AFTER THE ENGAGEMENT at Vyazma, where Kutuzov could not restrain his troops in their desire to break through, to cut off and all the rest of it, the further march of the flying French, and of the Russians flying after them, continued as far as Krasnoe without a battle. The flight was so rapid that the Russian army racing¹ after the French could not catch them up; the horses of the cavalry² and artillery³ broke down, and information as to the movements of the French was always very uncertain.

The Russian soldiers were so exhausted⁴ by this unbroken march at the rate of forty versts a day that they were unable to quicken their pace.

To form an idea of the degree of exhaustion⁵ of the Russian army, one need only grasp clearly what is meant by the fact that while losing no more than five thousand killed and wounded, and not a hundred prisoners, the Russian army, which had left Tarutino a hundred thousand strong, numbered only fifty thousand on reaching Krasnoe.

The rapidity of the Russian pursuit had as disintegrating⁷ an effect on the Russian army as the flight of the French had on their army. The only difference was that the Russian army moved at its own will, free from the menace of annihilation that hung over the French, and that the sick and stragglers of the French were left in the hands of their enemy, while Russian stragglers were at home among their own people. The chief cause of the wasting of Napoleon's army was the rapidity of its movements, and an indubitable proof of that is to be seen in the corresponding dwindling⁸ of the Russian army.

Just as at Tarutino and at Vyazma, all Kutuzov's energies were directed to preventing—so far as it lay in his power—any arrest of the fatal flight of the French from being checked (as the Russian generals in Petersburg, and also in the army, wished it to be). He did all he could to urge on the flight of the French, and to slacken the speed of his own army.

In addition to the exhaustion of the men, and the immense losses due to the rapidity of their movements, Kutuzov saw another reason for slackening the pace, and not being in a hurry. The object of the Russian army was the pursuit of the French. The route of the French was uncertain, and therefore the more closely our soldiers followed the heels of the French, the greater the distances they had to traverse. It was only by following at a considerable distance that they could take advantage of short cuts across the zig-zags made by the French in their course. All the

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1 racing
n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的
参考例句：
I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。 The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 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。

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 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

5 exhaustion
n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述
参考例句：
She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。 His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

6 numb
adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木
参考例句：
His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。 Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

7 disintegrating
v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
As a poetic version of a disintegrating world, this one pleased him. 作为世界崩溃论在文学上的表现，他非常喜欢这个学说。 来自辞典例句 Soil animals increase the speed of litter breakdown by disintegrating tissue. 土壤动物通过分解组织，加速落叶层降解的速度。 来自辞典例句

8 dwindling
adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 diminution
n.减少；变小
参考例句：
They hope for a small diminution in taxes.他们希望捐税能稍有减少。 He experienced no diminution of his physical strength.他并未感觉体力衰落。

11 casually
adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地
参考例句：
She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。 I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

12 vanquished
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制
参考例句：
She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 foes
敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。 She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

14 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 dwindled
v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。 His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 favourable
adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的
参考例句：
The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。 We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。

17 conspicuous
adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的
参考例句：
It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。 Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

18 disastrous
adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的
参考例句：
The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。 Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

19 slaughter
n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀
参考例句：
I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。 Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

20 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。

21 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。

22 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。

23 parleys
n.和谈，谈判( parley的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The next two days were spent in fruitless parleys. 其后两日是消磨于毫无结果的谈判中。 来自辞典例句

24 trot
n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧
参考例句：
They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。 The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

25 bestowed
赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
It was a title bestowed upon him by the king. 那是国王赐给他的头衔。 He considered himself unworthy of the honour they had bestowed on him. 他认为自己不配得到大家赋予他的荣誉。

26 longing
n.（for）渴望
参考例句：
Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。 His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

27 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》

28 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

29 dubbed
v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制
参考例句：
Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。 Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 baton
n.乐队用指挥杖
参考例句：
With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。 The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

31 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

32 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

33 honourable
adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的
参考例句：
I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。 I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

34 posterity
n.后裔，子孙，后代
参考例句：
Few of his works will go down to posterity.他的作品没有几件会流传到后世。 The names of those who died are recorded for posterity on a tablet at the back of the church.死者姓名都刻在教堂后面的一块石匾上以便后人铭记。

35 crafty
adj.狡猾的，诡诈的
参考例句：
He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。 He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

36 intriguing
adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心
参考例句：
These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。 It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》