Part 5 Book 1 Chapter 13 Passing Gleams

In the chaos¹ of sentiments and passions which defend a barricade², there is a little of everything; there is bravery, there is youth, honor, enthusiasm, the ideal, conviction, the rage of the gambler, and, above all, intermittences of hope.

One of these intermittences, one of these vague quivers of hope suddenly traversed the barricade of the Rue³ de la Chanvrerie at the moment when it was least expected.

"Listen," suddenly cried Enjolras, who was still on the watch, "it seems to me that Paris is waking up."

It is certain that, on the morning of the 6th of June, the insurrection broke out afresh for an hour or two, to a certain extent. The obstinacy⁴ of the alarm peal⁵ of Saint-Merry reanimated some fancies. Barricades⁶ were begun in the Rue du Poirier and the Rue des Gravilliers. In front of the Porte Saint-Martin, a young man, armed with a rifle, attacked alone a squadron of cavalry⁷. In plain sight, on the open boulevard, he placed one knee on the ground, shouldered his weapon, fired, killed the commander of the squadron, and turned away, saying: "There's another who will do us no more harm."

He was put to the sword. In the Rue Saint-Denis, a woman fired on the National Guard from behind a lowered blind. The slats of the blind could be seen to tremble at every shot. A child fourteen years of age was arrested in the Rue de la Cossonerie, with his pockets full of cartridges⁸. Many posts were attacked. At the entrance to the Rue Bertin-Poiree, a very lively and utterly⁹ unexpected fusillade welcomed a regiment¹⁰ of cuirrassiers, at whose head marched Marshal General Cavaignac de Barague. In the Rue Planche-Mibray, they threw old pieces of pottery¹¹ and household utensils¹² down on the soldiers from the roofs; a bad sign; and when this matter was reported to Marshal Soult, Napoleon's old lieutenant¹³ grew thoughtful, as he recalled Suchet's saying at Saragossa: "We are lost when the old women empty their pots de chambre on our heads."

These general symptoms which presented themselves at the moment when it was thought that the uprising had been rendered local, this fever of wrath¹⁴, these sparks which flew hither and thither¹⁵ above those deep masses of combustibles which are called the faubourgs of Paris,--all this, taken together, disturbed the military chiefs. They made haste to stamp out these beginnings of conflagration¹⁶.

They delayed the attack on the barricades Maubuee, de la Chanvrerie and Saint-Merry until these sparks had been extinguished, in order that they might have to deal with the barricades only and be able to finish them at one blow. Columns were thrown into the streets where there was fermentation, sweeping¹⁷ the large, sounding the small, right and left, now slowly and cautiously, now at full charge. The troops broke in the doors of houses whence shots had been fired; at the same time, manoeuvres by the cavalry dispersed¹⁸ the groups on the boulevards. This repression¹⁹ was not effected without some commotion²⁰, and without that tumultuous uproar²¹ peculiar²² to collisions between the army and the people. This was what Enjolras had caught in the intervals²³ of the cannonade and the musketry. Moreover, he had seen wounded men passing the end of the street in litters, and he said to Courfeyrac:--"Those wounded do not come from us."

Their hope did not last long; the gleam was quickly eclipsed. In less than half an hour, what was in the air vanished, it was a flash of lightning unaccompanied by thunder, and the insurgents²⁵ felt that sort of leaden cope, which the indifference²⁶ of the people casts over obstinate²⁷ and deserted²⁸ men, fall over them once more.

The general movement, which seemed to have assumed a vague outline, had miscarried; and the attention of the minister of war and the strategy of the generals could now be concentrated on the three or four barricades which still remained standing²⁹.

The sun was mounting above the horizon.

An insurgent²⁴ hailed Enjolras.

"We are hungry here. Are we really going to die like this, without anything to eat?"

Enjolras, who was still leaning on his elbows at his embrasure, made an affirmative sign with his head, but without taking his eyes from the end of the street.

在防卫街垒的道义感和激烈冲动的混杂心情中是应有尽有的，有勇敢的精神，有青年的朝气，有荣誉的欲望，有激动的热情，有理想，有坚定的信仰，有赌徒的顽强，特别还有断断续续的一线希望。

在这时断时续期间，突然一个模糊的希望颤动着，在意想不到的时候掠过麻厂街的街垒。

“你们听，”一直严加戒备的安灼拉突然叫起来，“巴黎似乎醒来了。”

在六月六日清晨，这些起义者在一两个小时里确实勇气倍增。圣美里持续不断的警钟使一些微弱的希望复活了。梨树街和格拉维利埃街也筑起了街垒。圣与尔丹门前有一个青年，独自用卡宾枪射击一个骑兵连。他毫不隐蔽地在林荫大道上跪下一膝，以肩抵枪，瞄准并击毙了骑兵中队长，然后回转头来说：“又少了一个，他不会再给我们罪受了。”那青年被马刀砍死了。圣德尼街有一个妇女在放下的百叶帘后面射击保安警察。她每打一枪，就可以看到百叶帘在颤动。一个十四岁的孩子在高松纳利街被捕，他的口袋里装满了子弹。好几个岗哨受到了攻打。在贝尔坦－波瓦雷街口，由卡芬雅克·德·巴拉尼将军①带领的装甲联队意外地受到排枪的猛烈射击；在卜朗什－米勃雷街，有人从屋顶向过路的军队扔下破坛烂罐和家用器皿，这是不祥之兆。当有人把这种情况向苏尔特元帅报告时，这位拿破仑的老上尉不禁堕入沉思，他回忆起絮歇②元帅在萨拉戈萨时讲的一句话：“什么时候老奶奶往我们头上用尿壶倒尿，我们就完蛋了。”

①巴拉尼是一八四八年残酷镇压巴黎工人六月起义的陆军部长卡芬雅克的叔父。

②絮歇（Suchet，1772?826），法国元帅，在西班牙作战获胜。

当人们以为暴动已被控制不再蔓延时，又出现了这种普遍的症状，重又燃起的怒火，这些人们称之为巴黎郊区柴堆上飞舞的火花，所有这一切都使军事长官们惶恐不安。他们急于扑灭刚冒头的火灾。在未扑灭之前，推迟了对莫布埃街、麻厂街和圣美里这些街垒的进攻，目的是好集中兵力对付它们，一举全歼。有些纵队被派遣到有骚乱的街上去，肃清大街，进而追索左右的一些小街小巷，有时蹑手蹑脚，小心提防，有时则加快步伐。军队捅破那些放过冷枪的门，同时，骑兵驱散了在林荫大道上集合的人群。这种镇压不免引起骚乱和军民之间的冲突。安灼拉在炮轰和排枪之间所听到的就是这些声音。此外，他看见街那头有人用担架抬走受伤的人，他对古费拉克说：“受伤的不是我们这边的人。”

希望没有延长多久，微光很快就消逝了。不到半小时，孕育中的暴动破灭了，犹如没有雷声的闪电瞬息即逝一般，起义者感到一块铅质的棺罩，被冷漠的民众盖在他们这些顽强不屈的被遗弃者的身上。

当时的普遍行动似乎已略具规模，但却流产了。陆军大臣①的注意力和将军们的策略，现在能运用集中到这三四个还屹立着的街垒上来了。

①陆军大臣，指苏尔特。

旭日在地平线上升起。

一个起义者质问安灼拉：

“我们这儿大家都饿了。难道我们真的什么都不吃就这样死去吗？”

安灼拉始终把手肘支在胸墙上，注视着街的尽头，点了一下头。

1 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

2 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。

3 rue   

n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔

参考例句：

• You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
• You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

4 obstinacy   

n.顽固；（病痛等）难治

参考例句：

• It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
• Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒，常常使他坚持自见，并达到执拗的地步。

5 peal   

n.钟声；v.鸣响

参考例句：

• The bells of the cathedral rang out their loud peal.大教堂响起了响亮的钟声。
• A sudden peal of thunder leaves no time to cover the ears.迅雷不及掩耳。

6 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

7 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。

8 cartridges   

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。

9 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

10 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

11 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

12 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

13 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

14 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

15 thither   

adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的

参考例句：

• He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
• He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

16 conflagration   

n.建筑物或森林大火

参考例句：

• A conflagration in 1947 reduced 90 percent of the houses to ashes.1947年的一场大火，使90%的房屋化为灰烬。
• The light of that conflagration will fade away.这熊熊烈火会渐渐熄灭。

17 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

18 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

19 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

20 commotion   

n.骚动，动乱

参考例句：

• They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。
• Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。

21 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。

22 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

23 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

24 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

25 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

26 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

27 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

28 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。

29 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。