It is time to pass to the other camp, and to describe at once the combatants and the field of battle. Aramis and Porthos had gone to the grotto1 of Locmaria with the expectation of finding there their canoe ready armed, as well as the three Bretons, their assistants; and they at first hoped to make the bark pass through the little issue of the cavern2, concealing3 in that fashion both their labors4 and their flight. The arrival of the fox and dogs obliged them to remain concealed5. The grotto extended the space of about a hundred toises, to that little slope dominating a creek6. Formerly7 a temple of the Celtic divinities, when Belle–Isle was still called Kalonese, this grotto had beheld8 more than one human sacrifice accomplished9 in its mystic depths. The first entrance to the cavern was by a moderate descent, above which distorted rocks formed a weird10 arcade11; the interior, very uneven12 and dangerous from the inequalities of the vault13, was subdivided14 into several compartments15, which communicated with each other by means of rough and jagged steps, fixed17 right and left, in uncouth18 natural pillars. At the third compartment16 the vault was so low, the passage so narrow, that the bark would scarcely have passed without touching19 the side; nevertheless, in moments of despair, wood softens20 and stone grows flexible beneath the human will. Such was the thought of Aramis, when, after having fought the fight, he decided21 upon flight — a flight most dangerous, since all the assailants were not dead; and that, admitting the possibility of putting the bark to sea, they would have to fly in open day, before the conquered, so interested on recognizing their small number, in pursuing their conquerors22. When the two discharges had killed ten men, Aramis, familiar with the windings23 of the cavern, went to reconnoiter them one by one, and counted them, for the smoke prevented seeing outside; and he immediately commanded that the canoe should be rolled as far as the great stone, the closure of the liberating24 issue. Porthos collected all his strength, took the canoe in his arms, and raised it up, whilst the Bretons made it run rapidly along the rollers. They had descended25 into the third compartment; they had arrived at the stone which walled the outlet26. Porthos seized this gigantic stone at its base, applied27 his robust28 shoulder, and gave a heave which made the wall crack. A cloud of dust fell from the vault, with the ashes of ten thousand generations of sea birds, whose nests stuck like cement to the rock. At the third shock the stone gave way, and oscillated for a minute. Porthos, placing his back against the neighboring rock, made an arch with his foot, which drove the block out of the calcareous masses which served for hinges and cramps29. The stone fell, and daylight was visible, brilliant, radiant, flooding the cavern through the opening, and the blue sea appeared to the delighted Bretons. They began to lift the bark over the barricade30. Twenty more toises, and it would glide31 into the ocean. It was during this time that the company arrived, was drawn32 up by the captain, and disposed for either an escalade or an assault. Aramis watched over everything, to favor the labors of his friends. He saw the reinforcements, counted the men, and convinced himself at a single glance of the insurmountable peril33 to which fresh combat would expose them. To escape by sea, at the moment the cavern was about to be invaded, was impossible. In fact, the daylight which had just been admitted to the last compartments had exposed to the soldiers the bark being rolled towards the sea, the two rebels within musket-shot; and one of their discharges would riddle34 the boat if it did not kill the navigators. Besides, allowing everything — if the bark escaped with the men on board of it, how could the alarm be suppressed — how could notice to the royal lighters35 be prevented? What could hinder the poor canoe, followed by sea and watched from the shore, from succumbing37 before the end of the day? Aramis, digging his hands into his gray hair with rage, invoked38 the assistance of God and the assistance of the demons39. Calling to Porthos, who was doing more work than all the rollers — whether of flesh or wood —“My friend,” said he, “our adversaries40 have just received a reinforcement.”
“Ah, ah!” said Porthos, quietly, “what is to be done, then?”
“To recommence the combat,” said Aramis, “is hazardous41.”
“Yes,” said Porthos, “for it is difficult to suppose that out of two, one should not be killed; and certainly, if one of us was killed, the other would get himself killed also.” Porthos spoke42 these words with that heroic nature which, with him, grew grander with necessity.
Aramis felt it like a spur to his heart. “We shall neither of us be killed if you do what I tell you, friend Porthos.”
“Tell me what?”
“These people are coming down into the grotto.”
“Yes.”
“We could kill about fifteen of them, but no more.”
“How many are there in all?” asked Porthos.
“They have received a reinforcement of seventy-five men.”
“Seventy-five and five, eighty. Ah!” sighed Porthos.
“If they fire all at once they will riddle us with balls.”
“Certainly they will.”
“Without reckoning,” added Aramis, “that the detonation43 might occasion a collapse44 of the cavern.”
“Ay,” said Porthos, “a piece of falling rock just now grazed my shoulder.”
“You see, then?”
“Oh! it is nothing.”
“We must determine upon something quickly. Our Bretons are going to continue to roll the canoe towards the sea.”
“Very well.”
“We two will keep the powder, the balls, and the muskets45 here.”
“But only two, my dear Aramis — we shall never fire three shots together,” said Porthos, innocently, “the defense46 by musketry is a bad one.”
“Find a better, then.”
“I have found one,” said the giant, eagerly; “I will place myself in ambuscade behind the pillar with this iron bar, and invisible, unattackable, if they come in floods, I can let my bar fall upon their skulls47, thirty times in a minute. Hein! what do you think of the project? You smile!”
“Excellent, dear friend, perfect! I approve it greatly; only you will frighten them, and half of them will remain outside to take us by famine. What we want, my good friend, is the entire destruction of the troop. A single survivor48 encompasses49 our ruin.”
“You are right, my friend, but how can we attract them, pray?”
“By not stirring, my good Porthos.”
“Well! we won’t stir, then; but when they are all together —”
“Then leave it to me, I have an idea.”
“If it is so, and your idea proves a good one — and your idea is most likely to be good — I am satisfied.”
“To your ambuscade, Porthos, and count how many enter.”
“But you, what will you do?”
“Don’t trouble yourself about me; I have a task to perform.”
“I think I hear shouts.”
“It is they! To your post. Keep within reach of my voice and hand.”
Porthos took refuge in the second compartment, which was in darkness, absolutely black. Aramis glided50 into the third; the giant held in his hand an iron bar of about fifty pounds weight. Porthos handled this lever, which had been used in rolling the bark, with marvelous facility. During this time, the Bretons had pushed the bark to the beach. In the further and lighter36 compartment, Aramis, stooping and concealed, was busy with some mysterious maneuver51. A command was given in a loud voice. It was the last order of the captain commandant. Twenty-five men jumped from the upper rocks into the first compartment of the grotto, and having taken their ground, began to fire. The echoes shrieked52 and barked, the hissing53 balls seemed actually to rarefy the air, and then opaque54 smoke filled the vault.
“To the left! to the left!” cried Biscarrat, who, in his first assault, had seen the passage to the second chamber55, and who, animated56 by the smell of powder, wished to guide his soldiers in that direction. The troop, accordingly, precipitated57 themselves to the left — the passage gradually growing narrower. Biscarrat, with his hands stretched forward, devoted58 to death, marched in advance of the muskets. “Come on! come on!” exclaimed he, “I see daylight!”
“Strike, Porthos!” cried the sepulchral59 voice of Aramis.
Porthos breathed a heavy sigh — but he obeyed. The iron bar fell full and direct upon the head of Biscarrat, who was dead before he had ended his cry. Then the formidable lever rose ten times in ten seconds, and made ten corpses61. The soldiers could see nothing; they heard sighs and groans62; they stumbled over dead bodies, but as they had no conception of the cause of all this, they came forward jostling each other. The implacable bar, still falling, annihilated63 the first platoon, without a single sound to warn the second, which was quietly advancing; only, commanded by the captain, the men had stripped a fir, growing on the shore, and, with its resinous64 branches twisted together, the captain had made a flambeau. On arriving at the compartment where Porthos, like the exterminating65 angel, had destroyed all he touched, the first rank drew back in terror. No firing had replied to that of the guards, and yet their way was stopped by a heap of dead bodies — they literally66 walked in blood. Porthos was still behind his pillar. The captain, illumining with trembling pine-torch this frightful67 carnage, of which he in vain sought the cause, drew back towards the pillar behind which Porthos was concealed. Then a gigantic hand issued from the shade, and fastened on the throat of the captain, who uttered a stifle68 rattle69; his stretched-out arms beating the air, the torch fell and was extinguished in blood. A second after, the corpse60 of the captain dropped close to the extinguished torch, and added another body to the heap of dead which blocked up the passage. All this was effected as mysteriously as though by magic. At hearing the rattling70 in the throat of the captain, the soldiers who accompanied him had turned round, caught a glimpse of his extended arms, his eyes starting from their sockets71, and then the torch fell and they were left in darkness. From an unreflective, instinctive72, mechanical feeling, the lieutenant73 cried:
“Fire!”
Immediately a volley of musketry flamed, thundered, roared in the cavern, bringing down enormous fragments from the vaults74. The cavern was lighted for an instant by this discharge, and then immediately returned to pitchy darkness rendered thicker by the smoke. To this succeeded a profound silence, broken only by the steps of the third brigade, now entering the cavern.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
grotto
|
|
| n.洞穴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
cavern
|
|
| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
concealing
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
labors
|
|
| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
creek
|
|
| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
beheld
|
|
| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
weird
|
|
| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
arcade
|
|
| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
uneven
|
|
| adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
vault
|
|
| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
subdivided
|
|
| 再分，细分( subdivide的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
compartments
|
|
| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
compartment
|
|
| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
uncouth
|
|
| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
touching
|
|
| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
softens
|
|
| （使）变软( soften的第三人称单数 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
conquerors
|
|
| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
windings
|
|
| （道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
liberating
|
|
| 解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
outlet
|
|
| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
applied
|
|
| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
robust
|
|
| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
cramps
|
|
| n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
barricade
|
|
| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
glide
|
|
| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
riddle
|
|
| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
lighters
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
succumbing
|
|
| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的现在分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
invoked
|
|
| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
demons
|
|
| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
adversaries
|
|
| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
hazardous
|
|
| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
detonation
|
|
| n.爆炸；巨响 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
collapse
|
|
| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
muskets
|
|
| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
defense
|
|
| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
skulls
|
|
| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
survivor
|
|
| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
encompasses
|
|
| v.围绕( encompass的第三人称单数 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
glided
|
|
| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
maneuver
|
|
| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
shrieked
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
hissing
|
|
| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
opaque
|
|
| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
animated
|
|
| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
precipitated
|
|
| v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
sepulchral
|
|
| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
corpse
|
|
| n.尸体，死尸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
corpses
|
|
| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
groans
|
|
| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
annihilated
|
|
| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
resinous
|
|
| adj.树脂的，树脂质的，树脂制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
exterminating
|
|
| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
literally
|
|
| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
stifle
|
|
| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
rattle
|
|
| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
rattling
|
|
| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
sockets
|
|
| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
instinctive
|
|
| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
vaults
|
|
| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |