战争与和平(上)-第245节

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The　militiamen　carried　Prince　Andrey　to　the　copse；　where　there　were　vans　and　an　ambulance　station。　The　ambulance　station　consisted　of　three　tents；　pitched　at　the　edge　of　a　birch　copse。　In　the　wood　stood　the　ambulance　waggons　and　horses。　The　horses　in　nose…bags　were　munching　oats；　and　the　sparrows　flew　up　to　them　and　picked　up　the　grains　they　dropped。　Some　crows；　scenting　blood；　flitted　to　and　fro　among　the　birches；　cawing　impatiently。　For　more　than　five　acres　round　the　tents　there　were　sitting　or　lying　men　stained　with　blood；　and　variously　attired。　They　were　surrounded　by　crowds　of　dejected…looking　and　intently　observant　soldiers；　who　had　come　with　stretchers。　Officers；　trying　to　keep　order；　kept　driving　them　away　from　the　place；　but　it　was　of　no　use。　The　soldiers；　heedless　of　the　officers；　stood　leaning　against　the　stretchers；　gazing　intently　at　what　was　passing　before　their　eyes；　as　though　trying　to　solve　some　difficult　problem　in　this　spectacle。　From　the　tents　came　the　sound　of　loud；　angry　wailing；　and　piteous　moans。　At　intervals　a　doctor’s　assistant　ran　out　for　water；　or　to　point　out　those　who　were　to　be　taken　in　next。　The　wounded；　awaiting　their　turn　at　the　tent；　uttered　hoarse　groans　and　moans；　wept；　shouted；　swore；　or　begged　for　vodka。　Several　were　raving　in　delirium。　Prince　Andrey；　as　a　colonel；　was　carried　through　the　crowd　of　wounded　not　yet　treated；　and　brought　close　up　to　one　of　the　tents；　where　his　bearers　halted　awaiting　instructions。　Prince　Andrey　opened　his　eyes；　and　for　a　long　while　could　not　understand　what　was　passing　around　him。　The　meadow；　the　wormwood；　the　black；　whirling　ball；　and　his　passionate　rush　of　love　for　life　came　back　to　his　mind。　A　couple　of　paces　from　him　stood　a　tall；　handsome；　dark…haired　sergeant；　with　a　bandaged　head；　leaning　against　a　branch。　He　had　been　wounded　in　the　head　and　in　the　leg；　and　was　talking　loudly；　attracting　general　attention。　A　crowd　of　wounded　men　and　stretcher…bearers　had　gathered　round　him；　greedily　listening　to　his　words。
“We　regularly　hammered　him　out；　so　he　threw　up　everything；　we　took　the　king　himself；”　the　soldier　was　shouting；　looking　about　him　with　feverishly　glittering　black　eyes。　“If　only　the　reserves　had　come　up　in　the　nick　of　time；　my　dear　fellow；　there　wouldn’t　have　been　a　sign　of　him　left；　for　I　can　tell　you　…”
Prince　Andrey；　like　all　the　men　standing　round　the　speaker；　gazed　at　him　with　bright　eyes；　and　felt　a　sense　of　comfort。　“But　isn’t　it　all　the　same　now？”　he　thought。　“What　will　be　there；　and　what　has　been　here？　why　was　I　so　sorry　to　part　with　life？　There　was　something　in　this　life　that　I　didn’t　understand；　and　don’t　understand。”


Chapter　37
ONE　OF　THE　DOCTORS　came　out　of　the　tent　with　a　blood…stained　apron；　and　small；　blood…stained　hands；　in　one　of　which　he　had　a　cigar；　carefully　held　between　his　thumb　and　little　finger；　that　it　might　not　be　stained　too。　This　doctor　threw　his　head　up；　and　looked　about　him；　but　over　the　level　of　the　wounded　crowd。　He　was　evidently　longing　for　a　short　respite。　After　turning　his　head　from　right　to　left　for　a　few　minutes；　he　sighed　and　dropped　his　eyes　again。
“All　right；　immediately；”　he　said　in　reply　to　an　assistant；　who　pointed　him　our　Prince　Andrey；　and　he　bade　the　bearers　carry　him　into　the　tent。
A　murmur　rose　in　the　crowd　of　wounded　men　waiting。
“Even　in　the　next　world　it’s　only　the　gentry　who　will　have　a　good　time；”　said　one。
Prince　Andrey　was　carried　in；　and　laid　on　a　table　that　had　just　been　cleared；　and　was　being　rinsed　over　by　an　assistant。　He　could　not　make　out　distinctly　what　was　in　the　tent。　The　pitiful　groans　on　all　sides；　and　the　excruciating　pain　in　his　thigh；　his　stomach；　and　his　back　distracted　his　attention。　Everything　he　saw　around　melted　for　him　into　a　single　general　impression　of　naked；　blood…stained；　human　flesh；　which　seemed　to　fill　up　the　whole　low…pitched　tent；　as；　a　few　weeks　before；　on　that　hot　August　day；　the　bare　human　flesh　had　filled　up　the　dirty　pond　along　the　Smolensk　road。　Yes；　it　was　the　same　flesh；　the　same　chair　à　canon；　the　sight　of　which　had　aroused　in　him　then　a　horror；　that　seemed　prophetic　of　what　he　felt　now。
There　were　three　tables　in　the　tent。　Two　were　occupied；　on　the　third　they　laid　Prince　Andrey。　For　some　time　he　was　left　alone；　an　involuntary　witness　of　what　was　being　done　at　the　other　tables。　On　the　table　nearest　sat　a　Tatar；　probably　of　a　Cossack　regiment；　judging　from　the　uniform　that　had　been　thrown　down　close　by。　Four　soldiers　were　holding　him。　A　doctor　in　spectacles　was　cutting　something　in　his　brown；　muscular　back。
‘Ooh！　ooh！　ooh！…”　the　Tatar；　as　it　were；　grunted；　and　all　of　a　sudden；　throwing　up　his　broad；　swarthy；　sun…burned　face；　and　showing　his　white　teeth；　he　began　wriggling；　twitching；　and　shrieking　a　piercingly　shrill；　prolonged　scream。　On　the　other　table；　round　which　a　number　of　persons　were　standing；　a　big；　stout　man　lay　on　his　back；　with　his　head　flung　back。　The　colour　and　curliness　of　the　hair　and　the　shape　seemed　strangely　familiar　to　Prince　Andrey。　Several　assistants　were　holding　him；　and　weighing　on　his　chest。　One　white；　plump　leg　was　incessantly　moving　with　a　rapid；　spasmodic　twitching。　This　man　was　sobbing　and　choking　convulsively。　Two　doctors—one　was　pale　and　trembling—were　mutely　engaged　in　doing　something　with　the　other　red；　gory　leg。　Having　finished　with　the　Tatar；　over　whom　a　cloak　was　thrown；　the　doctor　in　spectacles　came　up　to　Prince　Andrey；　wiping　his　hands。
He　glanced　at　his　face；　and　hurriedly　turned　away。　“Undress　him！　Why　are　you　dawdling？”　he　shouted　angrily　to　the　assistant。
His　earliest；　remotest　childhood　came　back　to　Prince　Andrey；　when　the　assistant；　with　tucked…up　sleeves；　hurriedly　unbuttoned　his　buttons；　and　took　off　his　clothes。　The　doctor　bent　close　down　over　the　wound；　felt　it；　and　sighed　deeply。　Then　he　made　a　sign　to　some　one。　And　the　excruciating　pain　inside　his　stomach　made　Prince　Andrey　lose　consciousness。　When　he　regained　consciousness；　the　broken　splinters　of　his　thigh　bone　had　been　removed；　the　bits　of　ragged　flesh　had　been　cut　off；　and　the　wound　bound　up。　Water　was　sprinkled　on　his　face。　As　soon　as　Prince　Andrey　opened　his　eyes；　the　doctor　bent　over　him；　kissed　him　on　the　lips　without　speaking；　and　hurried　away。
After　the　agony　he　had　passed　through；　Prince　Andrey　felt　a　blissful　peace；　such　as　he　had　not　known　for　very　long。　All　the　best　and　happiest　moments　of　his　life；　especially　his　earliest　childhood；　when　he　had　been　undressed　and　put　to　bed；　when　his　nurse　had　sung　lullabies　over　him；　when；　burying　his　head　in　the　pillows；　he　had　felt　happy　in　the　mere　consciousness　of　life；　rose　before　his　imagination；　not　like　the　past　even；　but　as　though　it　were　the　actual　present。
The　doctors　were　busily　engaged　with　the　wounded　man；　whose　head　had　seemed　somehow　familiar　to　Prince　Andrey：　they　were　lifting　him　up　and　trying　to　soothe　him。
“Show　it　to　me…　ooo！　o！　ooo！”　he　could　hear　his　frightened；　abjectly　suffering　moans；　broken　by　sobs。　Hearing　his　moans；　Prince　Andrey　wanted　to　cry。　Either　because　he　was　dying　thus　without　glory；　or　because　he　was　sorry　to　part　with　life；　or　from　these　memories　of　a　childhood　that　could　never　return；　or　because　he　was　in　pain；　or　because　others　were　suffering；　and　that　man　was　moaning　so　piteously；　he　longed　to　weep　childlike；　good；　almost　happy；　tears。
They　showed　the　wounded　man　the　leg　that　had　been　amputated；　wearing　a　boot；　and　covered　with　dry　gore。　“O！　oooo！”　he　sobbed　like　a　woman。　The　doctor　who　had　been　standing　near　him；　screening　his　face；　moved　away。
“My　God！　How’s　this？　Why　is　he　here？”　Prince　Andrey　wondered。
In　the　miserable；　sobbing；　abject　creature；　whose　leg　had　just　been　cut　off；　he　recognised　Anatole　Kuragin。　It　was　Anatole　they　were　holding　up　in　their　arms　and　offering　a　glass　of　water；　the　edge　of　which　he　could　not　catch　with　his　trembling；　swollen　lips。　Anatole　drew　a　sobbing；　convulsive　breath。　“Yes；　it　is　he；　yes；　that　man　is　somehow　closely　and　painfully　bound　up　with　me；”　thought　Prince　Andrey；　with　no　clear　understanding　yet　of　what　was　before　him。　“What　is　the　connection　between　that　man　and　my　childhood；　my　life？”　he　asked　himself；　unable　to　find　the　clue。　And　all　at　once　a　new；　unexpected　memory　from　that　childlike　world　of　purity　and　love　rose　up　before　Prince　Andrey。　He　remembered　Natasha；　as　he　had　seen　her　for　the　first　time　at　the　ball　in　1810；　with　her　slender　neck　and　slender　arms；　and　her　frightened；　happy　face；　ready　for　ecstatic　enjoyment；　and　a　love　and　tenderness　awoke　in　his　heart　for　her　stronger　and　more　loving　than　ever。　He　recalled　now　the　bond　that　existed　between　him　and　this　man；　who　was　looking　vaguely　at　him　through　the　tears　that　filled　his　swollen　eyes。　Prince　Andrey　remembered　everything；　and　a　passionate　pity　and　love　for　that　suffering　man　filled　his　happy　heart。
Prince　Andrey　could　restrain　himself　no　more　and　wept　tears　of　love　and　tenderness　over　his　fellow…men；　over　himself；　and　over　their　errors　and　his　own。　“Sympathy；　love　for　our　brothers；　for　those　who　love　us；　love　for　those　who　hate　us；　love　for　our　enemies；　yes；　the　love　that　God　preached　upon　earth；　that　Marie　sought　to　teach　me；　and　I　did　not　understand；　that　is　why　I　am　sorry　to　part　with　life；　that　is　what　was　l