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第86节

战争与和平(上)-第86节

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at our retreating troops。
In the rearguard Dohturov and the rest; rallying their battalions; had been firing at the French cavalry who were pursuing them。 It was begining to get dark。 On the narrow dam of Augest; where the old miller in his peaked cap had sat for so many years with his fishing tackle; while his grandson; with tucked…up shirt…sleeves; turned over the silvery; floundering fish in the net; on that dam where the Moravians; in their shaggy caps and blue jackets; had for so many years peacefully driven their horses and waggons; loaded with wheat; to the mill and driven back over the same dam; dusty with flour that whitened their waggons—on that narrow dam men; made hideous by the terror of death; now crowded together; amid army waggons and cannons; under horses’ feet and between carriage…wheels; crushing each other; dying; stepping over the dying; and killing each other; only to be killed in the same way a few steps further on。
Every ten seconds a cannon ball flew lashing the air and thumped down; or a grenade burst in the midst of that dense crowd; slaying men and splashing blood on those who stood near。 Dolohov; wounded in the hand; with some dozen soldiers of his company on foot (he was already an officer) and his general on horseback; were the sole representatives of a whole regiment。 Carried along by the crowd; they were squeezed in the approach to the dam and stood still; jammed in on all sides because a horse with a cannon had fallen; and the crowd were dragging it away。 A cannon ball killed some one behind them; another fell in front of them and spurted the blood upon Dolohov。 The crowd moved forward desperately; was jammed; moved a few steps and was stopped again。 “Only to get over these hundred steps and certain safety: stay here two minutes and death to a certainty;” each man was thinking。
Dolohov standing in the centre of the crowd; forced his way to the edge of the dam; knocking down two soldiers; and ran on to the slippery ice that covered the millpond。
“Turn this way!” he shouted; bounding over the ice; which cracked under him。 “Turn this way!” he kept shouting to the cannon。 “It bears!…” The ice bore him; but swayed and cracked; and it was evident that; not to speak of a cannon or a crowd of people; it would give way in a moment under him alone。 Men gazed at him and pressed to the bank; unable to bring themselves to step on to the ice。 The general of his regiment on horseback at the end of the dam lifted his hand and opened his mouth to speak to Dolohov。 Suddenly one of the cannon balls flew so low over the heads of the crowd that all ducked。 There was a wet splash; as the general fell from his horse into a pool of blood。 No one glanced at the general; no one thought of picking him up。
“On to the ice! Get on the ice! Get on! turn! don’t you hear! Get on!” innumerable voices fell to shouting immediately after the ball had struck the general; not knowing themselves what and why they were shouting。
One of the hindmost cannons that had been got on to the dam was turned off upon the ice。 Crowds of soldiers began running from the dam on to the frozen pond。 The ice cracked under one of the foremost soldiers; and one leg slipped into the water。 He tried to right himself and floundered up to his waist。 The soldiers nearest tried to draw back; the driver of the cannon pulled up his horse; but still the shouts were heard from behind: “Get on to the ice; why are you stopping? go on! go on!” And screams of terror were heard in the crowd。 The soldiers near the cannon waved at the horses; and lashed them to make them turn and go on。 The horses moved from the dam’s edge。 The ice that had held under the foot…soldiers broke in a huge piece; and some forty men who were on it dashed; some forwards; some backwards; drowning one another。
Still the cannon balls whizzed as regularly and thumped on to the ice; into the water; and most often into the crowd that covered the dam; the pond and the bank。


Chapter 19
PRINCE ANDREY BOLKONSKY was lying on the hill of Pratzen; on the spot where he had fallen with the flagstaff in his hands。 He was losing blood; and kept moaning a soft; plaintive; childish moan; of which he himself knew nothing。 Towards evening he ceased moaning and became perfectly still。 He did not know how long his unconsciousness lasted。 Suddenly he felt again that he was alive and suffering from a burning; lacerating pain in his head。
“Where is it; that lofty sky that I knew not till now and saw to…day?” was his first thought。 “And this agony I did not know either;” he thought。 “Yes; I knew nothing; nothing till now。 But where am I?”
He fell to listening; and caught the sound of approaching hoofs and voices speaking French。 He opened his eyes。 Above him was again the same lofty sky; with clouds higher than ever floating over it; and between them stretches of blue infinity。 He did not turn his head and did not see the men who; judging from the voices and the thud of hoofs; had ridden up to him and stopped。
They were Napoleon and two adjutants escorting him。 Bonaparte; making a tour of the field of battle; had been giving his last instructions for the strengthening of the battery firing at the Augest dam; and was inspecting the dead and wounded on the field of battle。
“Fine men!” said Napoleon; looking at a dead Russian grenadier; who with his face thrust into the earth and blackened neck lay on his stomach; one stiff arm flung wide。
“The field…guns have exhausted their ammunition;” said an adjutant; arriving that moment from the battery that was firing at Augest。
“Bring up more from the reserve;” said Napoleon; and riding a few steps away stood still; looking at Prince Andrey; who lay on his back with the abandoned flagstaff beside him (the flag had been taken by the French as a trophy)。
“That’s a fine death!” said Napoleon; looking at Bolkonsky。 Prince Andrey knew that it was said of him; and that it was Napoleon saying it。 He heard the speaker of those words addressed as “your majesty。” But he heard the words as he heard the buzzing of flies。 It was not merely that he took no interest in them; but he did not attend to them and at once forgot them。 There was a burning pain in his head; he felt he was losing blood; and he saw above him the high; far…away; everlasting sky。 He knew it was Napoleon—his hero—but at that moment Napoleon seemed to him such a small; insignificant creature in comparison with what was passing now between his soul and that lofty; limitless sky with the clouds flying over it。 It meant nothing to him at that moment who was standing over him; what was being said of him。 He was only glad that people were standing over him; and his only desire was that these people should help him and bring him back to life; which seemed to him so good; because he saw it all quite differently now。 He made a supreme effort to stir and utter some sound。 He moved his leg faintly; and uttered a weak; sickly moan that touched himself。 “Ah; he’s alive;” said Napoleon。 “Pick up this young man and carry him to an ambulance!” Saying this; Napoleon rode on to meet Marshal Lannes; who rode up to meet the conqueror; smiling; taking off his hat and congratulating him on his victory。
Prince Andrey remembered nothing more; he lost consciousness from the excruciating pain caused by being laid on the stretcher; the jolting while he was being moved; and the sounding of his wound at the ambulance。 He only regained consciousness towards the end of the day when with other Russian officers; wounded and prisoners; he was being taken to the hospital。 On this journey he felt a little stronger; and could look about him and even speak。
The first words he heard on coming to himself were from a French convoy officer who was saying hurriedly: “They must stop here; the Emperor will be here directly; it will be a pleasure for him to see these prisoners。”
“There are such a lot of prisoners to…day; almost the whole of the Russian army; that he is probably weary of seeing them;” said another officer。
“Well; but this one; they say; is the commander of all the Emperor Alexander’s guards;” said the first speaker; pointing to a wounded Russian officer in the white uniform of the horse…guards。 Bolkonsky recognised Prince Repnin; whom he had met in Petersburg society。 Beside him stood another officer of the horse…guards; a lad of nineteen; also wounded。
Bonaparte rode up at a gallop and pulled up。 “Who is the senior officer?” he said; on seeing the prisoners。
They named the colonel; Prince Repnin。
“Are you the commander of the regiment of Emperor Alexander’s horse…guards?” asked Napoleon。
“I was in command of a squadron;” replied Repnin。
“Your regiment did its duty honourably;” said Napoleon。
“The praise of a great general is a soldier’s best reward;” said Repnin。
“I bestow it upon you with pleasure;” said Napoleon。 “Who is this young man beside you?” Prince Repnin gave his name; Lieutenant Suhtelen。
Looking at him; Napoleon said with a smile: “He has come very young to meddle with us。”
“Youth is no hindrance to valour;” said Suhtelen in a breaking voice。
“A fine answer;” said Napoleon; “young man; you will go far。”
Prince Andrey; who had been thrust forward u

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