米哈伊尔·斯特罗戈夫

新宫殿里的舞会

The Ball at the New Palace

“陛下，有一条新消息。”

“Sire, a new message.”

“从哪里来的？”

“From where?”

“从托木斯克来的。”

“From Tomsk.”

“那个城镇后面的电报线断了吗？”

“Is the telegraph wire cut after that town?”

“是的，陛下。从昨天开始就断了。”

“Yes, sire. Since yesterday.”

“将军，每小时给托木斯克发一条消息。把所有事都告诉我。”

“Send a message to Tomsk every hour, General. Tell me everything.”

“好的，陛下。”基索夫将军说。

“Yes, sire,” said General Kissoff.

那是七月十六日半夜两点。在莫斯科，新宫殿的舞会正在最热闹的时候。乐队整个晚上都在演奏波尔卡和华尔兹。几百对男女在大房间里跳舞。一千支蜡烛的灯光照在镜子里。在外面，士兵们在黑暗里走来走去。他们的头盔在窗户照出的光里闪闪发亮。在宫殿下面，船只在河上慢慢地往下游开去。

It was two hours after midnight on the sixteenth of July. In Moscow, the ball at the New Palace was at its best. The bands played polkas and waltzes all evening. Hundreds of couples danced in the big rooms. The lights of a thousand candles shone in the mirrors. Outside, soldiers walked up and down in the dark. Their helmets shone in the light from the windows. Below the palace, boats moved slowly down the river.

跟将军说话的人是舞会的主人。他穿着朴素的军装，而且他不喜欢好看的衣服。他周围的人都穿着光亮、华丽的军装，但是他穿着简单的外衣，在一个个人群之间走动。他很少说话。他个子很高，很和气，但是他的脸很严肃。几个重要的客人看着他，心里想：“他有烦恼。”没有人问他这件事。

The man who spoke to the General was the host of the ball. He wore a plain uniform, and he did not like fine clothes. Around him were men in bright, rich uniforms, but he moved from group to group in his simple coat. He spoke little. He was tall and friendly, but his face was serious. A few important guests looked at him and thought, “He has a worry.” Nobody asked him about it.

他不想让自己的烦恼破坏舞会。所以音乐继续响着，客人们继续跳舞。

He did not want his worry to spoil the ball. So the music played on, and the guests danced.

但是将军还站在那里。主人又看了一遍那条消息。他的脸色变得更难看了。他把手放在剑上。然后他带着将军走到一扇窗户旁边。

But the General was still standing there. The host read the message again. His face grew darker. He put his hand on his sword. Then he took the General to a window.

“这么说，从昨天起我们就没有我弟弟大公的消息了吗？”

“So we have no news from my brother, the Grand Duke, since yesterday?”

“没有，陛下。现在没有消息能穿过西伯利亚边界了。”

“None, sire. No message crosses the Siberian border now.”