登陆注册
5272300000007

第7章 ACT II(3)

ASTROFF. What do you mean? Yes, I must confess I am getting vulgar, but then, you see, I am drunk. I usually only drink like this once a month. At such times my audacity and temerity know no bounds. I feel capable of anything. I attempt the most difficult operations and do them magnificently. The most brilliant plans for the future take shape in my head. I am no longer a poor fool of a doctor, but mankind's greatest benefactor. I evolve my own system of philosophy and all of you seem to crawl at my feet like so many insects or microbes. [To TELEGIN] Play, Waffles!

TELEGIN. My dear boy, I would with all my heart, but do listen to reason; everybody in the house is asleep.

ASTROFF. Play!

TELEGIN plays softly.

ASTROFF. I want a drink. Come, we still have some brandy left.

And then, as soon as it is day, you will come home with me. [He sees SONIA, who comes in at that moment.]

ASTROFF. I beg your pardon, I have no collar on.

[He goes out quickly, followed by TELEGIN.

SONIA. Uncle Vanya, you and the doctor have been drinking! The good fellows have been getting together! It is all very well for him, he has always done it, but why do you follow his example? It looks dreadfully at your age.

VOITSKI. Age has nothing to do with it. When real life is wanting one must create an illusion. It is better than nothing.

SONIA. Our hay is all cut and rotting in these daily rains, and here you are busy creating illusions! You have given up the farm altogether. I have done all the work alone until I am at the end of my strength--[Frightened] Uncle! Your eyes are full of tears!

VOITSKI. Tears? Nonsense, there are no tears in my eyes. You looked at me then just as your dead mother used to, my darling--[He eagerly kisses her face and hands] My sister, my dearest sister, where are you now? Ah, if you only knew, if you only knew!

SONIA. If she only knew what, Uncle?

VOITSKI. My heart is bursting. It is awful. No matter, though. Imust go. [He goes out.]

SONIA. [Knocks at the door] Dr. Astroff! Are you awake? Please come here for a minute.

ASTROFF. [Behind the door] In a moment.

He appears in a few seconds. He has put on his collar and waistcoat.

ASTROFF. What do you want?

SONIA. Drink as much as you please yourself if you don't find it revolting, but I implore you not to let my uncle do it. It is bad for him.

ASTROFF. Very well; we won't drink any more. I am going home at once. That is settled. It will be dawn by the time the horses are harnessed.

SONIA. It is still raining; wait till morning.

ASTROFF. The storm is blowing over. This is only the edge of it.

I must go. And please don't ask me to come and see your father any more. I tell him he has gout, and he says it is rheumatism. Itell him to lie down, and he sits up. To-day he refused to see me at all.

SONIA. He has been spoilt. [She looks in the sideboard] Won't you have a bite to eat?

ASTROFF. Yes, please. I believe I will.

SONIA. I love to eat at night. I am sure we shall find something in here. They say that he has made a great many conquests in his life, and that the women have spoiled him. Here is some cheese for you.

[They stand eating by the sideboard.]

ASTROFF. I haven't eaten anything to-day. Your father has a very difficult nature. [He takes a bottle out of the sideboard] May I?

[He pours himself a glass of vodka] We are alone here, and I can speak frankly. Do you know, I could not stand living in this house for even a month? This atmosphere would stifle me. There is your father, entirely absorbed in his books, and his gout; there is your Uncle Vanya with his hypochondria, your grandmother, and finally, your step-mother--SONIA. What about her?

ASTROFF. A human being should be entirely beautiful: the face, the clothes, the mind, the thoughts. Your step-mother is, of course, beautiful to look at, but don't you see? She does nothing but sleep and eat and walk and bewitch us, and that is all. She has no responsibilities, everything is done for her--am I not right? And an idle life can never be a pure one. [A pause]

However, I may be judging her too severely. Like your Uncle Vanya, I am discontented, and so we are both grumblers.

SONIA. Aren't you satisfied with life?

ASTROFF. I like life as life, but I hate and despise it in a little Russian country village, and as far as my own personal life goes, by heaven! there is absolutely no redeeming feature about it. Haven't you noticed if you are riding through a dark wood at night and see a little light shining ahead, how you forget your fatigue and the darkness and the sharp twigs that whip your face? I work, that you know--as no one else in the country works. Fate beats me on without rest; at times I suffer unendurably and I see no light ahead. I have no hope; I do not like people. It is long since I have loved any one.

SONIA. You love no one?

ASTROFF. Not a soul. I only feel a sort of tenderness for your old nurse for old-times' sake. The peasants are all alike; they are stupid and live in dirt, and the educated people are hard to get along with. One gets tired of them. All our good friends are petty and shallow and see no farther than their own noses; in one word, they are dull. Those that have brains are hysterical, devoured with a mania for self-analysis. They whine, they hate, they pick faults everywhere with unhealthy sharpness. They sneak up to me sideways, look at me out of a corner of the eye, and say: "That man is a lunatic," "That man is a wind-bag." Or, if they don't know what else to label me with, they say I am strange. I like the woods; that is strange. I don't eat meat;that is strange, too. Simple, natural relations between man and man or man and nature do not exist. [He tries to go out; SONIAprevents him.]

SONIA. I beg you, I implore you, not to drink any more!

ASTROFF. Why not?

SONIA. It is so unworthy of you. You are well-bred, your voice is sweet, you are even--more than any one I know--handsome. Why do you want to resemble the common people that drink and play cards?

同类推荐
  • 赠别二首

    赠别二首

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金光明最胜王经疏

    金光明最胜王经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 牟梨曼陀罗咒经

    牟梨曼陀罗咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 希叟绍昙禅师广录

    希叟绍昙禅师广录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编官常典巡检部

    明伦汇编官常典巡检部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 中国历史博览3

    中国历史博览3

    《中国历史博览3》主要内容分为“隋唐”、“五代十国”、“宋”三个章节。
  • 爱如玫瑰天

    爱如玫瑰天

    青春诗会上,龙安平结识了有迪公主和北国仙子之称的两位佳人,佳人倾心,然嫉恶如仇的性子却为龙安平招来祸患,锒铛入狱,但是牢门并没有锁住爱情的脚步,三个人的爱恨纠葛该如何继续。
  • 每朵丁香都会盛开

    每朵丁香都会盛开

    我有两个生日,一个是5月17日,一个是6月1日。前者是从一张塞在我襁褓里信纸上所获知的,上面还有诸如“无力抚养,恳请好心人收留”等字样。后者则是养父母给我定的,他们说,每个孩子的有生之年应该快乐似童年。
  • 高情商的女人受欢迎

    高情商的女人受欢迎

    这是一本帮助女性朋友提高情商的智慧读本。本书以轻松睿智的笔触,教会女人在社交中必备的说话方法与办事技巧,教会女人如何展示自己的特色风采,在工作、生活中做到游刃有余,进而成就自己的魅力、事业及家庭。
  • 万千烟火是你

    万千烟火是你

    我从不后悔喜欢你,也不遗憾没能和你白首不分离。如海深情,只盼你,即使天涯陌路,也要幸福如故。——致藏在时光里的故人
  • 豪门重生之宋氏长媳

    豪门重生之宋氏长媳

    夏明瑶怎么都没有想到,她和自己的丈夫风风雨雨二十年,最后却死在了丈夫的弟弟和弟媳手中。杜伊欢:“大嫂,你还是死了这一条心吧,不会有人知道这个地方,也不会有人来救你的,你还在等着大哥?哈!他不会再来了,也许现在这个时候,他早已早你一步去见爷爷奶奶了呢!他对你倒还真是痴情啊,苦苦哀求我们放过你,可这怎么可能呢?”重伤醒来,她看到的是丈夫弟弟弟媳狂妄讽刺的笑脸。宋俊涛:“大嫂,别怪我绝情啊,大哥不死我就拿不到第一继承权,虽然大嫂你不争气,只生了个丫头片子,可那丫头也有继承权,我的小儿子,可是这家里唯一的男孩子呀!不这么做,我于心不安呐。哦,对了,顺便再告诉大嫂一声儿,澜绮好歹也是我侄女,我这做叔叔的也舍不得她受苦,已经把她拜托给海利实业的李总照顾了。”杜伊欢:“大嫂,你放心,我们会照顾好爸妈的,至于清清,念你们关系好,让你们见最后一面,黄泉路上也做个伴儿。顺便看在我们妯娌一场的份上,再告诉大嫂一件事儿吧!你和大哥之所以一直不太能要孩子,是我们做的手脚,是,不过你就算知道了,也没什么办法了,还是留着这点力气,到那边去找大哥的时候说吧!”夏明瑶怎么都没有想到,所谓的祸起萧墙,莫过于此。自己的丈夫惨死,女儿不过十二岁的年纪,就落到一个年过半百的老头子手里,不知生死。她眼睁睁的看着自己疼爱的小姑子,被一刀一刀残害致死。而造成这一切的,竟是丈夫的亲兄弟!自己也便罢了,他们可是亲兄弟,亲兄妹!几十年的兄妹情谊,一母同胞,难道真的抵不过豪门当中的尔虞我诈?那弥足珍贵的兄弟,兄妹之情,当真已经消磨殆尽?夏明瑶不明白,为什么?!为什么?!为什么?!为什么?!想到自己最亲的人都被残害致死,夏明瑶那双明亮的眼睛里,竟流出赤红色的血来:“杜伊欢,宋俊涛,若有来世,今日之辱,我必要百倍偿之,叫你们不得好死!”未曾想到,上天眷顾,让她回到了大学毕业的那一年!那是她和自己至爱的丈夫,初见之年。这一生,她要将杜伊欢踩在脚下,她要叫宋俊涛生不如死!这一世,爱她的人,她要倾一生之力相护,保他们一世平安;害她的人,她要打碎他们全部的希望,将他们推下地狱!嫁人就要退职?开什么玩笑?姐踏踏实实的在军艺团里待着呢!是妥妥的著名军旅青年女高音歌唱家,你们不服?上辈子嫁人太晚,叫弟媳占尽先机?不好意思,这辈子,有我在,那个家里就没你什么位置了!
  • 未知荒野

    未知荒野

    他是尤勒斯穿越计划的先遣者他是探索未知大陆寻找文明遗迹的探索者他是猎杀赏金首的追猎者他是找回自己身世的失忆者脑机系统是他生存的无形保护伞……周宇在沉睡中醒来,作为第一批先遣者之一,他来到了一个未知的世界,在找寻自己身世的道路上,他不停的探索……掠夺暴徒、变异生物、杀人机器……
  • 金光明经玄义

    金光明经玄义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 第七感

    第七感

    中国恐怖小说第一人周德东力作!主人公碎花小鳄被迫来到一个古怪、诡异的学校——永远无声无息的209寝室、莫名其妙的同窗室友、不同寻常的冰镇可乐怎么喝都会中奖、只要出门就能看到的那辆出租车和那位表情猥琐的司机,所有的种种无不隐藏着惊世骇俗的秘密。是死神的诅咒,抑或是活人的阴谋?母女二人同时爱上一个男人,结局会是怎样?是什么堆积出难解的亲情仇恨?已经过世的父亲为什么会变身成为“电子父亲”?浪子的爱情究竟情归何处?“第七感”是个人的主观感觉,还是蕴藏在何种情感中的不为人知的情结?
  • 裂锦(新版)

    裂锦(新版)

    这是一个悲凉的传奇。傅圣歆为了避免家族企业的破产,不得不依附于曾有宿怨的商界巨子易志维。他们在彼此的试探与挣扎里,慢慢陷入与对方的情感纠葛中。只是现实严酷,容不得她奢望爱情或是幸福。悲情小天后匪我思存感动经典,再续三世纠葛情仇。这一刻的爱情情深似海,而人生,注定寂寞如雪。当文字也开始哭泣……再见记忆中那些明媚的忧伤,觅一个云淡风轻的闲暇午后,在匪我思存的文字里体验一次畅快淋漓的文字之旅!