dead souls(死魂灵)-第2节

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upon　the　bed；　and　once　more　slept　soundly　for　a　couple　of　hours。　Aroused；　eventually；　by　the　waiter；　he；　at　the　latter's　request；　inscribed　a　fragment　of　paper　with　his　name；　his　surname；　and　his　rank　（for　communication；　in　accordance　with　the　law；　to　the　police）：　and　on　that　paper　the　waiter；　leaning　forward　from　the　corridor；　read；　syllable　by　syllable：　〃Paul　Ivanovitch　Chichikov；　Collegiate　CouncillorLandownerTravelling　on　Private　Affairs。〃　The　waiter　had　just　time　to　accomplish　this　feat　before　Paul　Ivanovitch　Chichikov　set　forth　to　inspect　the　town。　Apparently　the　place　succeeded　in　satisfying　him；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　it　was　at　least　up　to　the　usual　standard　of　our　provincial　capitals。　Where　the　staring　yellow　of　stone　edifices　did　not　greet　his　eye　he　found　himself　confronted　with　the　more　modest　grey　of　wooden　ones；　which；　consisting；　for　the　most　part；　of　one　or　two　storeys　（added　to　the　range　of　attics　which　provincial　architects　love　so　well）；　looked　almost　lost　amid　the　expanses　of　street　and　intervening　medleys　of　broken　or　half…finished　partition…walls。　At　other　points　evidence　of　more　life　and　movement　was　to　be　seen；　and　here　the　houses　stood　crowded　together　and　displayed　dilapidated；　rain…blurred　signboards　whereon　boots　of　cakes　or　pairs　of　blue　breeches　inscribed　〃Arshavski；　Tailor；〃　and　so　forth；　were　depicted。　Over　a　shop　containing　hats　and　caps　was　written　〃Vassili　Thedorov；　Foreigner〃；　while；　at　another　spot；　a　signboard　portrayed　a　billiard　table　and　two　playersthe　latter　clad　in　frockcoats　of　the　kind　usually　affected　by　actors　whose　part　it　is　to　enter　the　stage　during　the　closing　act　of　a　piece；　even　though；　with　arms　sharply　crooked　and　legs　slightly　bent；　the　said　billiard　players　were　taking　the　most　careful　aim；　but　succeeding　only　in　making　abortive　strokes　in　the　air。　Each　emporium　of　the　sort　had　written　over　it：　〃This　is　the　best　establishment　of　its　kind　in　the　town。〃　Also；　al　fresco　in　the　streets　there　stood　tables　heaped　with　nuts；　soap；　and　gingerbread　（the　latter　but　little　distinguishable　from　the　soap）；　and　at　an　eating…house　there　was　displayed　the　sign　of　a　plump　fish　transfixed　with　a　gaff。　But　the　sign　most　frequently　to　be　discerned　was　the　insignia　of　the　State；　the　double…headed　eagle　（now　replaced；　in　this　connection；　with　the　laconic　inscription　〃Dramshop〃）。　As　for　the　paving　of　the　town；　it　was　uniformly　bad。

The　gentleman　peered　also　into　the　municipal　gardens；　which　contained　only　a　few　sorry　trees　that　were　poorly　selected；　requiring　to　be　propped　with　oil…painted；　triangular　green　supports；　and　able　to　boast　of　a　height　no　greater　than　that　of　an　ordinary　walking…stick。　Yet　recently　the　local　paper　had　said　（apropos　of　a　gala）　that；　〃Thanks　to　the　efforts　of　our　Civil　Governor；　the　town　has　become　enriched　with　a　pleasaunce　full　of　umbrageous；　spaciously…branching　trees。　Even　on　the　most　sultry　day　they　afford　agreeable　shade；　and　indeed　gratifying　was　it　to　see　the　hearts　of　our　citizens　panting　with　an　impulse　of　gratitude　as　their　eyes　shed　tears　in　recognition　of　all　that　their　Governor　has　done　for　them！〃

Next；　after　inquiring　of　a　gendarme　as　to　the　best　ways　and　means　of　finding　the　local　council；　the　local　law…courts；　and　the　local　Governor；　should　he　（Chichikov）　have　need　of　them；　the　gentleman　went　on　to　inspect　the　river　which　ran　through　the　town。　En　route　he　tore　off　a　notice　affixed　to　a　post；　in　order　that　he　might　the　more　conveniently　read　it　after　his　return　to　the　inn。　Also；　he　bestowed　upon　a　lady　of　pleasant　exterior　who；　escorted　by　a　footman　laden　with　a　bundle；　happened　to　be　passing　along　a　wooden　sidewalk　a　prolonged　stare。　Lastly；　he　threw　around　him　a　comprehensive　glance　（as　though　to　fix　in　his　mind　the　general　topography　of　the　place）　and　betook　himself　home。　There；　gently　aided　by　the　waiter；　he　ascended　the　stairs　to　his　bedroom；　drank　a　glass　of　tea；　and；　seating　himself　at　the　table；　called　for　a　candle；　which　having　been　brought　him；　he　produced　from　his　pocket　the　notice；　held　it　close　to　the　flame；　and　conned　its　tenourslightly　contracting　his　right　eye　as　he　did　so。　Yet　there　was　little　in　the　notice　to　call　for　remark。　All　that　it　said　was　that　shortly　one　of　Kotzebue's＇3＇　plays　would　be　given；　and　that　one　of　the　parts　in　the　play　was　to　be　taken　by　a　certain　Monsieur　Poplevin；　and　another　by　a　certain　Mademoiselle　Ziablova；　while　the　remaining　parts　were　to　be　filled　by　a　number　of　less　important　personages。　Nevertheless　the　gentleman　perused　the　notice　with　careful　attention；　and　even　jotted　down　the　prices　to　be　asked　for　seats　for　the　performance。　Also；　he　remarked　that　the　bill　had　been　printed　in　the　press　of　the　Provincial　Government。　Next；　he　turned　over　the　paper；　in　order　to　see　if　anything　further　was　to　be　read　on　the　reverse　side；　but；　finding　nothing　there；　he　refolded　the　document；　placed　it　in　the　box　which　served　him　as　a　receptacle　for　odds　and　ends；　and　brought　the　day　to　a　close　with　a　portion　of　cold　veal；　a　bottle　of　pickles；　and　a　sound　sleep。

＇3＇　A　German　dramatist　（1761…1819）　who　also　filled　sundry　posts　in　the　　　　　service　of　the　Russian　Government。

The　following　day　he　devoted　to　paying　calls　upon　the　various　municipal　officialsa　first；　and　a　very　respectful；　visit　being　paid　to　the　Governor。　This　personage　turned　out　to　resemble　Chichikov　himself　in　that　he　was　neither　fat　nor　thin。　Also；　he　wore　the　riband　of　the　order　of　Saint　Anna　about　his　neck；　and　was　reported　to　have　been　recommended　also　for　the　star。　For　the　rest；　he　was　large　and　good…natured；　and　had　a　habit　of　amusing　himself　with　occasional　spells　of　knitting。　Next；　Chichikov　repaired　to　the　Vice…Governor's；　and　thence　to　the　house　of　the　Public　Prosecutor；　to　that　of　the　President　of　the　Local　Council；　to　that　of　the　Chief　of　Police；　to　that　of　the　Commissioner　of　Taxes；　and　to　that　of　the　local　Director　of　State　Factories。　True；　the　task　of　remembering　every　big…wig　in　this　world　of　ours　is　not　a　very　easy　one；　but　at　least　our　visitor　displayed　the　greatest　activity　in　his　work　of　paying　calls；　seeing　that　he　went　so　far　as　to　pay　his　respects　also　to　the　Inspector　of　the　Municipal　Department　of　Medicine　and　to　the　City　Architect。　Thereafter　he　sat　thoughtfully　in　his　britchkaplunged　in　meditation　on　the　subject　of　whom　else　it　might　be　well　to　visit。　However；　not　a　single　magnate　had　been　neglected；　and　in　conversation　with　his　hosts　he　had　contrived　to　flatter　each　separate　one。　For　instance　to　the　Governor　he　had　hinted　that　a　stranger；　on　arriving　in　his；　the　Governor's　province；　would　conceive　that　he　had　reached　Paradise；　so　velvety　were　the　roads。　〃Governors　who　appoint　capable　subordinates；〃　had　said　Chichikov；　〃are　deserving　of　the　most　ample　meed　of　praise。〃　Again；　to　the　Chief　of　Police　our　hero　had　passed　a　most　gratifying　remark　on　the　subject　of　the　local　gendarmery；　while　in　his　conversation　with　the　Vice…Governor　and　the　President　of　the　Local　Council　（neither　of　whom　had；　as　yet；　risen　above　the　rank　of　State　Councillor）　he　had　twice　been　guilty　of　the　gaucherie　of　addressing　his　interlocutors　with　the　title　of　〃Your　Excellency〃a　blunder　which　had　not　failed　to　delight　them。　In　the　result　the　Governor　had　invited　him　to　a　reception　the　same　evening；　and　certain　other　officials　had　followed　suit　by　inviting　him；　one　of　them　to　dinner；　a　second　to　a　tea…party；　and　so　forth；　and　so　forth。

Of　himself；　however；　the　traveller　had　spoken　little；　or；　if　he　had　spoken　at　any　length；　he　had　done　so　in　a　general　sort　of　way　and　with　marked　modesty。　Indeed；　at　moments　of　the　kind　his　discourse　had　assumed　something　of　a　literary　vein；　in　that　invariably　he　had　stated　that；　being　a　worm　of　no　account　in　the　world；　he　was　deserving　of　no　consideration　at　the　hands　of　his　fellows；　that　in　his　time　he　had　undergone　many　strange　experiences；　that　subsequently　he　had　suffered　much　in　the　cause　of　Truth；　that　he　had　many　enemies　seeking　his　life；　and　that；　being　desirous　of　rest；　he　was　now　engaged　in　searching　for　a　spot　wherein　to　dwellwherefore；　having　stumbled　upon　the　town　in　which　he　now　found　himself；　he　had　considered　it　his　bounden　duty　to　evince　his　respect　for　the　chief　authorities　of　the　place。　This；　and　no　more；　was　all　that；　for　the　moment；　the　town　succeeded　in　learning　about　the　new　arrival。　Naturally　he　lost　no　time　in　presenting　himself　at　the　Governor's　evening　party。　First；　however；　his　preparations　for　that　function　occupied　a　space　of　over　two　hours；　and　necessitated　an　attention　to　his　toilet　of　a　kind　not　commonly　seen。　That　is　to　say；　after　a　brief　post…grandial　nap　he　called　for　soap　and　water；　and　spent　a　considerable　period　in　the　task　of　scrubbing　his　cheeks　（which；　for　the　purpose；　he　supported　from　within　with　his　tongue）　and　then　of　drying　his　full；　round　face；　from　the　ears　downwards；　with　a　towel　which　he　took　from　the　waiter's　shoulder。　Twice　he　snorted　into　the　waiter's　countenance　as　he　did　this；　and　then　he　posted　himself　in　front　of　the　mirror；　donned　a　false　shirt…front；　plucked　out　a　couple　of　hairs　which　were　protruding　from　his　nose；　and　appeared　vested　in　a　frockcoat　of　bilberry…coloured　check。　Thereafter　driving　through　broad　streets　sparsely　lighted　with　lanterns；　he　arrived　at　the　Gover