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Picture to yourselves, gentle readers, a stout, tall man of seventy, with a face reminding one somewhat of the face of Kriloff, clear and intelligent eyes under overhanging brows, dignified in bearing, slow in speech, and deliberate in movement: there you have Ovsyanikov. He wore an ample blue overcoat with long sleeves, buttoned all the way up, a lilac silk—handkerchief round his neck, brightly polished boots with tassels, and altogether resembled in appearance a well—to—do merchant. His hands were handsome, soft, and white; he often fumbled with the buttons of his coat as he talked. With his dignity and his composure, his good sense and his indolence, his uprightness and his obstinacy, Ovsyanikov reminded me of the Russian boyars of the times before Peter the Great. …The national holiday dress would have suited him well. He was one of the last men left of the old time. All his neighbours had a great respect for him, and considered it an honour to be acquainted with him. His fellow peasant—proprietors almost worshipped him, and took off their hats to him from a distance: they were proud of him. Generally speaking, in these days, it is difficult to tell a peasant—proprietor from a peasant; his husbandry is almost worse than the peasant's; his calves are wretchedly small; his horses are only half alive; his harness is made of rope. Ovsyanikov was an exception to the general rule, though he did not pass for a wealthy man. He lived alone with his wife in a clean and comfortable little house, kept a few servants, whom he dressed in the Russian style and called his "workmen". They were employed also in ploughing his land. He did not attempt to pass for a nobleman, did not affect to be a landowner; never, as they say, forgot himself; he did not take a seat at the first invitation to do so, and he never failed to rise from his seat on the entrance of a new guest, but with such dignity, with such stately courtesy, that the guest involuntarily made him a more deferential bow. Ovsyanikov adhered to the antique usages, not from superstition （he was naturally rather independent in mind）, but from habit. He did not, for instance, like carriages with springs, because he did not find them comfortable, and preferred to drive in a racing droshky, or in a pretty little trap with leather cushions, and he always drove his good bay himself （he kept none but bay horses）. His coachman, a young, rosy—cheeked fellow, his hair cut round like a basin, in a dark blue coat with a strap round the waist, sat respectfully beside him. Ovsyanikov always had a nap after dinner and visited the bath—house on Saturdays; he read none but religious books and used gravely to fix his round silver spectacles on his nose when he did so; he got up, and went to bed early. He shaved his beard, however, and wore his hair in the German style. He always received visitors cordially and affably, but he did not bow down to the ground, nor fuss over them and press them to partake of every kind of dried and salted delicacy. "Wife! " he would say deliberately, not getting up from his seat, but only turning his head a little in her direction, "bring the gentleman a little of something to eat. " He regarded it as a sin to sell wheat: it was the gift of God. In the year ’ （40）, at the time of the general famine and terrible scarcity, he shared all his store with the surrounding landowners and peasants; the following year they gratefully repaid their debt to him in kind. The neighbours often had recourse to Ovsyanikov as arbitrator and mediator between them, and they almost always acquiesced in his decision, and listened to his advice. Thanks to his intervention, many had conclusively settled their boundaries. …But after two or three tussles with lady—landowners, he announced that he declined all mediation between persons of the feminine gender. He could not bear the flurry and excitement, the chatter of women and the "fuss". Once his house had somehow got on fire. A workman ran to him in headlong haste shrieking, "Fire, fire! " "Well, what are you screaming about? " said Ovsyanikov tranquilly, "give me my cap and my stick. " He liked to break in his horses himself. Once a spirited horse he was training bolted with him down a hillside and over a precipice. "Come, there, there, you young colt, you'll kill yourself! " said Ovsyanikov soothingly to him, and an instant later he flew over the precipice together with the racing droshky, the boy who was sitting behind, and the horse. Fortunately, the bottom of the ravine was covered with heaps of sand. No one was injured; only the horse sprained a leg. "Well, you see, " continued Ovsyanikov in a calm voice as he got up from the ground, "I told you so. " He had found a wife to match him. Tatyana Ilyinitchna Ovsyanikov was a tall woman, dignified and taciturn, always dressed in a cinnamon—coloured silk dress. She had a cold air, though none complained of her severity, but, on the contrary, many poor creatures called her their little mother and benefactress. Her regular features, her large dark eyes, and her delicately cut lips, bore witness even now to her once celebrated beauty. Ovsyanikov had no children.
敬爱的读者，请您想象一下，一位身材魁梧，年龄有七十岁的人，长相貌似克雷洛夫，低垂的眉毛下有一双明亮而睿智的眼睛，仪态端庄，谈吐稳健，举止从容：这个人就是奥夫夏尼科夫。他穿着一件宽大的长袖蓝大衣，纽扣一直扣到最上面，脖子上围一条淡紫色的丝绸围巾，脚上穿着一双擦得程亮的带流苏的靴子，整个人看上去就像一个富裕的商人。他的手漂亮、柔软，又白皙，说话时还总要摸摸大衣上的扣子。奥夫夏尼科夫的高贵和沉着、理智和懒散、正直和固执，让我想起了彼得大帝时代之前的俄国波雅尔们……他要是穿上节日礼服，也一定很合身。旧时代遗留下最后一批人，他就是其中之一。他所有的邻居都很尊敬他，把能够同他结识当作一种荣誉。他的那些自耕农同伴几乎都很崇拜他，大老远地就摘帽向他致敬，他们都以他为傲。一般说来，如今很难将自耕农和农民区分开来，自耕农的收成甚至比农民的还要糟糕，牛犊长得非常小，马匹半死不活的，马具也是用绳子做的。奥夫夏尼科夫在一般的自耕农里是个例外，不过他也没有去冒充富人。他和他妻子两人住在一幢整洁舒适的小房子里，养着几个仆人，他让他们穿上俄罗斯式的服装，还称他们为 “工人” 。他的工人们还帮他耕地。他没有试图冒充贵族，也没有假装成地主；像人们所说的，他从没忘记自己是谁；别人第一次邀请他坐下，他不会立马就入座，每进来一位新客人，他总会站起身来，他的行为那么地高贵，又那么重礼节，使得客人不自觉地就毕恭毕敬地向他鞠躬。奥夫夏尼科夫遵循旧时的礼节，并不是因为他迷信（他天生就是个思想独立的人），而是出于习惯。例如，他不喜欢坐带有弹簧的马车，因为他觉得很不舒适，他更乐意乘坐赛跑四轮马车，或者是带皮垫的精致双轮轻便小马车，他常常骑自己的那匹枣红色的良种马（他只养枣红色的马）。他的马车夫是一个面颊红润的年轻小伙子，发型圆圆的就像一个盆，他穿着深蓝色的外套，腰上系着皮带，恭敬地坐在主人旁边。奥夫夏尼科夫吃完晚饭后，总会去打个盹，他每周六都去澡堂；他只读宗教方面的书，读书时还常常庄重地把那副圆形银框眼镜架在鼻子上；他起得早，睡得也早。不过，他把胡子剃了，留着德式发型。他招待客人总是诚恳而亲切，但并不卑躬屈膝，也不过分关照他们，逼迫他们分享各种干果和腌制品。 “夫人！” 他不慌不忙地说，也没从座位上起身，只是略微把头朝向她， “给这位先生拿点吃的来。” 他认为出售小麦是罪恶的，因为小麦是上帝的恩赐。1840年出现了全国性的大饥荒和物资短缺，他把自己所有的存粮全都分给了周围的地主和农民；第二年，他们都心怀感激地偿还了粮食。邻居们常常向奥夫夏尼科夫求助，让他当他们之间的仲裁人和调停者，他们几乎总会默认他做的裁决，听取他的建议。多亏了他的调停，许多户人家才终于划定了地界……但是在他和女地主们发生过两三次冲突以后，他就宣布拒绝调停女性之间的所有事务。他不能忍受慌张、激动，以及女人们的闲话和 “大惊小怪” 。有一次，他的房子不知怎地着火了。一个工人急匆匆地朝他跑去喊道： “着火啦，着火啦！” “唉，你大叫大嚷什么啊？” 奥夫夏尼科夫平静地说， “把我的帽子和手杖给我。” 他喜欢亲自驯马。有一次，他在训练一匹烈马，那马拉着他冲下了山，朝悬崖奔去。 “嘿，好啦，好啦，年轻的小马，你会把自己摔死的！” 奥夫夏尼科夫安抚道，但不一会儿，他就同那辆赛跑四轮马车，还有坐在后面的男孩和那匹马一起飞下了悬崖。幸运的是，山谷底部全是一堆堆的沙子。没有人受伤，只有那匹马扭伤了一条腿。 “好啦，你看看吧，” 奥夫夏尼科夫从地上爬起来以后，用平静的声音说道， “我早告诉过你了吧。” 他娶了一个和他相配的妻子。塔季雅娜•伊利尼奇娜•奥夫夏尼科夫身材高挑，举止端庄，但寡言少语，她总穿着一条肉桂色的丝绸连衣裙。她看上去很冷漠，可是没有人报怨说她很严肃，正相反，很多穷人称她为他们的小妈妈和女恩人。她容貌端正，眼睛又大又黑，嘴唇也长得很精致，至今仍能看出她曾经是个出众的美人。奥夫夏尼科夫没有孩子。
I made his acquaintance, as the reader is already aware, at Radilov's, and two days later I went to see him. I found him at home. He was reading the Lives of the Saints. A grey cat was purring on his shoulder. He received me, according to his habit, with stately cordiality. We fell into conversation.
读者已经知道，我是在拉季洛夫家认识他的，两天之后我便去拜访了他。他正好在家。他正在读《圣人们的生活》。一只灰猫趴在他的肩上咕噜咕噜地叫着。他以自己一贯的作风，庄重而亲切地招待了我。我们聊了起来。
"But tell me the truth, Luka Petrovitch, " I said to him, among other things; "weren't things better of old, in your time?”
“请您给我说实话，卢卡•彼得罗维奇，” 在谈话中我这样问， “在您那个时代，日子是不是要好些？”
"In some ways, certainly, things were better, I should say, " replied Ovsyanikov; "we lived more easily; there was a greater abundance of everything…. All the same, things are better now, and they will be better still for your children, please God.”
“当然了，我得说，在有的方面是要好些，” 奥夫夏尼科夫回答道， “我们活得更容易些，物资也要丰富的多……不过还是现在更好些，如上帝愿意，您的孩子们会过得更好。”
"I had expected you, Luka Petrovitch, to praise the old times. "
“卢卡•彼得罗维奇，我还以为您会赞美旧时代呢。”
"No, I have no special reason to praise old times. Here, for instance, though you are a landowner now, and just as much a landowner as your grandfather was, you have not the same power—and, indeed, you are not yourself the same kind of man. Even now, some noblemen oppress us; but, of course, it is impossible to help that altogether. Where there are mills grinding there will be flour. No; I don't see now what I have experienced myself in my youth.”
“不，我并不觉得旧时代有什么特别值得赞美的。比如说，尽管你现在也是个地主，同您已故的祖父一样，可您没有他那样的权势了！当然，您本来也不是那样的人。即便现在，还有一些贵族在压迫我们，不过，这当然是不可能完全避免的。哪里有磨在嘎嘎转，哪里就有面粉嘛。不，我年轻时所经历过的那些事情，现在早就不存在了。”
"What, for instance? "
“譬如什么事？”
"Well, for instance, I will tell you about your grandfather. He was an overbearing man; he oppressed us poorer folks. You know, perhaps—indeed, you surely know your own estates—that bit of land that runs from Tchepligin to Malinina—you have it under oats now. …Well, you know, it is ours—it is all ours. Your grandfather took it away from us; he rode by on his horse, pointed to it with his hand, and said, 'It's my property, ' and took possession of it. My father （God rest his soul! ）was a just man; he was a hot—tempered man, too; he would not put up with it—indeed, who does like to lose his property? —and he laid a petition before the court. But he was alone: the others did not appear —they were afraid. So they reported to your grandfather that 'Piotr Ovsyanikov is making a complaint against you that you were pleased to take away his land. ' Your grandfather at once sent his huntsman Baush with a detachment of men. …Well, they seized my father, and carried him to your estate. I was a little boy at that time; I ran after him barefoot. What happened? They brought him to your house, and flogged him right under your windows. And your grandfather stands on the balcony and looks on; and your grandmother sits at the window and looks on too. My father cries out, 'Gracious lady, Marya Vasilyevna, intercede for me! have mercy on me! ' But her only answer was to keep getting up to have a look at him. So they exacted a promise from my father to give up the land, and bade him be thankful they let him go alive. So it has remained with you. Go and ask your peasants—what do they call the land, indeed? It's called" The Cudgelled Land ", because it was gained by the cudgel. So you see from that, we poor folks can't bewail the old order very much.”
“嗯，譬如，我给您讲讲您的祖父吧。他当年可是个专横的人，他压迫我们这样的穷人。您或许知道——的确，您当然知道自己的领地——从切普雷金到马利宁的那块土地——您现在用来种燕麦了……嗯，您知道，这块地是我们的……都是我们的。您的祖父把它从我们手里夺走了，他骑在马上，用手指着它说： ‘这是我的财产。’ 然后就占有了这块。我的父亲（上帝让他安息吧！）是个正直的人，他也是个脾气火爆的人，他咽不下这口气——谁愿意失去自己的财产呢？他就把诉状递到了法庭上。但是只有他一个人，其他人都没有去，因为他们不敢。于是他们向您的祖父打报告说： ‘彼得•奥夫夏尼科夫要告您的状，说您抢了他的土地。’ 您的祖父马上就派他的猎人巴乌什带了一帮人……唉，他们抓住了我的父亲，把他拉到了你们家的领地上。我当时还是个小男孩，光着脚丫跟在他后面跑。发生了什么事呢？他们把他带到你们家，就在你家的窗户下，用棒子打他。您的祖父站在阳台上看着，您的祖母也坐在窗户边上看着。我父亲大叫： ‘仁慈的太太，马丽雅•瓦西利耶夫娜，帮我说说情！可怜可怜我吧！’ 但是她唯一的答复就是时时挺起身子看看他。于是他们强迫我的父亲承诺放弃那块土地，命令他感谢他们让他活着出去。于是那块土地现在仍是你的。去问问您的那些农民们，他们管那块地叫什么？叫做 “棍棒地” ，因为它是用棍棒得来的。所以由此您就能看出，我们这些穷人不会太留恋旧时代的制度。”
I did not know what answer to make Ovsyanikov, and I had not the courage to look him in the face.
我不知道该怎么回答奥夫夏尼科夫，也没有勇气正视他的脸。
"We had another neighbour who settled amongst us in those days, Komov, Stepan Niktopolionitch. He used to worry my father out of his life; when it wasn't one thing, it was another. He was a drunken fellow, and fond of treating others; and when he was drunk he would say in French, 'Say bon, ' and 'Take away the holy images! ' He would sent to all the neighbours to ask them to come to him. His horses stood always in readiness, and if you wouldn't go he would come after you himself at once! …And he was such a strange fellow! In his sober times he was not a liar; but when he was drunk he would begin to relate how he had three houses in Petersburg—one red, with one chimney; another yellow, with two chimneys; and a third blue, with no chimneys; and three sons （though he had never even been married）, one in the infantry, another in the cavalry, and the third was his own master. …And he would say that in each house lived one of his sons; that admirals visited the eldest, and generals the second, and the third only Englishmen! Then he would get up and say, 'To the health of my eldest son; he is the most dutiful! ' and he would begin to weep. Woe to anyone who refused to drink the toast! 'I will shoot him! ' he would say; 'and I won't let him be buried! ' …Then he would jump up and scream, 'Dance, God's people, for your pleasure and my diversion!’ Well, then, you must dance; if you had to die for it, you must dance. He thoroughly worried his serf—girls to death. Sometimes all night long till morning they would be singing in chorus, and the one who made the most noise would have a prize. If they began to be tired, he would lay his head down in his hands, and begins moaning: ' Ah, poor forsaken orphan that I am! They abandon me, poor little dove! 'And the stable—boys would wake the girls up at once. He took a liking to my father; what was he to do? He almost drove my father into his grave, and would actually have driven him into it, but （thank Heaven! ）he died himself; in one of his drunken fits he fell off the pigeon—house…. There, that's what our sweet little neighbours were like!”
“那个时候，我们这里还住着另一个邻居，姓科莫夫，名叫斯捷潘•尼克托波利昂内奇。他以前总是让我父亲心烦得要命，不是这事儿，就是那事儿的。他是个酒鬼，还喜欢款待别人，他喝醉时就会用法语说， ‘说好的’ ，和 ‘把圣像都拿走！’ 他会派人去把所有的邻居都请到他家里来。他的马车总是整装待发地停在那里，要是你不去，他就会马上亲自来找你……他真是一个奇怪的人！他清醒的时候并不撒谎，可是一喝醉就开始讲他是怎样在彼得堡有三幢房子的：一幢是红色的，有一个烟囱；另一幢是黄色的，有两个烟囱；还有一幢是蓝色的，没有烟囱；还有三个儿子（尽管他从没结过婚），一个在步兵队，另一个在骑兵队，还有一个自己当家作主……然后他还会说他的三个儿子分别住在那三幢房子里，大儿子家有海军上将们来访，二儿子家有将军们来访，三儿子家来的只有英国人！然后他会站起来说： ‘为我大儿子的健康干杯，他是最孝顺的！’ 接着他便哭起来。要是有人拒绝举杯敬酒那就惨了！ ‘我要毙了他！’ 他会说， ‘还不让他下葬！’ ……然后他又会跳起来，大喊： ‘跳舞吧，上帝的子民们，让自己高兴高兴，也让我消遣消遣！’ 唉，那么你就得跳舞，哪怕跳死也得跳。他真是把他的农奴姑娘们折腾得要命。有时候，她们得通宵达旦地合唱，谁的声音最大谁就会得到奖赏。要是她们觉得累了，他就会用手托着头，开始哀叹： ‘啊，我这个被抛弃的可怜人啊！他们都抛弃了我，这个可怜的人儿啊！’ 这时马童们就会赶快叫醒那几个姑娘。他很喜欢我父亲，有什么办法呢？他就快要把我父亲送进棺材里去了，真的是快把他送进去了，不过（谢谢上帝！）他自己死了，他有一次喝醉了，从鸽子棚上跌了下来……瞧，我家都有过一些什么样的邻居啊！”
"How the times have changed! " I observed.
“时代变化可真大呀！” 我说道。
"Yes, yes, " Ovsyanikov assented. "And there is this to be said—in the old days the nobility lived more sumptuously. I 'm not speaking of the real grandees now. I used to see them in Moscow. They say such people are scarce nowadays.”
“是啊，是啊，” 奥夫夏尼科夫赞同地说道， “可以这么说，旧时代的贵族们活得更奢华。我现在说的还不是那些真正的达官贵人。我过去在莫斯科常常见到他们，据说那样的人如今也罕见了。”
"Have you been in Moscow? "
“您去过莫斯科？”
"I used to stay there long, very long ago. I am now in my seventy—third year; and I went to Moscow when I was sixteen.”
“我去过那里，在很久很久以前。我现在都七十三岁了，我去莫斯科的时候才十六岁。”
Ovsyanikov sighed.
奥夫夏尼科夫叹了口气。
"Whom did you see there? "
“您在那里都见过谁？”