a hero of our time-第37节

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addle　had　been　taken　off；　no　doubt　by　a　passing　Cossack；　and；　in　its　place；　two　ravens　were　sitting　on　the　horse's　back。　I　sighed　and　turned　away。　。　。

And　now；　here　in　this　wearisome　fortress；　I　often　ask　myself；　as　my　thoughts　wander　back　to　the　past：　why　did　I　not　wish　to　tread　that　way；　thrown　open　by　destiny；　where　soft　joys　and　ease　of　soul　were　awaiting　me？　。　。　。　　No；　I　could　never　have　become　habituated　to　such　a　fate！　I　am　like　a　sailor　born　and　bred　on　the　deck　of　a　pirate　brig：　his　soul　has　grown　accustomed　to　storms　and　battles；　but；　once　let　him　be　case　upon　the　shore；　and　he　chafes；　he　pines　away；　however　invitingly　the　shady　groves　allure；　how…　ever　brightly　shines　the　peaceful　sun。　　The　live…　long　day　he　paces　the　sandy　shore；　hearkens　to　the　monotonous　murmur　of　the　onrushing　waves；　and　gazes　into　the　misty　distance：　lo！　yonder；　upon　the　pale　line　dividing　the　blue　deep　from　the　grey　clouds；　is　there　not　glancing　the　longed…for　sail；　at　first　like　the　wing　of　a　seagull；　but　little　by　little　severing　itself　from　the　foam　of　the　billows　and；　with　even　course；　drawing　nigh　to　the　desert　harbour？


APPENDIX

PREFACE　TO　THE　SECOND　EDITION

（By　the　Author）

THE　preface　to　a　book　serves　the　double　purpose　of　prologue　and　epilogue。　　It　affords　the　author　an　opportunity　of　explaining　the　object　of　the　work；　or　of　vindicating　himself　and　replying　to　his　critics。　　As　a　rule；　however；　the　reader　is　concerned　neither　with　the　moral　purpose　of　the　book　nor　with　the　attacks　of　the　Reviewers；　and　so　the　preface　remains　unread。　Nevertheless；　this　is　a　pity；　especially　with　us　Russians！　　The　public　of　this　country　is　so　youth…　ful；　not　to　say　simple…minded；　that　it　cannot　understand　the　meaning　of　a　fable　unless　the　moral　is　set　forth　at　the　end。　　Unable　to　see　a　joke；　insensible　to　irony；　it　has；　in　a　word；　been　badly　brought　up。　　It　has　not　yet　learned　that　in　a　decent　book；　as　in　decent　society；　open　invective　can　have　no　place；　that　our　present…day　civilisa…　tion　has　invented　a　keener　weapon；　none　the　less　deadly　for　being　almost　invisible；　which；　under　the　cloak　of　flattery；　strikes　with　sure　and　irre…　sistible　effect。　　The　Russian　public　is　like　a　simple…minded　person　from　the　country　who；　chancing　to　overhear　a　conversation　between　two　diplomatists　belonging　to　hostile　courts；　comes　away　with　the　conviction　that　each　of　them　has　been　deceiving　his　Government　in　the　interest　of　a　most　affectionate　private　friendship。

The　unfortunate　effects　of　an　over…literal　accep…　tation　of　words　by　certain　readers　and　even　Re…　viewers　have　recently　been　manifested　in　regard　to　the　present　book。　　Many　of　its　readers　have　been　dreadfully；　and　in　all　seriousness；　shocked　to　find　such　an　immoral　man　as　Pechorin　set　before　them　as　an　example。　　Others　have　observed；　with　much　acumen；　that　the　author　has　painted　his　own　portrait　and　those　of　his　acquaint…　ances！　。　。　。　　What　a　stale　and　wretched　jest！　But　Russia；　it　appears；　has　been　constituted　in　such　a　way　that　absurdities　of　this　kind　will　never　be　eradicated。　　It　is　doubtful　whether；　in　this　country；　the　most　ethereal　of　fairy…tales　would　escape　the　reproach　of　attempting　offen…　sive　personalities。

Pechorin；　gentlemen；　is　in　fact　a　portrait；　but　not　of　one　man　only：　he　is　a　composite　portrait；　made　up　of　all　the　vices　which　flourish；　full…　grown；　amongst　the　present　generation。　　You　will　tell　me；　as　you　have　told　me　before；　that　no　man　can　be　so　bad　as　this；　and　my　reply　will　be：　〃If　you　believe　that　such　persons　as　the　villains　of　tragedy　and　romance　could　exist　in　real　life；　why　can　you　not　believe　in　the　reality　of　Pechorin？　　If　you　admire　fic…　tions　much　more　terrible　and　monstrous；　why　is　it　that　this　character；　even　if　regarded　merely　as　a　creature　of　the　imagination；　cannot　obtain　quarter　at　your　hands？　　Is　it　not　because　there　is　more　truth　in　it　than　may　be　altogether　palat…　able　to　you？〃

You　will　say　that　the　cause　of　morality　gains　nothing　by　this　book。　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　People　have　been　surfeited　with　sweetmeats　and　their　digestion　has　been　ruined：　bitter　medicines；　sharp　truths；　are　therefore　necessary。　　This　must　not；　however；　be　taken　to　mean　that　the　author　has　ever　proudly　dreamed　of　becoming　a　reformer　of　human　vices。　　Heaven　keep　him　from　such　im…　pertinence！　　He　has　simply　found　it　entertaining　to　depict　a　man；　such　as　he　considers　to　be　typical　of　the　present　day　and　such　as　he　has　often　met　in　real　life　　too　often；　indeed；　unfortunately　both　for　the　author　himself　and　for　you。　　Suffice　it　that　the　disease　has　been　pointed　out：　how　it　is　to　be　cured　　God　alone　knows！





End