19-9-9 【英语美文】200万买15年监禁，自由与金钱的深思—契诃夫经典小说《打赌》

The Bet

By Anton Chekhov – edited version

1.      It was a dark autumn night. The old banker was pacing from corner to corner of his study, recalling the party he gave inthe autumn, fifteen years before. There were many clever people at that party.They talked, among other things, of capitalpunishment. Some of them thought that capital punishment should be replacedby life-imprisonment. "I don't agree with you," the banker said. "In myopinion capital punishment is more humane than imprisonment. Execution killsinstantly, life-imprisonment kills slowly. “

2.     Among them was a lawyer, a young man of abouttwenty-five. He said: "If I were offered the choice between them, I wouldcertainly choose the second. It's better to live somehow than not to live atall." Thebanker, who was then younger and more nervous, suddenly banged his fist on the table, and cried out: "It's a lie. Ibet you two million you wouldn't stick in a cell even for five years." "If you mean it seriously,"replied the lawyer, "then I bet I'll stay not five, but fifteen." "Fifteen!Done!" cried the banker. "Gentlemen, I stake two million." "Agreed." said the lawyer.

3.      It was decided that the lawyer would be imprisoned in a garden wing of the banker's house. It wasagreed that during the entire period he was permitted to have a musicalinstrument, to read books, to write letters, to drink wine and smoke tobacco. Hecould also communicate with the outside world through a little window throughletters, in silence. The least attempt to escape, if only for two minutes before the fifteen years were over,would free the banker from the obligation to pay him the two million.

4.      During the first year of imprisonment, the lawyer sufferedterribly from loneliness and boredom. From his wing, day and night, came thesound of the piano. During the first year the lawyer was sent books of a light character; novels with a complicatedlove interest, stories of crime and fantasy, comedies, and so on.

5.     In the second year the piano was heard nolonger and the lawyer asked only for classics.In the fifth year, music was heard again, and the prisoner asked for wine. Bookshe did not read anymore. More than once he was heard to weep. In the secondhalf of the sixth year, the prisoner began zealously to study languages, philosophy, and history. In the space of 7 years, about sixhundred volumes were bought at his request. During the last two years of his confinement, the prisoner also read anextraordinary amount. He asks for books about everything: from chemistry,medicine, novels, philosophy to theology.

6.      Only a few hours were now left of the 15-year period, and thebanker thought: "Very soon he receives his freedom, and I shall have topay him two million. I will be ruined for ever …" Fifteen years before hehad too many millions to count, but now he was afraid to ask himself which hehad more of: money or debts.  "Thatcursed bet," murmured the old man "Why didn't the man die? He's onlyforty years old. He will take away my last money, marry, enjoy life, and I willlook on like an envious beggar andhear the same words from him every day: 'I'm obliged to you for the happiness of my life. Let me help you.' No,it's too much! The only escape from bankruptcy and disgrace—is that the man shoulddie.

7.      In the darkness of that night, trembling, the old banker went to thegarden wing that served as the prison of the lawyer. The lawyer himself sat bythe table. Only his back, the hair on his head and his hands were visible. Thebanker cautiously put the key into the lock. He expected instantly to hear acry of surprise and the sound of steps. Three minutes passed, but it was asquiet inside as it had been before. He made up his mind to enter.

8.      Before the table sat a man, unlike an ordinary human being. It wasa skeleton, with tight-drawn skin,with long curly hair like a woman's, and a shaggy beard. His hair was already silvering with grey, and no one would have believedthat he was only forty years old. On the table, before his bended head, lay asheet of paper on which something was written in a tiny hand.  "Poor devil," thought the banker,"he's asleep and probably seeing millions in his dreams. I only have tothrow him on the bed, and smother him a moment with the pillow to kill him. But, first, let us read what he haswritten here."

9.      The banker took the sheet from the table and read: "Tomorrowat twelve o'clock midnight, I shall obtain my freedom and the right to mix withpeople. But before I leave this room and see the sun, I think it necessary tosay a few words to you.” "For fifteen years I saw neither the earth northe people, but in your books I drank fragrant wine, sang songs, hunted deer inthe forests and loved many women. I saw green forests, fields, rivers, lakes,cities, I even conquered wholecountries. Your books gave me wisdom. All human thought created over centuriesis compressed to a little lump in my skull. I know that I am now cleverer thanyou all. I do not want to understand you. And I want to show you my contempt for that by which you live, soI waive the two million of which Ionce dreamed as of paradise, and which I now despise. Therefore, I shall escape five minutes before the end ofmy 15 years as a prisoner, and so violate the agreement."

10.   When he had read the letter, the banker put the sheet on thetable, kissed the head of the strange man, and began to weep. He went out ofthe wing. Never at any other time, not even after his terrible financial losses,had he felt such contempt for himself as now. He had the hardest time sleepingthat night. The next morning, the prisoner’s watchman came running to him and told him that the man who waslocked in the wing had disappeared. To avoid unnecessary rumours, the banker took the letter of his ex-prisoner from thetable and locked it in his safe.