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CHAPTER IX POSTAGE STAMPS
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The train stopped at a large station. A dozen officers entered the car all talking, threw their bags into their racks, took off their swords and placed them near the window, seated themselves and lighted their cigarettes. There was a perfect slaughter1 of matches. Poor Fiam was so frightened that he hurried under my waistcoat and, creeping near a buttonhole, hid his head under a button.

Outside of the train there was the noise of a great crowd. We could hear the tread of the troops as they went to their places in the cars prepared for them. We heard shouted commands, the rattle2 of cartridges3 in their boxes at the belts of the [76] soldiers, and the guns dropping to the ground all at once sounded like falling iron. In the distance hundreds of people kept shrieking4 and repeating: “Sayonara!” which means good-bye. “Banzai,” hurrah5. “Come back victorious6! Destroy the enemy! Glory!” and other similar cries.

One of the officers in my compartment7 asked:

“What are we waiting for?”

“They are attaching the cars of guns,” replied another.

“There will be lots of guns needed in this war!” exclaimed a third.

“It is going to be the greatest war of our country,” a fourth added complacently8.

Some one began to hum a tune9. The others joined in the chorus. The train started. I felt Fiam, who had taken his head from under the button, climb along the waistcoat and crawl into his little box, which was in an inside pocket. The box had been used so much that it was all broken on one side, so that Fiam had learned to come and go through the hole by himself.

He didn’t appear until late at night, when [77] every one was asleep, swaying with the motion of the train, and the car only dimly lighted by a covered lamp. I was awakened10 by his little voice. He had climbed up on my shoulder near my ear and was calling to me. In the dazed condition of a person half awake I thought it was the singing of a mosquito and put up my hand to catch him.

“It is I,” he said. “I am Fiammiferino.”

“Oh! good-morning. Aren’t you asleep?”

“No, I never sleep. I am not a man.”

“Then if you will excuse me, allow me to sleep. I am a man.”

“First tell me—from the conversation I have overheard I judge there is war; is it true?”

“Yes, perfectly11 true.”

“And are we going there?”

“Does it displease12 you?”

“No, but it displeases13 me that you haven’t been frank with me. Am I not your friend?”

“I believe so.”

“Well, I forgive you; don’t say anything more. I will go anywhere with you. They talked of war in [78] my country. If I could only do something to help them to conquer.”

“You!” I exclaimed laughing. “Then aren’t you afraid?”

“No. I am afraid of nothing but fire; and you will protect me.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And you will always tell me the truth?”

“I promise you.”

“That’s all. Good-night.”

I could have kissed him if it were only possible to kiss a match. He disappeared. At that moment some one shook me. It was one of the officers who looked into my eyes.

“Are you awake?” he asked me.

“Yes,” I replied, sitting up.

“Are you feeling sick? I am the army surgeon; my name is Tasa. Let me feel your pulse.”

“But I am perfectly well.”

“No, you are talking to yourself, and must have something the matter with your head.”

“I assure you I am perfectly well.”

“Show me your tongue.”

[79]

“Not if I know myself,” I replied irritated.

“All right,” concluded Dr. Tasa; “calm yourself. I see you are armed. I think it would be best for you to give me your revolver, and for you to put a little ice on your head.”

“But I am not in the least crazy.”

“Well, well,” and his little yellow face wrinkled up as if to say, “Who knows?”

“I wasn’t talking to myself,” I said in order to convince him.

“With whom were you talking?”

“With Fiam....” I didn’t finish, for I remembered my promise not to reveal his presence to any one.

“Humph, humph!” He shook his head and murmured, “Quiet yourself, and don’t think anything more about Fiam. Go to sleep; we shall see to-morrow.”

The next morning I pretended to leave the train, and changed cars in order to escape the watchfulness14 of Dr. Tasa.

The journey went on without incident. I didn’t dare to have Fiam come out during the day, as I was [80] never alone. But at night he took a walk on my shoulders, and we held whispered conversations.

On board the steamer on our way to China we had more liberty, and often conferred together. After our work was put away in an envelope, Fiammiferino began looking for a postage stamp in the depths of the portfolio15. He went in and traveled all about the leather, explored [81] the little pockets, and came out with amazing dexterity16. He had a passion for putting on postage stamps after I had wet them. He walked over them, carefully pressing the edges flat with his feet to be sure they would stick fast to the envelope; when he had finished this operation, which he did as carefully as an upholsterer laying a carpet, he always danced a ballet to express his satisfaction in his completed work.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 slaughter 8Tpz1     
n.屠杀,屠宰;vt.屠杀,宰杀
参考例句:
  • I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
  • Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。
2 rattle 5Alzb     
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
参考例句:
  • The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓,笑着叫着。
  • She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。
3 cartridges 17207f2193d1e05c4c15f2938c82898d     
子弹( cartridge的名词复数 ); (打印机的)墨盒; 录音带盒; (唱机的)唱头
参考例句:
  • computer consumables such as disks and printer cartridges 如磁盘、打印机墨盒之类的电脑耗材
  • My new video game player came with three game cartridges included. 我的新电子游戏机附有三盘游戏带。
4 shrieking abc59c5a22d7db02751db32b27b25dbb     
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They were all shrieking with laughter. 他们都发出了尖锐的笑声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 hurrah Zcszx     
int.好哇,万岁,乌拉
参考例句:
  • We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
  • The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。
6 victorious hhjwv     
adj.胜利的,得胜的
参考例句:
  • We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
  • The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。
7 compartment dOFz6     
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间
参考例句:
  • We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
  • The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
8 complacently complacently     
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
参考例句:
  • He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
  • "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装,"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
9 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
10 awakened de71059d0b3cd8a1de21151c9166f9f0     
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
参考例句:
  • She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
  • The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
12 displease BtXxC     
vt.使不高兴,惹怒;n.不悦,不满,生气
参考例句:
  • Not wishing to displease her,he avoided answering the question.为了不惹她生气,他对这个问题避而不答。
  • She couldn't afford to displease her boss.她得罪不起她的上司。
13 displeases e163e38b4a78995c15c262439464a490     
冒犯,使生气,使不愉快( displease的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Nothing displeases me more than loud talking. 没有比大声谈话更使我不高兴的了。
  • Bill is a wise guy and displeases others by what he says. 比尔自命不凡,说的话让人生气。
14 watchfulness 2ecdf1f27c52a55029bd5400ce8c70a4     
警惕,留心; 警觉(性)
参考例句:
  • The escort and the universal watchfulness had completely isolated him. 护送和普遍一致的监视曾经使他完全孤立。
  • A due watchfulness on the movements of the enemy was maintained. 他们对敌人的行动还是相当警惕的。
15 portfolio 9OzxZ     
n.公事包;文件夹;大臣及部长职位
参考例句:
  • He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
  • He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。
16 dexterity hlXzs     
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活
参考例句:
  • You need manual dexterity to be good at video games.玩好电子游戏手要灵巧。
  • I'm your inferior in manual dexterity.论手巧,我不如你。


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