I should have liked to have time to cast an eye over my men's equipment before the captain came to take kit1 inspection2. My mind was not entirely3 at ease on the subject, when, in passing, I had asked Corporal Bouguet if he thought it would go all right, he had curtly4 replied that he couldn't see everything, he hadn't got eyes all over his head.
Sick parade naturally promised to take longer than usual. Captain Ribet had made searching enquiries the day before and consulted the sick lists. He had told of about twenty weaklings to report themselves to the chief Medical Officer. I had not been surprised to catch sight of De Valpic's name on the list which I had been told to hand over.
Surgeon-major Bouchut, a stout5, apoplectic-looking man, arrived in a state of perspiration6, and swearing hard began to sound the men's hearts and lungs. He was not very ferocious7 to-day. He must have had instructions to strike out the good-for-nothings. Whenever it was a case of enteritis, rheumatism8, or bronchitis he jerked out at me:
[Pg 118]
"Oh, he'd better stay at the dep?t!"
"You'll have to stay behind my lad!"
A well-set-up fellow out of my section came and announced:
"I'm an old trooper, I am!"
"Well, what about it?"
"And so I shan't march."
"Oh, you think so, do you?"
"I never have marched."
"A good opportunity to learn!"
"Let's have a look!"
Bouchut felt his groin.
"You wear a truss, do you?"
"Yes, sir-r!"
"In that case you can walk round the world!"
"But...."
"Off with you! Brr! Next man now!"
"What's the matter with you?" Bouchut asked.
"Nothing much, sir, but the captain told me to...."
"Take a deep breath...."
Just then a hubbub13 arose, an orderly was slating14 a man who had just upset the bottle containing the tincture of iodine15.
"Can't you keep quiet, confound you!"
But Bouchut's attention was again distracted by the arrival of a surgeon-lieutenant. They gossiped for a moment and then returning at last to De Valpic, he said:
[Pg 119]
"Then you don't cough at all?"
"Hardly at all, sir."
"Do you want to go to the front?"
"Certainly, sir."
The examination came to an end. When I went out I came across the man with the rupture again. He was cursing and swearing! "Well, if that wasn't a shame! To make an old dragoon, with an illness like that, walk! They were a set of bullies17, that's what they were!..." But he'd be even with them yet! He knew a thing or two. The first time they were under fire, he would stagger, and let himself fall. But first, he was going to write to Sembat, who was a pal18 of his.
"Switch off Loriot!" somebody warned him. "Here come the N.C.O.'s!"
I wondered whether I should pack him off to the defaulters' room.... Perhaps it would raise my prestige, but I let the opportunity slip by, and finally decided19 to have heard nothing.
Guillaumin came up to me. He was bringing the letters from the barracks and good-naturedly drew my attention to the fact that I was the one who ought to have gone to fetch them. He agreed in addition to be responsible for their distribution. He was rummaging20 in his pockets.
"There's a post card for you."
A post card really! I was not expecting anything. A few lines from my father and a note from Laquarriére, in answer to one I had written him, was all I had received since the beginning.
I looked at the post mark; illegible21. I did not[Pg 120] recognise the handwriting, it was feminine. I turned to the signature: "Jeannine!"
The little Landry girl!
What does she think of it all? I wondered, amused. She, who would not hear of war! I remembered our trifling22 on that railway platform.... What a short time ago it was ... and yet it seemed so long. She had written very closely. I noted23 her graceful24 attempt to write me something beyond the usual commonplace remarks. She gave a short description of their railway journey. On hearing the great news, they had gone to Geneva (a reassuring25 atmosphere), and on to Paris the day after. Since then they had settled down again as well as might be, and without a maid, at St. Mandé. But what about me? I was far more interesting! In barracks, no doubt? Or perhaps already on my way to the front? They were counting on my being able to let ... friends, know how I was getting on. The card ended with these words, "We think of you a great deal."
I re-read it; I was touched. I would certainly answer this delightful26 girl very soon! I should have liked to do so at once; but a stupid feeling of bashfulness forbade my seeming in too much of a hurry.
We assembled for the inspection. The men came on to parade, one by one, staggering under their packs, which were continually slipping and having to be hoisted27 up again, with a jerk of their shoulders. All at once they realised that the inspection was not a mere28 matter of form. Beginning with the first platoon the captain stopped in front of each man.
Guillaumin whispered to me:
"His eyes are skinned right enough."
[Pg 121]
Corporal Bouguet continued to look at me sourly. Donnadieu, sandy-haired and stolid29, when I questioned him, shook his head, and did not seem to want to be answerable for anything either.
We had half-an-hour's wait, which was distinctly unnerving. Our turn came at last.
Bouguet was examined first and passed as impeccable. Thank Heaven! And his neighbour, Siméon, too. I was beginning to breathe more freely. The captain escorted by the company quartermaster-sergeant30 stopped in front of Paquette, a villager with a blank expression.
"Take off your valise. That's right! Now open it. Let's see your housewife ... and the inside...."
The man cautiously emptied the contents, consisting of three old buttons and some rusty31 pins, into his hand.
"No needles? Or thread?"
"We haven't been given any, sir."
"What's this? They were given out yesterday. What's the meaning of this, sergeant?"
"That's right, sir!" I said.
The captain raised his voice.
"Hands up! in the 11th and 12th those who've got no needles or thread."
Three or four arms, then seven, eight, ten, were raised.
"Extremely important! Tears are not rare occurrences in the field, nor are burst buttons. And if you've nothing to mend them with! A pair of trousers which won't keep up, means a man out of action!"
He went on to the next man, Judsi!
"Got your body belt?"
Judsi shook his head grotesquely32.
[Pg 122]
"Don't wear one, sir!"
"Did you draw one?"
"Yes, sir!"
"What's become of it?"
Judsi made a movement expressive33 of ignorance.
"Someone probably nabbed it, sir! Seein' as I don't wear one."
The captain turned to me.
"So, you don't see to all this?"
I protested that I had told him....
"Told him! Told him!... You see the result! When you have ten or fifteen men down with dysentery...!"
He went on to the next. It was done on purpose. Here, a shoulder strap34 had come unsewn, there one or two buttons missing, this képi had no chin-strap, that bayonet was rusty, a certain rifle was not properly cleaned. Where was the lantern belonging to No. 11 half-section? And the camp gear! It was quite clear that it had been badly distributed. The captain dropped straight on to the weak spot and emphasised it coldly.
"It's lucky we're not going off this evening! That would be a nice state of affairs! No. 3 platoon is a positive disgrace! I am speaking of section No. 2! Sergeant Dreher, at one o'clock I shall inspect your half-sections and I can assure you that if anything goes wrong this time!" He twirled his long moustache. I was frightfully annoyed. What irritated me above everything was the ironical36 satisfaction shown by several of my fellow N.C.O.'s; I tried to excuse myself.
[Pg 123]
"It was my day on duty, sir!"
But Ravelli interrupted:
"Oh, it was you, was it? I wondered who it could be.... You never turned up."
I was filled with a wild desire to fall upon my corporals, but Bouguet was waiting for me, bristling37 with rage. Ready to bite his head off I turned upon Donnadieu, who put on a vexed38, sheepish expression.
I swore at the men roundly, in the approved N.C.O. style. Did they think they could snap their fingers at me? Getting me cursed like that! So they weren't even capable of appearing in service marching order? So jolly difficult, wasn't it?
I told them about the supplementary40 inspection, and moderated my tone in view of their obvious bad temper.
"Come along, let's look alive. Everyone must do his bit!"
Cook-house door had gone. Lamalou exclaimed:
A long hour elapsed before any one deigned42 to start work again and even then they did not put their backs into it. I was horrified43 at the number of dirty mess-tins and water-bottles, of uncleaned boots, and above all, of the fittings missing; sets of "pull throughs" had to be complete in groups of four! Stores orders must be got and signed by the company sergeant-major, and the things drawn44 ... and the time was being frittered away in dawdling45 and gossiping. I think the knaves46 did it on purpose. My remarks all fell on deaf ears, whatever tone I adopted—I tried[Pg 124] them all! I felt a sort of jeering47 hostility48 rising against me which infuriated me, though I did not let them see it.
Bouillon luckily lent a hand. Having once had the rank of corporal, he still retained a certain hold over his comrades.
When Captain Ribet reappeared at the time arranged everything went well. The inspection was even more minute than it had been in the morning, but this time he found only a few infinitesimal details to criticise51.
When he left he said to me:
"Aren't you more satisfied?"
I did not answer, but met his remark with the regulation coldness.
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收听单词发音
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1
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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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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rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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slating
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| 批评 | |
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iodine
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| n.碘，碘酒 | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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17
bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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19
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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rummaging
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的现在分词 )； 海关检查 | |
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21
illegible
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| adj.难以辨认的，字迹模糊的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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23
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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24
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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27
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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29
stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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30
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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31
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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32
grotesquely
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| adv. 奇异地,荒诞地 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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34
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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38
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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39
humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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40
supplementary
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| adj.补充的，附加的 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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42
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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44
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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45
dawdling
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| adj.闲逛的，懒散的v.混（时间）( dawdle的现在分词 ) | |
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46
knaves
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| n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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47
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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48
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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49
lavishing
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的现在分词 ) | |
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50
rebukes
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的第三人称单数 ) | |
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51
criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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