第11章 The Death of a Government Clerk (第1/2页)
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tonChekhov
Onefineevening,anolessfinegovernmentclerkcalledIvanDmitritchTchervyakovwassittinginthesecondrowofthestalls,gazingthroughanoeraglassattheClochesdeCorneville.Hegazedandfeltattheacmeofbliss.Butsuddenly...Instoriesonesooftenmeetswiththis
"Butsuddenly
".Theauthorsareright:lifeissofullofsurrises!Butsuddenlyhisfaceuckeredu,hiseyesdisaeared,hisbreathingwasarrested...hetooktheoeraglassfromhiseyes,bentoverand...
"Atchee!!!
"hesneezedasyouerceive.Itisnotrerehensibleforanyonetosneezeanywhere.Peasantssneezeandsodoolicesuerintendents,andsometimesevenrivycouncillors.Allmensneeze.Tchervyakovwasnotintheleastconfused,hewiedhisfacewithhishandkerchief,andlikeaoliteman,lookedroundtoseewhetherhehaddisturbedanyonebyhissneezing.Butthenhewasovercomewithconfusion.Hesawthatanoldgentlemansittinginfrontofhiminthefirstrowofthestallswascarefullywiinghisbaldheadandhisneckwithhisgloveandmutteringsomethingtohimself.Intheoldgentleman,TchervyakovrecognisedBrizzhalov,aciviliangeneralservingintheDeartmentofTransort.
"Ihavesatteredhim,
"thoughtTchervyakov,
"heisnottheheadofmydeartment,butstillitisawkward.Imustaologise.
"
Tchervyakovgaveacough,benthiswholeersonforward,andwhiseredinthegeneral&aos;sear.
"Pardon,yourExcellency,Isatteredyouaccidentally...
"
"Nevermind,nevermind.
"
"Forgoodnesssakeexcuseme,I...Ididnotmeanto.
"
"Oh,lease,sitdown!Letmelisten!
"Tchervyakovwasembarrassed,hesmiledstuidlyandfelltogazingatthestage.Hegazedatitbutwasnolongerfeelingbliss.Hebegantobetroubledbyuneasiness.Intheinterval,hewentutoBrizzhalov,walkedbesidehim,andovercominghisshyness,muttered:
"Isatteredyou,yourExcellency,forgiveme...yousee...Ididn&aos;tdoitto...
"
"Oh,that&aos;senough...I&aos;dforgottenit,andyoukeeonaboutit!
"saidthegeneral,movinghislowerliimatiently.
"Hehasforgotten,butthereisafiendishlightinhiseye,
"thoughtTchervyakov,lookingsusiciouslyatthegeneral.
"Andhedoesn&aos;twanttotalk.Ioughttoexlaintohim...thatIreallydidn&aos;tintend...thatitisthelawofnatureorelsehewillthinkImeanttositonhim.Hedoesn&aos;tthinksonow,buthewillthinksolater!
"
Ongettinghome,Tchervyakovtoldhiswifeofhisbreachofgoodmanners.Itstruckhimthathiswifetooktoofrivolousaviewoftheincident;shewasalittlefrightened,butwhenshelearnedthatBrizzhalovwasinadifferentdeartment,shewasreassured.
"Still,youhadbettergoandaologise,
"shesaid,
"orhewillthinkyoudon&aos;tknowhowtobehaveinublic.
"
"That&aos;sjustit!Ididaologise,buthetookitsomehowqueerly...hedidn&aos;tsayawordofsense.Therewasn&aos;ttimetotalkroerly.
"