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Text C Chekhovs Last Days（第1页）

TextCChekhov’sLastDays

&royat

TranslatedbyMiryHeim

[1]。。。Thefriendswhocametoseestretchedoutonadaybedwearingadressinggown。Heologizetothemfortheinformalityofhisattireandforcehimselftomakejokesaerestedihing，buttheywereallstruckbyhishollowcheeks，lexion，anddilatedpupils。Dr。Rossolimoobservedthatlikealltubercularpatientshespokeofthediseasewithanalmostredifferehhisburninghandsandflushedcheekscouldhereallybelieveincure?

[2]OneeveninginisghappilywiththewriterGilyarovsky，oehimtowrite，whenGilyarovskymentionedhehadretlyreturnedfromavisittothesteppe。AllatonceChekhovgrewpehesteppe，thesteppe!Whataluyouare!That’swherethepoetryis。”Andheclosedhiseyes，smiledachildlikesmile，ahisheaddropontothepillow。“Iamhedreamedofsteppe，”Gilyarovskywrote。

[3]Towardstheehperaturewentdowroogetoutofbed。OnMay31heariumphantlytohissister:“Justthink。TodayforthefirsttimeIputonshoesandacoat[。。。]aimewentoutforaride。”hingtoholdhimbathejouraubehadseled。OnJune3，1904，AntonandOlgatookthetrainforBerlin。

[4]AlthoughhehadleftMosorbidmood，ChekhovperkedupatonBerlin。Ageofplacealwaysdidhimgood。FromafortableroomatHotelSavoy（“thebestinBerlieMarialetterafteroptimisticletter:hisappetitehadimproved;heuttingabitoffleshonhisbones;hisdiarrheahadsubsided;hislegsnolongerarfact，hewasoallday，“runningaroundBerlin，”raidingtheshthroughtheTiergarten。ItwasthefirsttimehehadeverbeenoutofRussiawithOlga，aheclosertoherf“stranded”iy;heenjoyeddisganewworldanddisewimpressionswithher。Heclaimedjestinglythathehadnotseenasinglegood-lookingwomanandthatGermanwomendressed“abomi，asheadmittedtoMaria，“peopleliveafortableexistehefoodisgood，lifeisgood，lifeisnotexpehestreetsare，ns。”InhisoptimismheeveospetheItaliaurntoYaltainAugustviaople。

[5]Chekhov’sthefuturewasnotsharedbyDr。KarlEwald，thespecialistDr。TaubehadreeergivingChekhovacarefulexamination，Dr。Ereadhisarmsiureofhelplessnessahoutaword。Themessagewasobvious。“Itwas，ofcourse，”Dr。Alschulerlaterwrote，“butEwald’sattitudemaybeexplaihathedidandhowanyonecouldhavepermittedamansoilltouakesolongajourney—andforwhat?”AfterahChekhovtheBerliforRussiaohiseditor:“IamoftheopinionthatChekhov’sdaysarenumbered。Heseemedmortallyill:hewasterriblythihetime，gaspedforbreathattheslightestmovement，andwasrunningahightemperature。”

[6]ThesamejournalistsawtheChekhovsoffatthePotsdamstatiohreedaysiheytookthetrainforBadeheBlackForest。“Hehadtroublemakinghisthesmallstaircaseatthestatioe，“andsatdowestocatchhisbreath。Butasthetraiopullout，hedisregardedmypleaaofthewindowtonodgood-bye。”

[7]BadenweilerisaspaoerheBlackForestnotfarfromBasel，a，exglittletowoadeforvalesdhespetwodaysthereinabhouse，theoaprivatehousethattookihelarge，well-keptgarden，allgravelpathsandflowerbeds，affordedabeautifulviewofthemountains。Chekhovspeireday—fruheeveedinafortableBadehesundidnotburohissister，itcaressedtheskin。Thespaphysi，aDr。Schwohrer，provedperfepeteogetonwith。Besidesabsoluterestheprescribedadietofealdreer，aea（“toaidthepatient’ssleep”）。AndwhileChekhovaboutSchwohrer’s“quackery，”heboastedtoMariathathewasgrerfast。OnJusofarastowritetohismother:“Myhealthisimproving，andit’slikelyI’llbepletelyaweek。”OlgaefulenoughtoleavehimonhisownandgotoBaseltohaveherteethexamined。

[8]Afteraweekofeuphoria，however，avewaytoay，boredom，andtheneedfe。“I’tgetusedtothisGermanpeadquiet，”hewrotetoMaria。“There’snotasouexabandwithrikesupatseveninthemandadropoftalent，noodtasteaobeseen，oitiesoforderahere’sagooddealmoretalentinRussia，tosaynothingofItalyorFranowDr。Sedwantingtoo:“Thesamestupidcocoa，thesameoatmeal。”SiherewasionBadenweiler，however，theyleftthehousetheyhadbeenstayingatfortheHotelSommer，thebestthespahadtooffer。Chekhovwouldsitoutonthebalyofhisroomforhours，eopleenteraofficeacrosstheroad。OrhewouldplanjourimetablesainginformatiouredatesforboatseoOdessafromTriesteorMarseilles。

[9]ThenBadebyaheatwave。Chekhov，hislungshalfdestroyed，sufferedhorribly。“It’scaughtmeunawares，”hewrotetoMaria，“andsinceallIhavewithmeiswihes，I’msuffoddreamofgettingoutofhere。”IhelastChekhivesintodespairforthefirsttime:“Thefoodisverytasty，butitdoesn’tdomemuachkeepsupset。I’teatthekindofbuttertheyhavehere。Apparentlymystomaedbeyondallhope。Abouttheoistofast，inotherwords，torefraiirely，andthat’sthat。Andtheonlyremedyforshort-wiokeepperfectlystill。”HislettertohereofherstohimsayingthatsincehewasdoingsowellsheaherIvaogoonashorttouroftheCaucasus。“Sotakecareofyourself，dearAnthlessamatherythande。”

[10]OnJune29ChekhovhadasuddeadSchwivehimbothmorphineahispulsereturonormalandhehadapeaight。Therespitewasshort-lived;dayhehadaack。TwodentsfromtheRussianpressrushedtoBadenweilerandwiredbagreportsoeofChekhov’shealth。eanwhile，soohesedattadperfectlyludstructedhisbaomakeallpaymentsinhiswife’sname。WhenOlgaaskedhimthereasonforhis，herepliedevasively，“It’sincase。。。”

[11]OnJuly1heseemedtofeelbetterandthedesweremoreoptimistic:hisheartwasdoihedayhadpasseduowardseveedthatOlga，whohadhisbedsideforthreedays，shouldtakeawalkielgrouurned，shelaydownonanarrowearthebed。Hescoldedherfsosad。Tocheerherup，hestartedimprovingastory。Ittookplaafashioeriheguestswereall“well-fedbankers”and“rosy-glishaourists。”Everydaytheywouldetitebygoingonahike，aheywouldrushbacktothehofthedeliealawaitingthem。OurthechefhaddedtheywouldhavehispointChekhovbegantodescribehoweachofthehungrygourmetsreactedtothedisaster。FuishOlgaothelplaughing。

[12]Althoughtheheatwasstilloppressive，Chekhovsoonfellasleep。Hisbreathspurts，buthisfacewasathalfpasttwelvehesatupinbedandcalledforadoctor。ItwasthefirsttimeOlgahadeverheardhimdoso。SuddeverymueintheirlargeGermanhotelwhereeveryonefht。AfteramomentofindesherecalledthatthereweretwoRussiaheroomdoor。Sherahem，ahemimmediatelyrushedofftofetchDr。Schwohrer。“IstillhearthesoundofthegravelunderhisshoesihatstiflingJulyerwrote。

[13]FeverhadmadeChekhovdelirious。HewentonaboutasailororabouttheJapanese，hiseyesshiniriedtoplaihischest，hesuddenlyregainedessandsaid，“Don’tputiptystomach。”

[14]Theideopen，butheotstoppanting;histempleswerebathedi。Dr。Schwohrerarrivedattwoo’，hesatup，leanedbastthepillows，and，inafinalreflexofusteredhisweakGermanandsaid，“Ichsterbe。”Sediatelygavehimaje，buthisheartfailedtoreact。HewasabouttenpillowwhenChekhov，lucidtotheeedinabroke’stheuse?Beforeitarrives，I’llbeacorpse。”SoDr。Schwohrersentforabottleofe。

[15]Whenitcame，Chekhovtookaglassand，turningtoOlga，saidwithasmile，“It’sbeensolongsinceI’vehade。”Heemptiedtheglassslowlyandlaydownoside。Afewmome。Hehadpassedfromlifetodeathwithcharacteristicsimplicity。

[16]ItwasJuly2，1904，threeo’them。Alargeblagedmothhadflhtheasbangingwildlyagaihemuffledsoundsoongrewmaddeninglydistrag。Dr。Schafterafewwordsofsolation。Allatoherewasajoyousexplosion:thecorkhadpoppedoutoftheebottleandfoamwasfizzlingoutafterit。Themothfounditswayoutoftheearediryurned。Whendaybrokeatlast，Olgawasstillsittingandstaringintoherhusbaeaceful，smiling，knowing。“Therewerenohumanvoioeverydaysouherewasoy，peadthegrandeurofdeath。”

[1987]

Notes

&royat:He，borninMoscow，wasoprolifidpopularFrehe20thtury。

2。Olga:She，Chekhov’swife，wasaheMoscolayedsomeofChekhov’splays。

3。Maria:She，thesisterofChekhov，wasateacher，artist，fouheorialHousemuseuminYalta。

4。Odessa:ItisthefestUkraiyisamajorseaportlotheerheBlackSea。

5。Trieste:Itisadseaportialy。

6。Marseilles:LothesoutheastcoastofFrance，MarseilleisFrance’slargestediterraaercialport。

7。Ichsterbe:（German）Itmeans:“I’mdying。”

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2。TheDeadbyJamesJoyce

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2。TheDead（1987）

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