Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevski
Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished student in St. Petersburg, dreamed of committing the perfect crime: With an ax he murdered an old widowed pawnbroker and her stepsister, and stole some jewelry from their flat.
Back in his room, Raskolnikov received a summons from the police. Weak from hunger and illness, he prepared to make a full confession. But the police had called merely to ask him to pay a debt his landlady had reported to them. When he discovered what they wanted, he collapsed from relief. Upon being revived, he was questioned; his answers provoked suspicion.
Raskolnikov hid the jewelry under a rock in a courtyard. He returned to his room, where he remained for four days in a high fever. When he recovered, he learned that the authorities had visited him while he was delirious and that he had said things during his fever which tended to cast further suspicion on him.
Luzhin, betrothed to Raskolnikov's sister Dounia, came to St. Petersburg from the provinces to prepare for the wedding. Raskolnikov resented Luzhin because he knew his sister was marrying to provide money for her destitute brother. Luzhin visited the convalescent and left in a rage when the young man made no attempt to hide his dislike for him.
A sudden calm came upon the young murderer; he went out and read the accounts of the murders in the papers. While he was reading, a detective joined him. The student, in a high pitch of excitement caused by his crime and by his sickness, talked too much, revealing to the detective that he might well be the murderer. However, no evidence could be found that would throw direct suspicion on him.
Later, witnessing a suicide attempt in the slums of St. Petersburg, Raskolnikov decided to turn himself over to the police; but he was deterred when his friend, an ex-clerk named Marmeladov; was struck by a carriage and killed. Raskolnikov gave the widow a small amount of money he had received from his mother. Later he attended a party given by some of his friends and discovered that they, too, suspected him of complicity in the murder of the two women.
Back in his room, Raskolnikov found his mother and his sister, who were awaiting his return. Unnerved at their appearance and not wanting them to be near him, he placed them in the care of his friend, Razumihin, who, upon meeting Dounia, was immediately attracted to her.
In an interview with Porfiry, the chief of the murder investigation, Raskolnikov was mentally tortured by questions and ironic statements until he was ready to believe that he had been all but apprehended for the double crime. Partly in his own defense, he expounded his theory that any means justified the ends of a man of genius, and that sometimes he believed himself a man of genius.
Raskolnikov proved to his mother and Dounia that Luzhin was a pompous fool, and the angry suitor was dismissed. Razumihin had by that time replaced Luzhin in the girl's affections.
Meanwhile Svidrigailov, who had caused Dounia great suffering while she had been in his employ as a governess, arrived in St. Petersburg. His wife had died and he had followed Dounia, as he explained, to atone for his sins against her by settling upon her a large amount of money.
Razumihin received money from a rich uncle and went into the publishing business with Dounia. They asked Raskolnikov to join them in the venture, but the student, whose mind and heart were full of turmoil, declined; he said goodbye to his friend and to his mother and sister and asked them not to try to see him again.
He went to Sonia, the prostitute daughter of the dead Marmeladov. They read Sonia's Bible together, Raskolnikov deeply impressed by the wretched girl's faith. He felt a great sympathy for Sonia and promised to tell her who had committed the murders of the old pawnbroker and stepsister. Svidrigailov, who rented the room next to Sonia's, overheard the conversation ; he anticipated Raskolnikov's disclosure with interest.
Tortured in his own mind, Raskolnikov went to the police station, where Porfiry played another game of cat-and-mouse with him. His conscience and his imagined insecurity had resulted in immense suffering and torment of mind for Raskolnikov.
At a banquet given by Marmeladov's widow for the friends of her late husband, Luzhin accused Sonia of stealing money from his room. He had observed Raskolnikov's interet in Sonia and he wished to hurt the student for having spoken against him to Dounia. The girl was saved by the report of a neighbor who had seen Luzhin slipping money into Sonia's pocket. Later, in Sonia's room, Raskolnikov confessed his crime and admitted that in killing the two women he had actually destroyed himself.
Svidrigailov, having overheard the confession, disclosed his knowledge to Raskolnikov. Believing that Porfiry suspected him of the murder and realizing that Svidrigailov knew the truth, Raskolnikov found life unbearable. Then Porfiry told Raskolnikov outright that he was the murderer, at the same time promising Raskolnikov that a plea of temporary insanity would be placed in his behalf and his sentence would be mitigated if he confessed. Raskolnikov delayed his confession.
Svidrigailov, having informed Dounia of the truth concerning her brother, offered to save the student if Dounia would consent to be his wife. He made this offer to her in his room, which he had locked after tricking her into the meeting. He released her when she attempted unsuccessfully to shoot him with a pistol she had brought with her. Convinced at last that Dounia would have none of him, Svidrigailov gave her a large sum of money and ended his life with a pistol.
Raskolnikov, after being reassured by his mother and his sister of their love for him, and by Sonia of her undying devotion, turned himself over to the police. He was tried and sentenced to serve eight years in Siberia. Dounia and Razumihin, now successful publishers, were married. Sonia followed Raskolnikov to Siberia, where she stayed in a village near the prison camp. In her goodness to Raskolnikov and to the other prisoners, she came to be known as Little Mother Sonia. With her help, Raskolnikov began his regeneration. (来源：最老牌的英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)
罪与罚
〔俄〕 陀斯妥也夫斯基
罗季昂·拉斯柯尔尼科夫是圣·彼得堡的一个穷大学生。他精心策划一起犯罪行为，用一把斧头砍死了一个经营典当生意的老寡妇及其隔山妹妹，并从她们的寓所里偷走了一些珠宝。
拉斯柯尔尼科夫刚回到自己房里就接到了警方的传票。他又饿又病，虚弱不堪，打算一一招认。然而警方召他去的目的只不过是要他还清女房东向警方控告他所欠下的房租。拉斯柯尔尼科夫了解警局的意图后，如释重负，竟然晕了过去。他苏醒后被审问了一番；他的回答引起了警方的怀疑。
拉斯柯尔尼科夫把珠宝藏在院子里的一块石头下面。他回到房里，一连四天发着高烧。病愈后，他才知道在他神智昏迷时，当局已经来过，而他发着烧，说了些更加让人产生怀疑的话。
拉斯柯尔尼科夫的妹妹冬妮娅许配给卢津，他从外省来到圣彼得堡筹备婚礼。拉斯柯尔尼科夫憎恨卢津，因为他心中明白，妹妹要和卢津结婚是为了供给他这个穷哥哥上学。卢泽前来探望病人；由于这位年轻人公开对他表示厌恶，卢津大怒而去。
年轻的杀人犯这时倒感到平静起来。他出去看报纸上关于谋杀案的新闻。此时，一个密探走了过来与他一起看报。拉斯柯尔尼科夫由于自己犯了罪，加之以疾病缠身，神经亢奋到了极点；他滔滔不绝，向密探暴露了他很可能就是杀人犯。然而却找不到可以怀疑他的直接证据。
后来，拉斯柯尔尼科夫在圣彼得堡贫民窟目睹有个人自杀未遂，便决定去警察局自首。正好这时他的朋友，一个名叫马尔美拉陀夫的退职文官被马车撞死，于是他犹豫了。他把母亲寄来的一小笔钱送给了这位朋友的寡妻。后来他去参加朋友们举办的晚会时，发觉他们也都怀疑他参与了杀害那两个女人的事件。
拉斯柯尔尼科夫回到家里，发现他母亲和妹妹正在等他。一见到她们，拉斯柯尔尼科夫就心慌意乱。他不想让她们呆在自己身旁，就把她们托给他的朋友拉祖米兴照料。这位朋友一见到冬妮娅就被她迷住了。
在与负责侦察谋杀案的波尔菲里的谈话中，拉斯柯尔尼科夫受到种种盘问和冷嘲热讽的精神折磨；他几乎可以肯定：他实际上等于已为自己所犯下的双重杀人罪被捉拿归案了。他多多少少是为自己辩护而发挥了他的理论：一个有天才的人为了达到他的目的可以不择手段，而他有时就认为自己是个天才。
拉斯柯尔尼科夫向他母亲和妹妹证实卢津是个华而不实的大笨蛋；于是这个忿怒的求婚者就被打发掉了。这时，拉祖米兴已取代卢津，得到了姑娘的喜爱。
斯维德里加依洛夫这时也来到了圣彼得堡。冬妮娅被他雇为家庭教师时曾受尽了痛苦。他的妻子现在已经去世，而他自称他之追随冬妮娅而来是为了赠给她一大笔钱，以弥补过去对她犯下的过失。
拉祖米兴从一个富裕的叔叔那里得到了一笔钱，他和冬妮娅一起做起了出版生意。他们要拉斯柯尔尼科夫和他们一起干。但是这位大学生心绪不宁，谢绝了。他告别了他的朋友、母亲和妹妹，并请求他们别再找他。
他到索尼雅那儿去；她是已故的马尔美拉陀夫的女儿，现在做了妓女。他们一起诵读索尼雅珍藏的那本《圣经》； 拉斯柯尔尼科夫对这个不幸的姑娘的信仰深为感动。他对索尼雅寄予极大的同情并答应告诉她是谁杀害了那个老寡妇和她的隔山妹妹。斯维德里加依洛夫在索尼雅的隔壁租了一间房间偷听到了他俩的谈话，兴致勃勃地等着拉斯柯尔尼科夫披露真情。
拉斯柯尔尼科夫心中十分痛苦，他去了警察局。波尔菲里又像猫玩耗子似地对待他。拉斯柯尔尼科夫既感到十分内疚，又认为自己处境危险，心情痛楚不堪。
在马尔美拉陀夫的寡妇为感谢已故丈夫的朋友们举行的宴会上，卢津指控索尼维从他房里偷了钱。这是因为他注意到拉斯柯尔尼科夫很关心索尼雅，就想借此对这个大学生曾在冬妮娅面前说了他的坏话而进行报复。幸而有位邻居揭发，说曾看到卢津偷偷地把钱塞进索尼雅的口袋里去，这姑娘才免除了麻烦。后来，拉斯柯尔尼科夫在索尼雅房中供认了自己所犯的罪，承认他杀害了两个妇女实际上也毁灭了自己。
斯维德里加依洛夫偷听了这番话，又向拉斯柯尔尼科夫透露自己知道真情。拉斯柯尔尼科夫既然认定波尔菲里怀疑他是杀人犯，而现在又知道了斯维德里加依洛夫了解真相，于是深深感到生活不堪忍受。这时，波尔菲里对拉斯柯尔尼科夫点明杀人犯就是他。他同时答应拉斯柯尔尼科夫说，如果他招认，就可以为他提出神经一时失常的理由而取得减刑。拉斯柯尔尼科夫迟迟没有供认。
斯维德里加依洛夫告诉冬妮娅她哥哥的犯罪真相，并说如果她同意做他的妻子，他就会援救这个大学生。原来，他施用诡计把冬妮娅骗到自己房里相见，随后便把门锁上，向她提出了这个要求。冬妮娅想用她随身带着的手枪向他开枪，但是未能成功；斯维德里加依洛夫只好放了她。他终于确信冬妮娅完全不能容忍他，于是给了她一大笔钱，自己用手枪了却残生。
如今拉斯柯尔尼科夫深信他母亲和妹妹热爱他，索尼雅又对他坚贞不渝，于是就去警察局自首。他上了法庭受审，被判处到西伯利亚服刑八年。冬妮娅和拉祖米兴经营出版生意成功，他们结了婚。索尼雅跟随拉斯柯尔尼科夫到了西伯利亚，她住在流放营地附近的一个村子里。由于她对拉斯柯尔尼科夫和其他囚犯非常好，大家都称她小妈妈索尼雅。在她的帮助下，拉斯柯尔尼科夫开始了新生。
