世界名著Swan Song.docx

世界名著Swan Song.docx

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世界名著SwanSong

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SwanSong

byAntonCheckov

PLAYSBYANTONTCHEKOFF

TRANSLATEDFROMTHERUSSIAN,WITHANINTRODUCTIONBYMARIANFELL

CONTENTS

Introduction

ChronologicalListofWorks

TheSwanSong

INTRODUCTION

ANTONTCHEKOFF

THElastyearsofthenineteenthcenturywereforRussiatinged

withdoubtandgloom.Thehigh-tideofvitalitythathadrisen

duringtheTurkishwarebbedintheearlyeighties,leaving

behinditadeadlevelofapathywhichlasteduntillifewas

againquickenedbythehighinterestsoftheRevolution.During

thesegreyyearsthelonelycountryandstagnantprovincialtowns

ofRussiaburiedapeasantrywhichwasenslavedbywantandtoil,

andaneducatedupperclasswhichwasenslavedbyidlenessand

tedium.Mostofthe"Intellectuals,"withnooutletfortheir

energies,werecontenttoforgettheirennuiinvodkaand

card-playing;onlythemoreidealisticgaspedforairinthe

stiflingatmosphere,cryingoutindespairagainstlifeasthey

sawit,andlookingforwardwithapathetichopetohappinessfor

humanityin"twoorthreehundredyears."Itistheinevitable

tragedyoftheirexistence,andthepitifulhumouroftheir

surroundings,thatareportrayedwithsuchinsightandsympathy

byAntonTchekoffwhois,perhaps,ofmodernwriters,thedearest

totheRussianpeople.

AntonTchekoffwasbornintheoldBlackSeaportofTaganrogon

January17,1860.Hisgrandfatherhadbeenaserf;hisfather

marriedamerchant'sdaughterandsettledinTaganrog,where,

duringAnton'sboyhood,hecarriedonasmallandunsuccessful

tradeinprovisions.TheyoungTchekoffwassoonimpressedinto

theservicesofthelarge,poverty-strickenfamily,andhespoke

regretfullyinafteryearsofhishard-workedchildhood.Buthe

wasobedientandgood-natured,andworkedcheerfullyinhis

father'sshop,closelyobservingtheidlersthatassembledthere,

andgatheringthedrolleststories,whichhewouldafterward

whisperinclasstohislaughingschoolfellows.Manywerethe

punishmentswhichheincurredbythishabit,whichwas

incorrigible.

Hisgrandfatherhadnowbecomemanagerofanestatenear

Taganrog,inthewildsteppecountryoftheDonCossacks,and

heretheboyspenthissummers,fishingintheriver,androving

aboutthecountrysideasbrownasagipsy,sowingtheseedsof

thatlovefornaturewhichheretainedallhislife.Hisevenings

helikedbesttospendinthekitchenofthemaster'shouseamong

theworkpeopleandpeasantswhogatheredthere,takingpartin

theirgames,andsettingthemalllaughingbyhiswittyand

tellingobservations.

WhenTchekoffwasaboutfourteen,hisfathermovedthefamilyto

Moscow,leavingAntoninTaganrog,andnow,relievedofworkin

theshop,hisprogressatschoolbecameremarkable.Atseventeen

hewrotealongtragedy,whichwasafterwarddestroyed,andhe

alreadyshowedflashesofthewitthatwassoontoblazeinto

genius.

HegraduatedfromthehighschoolatTaganrogwitheveryhonour,

enteredtheUniversityofMoscowasastudentofmedicine,and

threwhimselfheadlongintoadoublelifeofstudentandauthor,

intheattempttohelphisstrugglingfamily.

HisfirststoryappearedinaMoscowpaperin1880,andafter

somedifficultyhesecuredapositionconnectedwithseveralof

thesmallerperiodicals,forwhich,duringhisstudentyears,he

pouredforthasuccessionofshortstoriesandsketchesof

Russianlifewithincrediblerapidity.Hewrote,hetellsus,

duringeveryspareminute,incrowdedroomswheretherewas"no

lightandlessair,"andneverspentmorethanadayonanyone

story.Healsowroteatthistimeaverystirring

blood-and-thunderplaywhichwassuppressedbythecensor,and

thefateofwhichisnotknown.

Hisaudiencedemandedlaughteraboveallthings,and,withhis

deepsenseoftheridiculous,Tchekoffaskednothingbetter.His

stories,thoughoftenbasedonthemesprofoundlytragic,are

penetratedbythelightandsubtlesatirethathaswonhimhis

reputationasagreathumourist.Butthoughtherewasalwaysa

smileonhislips,itwasatenderone,andhissympathywith

sufferingoftenbroughthislaughterneartotears.

Thisdelicateandoriginalgeniuswasatfirstsubjectedtoharsh

criticism,whichTchekofffeltkeenly,andTrigorin'sdescription

in"TheSea-Gull"ofthetrialsofayoungauthorisacryfrom

Tchekoff'sownsoul.Apassionateenemyofallliesand

oppression,healreadyforeshadowsintheseearlywritingsthe

protestagainstconventionsandrules,whichheafterwardput

intoTreplieff'sreplytoSorinin"TheSea-Gull":

"Letushave

newforms,orelsenothingatall."

In1884hetookhisdegreeasdoctorofmedicine,anddecidedto

practise,althoughhiswritinghadbynowtakenonaprofessional

character.Healwaysgavehiscallingahighplace,andthe

doctorsinhisworksaredrawnwithaffectionandunderstanding.

Ifanyonespokeslightinglyofdoctorsinhispresence,hewould

exclaim:

"Stop!

Youdon'tknowwhatcountrydoctorsdoforthe

people!

"

Tchekofffullyrealisedlatertheinfluencewhichhisprofession

hadexercisedonhisliterarywork,andsometimesregrettedthe

toovividinsightitgavehim,but,ontheotherhand,hewas

abletowrite:

"Onlyadoctorcanknowwhatvaluemyknowledgeof

sciencehasbeentome,"and"ItseemstomethatasadoctorI

havedescribedthesicknessesofthesoulcorrectly."For

instance,Trigorin'sanalysisin"TheSea-Gull"ofthestateof

mindofanauthorhaswellbeencalled"artisticdiagnosis."

Theyoungdoctor-writerisdescribedatthistimeasmodestand

grave,withflashesofbrilliantgaiety.Asonofthepeople,

therewasinhisfaceanexpressionthatrecalledthe

simple-heartedvillagelad;hiseyeswereblue,hisglancefull

ofintelligenceandkindness,andhismannersunaffectedand

simple.Hewasanuntiringworker,andbetweenhispatientsand

hisdeskheledalifeofceaselessactivity.Hisrestlessmind

wasdominatedbyapassionofenergyandhethoughtcontinually

andvividly.Often,whilejestingandtalking,hewouldseem

suddenlytoplungeintohimself,andhislookwouldgrowfixed

anddeep,asifhewerecontemplatingsomethingimportantand

strange.Thenhewouldasksomeunexpectedquestion,whichshowed

howfarhismindhadroamed.

Successwasnowrapidlyovertakingtheyoungauthor;hisfirst

collectionofstoriesappearedin1887,anotheroneinthesame

yearhadimmediatesuccess,andbothwentthroughmanyeditions;

but,atthesametime,theshadowsthatdarkenedhislaterworks

begantocreepoverhislight-heartedhumour.

Hisimpressionablemindbegantotakeonthegreytingeofhis

time,butmuchofhissadnessmayalsobeattributedtohis

ever-increasingillhealth.

Wearyandwithanobstinatecough,hewentsouthin1888,tooka

littlecottageonthebanksofalittleriver"aboundinginfish

andcrabs,"andsurrenderedhimselftohistouchinglovefor

nature,happyinhispassionforfishing,inthequietofthe

country,andinthemusicandgaietyofthepeasants."Onewould

gladlysellone'ssoul,"hewrites,"forthepleasureofseeing

thewarmeveningsky,andthestreamsandpoolsreflectingthe

darklymournfulsunset."Hedescribedvisitstohiscountry

neighboursandlongdrivesingaycompany,duringwhich,hesays,

"weateeveryhalfhour,andlaughedtothevergeofcolic."

Hishealth,however,didnotimprove.In1889hebegantohave

attacksofhearttrouble,andthesensitiveartist'snature

appearsinaremarkwhichhemadeafteroneofthem."Iwalked

quicklyacrosstheterraceonwhichtheguestswereassembled,"

hesaid,"withoneideainmymind,howawkwarditwouldbeto

falldownanddieinthepresenceofstrangers."

Itwasduringthistransitionperiodofhislife,whenhis

youthfulspiritswerefailinghim,thatthestage,forwhichhe

hadalwaysfeltafascination,temptedhimtowrite"Ivanoff,"

andalsoadramaticsketchinoneactentitled"TheSwanSong,"

thoughheoftendeclaredthathehadnoambitiontobecomea

dramatist."TheNovel,"hewrote,"isalawfulwife,butthe

Stageisanoisy,flashy,andinsolentmistress."Hehasputhis

opinionofthestageofhisdayinthemouthofTreplieff,in

"TheSea-Gull,"andheoftenreferstoitinhislettersas"an

evildiseaseofthetowns"and"thegallowsonwhichdramatists

arehanged."

Hewrote"Ivanoff"atwhite-heatintwoandahalfweeks,asa

protestagainstaplayhehadseenatoneoftheMoscowtheatres.

Ivanoff（fromIvan,thecommonestofRussiannames）wasbyno

meansmeanttobeahero,butamostordinary,weakmanoppressed

bythe"immortalcommonplacesoflife,"withhisheartandsoul

achinginthegripofcircumstance,oneofthemany"useless

people"ofRussiaforwhosesorrowTchekofffeltsuch

overwhelmingpity.Hesawnothingintheirlivesthatcouldnot

beexplainedandpardoned,andhereturnstohisill-fated,

"uselesspeople"againandagain,nottopreachanydoctrineof

pessimism,butsimplybecausehethoughtthattheworldwasthe

betterforacertainfragilebeautyoftheirnaturesandtheir

touchingfaithintheultimatesalvationofhumanity.

Boththewritingandstagingof"Ivanoff"gaveTchekoffgreat

difficulty.Thecharactersallbeingofalmostequalimportance,

hefoundithardtogetenoughgoodactorstotaketheparts,but

itfinallyappearedinMoscowin1889,adecidedfailure!

The

author