Part 5 Book 1 Chapter 24 Prisoner

Marius was, in fact, a prisoner.

The hand which had seized him from behind and whose grasp he had felt at the moment of his fall and his loss of consciousness was that of Jean Valjean.

Jean Valjean had taken no other part in the combat than to expose himself in it. Had it not been for him, no one, in that supreme¹ phase of agony, would have thought of the wounded. Thanks to him, everywhere present in the carnage, like a providence², those who fell were picked up, transported to the tap-room, and cared for. In the intervals³, he reappeared on the barricade⁴. But nothing which could resemble a blow, an attack or even personal defence proceeded from his hands. He held his peace and lent succor⁵. Moreover he had received only a few scratches. The bullets would have none of him. If suicide formed part of what he had meditated⁶ on coming to this sepulchre, to that spot, he had not succeeded. But we doubt whether he had thought of suicide, an irreligious act.

Jean Valjean, in the thick cloud of the combat, did not appear to see Marius; the truth is, that he never took his eyes from the latter. When a shot laid Marius low, Jean Valjean leaped forward with the agility⁷ of a tiger, fell upon him as on his prey⁸, and bore him off.

The whirlwind of the attack was, at that moment, so violently concentrated upon Enjolras and upon the door of the wine-shop, that no one saw Jean Valjean sustaining the fainting Marius in his arms, traverse the unpaved field of the barricade and disappear behind the angle of the Corinthe building.

The reader will recall this angle which formed a sort of cape⁹ on the street; it afforded shelter from the bullets, the grape-shot, and all eyes, and a few square feet of space. There is sometimes a chamber¹⁰ which does not burn in the midst of a conflagration¹¹, and in the midst of raging seas, beyond a promontory¹² or at the extremity¹³ of a blind alley¹⁴ of shoals, a tranquil¹⁵ nook. It was in this sort of fold in the interior trapezium of the barricade, that Eponine had breathed her last.

There Jean Valjean halted, let Marius slide to the ground, placed his back against the wall, and cast his eyes about him.

The situation was alarming.

For an instant, for two or three perhaps, this bit of wall was a shelter, but how was he to escape from this massacre¹⁶? He recalled the anguish¹⁷ which he had suffered in the Rue¹⁸ Polonceau eight years before, and in what manner he had contrived¹⁹ to make his escape; it was difficult then, to-day it was impossible. He had before him that deaf and implacable house, six stories in height, which appeared to be inhabited only by a dead man leaning out of his window; he had on his right the rather low barricade, which shut off the Rue de la Petite Truanderie; to pass this obstacle seemed easy, but beyond the crest²⁰ of the barrier a line of bayonets was visible. The troops of the line were posted on the watch behind that barricade. It was evident, that to pass the barricade was to go in quest of the fire of the platoon, and that any head which should run the risk of lifting itself above the top of that wall of stones would serve as a target for sixty shots. On his left he had the field of battle. Death lurked²¹ round the corner of that wall.

What was to be done?

Only a bird could have extricated²² itself from this predicament.

And it was necessary to decide on the instant, to devise some expedient²³, to come to some decision. Fighting was going on a few paces away; fortunately, all were raging around a single point, the door of the wine-shop; but if it should occur to one soldier, to one single soldier, to turn the corner of the house, or to attack him on the flank, all was over.

Jean Valjean gazed at the house facing him, he gazed at the barricade at one side of him, then he looked at the ground, with the violence of the last extremity, bewildered, and as though he would have liked to pierce a hole there with his eyes.

By dint²⁴ of staring, something vaguely²⁵ striking in such an agony began to assume form and outline at his feet, as though it had been a power of glance which made the thing desired unfold. A few paces distant he perceived, at the base of the small barrier so pitilessly guarded and watched on the exterior²⁶, beneath a disordered mass of paving-stones which partly concealed²⁷ it, an iron grating, placed flat and on a level with the soil. This grating, made of stout²⁸, transverse bars, was about two feet square. The frame of paving-stones which supported it had been torn up, and it was, as it were, unfastened.

Through the bars a view could be had of a dark aperture²⁹, something like the flue of a chimney, or the pipe of a cistern³⁰. Jean Valjean darted³¹ forward. His old art of escape rose to his brain like an illumination. To thrust aside the stones, to raise the grating, to lift Marius, who was as inert³² as a dead body, upon his shoulders, to descend³³, with this burden on his loins, and with the aid of his elbows and knees into that sort of well, fortunately not very deep, to let the heavy trap, upon which the loosened stones rolled down afresh, fall into its place behind him, to gain his footing on a flagged surface three metres below the surface,--all this was executed like that which one does in dreams, with the strength of a giant and the rapidity of an eagle; this took only a few minutes.

Jean Valjean found himself with Marius, who was still unconscious, in a sort of long, subterranean³⁴ corridor.

There reigned³⁵ profound peace, absolute silence, night.

The impression which he had formerly³⁶ experienced when falling from the wall into the convent recurred³⁷ to him. Only, what he was carrying to-day was not Cosette; it was Marius. He could barely hear the formidable tumult³⁸ in the wine-shop, taken by assault, like a vague murmur³⁹ overhead.

马吕斯确实被俘了，他做了冉阿让的俘虏。

当他摔倒的时候，一只手从后面紧抱住他，虽已失去知觉，他仍能感到是被抓住了，这只手是冉阿让的。

冉阿让没有参加战斗，他只是冒着危险待在那儿。没有他，在这濒危的紧要关头，没有人会考虑到受伤者。幸而有他，屠杀时他好象神人一样无处不在，把倒下的人扶起来，送到地下室包扎好。间歇时，他修整街垒。但类似打人、攻击、或个人的自卫等决不会出自他的手。他默不作声地帮助人。再说，他只有少数擦伤的地方。子弹看不中他。如果自杀是他来到这座坟墓时的一个梦想，在这方面他可没有成功，但我们怀疑他会去考虑自杀这一违反宗教的行为。

冉阿让，在斗争的浓烟中，好象没看见马吕斯，其实他的目光一直没离开过他。当一枪把马吕斯打倒时，冉阿让如老虎般敏捷地一蹦，向他扑过去，象擒住一个猎物那样，把他带走了。

旋风式的攻打此刻非常猛烈地集中在酒店门口和安灼拉的身上，因此没有人看见冉阿让，他用双臂托着晕过去的马吕斯，走过了这失去铺路石的街垒战场，在科林斯房屋的拐角处消失了。

我们记得这拐角处形成了一个伸向大街的海岬，它形成一个几尺见方的能挡住枪弹和霰弹、也能挡住人的视线的地方。有时在火灾中也有一间没有烧着的房间，在最狂暴的海上，在岬角的另一边或暗礁的尽头，会有一个平静的小角落，就是在这种街垒内部的梯形隐蔽处爱潘妮断了气。

冉阿让在这儿止了步，把马吕斯轻轻地放在地上，他紧靠着墙并用目光四面扫视。

当时处境危急。

目前，可能在两三分钟以内，这堵墙还是一个掩体，但怎么能逃出这个屠杀场呢？他回想起八年前，他在波隆梭街时的焦虑，他是如何脱身的，这在当时是困难的，而在今日则是不可能的了。他面前是一所无情的七层聋屋，好象只住着那个俯首窗外的死人，他右边是堵塞小化子窝的相当低矮的街垒，跨过这障碍似乎容易，但在这障碍物的顶上可以见到一排刺刀尖，那是战斗队，防守在街垒外边，埋伏着。毫无疑问跨越这街垒，那就是引来排枪的射击，谁敢冒险在这铺路石堆的墙上探头，谁就要成为六十发枪弹的目标。他左边是战场，死亡就在这墙角的后面。

怎么办？

只有一只小鸟才能逃脱。

必须立刻作出决定，找到办法，打定主意。在他几步之外正在作战，幸亏所有的人都在激烈地争夺一个点，就是酒店的门；但是如果有一个士兵，只要有一个，想到绕过房屋，或从侧面去攻打，那就一切都完了。

冉阿让望望他前面的房屋，看看身旁的街垒，然后又带着陷入绝境的强烈感情望望地，心里十分混乱，想用眼睛在地上挖出一个窟窿。

由于专心注视，不知什么模糊然而可以捕捉的东西在这垂死挣扎的时刻显现出来并在他的脚旁形成了，好象是目光的威力使得心愿实现了似的。他看见几步以外，在那堵外面被无情地守卫着和窥伺着的矮墙脚下，有一扇被一堆塌下的铺路石盖住一部分的铁栅栏门，它是安在地上的。这铁门，用粗的横铁棍制成，大致有两平方尺。支撑它的铺路石框架已被掘掉，铁栅栏好象已被拆开。透过铁条可以看到一个阴暗的洞口，一个类似烟囱的管道或是贮水槽的总管子。冉阿让冲过去，他越狱的老本领好象一道亮光在脑中一闪。搬开铺路石，掀起铁栅栏，背起一动不动象尸体般的马吕斯，降下去；驮着这重负，用手肘和膝头使劲，下到这种幸而不深的井里，再让头上的重铁门再落下来；铺路石受震后又倒下来，有些落在门上，这时冉阿让脚踏在铺了石块的低于地面三米的地上；他象一个极度兴奋的人那样，用巨人的力气、雄鹰的敏捷完成了这些动作，为时不过几分钟。

冉阿让和昏迷的马吕斯进入到一种地下长廊里。

这儿，无比安全，极端寂静，是漆黑的夜。

过去他从大街上落进修女院时的印象又出现在眼前，但今天他背负的不是珂赛特，而是马吕斯。

此刻他只勉强听到在他上面，象一种模糊不清的窃窃私语一样，那攻占酒店时惊人的喧嚣声。

1 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。

2 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

3 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。

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 succor   

n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助

参考例句：

• In two short hours we may look for succor from Webb.在短短的两小时内，韦布将军的救兵就可望到达。
• He was so much in need of succor,so totally alone.他当时孑然一身，形影相吊，特别需要援助。

6 meditated   

深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑

参考例句：

• He meditated for two days before giving his answer. 他在作出答复之前考虑了两天。
• She meditated for 2 days before giving her answer. 她考虑了两天才答复。

7 agility   

n.敏捷，活泼

参考例句：

• The boy came upstairs with agility.那男孩敏捷地走上楼来。
• His intellect and mental agility have never been in doubt.他的才智和机敏从未受到怀疑。

8 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

9 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

10 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

11 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。

12 promontory   

n.海角；岬

参考例句：

• Genius is a promontory jutting out of the infinite.天才是茫茫大地突出的岬角。
• On the map that promontory looks like a nose,naughtily turned up.从地图上面，那个海角就像一只调皮地翘起来的鼻子。

13 extremity   

n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度

参考例句：

• I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。
• What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

14 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。

15 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

16 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

17 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

18 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。

19 contrived   

adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的

参考例句：

• There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
• The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

20 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

21 lurked   

vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The murderers lurked behind the trees. 谋杀者埋伏在树后。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Treachery lurked behind his smooth manners. 他圆滑姿态的后面潜伏着奸计。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

22 extricated   

v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The meeting seemed to be endless, but I extricated myself by saying I had to catch a plane. 会议好象没完没了，不过我说我得赶飞机，才得以脱身。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She extricated herself from her mingled impulse to deny and guestion. 她约束了自己想否认并追问的不可明状的冲动。 来自辞典例句

23 expedient   

adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计

参考例句：

• The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。
• Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。

24 dint   

n.由于，靠；凹坑

参考例句：

• He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
• He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。

25 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

26 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

27 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。

29 aperture   

n.孔，隙，窄的缺口

参考例句：

• The only light came through a narrow aperture.仅有的光亮来自一个小孔。
• We saw light through a small aperture in the wall.我们透过墙上的小孔看到了亮光。

30 cistern   

n.贮水池

参考例句：

• The cistern is empty but soon fills again.蓄水池里现在没水，但不久就会储满水的。
• The lavatory cistern overflowed.厕所水箱的水溢出来了

31 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 inert   

adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的

参考例句：

• Inert gas studies are providing valuable information about other planets,too.对惰性气体的研究，也提供了有关其它行星的有价值的资料。
• Elemental nitrogen is a very unreactive and inert material.元素氮是一个十分不活跃的惰性物质。

33 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

34 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

35 reigned   

vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）

参考例句：

• Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

36 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

37 recurred   

再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈

参考例句：

• Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。
• She always winced when he recurred to the subject of his poems. 每逢他一提到他的诗作的时候，她总是有点畏缩。

38 tumult   

n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹

参考例句：

• The tumult in the streets awakened everyone in the house.街上的喧哗吵醒了屋子里的每一个人。
• His voice disappeared under growing tumult.他的声音消失在越来越响的喧哗声中。

39 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。