Part 4 Book 12 Chapter 6 Waiting

During those hours of waiting, what did they do?

We must needs tell, since this is a matter of history.

While the men made bullets and the women lint¹, while a large saucepan of melted brass² and lead, destined³ to the bullet-mould smoked over a glowing brazier, while the sentinels watched, weapon in hand, on the barricade⁴, while Enjolras, whom it was impossible to divert, kept an eye on the sentinels, Combeferre, Courfeyrac, Jean Prouvaire, Feuilly, Bossuet, Joly, Bahorel, and some others, sought each other out and united as in the most peaceful days of their conversations in their student life, and, in one corner of this wine-shop which had been converted into a casement⁶, a couple of paces distant from the redoubt which they had built, with their carbines loaded and primed resting against the backs of their chairs, these fine young fellows, so close to a supreme⁷ hour, began to recite love verses.

What verses? These:--

Vous rappelez-vous notre douce vie, Lorsque nous etions si jeunes tous deux, Et que nous n'avions au coeur d'autre envie Que d'etre bien mis et d'etre amoureux,

Lorsqu'en ajoutant votre age a mon age, Nous ne comptions pas a deux quarante ans, Et que, dans notre humble⁸ et petit menage, Tout⁹, meme l'hiver, nous etait printemps?

Beaux jours! Manuel etait fier et sage¹⁰, Paris s'asseyait a de saints banquets, Foy lancait la foudre, et votre corsage Avait une epingle ou je me piquais.

Tout vous contemplait. Avocat sans causes, Quand je vous menais au Prado diner, Vous etiez jolie au point que les roses Me faisaient l'effet de se retourner.

Je les entendais dire¹¹: Est elle belle¹²! Comme elle sent bon! Quels cheveux a flots! Sous son mantelet elle cache une aile, Son bonnet¹³ charmant est a peine eclos.

J'errais avec toi, pressant ton bras souple. Les passants crovaient que l'amour charme Avait marie, dans notre heureux couple, Le doux mois d'avril au beau mois de mai.

Nous vivions caches, contents, porte close, Devorant l'amour, bon fruit defendu, Ma bouche n'avait pas dit une chose Que deja ton coeur avait repondu.

La Sorbonne etait l'endroit bucolique Ou je t'adorais du soir au matin. C'est ainsi qu'une ame amoureuse applique La carte du Tendre au pays Latin.

O place Maubert! o place Dauphine! Quand, dans le taudis frais et printanier, Tu tirais ton bas sur ton jambe fine, Je voyais un astre au fond du grenier.

J'ai fort lu Platon, mais rien ne m'en reste; Mieux que Malebranche et que Lamennais, Tu me demontrais la bonte celeste Avec une fleur que tu me donnais.

Je t'obeissais, tu m' etais soumise; O grenier dore! te lacer! te voir Aller et venir des l'aube en chemise, Mirant ton jeune front a ton vieux miroir.

Et qui done pourrait perde la memoire De ces temps d'aurore et de firmament¹⁴, De rubans, de fleurs, de gaze et de moire, Ou l'amour begaye un argot¹⁵ charmant?

Nos jardins etaient un pot de tulipe; Tu masquais la vitre avec un jupon; Je prenais le bol de terre de pipe, Et je te donnais le tasse en japon.

Et ces grands malheurs qui nous faisaient rire! Ton manchon brule, ton boa perdu! Et ce cher portrait du divin Shakespeare Qu'un soir pour souper nons avons vendu!

J'etais mendiant et toi charitable. Je baisais au vol tes bras frais et ronds. Dante in folio nous servait de table Pour manger gaiment un cent de marrons.

La premiere fois qu'en mon joyeux bouge Je pris un baiser a ton levre en feu, Quand tu t'en allais decoiffee et rouge¹⁶, Je restai tout pale et je crus en Dieu!

Te rappelles-tu nos bonhe urs sans nombre, Et tous ces fichus changes en chiffons? Oh que de soupirs, de nos coeurs pleins d'ombre, Se sont envoles dans les cieux profonds![53]

[53] Do you remember our sweet life, when we were both so young, and when we had no other desire in our hearts than to be well dressed and in love? When, by adding your age to my age, we could not count forty years between us, and when, in our humble and tiny household, everything was spring to us even in winter. Fair days! Manuel was proud and wise, Paris sat at sacred banquets, Foy launched thunderbolts, and your corsage had a pin on which I pricked¹⁷ myself. Everything gazed upon you. A briefless lawyer, when I took you to the Prado to dine, you were so beautiful that the roses seemed to me to turn round, and I heard them say: Is she not beautiful! How good she smells! What billowing hair! Beneath her mantle¹⁸ she hides a wing. Her charming bonnet is hardly unfolded. I wandered with thee, pressing thy supple¹⁹ arm. The passers-by thought that love bewitched had wedded²⁰, in our happy couple, the gentle month of April to the fair month of May. We lived concealed²¹, content, with closed doors, devouring²² love, that sweet forbidden fruit. My mouth had not uttered a thing when thy heart had already responded. The Sorbonne was the bucolic²³ spot where I adored thee from eve till morn. 'Tis thus that an amorous²⁴ soul applies the chart of the Tender to the Latin country. O Place Maubert! O Place Dauphine! When in the fresh spring-like hut thou didst draw thy stocking on thy delicate leg, I saw a star in the depths of the garret. I have read a great deal of Plato, but nothing of it remains²⁵ by me; better than Malebranche and then Lamennais thou didst demonstrate to me celestial²⁶ goodness with a flower which thou gavest to me, I obeyed thee, thou didst submit to me; oh gilded²⁷ garret! To lace thee! To behold²⁸ thee going and coming from dawn in thy chemise, gazing at thy young brow in thine ancient mirror! And who, then, would forego the memory of those days of aurora²⁹ and the firmament, of flowers, of gauze and of moire, when love stammers³⁰ a charming slang? Our gardens consisted of a pot of tulips; thou didst mask the window with thy petticoat; I took the earthenware³¹ bowl and I gave thee the Japanese cup. And those great misfortunes which made us laugh! Thy cuff³² scorched³³, thy boa lost! And that dear portrait of the divine Shakespeare which we sold one evening that we might sup! I was a beggar and thou wert charitable. I kissed thy fresh round arms in haste. A folio Dante served us as a table on which to eat merrily a centime's worth of chestnuts³⁴. The first time that, in my joyous³⁵ den⁵, I snatched a kiss from thy fiery³⁶ lip, when thou wentest forth³⁷, dishevelled and blushing, I turned deathly pale and I believed in God. Dost thou recall our innumerable joys, and all those fichus changed to rags? Oh! What sighs from our hearts full of gloom fluttered forth to the heavenly depths!

The hour, the spot, these souvenirs of youth recalled, a few stars which began to twinkle in the sky, the funeral repose³⁸ of those deserted³⁹ streets, the imminence⁴⁰ of the inexorable adventure, which was in preparation, gave a pathetic charm to these verses murmured in a low tone in the dusk by Jean Prouvaire, who, as we have said, was a gentle poet.

In the meantime, a lamp had been lighted in the small barricade, and in the large one, one of those wax torches such as are to be met with on Shrove-Tuesday in front of vehicles loaded with masks, on their way to la Courtille. These torches, as the reader has seen, came from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine.

The torch had been placed in a sort of cage of paving-stones closed on three sides to shelter it from the wind, and disposed in such a fashion that all the light fell on the flag. The street and the barricade remained sunk in gloom, and nothing was to be seen except the red flag formidably illuminated⁴¹ as by an enormous dark-lantern.

This light enhanced the scarlet⁴² of the flag, with an indescribable and terrible purple.

在等待的时候他们干些什么呢？

我们应当谈出来，因为这是历史。

当男人做枪弹，妇女做绷带时，当一口大铁锅还在烈火上冒气，里面盛满熔化了的锡和铅，正待注入弹头模子时，当哨兵端着武器立在街垒上守卫时，当安灼拉全神贯注，巡视各处岗哨时，公白飞、古费拉克、让·勃鲁维尔、弗以伊、博须埃、若李、巴阿雷，还有另外几个，互相邀集在一起，正如在平时平静的日子里，同学们促膝谈心那样，坐在那已成为避弹地窖的酒店的一个角落里，离他们建造的堡垒只两步路的地方，把他们上好子弹的枪支靠在他们的椅背上，这一伙壮美的年轻人，开始念一些情诗。

什么诗呢？这些：

你还记得我们的甜蜜生活吗？

当时我俩都年少，

我们一心向往的，

只是穿着入时，你我长相好。

在当时，你的年纪，我的年纪，

合在一起，四十也还到不了；

我们那简陋的小家庭，

即使在寒冬，也处处是春光好。

那些日子多美好哟！曼努埃尔豪迈而明智，

帕里斯正坐上圣餐筵席，

富瓦叱咤似惊雷，

我被戳痛在你汗衣的别针尖儿上。

人人都爱偷望你！我，一个无人过问的律师，

当我陪你去普拉多晚餐时，

你是多么俏丽！我暗自寻思：

蔷薇花儿见了你，也会转过脸儿背着你。

我听到他们说：她多美！她多香！

她的头发多么象波浪！

可惜她的短大衣，遮去了她的小翅膀；

她头戴玲珑小帽，好似蓓蕾初放。

我常挽着你温柔的手臂，漫步街头，

过往行人见了都认为：

爱神通过我俩这对幸福的情侣，

已把明媚的初夏许配给艳阳天。

我们掩上门，不见人，象偷啖天庭禁果，

饱尝爱的滋味，欢度美好光阴。

我还没有说出心中话，

你已先我表同心。

索邦真是个销魂处，在那里，

我温存崇拜你，从傍晚到天明。

多情种子就这样，

拉丁区里订鸳盟。

呵莫贝尔广场！呵太子妃广场！

在那春意盎然的小楼上，

当你把长袜穿到你秀美的大腿上，

我看见一颗明星出现在阁楼里。

我曾攻读柏拉图①，

但已完全无印象。

马勒伯朗士②和拉梅耐，也都不能和你比；

你给我的一朵花儿，

比他们更能显示上苍的美意。

我对你百依百顺，你对我有求必应；

呵金光闪耀的阁楼！我在那里搂抱你！

天欲晓，我见你，披睡衣，举旧镜，

来回移步床前，窥望镜中倩影。

晨曦，星夜，花间，飘带，绉纱，绫绮，

美景良辰，谁能忘记！

相对喁喁私语时，

村言俚语全无忌。

我们的花园是一钵郁金香，

你把你的衬裙当作窗帘挂。

我将白泥烟斗手中拿，

并把那日本瓷杯递给你。

还有那些常使我们笑话的灾难！

你的手笼烧着了！你的长围巾丢失了！

有一夜，为了同去吃一餐，

我们竟把诗圣莎士比亚的画像卖掉了！

我象个讨饭的化子，而你却乐善好施。

我常乘你不提防，偷吻你鲜润丰腴的臂膀。

把但丁的对开本拿来当作台子使，

我们快乐无边，同吃了一百个栗子。

当我第一次在那喜气洋洋的破楼里，

吻了你火热的嘴唇，

你头发散乱脸绯红，撇下我走了时，

我面色苍白竟至相信有上帝。

记取我们种种说不完的幸福，

还有那废弃了的无数丝巾绸帕！

呵！叹息声声，

从我们郁结的心头飞向寥廓天际！

①柏拉图（Platon，约前427?47），古希腊唯心主义哲学家，奴隶主贵族的思想家，自然经济的维护者。

②马勒伯朗士（Nicolas　Malebranche，1638?715），法国唯心主义哲学家，形而上学者。

那样的时刻，那样的环境，对青年时期种种往事的追忆，开始在天空闪烁的星星，荒凉死寂的街巷以及吉少凶多、迫在眉睫的严酷考验，都为让·勃鲁维尔这个温柔悱恻的诗人低声吟诵着的这些诗句，增添了一层凄迷的魅力。

这时在那小街垒里燃起了一盏彩色纸灯笼，大街垒里也燃起了浇了蜡的火炬。这种火炬，我们已经知道，来自圣安东尼郊区，每年油荤星期二①，人们戴着面具挤上马车向拉古尔第区进发时，点燃在马车前面的那种火炬。

①按天主教教规，每年在三月前后的四十天中，教徒不吃肉不喝酒，是为封斋期。封斋期在一个星期三开始。斋期开始前举行狂欢节，大吃大喝大乐若干天，到封斋期前夕星期二晚，进入最高潮，是为油荤星期二。拉古尔第区在巴黎东郊，是狂欢活动最集中的地方。

那火炬被插在三面用石块挡住的避风笼子里，让火炬的光象盏聚光灯似的，全部射在那面红旗上。街道和街垒都仍处在黑暗中，人们只能看见那面亮得可怕的红旗。

火炬的光在旗子的朱红色上增添一种说不出多么骇人的紫红颜色。

1 lint   

n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉

参考例句：

• Flicked the lint off the coat.把大衣上的棉绒弹掉。
• There are a few problems of air pollution by chemicals,lint,etc.,but these are minor.化学品、棉花等也造成一些空气污染问题，但这是次要的。

2 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

3 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

4 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

5 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

6 casement   

n.竖铰链窗；窗扉

参考例句：

• A casement is a window that opens by means of hinges at the side.竖铰链窗是一种用边上的铰链开启的窗户。
• With the casement half open,a cold breeze rushed inside.窗扉半开，凉风袭来。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

9 tout   

v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱

参考例句：

• They say it will let them tout progress in the war.他们称这将有助于鼓吹他们在战争中的成果。
• If your case studies just tout results,don't bother requiring registration to view them.如果你的案例研究只是吹捧结果，就别烦扰别人来注册访问了。

10 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

11 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

12 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

13 bonnet   

n.无边女帽；童帽

参考例句：

• The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光，使之不刺眼。
• She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽，帽上缀着褪了色的假花。

14 firmament   

n.苍穹；最高层

参考例句：

• There are no stars in the firmament.天空没有一颗星星。
• He was rich,and a rising star in the political firmament.他十分富有，并且是政治高层一颗冉冉升起的新星。

15 argot   

n.隐语，黑话

参考例句：

• He knows thieves' argot.他懂盗贼的黑话。
• The argot and proverb created by them enrich Chinese language.他们创造的隐语、谚语丰富了中国的语言。

16 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

17 pricked   

刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

18 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

19 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

20 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

22 devouring   

吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。
• He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。

23 bucolic   

adj.乡村的；牧羊的

参考例句：

• It is a bucolic refuge in the midst of a great bustling city.它是处在繁华的大城市之中的世外桃源。
• She turns into a sweet country girl surrounded by family,chickens and a bucolic landscape.她变成了被家人、鸡与乡村景象所围绕的甜美乡村姑娘。

24 amorous   

adj.多情的；有关爱情的

参考例句：

• They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去，以目传情。
• She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。

25 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

26 celestial   

adj.天体的；天上的

参考例句：

• The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
• Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。

27 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

28 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

29 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

30 stammers   

n.口吃，结巴( stammer的名词复数 )v.结巴地说出( stammer的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She stammers when she feels nervous. 她紧张时就口吃。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The little child stammers in the presence of strangers. 那小孩在陌生人面前说话就结巴。 来自辞典例句

31 earthenware   

n.土器，陶器

参考例句：

• She made sure that the glassware and earthenware were always spotlessly clean.她总是把玻璃器皿和陶器洗刷得干干净净。
• They displayed some bowls of glazed earthenware.他们展出了一些上釉的陶碗。

32 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

33 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

34 chestnuts   

n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马

参考例句：

• A man in the street was selling bags of hot chestnuts. 街上有个男人在卖一包包热栗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Talk of chestnuts loosened the tongue of this inarticulate young man. 因为栗子，正苦无话可说的年青人，得到同情他的人了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

35 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

36 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

37 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。

38 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

39 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。

40 imminence   

n.急迫，危急

参考例句：

• The imminence of their exams made them work harder.考试即将来临，迫使他们更用功了。
• He had doubt about the imminence of war.他不相信战争已迫在眉睫。

41 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

42 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。