读书不觉已秋深，一寸光阴一寸金。今天我们继续为大家推荐俄国讽刺大师契诃夫的另一篇代表作《小公务员之死》。庶务官切尔维亚科夫因为自己的一个喷嚏而最终丧命，如此荒诞离奇的故事究竟是怎样发生的？让我们一起去书中寻找答案吧！

作品简介

《小公务员之死》是俄国作家契诃夫创作的短篇小说，发表于1883年。作品讲述了小公务员伊凡·德米特里·切尔维亚科夫在剧院看戏时不慎冲着一位将军打了一个喷嚏，因为极度害怕冒犯对方而反复道歉、在被对方呵斥之后一命呜呼的故事。作者以极度夸张、讽刺的笔调，揭露了当时沙皇统治下的极端恐怖给人们造成的心理扭曲。

 

《追寻契诃夫的足迹》（节选自《契诃夫文集：1卷》，人民文学出版社，2020）

走在梅里霍沃长长的椴树林荫道上，秋风拂面，仿佛觉得身着风衣、头戴礼帽的契诃夫转眼之间就会出现在道路的尽头。他与这座庄园秋天的氛围太协调了，不知是这座庄园给了他的个性以很多添加，还是他用他的风格塑造了这座庄园。契诃夫在梅里霍沃住了七年。契诃夫有过七个梅里霍沃的秋天。人们总喜欢用秋天来形容契诃夫的创作个性，的确，契诃夫的生活和创作与梅里霍沃的秋天构成了某种高度的契合和呼应。梅里霍沃的秋天是优美的，却也散发着莫名的无奈；梅里霍沃的秋天是忧伤的，却又洋溢着收获的喜悦；梅里霍沃的秋天是明媚的，却也充满着神秘和疏离……

（插图选自《契诃夫文集：1卷》人民文学出版社，2020）

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ONE BEAUTIFUL EVENING the not less beautiful minor government official Ivan Cherviakov was sitting in the second row of the orchestra looking through his opera-glasses at Les Cloches de Corneville. As he sat there he felt himself to be in the seventh heaven of happiness. But suddenly (in stories one often finds this ‘suddenly’; authors are right -- life is full of the unexpected), suddenly his face grew wrinkled, his eyes rolled, and he held his breath -- he took down his opera-glasses, bent forward, and -- ha-choo! He sneezed, as you see. Sneezing is not prohibited to anyone anywhere. Peasants sneeze, and chiefs of police sneeze, and even privy councillors sneeze sometimes; everyone sneezes. Cherviakov was in no wise embarrassed; he wiped his nose with his handkerchief and glanced about him politely to make sure that he had not disturbed anyone by his sneezing. And then he felt himself perforce abashed. He saw that an old man who was sitting in front of him in the first row was painfully wiping his bald spot and the back of his neck with his glove and muttering something. In this old man Cherviakov recognised General Brizialov of the Department of Highways.

‘I sneezed on him!’ thought Cherviakov. ‘He is not my chief, but still it is awkward. I must apologise.’

Cherviakov cleared his throat, shifted himself forward, and whispered in the general’s ear: ‘I beg your pardon, your Excellency; I sneezed on you. I accidentally --’

‘Never mind, never mind --’

‘For Heaven’s sake, excuse me. I -- I didn’t mean to --’

‘Oh, sit down, please! Let me listen to what is being said.’

本书选取契诃夫的书信与随笔共300多则，他对文学和艺术的见解，对人情世故的体察，对同时代名人的评价，都散见于书信与随笔中。契诃夫在私人书信中极少抒情，而是像普通人那样吐槽琐事、抱怨缺钱、自我调侃；随笔部分则是契诃夫的创作随感，从中可看出许多名作的雏形。

This unique study explores the history and approaches of translation, the notion of “action” from Aristotle to Adler, and Anton Chekhov’s inimitable dramaturgy. English translations, adaptations, and versions are each considered from the actor’s points of view, from the page to the stage.

 

文案策划及录音：图书借阅部 李圣昭

编辑：宣传策划小组 刘瑞华