登陆注册
15492100000016

第16章 ACT IV(2)

ASTROFF. You took a little bottle of morphine out of my medicine-case. [A pause] Listen! If you are positively determined to make an end to yourself, go into the woods and shoot yourself there. Give up the morphine, or there will be a lot of talk and guesswork; people will think I gave it to you. I don't fancy having to perform a post-mortem on you. Do you think I should find it interesting?

SONIA comes in.

VOITSKI. Leave me alone.

ASTROFF. [To SONIA] Sonia, your uncle has stolen a bottle of morphine out of my medicine-case and won't give it up. Tell him that his behaviour is--well, unwise. I haven't time, I must be going.

SONIA. Uncle Vanya, did you take the morphine?

ASTROFF. Yes, he took it. [A pause] I am absolutely sure.

SONIA. Give it up! Why do you want to frighten us? [Tenderly]

Give it up, Uncle Vanya! My misfortune is perhaps even greater than yours, but I am not plunged in despair. I endure my sorrow, and shall endure it until my life comes to a natural end. You must endure yours, too. [A pause] Give it up! Dear, darling Uncle Vanya. Give it up! [She weeps] You are so good, I am sure you will have pity on us and give it up. You must endure your sorrow, Uncle Vanya; you must endure it.

VOITSKI takes a bottle from the drawer of the table and hands it to ASTROFF.

VOITSKI. There it is! [To SONIA] And now, we must get to work at once; we must do something, or else I shall not be able to endure it.

SONIA. Yes, yes, to work! As soon as we have seen them off we shall go to work. [She nervously straightens out the papers on the table] Everything is in a muddle!

ASTROFF. [Putting the bottle in his case, which he straps together] Now I can be off.

HELENA comes in.

HELENA. Are you here, Ivan? We are starting in a moment. Go to Alexander, he wants to speak to you.

SONIA. Go, Uncle Vanya. [She takes VOITSKI 'S arm] Come, you and papa must make peace; that is absolutely necessary.

SONIA and VOITSKI go out.

HELENA. I am going away. [She gives ASTROFF her hand] Good-bye.

ASTROFF. So soon?

HELENA. The carriage is waiting.

ASTROFF. Good-bye.

HELENA. You promised me you would go away yourself to-day.

ASTROFF. I have not forgotten. I am going at once. [A pause] Were you frightened? Was it so terrible?

HELENA. Yes.

ASTROFF. Couldn't you stay? Couldn't you? To-morrow--in the forest--HELENA. No. It is all settled, and that is why I can look you so bravely in the face. Our departure is fixed. One thing I must ask of you: don't think too badly of me; I should like you to respect me.

ASTROFF. Ah! [With an impatient gesture] Stay, I implore you!

Confess that there is nothing for you to do in this world. You have no object in life; there is nothing to occupy your attention, and sooner or later your feelings must master you. It is inevitable. It would be better if it happened not in Kharkoff or in Kursk, but here, in nature's lap. It would then at least be poetical, even beautiful. Here you have the forests, the houses half in ruins that Turgenieff writes of.

HELENA. How comical you are! I am angry with you and yet I shall always remember you with pleasure. You are interesting and original. You and I will never meet again, and so I shall tell you--why should I conceal it?--that I am just a little in love with you. Come, one more last pressure of our hands, and then let us part good friends. Let us not bear each other any ill will.

ASTROFF. [Pressing her hand] Yes, go. [Thoughtfully] You seem to be sincere and good, and yet there is something strangely disquieting about all your personality. No sooner did you arrive here with your husband than every one whom you found busy and actively creating something was forced to drop his work and give himself up for the whole summer to your husband's gout and yourself. You and he have infected us with your idleness. I have been swept off my feet; I have not put my hand to a thing for weeks, during which sickness has been running its course unchecked among the people, and the peasants have been pasturing their cattle in my woods and young plantations. Go where you will, you and your husband will always carry destruction in your train. I am joking of course, and yet I am strangely sure that had you stayed here we should have been overtaken by the most immense desolation. I would have gone to my ruin, and you--you would not have prospered. So go! E finita la comedia!

HELENA. [Snatching a pencil off ASTROFF'S table, and hiding it with a quick movement] I shall take this pencil for memory!

ASTROFF. How strange it is. We meet, and then suddenly it seems that we must part forever. That is the way in this world. As long as we are alone, before Uncle Vanya comes in with a bouquet--allow me--to kiss you good-bye--may I? [He kisses her on the cheek] So! Splendid!

HELENA. I wish you every happiness. [She glances about her] For once in my life, I shall! and scorn the consequences! [She kisses him impetuously, and they quickly part] I must go.

ASTROFF. Yes, go. If the carriage is there, then start at once.

[They stand listening.]

ASTROFF. E finita!

VOITSKI, SEREBRAKOFF, MME. VOITSKAYA with her book, TELEGIN, and SONIA come in.

SEREBRAKOFF. [To VOITSKI] Shame on him who bears malice for the past. I have gone through so much in the last few hours that Ifeel capable of writing a whole treatise on the conduct of life for the instruction of posterity. I gladly accept your apology, and myself ask your forgiveness. [He kisses VOITSKI three times.]

HELENA embraces SONIA.

SEREBRAKOFF. [Kissing MME. VOITSKAYA'S hand] Mother!

MME. VOITSKAYA. [Kissing him] Have your picture taken, Alexander, and send me one. You know how dear you are to me.

TELEGIN. Good-bye, your Exce llency. Don't forget us.

SEREBRAKOFF. [Kissing his daughter] Good-bye, good-bye all.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 邻家竹马:拐到呆萌傻白甜

    邻家竹马:拐到呆萌傻白甜

    一天晨跑时,唐揉揉突然扑到了,额...撞倒了一个男生。而他竟是新搬来的邻居,然后一切都变得不一样了。【小剧场】某女一脸呆萌:“小白,班里的班花抢了我的角色,你说我该怎么办呢?!!”某男:“她那是毛遂至贱。”“唉,你怎么知道的,不给,好像是毛遂自荐。”“没错,就是毛遂至贱啦。”某男一脸奸诈
  • 光影纵天

    光影纵天

    出生于乱世当中,看那山河破碎,谁人可移山填海。各种奇遇,危险连接不断。他将踏着尸血前行,走向那璀璨王座。光影纵天交流群330428265
  • 迷糊小妻

    迷糊小妻

    他想着她念着她整整五年,憔悴到不行,可是她呢?男朋友交过一个又一个,恐怕早忘了他是第几任了吧?他真是被气到了,再次相遇的时候,他决定再也不会放她走!可是那个没脑子的笨女人,居然在他面前叫别的男人白马王子,还一脸期待憧憬,完全没意识到自己已经结婚了,完全没考虑过坐在她对面的是她的新婚丈夫。人人都抢着巴结他,可她就只会气他,真是笨得无药可救了!偏偏他对这棵笨得要死的回头草念念不忘,用尽手段地将人娶回家供着。
  • 逍遥倾城

    逍遥倾城

    五年前,各大家族为了一张地图,在苍穹大陆上掀起了一股腥风血雨,家族为了保我这个胆小怕事的少堡主周全,全族上下几千人,一夜之间被灭,而幕后操纵者却是我那个所谓的未婚夫和那个所谓的妹妹,此仇不报,妄为人,还以为就这样浑浑噩噩的过完一生,直到他的出现,改变了我。
  • 穿越异世:弑天废材六小姐

    穿越异世:弑天废材六小姐

    当她再次睁开深邃的眸子,却发现身首异处,事实告诉她,离穿越了,穿越到一个废材身上,并被自己的亲姐妹陷害,嫁给了“白痴”王爷,离的命运就此改变……
  • 天下三之幽州乱

    天下三之幽州乱

    《天下三之幽州乱》简介:他出生在魍魉门,在一个偶然的时刻、一个未知的追杀阴谋叛徒的过程中偶遇他心中的她,从此他的生命中有了牵挂,未知的悸动、未知的天下,能否带来一份安定的爱念.....幽州之王,动乱的王朝,能否如愿收复妖魔占领之地?
  • 帝道帝剑

    帝道帝剑

    人,神,仙,邪,兽,魔。六大种族构成了这世界。亿万年的争斗,世界的碎裂。唯有星雨大陆成为了人类和兽的最后一片净土。星空的星一直在普照这片天地。这一切即将毁于一旦,人在不断的证明道。追求所谓的神位。万年的布局,证明自己的剑道。帝王的路,只有自己对世界的反抗和对命运的扭转。七星的扭转,紫薇星的闪烁。新一代的帝皇即将降临,带着那无尽的威严守卫这片净土。纵横一脉,帝皇一脉。带着崇尚的天赋,一步步令神颤抖。
  • 太平道诡事

    太平道诡事

    一条神秘的村子、一座位于地底的藏经阁,深山鬼墓、水底龙宫。传说中三国时期张角的《太平要术》,大唐玄奘西天取经的秘闻……各种迷团环环紧扣,步步惊心,一次前所未有的探险之旅,考验着你的胆量和智慧。
  • 阴缘相配

    阴缘相配

    一场梦里的冥婚,是真是假?半夜送来的嫁衣,是谁赠与?一场冥婚,揭开一段千年前的爱恋,一双眼睛,看穿阴阳两界。这双眼睛,究竟能引来什么?冥婚、古宅、女鬼......
  • 白玉兰树下

    白玉兰树下

    白玉兰树下的初见,白玉兰树下的重见,今生,我爱你。