Georges Carpentier was born at Lens, in the Pas de Calais, in January of 1894. His father was a collier, and the boy, directly he was old enough (which probably meant long before he was old enough), followed his father underground and worked as a pit-boy, earning his five francs a week. At about this time a jovial3 little man whose face is now as familiar as Carpentier’s, Fran?ois Descamps by name, was managing a gymnasium in the town. It was at this time that a wave of athleticism4 was passing over Northern France, and the boys of Lens, Carpentier amongst them, used to regard this gymnasium as their chief amusement after work hours. Amongst other exercises, Descamps encouraged a certain amount of boxing—“English” boxing. La Savate had practically died out, and the days when “Charlemagne” the Frenchman, “kicked out” Jerry Driscoll, the ex-sailor (amongst whose pupils have been some of the best of the English amateurs) were unlikely to return. Still, though boxing was at this time a popular enough show in Paris, few Frenchmen themselves actually boxed, and Descamps was, in providing gloves at his gymnasium, rather in advance of his time.
Descamps forbade the use of these gloves by boys whom he had not yet taught, and when one evening he caught young Carpentier thrashing a much bigger boy with them and by the light of nature, he rated him soundly: but he kept an eye on him. He was a natural fighter. It soon became apparent that he 177 must fight; the inward urging was there, insistent5 and never for long to be denied. And the boy, all untaught, could defend himself.
Photo: “Sport and General.”
Joe Beckett.
Before very long Descamps, who interviewed the child’s parents, overcame their natural scepticism by paying them the weekly five francs the lad had been earning at the mine, and undertook his training as an athlete, sending him out into the fresh air instead of into the pit, teaching him all he himself knew about the science of fisticuffs. Mr. F. H. Lucas, the author of From Pit-Boy to Champion Boxer2, makes it plain that if ever there was an authentic6 instance of a fairy godfather stepping into a boy’s life and changing it in a day from gloom to unalloyed delight, it is the instance of Descamps and Carpentier. The young Frenchman had an unique opportunity of succeeding well, for he was by Descamps’s interference enabled to follow the pursuit he liked best from his boyhood onwards; and underwent, owing to that fact, a unique training, adapted as it was to that end and to that end alone.
It is unnecessary to trace Carpentier’s career from the time he won his first success against an American boxer in a travelling booth and became “Champion” of France at 7 stone 2 lb., and at the age of fourteen, until he beat the Heavy-weight Champion of England, when he was but nineteen and no more than a middle-weight.
Carpentier’s success was by no means uniform. He got some severe thrashings both from English boxers and Frenchmen—generally owing to the fact that he gave away weight and especially years at an age when youth is on the windward side of achievement. It is a wonder that the boy was not discouraged, but his pluck was unconquerable, and Descamps a sympathetic and astute7 manager. Again and again when it became apparent in a contest that nothing could save Carpentier from a knock-out, Descamps would give in for him, directing one of the seconds to throw a towel into the ring. His avoidance of the actual fact of a knock-out no doubt saved the boy much discouragement, and it looked better, and still looks better, in a formal printed record of what 178 he has done. Of course, Descamps was not always able to gauge8 the right moment for surrender, and it happened at least once in those early days that Carpentier was knocked out just like any other boxer with no fairy godfather to supervise his defeats.
In 1912 he had a very hard fight with Frank Klaus the American, who at that time claimed the World’s Middle-weight Championship. This encounter took place at Dieppe, and the American was nearly beaten early in the fight, falling from a terrific blow on the jaw9. But he recovered, and his much longer experience came to his aid. In the end he gave Carpentier a severe drubbing for several rounds until, to save him, Descamps entered the ring: whereupon the referee10 gave Klaus the verdict. But throughout this contest the Frenchman was working hard, fighting all the time, never discouraged by punishment, showing what he had always shown, a perfectly11 unalterable, irreducible courage.
The same sort of thing happened in his fight with another American, Papke. This time Carpentier had to reduce his weight, which is the worst possible thing a boy, still growing and with no superfluous12 flesh, can do. He began the fight weak, was severely13 hammered and finally had an eye closed. Again Descamps intervened, this time in the eighteenth round, to save him the technical knock-out.
Regarded dispassionately, this sort of thing is excellent “business,” and does not, as far as one can see, do much harm to sport. If Tommy Burns was the first man who made boxing a matter of sound commerce, one may call Carpentier, or more strictly14 his manager and mentor15, Descamps, the first Boxing Business Magnate. Between them they had made a literally16 large fortune before Carpentier was twenty.
One of his hardest, longest, and best fights was with Jeff Smith, a hardy17 American who was a shade lighter18, shorter, and with less reach than Carpentier. This combat took place at the end of 1913, not a month after the Frenchman had beaten Wells, for the second time, at the National Sporting Club.
On this occasion Carpentier boxed indifferently in the early 179 rounds, and seemed not to take the occasion seriously. His was the first blow, and it was a good one, which drew blood from the American’s nose. Smith grunted19 and shook his head, and put in a left in reply. It was clear that he wanted the Frenchman at close quarters, and he kept coming in close and hammering away at the body. Carpentier made a perfunctory effort to keep him at arm’s length, but seemed after a while to be willing to fight Smith on his own terms. He caught the American a very hard smack20 on the eye, which swelled21 up so that he was thenceforward half-blinded. Smith even in the third round was a good deal marked, and not one of the spectators imagined for a moment that he could possibly last out the full twenty rounds. In the next round Carpentier boxed very much as he pleased. They exchanged body-blow and upper-cut on the head, but the latter was the more severe, and it was the Frenchman’s. Smith kept on trying to “bring the right across” at close quarters, but Carpentier always protected himself. He seemed to be waiting for a safe opportunity for knocking his opponent out, and did little in the fourth round. Smith kept on leading, though without much effect, but scored more points nevertheless.
After a while Smith began to get into serious trouble, and he held to avoid punishment. This is against the strict rules, and should be regarded as such; but, humanly speaking, when you are getting a very bad time, the instinct to hold your man’s arms to prevent him from hitting you is very strong. If you have the strength it is, of course, much more efficacious to hit him and stop the punishment in that way: but when your strength is going, as Smith’s was, you are prone22 to follow blind instinct, rules or no rules. Just after this he managed to put in a good upper-cut, but got a hard “one-two” in return—a left instantly followed by right, straight, taking him in the middle of the face. And then Smith woke up, having got what is called his second wind. Throughout the seventh round he gave Carpentier a really bad time. Two fierce blows, left and right, made the Frenchman rock where he stood, and his counters were well guarded or avoided altogether. Carpentier boxed better in the eighth round, but 180 there was no power in his blows, and the French onlookers23 began to look very glum24. For his part, Carpentier wished that he had trained better. He was not himself: the fire seemed to be dead in him. He was feeling desperate: there was no pleasure in this fight. Smith kept on getting under his long arms and hitting him hard at close quarters, hammering away at his stomach. And Carpentier grew weaker and more wild, and wasted his remaining strength on futile25 swings which clove26 the empty air. Another hard blow on the jaw and Carpentier staggered. It was all he could do to hold up. He replied with one of his vain and foolish swings, sent with all his remaining power whizzing through the air and missing Jeff Smith by feet. This effort sent Carpentier hard to the floor by the momentum27 of its own wasted force. It is true that Smith failed to follow up his advantage when the Frenchman rose, but even so the round was decisively in his favour.
The tenth round found Smith strong and hearty28, boxing with sturdy vigour29 if not remarkable30 skill. Carpentier had recovered a little by now, and, exasperated31 by Smith’s coolness, rallied vigorously and rained left-handers on his opponent, so that the American was forced to “cover up” with his gloves on either side of his face and his elbows tucked in. Carpentier’s round, but no serious damage done. And the next was much the same, and Smith clinched32 a good deal, though Carpentier’s hitting was far from strong. Smith’s defence was admirable when he was not holding, but his vigour of attack had been in abeyance34 for a little while. In the twelfth round he woke up, and drove his right to the Frenchman’s mouth, drawing much blood, and went on attacking. In the fourteenth round Carpentier seemed quite done. He tried once or twice to swing in the hope of knocking his man out, but his blows were weak and Smith was cautious. The American was still the more marked and obviously damaged of the two; but Carpentier looked woebegone and ill. He, too, had a split lip which bled profusely35. Just at the end of the round Carpentier did at last manage to put in a right cross-counter which had some strength in it, but before he could follow it up time was called, and Smith had his minute in which to recover. 181
It was about this time that Descamps declared that Carpentier had smashed his hand at the very beginning of the fight. It may be taken as a fairly safe rule that when a man’s backers make this type of observation during the progress of a contest, they think he is going to lose it. When he has actually lost, they invariably say something of the kind. A smashed hand—a family trouble—an acute attack of indigestion—these excuses and all their manifold variations serve their dear old turn, and are promptly36 disbelieved at large as soon as they are uttered. It is possible that Carpentier may have sprained37 a thumb slightly, but it could not have been more than that. The vigour that his hitting lacked was, on that occasion, constitutional. He was not in first-rate condition.
Both men were sorry for themselves. Smith’s eye was quite closed, his opponent was bleeding severely from his cut lip. For a time their efforts were about equal. Carpentier kept trying to knock his man out, Smith defended himself. The spectators could not understand the Frenchman. All the time or almost all the time, he had fought like a man both weak and desperate. And then, quite suddenly, in the sixteenth round there was a change.
I have said that Carpentier is a real fighter: he has the spirit and instinct for bashing, for going on against odds38. He was weak, and for a long time he had plainly shown it. And yet somewhere in him there was a reserve of power and an unconquerable will.
To the utter astonishment39 of the onlookers and of Jeff Smith himself, Carpentier sprang out of his corner for the sixteenth round as though he were beginning a fresh contest. He positively40 hurled41 himself across the ring at his antagonist42. He landed at once, with a half-arm blow on the head, and blow after blow, mainly with the left, pounded the unfortunate American. Smith was completely taken aback and could only clinch33 to save himself. It was all that he could do to withstand this slaughtering43 attack and remain upright.
There was a great uproar44 amongst the crowd. Yells of delight greeted this great awakening45 of the Frenchman: and when the next round began every one thought that Smith must 182 soon fall. Carpentier went for him again with animal ferocity. He leapt about the ring after him, sending in blow after murderous blow. Smith reeled and gasped46 and staggered and backed away after each shattering, smashing right had landed, but he still stood up and fought him like a man. It was a fine show of pluck. The man was badly hurt. Plenty of boxers would have dropped for a rest and even would have allowed themselves to be counted out, but not Jeff Smith. He was, as they say, “for it,” and he knew that he was “for it.” But he would go through with it.
The uproar increased. The spectators wanted to have the fight stopped, but without avail. The fight went on. Smith staggered in, and more by good luck than any sort of management, contrived47 to land two pitiful blows. His legs were hopelessly weak—he could hardly see, and yet he managed to cover his jaw, and, try as he would, with all his renewal48 of vigour, Carpentier could do everything he liked with his man save knock him out. It is necessary to make this quite plain. Smith looked as though he must at any moment drop down and stay down from sheer exhaustion49.
A minute’s rest. The last round.
Men are oddly and wonderfully made. Smith leapt from his chair just as his opponent had done a quarter of an hour before, strong, eager, ferocious50. He tore across the ring at Carpentier, flung amazing blows at him, made desperate and frantic51 efforts to knock him out at the last minute. Carpentier was completely flabbergasted. He had never known anything like this to be possible. Smith’s recovery was marvellous, not less wonderful than that. And indeed Jeff Smith was within sight of victory throughout that desperate last round. He landed a right-hander with all his diminished strength, and the Frenchman crumpled52 up and fell forward to the boards. A little more might behind the blow, a shade more elasticity53 in the arm that sent the blow, and Carpentier must have been counted out. But that was the end. Carpentier rose just as the bell rang for time. And the referee gave the fight to him. The decision was not popular even among Frenchmen—which is surprising, but strengthening to one’s faith in human nature.
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1
boxers
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| n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗 | |
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boxer
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| n.制箱者，拳击手 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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athleticism
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| n.运动竞赛，崇尚运动，竞技热 | |
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insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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referee
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| n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人 | |
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11
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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12
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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13
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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clove
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| n.丁香味 | |
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momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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abeyance
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| n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定 | |
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profusely
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| ad.abundantly | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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42
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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43
slaughtering
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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45
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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46
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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47
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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48
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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49
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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51
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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52
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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elasticity
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| n.弹性，伸缩力 | |
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