Fyodor Dostoevsky to I. S. Turgenev
Wiesbaden, August 15, 1865

When I met you in St. Petersburg about a month ago, I was trying to sell my works at whatever price was offered. It is because I was unable to pay off the journal’s debts (which I have had stupidly transferred the debt to my own name) and I was about to be put into debtors’ prison. Stellovsky bought my works (the publishing rights for two volumes) for 3,000 rubles, of which part of them are in promissory notes. Out of that 3,000 rubles, I managed, with difficulty, to satisfy creditors and to people I was obligated to repay. Then I decided to travel abroad, with the remaining 175 silver rubles, hoping to recover from sickness and create more works. I could not manage any more.

In 1963, I won 12,000 francs in a single hour at Wiesbaden. Although I am not going to improve my current financial situation through gambling, I really want to win a few thousand Francs to get through these three months. I have been here for five days and have already lost everything; I have even left my watch as a pledge with the innkeeper.

I am ashamed to trouble you but at this moment I have no one to turn to. Besides, you are much more intelligent than the others, which makes it easier for me to ask for a favour; I humbly seek for your kindness in loaning me 100 silver thalers.

杜斯妥也夫斯基給伊凡•謝•屠格涅夫
威斯巴登 1865年8月15日

約在一個月以前，我在聖彼得堡見到您的時候，我以別人定下的價格賣掉了我的作品，原因是有人要送我進債戶拘留所，因為我未能償還我愚蠢地轉到自己名下的債務。斯捷洛夫斯基以三千盧布，其中還有部分期票，購買了我的作品（二卷集的版權）。我用這三千盧布中的一部分暫時應付了債主，餘下的就給了必須給的人了，然後我便到了國外，目的是恢復一下健康和寫些作品。從三千盧布中我留給自己出國的費用只有一百七十五個銀盧布，不能再多了。

六三年在威斯巴登我曾在一小時內贏了一萬二千法郎。雖然我現在並不打算以賭博來改善自己的境遇，但為了維持這三個月的生活，真想贏千把法郎。我來威斯巴登已有五天了，全都輸光了，甚至連錶都抵押給了旅店老闆。

我自己都感到討厭和不好意思打擾您。但除了您之外，此時此刻我確實無人可求，其次，您遠比別人聰明，因此請求您對於我來說精神上要輕鬆些。有一件事：我像君子那樣請求您，向您借一百銀馬克。