"My fatherwished me to become a carpenter like himself. For five generations we'vecarried on the same trade, from father to son. Perhaps that is the wisdom oflife, to tread in your father's steps, and look neither to the right nor to theleft. When I was a little boy I said I would marry the daughter of theharness-maker who lived next door. She was a little girl with blue eyes and aflaxen pigtail. She would have kept my house like a new pin, and I should havehad a son to carry on the business after me. "

Stroeve sigheda little and was silent. His thoughts dwelt among pictures of what might havebeen, and the safety of the life he had refused filled him with longing.

"The worldis hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. Wemust be very humble. We must see the beauty of quietness. We must go throughlife so inconspicuously that Fate does not notice us. And let us seek the loveof simple, ignorant people. Their ignorance is better than all our knowledge.Let us be silent, content in our little corner, meek and gentle like them. Thatis the wisdom of life. "

“我父亲希望我象他一样做个木匠。我们家五代人都是干的这个行业，总是父一代子一代地传下去。也许这就是生活的智慧——永远踩着父亲的脚印走下去，既不左顾也不右盼。小的时候我对别人说我要同隔壁一家做马具人家的女儿结婚。她是一个蓝眼睛的小女孩，亚麻色的头发梳着一根小辫。要是同这个人结了婚，她也会把我的家收拾得井井有条，还会给我生个孩子接替我的行业。”

施特略夫轻轻叹了一口气，沉默了一会儿。他的思想萦回在可能发生的这些图景上，他自动放弃的这种安全稳定的生活使他无限眷恋。

“世界是无情的、残酷的。我们生到人世间没有人知道为了什么，我们死后没有人知道到何处去。我们必须自甘卑屈。我们必须看到冷清寂寥的美妙。在生活中我们一定不要出风头、露头角，惹起命运对我们注目。让我们去寻求那些淳朴、敦厚的人的爱情吧。他们的愚昧远比我们的知识更为可贵。让我们保持着沉默，满足于自己小小的天地，象他们一样平易温顺吧。这就是生活的智慧。”