雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第70部分

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　　This　man　was　visibly　stupid。　Long…continued　wretchedness　in　the　galleys；　long　misery　outside　the　galleys；　had　brutalized　him；　etc。
　　He　defended　himself　badly；　was　that　a　reason　for　condemning　him？
　　As　for　the　affair　with　Little　Gervais；　the　counsel　need　not　discuss　it；　it　did　not　enter　into　the　case。
　　The　lawyer　wound　up　by　beseeching　the　jury　and　the　court；　if　the　identity　of　Jean　Valjean　appeared　to　them　to　be　evident；　to　apply　to　him　the　police　penalties　which　are　provided　for　a　criminal　who　has　broken　his　ban；　and　not　the　frightful　chastisement　which　descends　upon　the　convict　guilty　of　a　second　offence。
　　The　district…attorney　answered　the　counsel　for　the　defence。　He　was　violent　and　florid；　as　district…attorneys　usually　are。
　　He　congratulated　the　counsel　for　the　defence　on　his　〃loyalty；〃　and　skilfully　took　advantage　of　this　loyalty。
　　He　reached　the　accused　through　all　the　concessions　made　by　his　lawyer。
　　The　advocate　had　seemed　to　admit　that　the　prisoner　was　Jean　Valjean。
　　He　took　note　of　this。　So　this　man　was　Jean　Valjean。
　　This　point　had　been　conceded　to　the　accusation　and　could　no　longer　be　disputed。
　　Here；　by　means　of　a　clever　autonomasia　which　went　back　to　the　sources　and　causes　of　crime；　the　district…attorney　thundered　against　the　immorality　of　the　romantic　school；　then　dawning　under　the　name　of　the　Satanic　school；　which　had　been　bestowed　upon　it　by　the　critics　of　the　Quotidienne　and　the　Oriflamme；　he　attributed；　not　without　some　probability；　to　the　influence　of　this　perverse　literature　the　crime　of　Champmathieu；　or　rather；　to　speak　more　correctly；　of　Jean　Valjean。
　　Having　exhausted　these　considerations；　he　passed　on　to　Jean　Valjean　himself。　Who　was　this　Jean　Valjean？
　　Description　of　Jean　Valjean：
　　a　monster　spewed　forth；　etc。
　　The　model　for　this　sort　of　description　is　contained　in　the　tale　of　Theramene；　which　is　not　useful　to　tragedy；　but　which　every　day　renders　great　services　to　judicial　eloquence。　The　audience　and　the　jury　〃shuddered。〃
　　The　description　finished；　the　district…attorney　resumed　with　an　oratorical　turn　calculated　to　raise　the　enthusiasm　of　the　journal　of　the　prefecture　to　the　highest　pitch　on　the　following　day：
　　And　it　is　such　a　man；　etc。；　etc。；　etc。；　vagabond；　beggar；　without　means　of　existence；　etc。；　etc。；　inured　by　his　past　life　to　culpable　deeds；　and　but　little　reformed　by　his　sojourn　in　the　galleys；　as　was　proved　by　the　crime　mitted　against　Little　Gervais；　etc。；　etc。；　it　is　such　a　man；　caught　upon　the　highway　in　the　very　act　of　theft；　a　few　paces　from　a　wall　that　had　been　scaled；　still　holding　in　his　hand　the　object　stolen；　who　denies　the　crime；　the　theft；　the　climbing　the　wall；　denies　everything；　denies　even　his　own　identity！　In　addition　to　a　hundred　other　proofs；　to　which　we　will　not　recur；　four　witnesses　recognize　himJavert；　the　upright　inspector　of　police；　Javert；　and　three　of　his　former　panions　in　infamy；　the　convicts　Brevet；　Chenildieu；　and　Cochepaille。
　　What　does　he　offer　in　opposition　to　this　overwhelming　unanimity？
　　His　denial。　What　obduracy！
　　You　will　do　justice；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　etc。；　etc。　While　the　district…attorney　was　speaking；　the　accused　listened　to　him　open…mouthed；　with　a　sort　of　amazement　in　which　some　admiration　was　assuredly　blended。
　　He　was　evidently　surprised　that　a　man　could　talk　like　that。
　　From　time　to　time；　at　those　〃energetic〃　moments　of　the　prosecutor's　speech；　when　eloquence　which　cannot　contain　itself　overflows　in　a　flood　of　withering　epithets　and　envelops　the　accused　like　a　storm；　he　moved　his　head　slowly　from　right　to　left　and　from　left　to　right　in　the　sort　of　mute　and　melancholy　protest　with　which　he　had　contented　himself　since　the　beginning　of　the　argument。　Two　or　three　times　the　spectators　who　were　nearest　to　him　heard　him　say　in　a　low　voice；　〃That　is　what　es　of　not　having　asked　M。　Baloup。〃　The　district…attorney　directed　the　attention　of　the　jury　to　this　stupid　attitude；　evidently　deliberate；　which　denoted　not　imbecility；　but　craft；　skill；　a　habit　of　deceiving　justice；　and　which　set　forth　in　all　its　nakedness　the　〃profound　perversity〃　of　this　man。　He　ended　by　making　his　reserves　on　the　affair　of　Little　Gervais　and　demanding　a　severe　sentence。
　　At　that　time；　as　the　reader　will　remember；　it　was　penal　servitude　for　life。
　　The　counsel　for　the　defence　rose；　began　by　plimenting　Monsieur　l'Avocat…General　on　his　〃admirable　speech；〃　then　replied　as　best　he　could；　but　he　weakened；　the　ground　was　evidently　slipping　away　from　under　his　feet。


BOOK　SEVENTH。THE　CHAMPMATHIEU　AFFAIR
CHAPTER　X　
　　THE　SYSTEM　OF　DENIALS
　　The　moment　for　closing　the　debate　had　arrived。
　　The　President　had　the　accused　stand　up；　and　addressed　to　him　the　customary　question；　〃Have　you　anything　to　add　to　your　defence？〃
　　The　man　did　not　appear　to　understand；　as　he　stood　there；　twisting　in　his　hands　a　terrible　cap　which　he　had。
　　The　President　repeated　the　question。
　　This　time　the　man　heard　it。
　　He　seemed　to　understand。
　　He　made　a　motion　like　a　man　who　is　just　waking　up；　cast　his　eyes　about　him；　stared　at　the　audience；　the　gendarmes；　his　counsel；　the　jury；　the　court；　laid　his　monstrous　fist　on　the　rim　of　woodwork　in　front　of　his　bench；　took　another　look；　and　all　at　once；　fixing　his　glance　upon　the　district…attorney；　he　began　to　speak。
　　It　was　like　an　eruption。　It　seemed；　from　the　manner　in　which　the　words　escaped　from　his　mouth；　incoherent；　impetuous；　pell…mell；　tumbling　over　each　other；　as　though　they　were　all　pressing　forward　to　issue　forth　at　once。　He　said：
　　〃This　is　what　I　have　to　say。
　　That　I　have　been　a　wheelwright　in　Paris；　and　that　it　was　with　Monsieur　Baloup。
　　It　is　a　hard　trade。　In　the　wheelwright's　trade　one　works　always　in　the　open　air；　in　courtyards；　under　sheds　when　the　masters　are　good；　never　in　closed　workshops；　because　space　is　required；　you　see。
　　In　winter　one　gets　so　cold　that　one　beats　one's　arms　together　to　warm　one's　self；　but　the　masters　don't　like　it；　they　say　it　wastes　time。　Handling　iron　when　there　is　ice　between　the　paving…stones　is　hard　work。　That　wears　a　man　out　quickly　One　is　old　while　he　is　still　quite　young　in　that　trade。
　　At　forty　a　man　is　done　for。
　　I　was　fifty…three。　I　was　in　a　bad　state。
　　And　then；　workmen　are　so　mean！
　　When　a　man　is　no　longer　young；　they　call　him　nothing　but　an　old　bird；　old　beast！　I　was　not　earning　more　than　thirty　sous　a　day。
　　They　paid　me　as　little　as　possible。
　　The　masters　took　advantage　of　my　age　and　then　I　had　my　daughter；　who　was　a　laundress　at　the　river。　She　earned　a　little　also。
　　It　sufficed　for　us　two。
　　She　had　trouble；　also；　all　day　long　up　to　her　waist　in　a　tub；　in　rain；　in　snow。　When　the　wind　cuts　your　face；　when　it　freezes；　it　is　all　the　same；　you　must　still　wash。
　　There　are　people　who　have　not　much　linen；　and　wait　until　late；　if　you　do　not　wash；　you　lose　your　custom。　The　planks　are　badly　joined；　and　water　drops　on　you　from　everywhere；　you　have　your　petticoats　all　damp　above　and　below。
　　That　penetrates。　She　has　also　worked　at　the　laundry　of　the　Enfants…Rouges；　where　the　water　es　through　faucets。
　　You　are　not　in　the　tub　there；　you　wash　at　the　faucet　in　front　of　you；　and　rinse　in　a　basin　behind　you。
　　As　it　is　enclosed；　you　are　not　so　cold；　but　there　is　that　hot　steam；　which　is　terrible；　and　which　ruins　your　eyes。　She　came　home　at　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　went　to　bed　at　once；　she　was　so　tired。
　　Her　husband　beat　her。
　　She　is　dead。　We　have　not　been　very　happy。
　　She　was　a　good　girl；　who　did　not　go　to　the　ball；　and　who　was　very　peaceable。
　　I　remember　one　Shrove…Tuesday　when　she　went　to　bed　at　eight　o'clock。　There；　I　am　telling　the　truth；　you　have　only　to　ask。
　　Ah；　yes！　how　stupid　I　am！
　　Paris　is　a　gulf。　Who　knows　Father　Champmathieu　there？
　　But　M。　Baloup　does；　I　tell　you。　Go　see　at　M。　Baloup's；　and　after　all；　I　don't　know　what　is　wanted　of　me。〃
　　The　man　ceased　speaking；　and　remained　standing。
　　He　had　said　these　things　in　a　loud；　rapid；　hoarse　voice；　with　a　sort　of　irritated　and　savage　ingenuousness。
　　Once　he　paused　to　salute　some　one　in　the　crowd。　The　sort　of　affirmations　which　he　seemed　to　fling　out　before　him　at　random　came　like　hiccoughs；　and　to　each　he　added　the　gesture　of　a　wood…cutter　who　is　splitting　wood。
　　When　he　had　finished；　the　audience　burst　into　a　laugh。
　　He　stared　at　the　public；　and；　perceiving　that　they　were　laughing；　and　not　understanding　why；　he　began　to　laugh　himself。
　　It　was　inauspicious。
　　The　President；　an　attentive　and　benevolent　man；　raised　his　voice。
　　He　reminded　〃the　gentlemen　of　the　jury〃　that　〃the　sieur　Baloup；　formerly　a　master…wheelwright；　with　whom　the　accused　stated　that　he　had　served；　had　been　summoned　in　vain。
　　He　had　bee　bankrupt；　and　was　not　to　be　found。〃
　　Then　turning　to　the　accused；　he　enjoined　him　to　listen　to　what　he　was　about　to　say；　and　added：
　　〃You　are　in　a　position　where　reflection　is　necessary。
　　The　gravest　presumptions　rest　upon　you；　and　may　induce　vital　results。
　　Prisoner；　in　your　own　interests；　I　summon　you　for　the　last　time　to　explain　yourself　clearly　on　two　points。
　　In　the　first　place；　did　you　or　did　you　not　climb　the