What drives someone to kill in cold blood? What goes through the murderer’s mind? And what kind of a society breeds such people? Over 150 years ago Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky took these questions up in what would become one of the best-known works of Russian literature: "Crime and Punishment."
是什么驱使人变成了冷血杀手? 凶手心里想的是什么? 又是什么样的社会 造就了这样的人呢? 150多年前, 费奥多尔·米哈伊洛维奇·陀思妥耶夫斯基 在作品中提出了上述问题, 这部作品后来成为 俄国文学史上最著名的作品之一: 《罪与罚》。
First serialized in a literary magazine in 1866, the novel tells the story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a young law student in Saint Petersburg. Raskolnikov lives in abject poverty, and at the start of the story has run out of funds to continue his studies. Letters from his rural home only add to his distress when he realizes how much his mother and sister have sacrificed for his success. Increasingly desperate after selling the last of his valuables to an elderly pawnbroker, he resolves on a plan to murder and rob her. But the impact of carrying out this unthinkable act proves to be more than he was prepared for.
这部小说于1866年 首次在一本文学杂志上连载, 讲述了圣彼得堡一个年轻的法学生 罗迪·罗曼诺维奇·拉斯科尔尼科夫的故事。 拉斯科尔尼科夫的生活穷困潦倒, 故事开头的他因 交不起学费而辍学。 农村老家的来信使他更为沮丧, 他发现母亲和妹妹为了让他成功 已经牺牲太多了。 把最后一点值钱的东西 卖给当铺的老太婆后, 他更加绝望了, 他决心要杀掉当铺老板娘, 夺走她的钱财。 但实施这项鲁莽计划的后果, 比他预想的要严重得多。
Though the novel is sometimes cited as one of the first psychological thrillers, its scope reaches far beyond Raskolnikov’s inner turmoil. From dank taverns to dilapidated apartments and claustrophobic police stations, the underbelly of 19th century Saint Petersburg is brought to life by Dostoyevsky’s searing prose. We’re introduced to characters such as Marmeladov, a miserable former official who has drank his family into ruin, and Svidrigailov, an unhinged and lecherous nobleman. As Raskolnikov’s own family arrives in town, their moral innocence stands in stark contrast to the depravity of those around them, even as their fates grow increasingly intertwined.
虽然该作有时被认为是 最早的心理惊悚小说之一, 小说所揭露的远不止 拉斯科利尼科夫内心的挣扎。 从潮湿的小酒馆,到破旧的公寓 和幽闭恐怖的警察局, 19世纪圣彼得堡的社会阴暗面 在陀思妥耶夫斯基 犀利的笔触下跃然纸上。 我们认识了诸多角色,例如马美拉多夫, 一位因酗酒而倾家荡产的可怜的下岗官员; 还有斯维里加洛夫, 一位傲慢、脾气暴躁的贵族。 当拉斯科利尼科夫的家人来到镇上时, 他们道德上的纯真 与周围人的堕落形成鲜明对比, 即使他们的命运逐渐交织在了一起。
This bleak portrait of Russian society reflects the author’s own complex life experiences and evolving ideas. As a young writer who left behind a promising military career, Fyodor had been attracted to ideas of socialism and reform, and joined a circle of intellectuals to discuss radical texts banned by the Imperial government. Upon exposure, members of this group, including Dostoyevsky, were arrested. Many were sentenced to death, only to be subjected to a mock execution and last-minute pardon from the Tsar. Dostoyevsky spent the next four years in a Siberian labor camp before being released in 1854. The experience left him with a far more pessimistic view of social reform, and his focus shifted toward spiritual concerns. In the 1864 novella "Notes from Underground," he expounded on his belief that utopian Western philosophies could never satisfy the contradictory yearnings of the human soul. "Crime and Punishment" was conceived and completed the following year, picking up on many of the same themes.
这幅冷酷的俄罗斯社会肖像画, 反映了作者自身复杂的生活经历 和不断发展的思想。 告别了前途无量的军队仕途, 费奥多尔成为一名年轻作家, 被社会主义和改革思想所吸引, 并加入了知识分子的圈子, 讨论被帝国政府禁止的激进文章。 暴露后, 包括陀思妥耶夫斯基在内的 团体成员被捕。 许多人被判处死刑, 在行刑前一刻才被沙皇赦免, 只经受了模拟处决。 陀思妥耶夫斯基 在西伯利亚劳改营待了四年, 直到1854年才被释放。 这次经历让他对社会改革越发悲观, 他也把目光更多地投向了精神层面的话题。 在1864年的中篇小说 《地下室手记》中, 他阐述了他的观点, 认为乌托邦式的西方哲学 永远无法满足 人类灵魂中相互矛盾的欲望。 次年,他构思并完成了《罪与罚》, 书中许多主题与上篇小说相同。
In many ways, the novel follows a common narrative thread where a promising youth is seduced and corrupted by the dangers of urban life. But its social critique cuts far deeper. Raskolnikov rationalizes that his own advancement at the cost of the exploitative pawnbroker’s death would be a net benefit to society. In doing so, he echoes the doctrines of egoism and utilitarianism embraced by many of Dostoyevsky’s contemporary intellectuals. And in believing that his intelligence allows him to transcend moral taboos, Raskolnikov cuts himself off from his own humanity. Yet although the book is deeply concerned with morality, "Crime and Punishment" never comes across as merely moralizing, with each character given their own distinctive and convincing voice. One of the most remarkable things about "Crime and Punishment" is its ability to thrill despite the details of the central murder being revealed in the first act. Raskolnikov’s crime is clear. But it’s only through Dostoyevsky’s gripping account of the ensuing social and psychological turmoil that we learn the true nature of his punishment– and the possibility of redemption.
在许多方面, 小说遵循一个共同的叙事线索, 一个有前途的年轻人被城市 生活的险恶所诱惑和腐蚀, 但作品对社会的批评更加深刻。 拉斯科利尼科夫认为, 杀死剥削他人的当铺老板的行为 乃“替天行道”, 对社会有益无害。 他的做法 正契合陀思妥耶夫斯基时代 许多知识分子所信奉的 自我主义和功利主义思想。 拉斯科利尼科夫认定自己的才智 给予了他超越道德禁忌的权力, 并最终走向了人性的堕落。 尽管《罪与罚》 深刻探讨了有关道德的话题, 这本书从来都不是单纯的道德说教, 每个人物都有其独特 而有说服力的声音。 《罪与罚》最引人注目的一点就在于 尽管第一幕就详细描绘了 作为故事高潮的谋杀案, 全书依然让人欲罢不能。 拉斯科利尼科夫的“罪”显而易见。 但是,只有通过陀思妥耶夫斯基 对社会动荡和主人公内心挣扎 扣人心弦的描述, 我们才了解到他的“罚”的 真实本质—— 以及救赎的可能性。