雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第81部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　That　figure　stood　for　a　long　time　wholly　in　the　light；　this　arose　from　a　certain　legendary　dimness　evolved　by　the　majority　of　heroes；　and　which　always　veils　the　truth　for　a　longer　or　shorter　time；　but　to…day　history　and　daylight　have　arrived。
　　That　light　called　history　is　pitiless；　it　possesses　this　peculiar　and　divine　quality；　that；　pure　light　as　it　is；　and　precisely　because　it　is　wholly　light；　it　often　casts　a　shadow　in　places　where　people　had　hitherto　beheld　rays；　from　the　same　man　it　constructs　two　different　phantoms；　and　the　one　attacks　the　other　and　executes　justice　on　it；　and　the　shadows　of　the　despot　contend　with　the　brilliancy　of　the　leader。　Hence　arises　a　truer　measure　in　the　definitive　judgments　of　nations。　Babylon　violated　lessens　Alexander；　Rome　enchained　lessens　Caesar；　Jerusalem　murdered　lessens　Titus；　tyranny　follows　the　tyrant。　It　is　a　misfortune　for　a　man　to　leave　behind　him　the　night　which　bears　his　form。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　V　
　　THE　QUID　OBSCURUM　OF　BATTLES
　　　Every　one　is　acquainted　with　the　first　phase　of　this　battle；　a　beginning　which　was　troubled；　uncertain；　hesitating；　menacing　to　both　armies；　but　still　more　so　for　the　English　than　for　the　French。
　　It　had　rained　all　night；　the　earth　had　been　cut　up　by　the　downpour；　the　water　had　accumulated　here　and　there　in　the　hollows　of　the　plain　as　if　in　casks；　at　some　points　the　gear　of　the　artillery　carriages　was　buried　up　to　the　axles；　the　circingles　of　the　horses　were　dripping　with　liquid　mud。
　　If　the　wheat　and　rye　trampled　down　by　this　cohort　of　transports　on　the　march　had　not　filled　in　the　ruts　and　strewn　a　litter　beneath　the　wheels；　all　movement；　particularly　in　the　valleys；　in　the　direction　of　Papelotte　would　have　been　impossible。
　　The　affair　began　late。
　　Napoleon；　as　we　have　already　explained；　was　in　the　habit　of　keeping　all　his　artillery　well　in　hand；　like　a　pistol；　aiming　it　now　at　one　point；　now　at　another；　of　the　battle；　and　it　had　been　his　wish　to　wait　until　the　horse　batteries　could　move　and　gallop　freely。
　　In　order　to　do　that　it　was　necessary　that　the　sun　should　e　out　and　dry　the　soil。　But　the　sun　did　not　make　its　appearance。
　　It　was　no　longer　the　rendezvous　of　Austerlitz。
　　When　the　first　cannon　was　fired；　the　English　general；　Colville；　looked　at　his　watch；　and　noted　that　it　was　thirty…five　minutes　past　eleven。
　　The　action　was　begun　furiously；　with　more　fury；　perhaps；　than　the　Emperor　would　have　wished；　by　the　left　wing　of　the　French　resting　on　Hougomont。
　　At　the　same　time　Napoleon　attacked　the　centre　by　hurling　Quiot's　brigade　on　La　Haie…Sainte；　and　Ney　pushed　forward　the　right　wing　of　the　French　against　the　left　wing　of　the　English；　which　rested　on　Papelotte。
　　The　attack　on　Hougomont　was　something　of　a　feint；　the　plan　was　to　draw　Wellington　thither；　and　to　make　him　swerve　to　the　left。　This　plan　would　have　succeeded　if　the　four　panies　of　the　English　guards　and　the　brave　Belgians　of　Perponcher's　division　had　not　held　the　position　solidly；　and　Wellington；　instead　of　massing　his　troops　there；　could　confine　himself　to　despatching　thither；　as　reinforcements；　only　four　more　panies　of　guards　and　one　battalion　from　Brunswick。
　　The　attack　of　the　right　wing　of　the　French　on　Papelotte　was　calculated；　in　fact；　to　overthrow　the　English　left；　to　cut　off　the　road　to　Brussels；　to　bar　the　passage　against　possible　Prussians；　to　force　Mont…Saint…Jean；　to　turn　Wellington　back　on　Hougomont；　thence　on　Braine…l'Alleud；　thence　on　Hal；　nothing　easier。　With　the　exception　of　a　few　incidents　this　attack　succeeded　Papelotte　was　taken；　La　Haie…Sainte　was　carried。
　　A　detail　to　be　noted。
　　There　was　in　the　English　infantry；　particularly　in　Kempt's　brigade；　a　great　many　raw　recruits。
　　These　young　soldiers　were　valiant　in　the　presence　of　our　redoubtable　infantry；　their　inexperience　extricated　them　intrepidly　from　the　dilemma；　they　performed　particularly　excellent　service　as　skirmishers：　the　soldier　skirmisher；　left　somewhat　to　himself；　bees；　so　to　speak；　his　own　general。
　　These　recruits　displayed　some　of　the　French　ingenuity　and　fury。
　　This　novice　of　an　infantry　had　dash。　This　displeased　Wellington。
　　After　the　taking　of　La　Haie…Sainte　the　battle　wavered。
　　There　is　in　this　day　an　obscure　interval；　from　mid…day　to　four　o'clock；　the　middle　portion　of　this　battle　is　almost　indistinct；　and　participates　in　the　sombreness　of　the　hand…to…hand　conflict。
　　Twilight　reigns　over　it。
　　We　perceive　vast　fluctuations　in　that　fog；　a　dizzy　mirage；　paraphernalia　of　war　almost　unknown　to…day；　pendant　colbacks；　floating　sabre…taches；　cross…belts；　cartridge…boxes　for　grenades；　hussar　dolmans；　red　boots　with　a　thousand　wrinkles；　heavy　shakos　garlanded　with　torsades；　the　almost　black　infantry　of　Brunswick　mingled　with　the　scarlet　infantry　of　England；　the　English　soldiers　with　great；　white　circular　pads　on　the　slopes　of　their　shoulders　for　epaulets；　the　Hanoverian　light…horse　with　their　oblong　casques　of　leather；　with　brass　hands　and　red　horse…tails；　the　Scotch　with　their　bare　knees　and　plaids；　the　great　white　gaiters　of　our　grenadiers；　pictures；　not　strategic　lineswhat　Salvator　Rosa　requires；　not　what　is　suited　to　the　needs　of　Gribeauval。
　　A　certain　amount　of　tempest　is　always　mingled　with　a　battle。　Quid　obscurum；　quid　divinum。
　　Each　historian　traces；　to　some　extent；　the　particular　feature　which　pleases　him　amid　this　pellmell。　Whatever　may　be　the　binations　of　the　generals；　the　shock　of　armed　masses　has　an　incalculable　ebb。
　　During　the　action　the　plans　of　the　two　leaders　enter　into　each　other　and　bee　mutually　thrown　out　of　shape。
　　Such　a　point　of　the　field　of　battle　devours　more　batants　than　such　another；　just　as　more　or　less　spongy　soils　soak　up　more　or　less　quickly　the　water　which　is　poured　on　them。　It　bees　necessary　to　pour　out　more　soldiers　than　one　would　like；　a　series　of　expenditures　which　are　the　unforeseen。
　　The　line　of　battle　waves　and　undulates　like　a　thread；　the　trails　of　blood　gush　illogically；　the　fronts　of　the　armies　waver；　the　regiments　form　capes　and　gulfs　as　they　enter　and　withdraw；　all　these　reefs　are　continually　moving　in　front　of　each　other。
　　Where　the　infantry　stood　the　artillery　arrives；　the　cavalry　rushes　in　where　the　artillery　was；　the　battalions　are　like　smoke。
　　There　was　something　there；　seek　it。
　　It　has　disappeared；　the　open　spots　change　place；　the　sombre　folds　advance　and　retreat；　a　sort　of　wind　from　the　sepulchre　pushes　forward；　hurls　back；　distends；　and　disperses　these　tragic　multitudes。
　　What　is　a　fray？　an　oscillation？
　　The　immobility　of　a　mathematical　plan　expresses　a　minute；　not　a　day。
　　In　order　to　depict　a　battle；　there　is　required　one　of　those　powerful　painters　who　have　chaos　in　their　brushes。　Rembrandt　is　better　than　Vandermeulen；　Vandermeulen；　exact　at　noon；　lies　at　three　o'clock。　Geometry　is　deceptive；　the　hurricane　alone　is　trustworthy。
　　That　is　what　confers　on　Folard　the　right　to　contradict　Polybius。
　　Let　us　add；　that　there　is　a　certain　instant　when　the　battle　degenerates　into　a　bat；　bees　specialized；　and　disperses　into　innumerable　detailed　feats；　which；　to　borrow　the　expression　of　Napoleon　himself；　〃belong　rather　to　the　biography　of　the　regiments　than　to　the　history　of　the　army。〃
　　The　historian　has；　in　this　case；　the　evident　right　to　sum　up　the　whole。
　　He　cannot　do　more　than　seize　the　principal　outlines　of　the　struggle；　and　it　is　not　given　to　any　one　narrator；　however　conscientious　he　may　be；　to　fix；　absolutely；　the　form　of　that　horrible　cloud　which　is　called　a　battle。
　　This；　which　is　true　of　all　great　armed　encounters；　is　particularly　applicable　to　Waterloo。
　　Nevertheless；　at　a　certain　moment　in　the　afternoon　the　battle　came　to　a　point。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　VI　
　　FOUR　O'CLOCK　IN　THE　AFTERNOON
　　　Towards　four　o'clock　the　condition　of　the　English　army　was　serious。　The　Prince　of　Orange　was　in　mand　of　the　centre；　Hill　of　the　right　wing；　Picton　of　the　left　wing。
　　The　Prince　of　Orange；　desperate　and　intrepid；　shouted　to　the　Hollando…Belgians：　〃Nassau！　Brunswick！
　　Never　retreat！〃
　　Hill；　having　been　weakened；　had　e　up　to　the　support　of　Wellington；　Picton　was　dead。
　　At　the　very　moment　when　the　English　had　captured　from　the　French　the　flag　of　the　105th　of　the　line；　the　French　had　killed　the　English　general；　Picton；　with　a　bullet　through　the　head。
　　The　battle　had；　for　Wellington；　two　bases　of　action；　Hougomont　and　La　Haie…Sainte；　Hougomont　still　held　out；　but　was　on　fire；　La　Haie…Sainte　was　taken。
　　Of　the　German　battalion　which　defended　it；　only　forty…two　men　survived；　all　the　officers；　except　five；　were　either　dead　or　captured。
　　Three　thousand　batants　had　been　massacred　in　that　barn。
　　A　sergeant　of　the　English　Guards；　the　foremost　boxer　in　England；　reputed　invulnerable　by　his　panions；　had　been　killed　there　by　a　little　French　drummer…boy。　Baring　had　been　dislodged；　Alten　put　to　the　sword。
　　Many　flags　had　been　lost；　one　from　Alten's　division；　and　one　from　the　battalion　of　Lunenburg；　carried　by　a　prince　of　the　house　of　Deux…Ponts。　The　Scotch　Grays　no　longer　existed；　Ponsonby's　great　dragoons　had　been　hacked　to　pieces。　That　valiant　cavalry　had　bent　beneath　the　lan