俄国大文豪柴可夫斯基的一封新年贺信

On January second, 1877, Peter Tchaikovsky chided[2] his brother Modeste for not being a better correspondent.

I don’t know if you still remember my existence. I happen to be your own brother. I hold the position of professor at the Moscow Conservatoire and have written several compositions: operas, symphonies, overtures and so on.[3] There was a time when you condescended[4] to take an interest in me. We even took a trip abroad together last year, which has left an unforgettable memory in my heart.

You often used to write frequent[5] charming and interesting letters to me. But now it all seems to me nothing but a sweet dream. Oh, yes—you have forgotten me and don’t want to know me any more! But I am not like you. In spite of my antipathy[6] toward keeping up correspondence, in spite of being very tired (it is midnight now), here I am sitting writing to you to remind you of my feelings of great love for you. And so, dear brother, I wish you a Happy New Year, health, happiness, and success very soon in all your new ventures[7]...

As for me, dear brother, the holidays passed idly[8] and not very happily. I wanted to work but was disturbed by friends. And now my relative Misha Assiere is on leave and staying with me. I must say, he is a very nice and sweet boy and I, dear brother, stay home with him every evening...

Before the holidays I became friendly, dear brother, with the writer Count[9] Leo Tolstoy and have a very nice letter from him. And he listened, dear brother, to my first string quartet and during the Andante he shed real tears which, dear brother, makes me very proud.[10]

And you, my dear brother, do not be so presumptuous[11] to forget that I, dear brother, am a “bird” of certain importance.

And now, good-bye my dear brother.

Your furious brother, Peter Tchaikovsky.

1877年1月2日，彼得•柴可夫斯基写信责备他的弟弟莫迪斯特，因为这个弟弟不常给他通信。信件如下：

我有幸作你的哥哥，但我不知道你是否还记得我这个老哥。我在莫斯科音乐学院任教授，写了好几部作品：歌剧、交响乐、序曲等等。去年，你还曾屈尊对我有点兴趣，我们甚至还一起到国外旅行，这让我难以忘怀。

以往，你常常给我寄来一些美好而有趣的信件，但现在看来却如美梦一场。哦，是的——你已经把我忘掉了，再也不想了解我的近况了。但我和你不一样，尽管我一向不喜欢写信，尽管现在我已经疲倦不堪(现在已经是午夜了)，我仍然坐在这里给你写这封信，让你知道我对你的深情厚谊。亲爱的老弟，我希望在新的一年里，你健康、快乐、心想事成……

亲爱的兄弟，至于我的情况——假日里慵懒无聊，我想工作却又屡被朋友打扰。现在我的亲戚米沙•阿西儿和我在一块，他在休假。我得说，亲爱的兄弟，他是个非常逗人欢心的孩子，我们每天晚上都呆在家里。

亲爱的兄弟，在假期前，我和作家列夫•托尔斯泰伯爵成了好朋友，他还给我写了一封信。他曾经听我的第一个弦乐四重奏。兄弟，你猜怎么着?在听“行板乐曲”时，他居然老泪纵横。这真让我自豪。

而你呢，我亲爱的兄弟，不要那么粗率地忘了，哥哥现在已经是一个名人了。

好了，我亲爱的兄弟，再见了!

你懊恼的哥哥彼得•柴可夫斯基