swan song-第2章
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though he often declared that he had no ambition to become a
dramatist。 〃The Novel；〃 he wrote； 〃is a lawful wife； but the
Stage is a noisy； flashy； and insol ent mistress。〃 He has put his
opinion of the stage of his day in the mouth of Treplieff； in
〃The Sea…Gull；〃 and he often refers to it in his letters as 〃an
evil disease of the towns〃 and 〃the gallows on which dramatists
are hanged。〃
He wrote 〃Ivanoff 〃 at white…heat in two and a half weeks； as a
protest against a play he had seen at one of the Moscow theatres。
Ivanoff （from Ivan； the commonest of Russian names） was by no
means meant to be a hero； but a most ordinary； weak man oppressed
by the 〃immortal commonplaces of life；〃 with his heart and soul
aching in the grip of circumstance； one of the many 〃useless
people〃 of Russia for whose sorrow Tchekoff felt such
overwhelming pity。 He saw nothing in their lives that could not
be explained and pardoned； and he returns to his ill…fated；
〃useless people〃 again and again； not to preach any doctrine of
pessimism； but simply because he thought that the world was the
better for a certain fragile beauty of their natures and their
touching faith in the ultimate salvation of humanity。
Both the writing and staging of 〃Ivanoff〃 gave Tchekoff great
difficulty。 The characters all being of almost equal importance；
he found it hard to get enough good actors to take the parts； but
it finally appeared in Moscow in 1889； a decided failure！ The
author had touched sharply several sensitive spots of Russian
lifefor instance； in his warning not to marry a Jewess or a
blue…stockingand the play was also marred by faults of
inexperience； which； however； he later corrected。 The critics
were divided in condemning a certain novelty in it and in
praising its freshness and originality。 The character of Ivanoff
was not understood； and the weakness of the man blinded many to
the lifelike portrait。 Tchekoff himself was far from pleased with
what he called his 〃literary abortion；〃 and rewrote it before it
was produced again in St。 Petersburg。 Here it was received with
the wildest applause； and the morning after its performance the
papers burst into unanimous praise。 The author was
enthusiastically feted； but the burden of his growing fame was
beginning to be very irksome to him； and he wrote wearily at this
time that he longed to be in the country； fishing in the lake； or
lying in the hay。
His next play to appear was a farce entitled 〃The Boor；〃 which he
wrote in a single evening and which had a great success。 This was
followed by 〃The Demon；〃 a failure； rewritten ten years later as
〃Uncle Vanya。〃
All Russia now combined in urging Tchekoff to write some
important work； and this； too； was the writer's dream； but his
only long story is 〃The Steppe；〃 which is； after all； but a
series of sketches； exquisitely drawn； and strung together on the
slenderest connecting thread。 Tchekoff's delicate and elusive
descriptive power did not lend itself to painting on a large
canvas； and his strange little tragicomedies of Russian life； his
〃Tedious Tales；〃 as he called them； were always to remain his
masterpieces。
In 1890 Tchekoff made a journey to the Island of Saghalien； after
which his health definitely failed； and the consumption； with
which he had long been threatened； finally declared itself。 His
illness exiled him to the Crimea； and he spent his last ten years
there； making frequent trips to Moscow to superintend the
production of his four important plays； written during this
period of his life。
〃The Sea…Gull〃 appeared in 1896； and； after a failure in St。
Petersburg； won instant success as soon as it was given on the
stage of the Artists' Theatre in Moscow。 Of all Tchekoff's plays；
this one conforms most nearly to our Western conventions； and is
therefore most easily appreciated here。 In Trigorin the author
gives us one of the rare glimpses of his own mind； for Tchekoff
seldom put his own personality into the pictures of the life in
which he took such immense interest。
In 〃The Sea…Gull〃 we see clearly the increase of Tchekoff's power
of analysis； which is remarkable in his next play； 〃The Three
Sisters；〃 gloomiest of all his dramas。
〃The Three Sisters；〃 produced in 1901； depends； even more than
most of Tchekoff's plays； on its interpretation； and it is almost
essential to its appreciation that it should be seen rather than
read。 The atmosphere of gloom with which it is pervaded is a
thousand times more intense when it comes to us across the
foot…lights。 In it Tchekoff probes the depths of human life with
so sure a touch； and lights them with an insight so piercing；
that the play made a deep impression when it appeared。 This was
also partly owing to the masterly way in which it was acted at
the Artists' Theatre in Moscow。 The theme is； as usual； the
greyness of provincial life； and the night is lit for his little
group of characters by a flash of passion so intense that the
darkness which succeeds it seems well…nigh intolerable。
〃Uncle Vanya〃 followed 〃The Three Sisters；〃 and the poignant
truth of the picture； together with the tender beauty of the last
scene； touched his audience profoundly； both on the stage and
when the play was afterward published。
〃The Cherry Orchard〃 appeared in 1904 and was Tchekoff's last
play。 At its production； just before his death； the author was
feted as one of Russia's greatest dramatists。 Here it is not only
country life that Tchekoff shows us； but Russian life and
character in general； in which the old order is giving place to
the new； and we see the practical； modern spirit invading the
vague； aimless existence so dear to the owners of the cherry
orchard。 A new epoch was beginning； and at its dawn the singer of
old； dim Russia was silenced。
In the year that saw the production of 〃The Cherry Orchard；〃
Tchekoff； the favourite of the Russian people； whom Tolstoi
declared to be comparable as a writer of stories only to
Maupassant； died suddenly in a little village of the Black
Forest； whither he had gone a few weeks before in the hope of
recovering his lost health。
Tchekoff； with an art peculiar to himself； in scattered scenes；
in haphazard glimpses into the lives of his characters； in
seemingly trivial conversations； has succeeded in so
concentrating the atmosphere of the Russia of his day that we
feel it in every line we read； oppressive as the mists that hang
over a lake at dawn； and； like those mists； made visible to us by
the light of an approaching day。
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL WORKS OF ANTON TCHEKOFF
PLAYS
〃The Swan Song〃 1889
〃The Proposal〃 1889
〃Ivanoff 〃 1889
〃The Boor〃 1890
〃The SeaGull〃 1896
〃The Tragedian in Spite of Himself〃 1899
〃The Three Sisters〃 1901
〃Uncle Vanya〃 1902
〃The Cherry Orchard〃 1904
NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES
〃Humorous Folk〃 1887
〃Twilight； and Other Stories〃 1887
〃Morose Folk〃 1890
〃Variegated Tales〃 1894
〃Old Wives of Russia〃 1894
〃The Duel〃 1895
〃The Chestnut Tree〃 1895
〃Ward Number Six〃 1897
MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES
〃The Island of Saghalien〃 1895
〃Peasants〃 1898
〃Life in the Provinces〃 1898
〃Children〃 1899
The Swan Song
CHARACTERS
VASILI SVIETLOVIDOFF； a comedian； 68 years old
NIKITA IVANITCH； a prompter； an old man
THE SWAN SONG
The scene is laid on the stage of a country theatre； at night；
after the play。 To the right a row of rough； unpainted doors
leading into the dressing…rooms。 To the left and in the
background the stage is encumbered with all sorts of rubbish。 In
the middle of the stage is an overturned stool。
SVIETLOVIDOFF。 ＇With a candle in his hand； comes out of a
dressing…room and laughs＇ Well； well； this is funny！ Here's a
good joke！ I fell asleep in my dressing…room when the play was
over； and there I was calmly snoring after everybody else had
left the theatre。 Ah！ I'm a foolish old man； a poor old dodderer！
I have been drinking again； and so I fell asleep in there；
sitting up。 That was clever！ Good for you； old boy！ ＇Calls＇
Yegorka！ Petrushka！ Where the devil are you？ Petrushka！ The
scoundrels must be asleep； and an earthquake wouldn't wake them
now！ Yegorka！ ＇Picks up the stool；
