陀思妥耶夫斯基是十九世纪俄国著名作家。1849年4月他因参加反封建农奴制团体——彼特拉舍夫斯基小组而被沙皇政府逮捕,后又以“叛逆罪”被判处死刑。同年12月22日即将行刑时,沙皇又降谕改判他流放服苦役。这一经历,对陀思妥耶夫斯基此后的世界观和创作思想,有着重要的影响。茨威格用细腻的笔触,刻画了陀思妥耶夫斯基临刑时一瞬间复杂的心理变化。 Dostoyevsky is a famous Russian writer in the 19th century. In April 1849, he was arrested by the tsarist government for participating in the anti-feudal serfdom-Petrashevskii group and later sentenced to death for “treason.” In the same year, on December 22, he was about to be executed, and the tsar downed and sentenced him to exile and servitude. This experience has an important influence on Dostoyevsky’s future world outlook and creative thinking. Zweig with delicate brush strokes, portrays Dostoevsky’s temporary psychological changes in the moment of imprisonment.