The war was over. The Germans occupied France.
战争已经结束。德国人占领了法国。 —

The whole country was pulsating like a conquered wrestler beneath the knee of his victorious opponent.
整个国家就像被他们战胜的对手膝盖下的被征服的摔跤手一样在颤动。

The first trains from Paris, distracted, starving, despairing Paris, were making their way to the new frontiers, slowly passing through the country districts and the villages.
第一列火车从分心、饥饿、绝望的巴黎驶往新的边疆，缓慢地穿越乡村和村庄。 —

The passengers gazed through the windows at the ravaged fields and burned hamlets.
乘客透过窗户凝视着被破坏的田地和被烧毁的村庄。 —

Prussian soldiers, in their black helmets with brass spikes, were smoking their pipes astride their chairs in front of the houses which were still left standing.
黑色头盔上装着铜制尖刺的普鲁士士兵们，正坐在幸存的房屋前吸着烟斗。 —

Others were working or talking just as if they were members of the families.
其他人在工作或交谈，就好像他们是家人一样。 —

As you passed through the different towns you saw entire regiments drilling in the squares, and, in spite of the rumble of the carriage-wheels, you could every moment hear the hoarse words of command.
当你穿过不同的城镇时，能看到整个团队在广场上操练，尽管马车轮子嘎嘎作响，你仍然可以时不时听到沙哑的指挥声。

M. Dubuis, who during the entire siege had served as one of the National Guard in Paris, was going to join his wife and daughter, whom he had prudently sent away to Switzerland before the invasion.
M. Dubuis，在整个围困期间作为巴黎国民警卫队的一员，打算加入他聪明地派到瑞士的妻子和女儿。

Famine and hardship had not diminished his big paunch so characteristic of the rich, peace-loving merchant.
饥荒和困苦并没有减少他那丰满的大肚子，这是富有和爱好和平的商人的特征。 —

He had gone through the terrible events of the past year with sorrowful resignation and bitter complaints at the savagery of men.
他以悲伤的顺从和对人类野蛮行径的痛苦抱怨度过了过去一年的可怕事件。 —

Now that he was journeying to the frontier at the close of the war, he saw the Prussians for the first time, although he had done his duty on the ramparts and mounted guard on many a cold night.
现在，在战争结束时，他第一次见到了普鲁士人，尽管他在城墙上尽过责，在许多个寒夜上守卫过。

He stared with mingled fear and anger at those bearded armed men, installed all over French soil as if they were at home, and he felt in his soul a kind of fever of impotent patriotism, at the same time also the great need of that new instinct of prudence which since then has, never left us.
他用混合着恐惧和愤怒的眼神凝视着那些有胡须的武装人员，他们在法国境内随便安置，就好像是在自家一样。他的灵魂里感到了一种无能为力的爱国主义狂热，同时也感到了那种新的谨慎本能的迫切需求，这种本能自那时起，从未离开过我们。 —

In the same railway carriage were two Englishmen, who had come to the country as sightseers and were gazing about them with looks of quiet curiosity.
在同一节火车车厢中坐着两个英国人，他们作为观光者来到这个国家，用着安静好奇的表情四处观望。 —

They were both also stout, and kept chatting in their own language, sometimes referring to their guidebook, and reading aloud the names of the places indicated.
他们两个人都很胖，用自己的语言聊天，有时参考了他们的旅游指南，大声读出标着地名的地方。

Suddenly the train stopped at a little village station, and a Prussian officer jumped up with a great clatter of his sabre on the double footboard of the railway carriage.
突然火车停在了一个小村庄的车站，一个普鲁士军官带着他的佩刀嘎吱作响地跳上了火车车厢的双踏板。 —

He was tall, wore a tight-fitting uniform, and had whiskers up to his eyes.
他身材高大，身穿贴身的制服，连胡子上都长满了胡须。 —

His red hair seemed to be on fire, and his long mustache, of a paler hue, stuck out on both sides of his face, which it seemed to cut in two.
他的红色头发看起来像着了火一样，他较浅色的长胡子从脸部两侧伸出来，仿佛将他的脸分成了两半。

The Englishmen at once began staring at him, with smiles of newly awakened interest, while M. Dubuis made a show of reading a newspaper.
英国人立刻开始注视着他，带着新醒悟的兴趣微笑着，而杜比斯先生则装作在读报纸。 —

He sat concealed in his corner like a thief in presence of a gendarme.
他坐在角落里，像一个小偷在警察面前隐藏着。

The train started again. The Englishmen went on chatting and looking out for the exact scene of different battles;
列车重新启动。英国人们继续聊天，寻找战斗的确切场景； —

and all of a sudden, as one of them stretched out his arm toward the horizon as he pointed out a village, the Prussian officer remarked in French, extending his long legs and lolling backward:
突然间，其中一人伸出手臂指向地平线上的一个村庄，普鲁士军官用法语评论道，同时伸直腿并向后倚靠：

“I killed a dozen Frenchmen in that village and took more than a hundred prisoners.”
“我在那个村庄杀死了十几个法国人，并俘虏了一百多人。”

The Englishmen, quite interested, immediately asked:
英国人们非常感兴趣，立刻问道：

“Ha! and what is the name of this village?”
“啊！那个村庄叫什么名字？”

The Prussian replied:
普鲁士人回答：

“Pharsbourg.” He added:
“法尔斯堡。”他又补充道： —

“We caught those French scoundrels by the ears.”
“我们抓住了那些法国恶棍们。”

And he glanced toward M. Dubuis, laughing conceitedly into his mustache.
他瞥了一眼杜比斯先生，得意地笑着捏了捏胡须。

The train rolled on, still passing through hamlets occupied by the victorious army.
列车仍然行进，经过被胜利军队占领的小村庄。 —

German soldiers could be seen along the roads, on the edges of fields, standing in front of gates or chatting outside cafes.
德国士兵可以看到沿着道路、在田地边缘、站在大门前或在咖啡馆外聊天。 —

They covered the soil like African locusts.
他们像非洲的蝗虫一样遍布在土地上。

The officer said, with a wave of his hand:
军官挥了挥手，说道：

“If I had been in command, I’d have taken Paris, burned everything, killed everybody.
“如果我当时指挥，我会进攻巴黎，烧毁一切，杀光所有人。 —

No more France!”
从此不再有法国！”

The Englishman, through politeness, replied simply:
那位英国人以礼貌回答：“啊，是吗。”

“Ah! yes.”
“再过20年，整个欧洲，全部都会属于我们。普鲁士足以对抗所有对手。”

He went on:
英国人们感到不安，不再回答。他们的脸上毫无表情，长须遮掩着，犹如蜡像一般。

“In twenty years all Europe, all of it, will belong to us.
接着，普鲁士军官开始大笑。并且， —

Prussia is more than a match for all of them.”
他仍然懒散地仰躺着，嘲笑起来。

The Englishmen, getting uneasy, no longer replied.
他嘲笑法国的沦陷， —

Their faces, which had become impassive, seemed made of wax behind their long whiskers.
侮辱倒下的敌人；他嘲笑刚刚被征服的奥地利； —

Then the Prussian officer began to laugh.
他嘲笑那些勇敢但无效的省份防线； —

And still, lolling back, he began to sneer.
他嘲笑国民自卫军和无用的炮兵。 —

He sneered at the downfall of France, insulted the prostrate enemy; he sneered at Austria, which had been recently conquered;
他宣布俾斯麦将会用缴获的大炮建造一座铁城。 —

he sneered at the valiant but fruitless defence of the departments;
突然，他把靴子搁在杜比斯先生的大腿上， —

he sneered at the Garde Mobile and at the useless artillery.
杜比斯先生忍不住红着脸转开了眼睛。 —

He announced that Bismarck was going to build a city of iron with the captured cannon.
他嘲笑法国的沦陷，侮辱倒下的敌人；他嘲笑刚刚被征服的奥地利； —

And suddenly he placed his boots against the thigh of M. Dubuis, who turned away his eyes, reddening to the roots of his hair.
他宣布俾斯麦将会用缴获的大炮建造一座铁城。

The Englishmen seemed to have become indifferent to all that was going on, as if they were suddenly shut up in their own island, far from the din of the world.
英国人似乎对周围发生的一切变得漠不关心，仿佛他们突然被关在自己的小岛上，远离世界的喧嚣。

The officer took out his pipe, and looking fixedly at the Frenchman, said:
军官掏出了他的烟斗，盯着法国人说道：

“You haven’t any tobacco—have you?”
“你没有烟草，对吗？”

M. Dubuis replied:
杜比乌回答说：

“No, monsieur.”
“没有，先生。”

The German resumed:
德国人继续说道：

“You might go and buy some for me when the train stops.”
“列车停下来的时候你可以去买点给我。”

And he began laughing afresh as he added:
说着，他又开始笑了起来，接着说：

“I’ll give you the price of a drink.”
“我会给你一杯酒的钱。”

The train whistled, and slackened its pace.
列车鸣笛声响起，缓慢减速。 —

They passed a station that had been burned down; and then they stopped altogether.
他们经过了一个被烧毁的车站，然后完全停下了。

The German opened the carriage door, and, catching M. Dubuis by the arm, said:
德国人打开车门，抓住杜比乌的胳膊说：

“Go and do what I told you—quick, quick!”
“快去照我说的做，快，快！”

A Prussian detachment occupied the station.
一支普鲁士队伍占领了车站。 —

Other soldiers were standing behind wooden gratings, looking on.
其他士兵站在木栏后面观望着。 —

The engine was getting up steam before starting off again.
车厢正准备发动，蓄势待发。 —

Then M. Dubuis hurriedly jumped on the platform, and, in spite of the warnings of the station master, dashed into the adjoining compartment.
然后杜比匆忙跳上站台，不顾站长的警告，冲进了相邻的车厢。

He was alone! He tore open his waistcoat, his heart was beating so rapidly, and, gasping for breath, he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.
他独自一人！他急忙解开背心，心脏跳动得如此快，气喘吁吁地擦了擦额头上的汗水。

The train drew up at another station.
列车停在另一个车站。 —

And suddenly the officer appeared at the carriage door and jumped in, followed close behind by the two Englishmen, who were impelled by curiosity.
突然，军官出现在车门口，跳了进来，两位英国人则紧随其后，被好奇心驱使着。 —

The German sat facing the Frenchman, and, laughing still, said:
德国人坐在法国人的对面，笑着说道：

“You did not want to do what I asked you?”
“你不想照我说的做吗？”

M. Dubuis replied:
杜比回答说：

“No, monsieur.”
“不，先生。”

The train had just left the station.
列车刚刚离开车站。

The officer said:
军官说道：

“I’ll cut off your mustache to fill my pipe with.”
“我要剪下你的胡须来填满我的烟斗。”

And he put out his hand toward the Frenchman’s face.
他向法国人的脸伸出手。

The Englishmen stared at them, retaining their previous impassive manner.
两位英国人目不转睛地看着他们，依旧保持他们之前冷漠的样子。

The German had already pulled out a few hairs, and was still tugging at the mustache, when M. Dubuis, with a back stroke of his hand, flung aside the officer’s arm, and, seizing him by the collar, threw him down on the seat.
当德国人已经拔掉了几根头发，并且仍然在扯胡子时，迪比伊斯先生用手背一挥，将军官的手臂抛到一边，并抓住他的衣领，把他摔倒在座位上。 —

Then, excited to a pitch of fury, his temples swollen and his eyes glaring, he kept throttling the officer with one hand, while with the other clenched he began to strike him violent blows in the face.
然后，他愤怒到了极点，太阳穴肿胀，眼睛瞪视着，一只手掐住军官的喉咙，另一只握拳开始猛击他的脸。 —

The Prussian struggled, tried to draw his sword, to clinch with his adversary, who was on top of him.
普鲁士人挣扎着，试图拔剑，与压在他上面的对手缠斗。 —

But M. Dubuis crushed him with his enormous weight and kept punching him without taking breath or knowing where his blows fell.
但迪比伊斯先生以他庞大的体重把他压倒并不停地打他，不喘气也不知道他的拳头打在哪里。 —

Blood flowed down the face of the German, who, choking and with a rattling in his throat, spat out his broken teeth and vainly strove to shake off this infuriated man who was killing him.
德国人的脸上鲜血流淌，他咳嗽着，嗓子里有嗓音，他吐出被打断的牙齿，徒劳地试图摆脱这个正在杀他的狂怒之人。

The Englishmen had got on their feet and came closer in order to see better.
英国人们站起身来，走近一点以便看得更清楚。 —

They remained standing, full of mirth and curiosity, ready to bet for, or against, either combatant.
他们站在那里，满怀兴趣和好奇，准备为任何一方参赛者下注，无论是支持还是反对。

Suddenly M. Dubuis, exhausted by his violent efforts, rose and resumed his seat without uttering a word.
突然间，疲惫不堪的迪比斯先生站了起来，默默地重新坐下，一句话也没说。

The Prussian did not attack him, for the savage assault had terrified and astonished the officer as well as causing him suffering.
普鲁士人没有对他发动攻击，因为这次野蛮的袭击不仅吓到了军官，还给他带来了痛苦。 —

When he was able to breathe freely, he said:
当他能够自由呼吸时，他说道：

“Unless you give me satisfaction with pistols I will kill you.”
“除非你用手枪给我一个满意的解释，否则我会杀了你。”

M. Dubuis replied:
迪比斯先生回答道：

“Whenever you like. I’m quite ready.”
“随时都可以，我已经准备好了。”

The German said:
德国人说道：

“Here is the town of Strasbourg.
“这里是斯特拉斯堡城， —

I’ll get two officers to be my seconds, and there will be time before the train leaves the station.”
我会找两个军官当我的见证人，火车开出之前还有时间。”

M. Dubuis, who was puffing as hard as the engine, said to the Englishmen:
迪比斯先生如同蒸汽机一样喘着气，对那两个英国人说道：

“Will you be my seconds?” They both answered together:
“你们愿意当我的见证人吗？”他们齐声回答：

“Oh, yes!”
“当然愿意！”

And the train stopped.
火车停下了。

In a minute the Prussian had found two comrades, who brought pistols, and they made their way toward the ramparts.
不一会儿，普鲁士人找到了两位同伴，他们带来了手枪，然后他们一起向城墙方向走去。

The Englishmen were continually looking at their watches, shuffling their feet and hurrying on with the preparations, uneasy lest they should be too late for the train.
英国人不断看着手表，拖着脚步匆忙准备，生怕错过火车。

M. Dubuis had never fired a pistol in his life.
杜比伊斯先生一生从未开过一枪。

They made him stand twenty paces away from his enemy.
他们让他与敌人隔着二十步站着。问他：“你准备好了吗？ —

He was asked:
”

“Are you ready?”
当他回答，“准备好了，先生”时，他注意到其中一个英国人打开了伞，遮挡着阳光。

While he was answering, “Yes, monsieur, ” he noticed that one of the Englishmen had opened his umbrella in order to keep off the rays of the sun.
一个声音发出信号：“开火！”

A voice gave the signal:
杜比伊斯先生毫不延迟地随机开了一枪，他惊讶地看到对面的普鲁士人摇晃着，举起双臂倒下，死了。他杀死了那位军官。

“Fire!”
其中一个英国人惊呼：“啊！”他满心欢喜、满怀好奇和兴奋无比。

M. Dubuis fired at random without delay, and he was amazed to see the Prussian opposite him stagger, lift up his arms and fall forward, dead.
英国人们不断看着手表，拖着脚步匆忙准备，生怕错过火车。 —

He had killed the officer.

One of the Englishmen exclaimed: “Ah!
—

” He was quivering with delight, with satisfied curiosity and joyous impatience.
杜比伊斯先生一生从未开过一枪。 —

The other, who still kept his watch in his hand, seized M. Dubuis’ arm and hurried him in double-quick time toward the station, his fellow-countryman marking time as he ran beside them, with closed fists, his elbows at his sides, “One, two; one, two!”
另一个人依旧拿着手表，抓住了杜比尔先生的手臂，加快脚步向火车站走去，他的同胞一边跑一边夹杂着跳起双手合拢，手肘贴身，“一、二；一、二！”

And all three, running abreast rapidly, made their way to the station like three grotesque figures in a comic newspaper.
三人并排快速奔跑，像漫画报纸上的三个怪异的形象一样，向火车站走去。

The train was on the point of starting.
火车即将发车， —

They sprang into their carriage.
他们跳上了车厢。 —

Then the Englishmen, taking off their travelling caps, waved them three times over their heads, exclaiming:
然后，英国人摘下旅行帽，在头上挥舞了三次，喊道：

“Hip! hip! hip! hurrah!”
“嘿！嘿！嘿！万岁！”

And gravely, one after the other, they extended their right hands to M. Dubuis and then went back and sat down in their own corner.
他们庄重地一个接一个地向杜比尔先生伸出右手，然后回到自己的角落坐下。

THE COLONEL’S IDEAS
“上校的想法”

“Upon my word,” said Colonel Laporte, “although I am old and gouty, my legs as stiff as two pieces of wood, yet if a pretty woman were to tell me to go through the eye of a needle, I believe I should take a jump at it, like a clown through a hoop.
“诚然，”拉波特上校说，“尽管我年老多病，两条腿僵硬得像木头，但如果一个漂亮的女人让我通过针眼走，我相信我会像小丑通过火圈一样一跃而过。 —

I shall die like that; it is in the blood. I am an old beau, one of the old school, and the sight of a woman, a pretty woman, stirs me to the tips of my toes. There!
我会以那样的方式死去；这是与生俱来的。我是一个老情人，属于古老的流派，对一个女人的视线，尤其是一个漂亮的女人，能让我从头到脚都充满激动。

“We are all very much alike in France in this respect;
在这一点上，我们法国人都非常相似； —

we still remain knights, knights of love and fortune, since God has been abolished whose bodyguard we really were.
我们仍然是骑士，爱情与财富的骑士，因为我们曾是上帝的侍卫。 —

But nobody can ever get woman out of our hearts;
但是没有人能从我们的心中排除女人； —

there she is, and there she will remain, and we love her, and shall continue to love her, and go on committing all kinds of follies on her account as long as there is a France on the map of Europe;
她在那里，将一直留在那里，我们爱她，也将继续爱她，为了她我们将继续犯下各种愚蠢的行为，只要法国还存在在欧洲的地图上； —

and even if France were to be wiped off the map, there would always be Frenchmen left.
即使法国被抹去了，也会有法国人留下来。

“When I am in the presence of a woman, of a pretty woman, I feel capable of anything.
当我面对一个女人时，尤其是一个漂亮的女人，我感到自己能够做任何事情。 —

By Jove!
老天！ —

when I feel her looks penetrating me, her confounded looks which set your blood on fire, I should like to do I don’t know what;
当我感受到她注视着我的目光，那个该死的目光让我的血液燃烧，我想要做出一些我不知道是什么的事情； —

to fight a duel, to have a row, to smash the furniture, in order to show that I am the strongest, the bravest, the most daring and the most devoted of men.
为了显示我是最强大、最勇敢、最大胆和最忠诚的人，我决斗，喧闹，打破家具。

“But I am not the only one, certainly not;
但我并不是唯一一个，当然不是， —

the whole French army is like me, I swear to you.
整个法国军队都像我一样，我向你发誓。 —

From the common soldier to the general, we all start out, from the van to the rear guard, when there is a woman in the case, a pretty woman.
从普通士兵到将军，只要有个漂亮女人牵扯其中，我们都会开始行动，从前锋到后卫。 —

Do you remember what Joan of Arc made us do formerly?
你还记得圣女贞德以前让我们做的事吗？ —

Come. I will make a bet that if a pretty woman had taken command of the army on the eve of Sedan, when Marshal MacMahon was wounded, we should have broken through the Prussian lines, by Jove!
来吧。我敢打赌，如果在塞当的前一天，当马歇尔·麦克迈恩受伤时，一位漂亮女人接管了军队的指挥，我们早就突破普鲁士人的防线了，天啊！ —

and had a drink out of their guns.
并用他们的枪喝酒。

“It was not a Trochu, but a Sainte-Genevieve, who was needed in Paris;
巴黎需要的不是一个特鲁歇，而是一个圣日耳曼耶夫女士； —

and I remember a little anecdote of the war which proves that we are capable of everything in presence of a woman.
我还记得一次战争的小轶事，证明了我们在女人面前能做任何事情。

“I was a captain, a simple captain, at the time, and I was in command of a detachment of scouts, who were retreating through a district which swarmed with Prussians.
“当时我只是一个普通的上尉，指挥着一支侦察队，他们正在一个布满普鲁士人的地区撤退。 —

We were surrounded, pursued, tired out and half dead with fatigue and hunger, but we were bound to reach Bar-sur-Tain before the morrow, otherwise we should be shot, cut down, massacred.
我们被包围、追击，疲惫不堪，又饥饿交迫，但我们必须在明天前赶到巴尔苏塞夫，否则我们将被枪杀、砍杀、屠杀。 —

I do not know how we managed to escape so far. However, we had ten leagues to go during the night, ten leagues through the night, ten leagues through the snow, and with empty stomachs, and I thought to myself:
我不知道我们是怎么逃出来的。然而，我们夜里还要走十里路，十里路在夜里，十里路在雪地中，而且空着肚子。我心里想着：

“’It is all over; my poor devils of fellows will never be able to do it.’
“’完了，我的可怜的家伙们永远做不到了。’

“We had eaten nothing since the day before, and the whole day long we remained hidden in a barn, huddled close together, so as not to feel the cold so much, unable to speak or even move, and sleeping by fits and starts, as one does when worn out with fatigue.
“我们已经一天都没吃东西了，整天我们蜷缩在一个谷仓里，紧紧地挤在一起，以减少寒冷感，无法说话，甚至连动一动都不行，像疲劳过度时那样断断续续地睡着。”

“It was dark by five o’clock, that wan darkness of the snow, and I shook my men. Some of them would not get up;
“天黑得已经五点钟了，那是雪的苍白阴暗，我摇醒了我的手下。他们中有些人不愿起床； —

they were almost incapable of moving or of standing upright;
他们几乎无法移动或直立； —

their joints were stiff from cold and hunger.
他们的关节因寒冷和饥饿而僵硬。

“Before us there was a large expanse of flat, bare country;
“在我们面前是一片广阔的平坦荒原； —

the snow was still falling like a curtain, in large, white flakes, which concealed everything under a thick, frozen coverlet, a coverlet of frozen wool One might have thought that it was the end of the world.
雪仍然像帷幕一样下着，大而白的雪花将一切都掩盖在一层厚厚的冻结毯子下，一整片冻结的羊毛毯。人们不禁会觉得这就是世界末日。

“’Come, my lads, let us start.’
“’走吧，伙计们。’

“They looked at the thick white flakes that were coming down, and they seemed to think:
“他们看着那些纷纷扬扬的白皑皑的雪花，似乎在想： —

‘We have had enough of this;
‘我们这足够受的； —

we may just as well die here!’ Then I took out my revolver and said:
就在这里死了吧！’ 然后我拿出了手枪，说道：

“’I will shoot the first man who flinches.’ And so they set off, but very slowly, like men whose legs were of very little use to them, and I sent four of them three hundred yards ahead to scout, and the others followed pell-mell, walking at random and without any order.
“’谁敢退缩，我将开枪打死他。’ 于是他们出发了，但非常缓慢，像是双腿几乎用不上的人一样，我派出其中四个人去前方三百码的地方侦查，其他人乱哄哄地跟在后面，没有任何秩序地随便行走。” —

I put the strongest in the rear, with orders to quicken the pace of the sluggards with the points of their bayonets in the back.
我把最强壮的人安排在最后，命令他们用刺刀的尖端催促那些懒散的人加快速度。

“The snow seemed as if it were going to bury us alive;
“雪场似乎要把我们活埋在这里； —

it powdered our kepis and cloaks without melting, and made phantoms of us, a kind of spectres of dead, weary soldiers.
它把我们的帽子和斗篷撒上一层薄薄的雪粉，仿佛我们是一群死去、疲惫的士兵的幽灵。 —

I said to myself: ‘We shall never get out of this except by a miracle.’
我心里暗自想：“除非有奇迹，我们永远也出不了这里。”

“Sometimes we had to stop for a few minutes, on account of those who could not follow us, and then we heard nothing except the falling snow, that vague, almost undiscernible sound made by the falling flakes.
“有时因为有些人跟不上我们的脚步，我们不得不停下来几分钟，这时我们除了听见雪花落下的声音，几乎什么都听不见。 —

Some of the men shook themselves, others did not move, and so I gave the order to set off again.
有些人打了个寒战，有些人一动不动，于是我发出了再次出发的命令。 —

They shouldered their rifles, and with weary feet we resumed our march, when suddenly the scouts fell back.
他们扛起枪，疲惫地继续前进，这时侦查兵突然回撤了。 —

Something had alarmed them;
他们感到了什么惊吓， —

they had heard voices in front of them.
他们听见前方有声音。 —

I sent forward six men and a sergeant and waited.
我派遣了六个士兵和一个中士前去，并等待着。

“All at once a shrill cry, a woman’s cry, pierced through the heavy silence of the snow, and in a few minutes they brought back two prisoners, an old man and a girl, whom I questioned in a low voice.
“突然传来一声刺耳的女人的尖叫声，穿透了雪的浓重寂静，几分钟后他们带回了两个囚犯，一个老人和一个女孩，我用低声询问他们。 —

They were escaping from the Prussians, who had occupied their house during the evening and had got drunk.
他们是从被普鲁士人占领的房子逃出来的，晚上他们喝醉了。 —

The father was alarmed on his daughter’s account, and, without even telling their servants, they had made their escape in the darkness.
父亲为女儿担心，甚至没有告诉仆人，他们在黑暗中逃走了。 —

I saw immediately that they belonged to the better class.
我立刻看出他们属于上流社会。 —

I invited them to accompany us, and we started off again, the old man who knew the road acting as our guide.
我邀请他们一起去，我们再次启程，老人作为我们的导游。

“It had ceased snowing, the stars appeared and the cold became intense.
“下雪停了，星星出现了，寒冷变得非常强烈。 —

The girl, who was leaning on her father’s arm, walked unsteadily as though in pain, and several times she murmured:
那个女孩倚在父亲的胳膊上，步履不稳，像是在受伤一样，她几次低语道：

“’I have no feeling at all in my feet’;
‘我的脚一点感觉都没有’； —

and I suffered more than she did to see that poor little woman dragging herself like that through the snow.
我比她更加难受，看到那个可怜的小女人在雪地里这样艰难地拖着自己。 —

But suddenly she stopped and said:
但突然她停下来说：

“’Father, I am so tired that I cannot go any further.’
“‘父亲，我太累了，无法再走下去了。’

“The old man wanted to carry her, but he could not even lift her up, and she sank to the ground with a deep sigh.
“老人想要搀扶她，但他竟然连抬起她的力气都没有，她倒在地上，发出了一声深深的叹息。 —

We all gathered round her, and, as for me, I stamped my foot in perplexity, not knowing what to do, and being unwilling to abandon that man and girl like that, when suddenly one of the soldiers, a Parisian whom they had nicknamed Pratique, said:
我们都聚集在她周围，而对于我来说，我困惑地踢了一下脚，不知道该怎么办，也不愿意就这样放弃那个男人和女孩，突然，一位士兵，他们给他起了个绰号叫Pratique的巴黎人，说道：

“’Come, comrades, we must carry the young lady, otherwise we shall not show ourselves Frenchmen, confound it!’
“‘来吧，伙计们，我们必须搀扶这位年轻女士，否则我们就不配称为法国人，该死！’

“I really believe that I swore with pleasure.
“我真的相信我高兴地咒骂了。 —

‘That is very good of you, my children,’ I said;
‘你们非常好，孩子们，’我说； —

‘and I will take my share of the burden.’
‘我会分担一部分负担。’

“We could indistinctly see, through the darkness, the trees of a little wood on the left.
“夜色中，我们模糊地看到左面的一片小树林。 —

Several of the men went into it, and soon came back with a bundle of branches made into a litter.
有几个人进去，很快就拿着一捆用树枝制成的担架回来了。

“’Who will lend his cape? It is for a pretty girl, comrades,’ Pratique said, and ten cloaks were thrown to him.
“‘谁能借一下他的披风？这是为了一个漂亮的姑娘，伙计们，’Pratique说，于是十件披风扔给了他。 —

In a moment the girl was lying, warm and comfortable, among them, and was raised upon six shoulders.
当时，女孩躺在他们中间，温暖而舒适，在六个肩膀上被抬起来。 —

I placed myself at their head, on the right, well pleased with my position.
我站在他们的前面，靠右边，对我的位置非常满意。

“We started off much more briskly, as if we had had a drink of wine, and I even heard some jokes.
“我们开始得更快，仿佛喝了一杯酒，我甚至听到了一些笑话。 —

A woman is quite enough to electrify Frenchmen, you see.
一位女人就足以激励法国人，你看。 —

The soldiers, who had become cheerful and warm, had almost reformed their ranks, and an old ‘franc-tireur’ who was following the litter, waiting for his turn to replace the first of his comrades who might give out, said to one of his neighbors, loud enough for me to hear:
士兵们变得有些开心和温暖，他们几乎重新排成队伍，一位跟随担架的老’自由射手’（注：意指参加游击战的非正规军人）等待他的回合来替换可能会累坏的前辈，他大声对邻居说道，让我听得一清二楚： —

“’I am not a young man now, but by—-, there is nothing like the women to put courage into you!’
“‘我不再是年轻人，但是见鬼，没有什么比女人能给你勇气的了！’

“We went on, almost without stopping, until three o’clock in the morning, when suddenly our scouts fell back once more, and soon the whole detachment showed nothing but a vague shadow on the ground, as the men lay on the snow.
“我们继续前进，几乎没有停下，直到凌晨三点，突然，我们的侦察队再次后退，很快整个队伍只剩下一个模糊的影子，因为他们躺在雪地上。 —

I gave my orders in a low voice, and heard the harsh, metallic sound of the cocking, of rifles.
我低声发出指令，听到步枪上发出尖锐的金属声音。 —

For there, in the middle of the plain, some strange object was moving about.
因为在平原的中央，有一个奇怪的物体在移动。 —

It looked like some enormous animal running about, now stretching out like a serpent, now coiling itself into a ball, darting to the right, then to the left, then stopping, and presently starting off again.
它看起来像一只巨大的动物在四处奔跑，有时像一条蛇般伸展，有时盘成一团，一会朝右边迅速闪动，然后转向左边，再停下来，随即又重新开始。 —

But presently that wandering shape came nearer, and I saw a dozen lancers at full gallop, one behind the other.
但随后那个游荡的形状靠近了，我看到一队骑兵，紧跟在彼此身后全速奔驰着。 —

They had lost their way and were trying to find it.
他们迷失了方向，正在试图寻找。

“They were so near by that time that I could hear the loud breathing of their horses, the clinking of their swords and the creaking of their saddles, and cried: ‘Fire!’
“他们靠近了，我能听到他们马匹的喘息声，剑的拍击声以及马鞍的吱吱声，于是大喊道：‘开火！’

“Fifty rifle shots broke the stillness of the night, then there were four or five reports, and at last one single shot was heard, and when the smoke had cleared away, we saw that the twelve men and nine horses had fallen.
“五十声步枪射击声打破了夜晚的寂静，接着还有四到五声枪声，最后传来一声单发枪响，当烟雾散去后，我们看到那十二名士兵和九匹马全部倒下了。 —

Three of the animals were galloping away at a furious pace, and one of them was dragging the dead body of its rider, which rebounded violently from the ground;
三只动物正在疾驰而去，其中一只拖着死去的骑手的尸体，猛烈地反弹起来； —

his foot had caught in the stirrup.
他的脚被卡在了马镫里。

“One of the soldiers behind me gave a terrible laugh and said:
“我身后的一个士兵发出可怕的笑声，说道： —

‘There will be some widows there!’
‘那里将有些寡妇！’”

“Perhaps he was married.
“也许他结了婚。 —

A third added: ‘It did not take long!’
”另一人补充道：“没花多少时间！”

“A head emerged from the litter.
一个头从肩舆中露出来。

“’What is the matter?’ she asked; ‘are you fighting?’
“‘怎么了吗?’她问道；‘你们在打架吗?‘”

“’It is nothing, mademoiselle,’ I replied;
“‘没事，小姐，’我回答道； —

‘we have got rid of a dozen Prussians!’
‘我们摆脱了十二个普鲁士人！’”

“’Poor fellows!’ she said. But as she was cold, she quickly disappeared beneath the cloaks again, and we started off once more.
“‘可怜的家伙们！’她说。但由于她感到寒冷，她迅速再次消失在披风之下，我们再次出发。 —

We marched on for a long time, and at last the sky began to grow lighter.
我们长时间地行军，最后天空开始变亮。 —

The snow became quite clear, luminous and glistening, and a rosy tint appeared in the east.
雪变得清澈、有光泽，东方出现了一抹玫瑰色。 —

Suddenly a voice in the distance cried:
突然，远处传来一声喊叫：

“’Who goes there?’
“‘是谁？’”

“The whole detachment halted, and I advanced to give the countersign.
“整个队伍停下来了，我走上前去回答口令。” —

We had reached the French lines, and, as my men defiled before the outpost, a commandant on horseback, whom I had informed of what had taken place, asked in a sonorous voice, as he saw the litter pass him:
我们已经到达了法国阵线，当我的士兵们侮辱前哨站时，一位骑在马上的指挥官向我询问：“你们那边有什么东西？”他听到我的病床经过时， —

‘What have you in there?’
他的声音洪亮。

“And immediately a small head covered with light hair appeared, dishevelled and smiling, and replied:
“立刻，一颗覆盖着金色头发、凌乱但笑容可掬的小脑袋出现了，回答道：“是我，先生。”

“’It is I, monsieur.’
“这时，士兵们发出了热烈的笑声，我们感到心情轻松，而跟在病床旁边走的普拉蒂克挥舞着他的头盔喊道：“为法国而活！”我真的感动了。我不知道为什么，只是觉得这是一种漂亮而勇敢的说法。

“At this the men raised a hearty laugh, and we felt quite light-hearted, while Pratique, who was walking by the side of the litter, waved his kepi and shouted:
“我觉得好像我们刚刚拯救了整个法国，做了其他人无法做到的事情，一件简单而真正爱国的事情。

“’Vive la France!’ And I felt really affected.
“我犹豫了片刻， —

I do not know why, except that I thought it a pretty and gallant thing to say.
然后回答道：“是的，加里波第。”

“It seemed to me as if we had just saved the whole of France and had done something that other men could not have done, something simple and really patriotic.
当我回答时，我感到一种自豪和满足的滋味，就好像我对国家做出了巨大的贡献，这让我感到无比的荣耀。 —

I shall never forget that little face, you may be sure;
我绝对不会忘记那张可爱的脸庞， —

and if I had to give my opinion about abolishing drums, trumpets and bugles, I should propose to replace them in every regiment by a pretty girl, and that would be even better than playing the ‘Marseillaise:
你可以放心；如果我被要求对废除鼓、小号和喇叭发表意见，我会建议在每个团队中用一位漂亮的女孩来取而代之，这比演奏《马赛曲》还要好。 —

By Jove! it would put some spirit into a trooper to have a Madonna like that, a live Madonna, by the colonel’s side.”
天哪！如果有一位像那样的麦当娜，一位活生生的麦当娜，就在团长身边，那可会给士兵们增添些许精神。

He was silent for a few moments and then continued, with an air of conviction, and nodding his head:
他静默了几分钟，然后带着确信的样子继续说道，点点头：

“All the same, we are very fond of women, we Frenchmen!”
“尽管如此，我们法国人对女人非常钟爱！”