Book 11 Chapter 20

MOSCOW meanwhile was empty. There was still people in the city; a fiftieth part of all the former inhabitants still remained in it, but it was empty.

It was deserted¹ as a dying, queenless hive is deserted.

In a queenless hive there is no life left. Yet at a superficial glance it seems as much alive as other hives.

In the hot rays of the midday sun the bees soar as gaily² around the queenless hive as around other living hives; from a distance it smells of honey like the rest, and bees fly into and out of it just the same. Yet one has but to watch it a little to see that there is no life in the hive. The flight of the bees is not as in living hives, the smell and the sound that meet the beekeeper are changed. When the beekeeper strikes the wall of the sick hive, instead of the instant, unanimous response, the buzzing of tens of thousands of bees menacingly arching their backs, and by the rapid stroke of their wings making that whirring, living sound, he is greeted by a disconnected, droning hum from different parts of the deserted hive. From the alighting board comes not as of old the spirituous, fragrant³ smell of honey and bitterness, and the whiff of heat from the multitudes within. A smell of chill emptiness and decay mingles⁴ with the scent⁵ of honey. Around the entrance there is now no throng⁶ of guards, arching their backs and trumpeting⁷ the menace, ready to die in its defence. There is heard no more the low, even hum, the buzz of toil⁸, like the singing of boiling water, but the broken, discordant⁹ uproar¹⁰ of disorder¹¹ comes forth¹². The black, long-shaped, honey-smeared workers fly timidly and furtively¹³ in and out of the hive: they do not sting, but crawl away at the sight of danger. Of old they flew in only with their bags of honey, and flew out empty: now they fly out with their burdens. The beekeeper opens the lower partition and peeps into the lower half of the hive. Instead of the clusters of black, sleek¹⁴ bees, clinging on each other's legs, hanging to the lower side of the partition, and with an unbroken hum of toil building at the wax, drowsy¹⁵, withered¹⁶ bees wander listlessly about over the roof and walls of the hive. Instead of the cleanly glued-up floor, swept by the bees' wings, there are now bits of wax, excrement¹⁷, dying bees feebly kicking, and dead bees lying not cleared away on the floor.

The beekeeper opens the upper door and examines the super of the hive. In place of close rows of bees, sealing up every gap left in the combs and fostering the brood, he sees only the skilful¹⁸, complex, edifice¹⁹ of combs, and even in this the virginal purity of old days is gone. All is forsaken²⁰; and soiled, black, stranger bees scurry²¹ swiftly and stealthily about the combs in search of plunder²²; while the dried-up, shrunken, listless, old-looking bees of the hive wander slowly about, doing nothing to hinder them, having lost every desire and sense of life. Drones, gadflies, wasps²⁴ and butterflies flutter about aimlessly, brushing their wings against the walls of the hive. Here and there, between the cells full of dead brood and honey, is heard an angry buzz; here and there a couple of bees from old habit and custom, though they know not why they do it, are cleaning the hive, painfully dragging away a dead bee or a wasp²³, a task beyond their strength. In another corner two other old bees are languidly fighting or cleaning themselves or feeding one another, themselves unaware²⁵ whether with friendly or hostile intent. Elsewhere a crowd of bees, squeezing one another, is falling upon some victim, beating and crushing it; and the killed or enfeebled bee drops slowly, light as a feather, on to the heap of corpses²⁶. The beekeeper parts the two centre partitions to look at the nursery. Instead of the dense²⁷, black rings of thousands of bees, sitting back to back, watching the high mysteries of the work of generation, he sees hundreds of dejected, lifeless, and slumbering²⁸ wrecks²⁹ of bees. Almost all have died, unconscious of their coming end, sitting in the holy place, which they had watched—now no more. They reek³⁰ of death and corruption³¹. But a few of them still stir, rise up, fly languidly and settle on the hand of the foe³², without the spirit to die stinging him; the rest are dead and as easily brushed aside as fishes' scales. The beekeeper closes the partition, chalks a mark on the hive, and choosing his own time, breaks it up and burns it.

So was Moscow deserted, as Napoleon, weary, uneasy and frowning, paced up and down at the Kamerkolezhsky wall awaiting that merely external, but still to his mind essential observance of the proprieties—a deputation.

Some few men were still astir in odd corners of Moscow, aimlessly following their old habits, with no understanding of what they were doing.

When, with due circumspectness, Napoleon was informed that Moscow was deserted, he looked wrathfully at his informant, and turning his back on him, went on pacing up and down in silence.

“My carriage,” he said. He sat down in his carriage beside the adjutant on duty, and drove into the suburbs.

“Moscow deserted! What an incredible event!” he said to himself.

He did not drive right into the town, but put up for the night at an inn in the Dorogomilov suburb. The dramatic scene had not come off.

莫斯科此时已成为一座空城。人还是有的，尚有五十分之一的先前的居民留了下来，它空空如也。它是空的，就像衰败的失去蜂王的蜂巢一样。

失去蜂王的蜂巢里面已经没有生命，但从表面来看它仍是活的，像其余的蜂巢一样。

蜜蜂在正午炎热的阳光下，依然欢快地绕着失去蜂王的蜂巢飞舞，就像蜜蜂围绕其余的活蜂巢飞舞一样；它依然从远处散发着蜜糖的芬香，依然有蜜蜂飞进飞出。但是只要仔细地往里瞧瞧，便会明白，这座蜂巢里没有了生命。蜜蜂已不像在活的蜂巢的蜜蜂那样飞舞了，那种香气，那种声音已不再使养蜂人为之动容。养蜂人敲敲患病的蜂巢的外壁，回应他的不再是先前那种立即齐声的回应：数千只蜜蜂发出嗡嗡声，它们威武地收紧腹部，快速地鼓动双翼发出充满生命力的气浪声；而此刻回应他的则是支离破碎的，从空巢的一些地方发出的沉闷的嘶嘶声。不再像从前那样从出入孔散发醉人的蜜糖和毒液的浓郁的芬香，不再蒸发出腾腾的热气，而在蜜香中却混合着一股衰败腐朽的气味。出入孔旁，再也没有随时准备高翘尾椎发出警号拼死自卫的兵蜂。再也感觉不到均匀而平静的劳作的颤动——听不到那沸水冒气泡般的声音，听到的唯在无规律的散乱无序的嘈杂声。在出入孔胆怯而且狡猾地飞进飞出的，是黑色椭圆、粘满蜜糖的强盗蜂，它们不整人，遇危险便溜走。以前是带着花蜜飞进、空身飞出的蜜蜂，现在则带蜜飞出。养蜂人打开底巢向蜂箱底部张望。再不见从前一直悬垂至底部的一溜溜乌黑发亮、辛勤劳作的蜜蜂，它们彼此抱住腿，不间断地哼着劳动的歌，抽取着蜂蜡，相反，只见些昏昏欲睡的干瘪的蜜蜂，茫然地在底部和巢壁上爬来爬去。再不见涂了一层蜡并由蜂翅扇得干干净净的底板，在底板只有蜂房的碎块，粪便，半死的偶尔伸伸腿的蜜蜂及死后而来消除的蜜蜂。

养蜂人打开顶巢查看蜂箱的上端。本应有一排排密集的蜜蜂，紧贴蜂室为蜂蛹保暖，可是他所看到的精巧而复杂的蜂室的杰作，已没有蜂蛹存在时的清洁的样子。一切都是空荡荡的脏兮兮的。作为蜂贼的黑蜂，偷偷地迅速地在这些杰作上乱窜；自家的蜜蜂显得干瘪、短小、枯萎，像是衰老了，很慢地爬着，不去打扰谁，无所欲求，失去了生存意识。雄蜂、胡蜂、丸花蜂和蝴蝶徒劳地撞击着巢壁。在蜂蛹已死亡的巢础和蜜糖之间，偶尔可听到这里那里传来忿恨的嗫嚅声；某处又有两只蜜蜂照老习惯和凭记忆来清扫蜂巢，吃力地超负荷地把死蜂和丸花蜂拽出窝去，并不知道为什么要这们做。在另一个角落，另外两只老蜂动作迟缓地厮打着，或者清洗着身子，或者互相喂食，并不知道这样做是仇恨还是友爱。在第三处，一群蜜蜂互相挤压，向一个牺牲品进攻，打它，挤它，那只垂危或已死亡的蜜蜂像茸毛一样，从上面掉到蜜蜂尸体堆中去。养蜂人转动中间两格蜂室看看蜂窝。再也看不见一圈圈生气蓬勃的油黑的蜜蜂背靠背蹲在蜂室里，保守着生育的最高秘密，他看到的是凄凉的半死不活的睡着了的空壳般的蜜蜂。它们几乎全部死亡，只是不自觉而已，在它们守卫过而现已不复存在的圣地呆着。它们身上散发出腐烂的死亡的气息。它们当中，只有一些尚能动弹，直挺挺地立着，无力地飞翔，落在敌人手上，而无力一螫敌人而后死去，其余死亡了的，则像鱼鳞一样，轻轻飘落于窝底。养蜂人关上蜂桶，用粉笔作上记号，到时候砸毁它、烧掉它。

莫斯科就是这样，空空荡荡的，这当儿疲乏而又烦躁的眉头紧锁的拿破仑，在度支部土墙旁来回走着，等候代表团的到来，一项他认为虽系表面文章却不可缺少的礼节——

在莫斯科各个角落，仍有人在不理智地蝇营狗苟一如往昔，而且不知其所为何事。

当有人以十足的小心呈报拿破仑，说莫斯科已变成一座空城的时候，他生气地看了一眼禀告人，背转身去继续沉默地来回地走着，

“马车。”地说，同值日副官一道乘上轿式马车向郊区驶去。

“Moscon　déserte．Quel　événement　invraisemBblable！”①他自言自语。

他没有进城，驻跸于多罗戈米洛夫郊区一家旅舍。

Le　coup　de　thèǎtre　avait　raté②．

①莫斯科空了。这事太不可能！

②这场戏的结局演得不成功。

1 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

2 gaily   

adv.欢乐地，高兴地

参考例句：

• The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
• She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

3 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

4 mingles   

混合，混入( mingle的第三人称单数 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• He rarely mingles with persons of his own rank in society. 他几乎不与和他身份相同的人交往。
• The distant rumbling of the guns mingles with our marching song. 枪的深邃长声与我们行进歌混合。

5 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

6 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

7 trumpeting   

大声说出或宣告（trumpet的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• She is always trumpeting her son. 她总是吹嘘她儿子。
• The wind is trumpeting, a bugle calling to charge! 风在掌号。冲锋号！ 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

8 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

9 discordant   

adj.不调和的

参考例句：

• Leonato thought they would make a discordant pair.里奥那托认为他们不适宜作夫妻。
• For when we are deeply mournful discordant above all others is the voice of mirth.因为当我们极度悲伤的时候，欢乐的声音会比其他一切声音都更显得不谐调。

10 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

11 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

12 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

13 furtively   

adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地

参考例句：

• At this some of the others furtively exchanged significant glances. 听他这样说，有几个人心照不宣地彼此对望了一眼。
• Remembering my presence, he furtively dropped it under his chair. 后来想起我在，他便偷偷地把书丢在椅子下。

14 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

15 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

16 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

17 excrement   

n.排泄物，粪便

参考例句：

• The cage smelled of excrement.笼子里粪臭熏人。
• Clothing can also become contaminated with dust,feathers,and excrement.衣着则会受到微尘、羽毛和粪便的污染。

18 skilful   

(=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的

参考例句：

• The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多，熟练的程度越高。
• He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。

19 edifice   

n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室)

参考例句：

• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。
• There is a huge Victorian edifice in the area.该地区有一幢维多利亚式的庞大建筑物。

20 Forsaken   

adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词

参考例句：

• He was forsaken by his friends. 他被朋友们背弃了。
• He has forsaken his wife and children. 他遗弃了他的妻子和孩子。

21 scurry   

vi.急匆匆地走；使急赶；催促；n.快步急跑，疾走；仓皇奔跑声；骤雨，骤雪；短距离赛马

参考例句：

• I jumped on the sofa after I saw a mouse scurry by.看到一只老鼠匆匆路过,我从沙发上跳了起来。
• There was a great scurry for bargains.大家急忙着去抢购特价品。

22 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

23 wasp   

n.黄蜂，蚂蜂

参考例句：

• A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
• Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。

24 wasps   

黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人

参考例句：

• There's a wasps' nest in that old tree. 那棵老树上有一个黄蜂巢。
• We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths. 我们不仅生活在对象蜘蛛或黄蜂这样的小虫的惧怕中，而且生活在对诸如飞蛾这样无害昆虫的惧怕中

25 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

26 corpses   

n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

27 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

28 slumbering   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
• Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着，空中响起了柔和的乐声，抚慰着安睡的英雄。

29 wrecks   

n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉

参考例句：

• The shores are strewn with wrecks. 海岸上满布失事船只的残骸。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• My next care was to get together the wrecks of my fortune. 第二件我所关心的事就是集聚破产后的余财。 来自辞典例句

30 reek   

v.发出臭气；n.恶臭

参考例句：

• Where there's reek,there's heat.哪里有恶臭，哪里必发热。
• That reek is from the fox.那股恶臭是狐狸发出的。

31 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

32 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。