《死农奴》即《死魂灵》。实际上是指已经死去但尚未从纳税册上注销的空名额，小说描写专营骗术的商人乞乞科夫来到某偏僻省城，以其天花乱坠的吹捧成为当地官僚的座上客，并上门去向地主收购死农奴，企图以此作为抵押，买空卖空，牟取暴利。丑事败露后，他便逃之夭夭。小说入木三分地刻画了官僚、地主愚昧、贪婪、卑劣、庸俗的形象，其不朽的人物塑造和辛辣的讽刺在俄国文学史上堪称经典。本书由娄自良译。（Dead Souls actually indicates the already dead surf who still remains in the tax book. As depicted in the novel, a business man named Chichikov who is specialized in deception came to a remote town. He became a frequent visitor for local bureaucrat with his hype. Then he came to the landlord's for acquiring dead serfs. Attempting to use it as mortgage, he conducts cross trade for profiteering. After the scandal was revealed, he ran away. The novel vividly depicted the folly, greedy, low and vulgar images of bureaucrats and landlords. Its immortal figures and bitter ironies are classic in Russian literature. This book is translated by Lou Ziliang. ）