The shadows of a balmy night were slowly falling. The women remained in the drawing-room of the villa1. The men, seated, or astride of garden chairs, were smoking outside the door of the house, around a table laden2 with cups and liqueur glasses.
Their lighted cigars shone like eyes in the darkness, which was gradually becoming more dense3. They had been talking about a frightful4 accident which had occurred the night before—two men and three women drowned in the river before the eyes of the guests.
General de G——remarked:
“Yes, these things are affecting, but they are not horrible.
“Horrible, that well-known word, means much more than terrible. A frightful accident like this affects, upsets, terrifies; it does not horrify5. In order that we should experience horror, something more is needed than emotion, something more than the spectacle of a dreadful death; there must be a shuddering6 sense of mystery, or a sensation of abnormal terror, more than natural. A man who dies, even under the most tragic7 circumstances, does not excite horror; a field of battle is not horrible; blood is not horrible; the vilest8 crimes are rarely horrible.
“Here are two personal examples which have shown me what is the meaning of horror.
“It was during the war of 1870. We were retreating toward Pont-Audemer, after having passed through Rouen. The army, consisting of about twenty thousand men, twenty thousand routed men, disbanded, demoralized, exhausted9, were going to disband at Havre.
“The earth was covered with snow. The night was falling. They had not eaten anything since the day before. They were fleeing rapidly, the Prussians not being far off.
“All the Norman country, sombre, dotted with the shadows of the trees surrounding the farms, stretched out beneath a black, heavy, threatening sky.
“Nothing else could be heard in the wan10 twilight11 but the confused sound, undefined though rapid, of a marching throng12, an endless tramping, mingled13 with the vague clink of tin bowls or swords. The men, bent14, round-shouldered, dirty, in many cases even in rags, dragged themselves along, hurried through the snow, with a long, broken-backed stride.
“The skin of their hands froze to the butt15 ends of their muskets16, for it was freezing hard that night. I frequently saw a little soldier take off his shoes in order to walk barefoot, as his shoes hurt his weary feet; and at every step he left a track of blood. Then, after some time, he would sit down in a field for a few minutes' rest, and he never got up again. Every man who sat down was a dead man.
“Should we have left behind us those poor, exhausted soldiers, who fondly counted on being able to start afresh as soon as they had somewhat refreshed their stiffened17 legs? But scarcely had they ceased to move, and to make their almost frozen blood circulate in their veins18, than an unconquerable torpor19 congealed20 them, nailed them to the ground, closed their eyes, and paralyzed in one second this overworked human mechanism21. And they gradually sank down, their foreheads on their knees, without, however, falling over, for their loins and their limbs became as hard and immovable as wood, impossible to bend or to stand upright.
“And the rest of us, more robust22, kept straggling on, chilled to the marrow23, advancing by a kind of inertia24 through the night, through the snow, through that cold and deadly country, crushed by pain, by defeat, by despair, above all overcome by the abominable25 sensation of abandonment, of the end, of death, of nothingness.
“I saw two gendarmes27 holding by the arm a curious-looking little man, old, beardless, of truly surprising aspect.
“They were looking for an officer, believing that they had caught a spy. The word 'spy' at once spread through the midst of the stragglers, and they gathered in a group round the prisoner. A voice exclaimed: 'He must be shot!' And all these soldiers who were falling from utter prostration28, only holding themselves on their feet by leaning on their guns, felt all of a sudden that thrill of furious and bestial29 anger which urges on a mob to massacre30.
“I wanted to speak. I was at that time in command of a battalion31; but they no longer recognized the authority of their commanding officers; they would even have shot me.
“One of the gendarmes said: 'He has been following us for the three last days. He has been asking information from every one about the artillery32.'”
I took it on myself to question this person.
“What are you doing? What do you want? Why are you accompanying the army?”
“He stammered33 out some words in some unintelligible34 dialect. He was, indeed, a strange being, with narrow shoulders, a sly look, and such an agitated35 air in my presence that I really no longer doubted that he was a spy. He seemed very aged36 and feeble. He kept looking at me from under his eyes with a humble37, stupid, crafty38 air.
“The men all round us exclaimed.
“'To the wall! To the wall!'
“I said to the gendarmes:
“'Will you be responsible for the prisoner?'
“I had not ceased speaking when a terrible shove threw me on my back, and in a second I saw the man seized by the furious soldiers, thrown down, struck, dragged along the side of the road, and flung against a tree. He fell in the snow, nearly dead already.
“And immediately they shot him. The soldiers fired at him, reloaded their guns, fired again with the desperate energy of brutes39. They fought with each other to have a shot at him, filed off in front of the corpse40, and kept on firing at him, as people at a funeral keep sprinkling holy water in front of a coffin41.
“But suddenly a cry arose of 'The Prussians! the Prussians!'
“And all along the horizon I heard the great noise of this panic-stricken army in full flight.
“A panic, the result of these shots fired at this vagabond, had filled his very executioners with terror; and, without realizing that they were themselves the originators of the scare, they fled and disappeared in the darkness.
“I remained alone with the corpse, except for the two gendarmes whose duty compelled them to stay with me.
“'He must be searched,' I said. And I handed them a box of taper44 matches which I had in my pocket. One of the soldiers had another box. I was standing45 between the two.
“'Clothed in a blue blouse, a white shirt, trousers, and a pair of shoes.'
“The first match went out; we lighted a second. The man continued, as he turned out his pockets:
“'A horn-handled pocketknife, check handkerchief, a snuffbox, a bit of pack thread, a piece of bread.'
“The second match went out; we lighted a third. The gendarme, after having felt the corpse for a long time, said:
“'That is all.'
“I said:
“'Strip him. We shall perhaps find something next his skin.”
“And in order that the two soldiers might help each other in this task, I stood between them to hold the lighted match. By the rapid and speedily extinguished flame of the match, I saw them take off the garments one by one, and expose to view that bleeding bundle of flesh, still warm, though lifeless.
“And suddenly one of them exclaimed:
“'Good God, general, it is a woman!'
“I cannot describe to you the strange and poignant46 sensation of pain that moved my heart. I could not believe it, and I knelt down in the snow before this shapeless pulp47 of flesh to see for myself: it was a woman.
“The two gendarmes, speechless and stunned48, waited for me to give my opinion on the matter. But I did not know what to think, what theory to adopt.
“Then the brigadier slowly drawled out:
“'Perhaps she came to look for a son of hers in the artillery, whom she had not heard from.'
“And the other chimed in:
“'Perhaps, indeed, that is so.'
“And I, who had seen some very terrible things in my time, began to cry. And I felt, in the presence of this corpse, on that icy cold night, in the midst of that gloomy plain; at the sight of this mystery, at the sight of this murdered stranger, the meaning of that word 'horror.'
“I had the same sensation last year, while interrogating49 one of the survivors50 of the Flatters Mission, an Algerian sharpshooter.
“You know the details of that atrocious drama. It is possible, however, that you are unacquainted with one of them.
“The colonel travelled through the desert into the Soudan, and passed through the immense territory of the Touaregs, who, in that great ocean of sand which stretches from the Atlantic to Egypt and from the Soudan to Algeria, are a kind of pirates, resembling those who ravaged51 the seas in former days.
“The guides who accompanied the column belonged to the tribe of the Chambaa, of Ouargla.
“Now, one day we encamped in the middle of the desert, and the Arabs declared that, as the spring was still some distance away, they would go with all their camels to look for water.
“One man alone warned the colonel that he had been betrayed. Flatters did not believe this, and accompanied the convoy52 with the engineers, the doctors, and nearly all his officers.
“They were massacred round the spring, and all the camels were captured.
“The captain of the Arab Intelligence Department at Ouargla, who had remained in the camp, took command of the survivors, spahis and sharpshooters, and they began to retreat, leaving behind them the baggage and provisions, for want of camels to carry them.
“Then they started on their journey through this solitude53 without shade and boundless54, beneath the devouring55 sun, which burned them from morning till night.
“One tribe came to tender its submission56 and brought dates as a tribute. The dates were poisoned. Nearly all the Frenchmen died, and, among them, the last officer.
“There now only remained a few spahis with their quartermaster, Pobeguin, and some native sharpshooters of the Chambaa tribe. They had still two camels left. They disappeared one night, along with two, Arabs.
“Then the survivors understood that they would be obliged to eat each other, and as soon as they discovered the flight of the two men with the two camels, those who remained separated, and proceeded to march, one by one, through the soft sand, under the glare of a scorching57 sun, at a distance of more than a gunshot from each other.
“So they went on all day, and when they reached a spring each of them came to drink at it in turn, as soon as each solitary58 marcher had moved forward the number of yards arranged upon. And thus they continued marching the whole day, raising everywhere they passed, in that level, burnt up expanse, those little columns of dust which, from a distance, indicate those who are trudging59 through the desert.
“But one morning one of the travellers suddenly turned round and approached the man behind him. And they all stopped to look.
“The man toward whom the famished60 soldier drew near did not flee, but lay flat on the ground, and took aim at the one who was coming toward him. When he believed he was within gunshot, he fired. The other was not hit, and he continued then to advance, and levelling his gun, in turn, he killed his comrade.
“Then from all directions the others rushed to seek their share. And he who had killed the fallen man, cutting the corpse into pieces, distributed it.
“And they once more placed themselves at fixed61 distances, these irreconcilable62 allies, preparing for the next murder which would bring them together.
“For two days they lived on this human flesh which they divided between them. Then, becoming famished again, he who had killed the first man began killing63 afresh. And again, like a butcher, he cut up the corpse and offered it to his comrades, keeping only his own portion of it.
“And so this retreat of cannibals continued.
“The last Frenchman, Pobeguin, was massacred at the side of a well, the very night before the supplies arrived.
“Do you understand now what I mean by the horrible?”
This was the story told us a few nights ago by General de G——.
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1
villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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3
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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5
horrify
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| vt.使恐怖，使恐惧，使惊骇 | |
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shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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7
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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8
vilest
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| adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的 | |
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9
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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10
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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11
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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12
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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13
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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14
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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15
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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16
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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17
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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19
torpor
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| n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠 | |
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congealed
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| v.使凝结，冻结( congeal的过去式和过去分词 )；（指血）凝结 | |
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21
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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22
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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23
marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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24
inertia
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| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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25
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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26
gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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gendarmes
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| n.宪兵，警官( gendarme的名词复数 ) | |
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28
prostration
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| n. 平伏, 跪倒, 疲劳 | |
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29
bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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31
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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32
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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33
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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34
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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35
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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39
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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40
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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41
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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42
riddled
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| adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式) | |
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43
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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44
taper
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| n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小 | |
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45
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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46
poignant
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| adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的 | |
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47
pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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48
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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49
interrogating
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| n.询问技术v.询问( interrogate的现在分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询 | |
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50
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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51
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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52
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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53
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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54
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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55
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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56
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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57
scorching
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| adj. 灼热的 | |
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58
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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trudging
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的现在分词形式） | |
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famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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61
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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irreconcilable
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| adj.（指人）难和解的，势不两立的 | |
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63
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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