×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

image

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Part 2. Chapter 15.

Part 2. Chapter 15.

The place fixed on for the stand-shooting was not far above a stream in a little aspen copse.

On reaching the copse, Levin got out of the trap and led Oblonsky to a corner of a mossy, swampy glade, already quite free from snow. He went back himself to a double birch tree on the other side, and leaning his gun on the fork of a dead lower branch, he took off his full overcoat, fastened his belt again, and worked his arms to see if they were free.

Gray old Laska, who had followed them, sat down warily opposite him and pricked up her ears.

The sun was setting behind a thick forest, and in the glow of sunset the birch trees, dotted about in the aspen copse, stood out clearly with their hanging twigs, and their buds swollen almost to bursting.

From the thickest parts of the copse, where the snow still remained, came the faint sound of narrow winding threads of water running away.

Tiny birds twittered, and now and then fluttered from tree to tree.

In the pauses of complete stillness there came the rustle of last year's leaves, stirred by the thawing of the earth and the growth of the grass. "Imagine! One can hear and see the grass growing!" Levin said to himself, noticing a wet, slate-colored aspen leaf moving beside a blade of young grass. He stood, listened, and gazed sometimes down at the wet mossy ground, sometimes at Laska listening all alert, sometimes at the sea of bare tree tops that stretched on the slope below him, sometimes at the darkening sky, covered with white streaks of cloud.

A hawk flew high over a forest far away with slow sweep of its wings; another flew with exactly the same motion in the same direction and vanished.

The birds twittered more and more loudly and busily in the thicket. An owl hooted not far off, and Laska, starting, stepped cautiously a few steps forward, and putting her head on one side, began to listen intently. Beyond the stream was heard the cuckoo. Twice she uttered her usual cuckoo call, and then gave a hoarse, hurried call and broke down.

"Imagine! the cuckoo already!" said Stepan Arkadyevitch, coming out from behind a bush.

"Yes, I hear it," answered Levin, reluctantly breaking the stillness with his voice, which sounded disagreeable to himself. "Now it's coming! " Stepan Arkadyevitch's figure again went behind the bush, and Levin saw nothing but the bright flash of a match, followed by the red glow and blue smoke of a cigarette. "Tchk! tchk!" came the snapping sound of Stepan Arkadyevitch cocking his gun.

"What's that cry? " asked Oblonsky, drawing Levin's attention to a prolonged cry, as though a colt were whinnying in a high voice, in play. "Oh, don't you know it? That's the hare. But enough talking! Listen, it's flying!" almost shrieked Levin, cocking his gun.

They heard a shrill whistle in the distance, and in the exact time, so well known to the sportsman, two seconds later— another, a third, and after the third whistle the hoarse, guttural cry could be heard.

Levin looked about him to right and to left, and there, just facing him against the dusky blue sky above the confused mass of tender shoots of the aspens, he saw the flying bird.

It was flying straight towards him; the guttural cry, like the even tearing of some strong stuff, sounded close to his ear; the long beak and neck of the bird could be seen, and at the very instant when Levin was taking aim, behind the bush where Oblonsky stood, there was a flash of red lightning: the bird dropped like an arrow, and darted upwards again. Again came the red flash and the sound of a blow, and fluttering its wings as though trying to keep up in the air, the bird halted, stopped still an instant, and fell with a heavy splash on the slushy ground.

"Can I have missed it? " shouted Stepan Arkadyevitch, who could not see for the smoke. "Here it is! " said Levin, pointing to Laska, who with one ear raised, wagging the end of her shaggy tail, came slowly back as though she would prolong the pleasure, and as it were smiling, brought the dead bird to her master. "Well, I'm glad you were successful," said Levin, who, at the same time, had a sense of envy that he had not succeeded in shooting the snipe. "It was a bad shot from the right barrel," responded Stepan Arkadyevitch, loading his gun. "Sh…it's flying! " The shrill whistles rapidly following one another were heard again.

Two snipe, playing and chasing one another, and only whistling, not crying, flew straight at the very heads of the sportsmen. There was the report of four shots, and like swallows the snipe turned swift somersaults in the air and vanished from sight.

The stand-shooting was capital.

Stepan Arkadyevitch shot two more birds and Levin two, of which one was not found. It began to get dark. Venus, bright and silvery, shone with her soft light low down in the west behind the birch trees, and high up in the east twinkled the red lights of Arcturus. Over his head Levin made out the stars of the Great Bear and lost them again. The snipe had ceased flying; but Levin resolved to stay a little longer, till Venus, which he saw below a branch of birch, should be above it, and the stars of the Great Bear should be perfectly plain. Venus had risen above the branch, and the ear of the Great Bear with its shaft was now all plainly visible against the dark blue sky, yet still he waited.

"Isn't it time to go home? " said Stepan Arkadyevitch. It was quite still now in the copse, and not a bird was stirring.

"Let's stay a little while," answered Levin. "As you like. They were standing now about fifteen paces from one another.

"Stiva! " said Levin unexpectedly; "how is it you don't tell me whether your sister-in-law's married yet, or when she's going to be? " Levin felt so resolute and serene that no answer, he fancied, could affect him.

But he had never dreamed of what Stepan Arkadyevitch replied.

"She's never thought of being married, and isn't thinking of it; but she's very ill, and the doctors have sent her abroad. They're positively afraid she may not live. " "What! " cried Levin. "Very ill? What is wrong with her? How has she…? " While they were saying this, Laska, with ears pricked up, was looking upwards at the sky, and reproachfully at them.

"They have chosen a time to talk," she was thinking. "It's on the wing…. Here it is, yes, it is. They'll miss it," thought Laska. But at that very instant both suddenly heard a shrill whistle which, as it were, smote on their ears, and both suddenly seized their guns and two flashes gleamed, and two gangs sounded at the very same instant.

The snipe flying high above instantly folded its wings and fell into a thicket, bending down the delicate shoots.

"Splendid! Together!" cried Levin, and he ran with Laska into the thicket to look for the snipe.

"Oh, yes, what was it that was unpleasant? " he wondered. "Yes, Kitty's ill…. Well, it can't be helped; I'm very sorry," he thought. "She's found it! Isn't she a clever thing?" he said, taking the warm bird from Laska's mouth and packing it into the almost full game bag. "I've got it, Stiva!" he shouted.


Part 2. Chapter 15. Parte 2. Capítulo 15. Bölüm 2. Bölüm 15. 第 2 部分.第 15 章

The place fixed on for the stand-shooting was not far above a stream in a little aspen copse. L'endroit fixé pour le tir au stand n'était pas loin au-dessus d'un ruisseau dans un petit bosquet de trembles.

On reaching the copse, Levin got out of the trap and led Oblonsky to a corner of a mossy, swampy glade, already quite free from snow. En atteignant le bosquet, Levin sortit du piège et conduisit Oblonsky dans un coin d'une clairière moussue et marécageuse, déjà assez libre de neige. He went back himself to a double birch tree on the other side, and leaning his gun on the fork of a dead lower branch, he took off his full overcoat, fastened his belt again, and worked his arms to see if they were free. Il retourna lui-même vers un double bouleau de l'autre côté, et appuya son fusil sur la fourche d'une branche inférieure morte, il ôta son pardessus plein, referma sa ceinture et travailla ses bras pour voir s'ils étaient libres. Jis grįžo prie dvigubo beržo, esančio kitoje pusėje, ir, pasirėmęs ginklą ant negyvos apatinės šakos šakės, nusimetė visą paltą, vėl prisisegė diržą ir rankomis pažiūrėjo, ar jie laisvi.

Gray old Laska, who had followed them, sat down warily opposite him and pricked up her ears. La vieille Laska grise, qui les avait suivis, s'assit prudemment en face de lui et se dressa les oreilles.

The sun was setting behind a thick forest, and in the glow of sunset the birch trees, dotted about in the aspen copse, stood out clearly with their hanging twigs, and their buds swollen almost to bursting. Le soleil se couchait derrière une épaisse forêt, et à la lueur du coucher du soleil, les bouleaux, parsemés dans le bosquet de trembles, se distinguaient nettement avec leurs brindilles pendantes, et leurs bourgeons enflés presque à éclater.

From the thickest parts of the copse, where the snow still remained, came the faint sound of narrow winding threads of water running away. Des parties les plus épaisses du bosquet, où il restait encore de la neige, sortait le faible bruit d'étroits filets d'eau qui s'enfuyaient.

Tiny birds twittered, and now and then fluttered from tree to tree. De minuscules oiseaux gazouillaient et voletaient de temps en temps d'arbre en arbre.

In the pauses of complete stillness there came the rustle of last year's leaves, stirred by the thawing of the earth and the growth of the grass. Dans les pauses d'immobilité complète, il y eut le bruissement des feuilles de l'année dernière, agité par la fonte de la terre et la croissance de l'herbe. "Imagine! One can hear and see the grass growing!" Levin said to himself, noticing a wet, slate-colored aspen leaf moving beside a blade of young grass. Se dit Levin, remarquant une feuille de tremble mouillée de couleur ardoise se déplaçant à côté d'un brin de jeune herbe. He stood, listened, and gazed sometimes down at the wet mossy ground, sometimes at Laska listening all alert, sometimes at the sea of bare tree tops that stretched on the slope below him, sometimes at the darkening sky, covered with white streaks of cloud. Il se tenait debout, écoutait et regardait parfois le sol moussu humide, parfois à Laska écoutant tout en alerte, parfois à la mer des cimes d'arbres nues qui s'étendaient sur la pente en dessous de lui, parfois au ciel qui s'assombrissait, couvert de stries blanches de nuages. .

A hawk flew high over a forest far away with slow sweep of its wings; another flew with exactly the same motion in the same direction and vanished. Un faucon a volé haut au-dessus d'une forêt lointaine avec un lent balayage de ses ailes; un autre a volé avec exactement le même mouvement dans la même direction et a disparu.

The birds twittered more and more loudly and busily in the thicket. Les oiseaux gazouillaient de plus en plus bruyamment et activement dans le fourré. An owl hooted not far off, and Laska, starting, stepped cautiously a few steps forward, and putting her head on one side, began to listen intently. Une chouette hulula non loin de là, et Laska, sursautant, s'avança prudemment de quelques pas, et mettant sa tête de côté, se mit à écouter attentivement. 不远处传来一只猫头鹰的叫声，拉斯卡开始了，小心翼翼地往前走了几步，把头侧向一边，开始专心地听着。 Beyond the stream was heard the cuckoo. Au-delà du ruisseau, on entendit le coucou. Už upelio pasigirdo gegutė. Twice she uttered her usual cuckoo call, and then gave a hoarse, hurried call and broke down. À deux reprises, elle a prononcé son appel de coucou habituel, puis a donné un appel enroué et précipité et s'est effondrée. Du kartus ji ištarė įprastą gegutės skambutį, o paskui užkimė, skubiai paskambino ir palūžo.

"Imagine! the cuckoo already!" said Stepan Arkadyevitch, coming out from behind a bush.

"Yes, I hear it," answered Levin, reluctantly breaking the stillness with his voice, which sounded disagreeable to himself. «Oui, je l'entends,» répondit Levin, rompant à contrecœur le silence avec sa voix, qui lui paraissait désagréable. "Now it's coming! " Stepan Arkadyevitch's figure again went behind the bush, and Levin saw nothing but the bright flash of a match, followed by the red glow and blue smoke of a cigarette. La silhouette de Stepan Arkadyevitch retourna derrière le buisson, et Levin ne vit rien d'autre que le flash lumineux d'une allumette, suivi de la lueur rouge et de la fumée bleue d'une cigarette. "Tchk! tchk!" came the snapping sound of Stepan Arkadyevitch cocking his gun. est venu le bruit claquant de Stepan Arkadyevitch armant son arme. pasigirdo, kaip Stepanas Arkadjevičius gaudė ginklą.

"What's that cry? " asked Oblonsky, drawing Levin's attention to a prolonged cry, as though a colt were whinnying in a high voice, in play. »demanda Oblonsky, attirant l'attention de Levin sur un cri prolongé, comme si un poulain hennissait à haute voix, en train de jouer. "Oh, don't you know it? That's the hare. But enough talking! Listen, it's flying!" Écoute, ça vole! " almost shrieked Levin, cocking his gun. cria presque Levin en armant son arme.

They heard a shrill whistle in the distance, and in the exact time, so well known to the sportsman, two seconds later— another, a third, and after the third whistle the hoarse, guttural cry could be heard. Ils entendirent un sifflement strident au loin, et à l'heure exacte, si bien connue du sportif, deux secondes plus tard - un autre, un troisième, et après le troisième sifflement on entendit un cri rauque et guttural. Jie iš tolo išgirdo stiprų švilpimą toli, o tiksliu laiku, taip gerai žinomam sportininkui, po dviejų sekundžių - dar vieną, trečią, o po trečiojo švilpimo prikimštą, buvo girdimas gūžinis šauksmas.

Levin looked about him to right and to left, and there, just facing him against the dusky blue sky above the confused mass of tender shoots of the aspens, he saw the flying bird. Levin regarda autour de lui à droite et à gauche, et là, juste en face de lui contre le ciel bleu sombre au-dessus de la masse confuse de pousses tendres des trembles, il vit l'oiseau volant.

It was flying straight towards him; the guttural cry, like the even tearing of some strong stuff, sounded close to his ear; the long beak and neck of the bird could be seen, and at the very instant when Levin was taking aim, behind the bush where Oblonsky stood, there was a flash of red lightning: the bird dropped like an arrow, and darted upwards again. Il volait droit vers lui; le cri guttural, comme le déchirement même d'une substance forte, résonna près de son oreille; on voyait le long bec et le cou de l'oiseau, et au moment même où Levin visait, derrière le buisson où se tenait Oblonsky, il y eut un éclair rouge: l'oiseau tomba comme une flèche et s'élança de nouveau vers le haut. Tai skrido tiesiai link jo; Geltinis šauksmas, kaip net kai kurių stiprių daiktų ašarojimas, skambėjo prie jo ausies; buvo galima pamatyti ilgą paukščio snapą ir kaklą, ir tą akimirką, kai Levinas taikėsi, už krūmo, kuriame stovėjo Oblonskis, žybsėjo raudonas žaibas: paukštis nukrito kaip rodyklė ir vėl smigo į viršų. Again came the red flash and the sound of a blow, and fluttering its wings as though trying to keep up in the air, the bird halted, stopped still an instant, and fell with a heavy splash on the slushy ground. Encore une fois, le flash rouge et le bruit d'un coup, et battant des ailes comme s'il essayait de se maintenir dans les airs, l'oiseau s'arrêta, s'arrêta encore un instant et tomba avec une forte éclaboussure sur le sol boueux.

"Can I have missed it? « Est-ce que je peux l'avoir raté ? " shouted Stepan Arkadyevitch, who could not see for the smoke. " a crié Stepan Arkadyevitch, qui ne pouvait pas voir à cause de la fumée. "Here it is! " said Levin, pointing to Laska, who with one ear raised, wagging the end of her shaggy tail, came slowly back as though she would prolong the pleasure, and as it were smiling, brought the dead bird to her master. dit Levin en désignant Laska, qui, une oreille levée, remuant le bout de sa queue hirsute, revint lentement comme si elle allait prolonger le plaisir, et comme elle souriait, apporta l'oiseau mort à son maître. "Well, I'm glad you were successful," said Levin, who, at the same time, had a sense of envy that he had not succeeded in shooting the snipe. "Eh bien, je suis content que vous ayez réussi", a déclaré Levin, qui, en même temps, avait un sentiment d'envie de ne pas avoir réussi à tirer sur le snipe. "It was a bad shot from the right barrel," responded Stepan Arkadyevitch, loading his gun. "C'était un mauvais coup du canon droit", a répondu Stepan Arkadyevitch en chargeant son arme. "Sh…it's flying! " The shrill whistles rapidly following one another were heard again. Les sifflements aigus se succédant rapidement se sont à nouveau entendus. Vėl pasigirdo ryškūs, vienas paskui kitą sekantys švilpukai.

Two snipe, playing and chasing one another, and only whistling, not crying, flew straight at the very heads of the sportsmen. Deux bécassines, jouant et se poursuivant, et ne faisant que siffler, pas pleurer, volaient droit sur la tête même des sportifs. There was the report of four shots, and like swallows the snipe turned swift somersaults in the air and vanished from sight. Il y eut le rapport de quatre coups de feu, et comme des hirondelles, la bécassine fit de rapides sauts périlleux dans les airs et disparut de sa vue.

The stand-shooting was capital. Le tir au stand était capital.

Stepan Arkadyevitch shot two more birds and Levin two, of which one was not found. Stepan Arkadyevitch a tiré deux autres oiseaux et Levin deux, dont un n'a pas été retrouvé. It began to get dark. Il a commencé à faire sombre. Venus, bright and silvery, shone with her soft light low down in the west behind the birch trees, and high up in the east twinkled the red lights of Arcturus. Vénus, brillante et argentée, brillait de sa douce lumière bas à l'ouest derrière les bouleaux, et tout en haut à l'est scintillait les lumières rouges d'Arcturus. Venus, helder en zilverachtig, scheen met haar zachte licht laag in het westen achter de berkenbomen, en hoog in het oosten fonkelden de rode lichten van Arcturus. Over his head Levin made out the stars of the Great Bear and lost them again. Au-dessus de sa tête, Levin aperçut les étoiles de la Grande Ourse et les perdit à nouveau. The snipe had ceased flying; but Levin resolved to stay a little longer, till Venus, which he saw below a branch of birch, should be above it, and the stars of the Great Bear should be perfectly plain. Le snipe avait cessé de voler ; mais Levin résolut de rester un peu plus longtemps, jusqu'à ce que Vénus, qu'il a vue au-dessous d'une branche de bouleau, soit au-dessus d'elle, et que les étoiles de la Grande Ourse soient parfaitement claires. Venus had risen above the branch, and the ear of the Great Bear with its shaft was now all plainly visible against the dark blue sky, yet still he waited. Vénus s'était élevée au-dessus de la branche, et l'oreille de la Grande Ourse avec sa hampe était maintenant entièrement visible sur le ciel bleu foncé, mais il attendait toujours.

"Isn't it time to go home? " said Stepan Arkadyevitch. It was quite still now in the copse, and not a bird was stirring. Il était tout à fait encore maintenant dans le bosquet, et pas un oiseau ne bougeait.

"Let's stay a little while," answered Levin. "As you like. They were standing now about fifteen paces from one another. Ils se tenaient maintenant à une quinzaine de pas l'un de l'autre.

"Stiva! " said Levin unexpectedly; "how is it you don't tell me whether your sister-in-law's married yet, or when she's going to be? " " dit Levin à l'improviste; "comment se fait-il que vous ne me disiez pas si votre belle-sœur est déjà mariée, ou quand elle le sera? " Levin felt so resolute and serene that no answer, he fancied, could affect him. Levin se sentait si résolu et serein qu'aucune réponse, s'imaginait-il, ne pouvait l'affecter. Levinas jautėsi toks ryžtingas ir ramus, kad joks atsakymas, kurį jis išgalvojo, negalėjo jo paveikti.

But he had never dreamed of what Stepan Arkadyevitch replied.

"She's never thought of being married, and isn't thinking of it; but she's very ill, and the doctors have sent her abroad. « Elle n'a jamais pensé à se marier et n'y pense pas ; mais elle est très malade et les médecins l'ont envoyée à l'étranger. They're positively afraid she may not live. " Ils ont vraiment peur qu'elle ne vive pas. " Jie teigiamai bijo, kad ji gali negyventi. " "What! " cried Levin. "Very ill? What is wrong with her? How has she…? " While they were saying this, Laska, with ears pricked up, was looking upwards at the sky, and reproachfully at them. Pendant qu'ils disaient cela, Laska, les oreilles dressées, regardait le ciel vers le haut et leur faisait des reproches.

"They have chosen a time to talk," she was thinking. "It's on the wing…. "C'est sur l'aile…. Here it is, yes, it is. They'll miss it," thought Laska. Jie to praleis “, - pagalvojo Laska. But at that very instant both suddenly heard a shrill whistle which, as it were, smote on their ears, and both suddenly seized their guns and two flashes gleamed, and two gangs sounded at the very same instant. Mais à cet instant précis, tous deux entendirent soudainement un sifflement aigu qui, pour ainsi dire, frappa leurs oreilles, et tous deux saisirent soudainement leurs fusils et deux éclairs brillèrent, et deux bandes retentirent au même instant. 可就在这时，两人忽然听到一声刺耳的哨声，仿佛是在耳边响起，两人猛地拿起枪，两道闪光，同时响起两帮人的声音。

The snipe flying high above instantly folded its wings and fell into a thicket, bending down the delicate shoots. La bécassine volant haut au-dessus plia instantanément ses ailes et tomba dans un fourré, pliant les pousses délicates.

"Splendid! Together!" cried Levin, and he ran with Laska into the thicket to look for the snipe.

"Oh, yes, what was it that was unpleasant? „O, taip, kas buvo nemalonu? " he wondered. " se demanda-t-il. "Yes, Kitty's ill…. "Oui, Kitty est malade…. Well, it can't be helped; I'm very sorry," he thought. Eh bien, cela ne peut pas être aidé; Je suis vraiment désolé », pensa-t-il. "She's found it! "Elle l'a trouvé! Isn't she a clever thing?" N'est-elle pas une chose intelligente? " he said, taking the warm bird from Laska's mouth and packing it into the almost full game bag. dit-il en retirant l'oiseau chaud de la bouche de Laska et en l'emballant dans le sac de gibier presque plein. "I've got it, Stiva!" "Je l'ai, Stiva!" he shouted. il cria.