NOVODVOROFF.
Although Novodvoroff was highly esteemed of all the revolutionists, though he was very learned, and considered very wise, Nekhludoff reckoned him among those of the revolutionists who, being below the average moral level, were very far below it. His inner life was of a nature directly opposite to that of Simonson's. Simonson was one of those people (of an essentially masculine type) whose actions follow the dictates of their reason, and are determined by it. Novodvoroff belonged, on the contrary, to the class of people of a feminine type, whose reason is directed partly towards the attainment of aims set by their feelings, partly to the justification of acts suggested by their feelings. The whole of Novodvoroff's revolutionary activity, though he could explain it very eloquently and very convincingly, appeared to Nekhludoff to be founded on nothing but ambition and the desire for supremacy. At first his capacity for assimilating the thoughts of others, and of expressing them correctly, had given him a position of supremacy among pupils and teachers in the gymnasium and the university, where qualities such as his are highly prized, and he was satisfied. When he had finished his studies and received his diploma he suddenly altered his views, and from a modern liberal he turned into a rabid Narodovoletz, in order (so Kryltzoff, who did not like him, said) to gain supremacy in another sphere.
As he was devoid of those moral and aesthetic qualities which call forth doubts and hesitation, he very soon acquired a position in the revolutionary world which satisfied him--that of the leader of a party. Having once chosen a direction, he never doubted or hesitated, and was therefore certain that he never made a mistake. Everything seemed quite simple, clear and certain. And the narrowness and one-sidedness of his views did make everything seem simple and clear. One only had to be logical, as he said. His self-assurance was so great that it either repelled people or made them submit to him. As he carried on his work among very young people, his boundless self-assurance led them to believe him very profound and wise; the majority did submit to him, and he had a great success in revolutionary circles. His activity was directed to the preparation of a rising in which he was to usurp the power and call together a council. A programme, composed by him, should he proposed before the council, and he felt sure that this programme of his solved every problem, and that it would he impossible not to carry it out.
His comrades respected but did not love him. He did not love any one, looked upon all men of note as upon rivals, and would have willingly treated them as old male monkeys treat young ones if he could have done it. He would have torn all mental power, every capacity, from other men, so that they should not interfere with the display of his talents. He behaved well only to those who bowed before him. Now, on the journey he behaved well to Kondratieff, who was influenced by his propaganda; to Vera Doukhova and pretty little Grabetz, who were both in love with him. Although in principle he was in favour of the woman's movement, yet in the depth of his soul he considered all women stupid and insignificant except those whom he was sentimentally in love with (as he was now in love with Grabetz), and such women he considered to be exceptions, whose merits he alone was capable of discerning.
The question of the relations of the sexes he also looked upon as thoroughly solved by accepting free union. He had one nominal and one real wife, from both of whom he was separated, having come to the conclusion that there was no real love between them, and now he thought of entering on a free union with Grabetz. He despised Nekhludoff for "playing the fool," as Novodvoroff termed it, with Maslova, but especially for the freedom Nekhludoff took of considering the defects of the existing system and the methods of correcting those defects in a manner which was not only not exactly the same as Novodvoroff's, but was Nekhludoff's own--a prince's, that is, a fool's manner. Nekhludoff felt this relation of Novodvoroff's towards him, and knew to his sorrow that in spite of the state of good will in which he found himself on this journey he could not help paying this man in his own coin, and could not stifle the strong antipathy he felt for him.
尽管诺伏德伏罗夫很受所有革命者的尊敬,尽管他很有学问,并被认为很聪明,聂赫留朵夫却认为他这种革命者的品德远不如一般人.这个人的智力--好比分子--是大的,但他对自己的估价--好比分母--却大大超过他的智力.
这个人在一精一神上同西蒙松正好截然相反.西蒙松具有男子汉的气质,他们这类人的行动总是由自己的思想所指导,由自己的思想所决定.诺伏德伏罗夫却具有女一性一的气质,他这一类人所考虑的,是怎样达到由感情决定的目标,以及怎样证明由感情引起的行动是正确的.
尽管诺伏德伏罗夫能把他的全部革命活动讲得头头是道,令人信服,聂赫留朵夫却认为他只是出于虚荣心,无非想出人头地罢了.起初,凭着他善于领会别人的思想并加以准确表达的能力,他在高度重视这种能力的教师和学生中间(在中学,大学和硕士学位进修班)真的名列前茅,出人头地,他感到很得意.可是等他领到文凭,离开学校后,就无法再出人头地了.后来,正如不喜欢诺伏德伏罗夫的克雷里卓夫对聂赫留朵夫说的,为了在新的环境里再出人头地,他就突然改变观点,以一个渐进的自一由派,摇身一变而成为红色的民意一党一人.由于他天生缺乏怀疑和踌躇这种道德和审美方面的特点,他很快就在革命者的圈子里获得一党一的领一导一人的地位,这样他的虚荣心也就得到了满足.他一旦选定方向,就不再怀疑,不再踌躇,因此相信自己决不会犯错误.他认为一切事情都十分简单明了,从来没有什么疑问.由于他的观点狭隘,片面,一切事情确实显得简单明了.照他的话说,人只要有逻辑头脑就行.他的自信心实在太强,因此人家对他要么敬而远之,要么唯命是从.他的活动是在年轻人中间开展的,他们往往把他的极度自信当作深谋远虑和真知灼见.这样,大多数人都听从他的指挥,他在革命者的圈子里也就取得了很高的威信.他的活动就是准备暴动,通过暴动取得政权,然后召开重要会议,并在全上通过由他拟定的纲领.他充分相信这个纲领可以解决一切问题,因此必须执行.
同志们因为他大胆果断而尊敬他,但并不喜欢他.他也不喜欢任何人,把一切杰出人物都看成是自己的对手,并且总是想用老猴对待小猴那样的态度来对待他们.他恨不得剥夺人家的一切智慧和一切才能,免得他们妨碍他表现才能.只有对那些崇拜他的人,他才好意相待.现在在流放途中,他对待接受他宣传的工人玛尔凯,对待倾心于他的薇拉和相貌美丽的格拉别茨,就是这样.他虽然口头上也主张解决妇女问题,但心底里却认为女人都是愚蠢的,猥琐的,除了他所热恋的女人之外,譬如他现在所一爱一的格拉别茨.只有那些女人才不同凡响,她们的优点也只有他一人能够发现.
他认为男一女关系也象其他一切问题那样简单明了,只要承认恋一爱一自一由,就算彻底解决问题.
他有过一个非正式的妻子,还有过一个正式的妻子,但后来同正式的妻子脱离了关系,认为他们之间没有真正的一爱一情.现在他又打算同格拉别茨缔结新的自一由婚姻.
诺伏德伏罗夫瞧不起聂赫留朵夫,认为他在对待玛丝洛娃的问题上"装腔作势";特别是因为在看待现行制度的缺点和纠正办法上,竟敢跟他诺伏德伏罗夫不一样,甚至敢于有他自己的想法,公爵老爷的想法,愚蠢的想法.聂赫留朵夫尽管一路上心情很好,但知道诺伏德伏罗夫对他抱这样的态度,也无可奈何,只得采取以眼还眼的态度,怎么也无决克制对他的极度反感.