Besieged Paris was in the throes of famine.
被围困的巴黎正饱受饥荒之苦。 —

Even the sparrows on the roofs and the rats in the sewers were growing scarce.
甚至屋顶上的麻雀和下水道里的老鼠都越来越少了。 —

People were eating anything they could get.
人们吃任何能得到的东西。

As Monsieur Morissot, watchmaker by profession and idler for the nonce, was strolling along the boulevard one bright January morning, his hands in his trousers pockets and stomach empty, he suddenly came face to face with an acquaintance—Monsieur Sauvage, a fishing chum.
一月的一个明亮的早晨，莫里索先生，一位以制表师为业暂时闲散的人，双手插在裤袋里，肚子空空地在林荫道上漫步，突然遇到了一个熟人——索维奇先生，一个一起钓鱼的朋友。

Before the war broke out Morissot had been in the habit, every Sunday morning, of setting forth with a bamboo rod in his hand and a tin box on his back.
战争爆发之前，莫里索每个星期日早上都习惯拿着一根竹竿和一个铁盒子出发。 —

He took the Argenteuil train, got out at Colombes, and walked thence to the Ile Marante.
他乘坐阿尔让特伊火车，在科隆布下车，然后步行到马兰特岛。 —

The moment he arrived at this place of his dreams he began fishing, and fished till nightfall.
他一到达这个他梦想的地方就开始钓鱼，并一直钓到天黑。

Every Sunday he met in this very spot Monsieur Sauvage, a stout, jolly, little man, a draper in the Rue Notre Dame de Lorette, and also an ardent fisherman.
每个星期日他都会在这个地方遇到索维奇先生，一个矮胖，开朗的小个子，也是一位热衷于钓鱼的纺织品商人。 —

They often spent half the day side by side, rod in hand and feet dangling over the water, and a warm friendship had sprung up between the two.
他们经常一起度过半天的时间，手握鱼竿，脚悬在水上，他们之间建立起了一种温暖的友谊。

Some days they did not speak; at other times they chatted;
有些日子他们不说话，有时他们聊天， —

but they understood each other perfectly without the aid of words, having similar tastes and feelings.
但他们彼此完全理解，不需要言语的帮助，因为他们有相似的品味和感受。

In the spring, about ten o’clock in the morning, when the early sun caused a light mist to float on the water and gently warmed the backs of the two enthusiastic anglers, Morissot would occasionally remark to his neighbor:
在春天的早上大约十点钟，当清晨的阳光使得水面上飘着轻纱般的雾气，温暖地照在两位热忱的钓鱼者的后背，莫里索有时会对他的邻居说:

“My, but it’s pleasant here.”
“哇，这里真是太美妙了。”

To which the other would reply:
邻居会回答：

“I can’t imagine anything better!”
“我无法想象有什么比这更好的了！”

And these few words sufficed to make them understand and appreciate each other.
这几句话足以让他们理解和欣赏彼此。

In the autumn, toward the close of day, when the setting sun shed a blood-red glow over the western sky, and the reflection of the crimson clouds tinged the whole river with red, brought a glow to the faces of the two friends, and gilded the trees, whose leaves were already turning at the first chill touch of winter, Monsieur Sauvage would sometimes smile at Morissot, and say:
秋天的傍晚，夕阳洒下一抹血红色的光辉照亮了西方的天空, 红云的倒影将整个河流染成了红色，这给两个朋友的脸上带来了一丝红晕，也给变红的树叶镀上一层金色。萧瓦热先生有时会望着莫里索笑道：

“What a glorious spectacle!”
“多么壮丽的场景啊！”

And Morissot would answer, without taking his eyes from his float:
莫里索不离开挂钩视线地回答道：

“This is much better than the boulevard, isn’t it?”
“这比大道好多了，是吧？”

As soon as they recognized each other they shook hands cordially, affected at the thought of meeting under such changed circumstances.
一眼认出对方后，他们亲切地握手，对于在这样变化的环境下见面感到感动。

Monsieur Sauvage, with a sigh, murmured:
谢瓦热先生叹了口气，低声说：

“These are sad times!”
“这是个悲伤的时刻！”

Morissot shook his head mournfully.
莫里索悲伤地摇了摇头。

“And such weather! This is the first fine day of the year.”
“而且天气也好！这是今年的第一个好天气。”

The sky was, in fact, of a bright, cloudless blue.
事实上，天空湛蓝无云。

They walked along, side by side, reflective and sad.
他们并肩走着，心思沉重而忧伤。

“And to think of the fishing!” said Morissot.
“想想以前我们的钓鱼时光！” 莫里索特说道。 —

“What good times we used to have!”
“多么美好的时光！”

“When shall we be able to fish again?
“我们什么时候能再次钓鱼？ —

” asked Monsieur Sauvage.
” 索维奇先生问道。

They entered a small cafe and took an absinthe together, then resumed their walk along the pavement.
他们进了一家小咖啡馆，一起喝了一杯苦艾酒，然后继续沿着人行道散步。

Morissot stopped suddenly.
莫里索特突然停住了。

“Shall we have another absinthe?” he said.
“我们要再喝一杯吗？” 他说道。

“If you like,” agreed Monsieur Sauvage.
“如果你愿意的话，”索维奇先生同意道。

And they entered another wine shop.
于是他们走进了另一家酒店。

They were quite unsteady when they came out, owing to the effect of the alcohol on their empty stomachs.
在他们出来时，由于酒精对他们空腹的影响，他们摇摇晃晃的。 —

It was a fine, mild day, and a gentle breeze fanned their faces.
天气晴朗温和，一阵微风拂过他们的脸庞。

The fresh air completed the effect of the alcohol on Monsieur Sauvage.
新鲜的空气完全起效果了，使索维奇先生受到酒精的影响。 —

He stopped suddenly, saying:
他突然停下来说：

“Suppose we go there?”
“我们去哪儿呢？”

“Where?”
“去哪儿？”

“Fishing.”
“去钓鱼。”

“But where?”
“可是去哪儿呢？”

“Why, to the old place.
“咱们去那个地方。 —

The French outposts are close to Colombes.
法军前哨就在科洛姆。 —

I know Colonel Dumoulin, and we shall easily get leave to pass.”
我认识杜穆兰上校，我们很容易获得通行证。”

Morissot trembled with desire.
Morissot颤抖着渴望。

“Very well. I agree.”
“很好，我同意。”

And they separated, to fetch their rods and lines.
他们分开了，去取他们的鱼竿和钓线。

An hour later they were walking side by side on the-highroad. Presently they reached the villa occupied by the colonel.
一个小时后，他们并肩走在大路上。不久他们到达了某团长所住的别墅。 —

He smiled at their request, and granted it.
他们请求得到了他的微笑和允许。 —

They resumed their walk, furnished with a password.
他们继续前行，拿着一个口令。

Soon they left the outposts behind them, made their way through deserted Colombes, and found themselves on the outskirts of the small vineyards which border the Seine. It was about eleven o’clock.
不久，他们离开了前哨，穿过了空荡荡的科隆布，来到了与塞纳河相邻的小葡萄园的边缘。此时大约是十一点钟。

Before them lay the village of Argenteuil, apparently lifeless. The heights of Orgement and Sannois dominated the landscape.
他们面前是一个看起来死寂的阿让特伊村。奥尔赛芒和桑瓦瓦山居高临下，俯瞰整个景色。 —

The great plain, extending as far as Nanterre, was empty, quite empty-a waste of dun-colored soil and bare cherry trees.
延伸到南特尔的大片平原是空荡荡的，一片土黄色的土地上只有光秃秃的樱桃树。

Monsieur Sauvage, pointing to the heights, murmured:
Sauvage先生指着山岗，轻声说道:

“The Prussians are up yonder!”
“普鲁士人就上面!”

And the sight of the deserted country filled the two friends with vague misgivings.
荒无人烟的乡间景象使两位朋友心生莫名的忧虑。

The Prussians! They had never seen them as yet, but they had felt their presence in the neighborhood of Paris for months past—ruining France, pillaging, massacring, starving them.
普鲁士人！他们还从未见过他们，但是几个月来，他们感受到了他们在巴黎附近的存在 - 毁灭法国，掠夺，屠杀，使他们挨饿。 —

And a kind of superstitious terror mingled with the hatred they already felt toward this unknown, victorious nation.
一种迷信的恐惧与他们对这个未知的胜利国家已经产生的仇恨交织在一起。

“Suppose we were to meet any of them?” said Morissot.
“假设我们遇到了他们怎么办？”莫里索问道。

“We’d offer them some fish,” replied Monsieur Sauvage, with that Parisian light-heartedness which nothing can wholly quench.
“我们会给他们一些鱼，”索伐热先生回答道，带着那种不能完全压抑的巴黎轻松自如的态度。

Still, they hesitated to show themselves in the open country, overawed by the utter silence which reigned around them.
尽管如此，他们迟疑着不敢在开阔地区露面，因为周围的寂静使他们胆寒。

At last Monsieur Sauvage said boldly:
最后，索伐热先生大胆地说道：

“Come, we’ll make a start; only let us be careful!”
“走吧，我们开始吧，只要小心！”

And they made their way through one of the vineyards, bent double, creeping along beneath the cover afforded by the vines, with eye and ear alert.
他们穿过一片葡萄园，身体低垂，蜷缩在葡萄藤的掩护下，眼睛和耳朵敏锐地观察着。

A strip of bare ground remained to be crossed before they could gain the river bank.
还有一小块光秃秃的地方需要穿过，他们才能到达河岸。 —

They ran across this, and, as soon as they were at the water’s edge, concealed themselves among the dry reeds.
他们跑过这里，一到水边，就藏在干草丛中。

Morissot placed his ear to the ground, to ascertain, if possible, whether footsteps were coming their way.
莫里索把耳朵贴在地上，想弄清楚是否有脚步声朝他们这边走来。 —

He heard nothing. They seemed to be utterly alone.
他什么也没听到。他们似乎彻底孤独了。

Their confidence was restored, and they began to fish.
他们重拾信心，开始钓鱼。

Before them the deserted Ile Marante hid them from the farther shore.
面前的荒芜的玛兰特岛把他们从对岸遮住了。 —

The little restaurant was closed, and looked as if it had been deserted for years.
那家小餐厅关门了，看起来像是多年没人来过。

Monsieur Sauvage caught the first gudgeon, Monsieur Morissot the second, and almost every moment one or other raised his line with a little, glittering, silvery fish wriggling at the end;
索维奇先抓到了第一条鲫鱼，莫里索抓到了第二条，几乎每时每刻都有一人拉起钓线，线末尾都有一条闪闪发光的银鱼扭动着。 —

they were having excellent sport.
他们玩得很尽兴。

They slipped their catch gently into a close-meshed bag lying at their feet;
他们轻轻地把抓到的鱼放进脚边放着的一个细网袋子里。 —

they were filled with joy—the joy of once more indulging in a pastime of which they had long been deprived.
他们充满了喜悦——这种长时间被剥夺的娱乐又可以享受了。

The sun poured its rays on their backs;
太阳的光芒照在他们的背上； —

they no longer heard anything or thought of anything.
他们不再听到任何声音或想任何事情。 —

They ignored the rest of the world;
他们忽视了世界的其余部分； —

they were fishing.
他们正在钓鱼。

But suddenly a rumbling sound, which seemed to come from the bowels of the earth, shook the ground beneath them:
但突然间，一阵似乎从地心发出的隆隆声震动了他们脚下的大地： —

the cannon were resuming their thunder.
大炮又开始轰鸣起来了。

Morissot turned his head and could see toward the left, beyond the banks of the river, the formidable outline of Mont-Valerien, from whose summit arose a white puff of smoke.
Morissot转过头，在河岸的左侧可以看到可怕的Mont-Valerien的轮廓，山巅上升起一缕白色的烟雾。

The next instant a second puff followed the first, and in a few moments a fresh detonation made the earth tremble.
下一刻，第二缕烟雾随着第一缕烟雾而来，几分钟后，一声新的爆炸震动了大地。

Others followed, and minute by minute the mountain gave forth its deadly breath and a white puff of smoke, which rose slowly into the peaceful heaven and floated above the summit of the cliff.
接下来又是其他爆炸声，山每一分钟都在释放其致命的气息，一缕白色烟雾缓缓升起，漂浮在宁静的天空中，飘过悬崖的山顶上方。

Monsieur Sauvage shrugged his shoulders.
Sauvage先生耸了耸肩膀。

“They are at it again!” he said.
“他们又开始了！”他说道。

Morissot, who was anxiously watching his float bobbing up and down, was suddenly seized with the angry impatience of a peaceful man toward the madmen who were firing thus, and remarked indignantly:
正在焦急地看着他的漂浮上下颠簸的莫里索突然被和平的人对这些疯子的愤怒所抓住，愤然地说道：

“What fools they are to kill one another like that!”
“他们真是愚蠢，竟然互相残杀！”

“They’re worse than animals,” replied Monsieur Sauvage.
“他们比兽类还要糟糕，”索维亚先生回答道。

And Morissot, who had just caught a bleak, declared:
莫里索刚刚捕捉到一条鳊鱼，嘴里哼哼道：

“And to think that it will be just the same so long as there are governments!”
“想到只要还有政府就会一直这样，真是叫人沮丧！”

“The Republic would not have declared war, ” interposed Monsieur Sauvage.
“共和国不会宣战，”索维亚先生插话说。

Morissot interrupted him:
莫里索打断了他：

“Under a king we have foreign wars;
“国王时期有外国战争， —

under a republic we have civil war.”
共和国时期有内战。”

And the two began placidly discussing political problems with the sound common sense of peaceful, matter-of-fact citizens—agreeing on one point:
两人平静地讨论着政治问题，以和平、朴实的公民常识达成共识——在一个问题上他们一致认同： —

that they would never be free.
他们永远不会自由。 —

And Mont-Valerien thundered ceaselessly, demolishing the houses of the French with its cannon balls, grinding lives of men to powder, destroying many a dream, many a cherished hope, many a prospective happiness;
蒙特瓦列里昂雷声不断地轰鸣，用炮弹摧毁法国人的房屋，将人们的生活压成粉末，摧毁了许多梦想、珍爱的希望和潜在的幸福； —

ruthlessly causing endless woe and suffering in the hearts of wives, of daughters, of mothers, in other lands.
在他国无情地给妻子、女儿、母亲们带来无尽的痛苦和苦恼。

“Such is life!” declared Monsieur Sauvage.
“就是这样的人生！”索维奇先生声明道。

“Say, rather, such is death!
“不如说，就是这样的死亡！ —

” replied Morissot, laughing.
”莫里索特嘲笑道。

But they suddenly trembled with alarm at the sound of footsteps behind them, and, turning round, they perceived close at hand four tall, bearded men, dressed after the manner of livery servants and wearing flat caps on their heads.
但他们突然因为身后的脚步声而惊恐地颤抖起来，转过身来，他们在近处看到四个高大的、留着络腮胡子的人，穿着仆人的服装，头上戴着平顶帽。 —

They were covering the two anglers with their rifles.
他们用步枪瞄准两个垂钓者。

The rods slipped from their owners’ grasp and floated away down the river.
手竿从主人的手中滑落，漂流到河流中。

In the space of a few seconds they were seized, bound, thrown into a boat, and taken across to the Ile Marante.
在几秒钟内，他们被抓住、捆绑，扔进一艘小船里，带到了马兰特岛。

And behind the house they had thought deserted were about a score of German soldiers.
在房子后面，他们原以为已经荒无人悉，却有着大约二十名德国士兵。

A shaggy-looking giant, who was bestriding a chair and smoking a long clay pipe, addressed them in excellent French with the words:
一个蓬头垢面的巨人，双腿张开跨在一把椅子上，吸着一根长长的陶烟斗，用流利的法语对他们说道：

“Well, gentlemen, have you had good luck with your fishing?”
“嗨，先生们，你们的钓鱼运气不错吧？”

Then a soldier deposited at the officer’s feet the bag full of fish, which he had taken care to bring away.
然后一名士兵将一袋装满鱼的袋子放在军官的脚边， —

The Prussian smiled.
他微笑着。

“Not bad, I see. But we have something else to talk about.
“看起来不错。但我们有其他事情要谈谈。 —

Listen to me, and don’t be alarmed:
听我说，不要惊慌：

“You must know that, in my eyes, you are two spies sent to reconnoitre me and my movements.
“你们应该知道，在我眼里，你们是两个被派来侦察我和我的行动的间谍。理所当然地， —

Naturally, I capture you and I shoot you.
我要俘虏你们并枪毙你们。 —

You pretended to be fishing, the better to disguise your real errand.
你们假装在钓鱼，目的是更好地掩饰你们真正的任务。 —

You have fallen into my hands, and must take the consequences.
你们已经落入我的手中，必须承担后果。 —

Such is war.
这就是战争。

“But as you came here through the outposts you must have a password for your return.
“但是，既然你们是从哨所过来的，必然会有回去的口令。 —

Tell me that password and I will let you go.”
告诉我那个口令，我就放你们走。”

The two friends, pale as death, stood silently side by side, a slight fluttering of the hands alone betraying their emotion.
两位朋友面色苍白，默默站在一起，只有微微颤抖的双手透露出他们的情感。

“No one will ever know,” continued the officer.
“没有人会知道的，”军官继续说道。 —

“You will return peacefully to your homes, and the secret will disappear with you.
“你们将平安返回家中，秘密将与你们一同消失。” —

If you refuse, it means death-instant death. Choose!”
如果你们拒绝，意味着死亡-即刻的死亡。选择吧！

They stood motionless, and did not open their lips.
他们站着一动不动，嘴唇紧闭。

The Prussian, perfectly calm, went on, with hand outstretched toward the river:
这位普鲁士人完全镇定，伸手指向河流：

“Just think that in five minutes you will be at the bottom of that water.
“想想看，五分钟后你们将沉入那水底。 —

In five minutes! You have relations, I presume?”
五分钟！你们有亲人，我想？”

Mont-Valerien still thundered.
蒙瓦勒里昂依然隆隆地响着。

The two fishermen remained silent.
这两位渔夫保持沉默。 —

The German turned and gave an order in his own language.
那位德国人转身，用自己的语言下令。 —

Then he moved his chair a little way off, that he might not be so near the prisoners, and a dozen men stepped forward, rifle in hand, and took up a position, twenty paces off.
然后他将椅子稍稍移开，以免离囚犯们太近，十几个人手持步枪上前，站在二十步开外。

“I give you one minute, ” said the officer; “not a second longer.”
“给你们一分钟，”军官说道。“不多一秒钟。”

Then he rose quickly, went over to the two Frenchmen, took Morissot by the arm, led him a short distance off, and said in a low voice:
他迅速站起身，走到两个法国人身边，拉着莫里索特的胳膊，领他走了一小段距离，低声说道：

“Quick! the password! Your friend will know nothing.
“快！密码！你的朋友一无所知。 —

I will pretend to relent.”
我会假装让步。”

Morissot answered not a word.
莫里索特没有回答。

Then the Prussian took Monsieur Sauvage aside in like manner, and made him the same proposal.
然后普鲁士人也同样地把索维奇先生带到一边，向他提出同样的提议。

Monsieur Sauvage made no reply.
索维奇先生没有回答。

Again they stood side by side.
他们重新站在一起。

The officer issued his orders;
军官下达命令， —

the soldiers raised their rifles.
士兵们举起步枪。

Then by chance Morissot’s eyes fell on the bag full of gudgeon lying in the grass a few feet from him.
这时，莫里索特的眼睛无意中落在离他几英尺远的草地上装满鲫鱼的袋子上。

A ray of sunlight made the still quivering fish glisten like silver.
阳光的照射使那些仍然颤抖着的鱼闪闪发光，如同银子一般。 —

And Morissot’s heart sank.
莫里索特的心沉了下去。 —

Despite his efforts at self-control his eyes filled with tears.
尽管他努力控制自己，但眼睛还是被泪水充满。

“Good-by, Monsieur Sauvage,” he faltered.
“再见，索维奇先生。”他结结巴巴地说。

“Good-by, Monsieur Morissot,” replied Sauvage.
“再见，莫里索特先生。”索维奇回答道。

They shook hands, trembling from head to foot with a dread beyond their mastery.
他们颤抖着握手，无法控制地感到一阵恐惧。

The officer cried:
军官喊道：

“Fire!”
“开火！”

The twelve shots were as one.
十二枪声如同一声。

Monsieur Sauvage fell forward instantaneously. Morissot, being the taller, swayed slightly and fell across his friend with face turned skyward and blood oozing from a rent in the breast of his coat.
索维奇先生瞬间向前倒下。莫里索是个较高的人，微微摇晃后，仰天倒在他的朋友身上，血从他外套胸前的裂口渗出。

The German issued fresh orders.
德国人下达了新的命令。

His men dispersed, and presently returned with ropes and large stones, which they attached to the feet of the two friends;
他的士兵们散开后，很快带回了绳索和大石头，将它们绑在两位朋友的脚上； —

then they carried them to the river bank.
然后他们将他们抬到河岸边。

Mont-Valerien, its summit now enshrouded in smoke, still continued to thunder.
蒙瓦勒里安山顶上现在笼罩在烟雾中，仍在继续轰鸣。

Two soldiers took Morissot by the head and the feet;
两名士兵用手托住莫里索的头和脚，另外两个士兵也是同样操作， —

two others did the same with Sauvage.
用手托住索维奇。 —

The bodies, swung lustily by strong hands, were cast to a distance, and, describing a curve, fell feet foremost into the stream.
被强壮的手紧紧摇摆着的尸体被抛向远处，然后在空中画出一条弧线，脚首先掉进了河流中。

The water splashed high, foamed, eddied, then grew calm; tiny waves lapped the shore.
水溅起高高的水花，翻腾着，然后平静下来；微小的波浪拍打着岸边。

A few streaks of blood flecked the surface of the river.
几条血迹点缀在河面上。

The officer, calm throughout, remarked, with grim humor:
冷静沉着的军官带着冷酷的幽默说道：

“It’s the fishes’ turn now!”
“鱼儿们的机会来了！”

Then he retraced his way to the house.
然后他返回房屋的那条路。

Suddenly he caught sight of the net full of gudgeons, lying forgotten in the grass. He picked it up, examined it, smiled, and called:
突然间，他注意到被遗忘在草地上的装满枪鱼的网。他捡起它，检查了一下，微笑着叫道：

“Wilhelm!”
“威尔海姆！”

A white-aproned soldier responded to the summons, and the Prussian, tossing him the catch of the two murdered men, said:
一个白衣士兵应声而来，而那个普鲁士士兵把那两个被杀的人的收获扔给他，说道：

“Have these fish fried for me at once, while they are still alive;
“将这些活着的鱼立刻炸熟给我， —

they’ll make a tasty dish.”
它们会是一道美味的菜肴。”

Then he resumed his pipe.
然后他又点燃了烟斗。

THE LANCER’S WIFE
“兰瑟军人的妻子”

It was after Bourbaki’s defeat in the east of France.
这是在布尔巴基在法国东部战败之后。 —

The army, broken up, decimated, and worn out, had been obliged to retreat into Switzerland after that terrible campaign, and it was only its short duration that saved a hundred and fifty thousand men from certain death.
军队溃不成军、损兵折将，不得不在可怕的战役之后撤退到瑞士，只有时间短促才使得十五万人逃过一劫。 —

Hunger, the terrible cold, forced marches in the snow without boots, over bad mountain roads, had caused us ‘francs-tireurs’, especially, the greatest suffering, for we were without tents, and almost without food, always in the van when we were marching toward Belfort, and in the rear when returning by the Jura. Of our little band that had numbered twelve hundred men on the first of January, there remained only twenty-two pale, thin, ragged wretches, when we at length succeeded in reaching Swiss territory.
饥饿、严寒、在没有靴子的情况下在雪地中进行强行军，沿着糟糕的山路前进，对我们游击队来说造成了极大的苦难，因为我们没有帐篷，几乎没有食物，当我们向贝尔福行军时总是身处最前线，而返回朱拉山时则处于最后。在一月一日时我们的小队还有一千二百个人，但当我们最终成功抵达瑞士领土时，只剩下了二十二个苍白、憔悴、破烂不堪的可怜家伙。

There we were safe, and could rest.
在那里我们得到了安全，可以休息。 —

Everybody knows what sympathy was shown to the unfortunate French army, and how well it was cared for.
大家都知道对于不幸的法军展现了怎样的同情，以及他们得到了多好的照料。 —

We all gained fresh life, and those who had been rich and happy before the war declared that they had never experienced a greater feeling of comfort than they did then.
我们都获得了新生，那些在战前富有和幸福的人们都表示，从未有过比这更舒适的感觉。 —

Just think. We actually had something to eat every day, and could sleep every night.
想想看，我们每天实际上都有东西吃，每天晚上都能睡觉。

Meanwhile, the war continued in the east of France, which had been excluded from the armistice.
与此同时，法国东部仍在进行战争，被排除在停战协议之外。 —

Besancon still kept the enemy in check, and the latter had their revenge by ravaging Franche Comte. Sometimes we heard that they had approached quite close to the frontier, and we saw Swiss troops, who were to form a line of observation between us and them, set out on their march.
贝桑松仍然抵挡住了敌人，而后者通过掠夺克拉克尼省来报复。有时，我们听说他们已经接近边境，我们看到瑞士军队开始行军，他们将在我们和敌人之间形成一道观察线。

That pained us in the end, and, as we regained health and strength, the longing to fight took possession of us.
那最终让我们痛苦不堪，随着我们康复和恢复力量，战斗的渴望占据了我们的心灵。 —

It was disgraceful and irritating to know that within two or three leagues of us the Germans were victorious and insolent, to feel that we were protected by our captivity, and to feel that on that account we were powerless against them.
了解到我们只有两三个里程之内就有德国人获得胜利和傲慢，感到无能为力，感到我们的囚禁保护着我们对抗他们，这是可耻和令人恼火的。

One day our captain took five or six of us aside, and spoke to us about it, long and furiously.
有一天，我们的队长带着我和其他五六个人一起，愤怒地对我们说了很久。 —

He was a fine fellow, that captain.
他真是个出色的家伙，我们的队长。 —

He had been a sublieutenant in the Zouaves, was tall and thin and as hard as steel, and during the whole campaign he had cut out their work for the Germans.
他曾是步兵营的少尉，身材高大瘦削，坚如钢铁，在整个战役中都是德国人的克星。 —

He fretted in inactivity, and could not accustom himself to the idea of being a prisoner and of doing nothing.
他苦恼于无所事事，无法适应成为囚犯并无所作为的想法。

“Confound it!” he said to us, “does it not pain you to know that there is a number of uhlans within two hours of us?
“该死！”他对我们说，“难道你们不觉得痛恨吗？知道我们附近有一些乌兰骑兵吗？ —

Does it not almost drive you mad to know that those beggarly wretches are walking about as masters in our mountains, when six determined men might kill a whole spitful any day?
知道那些可恶的家伙在我们的山区里自诩为主宰，几个决心十足的人一天就能杀光一窝。这几乎要把你们逼疯了吧？” —

I cannot endure it any longer, and I must go there.”
“我再也无法忍受了，我必须去那里。”

“But how can you manage it, captain?”
“但是队长，你怎么做到呢？”

“How? It is not very difficult!
“怎么办呢？这并不是很困难！ —

Just as if we had not done a thing or two within the last six months, and got out of woods that were guarded by very different men from the Swiss. The day that you wish to cross over into France, I will undertake to get you there.”
就好像我们在过去的六个月里没有做过一两件事情，没有从瑞士人守卫的森林中走出来一样。那天你想过河去法国，我保证可以带你过去。”

“That may be; but what shall we do in France without any arms?”
“也许吧，但是没有武器的话，我们在法国该怎么办呢？”

“Without arms? We will get them over yonder, by Jove!”
“没有武器？我们可以在那边弄到的，天哪！”

“You are forgetting the treaty,” another soldier said;
“你忘记了条约”，另一名士兵说道， —

“we shall run the risk of doing the Swiss an injury, if Manteuffel learns that they have allowed prisoners to return to France.”
“如果曼托费尔得知他们允许囚犯回到法国，我们会冒碰到伤害瑞士人的风险。”

“Come,” said the captain, “those are all bad reasons.
“来吧，”船长说，“这些都是坏理由。 —

I mean to go and kill some Prussians;
我只是想去杀一些普鲁士人， —

that is all I care about.
这是我关心的事情。” —

If you do not wish to do as I do, well and good; only say so at once.
“如果你们不愿意和我一样做，好吧，只需要立刻说出来。” —

I can quite well go by myself;
“我可以自己去， —

I do not require anybody’s company.”
我不需要任何人陪伴。”

Naturally we all protested, and, as it was quite impossible to make the captain alter his mind, we felt obliged to promise to go with him.
当然我们都表示抗议，但既然船长决心无法改变，我们不得不答应跟他去。” —

We liked him too much to leave him in the lurch, as he never failed us in any extremity;
我们非常喜欢他，不忍心让他陷入困境，因为他在任何危急情况下都没有辜负我们。 —

and so the expedition was decided on.
因此，决定进行这次远征。

Second
第二个。

The captain had a plan of his own, that he had been cogitating over for some time.
船长有自己的计划，这个计划他已经思考了一段时间。 —

A man in that part of the country whom he knew was going to lend him a cart and six suits of peasants’ clothes.
他在那个地区认识一个人，这个人准备借给他一辆马车和六套农民服装。 —

We could hide under some straw at the bottom of the wagon, which would be loaded with Gruyere cheese, which he was supposed to be going to sell in France.
我们可以藏在马车底部的一些干草下面，车上装满格吕耶尔奶酪，他据称要在法国卖掉。 —

The captain told the sentinels that he was taking two friends with him to protect his goods, in case any one should try to rob him, which did not seem an extraordinary precaution.
船长告诉哨兵，他带着两个朋友一起去保护他的货物，以防有人试图抢劫他，这似乎并不是什么特别的预防措施。 —

A Swiss officer seemed to look at the wagon in a knowing manner, but that was in order to impress his soldiers.
一个瑞士军官似乎以一种心知肚明的方式看着车子，但这只是为了给他的士兵留下印象。 —

In a word, neither officers nor men could make it out.
一句话，无论是军官还是士兵都无法理解。

“Get up,” the captain said to the horses, as he cracked his whip, while our three men quietly smoked their pipes.
“上车，”船长对马儿说道，同时抽动鞭子，而我们三个男人则安静地吸着烟斗。 —

I was half suffocated in my box, which only admitted the air through those holes in front, and at the same time I was nearly frozen, for it was terribly cold.
我在箱子里几乎被窒息，因为只能通过前面的那些孔洞透进一点空气，同时我几乎被冻僵，因为天气太冷了。

“Get up,” the captain said again, and the wagon loaded with Gruyere cheese entered France.
“起床，”船长再次说道，装满了格吕耶尔奶酪的马车进入了法国。

The Prussian lines were very badly guarded, as the enemy trusted to the watchfulness of the Swiss. The sergeant spoke North German, while our captain spoke the bad German of the Four Cantons, and so they could not understand each other.
普鲁士线非常疏于防守，因为敌人相信瑞士人的警惕。中士说的是北德语，而我们的船长说的是四大州的不标准德语，所以他们彼此听不懂。 —

The sergeant, however, pretended to be very intelligent;
然而，中士假装自己很聪明； —

and, in order to make us believe that he understood us, they allowed us to continue our journey;
为了让我们相信他听得懂我们说的话，他们允许我们继续旅行； —

and, after travelling for seven hours, being continually stopped in the same manner, we arrived at a small village of the Jura in ruins, at nightfall.
行驶了七个小时之后，一直以同样的方式被拦住，我们在天黑时抵达了一个废墟中的朱拉小村庄。

What were we going to do?
我们该怎么办呢？ —

Our only arms were the captain’s whip, our uniforms our peasants’ blouses, and our food the Gruyere cheese.
我们唯一的武器是船长的鞭子，我们的制服是农民的工作服，而我们的食物是格吕耶尔奶酪。 —

Our sole wealth consisted in our ammunition, packages of cartridges which we had stowed away inside some of the large cheeses.
我们唯一的财富就是我们藏在一些大奶酪里的弹药包，大约有一千个，每人两百个，但我们需要步枪，而且必须是夏普。 —

We had about a thousand of them, just two hundred each, but we needed rifles, and they must be chassepots.
幸运的是，船长是一个勇敢并具有创造性思维的人，他想出了这个计划： —

Luckily, however, the captain was a bold man of an inventive mind, and this was the plan that he hit upon:
当我们三个人留在废弃村庄的地下室里时，他继续带着空车和一个人前往贝桑松。

While three of us remained hidden in a cellar in the abandoned village, he continued his journey as far as Besancon with the empty wagon and one man.
虽然城市已经被包围，但人们总是可以通过穿越高原进入山中的城市，在距城墙约十英里处，跟随小径和沟壑步行。 —

The town was invested, but one can always make one’s way into a town among the hills by crossing the tableland till within about ten miles of the walls, and then following paths and ravines on foot.
他们把车停在奥曼斯，被德军包围，然后在夜间徒步逃脱，以便占据多布河沿岸的高地。 —

They left their wagon at Omans, among the Germans, and escaped out of it at night on foot;
第二天他们进入贝桑松，那里有很多夏普枪。 —

so as to gain the heights which border the River Doubs;
—

the next day they entered Besancon, where there were plenty of chassepots.
他们在城市内购买了夏普枪后，带着枪返回来找我们。 —

There were nearly forty thousand of them left in the arsenal, and General Roland, a brave marine, laughed at the captain’s daring project, but let him have six rifles and wished him “good luck.
起初兵工厂还剩下近四万支枪械，勇敢的海军陆战队将军罗兰嘲笑船长大胆的计划，但还是给了他六支步枪，祝他“好运”。 —

” There he had also found his wife, who had been through all the war with us before the campaign in the East, and who had been only prevented by illness from continuing with Bourbaki’s army.
在那里他还找到了他的妻子，她在东征之前已经与我们一起经历了整场战争，并且只是因病无法继续随着布尔巴基的军队前进。 —

She had recovered, however, in spite of the cold, which was growing more and more intense, and in spite of the numberless privations that awaited her, she persisted in accompanying her husband.
尽管寒冷越来越强烈，尽管无数的困苦等待着她，她还是康复了，并坚持要陪同丈夫。 —

He was obliged to give way to her, and they all three, the captain, his wife, and our comrade, started on their expedition.
他被迫听从她的安排，于是船长、他的妻子和我们的战友一起开始了他们的探险。

Going was nothing in comparison to returning.
去往目的地相对容易， —

They were obliged to travel by night, so as to avoid meeting anybody, as the possession of six rifles would have made them liable to suspicion.
但回程就不同了。他们必须在夜间行进，以避免与任何人遇见，因为携带六支步枪会引起怀疑。 —

But, in spite of everything, a week after leaving us, the captain and his two men were back with us again.
尽管如此，在离开我们一个星期后，船长和他的两个人又回到了我们这里。 —

The campaign was about to begin.
战役即将开始。

Third
第三个。

The first night of his arrival he began it himself, and, under pretext of examining the surrounding country, he went along the high road.
在他到达的第一个晚上，他自己开始了，借口是要检查周围的乡村，他沿着高速公路走去。

I must tell you that the little village which served as our fortress was a small collection of poor, badly built houses, which had been deserted long before.
我必须告诉你，作为我们的堡垒的小村庄是一座贫穷、建筑糟糕的房子，很久以前就被放弃了。 —

It lay on a steep slope, which terminated in a wooded plain.
它坐落在一个陡峭的斜坡上，斜坡上有一个树木茂密的平原。 —

The country people sell the wood;
乡村人民卖木材； —

they send it down the slopes, which are called coulees, locally, and which lead down to the plain, and there they stack it into piles, which they sell thrice a year to the wood merchants.
他们把木材运到斜坡上，当地人称之为“coulees”，然后运到平原上，他们把木材堆成堆，每年卖给木材商人三次。 —

The spot where this market is held in indicated by two small houses by the side of the highroad, which serve for public houses.
这个市场的位置是由高速公路边上的两间小房子标示出来，这些房子作为酒馆使用。 —

The captain had gone down there by way of one of these coulees.
船长是通过其中一个“coulees”下去的。

He had been gone about half an hour, and we were on the lookout at the top of the ravine, when we heard a shot.
他走了大约半个小时，我们站在峡谷的顶部四处观望时，听到了一声枪响。 —

The captain had ordered us not to stir, and only to come to him when we heard him blow his trumpet.
船长命令我们不要动弹，只在听到他吹号角的时候才去找他。 —

It was made of a goat’s horn, and could be heard a league off;
号角是用山羊的角制成的，可以听到一英里开外的声音； —

but it gave no sound, and, in spite of our cruel anxiety, we were obliged to wait in silence, with our rifles by our side.
但它没有发出声音，尽管我们非常焦虑，但我们不得不保持沉默，手中紧握着步枪。

It is nothing to go down these coulees;
下山沟很容易， —

one just lets one’s self slide down;
只需要顺着滑下去； —

but it is more difficult to get up again;
但爬上来就比较困难； —

one has to scramble up by catching hold of the hanging branches of the trees, and sometimes on all fours, by sheer strength.
人们必须抓住树枝，有时候需要四肢着地，凭借纯粹的力量才能爬上来。 —

A whole mortal hour passed, and he did not come;
整整一小时过去了，他还没有回来； —

nothing moved in the brushwood.
灌木丛中一动不动。 —

The captain’s wife began to grow impatient. What could he be doing?
船长的妻子开始不耐烦了。他到底在干什么？ —

Why did he not call us? Did the shot that we had heard proceed from an enemy, and had he killed or wounded our leader, her husband?
为什么他不喊我们？我们听到的枪声是不是敌人开的枪？他是不是杀死或者打伤了我们的领袖，她的丈夫？ —

They did not know what to think, but I myself fancied either that he was dead or that his enterprise was successful;
他们不知道如何思考，但我自己认为他要么死了，要么他的事业获得了成功； —

and I was merely anxious and curious to know what he had done.
我只是担心和好奇他做了什么。

Suddenly we heard the sound of his trumpet, and we were much surprised that instead of coming from below, as we had expected, it came from the village behind us.
突然我们听到了他的喇叭声，我们非常惊讶，因为我们预期的是声音会从下方传来，但实际却是从我们后面的村庄传来的。 —

What did that mean? It was a mystery to us, but the same idea struck us all, that he had been killed, and that the Prussians were blowing the trumpet to draw us into an ambush.
这是什么意思？这对我们来说是个谜，但我们都产生了同样的想法，他可能被杀了，普鲁士人正在吹喇叭引诱我们进入伏击。 —

We therefore returned to the cottage, keeping a careful lookout with our fingers on the trigger, and hiding under the branches;
因此，我们返回到小屋，在警觉着手指放在扳机上，并躲在树枝下。 —

but his wife, in spite of our entreaties, rushed on, leaping like a tigress.
但他的妻子不顾我们的请求，像一只虎一样跳了出去。 —

She thought that she had to avenge her husband, and had fixed the bayonet to her rifle, and we lost sight of her at the moment that we heard the trumpet again;
她觉得她必须为丈夫复仇，已经把刺刀装在步枪上，我们在我们听到喇叭声的时候失去了她的踪影。 —

and, a few moments later, we heard her calling out to us:
几分钟后，我们听到她呼喊我们，同时我们听到她的声音：

“Come on! come on! He is alive! It is he!”
“快点！快点！他还活着！就是他！”

We hastened on, and saw the captain smoking his pipe at the entrance of the village, but strangely enough, he was on horseback.
我们加快脚步，看到船长正站在村庄入口抽烟，但奇怪的是，他骑在马上。

“Ah! ah!” he said to us, “you see that there is something to be done here. Here I am on horseback already;
“啊！啊！”他对我们说，“你们看到这里有事情要做了。我已经骑在马上了； —

I knocked over an uhlan yonder, and took his horse;
我把一个乌兰军人撞倒，然后抢了他的马； —

I suppose they were guarding the wood, but it was by drinking and swilling in clover.
我想他们是在保护那片树林，但他们却在那里肆意狂欢。 —

One of them, the sentry at the door, had not time to see me before I gave him a sugarplum in his stomach, and then, before the others could come out, I jumped on the horse and was off like a shot.
一个站在门口的哨兵还来不及看清楚我就让他吃了个硬糖果，然后在其他人出来之前，我跳上马就像飞箭一样离开了。 —

Eight or ten of them followed me, I think;
大概有八到十个人跟着追我，我想； —

but I took the crossroads through the woods.
但我选择了穿过树林的岔道。 —

I have got scratched and torn a bit, but here I am, and now, my good fellows, attention, and take care!
我被抓了一些划痕和撕裂，但现在我在这里，好了，伙计们，集中注意力，小心！ —

Those brigands will not rest until they have caught us, and we must receive them with rifle bullets.
这些土匪们会一直追捕我们，我们必须用步枪子弹来对付他们。 —

Come along; let us take up our posts!”
走吧，让我们各自站好位置！”

We set out. One of us took up his position a good way from the village on the crossroads;
我们出发了。我们中的一个人在十字路口的离村子很远的地方站好了岗； —

I was posted at the entrance of the main street, where the road from the level country enters the village, while the two others, the captain and his wife, were in the middle of the village, near the church, whose tower served for an observatory and citadel.
我被派到了主街的入口处，那条路是从平原进入村子的入口，而另外两个人，即队长和他的妻子，则在村子的中心，靠近教堂，在那里，教堂的塔楼就是他们的观察点和堡垒。

We had not been in our places long before we heard a shot, followed by another, and then two, then three.
我们刚站在岗位没多久，就听到了一声枪响，接着是另外一声，然后是两声，然后是三声。 —

The first was evidently a chassepot —one recognized it by the sharp report, which sounds like the crack of a whip—while the other three came from the lancers’ carbines.
第一声显然是射手步枪——通过尖锐的声响，可以辨认出来，就像鞭子的响声一样——而另外三声则来自兰斯枪骑兵的卡宾枪。

The captain was furious. He had given orders to the outpost to let the enemy pass and merely to follow them at a distance if they marched toward the village, and to join me when they had gone well between the houses.
队长非常愤怒。他已经下令哨位让敌人通过，只跟在他们后面，如果他们向村子行进，就加入我这里。然后，他们要突然出现，将巡逻队置于两股火力之间，并且不允许任何一个人逃脱; —

Then they were to appear suddenly, take the patrol between two fires, and not allow a single man to escape;
然后他们要突然出现，将巡逻队置于两股火力之间，并且不允许任何一个人逃脱。 —

for, posted as we were, the six of us could have hemmed in ten Prussians, if needful.
就我们当时的情况而言，我们六个人可以将十个普鲁士人围住，如有需要的话。

“That confounded Piedelot has roused them, ” the captain said, “and they will not venture to come on blindfolded any longer.
“那该死的皮德洛特把他们惊动了，”队长说道，“他们再也不敢盲目进攻了。” —

And then I am quite sure that he has managed to get a shot into himself somewhere or other, for we hear nothing of him.
而且我敢肯定他肯定某个地方被击中了，因为我们都没有听到他的任何消息。他活该，他为什么不遵守命令？”然后，过了一会儿， —

It serves him right;
他咕哝了一句： —

why did he not obey orders?” And then, after a moment, he grumbled in his beard:
“不过我还是为那可怜的家伙感到遗憾；他非常勇敢，射击技术也很好！” —

“After all I am sorry for the poor fellow;
队长的推测是正确的。我们等到了傍晚，都没有看到乌兰骑兵； —

he is so brave, and shoots so well!”
他们在第一次袭击后撤退了。

The captain was right in his conjectures.
但是不幸的是， —

We waited until evening, without seeing the uhlans;
皮德洛特也没有出现。 —

they had retreated after the first attack;
他是死了还是被俘了？ —

but unfortunately we had not seen Piedelot, either. Was he dead or a prisoner?
夜幕降临时，队长建议我们出去找他，于是我们三个人出发了。 —

When night came, the captain proposed that we should go out and look for him, and so the three of us started.
在十字路口，我们发现了一把断裂的步枪和一些血迹，而地面也被踩得乱七八糟。 —

At the crossroads we found a broken rifle and some blood, while the ground was trampled down;
我们继续沿着道路搜索，直到发现了一个草丛。在那里，我们终于找到了皮德洛特，他浑身鲜血淋漓，但还活着。 —

but we did not find either a wounded man or a dead body, although we searched every thicket, and at midnight we returned without having discovered anything of our unfortunate comrade.
但是我们没有找到受伤的人或者尸体，尽管我们搜索了每一个丛林，半夜我们还是返回来并没有发现我们不幸的同伴。

“It is very strange,” the captain growled.
“这太奇怪了，”船长咕哝道。 —

“They must have killed him and thrown him into the bushes somewhere;
“他们一定杀了他并把他扔进了丛林里； —

they cannot possibly have taken him prisoner, as he would have called out for help.
他们不可能把他抓走，因为他会呼救的。 —

I cannot understand it at all.
我无法理解。 —

” Just as he said that, bright flames shot up in the direction of the inn on the high road, which illuminated the sky.
”就在他说完那句话的时候，鲜艳的火焰在高路的酒店方向升腾而起，照亮了天空。

“Scoundrels! cowards!” he shouted.
“恶棍！懦夫！”他喊道。 —

“I will bet that they have set fire to the two houses on the marketplace, in order to have their revenge, and then they will scuttle off without saying a word.
“我打赌他们放火烧了市场上的两座房子，以报仇，然后他们会溜走又不说一句话。 —

They will be satisfied with having killed a man and set fire to two houses.
他们会满足于杀了一个人和放火烧了两座房子。好吧， —

All right. It shall not pass over like that.
这事情不会就这样过去。 —

We must go for them; they will not like to leave their illuminations in order to fight.”
我们必须去找他们；他们不会愿意离开他们的庆功活动来打架。”

“It would be a great stroke of luck if we could set Piedelot free at the same time, ” some one said.
“如果我们同时能够释放皮德洛，那将是极其幸运的一击，”有人说。

The five of us set off, full of rage and hope.
我们五个人满怀愤怒和希望出发了。 —

In twenty minutes we had got to the bottom of the coulee, and had not yet seen any one when we were within a hundred yards of the inn.
二十分钟后，我们到达了幽谷的底部，当我们距离客栈还有一百码时，还没有见到任何人。 —

The fire was behind the house, and all we saw of it was the reflection above the roof.
火在房子后面，我们只看到屋顶上的反射。 —

However, we were walking rather slowly, as we were afraid of an ambush, when suddenly we heard Piedelot’s well-known voice.
然而，由于担心遭到伏击，我们走得相当慢，突然听到了皮德洛熟悉的声音。 —

It had a strange sound, however;
然而，它有一种奇怪的声音； —

for it was at the same time—dull and vibrating, stifled and clear, as if he were calling out as loud as he could with a bit of rag stuffed into his mouth.
因为它既沉闷而有振动，又闷闷不清而清晰，好像他嘴里塞着一块抹布使劲喊叫。 —

He seemed to be hoarse and gasping, and the unlucky fellow kept exclaiming:
他似乎嗓子干燥喘息，可怜的家伙不停地喊着：“救命！ —

“Help! Help!”
救命！”

We sent all thoughts of prudence to the devil, and in two bounds we were at the back of the inn, where a terrible sight met our eyes.
我们抛却了所有谨慎的念头，两步跳到了客栈后面，眼前是一个可怕的景象。

IV
IV

Piedelot was being burned alive.
皮德洛被活活烧死。 —

He was writhing in the midst of a heap of fagots, tied to a stake, and the flames were licking him with their burning tongues.
他在一堆柴把上翻滚着，被绑在柱子上，火舌不断舔舐着他。 —

When he saw us, his tongue seemed to stick in his throat;
当他看到我们时，他的舌头似乎粘在喉咙里； —

he drooped his head, and seemed as if he were going to die.
他低下头，仿佛要死去。 —

It was only the affair of a moment to upset the burning pile, to scatter the embers, and to cut the ropes that fastened him.
我们只需要一刹那的时间就能推倒火焰堆，散开黑炭，解开绑着他的绳子。

Poor fellow! In what a terrible state we found him.
可怜的家伙！我们发现他身处何等可怕的状况。 —

The evening before he had had his left arm broken, and it seemed as if he had been badly beaten since then, for his whole body was covered with wounds, bruises and blood.
前一天晚上他的左臂被折断了，而且看起来自那以后他遭到了严重的殴打，他浑身是伤痕、淤血和鲜血。 —

The flames had also begun their work on him, and he had two large burns, one on his loins and the other on his right thigh, and his beard and hair were scorched.
火焰也已开始侵蚀他的身体，他的腰部和右大腿上有两处大面积烧伤，他的胡须和头发也被烫焦了。可怜的皮德洛！ —

Poor Piedelot!

No one knows the terrible rage we felt at this sight!
没人能够理解我们在看到这一幕时的可怕愤怒！ —

We would have rushed headlong at a hundred thousand Prussians;
我们愿意冲向十万普鲁士人！ —

our thirst for vengeance was intense.
我们对复仇的渴望极为强烈。 —

But the cowards had run away, leaving their crime behind them.
但这些懦夫已经逃走，留下了他们的罪行。 —

Where could we find them now?
现在我们能在哪里找到他们呢？ —

Meanwhile, however, the captain’s wife was looking after Piedelot, and dressing his wounds as best she could, while the captain himself shook hands with him excitedly, and in a few minutes he came to himself.
与此同时，船长的妻子正在照顾皮德洛，尽其所能为他包扎伤口，而船长本人则激动地与他握手，几分钟后他才恢复过来。

“Good-morning, captain; good-morning, all of you, ” he said. “Ah! the scoundrels, the wretches!
“早上好，船长；大家早上好，”他说。“啊！这些恶棍，这些卑鄙的家伙！嗯， —

Why, twenty of them came to surprise us.”
他们足足有二十个人来袭击我们。”

“Twenty, do you say?”
“二十个，你说的是吗？”

“Yes; there was a whole band of them, and that is why I disobeyed orders, captain, and fired on them, for they would have killed you all, and I preferred to stop them.
“是的；确实有一整个团伙的人，所以我违抗了命令，船长，向他们开枪，因为他们会杀死你们所有人，而我宁愿阻止他们。” —

That frightened them, and they did not venture to go farther than the crossroads.
这吓坏了他们，他们不敢再往前走，只停留在十字路口。 —

They were such cowards.
他们真是一群懦夫。 —

Four of them shot at me at twenty yards, as if I had been a target, and then they slashed me with their swords.
他们中有四个人在二十码远的地方朝我开枪，就像我是个靶子，然后他们用剑砍我的身体。 —

My arm was broken, so that I could only use my bayonet with one hand.”
我的手臂骨折了，只能单手使用刺刀。”

“But why did you not call for help?”
“为什么你不呼救呢？”

“I took good care not to do that, for you would all have come;
“我特意避免这样做，因为你们都会前来； —

and you would neither have been able to defend me nor yourselves, being only five against twenty.”
“而你们既不能保护我，也无法保护自己，只有我们五人对抗二十人。”

“You know that we should not have allowed you to have been taken, poor old fellow.”
“你知道我们不会允许你被抓走的，可怜的老家伙。”

“I preferred to die by myself, don’t you see!
“我宁愿自己一个人死，你明白吗！ —

I did not want to bring you here, for it would have been a mere ambush.”
我不想把你们带到这里，因为那会是个陷阱。”

“Well, we will not talk about it any more.
“好了，我们不再谈论了。 —

Do you feel rather easier?”
你感觉好些了吗？”

“No, I am suffocating. I know that I cannot live much longer.
“不，我快被闷死了。这些畜生！ —

The brutes!
—

They tied me to a tree, and beat me till I was half dead, and then they shook my broken arm;
“他们把我绑在树上，把我打得半死不活，然后他们还摇晃我的断臂； —

but I did not make a sound.
但我没有发出一点声音。” —

I would rather have bitten my tongue out than have called out before them.
“我宁愿咬掉我的舌头也不愿在他们面前喊叫。” —

Now I can tell what I am suffering and shed tears;
“现在我可以把我所遭受的痛苦和眼泪说出来了； —

it does one good. Thank you, my kind friends.”
这很有益。谢谢你们，我的善良的朋友们。”

“Poor Piedelot! But we will avenge you, you may be sure!”
“可怜的皮德洛特！但是我们会为你报仇，你可以放心！”

“Yes, yes; I want you to do that. There is, in particular, a woman among them who passes as the wife of the lancer whom the captain killed yesterday.
“是的，是的；我希望你这样做。其中有一个女人，她被认为是那个上尉昨天杀死的枪骑兵的妻子。 —

She is dressed like a lancer, and she tortured me the most yesterday, and suggested burning me;
她穿得像一个枪骑兵，昨天她对我进行了最残酷的折磨，并建议烧死我； —

and it was she who set fire to the wood. Oh! the wretch, the brute! Ah! how I am suffering!
她就是点火的人。哦！那个恶婆娘！啊！我有多么痛苦！我的腰部， —

My loins, my arms!
我的胳膊！ —

” and he fell back gasping and exhausted, writhing in his terrible agony, while the captain’s wife wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and we all shed tears of grief and rage, as if we had been children.
”他喘息着倒在地上，筋疲力尽，痛苦难忍。上尉的妻子擦拭着他额头上的汗水，而我们全都像孩子一样悲愤地流泪。 —

I will not describe the end to you;
我不会向你描述他的结局； —

he died half an hour later, previously telling us in what direction the enemy had gone.
半个小时后，他死了，事先告诉我们敌人逃往何处。 —

When he was dead we gave ourselves time to bury him, and then we set out in pursuit of them, with our hearts full of fury and hatred.
当他死后，我们给自己一些时间埋葬他，然后我们怀着愤怒和仇恨的心情出发追击敌人。

“We will throw ourselves on the whole Prussian army, if it be necessary,” the captain said;
“我们会扑向整个普鲁士军队，如果需要的话，”上尉说。 —

“but we will avenge Piedelot.
“但我们要为皮德洛报仇。” —

We must catch those scoundrels. Let us swear to die, rather than not to find them;
我们必须抓住那些恶棍。让我们发誓宁愿死，也要找到他们； —

and if I am killed first, these are my orders:
如果我先被杀，这是我的命令： —

All the prisoners that you take are to be shot immediately, and as for the lancer’s wife, she is to be tortured before she is put to death.”
所有你们抓到的囚犯立即枪毙，至于那名枪骑兵的妻子，在处死之前要折磨她。”

“She must not be shot, because she is a woman, ” the captain’s wife said. “If you survive, I am sure that you would not shoot a woman.
“她不可以被枪杀，因为她是女人，”队长的妻子说。“如果你活下来，我相信你不会射杀一个女人。 —

Torturing her will be quite sufficient;
折磨她已经足够了； —

but if you are killed in this pursuit, I want one thing, and that is to fight with her;
但如果你在追击中丧生，我有一个要求，那就是与她战斗； —

I will kill her with my own hands, and the others can do what they like with her if she kills me.”
我要亲手杀死她，如果她杀死了我，其他人可以随意对待她。”

“We will outrage her! We will burn her!
“我们要凌辱她！我们要烧她！ —

We will tear her to pieces!
我们要把她撕成碎片！ —

Piedelot shall be avenged!
要为皮尔德洛特报仇！

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!”
“以眼还眼，以牙还牙！”

V
五

The next morning we unexpectedly fell on an outpost of uhlans four leagues away.
第二天早上，我们意外地袭击了四里外的一个哨所。 —

Surprised by our sudden attack, they were not able to mount their horses, nor even to defend themselves;
受到我们的突然袭击，他们无法上马，甚至无法自卫； —

and in a few moments we had five prisoner, corresponding to our own number.
几分钟后，我们有了五名囚犯，对应于我们自己的人数。 —

The captain questioned them, and from their answers we felt certain that they were the same whom we had encountered the previous day.
船长询问了他们，从他们的回答中我们确信他们是我们前一天遇到的那些人。 —

Then a very curious operation took place.
然后发生了一件非常奇怪的事情。 —

One of us was told off to ascertain their sex, and nothing can describe our joy when we discovered what we were seeking among them, the female executioner who had tortured our friend.
我们中的一个人被指派去确定他们的性别，当我们发现我们在他们中间找到了我们寻找的女性行刑者时，我们无法描述出我们的喜悦。

The four others were shot on the spot, with their backs to us and close to the muzzles of our rifles;
另外四个囚犯被当场枪毙，背对着我们，离我们的步枪枪口近在咫尺； —

and then we turned our attention to the woman.
然后我们把注意力转向了这个女人。 —

What were we going to do with her?
我们打算怎么对待她呢？ —

I must acknowledge that we were all of us in favor of shooting her.
我必须承认我们所有人都赞成枪杀她。 —

Hatred, and the wish to avenge Piedelot, had extinguished all pity in us, and we had forgotten that we were going to shoot a woman, but a woman reminded us of it, the captain’s wife;
憎恨和为皮德洛报仇的愿望让我们对她没有一丝怜悯，我们忘记了我们要枪杀一名女人，但一个女人提醒了我们，那就是船长的妻子； —

at her entreaties, therefore, we determined to keep her a prisoner.
在她的恳求下，我们决定把她关押起来。

The captain’s poor wife was to be severely punished for this act of clemency.
船长可怜的妻子将因为这一仁慈之举受到严厉惩罚。

The next day we heard that the armistice had been extended to the eastern part of France, and we had to put an end to our little campaign.
第二天我们听说停战已经扩展到法国的东部，我们必须结束我们的小战役。 —

Two of us, who belonged to the neighborhood, returned home, so there were only four of us, all told:
我们中的两个人是当地人，回到了家，所以总共只有我们四个人：船长，他的妻子和两个男人。我们来自贝桑松，尽管有停战，贝桑松仍在被围困。 —

the captain, his wife, and two men. We belonged to Besancon, which was still being besieged in spite of the armistice.
船长说：“我们就在这里停下吧。我无法相信战争会如此结束。该死的！

“Let us stop here,” said the captain.
法国肯定还有人， —

“I cannot believe that the war is going to end like this.
现在是证明他们是何种人的时候了。 —

The devil take it!
—

Surely there are men still left in France;
春天即将来临， —

and now is the time to prove what they are made of.
停战只是为普鲁士人设置的陷阱。 —

The spring is coming on, and the armistice is only a trap laid for the Prussians.
在停战期间，新的军队将会被组建，某个美好的早晨我们将再次袭击他们。 —

During the time that it lasts, a new army will be raised, and some fine morning we shall fall upon them again.
我们将做好准备，我们还有一个人质-让我们留在这里。” —

We shall be ready, and we have a hostage—let us remain here.”
我们将准备好，库找了一个人质，让我们留在这里。

We fixed our quarters there. It was terribly cold, and we did not go out much, and somebody had always to keep the female prisoner in sight.
我们在那儿安顿下来了。天气非常冷，我们不怎么出门，总有人得时刻盯着女囚。

She was sullen, and never said anything, or else spoke of her husband, whom the captain had killed.
她愠怒地沉默着，从不说话，或者只是说着她的丈夫，这个船长杀死了她的丈夫。 —

She looked at him continually with fierce eyes, and we felt that she was tortured by a wild longing for revenge.
她用凶恶的眼神不停地盯着他，我们感觉她被强烈的复仇欲望困扰着。 —

That seemed to us to be the most suitable punishment for the terrible torments that she had made Piedelot suffer, for impotent vengeance is such intense pain!
对我们而言，这似乎是对她施以最合适的惩罚，因为无力的复仇是如此剧痛！

Alas! we who knew how to avenge our comrade ought to have thought that this woman would know how to avenge her husband, and have been on our guard.
唉！我们这些懂得如何为同伴复仇的人本应想到，这个女人肯定也知道如何为她的丈夫复仇，并且要保持警惕。 —

It is true that one of us kept watch every night, and that at first we tied her by a long rope to the great oak bench that was fastened to the wall.
确实，我们每晚都有人守夜，起初我们用一根长绳把她绑在墙上的一张大橡木长凳上。 —

But, by and by, as she had never tried to escape, in spite of her hatred for us, we relaxed our extreme prudence, and allowed her to sleep somewhere else except on the bench, and without being tied.
但是不久之后，因为她从未尝试逃脱，尽管她对我们怀有仇恨，我们放松了极端的谨慎，并允许她在长椅以外的地方睡觉，而且不用被绑起来。 —

What had we to fear? She was at the end of the room, a man was on guard at the door, and between her and the sentinel the captain’s wife and two other men used to lie.
我们有什么好害怕的呢？她在屋子的尽头，门口有一个人守卫，而在她和哨兵之间，还有队长的妻子和另外两个人。 —

She was alone and unarmed against four, so there could be no danger.
她孤身一人，没有武装，对抗四个人，所以不可能有危险。

One night when we were asleep, and the captain was on guard, the lancer’s wife was lying more quietly in her corner than usual, and she had even smiled for the first time since she had been our prisoner during the evening.
有一个晚上我们都睡着了，队长在守卫，枪骑兵的妻子在她的角落里比平时更平静，甚至在晚上第一次微笑了。 —

Suddenly, however, in the middle of the night, we were all awakened by a terrible cry.
突然，然而，在半夜里，我们都被一声可怕的叫声吵醒了。 —

We got up, groping about, and at once stumbled over a furious couple who were rolling about and fighting on the ground.
我们起来，摸索着，立刻在地上发现了一对激烈争斗的夫妻。 —

It was the captain and the lancer’s wife.
就是队长和枪骑兵的妻子。 —

We threw ourselves on them, and separated them in a moment.
我们立刻冲上去，把他们分开了。 —

She was shouting and laughing, and he seemed to have the death rattle.
她嚷嚷着笑，而他似乎已经奄奄一息。 —

All this took place in the dark.
所有这一切都在黑暗中发生。 —

Two of us held her, and when a light was struck a terrible sight met our eyes.
我们中的两个人抓住了她，当一盏灯亮起时，我们看到了一个可怕的景象。 —

The captain was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, with an enormous gash in his throat, and his sword bayonet, that had been taken from his rifle, was sticking in the red, gaping wound.
船长躺在地板上，一滩血水中，喉咙上有一个巨大的裂口，他的剑刺刀，是从他的步枪上拿下的，插在了那个鲜红、张开的伤口里。 —

A few minutes afterward he died, without having been able to utter a word.
几分钟后，他死了，连一句话都没能说出来。

His wife did not shed a tear. Her eyes were dry, her throat was contracted, and she looked at the lancer’s wife steadfastly, and with a calm ferocity that inspired fear.
他的妻子没有流一滴眼泪。她的眼睛干涸，喉咙收缩，她坚定地看着骑兵的妻子，带着一种冷静而野蛮的凶猛，令人生畏。

“This woman belongs to me,” she said to us suddenly.
“这个女人是我的，”她突然对我们说道。 —

“You swore to me not a week ago to let me kill her as I chose, if she killed my husband;
“不到一周前你们向我发誓，如果她杀了我丈夫，就让我按照我的选择杀掉她； —

and you must keep your oath.
你们必须把她牢牢地捆在壁炉上， —

You must fasten her securely to the fireplace, upright against the back of it, and then you can go where you like, but far from here.
直立地靠在壁炉背后，然后你们可以去你们想去的地方，但是离这里远一点。” —

I will take my revenge on her myself.
我将亲自向她报仇。 —

Leave the captain’s body, and we three, he, she and I, will remain here.”
把船长的尸体留下，我们三人，他、她和我，将留在这里。”

We obeyed, and went away.
我们忠实地听从了， —

She promised to write to us to Geneva, as we were returning thither.
并离开了。她答应会写信给我们在返回日内瓦时。

VI
VI

Two days later I received the following letter, dated the day after we had left, that had been written at an inn on the high road:
两天后，我收到了以下信件，信件是在我们离开的第二天写的，地点是高速公路上的一家旅店：

“MY FRIEND: I am writing to you, according to my promise.
“朋友：我按照我的承诺写信给你。 —

For the moment I am at the inn, where I have just handed my prisoner over to a Prussian officer.
此刻我在旅店，刚刚把我的囚犯交给了一位普鲁士军官。”

“I must tell you, my friend, that this poor woman has left two children in Germany.
“我必须告诉你，我的朋友，这个可怜的女人在德国还有两个孩子。” —

She had followed her husband, whom she adored, as she did not wish him to be exposed to the risks of war by himself, and as her children were with their grandparents.
她曾跟随丈夫，因为她不希望他独自面对战争的风险，而且她的孩子与祖父母在一起。 —

I have learned all this since yesterday, and it has turned my ideas of vengeance into more humane feelings.
我昨天才得知这一切，它将我的复仇想法转变成更为人道的情感。 —

At the very moment when I felt pleasure in insulting this woman, and in threatening her with the most fearful torments, in recalling Piedelot, who had been burned alive, and in threatening her with a similar death, she looked at me coldly, and said:
就在我对这个女人进行侮辱，并威胁她会经受可怕的痛苦时，回想起被活活烧死的皮德洛，还以同样的死亡威胁她时，她冷冷地看着我，说道：

“’What have you got to reproach me with, Frenchwoman?
“‘法国女人，你有什么对我指责的？ —

You think that you will do right in avenging your husband’s death, is not that so?’
你认为为了复仇丈夫的死亡而行正义，是吗？’”

“’Yes,’ I replied.
“‘是的，’我回答道。”

“’Very well, then; in killing him, I did what you are going to do in burning me.
“‘很好，那么；我杀了他，就像你要烧死我一样在复仇。 —

I avenged my husband, for your husband killed him.’
为了你的丈夫杀了我的丈夫，我报了仇。’”

“’Well,’ I replied, ‘as you approve of this vengeance, prepare to endure it.’
“‘那好吧，’我回答道，‘既然你认可这种复仇，准备忍受它吧。’”

“’I do not fear it.’
“‘我不害怕。’”

“And in fact she did not seem to have lost courage.
事实上，她似乎没有失去勇气。 —

Her face was calm, and she looked at me without trembling, while I brought wood and dried leaves together, and feverishly threw on to them the powder from some cartridges, which was to make her funeral pile the more cruel.
她的脸庞平静，目不转睛地看着我，而我则焦躁地将木柴和枯叶堆在一起，疯狂地往上扔上一些火药，以使她的葬火更加残忍。

“I hesitated in my thoughts of persecution for a moment.
“我犹豫了一下，我头脑中对迫害的想法。 —

But the captain was there, pale and covered with blood, and he seemed to be looking at me with his large, glassy eyes, and I applied myself to my work again after kissing his pale lips.
但船长在那里，苍白且满身是血，他似乎用他那双大而呆滞的眼睛看着我，我亲吻了他苍白的嘴唇后又专心工作起来。 —

Suddenly, however, on raising my head, I saw that she was crying, and I felt rather surprised.
然而，突然间，当我抬起头时，我看到她在哭泣，我感到有些惊讶。

“’So you are frightened?’ I said to her.
“‘你害怕了吗？’我对她说。

“’No, but when I saw you kiss your husband, I thought of mine, of all whom I love.’
“‘不，但当我看到你亲吻你丈夫的时候，我想起了我的丈夫，想起了我所爱的人们。’

“She continued to sob, but stopping suddenly, she said to me in broken words and in a low voice:
“她继续抽泣着，但突然停下来，用断断续续的语言和低声对我说：

“’Have you any children?’
“‘你有孩子吗？’

“A shiver rare over me, for I guessed that this poor woman had some.
“一阵寒意袭上我的心头，因为我猜到这个可怜的女人一定有孩子。 —

She asked me to look in a pocketbook which was in her bosom, and in it I saw two photographs of quite young children, a boy and a girl, with those kind, gentle, chubby faces that German children have.
她让我看一下她胸前的钱包，我在钱包里看到了两张相当年幼的孩子照片，一个男孩和一个女孩，他们都有着德国孩子那种友善、温和、圆滚滚的脸蛋。” —

In it there were also two locks of light hair and a letter in a large, childish hand, and beginning with German words which meant:
里面还有两束浅发，一封用孩子般的大字写的信，开头是德语词汇，意思是：

“’My dear little mother.
“亲爱的妈咪。

“’I could not restrain my tears, my dear friend, and so I untied her, and without venturing to look at the face of my poor dead husband, who was not to be avenged, I went with her as far as the inn.
“亲爱的朋友，我情不自禁地流下了眼泪，然后解开她的绳子，没有敢看望我可怜的已故丈夫的面容，他再也无法复仇了，我送她到了客栈。 —

She is free; I have just left her, and she kissed me with tears.
她自由了；我刚刚离开她，她含着泪亲吻了我。 —

I am going upstairs to my husband;
我正要去楼上找我丈夫； —

come as soon as possible, my dear friend, to look for our two bodies.‘”
亲爱的朋友，请尽快来找我们的两具尸体。”

I set off with all speed, and when I arrived there was a Prussian patrol at the cottage;
我飞快地出发了，当我到达那里时，一个普鲁士巡逻队在小屋里； —

and when I asked what it all meant, I was told that there was a captain of francs-tireurs and his wife inside, both dead.
当我问这一切是什么意思时，有人告诉我，在小屋里有一个法兰西自由射手队的队长和他的妻子，都已经死了。 —

I gave their names; they saw that I knew them, and I begged to be allowed to arrange their funeral.
我报上了他们的名字；他们看出我认识他们，我请求被允许安排他们的葬礼。

“Somebody has already undertaken it,” was the reply.
“已经有人承担了这个任务，”回答道。“如果你愿意， —

“Go in if you wish to, as you know them.
进去看看，因为你认识他们。” —

You can settle about their funeral with their friend.”
你可以和他们的朋友商量并安排他们的葬礼。

I went in. The captain and his wife were lying side by side on a bed, and were covered by a sheet.
我走进房间。船长和他的妻子躺在一张床上，盖着一条被子。 —

I raised it, and saw that the woman had inflicted a similar wound in her throat to that from which her husband had died.
我掀开被子，发现这位女士的喉咙上也有一道和她丈夫相似的伤口，造成了她的死亡。

At the side of the bed there sat, watching and weeping, the woman who had been mentioned to me as their best friend.
在床边坐着一个女人，她是他们最好的朋友。她哭泣着，守在那里。 —

It was the lancer’s wife.
她就是那名骑兵的妻子。