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作者：Anton Chekhov（安东·契诃夫）
首次出版：1887 年（月、日不详）
首次收录于：《Новое время》《新时报》
出版背景：俄国，以报刊刊载形式推出
收录说明：
后收录于英文选本《The Kiss and Other Stories》《吻及其他故事》，
并广泛收录于各类契诃夫短篇小说选本
创作背景：
这是契诃夫经典心理短篇。
小说讲述年轻军官里亚博维奇在一次偶然的晚宴上，
被陌生女子误吻，
从此这个短暂的吻成为他心中挥之不去的幻象。
他反复追忆、美化那次接触，
在想象中为对方虚构出美貌、温柔与爱情，
却始终没有勇气去确认真相。
作品借一个误会的吻，
写孤独者如何把微小瞬间放大成精神寄托，
也写现实与幻想之间难以跨越的距离。
英文原文
At the end of a summer evening,
the officers of the N. regiment
were dining in the clubhouse.
They were many,
and their talk was loud and cheerful,
but through it all,
they kept glancing at the door.
“Somebody is coming,”
said someone.
“It’s the general.”
A moment later,
a short, gray-haired man
in civilian dress entered the room.
He was the general,
and with him were two ladies
and a young girl in white.
The officers rose at once.
The general greeted them,
said a few friendly words,
and then proposed a toast.
The champagne flowed,
the talk grew louder,
and soon the officers were scattered
about the rooms, chatting and laughing.
Rjabovich,
a young, slender, dark-haired officer,
who had recently joined the regiment,
found himself in a small, dimly lit room.
He was not handsome,
but his face was gentle,
and his manner was shy.
He stood near a window,
watching the crowd.
Suddenly,
some one hurried past him
and pressed close to him.
A woman’s hand touched his hand,
a warm breath brushed his cheek,
and lips kissed him lightly on the lips.
He opened his eyes.
A young woman in white
was standing near him.
She looked confused,
gave him a strange glance,
and hurried away.
Rjabovich stood still.
His heart beat quickly.
He felt as though he had been dreaming.
The room was quiet.
The smell of flowers and music
came from the distance.
He touched his lips.
They were warm from the kiss.
Then he smiled.
It was a strange, sweet feeling.
He did not know who she was.
He had not even seen her face clearly.
But from that moment,
the kiss became the center of his life.
He began to watch for her everywhere.
He returned to the clubhouse the next evening,
and the next,
and the next.
He walked past the general’s house.
He lingered near the church.
He looked for a young girl in white,
with a light step,
with a soft voice.
He imagined her.
He gave her a name.
He pictured her as beautiful,
gentle,
and unhappy.
He told himself that she loved him,
that the kiss had not been an accident,
but a secret sign.
Days passed.
The kiss remained fresh in his mind.
It grew brighter,
sweeter,
more mysterious.
He thought of it when he woke,
when he drilled,
when he sat in the canteen.
It was not merely a memory;
it was a happiness,
a longing,
a part of himself.
Once he met the general’s party.
The young girl in white was there.
He saw her face.
She was plain.
Her nose was too long.
Her shoulders were narrow.
But Rjabovich did not see her clearly.
His heart began to beat.
He bowed,
and tried to speak.
She smiled faintly.
It was not the same smile.
It did not belong to the girl of his dream.
He turned away.
The kiss was still there,
but it had begun to fade.
He walked home slowly.
The evening was beautiful.
The sky was pale gold.
But he felt empty.
He thought of the kiss.
It had been so warm,
so sweet,
so full of mystery.
And now it was nothing.
A mistake.
A moment.
A few lips pressed lightly in the dark.
He smiled bitterly.
Why had he built a whole life
out of that one little kiss?
Why had he dreamed so much?
He looked at the evening,
at the people passing by,
and suddenly he understood.
The world was full of strange moments.
Some were warm.
Some were cold.
But none of them were enough
to make a life out of a dream.
He straightened his shoulders.
The kiss was over.
The evening was over.
And life,
he thought,
must go on.
译文
夏末的一个傍晚，
N团的军官们正在俱乐部聚餐。
人很多，
谈话热烈又快活，
但大家都不时望向门口。
“有人来了。”
有人说道。
“是将军。”
片刻后，
一位身材矮小、头发灰白的便装男子走进房间。
他就是将军，
身边陪着两位女士，
还有一位穿白衣的年轻姑娘。
军官们立刻起身。
将军向他们致意，
说了几句亲切的话，
随后提议干杯。
香槟流淌，
谈笑声越来越响，
军官们很快分散到各个房间，
聊天、说笑。
里亚博维奇，
一位年轻、瘦削、黑发的军官，
刚加入团队不久，
独自待在一间昏暗的小屋里。
他并不英俊，
但面容温和，
举止腼腆。
他站在窗边，
望着人群。
忽然，
有人匆匆从他身边掠过，
贴近了他。
一只女人的手碰到他的手，
温热的气息拂过他的脸颊，
嘴唇轻轻吻在了他的唇上。
他睁开眼。
一位穿白衣的年轻姑娘站在他身旁。
她神情慌乱，
异样地看了他一眼，
便匆匆离开了。
里亚博维奇一动不动地站着。
心跳得很快。
他仿佛觉得自己刚刚做了一场梦。
房间很安静。
远处传来花香和音乐声。
他摸了摸嘴唇。
那里还留着吻的温度。
随后他笑了。
那是一种奇怪而甜蜜的感觉。
他不知道她是谁。
他甚至没有看清她的脸。
但从那一刻起，
这个吻成了他生活的中心。
他开始到处寻找她。
第二天晚上，
他回到俱乐部，
第三天，第四天也是如此。
他从将军家门前走过。
他在教堂附近徘徊。
他寻找一个穿白衣的姑娘，
脚步轻盈，
声音温柔。
他想象她的模样。
他给她取名字。
他把她想象成美丽、温柔而不幸的人。
他告诉自己，她爱他，
这个吻不是偶然，
而是一个秘密的信号。
日子一天天过去。
那个吻在他心中依然鲜活。
它越来越明亮，
越来越甜蜜，
越来越神秘。
他醒来时想它，
操练时想它，
坐在食堂里也想它。
它不只是一段记忆；
它是一种幸福，
一种渴望，
也是他自身的一部分。
有一次，他遇见了将军一行人。
那位白衣姑娘也在。
他看清了她的脸。
她很普通。
鼻子太长，
肩膀太窄。
但里亚博维奇并没有真正看清她。
他的心开始狂跳。
他鞠躬，
试图开口说话。
她淡淡地笑了一下。
那不是同样的微笑。
她不是他梦中的那个姑娘。
他转身离开。
那个吻还在心里，
但已经开始褪色。
他慢慢走回家。
傍晚很美。
天空是淡金色的。
可他觉得心里空落落的。
他想起那个吻。
它曾经那么温暖，
那么甜蜜，
那么神秘。
而现在，什么也不是了。
一个误会。
一瞬间。
黑暗中轻轻触碰的几下嘴唇。
他苦笑了一下。
他为什么要把一个小小的吻，
建构成一整段生活？
他为什么要做那么多梦？
他望着傍晚，
望着路过的人们，
忽然明白了。
世间充满奇异的瞬间。
有些温暖，
有些冰冷。
但没有哪一个瞬间，
足以让人把一生活在梦里。
他挺直肩膀。
那个吻已经结束。
傍晚已经结束。
而生活，
他想，
必须继续。
🔍长难句赏析与拆解
原句一
Rjabovich,
a young, slender, dark-haired officer,
who had recently joined the regiment,
found himself in a small, dimly lit room.
句式解读
主语后接同位语，
同位语内部嵌套who引导的定语从句，
补充人物身份与背景，
主句结构简洁清晰。
主干：Rjabovich found himself in a small, dimly lit room.
原句二
He did not know who she was.
He had not even seen her face clearly.
But from that moment,
the kiss became the center of his life.
句式解读
前两句为否定陈述句，
第三句用but转折，
把偶然的吻提升为人物精神世界的中心，
形成强烈心理反差。
主干：He did not know who she was.
He had not seen her face clearly.
But the kiss became the center of his life.
原句三
It was not merely a memory;
it was a happiness,
a longing,
a part of himself.
句式解读
分号连接两个分句，
后一句用三个并列表语，
层层递进写出吻在主人公心中的重量。
主干：It was not merely a memory;
it was a happiness, a longing, a part of himself.
📖全篇句式特点
文本以平缓叙事为主，
短句与中句交替，
心理描写细腻克制。
开篇写宴会环境与人物出场，
中段聚焦误吻后的内心变化，
结尾回到现实，情绪回落。
契诃夫不直接评判人物，
而是通过一个微小事件，
展示幻想如何占据人的精神世界。
适合学习人物心理描写、同位语结构、定语从句的简洁运用。
核心词汇
1. slender
/ˈslendə(r)/
纤细的，瘦削的
形容词（adj.）
2. dimly lit
/ˈdɪmli lɪt/
昏暗的，光线微弱的
形容词短语（adj. phrase）
3. confusion
/kənˈfjuːʒn/
慌乱，困惑
名词（n.）
4. linger
/ˈlɪŋɡə(r)/
徘徊，逗留
动词（v.）
5. mysterious
/mɪˈstɪəriəs/
神秘的
形容词（adj.）
6. faint
/feɪnt/
微弱的，淡淡的
形容词（adj.）
7. bitterness
/ˈbɪtnəs/
苦涩，痛苦
名词（n.）
8. longing
/ˈlɒŋɪŋ/
渴望，思念
名词（n.）
9. straighten
/ˈstreɪtn/
挺直，整理
动词（v.）
10. momentary
/ˈməʊməntri/
瞬间的，短暂的
形容词（adj.）
📜文学赏析
《吻》是契诃夫心理小说的代表之一。
故事没有激烈情节，
只围绕一个短暂的误吻展开。
里亚博维奇并不了解那个女子，
甚至没有看清她的脸，
却把一瞬间的接触，
美化成理想爱情与精神寄托。
契诃夫通过这种心理放大，
写孤独者如何在现实中缺失温暖，
便如何在幻想中制造温暖。
当他终于看清现实中的姑娘，
那个吻并没有消失，
但它的魔力消失了。
作者真正要写的，
不是爱情的错过，
而是幻想的破灭。
小说的力量在于平淡中的清醒。
契诃夫让主人公最后明白：
一个瞬间不足以构成一生，
幻想也不能替代真实生活。
这种收束不激烈，
却带着温和而深刻的现实感。
💡主旨品读
小说想要表达：
人常常会把偶然的温暖，
错当成命运的暗示。
孤独会让微小瞬间被无限放大，
会让模糊的接触变成心中的爱情神话。
但真正的生活，
不能只靠一个吻、一段想象、一场没有根据的梦。
人总要从幻想里走出来，
回到普通、平淡、并不完美的现实中。
只有承认现实，
才能继续生活。
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