白痴 英文版 The Idiot
陀思妥耶夫斯基 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot III. Page 2
"Oh!" cried the general, catching sight of the prince's specimenof caligraphy, which the latter had now handed him forinspection. "Why, this is simply beautiful; look at that, Gania,there's real talent there!"
caligraphist,you are an artist! Eh.
On a sheet of thick writing-paper the prince had written inmedieval characters the legend:
"The gentle Abbot Pafnute signed this."
"There," explained the prince, with great delight and animation,"there, that's the abbot's real signature--from a manuscript ofthe fourteenth century. All these old abbots and bishops used towrite most beautifully, with such taste and so much care anddiligence. Have you no copy of Pogodin, general? If you had one Icould show you another type. Stop a bit--here you have the largeround writing common in France during the eighteenth century.Some of the letters are shaped quite differently from those nowin use. It was the writing current then, and employed by publicwriters generally. I copied this from one of them, and you cansee how good it is. Look at the well-rounded a and d. I havetried to translate the French character into the Russian letters--a difficult thing to do, but I think I have succeeded fairly.Here is a fine sentence, written in a good, original hand--'Zealtriumphs over all.' That is the script of the Russian War Office.That is how official documents addressed to important personagesshould be written. The letters are round, the type black, and thestyle somewhat remarkable. A stylist would not allow theseornaments, or attempts at flourishes--just look at theseunfinished tails!--but it has distinction and really depicts thesoul of the writer. He would like to give play to hisimagination, and follow the inspiration of his genius, but asoldier is only at ease in the guard-room, and the pen stopshalf-way, a slave to discipline. How delightful! The first timeI met an example of this handwriting, I was positivelyastonished, and where do you think I chanced to find it? InSwitzerland, of all places! Now that is an ordinary English hand.It can hardly be improved, it is so refined and exquisite--almostperfection. This is an example of another kind, a mixture ofstyles. The copy was given me by a French commercial traveller.It is founded on the English, but the downstrokes are a littleblacker, and more marked. Notice that the oval has some slightmodification--it is more rounded. This writing allows forflourishes; now a flourish is a dangerous thing! Its use requiressuch taste, but, if successful, what a distinction it gives tothe whole! It results in an incomparable type--one to fall in lovewith!"
"Dear me! How you have gone into all the refinements and detailsof the question! Why, my dear fellow, you are not a caligraphist,you are an artist! Eh, Gania ?"
"Wonderful!" said Gania. "And he knows it too," he added, with asarcastic smile.
"You may smile,--but there's a career in this," said the general."You don't know what a great personage I shall show this to,prince. Why, you can command a situation at thirty-five roublesper month to start with. However, it's half-past twelve," heconcluded, looking at his watch; "so to business, prince, for Imust be setting to work and shall not see you again today. Sitdown a minute. I have told you that I cannot receive you myselfvery often, but I should like to be of some assistance to you,some small assistance, of a kind that would give yousatisfaction. I shall find you a place in one of the Statedepartments, an easy place--but you will require to be accurate.Now, as to your plans--in the house, or rather in the family ofGania here--my young friend, whom I hope you will know better--hismother and sister have prepared two or three rooms for lodgers,and let them to highly recommended young fellows, with board andattendance. I am sure Nina Alexandrovna will take you in on myrecommendation. There you will be comfortable and well taken careof; for I do not think, prince, that you are the sort of man tobe left to the mercy of Fate in a town like Petersburg. NinaAlexandrovna, Gania's mother, and Varvara Alexandrovna, areladies for whom I have the highest possible esteem and respect.Nina Alexandrovna is the wife of General Ardalion Alexandrovitch,my old brother in arms, with whom, I regret to say, on account ofcertain circumstances, I am no longer acquainted. I give you allthis information, prince, in order to make it clear to you that Iam personally recommending you to this family, and that in sodoing, I am more or less taking upon myself to answer for you.The terms are most reasonable, and I trust that your salary willvery shortly prove amply sufficient for your expenditure. Ofcourse pocket-money is a necessity, if only a little; do not beangry, prince, if I strongly recommend you to avoid carryingmoney in your pocket. But as your purse is quite empty at thepresent moment, you must allow me to press these twenty-fiveroubles upon your acceptance, as something to begin with. Ofcourse we will settle this little matter another time, and if youare the upright, honest man you look, I anticipate very littletrouble between us on that score. Taking so much interest in youas you may perceive I do, I am not without my object, and youshall know it in good time. You see, I am perfectly candid withyou. I hope, Gania, you have nothing to say against the prince'staking up his abode in your house?"
seemed to have some special object in thequestion.really.
"Oh, on the contrary! my mother will be very glad," said Gania,courteously and kindly.
"I think only one of your rooms is engaged as yet, is it not?That fellow Ferd-Ferd--"
"Ferdishenko."
"Yes--I don't like that Ferdishenko. I can't understand whyNastasia Philipovna encourages him so. Is he really her cousin,as he says?"
"Oh dear no, it's all a joke. No more cousin than I am."
"Well, what do you think of the arrangement, prince?"
"Thank you, general; you have behaved very kindly to me; all themore so since I did not ask you to help me. I don't say that outof pride. I certainly did not know where to lay my head tonight.Rogojin asked me to come to his house, of course, but--"
had the prince uttered the last word when Gania gave sucha fearful.
"Rogojin? No, no, my good fellow. I should strongly recommendyou, paternally,--or, if you prefer it, as a friend,--to forgetall about Rogojin, and, in fact, to stick to the family intowhich you are about to enter."
"Thank you," began the prince; "and since you are so very kindthere is just one matter which I--"
"You must really excuse me," interrupted the general, "but Ipositively haven't another moment now. I shall just tellElizabetha Prokofievna about you, and if she wishes to receiveyou at once--as I shall advise her--I strongly recommend you toingratiate yourself with her at the first opportunity, for mywife may be of the greatest service to you in many ways. If shecannot receive you now, you must be content to wait till anothertime. Meanwhile you, Gania, just look over these accounts, willyou? We mustn't forget to finish off that matter--"
The general left the room, and the prince never succeeded inbroaching the business which he had on hand, though he hadendeavoured to do so four times.
Gania lit a cigarette and offered one to the prince. Thelatter accepted the offer, but did not talk, being unwilling todisturb Gania's work. He commenced to examine the study and itscontents. But Gania hardly so much as glanced at the papers lyingbefore him; he was absent and thoughtful, and his smile andgeneral appearance struck the prince still more disagreeably nowthat the two were left alone together.
Suddenly Gania approached our hero who was at the moment standingover Nastasia Philipovna's portrait, gazing at it.
"Do you admire that sort of woman, prince?" he asked, lookingintently at him. He seemed to have some special object in thequestion.
"It's a wonderful face," said the prince, "and I feel sure thather destiny is not by any means an ordinary, uneventful one. Herface is smiling enough, but she must have suffered terribly--hasn't she? Her eyes show it--those two bones there, the littlepoints under her eyes, just where the cheek begins. It's a proudface too, terribly proud! And I--I can't say whether she is goodand kind, or not. Oh, if she be but good! That would make allwell!"
"And would you marry a woman like that, now?" continued Gania,never taking his excited eyes off the prince's face.
"I cannot marry at all," said the latter. "I am an invalid."
"Would Rogojin marry her, do you think?"
"Why not? Certainly he would, I should think. He would marry hertomorrow!--marry her tomorrow and murder her in a week!"
Hardly had the prince uttered the last word when Gania gave sucha fearful shudder that the prince almost cried out.
"What's the matter?" said he, seizing Gania's hand.
"Your highness! His excellency begs your presence in herexcellency's apartments!" announced the footman, appearing at thedoor.
The prince immediately followed the man out of the room.