"Can't you lie down?"
But his voice hardly reached us.
"Why doesn't he lie down himself?" said Judsi. "Wot's the sense in it?"
He added:
"Pore Siméon. See wot a bloomin' pirouette 'e made. Didn't I say 'e was too tall!"
The firing slackened off, but we naturally saw nothing. A new rush—too long that one! Pffmm.... Crack! We were enveloped4 in a noise like the snapping of straps5. A man fell not far from me, and the fellow next him looked as if he were going to stop.
"No, no! There isn't time," I shouted.
"Run! Run!" shouted Henriot.
It was easily said!
We had just gone into a ploughed field, and the earth stuck to our shoes.
[Pg 222]
I began to trot7 ponderously8, steadying my water-bottle and my haversack. Two or three of the men did the same, but at the end of twenty yards we gave it up, out of breath....
I turned round and saw one of my chaps fall. I ran up.
"Well, Loriot, what's up now?"
"What's the matter?"
It was put on. I was not going to be caught!
"Get up!"
"Not much!"
I shook him.
"Up you get, Loriot!"
While he was going into contortions14 the others were gaining ground. Infuriated I yelled in his ear:
"You could be shot for this!"
"It's because I ran," he groaned.
The rest was lost.... He abruptly17 unbuckled his belt, and his braces18. I bent19 down; there was a lump as big as my fist.... He hiccoughed, and vomited20.
"Yes, yes.... Then.... St-tay where you are!"
All I had to do was to catch up with the rest. But now a new storm of bullets began to whizz by—thicker[Pg 223] than ever—buzzing like a swarm22 of bees.... And, Pap! Pap! Parapap! Pap!... There surely must have been a mitrailleuse in action.
I was alone. I no longer had the support of friendly presences. I did not take more than thirty yards. Good God! I suddenly collapsed23. I hurled24 myself on to the ground.
My temples were throbbing25. I could not get my breath. What did my life hang on? A thread! Pfffff! Pffmm.... If one of these sinister26 flies touched me ... there would be nothing left. The horror of such near annihilation ... suffocated27 me. Nothing!... The black chasm28.... I did not want to....
With my mouth open I convulsively breathed the air. I soaked myself in the supreme29 sweetness of things ... the dazzling sun, the transparent30 sky, the green fields spread in my sight, and the blue curtain of the woods, encircling the clear horizon...!
Pffmm! Less than two yards from my face a little dust arose, a clod had been hit by a bullet. I buried my head in the furrow31. I dreamt of digging a hole, and burying myself in it, alive!
My section was almost disappearing yonder, nearly two hundred yards away.... I suddenly regained32 consciousness. What was I doing? I was a coward then?
A coward? The word hurt me! Stay here behind. Oh, if only I had a wound! How I longed for one, no matter how bad a one as long as it was not mortal!... Or a sprain33. I twisted my ankle and—must I confess it—pressed on it with all my strength.
There was nothing to be done! The ligaments[Pg 224] held. As a matter of fact I soon gave it up, realising that I must go on. It had got to be done!
I was just about to overtake my section when there was a new unexpected noise ... like a huge piece of calico being torn.... They were opening fire farther down the line. But upon what? Nobody knew, but it was the signal for everyone to let fly. Instantly there was a crackle from one end of our line to the other.
When I came up some of the men turned round to look at me.
"Didn't expect to see you again!"
"Why not?"
"Thought you must be dead!"
"Oh, rot!"
Did I redden. Bouguet whispered to me:
I did not feel quite sure that he was not pulling my leg. Henriot bellowed:
"Yes, yes. Keep it up. Fire away!"
No detail as to the sight, or target, or the length of range. A man was missing! Guillaumin who crawled past, exclaimed:
"You ought to have been there, you see!"
Henriot now corrected himself:
"Cease firing! Advance!"
He got up and repeated the order. Nobody stirred. He lay down again and looked at us as if asking for advice. I pretended not to notice it. The men feverishly36 continued to bring their rifles to the shoulder, fire them, and reload.
I dropped on Moulard who was lying just behind[Pg 225] Trichet and barely escaped hitting him at every shot he fired. Trichet drew back looking dazed, without seeming to understand.
But at what? At what?
In his agitation38 he got his lock jammed. I took hold of his rifle which burnt my hand. It took me a long while to repair the damage and I repeated:
"Why, in thunder, are you so set on playing with your trigger?"
Our losses were still slight. Only one man hit, in Guillaumin's section. But on ahead I caught sight of a barbed-wire entanglement39 surrounding a field. An unpleasant obstacle! And it was in our sector40 all right!
There was probably a ditch too. Henriot shouted:
"Here goes for cover!"
He started off courageously41, and this time the men followed him. We covered the intervening space in a single rush, a foolish mistake which cost us two men. Judsi delighted his lads by imitating a horse's gallop42.
The bullets shrieked over our heads as we crouched43 in the ditch. We let off a few desultory44 shots on the chance of hitting something. A minute or two passed. The subaltern was worrying about how to cross this entanglement!...
"It's quite simple," said Guillaumin. "Who's got the wire-nippers?"
"I have," said Corporal Bouguet.
Henriot hesitated:
"They'd better...."
"What?"
"Be made use of...."
[Pg 226]
"Very good, sir."
Bouguet calmly got up, and climbed out of the ditch. He knelt up and set to work.
"Good for you, Corporal!" shouted Bouillon.
It was a thrilling moment. The bullets whizzed and whistled all round him. He was a hero. He took his time about it, and it was a miracle that he was not hit ten times over!
"Will that do?" he asked.
"Excellently!"
He passed through the gap he had made and went and lay down in the field.
How tempted45 I was to admire him, but I restrained the impulse. He simply had no nerves, that was all. As for me my temperament46 forbade such achievements....
"Our turn now," said the lieutenant47. "Follow me."
He made a dash and slipped through. He was not touched either. A great piece of luck. But then suddenly he lost his head and began to run forward all alone through the hail of bullets, without looking round. He went on for about fifty yards, then stopped, and disappeared into the hole made by a shell, in all probability. Yes, he had to call to us from there. His arm waved. We realised that he would never dare to come back to fetch us!
"Well, now we're in command of the platoon!" Guillaumin said to me. "Let's each take charge of our men, what?"
He added:
"We must get on!"
"Who'll go first?" I asked.
"I will, if you like."
[Pg 227]
He raised his voice to give his orders:
"When you get through, advance in skirmishing order by the right."
He sent two men on ahead, and then joined them. The rest crowded through. There were no hitches48 until it got to the last men, two of whom fell, one killed outright49, the other wounded.
"I say, get them to fire a round!" shouted Guillaumin.
I gave the order for a volley. It was distinctly thin, and besides that, his men, having cleared the obstacle, stupidly inclined to the left. We were firing straight into their backs. I had some difficulty in getting my men to cease firing.
Bouillon said to me:
"The lucky chaps!"
"Why?"
"To have gone through first!"
They had left two dead men behind them, whose bodies half filled up the gap.
Our turn now.
I felt strangely detached. I watched myself get up and heard myself telling off the three men nearest to me:
"Get on, you, and you, and you!"
They went, much against their will.
"Get a move on!"
The first man lost his balance just as he got to the entanglement, and fell back into the ditch. The others immediately flung themselves back again.
I turned to the next two:
"You show them the way, Trichet and Bouillon!"
[Pg 228]
Pffmm! Pffmm! went the bullets above us!
"Aren't you ever coming?" shouted Guillaumin.
"No. 2 section is just as good as No. 1 section, surely!" I exclaimed.
Somebody muttered:
"After you!"
He sighed, and called out:
"You don't mean it?" said Judsi.
He came rolling along. Villain stood up with difficulty.
"Aa-h!"
His head burst like a hand-grenade.
Judsi ducked, giving vent54 to Cambronne's historical exclamation55. Shaking like an aspen I wiped my sleeve on the grass.
At that instant a shot rang out among our men. What clumsiness! Beside myself, I shouted:
"Donnadieu!"
The corporal answered from his half-section. Was he there? Yes, I caught sight of him and went up to him.
"Donnadieu," I said excitedly, "I'm going on with some of the men. You'll shove the others along, see?... Kick them if necessary."
He looked down, and muttered something. I caught the word "wounded."
"What wounded? You wounded?"
This expression of misery56 and terror on his face ... his rifle lying on the ground. With his right hand he[Pg 229] took hold of the other fist, and raised it with difficulty to show me....
Blood was dripping from his hand. The middle finger was in a horrid57 mess and hung down limply, by a strand58 of skin; a fragment of bone was sticking out.
"Poor old chap ..." I began.
But I suddenly had an intuition. The man's eyes avoided me.
"It's a put-up job," I shouted down his ear; "you've done it yourself!"
I shook him roughly by the shoulder. The wretched creature tottered59, and fell on his side, protecting his mutilated hand.
"You hound!"
I ground my teeth:
"A good job if it kills you!"
I believe that in my rage I went so far as to kick him.... One's own weak moments are so easily forgotten.... I was choking with anger and disgust, and the agony too of being unequal to my task.... I was responsible; and we were hanging back behind all the others, making a gap in the front of attack.
Our comrades who had gone on began to abuse us.
"A lot o' bloomin' funks!"
"Going to stay behind are you?"
I began by rebuckling my pack behind my shoulders. Freedom for one's arms was an obvious necessity.
I stood up and said in a firm tone:
"We've not done yet; we've got to get through!"
[Pg 230]
My cheeks were scorching61. Everyone was looking at me. I think I gave the impression of the most absolute coolness.
"Come along! Come along! Bouillon...!"
I reached the gap without hurrying myself. Pffmm! Pffmm! That terrible buzzing.... I got through and shouted imperiously:
"Hurry up! Hurry up there!"
I was standing62 up. I had set them in motion. Bouillon, Lamalou, and some others hurried along, bending down.... Someone shouted:
"Lie down, Sergeant, lie down!"
I lost all consciousness of what was passing. I was thinking of a thousand other things—of my brother.... I calmly wondered if he had been killed in this way. However, some instinct urged me to kneel down, and then the realisation of the danger we were in seized me.... If only I could have thrown myself down and lain still! But ten of my men were still on the other side. I felt bound to wait until the last one had come through. And they did not hurry themselves! How bitter I felt. All my senses were waking up again. I was annoyed with myself for exposing myself like this, but I could not prevent myself from doing so.
I had got them all over at last! Guillaumin got his poilus together for a new rush.
"Advance!"
Nobody dropped out; nobody, that is, except two poor lads who were killed on the spot.
"At the gallop!" cried Judsi, who was once more pretending to be a horse.
I signed to them to keep extended order. We ran along like that for about one hundred yards, almost[Pg 231] without casualties, and then crowded all together behind a narrow tank.
There was heavy firing for a few minutes; a relaxation63 for the nerves! Two hundred and fifty yards! At the edge of the wood! Fire! I had given my orders quite at random64.
Bouillon assured me emphatically that he could make out the peaked helmets. I, too, was firing madly, as an excuse for giving no more directions.
I suddenly saw Henriot beside me; he shouted:
"Cease firing!"
And leaning towards me, said:
"Steady on; you must husband your ammunition65! And the show's over for to-day!"
Over? It was only then that I noticed that the sun had just disappeared, that the night was falling. The engrossing66 struggle had robbed us of all idea of time.
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收听单词发音
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1
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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3
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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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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6
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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ponderously
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9
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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10
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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11
bastards
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| 私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙 | |
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12
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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14
contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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15
shamming
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| 假装，冒充( sham的现在分词 ) | |
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16
oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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19
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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20
vomited
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21
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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22
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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23
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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24
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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25
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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26
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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27
suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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28
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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32
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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sprain
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| n.扭伤,扭筋 | |
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34
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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38
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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entanglement
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| n.纠缠，牵累 | |
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sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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41
courageously
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| ad.勇敢地，无畏地 | |
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42
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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43
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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45
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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46
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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47
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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48
hitches
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| 暂时的困难或问题( hitch的名词复数 )； 意外障碍； 急拉； 绳套 | |
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49
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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50
imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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51
budged
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| v.（使）稍微移动( budge的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）改变主意，（使）让步 | |
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52
implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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54
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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55
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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56
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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57
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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58
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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59
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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60
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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61
scorching
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| adj. 灼热的 | |
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62
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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63
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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64
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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65
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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66
engrossing
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| adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
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