Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Pierre returned from his travels in the south with a very lucky mood, and he fulfilled his own long-cherished wish - to drive to visit his friend Bolkonski whom he hadn't seen for two years. The village of Bogucharovo is located in an unattractive flat area, filled with fields, logged and unlogged fir and birch forests.The master's garden is on the side of the road at the end of the village. Behind it is a pond dug and filled with water not long ago. Weeds have not yet grown along the bank. A young forest is scattered around, and a few tall pine trees stand in between. In the master's courtyard there is a threshing floor, courtyard buildings, stables, baths, outhouses, and a large masonry building with semicircular gables that is being built.Around the house there is a garden with trees not long ago.The fences and gates are brand new and strong; under the eaves are two fire hoses and large green-painted barrels; the roads are straight, the bridges are strong, and the bridges are built on both sides. Go up the railing.Everything bears the imprint of careful manufacture and good management.When Pierre asked the servants he met where the Duke lived, they pointed to a small newly built house on the edge of the pond.Anton, Prince Andrew's old servant, helped Pierre out of the carriage, told him that the prince was at home, and led him into a small, clean hall.

After Pierre had seen his friend in Petersburg for the last time in a stately mansion, he had been amazed at this small, though clean, but unpretentious house.He hurried into a small unplastered living room that still smelled of pine branches. He wanted to go on, but Anton ran forward on tiptoe to one of the moderate Confucian classics. "Book of Rites" title.According to legend, during the Warring States period, Zisi wrote. , knocked on the door. "Hey, what's the matter there?" came a harsh, disgusting voice. "It's a guest." Anton replied. "Wait a minute, please," the sound of moving a chair can be heard.Pierre walked quickly to the door and bumped into Prince Andrey, who was coming towards him, and Prince Andrey frowned, looking old.Pierre hugged him: 1.The nature of value; 2.Classification of value; 3.The ultimate standard of worth;, lifted his glasses, kissed him on both cheeks, and stared at him from the close side.

"I didn't expect that, and I'm glad," said Prince Andrew.Pierre said nothing, he was astonished, and looked intently at his friend.He was amazed by the change that had taken place in Prince Andrew.Prince Andrei spoke very affectionately, and there was a smile on his lips and face, but his eyes were dull and expressionless, and though he looked wistful, he could not add a pleasant gleam to them.What surprised and alienated Pierre was not that his friend had grown thinner, paler, and stronger, but the eyes and the wrinkles on his forehead, which showed that he had long been absorbed in thinking about something. It's a question, but Pierre is not used to his eyes and wrinkles just yet.

As is often the case when reunited after a long separation, the topic was long undecided, and they asked and answered questions in a few words about matters they knew only for themselves and which required a long conversation.Finally, their conversation gradually began to touch upon previously interrupted speeches, past life, future plans, Pierre's travels, his business, war problems, and so on.That brooding and gloomy expression which Pierre had noticed in Prince Andrei's eyes, when he listened to Pierre with a smile, especially when Pierre spoke with vigor and joy of the past and In the future, it will be expressed more strongly.Prince Andrew seemed to wish, but could not, to take part in the activities of which he spoke.Pierre began to feel that all joy, all fantasies, all hopes of happiness and good deeds were inappropriate in the presence of Prince Andrew.He was ashamed to reveal his new ideas as a Masonic, especially those which his latest travels had brought back and generated in his mind.He restrained himself, afraid of becoming a childish man, and at the same time he could not help expressing to his friend as soon as possible that he was now a different man, a better Pierre than he had been in Petersburg.

"I can't tell you how much I've been through during this time. I don't even know myself." "Yes, we've all had many, many changes since then," said Prince Andrey. "But what about you?" asked Pierre. "What plans do you have?" "Plans?" repeated Prince Andrew sarcastically. "My plans?" he repeated, as if surprised by the meaning of the word. "You can see that I'm building a house. I want to move all of them next year..." Pierre remained silent, and gazed intently at Prince Andrew's old face. "No, I am asking you..." said Pierre, but Prince Andrew interrupted him.

"About me, what can you say... Tell me, tell me about your travels, tell me about everything you have done in your own land" Pierre began to tell what he was doing in his domain, trying to hide as much as possible about his participation in the reformation.Prince Andrei mentioned to Pierre several times in advance what he was going to say, as if what Pierre was doing was already known to everyone, and not only was it boring to hear, but even when Pierre spoke, it seemed Excuse me. Pierre felt uncomfortable, even uncomfortable, in the company of this friend. He fell silent. "Listen, my darling," said Prince Andrei, evidently feeling sorry too, and very shy with guests, "I'm sleeping here in the open, just to see what's going on. I'm going to see my sister again today." Go. I'll introduce you to them. By the way, you seem to know them," he said, apparently trying to woo the guest, even though he felt he had little in common with him now. "Let's go together after lunch. Would you like to see my estate now?" They went out and wandered until lunch time, talking about political news and Ordinary acquaintances.Prince Andrew was only a little interested when he was talking about the new manor and the building projects he had built, but in the middle of the conversation, when Prince Andrey was describing the future housing layout to Pierre. , He suddenly stopped on the temporary wooden platform. "But there is nothing interesting here. Let's go to lunch together and then go." During the luncheon, the topic turned to Pierre's marriage.

"I was very surprised when I heard about it," said Prince Andrew. Pierre blushed, as he always did when the incident was mentioned, and said hastily: "I'll tell you how it all happened sometime later. But you know it's all over, forever." "Eternal?" said Prince Andrew. "There is no such thing as eternity." "But do you know how it all ended? Have you ever heard of a duel?" "Yes, you've been through that too." "The only thing I thank God for is that I didn't kill this man," said Pierre. "Why?" said Prince Andrew, "it is even a good thing to kill a vicious dog."

"No, it's not good to kill people, it doesn't make sense..." "Why doesn't it make sense?" Prince Andrei went on. "People don't have the gift of judging right from wrong. People often make mistakes, and they will make mistakes in the future. It's just about what they think is right and wrong." "It is wrong to do harm to others," said Pierre, feeling quite pleased that, for the first time since his arrival, Prince Andrei roused himself, began to speak, and wanted to tell all about what had made him what he was. speak out. "Who told you what it means to endanger others?" he asked.

"Evil? Evil?" said Pierre. "We all know what it means to be someone else endangering yourself." "We know that I cannot use that evil of my own awareness against others," said Prince Andrei, who was getting more and more excited, and seemed to want to tell Pierre his own new view of things.He said in French, "Jeneconnaisdanslaviequedeuxmauxbienreels: c'estleremordetlamaladie. Iln'estdebienquel'abAsencedecesmaux. ①Living for oneself can only avoid these two great evils, and this is now all my philosophy." -------- ① French: I know that there are only two real misfortunes in life: conscience and disease, and as long as there are no these two evils, there is happiness.

"Love to others, self-sacrifice?" said Pierre. "No, I don't agree with you! It is not enough to live only to avoid doing evil and not to repent. I used to live like that." , I lived for myself and destroyed my own life, only now, when I live for others, at least when I try to (Pierre corrected out of modesty) for others, Only now do I understand the joys of life. No, I don't agree with you, and you don't think of what you say." Prince Andrew looked silently at Pierre, revealing A sarcastic smile. "You will meet my sister, Princess Maria, with whom you are compatible," he said, "probably, for you, you are right." He was silent for a moment, then continued, "but each of them you used to live for yourself, you said you almost ruined your life because of it, and you only know what happiness is when you start living for others. But I feel the exact opposite. I used to Living for glory (what is glory? Isn’t it just loving others, hoping to do something for others, hoping to win praise from others.), I live for others in this way, and in the end, it is not almost, but completely destroys my own. Life. Since I live just for me, I have a lot more peace of mind."

"How can you live only for yourself?" Pierre asked, agitated. "But what about the son? What about the sister? What about the father?" "But it's still me and no one else," said Prince Andrei, "and the others, the others, you and the princess call leprochain, and this is the chief source of error and misfortune. Leprochain, that is Kyiv peasants you want to do good to them." -------- ①French: others. He glanced at Pierre ironically and defiantly.Obviously he was provoking Pierre. "You're joking," said Pierre, getting more and more excited. "I am willing to do good, even if I do little and very badly, but what kind of error and what evil is it that I have done a little good? Those unfortunates, our peasants, are like us, What evil is it to be taught in the comforting beliefs of an afterlife, retribution, reward, consolation, whose knowledge of God and truth from birth to death is limited to ritual and useless prayers What a fallacy, what evil is it that I provide doctors and hospitals, and nursing homes to the elderly, when there are people who die of illness for lack of assistance, when there is no difficulty in providing material assistance Is it not the unquestionable welfare of farmers and women carrying babies who have no peace day and night, I let them have leisure and rest..." Pierre said hastily, even "c", The "W" sound is also indistinguishable. "I did it, badly, not enough, but somehow, and you failed not only to convince me that what I did was not good, but you also failed to convince me that you yourself had Such an idea. Above all,” continued Pierre, “I know, and know with certainty, that the pleasure of doing good is the only sure happiness in life.” "Yes, if you put the question in that way, it's a different matter," said Prince Andrew. "I build a house, a garden with trees, and you build a hospital. Both can be a kind of recreation. As for what is fair and what is good, it is not for us to judge, but for the one who knows everything. Ah, you want to argue," he added, "then you argue." They went behind the table Come out and sit down on the porch instead of the balcony. "Ah, let's argue," said Prince Andrei. "You talk about school," he continued, flexing a finger. Said the farmer who passed them, "Rescued from the state of an animal has made him feel a spiritual need, but I think the only possible happiness is that of an animal, and you want to deprive him of that." Happiness. I envy him, and instead of giving him my wealth, you want to make him like me, you talk about another thing: to ease his labor. But in my opinion, physical labor For him, just like mental work is for you and me, it is a need and a condition for his existence. You can't ignore it. I went to bed at two o'clock, and suddenly all kinds of thoughts appeared in my mind, tossing and turning Because of the mattress, I couldn't sleep, and I didn't fall asleep until the morning, so this is because I was thinking, and I couldn't help thinking, just like he couldn't help plowing the field, he couldn't help cutting the grass, otherwise he would go to the tavern, Or sick. Just as I can't stand his horrible physical labor and die in a week, he can't stand my idle life, he's going to be too fat to survive. .Third, what else did you say?" Prince Andrew raised his third finger. "Oh, yes, the hospital, the medicine. He had a stroke and was dying, and you bled him and healed him. He's still going to walk around as a cripple for ten years and become a burden to everyone. For him, death is much simpler and more comfortable. Others are born continuously, and there are really many. If you are reluctant to sacrifice a redundant laborer, that's not bad. That's how I look at him. In fact, you are born He healed him out of love for him. But that's not what he wanted. Besides, it's wishful thinking that a doctor has ever healed anyone! Kills people, that's right!" he said, furrowing his brow ferociously, Turning his face away, he ignored Pierre. Prince Andrew expressed himself so clearly and clearly that it was evident that he had thought about it more than once, and he spoke willingly and hastily, like someone who has been silent for a long time.The less credible his insight, the more excited his eyes became. "Oh, how dreadful, how dreadful!" said Pierre. "I just don't know how to live with such thoughts. I was once like that, not so long ago, in Moscow and in Things on the road, but at that time I fell to such a degree that I couldn't live, and everything made me feel disgusting... Mainly, I hated myself. At that time, I didn't eat, I didn't wash my face... Well, what do you do? Sample?……" "Why don't you wash your face, it's so dirty," said Prince Andrew, "and instead try to make your life more pleasant. I'm alive, I'm not at fault for this, so find a way to make it more pleasant." Well, don't disturb others, until the end of your life." "But what on earth is it that makes you live with such thoughts? You'll just sit around and do nothing..." "Even so I have no leisure. I would rather do nothing. And see, on the one hand, the local nobles honored me by electing me to be chief noble, and I managed to get rid of it. They couldn't understand that I Lacking in him the powers, the hypocrisy, the deep-seated, the vulgarity which such a job requires. And besides, the house had to be built in order to have a place to live in leisure. There's the militia thing." "Why don't you serve in the army?" "That's after the battle of Austerlitz!" said Prince Andrew gloomily. "No, thank you very much, I promise that I will not serve in the combat units. Even if Bonaparte is here, near Smolensk, threatening Bald Mountain, I will not serve in the Russian army. Here, I I told you," continued Prince Andrew calmly. "Now there is the matter of the militia. My father was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Third Military Region. Serving under him is the only way for me to avoid serving." "So you're still serving Luo?" "I'm serving," he said after a moment of silence. "Then why are you serving?" "That's why. My father was one of the most eminent men of his time. But he was getting old, not to say that he was cruel by nature, but he was too active. He was used to unlimited power and forbidding, and now he With such powers as the king gave to the commander-in-chief of the militia. Two weeks ago, if I had been two hours late, he would have hanged Yukhnov's secretary," said Prince Andrew with a smile. "I served in the army because no one but me could influence him, and on certain occasions I could keep him from doing things that would later cause him pain." "Ah, you understand now!" "Well, maiscen'est pascommevousl'enten Adez," continued Prince Andrei, "I was and am not in the least inclined to do any kindness to the scoundrel who stole the boots of the militia, and I would even be pleased to see him hanged." .But I pity my father, that is, I pity myself." -------- ①French: But it's not what you think. Prince Andrew was getting more and more excited.His eyes shone with great excitement as he tried to prove to Pierre that in his actions there was never a perceptible desire to do good to others. "Well, you want to liberate the peasants," he went on. "That's all very well, but not for yourself (I don't think you ever flogged anyone, never exiled anyone to Siberia), and relatively speaking, not for the peasants. If you beat them, flog them, put They were exiled to Siberia, and I think they didn't think there was anything wrong with it. They lived the same life in Siberia as cattle, and the scars on their bodies healed, and they were happy again as before. The liberation of the peasants The thing is necessary to those who have lost their morals, have induced remorse in themselves, and have often repressed it, but have grown hardened by their ability to inflict just and unjust punishment. It is these people, for whom I would very much like to liberate the peasants. You may not have seen it, but I have seen it, the good men who have been brought up under the unlimited power of tradition, with the growth of age, gradually become easy Annoyed, becoming crueler, rougher, and though they know it, they cannot restrain themselves, and become more and more unhappy." Prince Andrei said this with such interest that Pierre could not help thinking of his father who had given him these thoughts.He didn't answer him with any words. "Then it is the kind of people I have pity for--people with human dignity, a quiet conscience, pure and noble, regardless of their backs and foreheads, which no matter how you pump or shave them, they will still It's the back and the forehead." "No, no, a thousand nos! I absolutely disagree with you," said Pierre.