《醋栗》是契诃夫晚期作品中很不起眼的一部小说。该小说以一个地主的经历为叙述中心,此人一生的最大且唯一的理想就是当一个拥有大庄园的地主。在实现这一平庸的幸福之后,他本人的性格也变得冷酷无情、虚伪恶毒。契诃夫运用巧妙的情节安排和大量哲理性的语言,批判了这类庸人堕落的思想,重塑了正确的幸福观,呼吁人们要为更明智、更伟大的事业而活着。 “Gooseberry” is a very humble novel in Chekhov’s later works. The novel takes the experience of a landlord as the center of narration, and the greatest and only ideal of his life is to be a landowner with a large manor. After realizing this mediocre happiness, his own character has become ruthless, hypocritical and vicious. Using clever plots and philosophical language, Chekhov has criticized such degenerate thoughts of mediocrity and reshaped the correct view of happiness, urging people to live for a better and greater cause.