In spite of having been told that the modern battle-field is empty, I had never imagined anything so desert like as this. Not a man to be seen in these fields which sloped gently downwards1; it was abandoned territory.
The firing still continued to rage around us. We could even distinguish a distant crackling now, either rifle-firing or shrapnel, a sign that we were getting nearer.
When we passed by a Calvary, I saw some of the men sign themselves, Gaudéreaux and Trichet among others. They would never have done it during man?uvres. Why was I inclined to see in this Calvary one of the points which would decide the fate of the struggle? I think I must have been hypnotised by the remembrance of the one at Isly. I recollected2 Zola's superb pages in La Débacle. Another passage which recurred3 to my mind was the description of Waterloo in La Chartreuse for which I had had a great admiration4 ever since my schooldays. I was tempted5 to compare myself with Fabrice. How far removed I was from his freshness of spirit, his youthful enthusiasm.
[Pg 208]
Guillaumin suddenly signed to me.
"Just look at that!"
Down below us, yonder, there rose a puff6 of smoke, then another nearer; a third; all in a line. They might have been little bonfires lit by an invisible hand. The bursting points of shells!
The noise of the short sharp reports reached us.
"Look out," Guillaumin whispered to me. "They're lengthening7 their range!"
"To fifty paces—extend."
Henriot bellowed10, repeating the order. There was no panic. I think no one had fully11 realised yet that those slight puffs12 which had appeared were a direct menace to us.
We had taken up the extended order and went on marching, but with rather broken ranks.
"Close up! Close up!" shouted Henriot.
He was running. I noticed that he had drawn13 his sword. It was very funny. Did he think that he was about to charge? He tried to put it back into the sheath. He stumbled. The men nudged each other with their elbows. A pint14 of good blood!
Our "connecting file" rushed up.
"Blob formation!"
Henriot, who was still struggling with his scabbard, hesitated. Then he shouted:
"Left incline! No. Right incline! No. As you were!"
"He's all at sea!" said Guillaumin.
Suddenly.... What was happening? Something whistled past.
"Lie down!"
[Pg 209]
I threw myself down, and the men too, without waiting for the order. One did it instinctively15.
There was a gigantic explosion close at hand; the ground shook. We were lying pêle-mêle, wherever we'd happened to fall, in groups of eight or ten, and covering much too much ground.
"Close! Close!" I shouted. "Glue yourselves on to each other."
But the ground was shaken again, some flints were sent flying against us. No one stirred. What an instant that was. I hardly dared to look round. As far as the eye could see our men were scattered19 over the ground in little driblets in the same way in which water spilt on a pavement trickles20 into tiny pools.
I had predicted that I would be clear-headed.
Shells poured from the radiant sky, preceded by their awe-inspiring blast. We realised which were meant for us, and would fall within a radius21 of two or three hundred yards. If a single one hit the mark nothing would be left of us but a bleeding mass. O God of Chance! I humbly22 placed myself in His hands. Second after second passed in the expectation of annihilation. Then I recovered a certain amount of detachment in the thought that I had lost all control over my fate. My thoughts were in a whirl. Life was a fine thing. I might have employed the time allotted23 to me very differently. My youth contained nothing. I detested24 Laquarrière. I had made a mess of my share of existence! And mixed with these regrets was a new hope hard to explain.
[Pg 210]
"Nobody killed!"
The relief of it! We raised ourselves up on to our knees. Some aeroplanes were circling above us. Taubes, of course!
"Up you get!"
The neighbouring section had started off again. We advanced rapidly. Our connecting file came towards us at the double.
"By sections!"
Henriot repeated:
"Dreher, Guillaumin, by sections!"
We looked at each other, then I exclaimed:
"Come along, the 2nd with me!"
The men did not seem to understand.
"Bouguet, Donnadieu."
Guillaumin had gone off to rally his thirty poilus.
What formation ought we to adopt? Two deep? Columns of four? Consult Henriot? I hailed him. Waste of energy. He went off making incomprehensible signals to Guillaumin. We must make the best of it.
"Two deep! Two deep!"
The booming began again ... for us, this lot!
"Kneel!"
I shook Siméon by the shoulder!
"Close! Testudos!"
A few actually remembered what to do—Lamalou and Bouillon. They stuck their heads between the legs of the men kneeling in front of them. Their neighbours imitated them.
I had been the last to get down, at the head of my small column. There was no one for me to[Pg 211] shelter behind, so I ran a greater risk than any of the others.
I crawled back, and slipped in between him and Trichet.
"Thanks!"
I was guilty of a little bit of bluff28 and stuck my head out. There was a regular hurricane going on. All round us there were great spurts29 of smoke and dust, and clods of earth were hurled30 against us. But the pack seemed a great protection, and I felt that we were not very vulnerable really. Some shells did not burst, and I made a remark to that effect.
I had to watch the movements of the neighbouring sections in order to conform to them.
They were going on again.
"Advance!"
We went on.
I approved.
Judsi's right. The range only varies in depth.
We were beginning to distinguish the sound of the different shells through this infernal din17. The big ones were always impressive; we frankly32 snapped our fingers at the smaller ones.
"Is that all?" said Bouguet as a splinter of shrapnel bounced off his pack.
"Listen!" Lamalou exclaimed, "there are the 75's letting loose."
I don't know what we expected. A miracle—the immediate33 cessation of the enemy's fire. We were[Pg 212] disillusioned34. It redoubled in intensity35. One or two shells again fell near by.
"Ah!" exclaimed Bouguet. "That got 'em!"
"Who?"
"The lads of No. 1! Fell slap in the middle of 'em."
A shiver ran down my back. I only hoped to goodness that Frémont was all right. Looking round I saw haggard faces turned towards us. Corporal Donnadieu was deadly white. I forced a smile and shouted:
"Halloa there! How are you getting along?"
"So, so," said Lamalou.
I nearly tripped over a black, cylinder-shaped mass.
"Look out there. A 'dud'!"
They avoided it and Bouillon said:
"Lucky you gave tongue like that. I was just going to tip it a hefty biff."
How long did that march under artillery36 fire last? We covered a good bit of ground, two or three broad undulations. We halted, and reformed and advanced. From time to time we came across an enormous hole, five or six feet across and three feet deep, which we had to go round.
"Pretty useful, their 'coal boxes,' to make such pits."
Happily, Judsi, cried:
"They're digging a grave for the Kaiser!"
Bouillon asked me whether a river we were coming to was the Meuse.
I made him repeat it. A river? Why so there was.... The Othain perhaps? For everyone was talking about it....
"How are we to get across? Swim?"
[Pg 213]
I was asking myself the same question. The bursts of firing grew less frequent. We advanced in rushes, for longer distances, but not so fast. We felt comparatively safe. Our attention was beginning to wander....
"Lie down! We're in for it now!"
There was a terrible explosion close by, on our left ... a flash, and a stinging blast. I saw Bouguet put his hand up to his cap; a bit of the peak had gone.
Looking up, I shouted:
"Anything the matter?"
"Yes!"
"It's Blanchet," said Judsi.
"Where's he hit?"
"In the bread-basket."
The poor fellow was lying doubled up on his side. He was holding back his guts39 with his two hands stuck through a hole in his greatcoat. At a movement he made to push his gun aside, I caught sight of them.... I was petrified40 with horror, just as I had been one evening when I had seen a child pulled from under a tram. But I realised that everyone's gaze was fixed41 on me. I said:
"Donnadieu, he's in your half-section, isn't he?"
The corporal did not answer. His face was mottled, and there were beads42 of perspiration43 on his forehead.
"You must ... take away his ammunition44!" I continued.
He hesitated, then bent45 down with terrible repugnance46, and touched the wounded man's cartridge-pouches. He had some difficulty in opening them, because his hands were trembling.
[Pg 214]
Blanchet was giving in, his eyes were growing dim, and yet he had the courage to move a little to enable us to undo47 his haversack, which was also emptied. I repeated:
"Come along! Come along. Hurry up!"
Donnadieu murmured:
"I say, Sergeant, surely you won't leave him like that?"
I read in his eyes the vague hope of staying behind, of slinking away....
"Come along! We must catch the others up!" I said impatiently.
Then less harshly:
"The stretcher party will come and pick him up; they are sure not to be far off."
I bent down over the wounded man:
"Do you hear, old chap?"
"You'll be all right, you'll find! Au revoir!"
Then raising myself I added more firmly:
"And now we must get on!"
The men followed me, but there were some very painful moments to be got through.
"The father of a family!" signed Siméon who knew him.
Our column was lengthening. I waited for the stragglers.
"Come along! Donnadieu, Trichet!..."
The ground sloped down towards the river. We were surprised by a strange, fetid smell in the air, which was oddly out of keeping with this harmonious50 countryside, gilded51 by the summer. We tried to make out what it was.
[Pg 215]
"And not French ones either!"
It was a fact that these grey forms lying in the grass were Germans—a regular hecatomb. Rows upon rows of dead bodies, which, in some places, we had to step over.... When had they fallen there? A day or two before no doubt. The men drew each other's attention to some ravens53 wheeling overhead or perched near by, croaking54.
Pouah!
I thought of nothing but how to keep my nose covered. The men were less horrified55, and seemed on the contrary interested, some of them almost amused. They were brutes56, at heart, with no respect for anything!
"It's Bosche. It smells good!"
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收听单词发音
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1
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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6
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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7
lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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10
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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11
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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12
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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13
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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17
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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18
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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19
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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trickles
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| n.细流( trickle的名词复数 )；稀稀疏疏缓慢来往的东西v.滴( trickle的第三人称单数 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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21
radius
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| n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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28
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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29
spurts
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| 短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起 | |
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30
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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31
zigzags
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| n.锯齿形的线条、小径等( zigzag的名词复数 )v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的第三人称单数 ) | |
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32
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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disillusioned
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| a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的 | |
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35
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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36
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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37
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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38
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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39
guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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40
petrified
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| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
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41
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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42
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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43
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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44
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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45
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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46
repugnance
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| n.嫌恶 | |
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47
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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48
poignant
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| adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的 | |
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49
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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51
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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52
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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53
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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54
croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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55
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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56
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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