NEXT DAY the troops were massed in their appointed places by the evening, and were moving forward in the night. It was an autumn night with a sky overcast¹ by purplish-black clouds, but free from rain. The earth was damp, but not muddy, and the troops advanced noiselessly, except for a hardly audible jingling² now and then from the artillery³. They were forbidden to talk aloud, to smoke or to strike a light; the horses were kept from neighing. The secrecy⁴ of the enterprise increased its attractiveness. The men marched on gaily⁵. Several columns halted, stacked their guns in piles, and lay down on the chilly⁶ ground, supposing they had reached their destination. Other columns (the majority) marched all night long, and arrived somewhere, unmistakably not where they were meant to be.

Count Orlov-Denisov with his Cossacks (the detachment of least importance of the lot) was the only one that reached the right place at the right time. This detachment halted at the extreme edge of a forest, on a path from the village of Stromilovo to Dmitrovskoe.

Before dawn Count Orlov, who had fallen asleep, was waked up. A deserter from the French camp was brought to him. It was a Polish under-officer of Poniatovsky's corps⁷. This under-officer explained in Polish that he had deserted⁸ because he had been insulted in the service; because he ought long ago to have been an officer, and was braver than any of them, and so he had thrown them up and wanted to punish them. He said that Murat was camping for the night a verst from them, and that if they would give him a convoy⁹ of a hundred men he would take him alive. Count Orlov-Denisov took council with his comrades. The proposition was too

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1 overcast
adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天
参考例句：
The overcast and rainy weather found out his arthritis.阴雨天使他的关节炎发作了。 The sky is overcast with dark clouds.乌云满天。

2 jingling
叮当声
参考例句：
A carriage went jingling by with some reclining figure in it. 一辆马车叮当驶过，车上斜倚着一个人。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Melanie did not seem to know, or care, that life was riding by with jingling spurs. 媚兰好像并不知道，或者不关心，生活正马刺丁当地一路驶过去了呢。

3 artillery
n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)
参考例句：
This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。 The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

4 secrecy
n.秘密，保密，隐蔽
参考例句：
All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。 Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

5 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。

6 chilly
adj.凉快的，寒冷的
参考例句：
I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。 I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

7 corps
n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组
参考例句：
The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。 When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 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。

9 convoy
vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队
参考例句：
The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。 Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

10 alluring
adj.吸引人的，迷人的
参考例句：
The life in a big city is alluring for the young people. 大都市的生活对年轻人颇具诱惑力。 Lisette's large red mouth broke into a most alluring smile. 莉莎特的鲜红的大嘴露出了一副极为诱人的微笑。

11 regiments
（军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物
参考例句：
The three regiments are all under the command of you. 这三个团全归你节制。 The town was garrisoned with two regiments. 该镇有两团士兵驻守。

12 resolute
adj.坚决的，果敢的
参考例句：
He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。 The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

13 deceptive
adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的
参考例句：
His appearance was deceptive.他的外表带有欺骗性。 The storyline is deceptively simple.故事情节看似简单，其实不然。

14 perfectly
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。

15 suite
n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员
参考例句：
She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。 That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

16 undertaking
n.保证，许诺，事业
参考例句：
He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。 He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

17 galloped
（使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事
参考例句：
Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。 The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。

18 infantry
n.[总称]步兵(部队)
参考例句：
The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。 We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

19 cannons
n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 来自《简明英汉词典》 One company had been furnished with six cannons. 某连队装备了六门大炮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 muskets
n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The watch below, all hands to load muskets. 另一组人都来帮着给枪装火药。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 Deep ditch, single drawbridge, massive stone walls, eight at towers, cannon, muskets, fire and smoke. 深深的壕堑，单吊桥，厚重的石壁，八座巨大的塔楼。大炮、毛瑟枪、火焰与烟雾。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

21 budge
v.移动一点儿；改变立场
参考例句：
We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。 She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

22 heeded
v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 disposition
n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。 He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

24 toll
n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)
参考例句：
The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。 The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

25 murmurs
n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕
参考例句：
They spoke in low murmurs. 他们低声说着话。 来自辞典例句 They are more superficial, more distinctly heard than murmurs. 它们听起来比心脏杂音更为浅表而清楚。 来自辞典例句

26 muddle
n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱
参考例句：
Everything in the room was in a muddle.房间里每一件东西都是乱七八糟的。 Don't work in a rush and get into a muddle.克服忙乱现象。

27 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。

28 upbraiding
adj.& n.谴责（的）v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的现在分词 )
参考例句：
His wife set about upbraiding him for neglecting the children. 他妻子开始指责他不照顾孩子。 来自辞典例句 I eschewed upbraiding, I curtailed remonstrance. 我避免责备，少作规劝。 来自辞典例句

29 placid
adj.安静的，平和的
参考例句：
He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。 You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

30 muddles
v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的第三人称单数 )；使糊涂；对付，混日子
参考例句：
Translation muddles model concepts, which leads to destructive refactoring of code. 这些转换混淆了模型的概念，可能导致重构代码时的失败。 来自互联网 A glass of whisky soon muddles him. 一杯威士忌很快就会把他醉得迷迷糊糊。 来自互联网

31 contradictory
adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立
参考例句：
The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。 What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

32 amazement
n.惊奇，惊讶
参考例句：
All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。 He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

33 valiant
adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人
参考例句：
He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。 Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。