of date long ago ... you didn't know it? I should never have expected it of you ... you are quite behind the times.' "实际上!"愚人叫喊道，"那个画家早就过时了。。。你不知道吗?我真没料到你会是那样。。。你可是相当过时啦." The friend was alarmed, and promptly agreed with the fool. 那个朋友吃了一惊，立即同意了愚人的看法。 'Such a splendid book I read yesterday!' said another friend to him. "昨天我读了一本这么美妙的书!"另一个朋友对他说。 'Upon my word!' cried the fool, 'I wonder you're not ashamed. That book's good for nothing; every one's seen through it long ago. Didn't you know it? You're quite behind the times.' "实际上!"愚人叫喊道，"我奇怪你都不感到羞愧，那本书一点用处也没有；每个人都老早看穿它了。你不知道吗?你可是相当过时啦." This friend too was alarmed, and he agreed with the fool. 那个朋友也吃了一惊，并同意了愚人的看法。 'What a wonderful fellow my friend N. N. is!' said a third friend to the fool. 'Now there's a really generous creature!' "我的朋友NN是多么好的人啊!"第三个朋友对愚人说。" 那可是真正宽宏的生物!" 'Upon my word!' cried the fool. 'N. N., the notorious scoundrel! He swindled all his relations. Every one knows that. You're quite behind the times.' "实际上!" 愚人叫喊道，"NN,臭名昭著的无赖! 他骗取了他所有的关系。每个人都知道。你可是相当过时啦。" The third friend too was alarmed, and he agreed with the fool and deserted his friend. And whoever and whatever was praised in the fool's presence, he had the same retort for everything. 第三个朋友也吃了一惊，同意了愚人的看法, 并遗弃了他的朋友。在愚人面前被赞美的无论何人无论何事，他也对每件事进行同样的反驳。 Sometimes he would add reproachfully: 'And do you still believe in authorities?' 有时他会责备地加上:"而你仍然相信权威吗?" 'Spiteful! malignant!' his friends began to say of the fool. 'But what a brain!' "可恶!恶意!"他的朋友们开始说起愚人。"但是多么有头脑啊" 'And what a tongue!' others would add, 'Oh, yes, he has talent!' "多好的辩才啊"其他人附会说，"啊，是的，他有才能!" It ended in the editor of a journal proposing to the fool that he should undertake their reviewing column. 最终，一个刊物的主编建议愚人承担他们的批评专栏。 And the fool fell to criticising everything and every one, without in the least changing his manner, or his exclamations. 于是愚人开始批评每件事每个人，他的方式或他的感叹没有任何一丝毫改变。 Now he, who once declaimed against authorities, is himself an authority, and the young men venerate him, and fear him. 现在一时曾辩讲是反权威的他，他自己是权威了，而且年轻人们尊敬他，畏惧他。 And what else can they do, poor young men? Though one ought not, as a general rule, to venerate any one ... but in this case, if one didn't venerate him, one would find oneself quite behind the times! 而且他们除此之外还能做什么呢?可伶的年轻人们。. 虽然，一般常规，一个人不应该尊敬任何人。。。但是在这个情况下，如果一个人不尊敬他, 这个人就会发现自己相当过时啦! Fools have a good time among cowards. 愚人们在懦夫堆里过得很快乐。 _April 1878._ |
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