Book 10 Chapter 25

THE OFFICERS would have taken leave, but Prince Andrey, apparently unwilling to be left alone with his friend, pressed them to stay and have some tea. Benches were set, and tea was brought. With some astonishment the officers stared at Pierre's huge, bulky figure, and heard his talk of Moscow, and of the position of our troops, which he had succeeded in getting a view of. Prince Andrey did not speak, and his face was so forbidding that Pierre addressed his remarks more to the simple-hearted Timohin than to Bolkonsky.

“So you understand the whole disposition of the troops?” Prince Andrey put in.

“Yes. At least, how do you mean?” said Pierre. “As I am not a military man, I can't say I do fully; but still I understand the general arrangement.”

“Well, then, you know more than anybody else,” said Prince Andrey.

“Oh!” said Pierre incredulously, looking over his spectacles at Prince Andrey. “Well, and what do you say of the appointment of Kutuzov?” he asked.

“I was very glad of his appointment; that's all I know,” said Prince Andrey.

“Well, tell me your opinion of Barclay de Tolly. In Moscow they are saying all kinds of things about him. What do you think of him?”

“Ask them,” said Prince Andrey, indicating the officers.

With the condescendingly doubtful smile with which every one addressed him, Pierre looked at Timohin.

“It was a gleam of light in the dark, your excellency, when his highness took the command,” said Timohin, stealing shy glances continually at his colonel.

“Why so?” asked Pierre.

“Well, as regards firewood and food, let me tell you. Why, all the way we retreated from Sventsyan not a twig, nor a wisp of hay, nor anything, dare we touch. We were retreating, you see, so he would get it, wouldn't he, your excellency?” he said, turning to his prince, “but we mustn't dare to. In our regiment two officers were court-martialled for such things. Well, since his highness is in command, it's all straightforward as regards that. We see daylight …”

“Then why did he forbid it?”

Timohin looked round in confusion, at a loss how to answer such a question. Pierre turned to Prince Andrey with the same inquiry.

“Why, so as not to waste the country we were leaving for the enemy,” said Prince Andrey, with angry sarcasm. “That's a first principle: never to allow pillage and accustom your men to marauding. And at Smolensk too he very correctly judged that the French were the stronger and might overcome us. But he could not understand,” cried Prince Andrey in a voice suddenly shrill, “he could not understand that for the first time we were fighting on Russian soil, that there was a spirit in the men such as I had never seen before, that we had twice in succession beaten back the French, and that success had multiplied our strength tenfold. He ordered a retreat, and all our efforts and our curses were in vain. He had no thought of treachery; he tried to do everything for the best and thought over everything well. But for that very reason he was no good. He is no good now just because be considers everything soundly and accurately as every German must. How can I explain to you. … Well, your father has a German valet, say, and he's an excellent valet and satisfies all his requirements better than you can do and all's well and good; but if your father is sick unto death, you'll send away the valet and wait on your father yourself with your awkward, unpractised hands, and be more comfort to him than a skilful man who's a stranger. That's how we have done with Barclay. While Russia was well, she might be served by a stranger, and an excellent minister he was, but as soon as she's in danger, she wants a man of her own kith and kin. So you in your club have been making him out to be a traitor! They slander him now as a traitor; and afterwards, ashamed of their false accusations, they will suddenly glorify him as a hero or a genius, which would be even more unfair to him. He's an honest and conscientious German …”

“They say he's an able general, though,” said Pierre.

“I don't know what's meant by an able general,” Prince Andrey said ironically.

“An able general,” said Pierre; “well, it's one who foresees all contingencies … well, divines the enemy's projects.”

“But that's impossible,” said Prince Andrey, as though of a matter long ago settled.

Pierre looked at him in surprise.

“But you know they say,” he said, “that war is like a game of chess.”

“Yes,” said Prince Andrey, “only with this little difference, that in chess you may think over each move as long as you please, that you are not limited as to time, and with this further difference that a knight is always stronger than a pawn and two pawns are always stronger than one, while in war a battalion is sometimes stronger than a division, and sometimes weaker than a company. No one can ever be certain of the relative strength of armies. Believe me,” he said, “if anything did depend on the arrangements made by the staff, I would be there, and helping to make them, but instead of that I have the honour of serving here in the regiment with these gentlemen here, and I consider that the day really depends upon us to-morrow and not on them. … Success never has depended and never will depend on position, on arms, nor even on numbers; and, least of all, on position.”

“On what then?”

“On the feeling that is in me and him,” he indicated Timohin, “and every soldier.”

Prince Andrey glanced at Timohin, who was staring in alarm and bewilderment at his colonel. In contrast to his usual reserved taciturnity, Prince Andrey seemed excited now. Apparently he could not refrain from expressing the ideas that suddenly rose to his mind. “The battle is won by the side that has firmly resolved to win. Why did we lose the battle of Austerlitz? Our losses were almost equalled by the French losses; but we said to ourselves very early in the day that we were losing the battle, and we lost it. And we said so because we had nothing to fight for then; we wanted to get out of fighting as quick as we could. ‘We are defeated; so let us run!' and we did run. If we had not said that till evening, God knows what might not have happened. But to-morrow we shan't say that. You talk of our position, of the left flank being weak, and the right flank too extended,” he went on; “all that's nonsense; that's all nothing. But what awaits us to-morrow? A hundred millions of the most diverse contingencies, which will determine on the instant whether they run or we do; whether one man is killed and then another; but all that's being done now is all mere child's play. The fact is that these people with whom you have been inspecting the positions do nothing towards the progress of things; they are a positive hindrance. They are entirely taken up with their own petty interests.”

“At such a moment?” said Pierre reproachfully.

“At such a moment,” repeated Prince Andrey. “To them this is simply a moment on which one may score off a rival and win a cross or ribbon the more. To my mind what is before us to-morrow is this: a hundred thousand Russian and a hundred thousand French troops have met to fight, and the fact is that these two hundred thousand men will fight, and the side that fights most desperataly and spares itself least will conquer. And if you like, I'll tell you that whatever happens, and whatever mess they make up yonder, we shall win the battle to-morrow; whatever happens we shall win the victory.”

“Your excellency, that's the truth of it, the holy truth,” put in Timohin; “who would spare himself now! The soldiers in my battalion, would you believe it, wouldn't drink their vodka; this isn't an ordinary day, they say.”

All were silent.

The officers rose. Prince Andrey went with them out of the barn, giving the last instructions to the adjutant. When the officers had gone, Pierre came nearer to Prince Andrey, and was just about to begin talking when they heard the tramp of hoofs not far away on the road, and glancing in that direction Prince Andrey recognised Woltzogen and Klausewitz, accompanied by a Cossack. They rode close by them, still talking, and Pierre and Prince Andrey could not help overhearing the following phrases in German:

“The war ought to be carried on over a wide extent of country. I cannot sufficiently strongly express that view of the matter,” one said in German.

“Oh yes,” said another voice, “since the object is to wear out the enemy, one must not consider the losses of private persons.”

“Certainly not,” acquiesced the first voice.

“Carried into a wide extent of country,” Prince Andrey repeated with a wrathful snort, when they had ridden by. “In that open country I had a father and son and sister at Bleak Hills. He doesn't care about that. That's just what I was saying to you: these excellent Germans won't win the battle to-morrow, they will only make a mess of it, so far as they are able, because they have nothing in their German noddles but calculations that are not worth a rotten egg, and they haven't in their hearts the one thing that's wanted for to-morrow, that Timohin has. They have given all Europe up to him, and now they have come to teach us—fine teachers!” he added, his voice growing shrill again

“So you think the battle to-morrow will be a victory,” said Pierre.

“Yes, yes,” said Prince Andrey absently. “There's one thing I would do, if I were in power,” he began again. “I wouldn't take prisoners. What sense is there in taking prisoners? That's chivalry. The French have destroyed my home and are coming to destroy Moscow; they have outraged and are outraging me at every second. They are my enemies, they are all criminals to my way of thinking. And so thinks Timohin, and all the army with him. They must be put to death. Since they are my enemies, they can't be my friends, whatever they may have said at Tilsit.”

“Yes, yes,” said Pierre, looking with shining eyes at Prince Andrey. “I entirely agree with you!”

The question that had been disturbing Pierre all that day, since the Mozhaisk hill, now struck him as perfectly clear and fully solved. He saw now all the import and all the gravity of the war and the impending battle. All he had seen that day, all the stern, grave faces of which he had had glimpses, appeared to him in a new light now. He saw, to borrow a term from physics, the latent heat of patriotism in all those men he had seen, and saw in it the explanation of the composure and apparent levity with which they were all preparing for death. “We ought not to take prisoners,” said Prince Andrey. “That change alone would transform the whole aspect of war and would make it less cruel. But playing at war, that's what's vile; and playing at magnanimity and all the rest of it. That magnanimity and sensibility is like the magnanimity and sensibility of the lady who turns sick at the sight of a slaughtered calf—she is so kind-hearted she can't see blood—but eats fricasseed veal with a very good appetite. They talk of the laws of warfare, of chivalry, of flags of truce, and humanity to the wounded, and so on. That's all rubbish. I saw enough in 1805 of chivalry and flags of truce: they duped us, and we duped them. They plunder other people's homes, issue false money, and, worse than all, kill my children, my father, and then talk of the laws of warfare, and generosity to a fallen foe. No prisoners; and go to give and to meet death! Any one who has come to think this as I have, through the same sufferings …”

Prince Andrey, who had thought that he did not care whether they took Moscow as they had taken Smolensk, was suddenly pulled up in his speech by a nervous catch in his throat. He walked to and fro several times in silence, but his eyes blazed with feverish brilliance and his lips quivered, as he began to speak again.

“If there were none of this playing at generosity in warfare, we should never go to war, except for something worth facing certain death for, as now. Then there would not be wars because Pavel Ivanitch had insulted Mihail Ivanitch. But if there is war as now, let it be really war. And then the intensity of warfare would be something quite different. All these Westphalians and Hessians Napoleon is leading against us would not have come to fight us in Russia, and we should not have gone to war in Austria and in Prussia without knowing what for. War is not a polite recreation, but the vilest thing in life, and we ought to understand that and not play at war. We ought to accept it sternly and solemnly as a fearful necessity. It all comes to this: have done with lying, and if it's war, then it's war and not a game, or else warfare is simply the favourite pastime of the idle and frivolous. … The military is the most honoured calling. And what is war, what is needed for success in war, what are the morals of the military world? The object of warfare is murder; the means employed in warfare—spying, treachery, and the encouragement of it, the ruin of a country, the plundering of its inhabitants and robbery for the maintenance of the army, trickery and lying, which are called military strategy; the morals of the military class—absence of all independence, that is, discipline, idleness, ignorance, cruelty, debauchery, and drunkenness. And in spite of all that, it is the highest class, respected by every one. All sovereigns, except the Chinese, wear a military uniform, and give the greatest rewards to the man who succeeds in killing most people. … They meet together to murder one another, as we shall do to-morrow; they slaughter and mutilate tens of thousands of men, and then offer up thanksgiving services for the number of men they have killed (and even add to it in the telling), and glorify the victory, supposing that the more men have been slaughtered the greater the achievement. How God can look down from above and hear them!” shrieked Prince Andrey in a shrill, piercing voice. “Ah, my dear boy, life has been a bitter thing for me of late. I see that I have come to understand too much. And it is not good for man to taste of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. … Ah, well, it's not for long!” he added. “But you are getting sleepy and it's time I was in bed too. Go back to Gorky,” said Prince Andrey suddenly.

“Oh no!” answered Pierre, gazing with eyes full of scared sympathy at Prince Andrey.

“You must be off; before a battle one needs to get a good sleep,” repeated Prince Andrey. He went quickly up to Pierre, embraced and kissed him. “Good-bye, be off,” he cried, “whether we see each other again or not …” and turning hurriedly, he went off into the barn.

It was already dark, and Pierre could not distinguish whether the expression of his face was exasperated or affectionate.

Pierre stood for some time in silence, hesitating whether to go after him or to return to Gorky. “No; he does not want me!” Pierre made up his mind, “and I know this is our last meeting!” He heaved a deep sigh and rode back to Gorky.

Prince Andrey lay down on a rug in the barn, but he could not sleep.

He closed his eyes. One set of images followed another in his mind. On one mental picture he dwelt long and joyfully. He vividly recalled one evening in Petersburg. Natasha with an eager, excited face had been telling him how in looking for mushrooms the previous summer she had lost her way in a great forest. She described incoherently the dark depths of the forest, and her feelings, and her talk with a bee-keeper she met, and every minute she broke off in her story, saying: “No, I can't, I'm not describing it properly; no, you won't understand me,” although Prince Andrey tried to assure her that he understood and did really understand all she wanted to convey to him. Natasha was dissatisfied with her own words; she felt that they did not convey the passionately poetical feeling she had known that day and tried to give expression to. “It was all so exquisite, that old man, and it was so dark in the forest … and such a kind look in his … no, I can't describe it,” she had said, flushed and moved.

Prince Andrey smiled now the same happy smile he had smiled then, gazing into her eyes. “I understood her,” thought Prince Andrey, “and more than understood her: that spiritual force, that sincerity, that openness of soul, the very soul of her, which seemed bound up with her body, the very soul it was I loved in her … loved so intensely, so passionately …” and all at once he thought how his love had ended. “He cared nothing for all that. He saw nothing of it, had no notion of it. He saw in her a pretty and fresh young girl with whom he did not deign to unite his life permanently. And I? … And he is still alive and happy.” Prince Andrey jumped up as though suddenly scalded, and began walking to and fro before the barn again.

军官们要告辞了，但安德烈公爵好像不愿和他的朋友单独呆在一起，于是请他们再坐一会儿，喝杯茶。板凳和茶都端来了。军官们不无惊讶地望着皮埃尔肥胖而庞大的身躯，听他讲莫斯科的情形，讲他在巡视中见到的我军的部署。安德烈公爵沉默着，脸色显得那样阴沉，弄得皮埃尔在讲话时不得不更多地对着和善的营长季莫欣，而较少地对着博尔孔斯基。

“那么整个军队的部署你都清楚了？”安德烈公爵打断他的话说。

“是的，怎么？”皮埃尔说，“我不是军人，不敢说全弄懂了，但大体的部署总算弄清楚了。”

“Eh　bien，vous　êtes　plus　avancé　que　qui　cela　soit．”①安德烈公爵说。

“啊！”皮埃尔狐疑地应了一声，透过眼镜片盯着安德烈公爵。“您对任命库图佐夫有什么看法？”他说。

“对此我非常高兴，我所知道的就是这些。”安德烈公爵说。

“嗯，请您谈谈您对巴克莱·德·托利有什么看法？在莫斯科天知道人们都怎样谈论他。您觉得他怎么样？”

“你问他们。”安德烈公爵指着军官们说。

皮埃尔带着虚心请教的微笑望着季莫欣。大家都带着情不自禁地微笑看他。

“大人，自从勋座阁下上任以来，大家又看见光明②了。”

季莫欣说，他不时怯生生地看看他的团长。

“那是为什么呢？”皮埃尔问。

“我就向您报告一下关于木柴或饲料的事吧。我们从斯文齐亚内撤退时，连一根树枝，一根干草或什么的，都不敢动。我们走了，他③得到手了，不是这样吗，大人？”他转向公爵说。“可你不能动。为这种事儿，我们团有两名军官被送交军事法庭了。可是勋座阁下来了，这类事就不算回事了。我们看见光明了……”

①法语：这么说来，你比谁都知道得更多。

②这里是双关语，俄语“勋座”一词的词根是“光明”。

③指拿破仑。

“那么他为什么禁止呢？”

季莫欣不好意思地望了望周围，对这个问题不明白该怎样回答，该回答些什么。皮埃尔于是又向安德烈公爵问这个问题。

“为了使地方不遭到破坏，好留给敌人受用。”安德烈公爵刻薄地挖苦说。“理由很充分：不许抢劫地方，不让士兵养成抢劫的习惯。在斯摩棱斯克他的判断也正确，他说法国人可能包围我们，因为他们的兵力比我们强。但是他不能明白这一点，”安德烈公爵突然不由自主地尖声喊叫起来，“他不能明白，我们在那儿第一次为俄罗斯的土地而战，我在军队中从来没有见过那样高昂的士气，我们一连两天打退了法国人，这一胜利使我们的力量凭添了十倍。他却命令撤退，所有的努力和损失都白费了。他不是内奸，他努力把一切都尽可能地做好，把一切都尽可能地考虑周到；但是正因如此，他是不中用的。他现在不中用了，正是由于他像每一个德国人那样，对每件事都考虑得过分认真、精细。怎么对你说呢……譬如说吧，你父亲有一个德国仆人，他是一个顶好的仆人，比你更能满足你父亲的一切要求，当然让他干下去；但是假如你父亲病得要死了，你就得把仆人撵走，亲自笨手笨脚地侍候你父亲，你会比那个熟练的，然而却是一个外国人的仆人更能安慰他。巴克莱就是这样。当俄国早安无事时，一个外国人可以服侍它。他可能是一个顶好的大臣，可是一旦它处于危急关头，就需要自家的亲人了。而你们俱乐部的人却胡诌说他是内奸！诽谤他是内奸，到后来只能为你们错误的非难而羞愧，忽然由内奸捧为英雄和天才，那就更不公道了。他是一个诚实的、非常认真的德国人……”

“可是，听说他是一个精明的统帅呢。”皮埃尔说。

“我不懂什么是精明的统帅。”安德烈公爵嘲笑地说。

“精明的统帅，”皮埃尔说，“他能预见一切偶然的事件……他能猜到敌人的意图。”

“但这是不可能的。”安德烈公爵说，仿佛在说一个早已解决了的问题。

皮埃尔惊奇地看了看他。

“不过，”他说，“大家都说，战争就像下棋。”

“是的，”安德烈公爵说，“不过有点区别，下棋每走一步，你可以随便想多久，下棋不受时间的限制，另外还有一点区别，那就是马永远比卒强，两个卒比一个卒强，而在战争中，一个营有时比一个师还强，也有时反倒不如一个连。任何人都弄不清军队的相对力量。相信我，”他说，“如果说参谋部的部署具有决定性的作用，那么，我就在那儿从事部署工作了，但是我没有那样做，而荣幸地到这儿，到团里服务，和这些先生们共事，我认为明天的战斗确实取决于我们，而不是取决于他们……胜利从来不取决于将来，也不取决于阵地，也不取决于武装，甚至不取决于数量，特别是不取决于阵地。”

“那么取决于什么呢？”

“取决于士气——我的，他的，”他指着季莫欣说，“以及每个士兵的士气。”

安德烈公爵向季莫欣看了一眼，季莫欣惊恐地、困惑不解地望着他的团长，安德烈公爵一反平时沉默寡言的矜持态度，现在似乎激动起来了。显然他情不自禁地要说出此时闪现在他的脑际的那些思想。

“谁下定决心去争取胜利，谁就能胜利。为什么奥斯特利茨战役我们吃了败仗？我们的损失几乎和法国人一样，但是我们过早地认输了，——所以就失败了。而我们所以认输，因为我们无须在那儿战斗：一心想快点撤离战场。‘打败了——赶快逃跑吧！'于是我们逃跑了。假如直到明天我们都不说这话，那么，天知道又会是怎样一番情景了。明天我们就不会说这话了。你说：我们的战线，左翼太弱，右翼拉得太长，”他继续说，“这全是扯淡，完全不是这回事。明天我们面临着什么？千百万个形形色色的偶然事件在瞬息之间就决定了胜负，这要看：是我们还是他们逃跑或将要逃跑，是这个人被打死，或者那个人被打死；至于现在所做的一切全是一场游戏。问题是，和你一起巡视阵地的那些人，不仅对促进整个战役的进展不会有帮助，而且只有妨碍。他们只关心自己的微薄的利益。”

“在这关键的时刻吗？”皮埃尔责怪地问。

“在·这·关·键·时·刻。”安德烈公爵重复地说了一句，“对他们来说，这个时刻不过是能够暗害对手和多得一枚十字勋章或一条绶带的机会罢了。明天对我来说，那就是，十万俄国军队和十万法国军队聚在一起互相厮杀，事实是，这二十万人在厮杀的时候，谁打得最凶，且不惜牺牲，谁就会取胜。你想知道的话，我可以告诉你，不管那儿出现什么情况，也不管上层是如何妨碍，明天我们一定胜利。明天不管那儿怎么样，我们一定胜利！”

“大人，这就是真理，千真万确的真理。”季莫欣说，“现在还有什么人怕死！我那营的兵，您信不信，都不喝酒了：他们说，不是喝酒的时候。”大家沉默了一会儿。

军官们站起身来，安德烈公爵同他们走出棚屋，对副官发出最后一些命令。军官们走后，皮埃尔走近安德烈公爵，正要开口说话，离棚屋不远的路上突然传来了马蹄声，安德烈公爵往那边一看，认出是沃尔佐根和克劳塞维兹①，一个哥萨克跟随着。他们一边谈话，一边走近来，皮埃尔和安德列公爵无意中听到以下的话：

“Der　krieg　muss　im　Raum　verlegt　werden．Der　Ansicht　kann　ich　nicht　genug　Preis　geben．”②其中一个说。

“Oh，ja．”另一个说，“der　Zweck　ist　nur　den　Feind　zu　schwaCchen，so　kann　man　gewiss　nicht　den　Verlust　der　Privat　Personen　in　Achtung　nehmen．”③

“Oh，ja．”第一个同意说。

“是的，im　Raum　Verlegen，”④当他们走过后，安德烈公爵气愤地哼了一声。“留在童山的我的父亲、儿子、妹妹，就在那im　Ruam。这对他无所谓。刚才我不是对你说来着，——这些德国先生们明天不是去打赢这场战斗，而是尽其所能去搞破坏，因为德国人的头脑中只有连一个空蛋壳都不值的空洞理论，而他们心里就是缺少明天所必需的东西，也就是季莫欣所有的那种东西。他们把整个欧洲都奉送他了，现在来教训我们——真是好老师啊！”他又尖叫了起来。

①克劳塞维兹（1780～1831），德国军事理论家，著有《战争论》一书。一八一二年他在俄国军队中担任普弗尔的副官。

②德语：战争应当移到广阔的地带，这个意见我十分赞赏。

③德语：哦，是的。目的在于削弱敌人，不应计较个人的得失。

④德语：移到广阔的地带。

“那么，您认为明天这一仗能打胜吗？”皮埃尔问道。

“是的，是的。”安德烈公爵心不在焉地回答。“如果我有权的话，我要做一件事，”他又开口说，“我不收容俘虏。俘虏是什么东西！是一些骑士。法国人毁掉我的家园，现在又在毁掉莫斯科，他们每分钟都在侮辱我，现在还在侮辱我。他们是我的敌人，在我看来，他们全是罪犯。季莫欣以及全军都这样认为，应该把他们处死！他们既然是我的敌人，就不能成为我的朋友，不管他们在蒂尔西特是怎样谈判的。”

“是的，是的，”皮埃尔说着，用闪亮的眼睛望着安德烈公爵。“我完全、完全赞同您的意见！”

从莫扎伊斯克山下来后这一整天都困绕着皮埃尔的那个问题，现在他觉得十分清楚，并且完全解决了。他理解了这场战争和当前的战役的全部意义及其重要性。那天他看见的一切，他于匆忙间看到的那些大有深意的严肃的表情，被一种新的光芒照亮了。他理解了物理学所说的潜在的（latente）热，他看见的那些人的脸上都有这种潜在的爱国热，这使他明白了那些人为什么那样从容地、仿佛满不在乎似的去赴死。

“不收容俘虏，”安德烈公爵继续说，“单过一条就能使战争改观，减少一点战争的残酷性。因而现在我们在战争中奉行的——诸如宽大为怀之类，简直令人作呕。这种宽大和同情——类似千金小姐的宽大和同情，她一看见被宰杀的牛犊就会晕倒，她是那么慈善，见不得血，但是她却津津有味地蘸着酱油吃小牛肉。我们谈论什么战争法，骑士精神，军使的责任，对不幸者的怜悯，等等，全是废话。一八○五年我领教过什么叫骑士精神和军使的责任，他们欺骗我们，我们也欺骇他们。他们抢劫别人的住宅，发行假钞票，最可恶的是屠杀我的孩子们和我的父亲，同时大谈什么战争的规律和对敌人的宽大。不收容俘虏，而是屠杀和赴死！谁要是到我这个地步，遭受过同样的痛苦……”

安德烈公爵想过，莫斯科失守与否，就像斯摩棱斯克已经失守一样，对于他都无所谓，可是突然间，他的喉咙意外地痉挛起来，停住不说了。他默默地来回走了几趟，他的眼睛像发热病似的闪闪发光，当他又开始说话时，他的嘴唇哆嗦着：

“如果战争没有宽大，那么我们就只有在值得赴死的时候，就像现在这样，才去打仗了。那时，就不会因为保罗·伊万诺维奇得罪了米哈伊尔·伊万诺维奇而开战了。只有像现在这次战争，才算是战争。那时，军队的紧张程度就不会像现在这样。那时，拿破仑所率领的这些威斯特法利亚人和黑森①人就不会跟随他到俄国来了，我们也不会莫名其妙地到奥国和普鲁士去打仗了。战争不是请客吃饭，而是生活中最丑恶的事情，应当了解这一点，不要把战争当儿戏。要严肃认真地对待这一可怕的必然性。这就在于：去掉谎言，战争就是战争，而不是儿戏。不然，战争就成为懒汉与轻浮之辈喜爱的消遣了……军人阶层是最受尊敬的。但是什么是战争呢？怎样才能打胜仗？军界的风气是怎样的？战争的目的是杀人，战争的手段是间谍，叛变，对叛变的鼓励，蹂躏居民，为了军队的给养抢劫他们或者盗窃他们，欺骗和说谎被称为军事的计谋。军人阶层的习俗是没有自由，也就是说，守纪律、闲散，愚昧无知，残忍成性，荒淫和酗酒。虽然如此，军人仍是人人都尊敬的最高阶层。所有帝王，除了中国例外，都穿军服，而且谁杀人最多，谁就得到最高奖赏……就像明天那样，人们凑在一起互相屠杀，有好几万人被杀死或被打成残废，然后因为杀死了许多人（甚至夸大伤亡的数字）举行感恩祈祷，隆重地宣布胜利。认为杀人越多，功劳越大，上帝怎样从天上看他们，听他们啊！”安德烈公爵喊道，声音又尖又细。“啊，我的好朋友，近来我太难过了，我发现我懂得太多了。人不能吃那可以分辨善恶的果子②……唉，日子不长了！”他又说。“不过，你该休息了，我也该睡了，你快回戈尔基吧。”安德烈公爵突然说。

①威斯特法利亚人是今德意志联邦共和国西部威斯特法伦州居民，一八○七至一八一五年，拿破仑在此建立王国。黑林人是前德意志联邦共和国西南部黑森州居民。

②故事见《圣经·旧约·创世纪》第二章。

“啊，不！”皮埃尔回答说，用吃惊、同情的目光望着安德烈公爵。

“走吧，走吧，战斗前必须好好睡一觉。”安德烈公爵又说了一遍。他快步走到皮埃尔跟前，拥抱他，吻他。“再见，你走吧，”他喊道。“我们会不会再见面，不会……”他连忙转身走回棚屋。

天已经黑了，皮埃尔看不清安德烈公爵脸上的表情是凶恶的还是温柔的。

皮埃尔默默地站了一会儿，考虑他是跟他进去呢还是回去。“不，他不愿意我再进去！”皮埃尔很自然地决断着，“我知道，这是我们最后一次见面了。”他深深叹了口气，就骑马回戈尔基去了。

安德烈公爵回到棚屋里，躺在毯子上，怎么也睡不着。

他闭上眼。一幅幅画面在他脑际轮番地出现。他的思绪长久地，欢快地停留在一幅画面上。他生动地回忆起在彼得堡的一个晚上，娜塔莎带着兴高采烈的兴奋神情，对他讲去年夏天她去采蘑菇时，在大森林里迷了路的事儿。她断断续续地向他描述森林的幽深、她当时的心情，以及她和一个遇见的养蜂人的谈话，她时时中断讲述，说：“不，我不会说，我说得不对；不，您不了解。”虽然安德烈公爵安慰她，说他了解，而且也的确了解她要说的一切。娜塔莎不满意自己说的，——她觉得，那天所感受的，她要倾诉的那种诗意的激情没有表达出来。“那个老人是那么好，森林里是那么黑……他是那么慈善……不，我不会讲。”她红着脸，激动地说。安德烈公爵当时望着她眼睛微笑着，现在也同样快活地面带笑容。“我了解她，”安德烈公爵想道，“不仅了解，而且我爱她那内在的精神力量，她那真诚，她那由衷的坦率爽直，她那仿佛和肉体融为一体的灵魂……正是她这个灵魂，我爱得如此强烈，如此幸福……”他突然想起他的爱情是怎样结束的。“他丝毫不需要这些东西，·他完全看不见，也不了解这些东西。·他只看到她是一个好看的，·娇·艳·的小姑娘，他不屑同她共命运。而我呢？直到现在·他还活着，而且过得很快活。”

安德烈公爵仿佛被烫了一下似的，跳起来，又在棚屋前走来走去。