"The Bronze Horseman" by Pushkin and translated by Mu Dan

He stood, filled with great thoughts,

staring into the distance. In front of him

the river flowed vastly; the canoe swayed on

the waves, desolate and lonely.

On the moss-covered moist shore,

there are dark huts to the east and west,

poor Finns live there.

The sun hid in a thick fog.

The forest that has never seen the sun

is noisy all around.

And he thought:

We are going to threaten Sweden from here.

A castle will be built here to embarrass the arrogant neighbors.

Nature has set up a window here,

we open it and it leads to Europe.

Right by the sea, we have to stand firm.

Sails from all countries will come together,

to travel on this new sea journey,

and we will dance in the sea and sky.

One hundred years have passed, and the young city

has become the pearl and miracle of the North.

From the dark woods and swamps,

It raises its brilliant, proud head high;

Originally there were only Finnish fishermen here,

Like nature’s stepson, unhappy,

Alone, near the low wet river bank

Throwing his worn fishing net

into the unfathomable water. But now

the coast is full of life,

well-proportioned palaces and pavilions

crowded together in groups

Big ships, from every corner of the world

rush to anchor in this wealthy port.

The Neva River is covered with marble,

Tall bridges span the waves,

The small islands in the middle of the river are hidden,

Covered in a lush green garden,

And next to this young capital,

ancient Moscow is getting darker and darker,

like a widowed The Queen Mother stood in front of the newly crowned Queen.

I love you, the city that Peter built,

I love your serious and neat face,

How solemn the water of the Neva is,

Marble is paved on both sides of it;

I love the pattern of your iron railings,

The moonless night you contemplate,

That transparent and And flickering darkness.

Often, I sit alone in the house,

without lighting a lamp, writing or reading,

I can clearly see all the streets

Sleeping quietly. I saw

how bright the spire of the Admiralty was.

In the golden sky, when the night is dark

Before I can even close the curtain,

the dawn is already one after another,

Let the night stay only for half an hour.

I love your cold winter,

your frost and condensed air,

how many sleighs run along the Neva River,

The girl's face is more beautiful than the rose;

And the laughter and whispers of the ball,

The bachelor's drunken carnival in the middle of the night,

The glasses foamed and hissed, and the punch flowed with blue flames.

I love your Ares playground

The heroic drills of young soldiers,

The infantry and cavalry line up,

Monotonous There is another kind of magnificence in it. < /p>

It also brings dazzling brilliance to the ranks.

I love you, the military stronghold of Russia,

I love the roar of the cannons in your fortress,

When the Queen of the North comes with good news:

A prince is born in the palace;

Or Russia defeats its enemies,

once again celebrates her glory;

Or the Neva River The ice cracked,

the blue ice cubes poured into the sea,

because of the feeling of spring, there were thunderous cheers.

Stand strong, city of Peter!

Stand as still as Russia;

One day, even the power of nature

will bow to you.

Let the waves of Finland never forget

its ancient surrender and hostility,

never provoke futile swords again

disturb Peter eternal dream.

However, there was a terrible moment,

people can still remember clearly...

Regarding this, dear reader, I will tell you< /p>

Narrate the following incident,

My story is extremely melancholy.

Part 1

In the dark sky of Petersburg,

the cold autumn wind of November was blowing.

The Neva River surged with huge rumbling waves

Impacting the neat stone bank walls,

The river water was excited and spinning, like The patient

was writhing in her bed.

At this time, it was getting late, and in the darkness

The raindrops were beating on the windows quickly, while the wind

blew sadly and roared.

At this time, I had just returned from being a guest.

There was a young man named Eugen...

We want to call him by this name

The protagonist of the story, because I like

its tone, and once

it had an indissoluble bond with my pen.

We don’t want to delve into it any further.

Although this surname may have appeared in prominent families in the past

Even the historian Klamkin

Perhaps the writings made this family famous,

but now, the upper class society and "rumors"

have long forgotten it.

Our hero is employed somewhere,

lives in Colonna and knows no one important,

he has no desire for his dead ancestors,

There is no sighing about the passing years.

Well, now that we are back home, Eugen

threw away his coat, took off his clothes and got into bed.

But sleep - he couldn't:

There were many things tumbling in his mind.

What was he thinking? It turns out that he is calculating how humble and poor he is:

He must work hard to expect

a stable life and a little honor.

I hope God is merciful and gives him

more money and wisdom. He remembered

that there were also some rich men who lived and drank,

those lazy people who were not very smart, but

how comfortable their lives were!

And he has only served as president for two years.

His thoughts turned to the weather, the wind and rain

had not stopped yet, near the river bank

The waves kept rising, almost washing away

Bridge over the Neva River, disrupting traffic.

He thought about Banasha, what should he do?

He would not see her for two days, or three days.

Thinking of this, Eugen heartily deplored,

and continued to fantasize like a poet:

"Can I get married? Why not?

Naturally, this may be very hard;

But it doesn't matter, I'm healthy and young,

I'm ready to work, day and night;

Always There will be a way to set up a home,

Make it simple, peaceful and not luxurious,

and place my Banasha there.

Maybe, after a year or two -

I will find a job and leave the housework

to Banasha to manage and preside over

and educate Our children...

In this way, we live, holding hands,

Living and dying together, we will never be separated until death,

Called descendants Bury us together..."

He thought non-stop all night long,

He was melancholy and sincerely hoped that the autumn wind would not howl. So sad,

Don’t let the raindrops hit the window

So heartless...

But sleep

finally closed on him eyes. Ah, look:

The dark and stormy night has gradually faded away,

Let the bleak day continue to rule...

The bleak day!

All night long the Neva River

resisted the storm pouring into the sea,

but was finally no match for its violence,

and It fought with all its strength...

The next morning, on both sides of the river,

groups of residents gathered to watch:

They watched the water spray splashing,

and turbulent, overwhelming waves.

But a strong wind blew from the bay.

Against the current, she could not move forward.

She tossed and turned and roared angrily.

She retreated to the submerged island in the middle of the river.

At this time, the weather is even more dangerous,

The roaring Neva continues to rise,

She is boiling like a pot of boiling water,

< p> Like a wild beast, it suddenly went crazy,

and suddenly rushed towards the city. Before her

everything gave way, and all around her

there was at once deathly silence and desolation - the flood

poured into the cellar, crawled over the threshold,

p>

The canal also surged up to its bars.

Look, Petersburg looks like the legendary mermaid:

Half of her body is submerged in the water.

Ah, siege! Sneak attack! Waves of evil

climb like thieves through doors and windows.

/p>

The miscellaneous items of a small business,

all the belongings of a poor family,

the fragments of a bridge destroyed by a thunderstorm,

and the Coffins bursting out of graves,

Everything is floating in the street!

The people

Seeing the wrath of God, waiting for death.

Alas! All is lost! Where can I find food, clothing and a room?

It was a miserable year,

Our late Emperor was still shining brightly

ruling Russia. He appeared

on the balcony, melancholy and confused.

He said: "The Tsar cannot rule over

the unknown forces of nature." He sat down,

With sad eyes, he looked thoughtfully

at the dangerous and dangerous disaster area.

The former squares have become lakes,

the rivers were the former thoroughfares,

and the palace is like a gloomy island country

In big water. The tsar only spoke

and said one thing - please look at the general:

They went east, west, north and south, all over the city,

Some went to the street, and some Walking through the alleys,

going in and out of the waves, risking their lives,

rescuing the wandering souls who were frightened by the flood,

who were waiting to be submerged outside their homes. residents.

At that time, in the corner of Petersburg Square

a new huge building had just been built.

On the tall steps, a pair of stone lions< /p>

As if alive, showing teeth and claws

Guarding the door. Poor Eugen

His hands were crossed on his chest,

He was not wearing a hat, he was horribly pale,

He was sitting quietly on the back of a stone lion

Unmoving. Yet the poor man

had no fear for himself. No matter how the waves beat greedily and splashed on his heels,

he did not hear or pay attention;

no matter how the raindrops wet his face,

p>

How the roaring wind showed its majesty

And blew his hat into the air.

He only fixed his melancholy eyes

in a distant direction.

There, mountain-like waves

seemed to rise from the turbulent seabed

and wash away everything,

There , the storm is roaring,

There, the fragments of the house are floating...

And just near the huge waves, A Tian! sky!

Right next to the bay, -

A weeping willow, a simple fence,

A family lives in a dilapidated hut inside the wall

Mother and daughter, living with his Banasha,

His sweet dream...could it be in a dream

Did he see all this? Is life

just a dream, a dream, or is God mocking us?

At this time, he seemed to be possessed by a demon.

It seemed that he had become one with the stone lion.

He could not come down! Around him

There was nothing but water, water!

And above, in the stable high sky,

transcending the whirlpool of the river,

with its back to Eugen, waving to /p>

In the infinite distance, firm and solemn,

is a figure riding a giant bronze horse.

Part 2

But now, Neva has lost her temper enough.

She is tired of the violence and destruction.

Finally turned around, admiring all the way

the scene caused by his own violence,

and throwing the capture everywhere.

This seems to be the leader of the bandits.

He led a group of people into the village.

They brutally robbed homes,

burned and killed people. Robbery; crying, howling, resentment,

Swearing and scuffling, a huge disaster! ...

After everything was done, the robbers quickly retreated,

Afraid of the pursuers, and because they were returning with a full load

Exhausted, they stayed together

Leave behind their looted property.

The flood retreated, the stone paved road

has appeared, and my Eugen

is filled with worries, hopes, and fears,

Running all the way, like losing my soul,

Running towards the river that has not yet flattened.

There, as if proud of the victory just now

The roaring waves are still rolling,

The water surface is still full of bubbles,

It's like there's a fire burning below;

It's like the war horses have just returned to their positions,

The Neva River is breathing so quickly!

Eugen looked around and saw a boat;

As if he had made an unexpected discovery,

he chased after it and shouted——

The ferryman was leisurely,

willing to have just a few copper coins,

to get him across the waves.

The skilled boatman tried his best

Fighted the waves for a long time,

Look, the boat always sank into the waves,

< p>A series of waves were about to capsize

The bold passenger - but finally

He reached the other side.

The unfortunate man

ran through all the familiar streets,

to the place he was familiar with. I looked around:

But I no longer recognized him. Ah, a terrible sight!

In front of him, everything was messy,

Here was desolation, there was a pile of rags,

The houses had changed shape, some

Completely collapsed, others

were moved by floods. Moreover

It was like corpses were lying on the battlefield.

He could see the dead people around him at a glance.

He felt dizzy and thought nothing of it.

Although the suffering had weakened him,

he ran quickly to that place: < /p>

There, an unknown fate awaits:

Like a sealed letter waiting for him to open.

Look, here he ran through the suburbs of the city. Here

was the bay, and nearby was his familiar

house. What happened to it?

He stopped.

He walked around and back to where he started.

Take a look, turn around, and observe carefully:

This is right here, it should be her home!

Here is the willow tree, where there used to be a fence -

Apparently the floods have swept it away,

But where are the houses? He was confused,

He was pacing back and forth, thinking again and again,

talking to himself, talking loudly -

And suddenly , slapping his forehead with his hand,

He laughed.

The curtain of night

falls gently over the trembling city;

but its inhabitants talk

of what happened during the day All misfortune,

I can't sleep peacefully for a long time.

The light of dawn

flows through the tired and pale clouds

into the quiet capital. This light

can no longer find the traces left by yesterday's disaster

; a purple-red cover up

the ugly image. Everything is going on in the same orderly manner as before.

In the middle of the unimpeded street,

people still walked past each other with indifferent expressions

. Those officials

also gave up their hidden paradise last night and went to the Yamen to officially work. The brave hawker

was not discouraged at all, and took over the cellar

from the hands of the Neva again,

and hoped to use the neighbor's wallet

Fill your own significant shortcomings. The boats were moved out of the yard one by one.

Finally,

Baron Vastov, the beloved poet,

has also sung an immortal poem,

to Nirvana The disaster in the Wa River expresses sorrow.

But, my poor, poor Eugen...

Alas, his fragile and confused nerves

could not withstand this terrible blow.

The roaring wind of the Neva River

and the huge waves were still roaring in his ears

.

What nightmare

tore at his sanity; horrific thoughts

clung to him: he wandered wordlessly.

A week, a month, passed in a blink of an eye,

He never came home to sit down.

His secluded cabin, since

the lease period has expired and the rent has not been paid,

a poor poet came to be the tenant.

Eugen never came back. He even lost his clothes

and wandered all day long.

Soon, the world forgot about him.

He slept on the dock at night, and the bread thrown out of the window was his food.

The clothes he was wearing were already shabby,

they were even more tattered now. Some urchins

throwed stones at his back.

More often than not, the coachman's whip

struck him; because, obviously

he did not recognize the route at all,

< p> Feeling at a loss. The storm inside

made him unable to hear the noise outside.

In this way, he dragged a body

through the miserable years; neither like a human being,

nor a beast, nor a living thing< /p>

Not like a ghost from the underworld...

One night

He slept on the dock of the Neva River.

Summer is slowly turning into autumn.

A cold wind blew. The dark waves

rushed towards the pier and hit the smooth steps.

The sound sounded like whispers and complaints,

like people harboring grievances. begging the judge

Leaning against the door of his confinement.

Eugen woke up with a start, and the surroundings were extremely dark:

The rain was dripping, and the wind was blowing very miserably.

In the dark distance, a sentry

was shouting at him through the night fog...

Eugen was taken aback; Terror

resurfaced before my eyes again. He hurriedly

got up and wandered on the street;

Suddenly he stopped, opened his eyes wide

and quietly scanned the surroundings to see the scene,

There was a look of panic on his face.

Where has he been? In front of them are the stone pillars of a huge building, and a pair of stone lions

showing their teeth and claws, as if they were alive,

guarding the tall steps.

And straight, in the dark sky,

Inside the stone fence, motionless,

It is the giant riding the bronze horse,

Wave your hands to the endless distance.

Eugen couldn't help but shudder. There were some terrifyingly clear thoughts in his mind.

He knew: right here, the flood surged,

right here, the greedy waves

surrounded him and invaded him maliciously;

Surrounding him were the stone lions and the square,

and the man who stood firm

with his head of bronze reaching toward the sky:

This is it Man, according to his will

built a city on the coast...

Look, how terrible he is in the darkness!

What thoughts were floating on his forehead!

What kind of power does he have?

What a fire burns in that horse!

Ah, proud horse, where are you going?

Where will your hooves fly?

O powerful master of your destiny!

That’s not it: holding the iron rein in one hand,

you hold Russia on the cliff,

make her raise her front hooves and stand on the high hill ?

Poor mad Eugen

walked around the statue's feet,

he stared with bewildered eyes

< p> The king who rules half the world.

But his eyes suddenly dimmed,

feeling suffocated in his chest, he pressed his forehead

against the cold railing,

There was a fire in his heart, and his blood was boiling. And suddenly, gloomily,

he stood in front of the proud bronze statue,

gritting his teeth and clenching his fists,

as if some demon suddenly possessed him.

His whole body trembled and he cursed in a low voice:

"Great, Jianjia, the miracle you created!

Wait for me..." After saying that, he turned his head

and ran away quickly.

Because at this time

he seemed to see the majestic emperor

suddenly became angry and silently

turned his face to Eugen...

And when he ran away across the square,

In the empty square, he heard

like a thunder behind him,

as if there was a horse. The fast horse chased after him, and there was a crisp cry on the stone road.

Behind him, under the pale moonlight,

Look, the bronze knight is riding a fast horse.

While waving to the sky,

While driving him away, this poor madman!

No matter where he ran that night,

he always heard the bronze statue of a horse riding

chasing him, making a clear cry.

From that time on, whenever Eugen

passed by the square by chance,

his face would show panic

< p> A confused expression. He would put his hand

quickly on his chest,

as if to caress the wounds there;

and take off his old hat

< p> With his head lowered and his eyes showing embarrassment,

he slipped around a path.

There is a small island on the seaside

. Fishermen who returned late

sometimes parked their boats there,

while drying the fishing nets and burning

their humble dinner. Or

On Sundays, some officials rowed boats

to swim past here and then rested on the island.

It is so desolate that not even a blade of grass

grows there. The floods

played like a game, leaving an old hut

there. By the water,

it stayed like a clump of trees. shrub.

Last spring, a big boat came

to remove the dilapidated hut. Inside

there was nothing, but at the door

our madman was discovered.

Of course, for God's sake,

the cold corpse was buried as soon as possible.