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dead souls(死魂灵)-第70章

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; but that; in spite of all; the present occasion had inspired him with a happy ideanamely; the idea of instituting a Committee which should be entitled 〃The Committee of Supervision of the Committee of Management;〃 and which should have for its function the detection of backsliders among the body first mentioned。

It was late when; tired and dissatisfied; Chichikov regained Kostanzhoglo's mansion。 Indeed; the candles had long been lit。

〃What has delayed you?〃 asked the master of the house as Chichikov entered the drawing…room。

〃Yes; what has kept you and the Colonel so long in conversation together?〃 added Platon。

〃Thisthe fact that never in my life have I come across such an imbecile;〃 was Chichikov's reply。

〃Never mind;〃 said Kostanzhoglo。 〃Koshkarev is a most reassuring phenomenon。 He is necessary in that in him we see expressed in caricature all the more crying follies of our intellectualsof the intellectuals who; without first troubling to make themselves acquainted with their own country; borrow silliness from abroad。 Yet that is how certain of our landowners are now carrying on。 They have set up 'offices' and factories and schools and 'commissions;' and the devil knows what else besides。 A fine lot of wiseacres! After the French War in 1812 they had to reconstruct their affairs: and see how they have done it! Yet so much worse have they done it than a Frenchman would have done that any fool of a Peter Petrovitch Pietukh now ranks as a good landowner!〃

〃But he has mortgaged the whole of his estate?〃 remarked Chichikov。

〃Yes; nowadays everything is being mortgaged; or is going to be。〃 This said; Kostanzhoglo's temper rose still further。 〃Out upon your factories of hats and candles!〃 he cried。 〃Out upon procuring candle…makers from London; and then turning landowners into hucksters! To think of a Russian pomiestchik'9'; a member of the noblest of callings; conducting workshops and cotton mills! Why; it is for the wenches of towns to handle looms for muslin and lace。〃

'9' Landowner。

〃But you yourself maintain workshops?〃 remarked Platon。

〃I do; but who established them? They established themselves。 For instance; wool had accumulated; and since I had nowhere to store it; I began to weave it into clothbut; mark you; only into good; plain cloth of which I can dispose at a cheap rate in the local markets; and which is needed by peasants; including my own。 Again; for six years on end did the fish factories keep dumping their offal on my bank of the river; wherefore; at last; as there was nothing to be done with it; I took to boiling it into glue; and cleared forty thousand roubles by the process。〃

〃The devil!〃 thought Chichikov to himself as he stared at his host。 〃What a fist this man has for making money!〃

〃Another reason why I started those factories;〃 continued Kostanzhoglo; 〃is that they might give employment to many peasants who would otherwise have starved。 You see; the year happened to have been a lean onethanks to those same industry…mongering landowners; in that they had neglected to sow their crops; and now my factories keep growing at the rate of a factory a year; owing to the circumstance that such quantities of remnants and cuttings become so accumulated that; if a man looks carefully to his management; he will find every sort of rubbish to be capable of bringing in a returnyes; to the point of his having to reject money on the plea that he has no need of it。 Yet I do not find that to do all this I require to build a mansion with facades and pillars!〃

〃Marvellous!〃 exclaimed Chichikov。 〃Beyond all things does it surprise me that refuse can be so utilised。〃

〃Yes; and that is what can be done by SIMPLE methods。 But nowadays every one is a mechanic; and wants to open that money chest with an instrument instead of simply。 For that purpose he hies him to England。 Yes; THAT is the thing to do。 What folly!〃 Kostanzhoglo spat and added: 〃Yet when he returns from abroad he is a hundred times more ignorant than when he went。〃

〃Ah; Constantine;〃 put in his wife anxiously; 〃you know how bad for you it is to talk like this。〃

〃Yes; but how am I to help losing my temper? The thing touches me too closely; it vexes me too deeply to think that the Russian character should be degenerating。 For in that character there has dawned a sort of Quixotism which never used to be there。 Yes; no sooner does a man get a little education into his head than he becomes a Don Quixote; and establishes schools on his estate such as even a madman would never have dreamed of。 And from that school there issues a workman who is good for nothing; whether in the country or in the towna fellow who drinks and is for ever standing on his dignity。 Yet still our landowners keep taking to philanthropy; to converting themselves into philanthropic knights…errant; and spending millions upon senseless hospitals and institutions; and so ruining themselves and turning their families adrift。 Yes; that is all that comes of philanthropy。〃

Chichikov's business had nothing to do with the spread of enlightenment; he was but seeking an opportunity to inquire further concerning the putting of refuse to lucrative uses; but Kostanzhoglo would not let him get a word in edgeways; so irresistibly did the flow of sarcastic comment pour from the speaker's lips。

〃Yes;〃 went on Kostanzhoglo; 〃folk are always scheming to educate the peasant。 But first make him well…off and a good farmer。 THEN he will educate himself fast enough。 As things are now; the world has grown stupid to a degree that passes belief。 Look at the stuff our present…day scribblers write! Let any sort of a book be published; and at once you will see every one making a rush for it。 Similarly will you find folk saying: 'The peasant leads an over…simple life。 He ought to be familiarised with luxuries; and so led to yearn for things above his station。' And the result of such luxuries will be that the peasant will become a rag rather than a man; and suffer from the devil only knows what diseases; until there will remain in the land not a boy of eighteen who will not have experienced the whole gamut of them; and found himself left with not a tooth in his jaws or a hair on his pate。 Yes; that is what will come of infecting the peasant with such rubbish。 But; thank God; there is still one healthy class left to usa class which has never taken up with the 'advantages' of which I speak。 For that we ought to be grateful。 And since; even yet; the Russian agriculturist remains the most respect…worthy man in the land; why should he be touched? Would to God every one were an agriculturist!〃

〃Then you believe agriculture to be the most profitable of occupations?〃 said Chichikov。

〃The best; at all eventsif not the most profitable。 'In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou till the land。' To quote that requires no great wisdom; for the experience of ages has shown us that; in the agricultural calling; man has ever remained more moral; more pure; more noble than in any other。 Of course I do not mean to imply that no other calling ought to be practised: simply that the calling in question lies at the root of all the rest。 However much factories may be established privately or by the law; there will still lie ready to man's hand all that he needshe will still require none of those amenities which are sapping the vitality of our present…day folk; nor any of those industrial establishments which make their profit; and keep themselves going; by causing foolish measures to be adopted which; in the end; are bound to deprave and corrupt our unfortunate masses。 I myself am determined never to establish any manufacture; however profitable; which will give rise to a demand for 'higher things;' such as sugar and tobaccono not if I lose a million by my refusing to do so。 If corruption MUST overtake the MIR; it shall not be through my hands。 And I think that God will justify me in my resolve。 Twenty years have I lived among the common folk; and I know what will inevitably come of such things。〃

〃But what surprises me most;〃 persisted Chichikov; 〃is that from refuse it should be possible; with good management; to make such an immensity of profit。〃

〃And as for political economy;〃 continued Kostanzhoglo; without noticing him; and with his face charged with bilious sarcasm; 〃as for political economy; it is a fine thing indeed。 Just one fool sitting on another fool's back; and flogging him along; even though the rider can see no further than his own nose! Yet into the saddle will that fool climbspectacles and all! Oh; the folly; the folly of such things!〃 And the speaker spat derisively。

〃That may be true;〃 said his wife。 〃Yet you must not get angry about it。 Surely one can speak on such subjects without losing one's temper?〃

〃As I listen to you; most worthy Constantine Thedorovitch;〃 Chichikov hastened to remark; 〃it becomes plain to me that you have penetrated into the meaning of life; and laid your finger upon the essential root of the matter。 Yet supposing; for a moment; we leave the affairs of humanity in general; and turn our attention to a purely individual affair; might I ask you how; in the case of a man becoming a landowner; and having a mind to grow wealthy as quickly as possible (in order tha
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