🔊 One would have thought that under the almost incredibly wretched conditions the Russian soldiers were in at that time-lacking warm boots and sheepskin coats, without a roof over their heads, in the snow with eighteen degrees of frost, and without even full rations (the commissariat did not always keep up with the troops)-they would have presented a very sad and depressing spectacle.

人们或许会以为,在那几乎难以想象的悲惨条件下--当时的俄国士兵们缺少暖靴和羊皮大衣,没有栖身之所,身处零下十八度的雪地中,甚至口粮都不充足（军需部门总是跟不上部队）--他们本该呈现出一种极为凄凉沮丧的景象。

🔊

incredibly /ɪnˈkredəbli/

adv. 难以置信地,非常地➕

🔊

wretched /ˈretʃɪd/

adj. 极差的,悲惨的,恶劣的➕

🔊

commissariat /ˌkɒmɪˈseəriət/

n. 军需处,后勤部门➕

🔊

troops /truːps/

n. 部队,军队➕

🔊

depressing /dɪˈpresɪŋ/

adj. 令人沮丧的,压抑的➕

🔊

spectacle /ˈspektəkl/

n. 景象,场景,奇观➕

🔊 On the contrary, the army had never, under the best material conditions, presented a more cheerful and animated aspect.

恰恰相反,这支军队即使在最好的物质条件下,也从未表现出比现在更欢快活泼的面貌。

🔊

contrary /ˈkɒntrəri/

adj. 相反的➕

🔊

material /məˈtɪəriəl/

adj. 物质的,实际的➕

🔊

animated /ˈænɪmeɪtɪd/

adj. 充满活力的,生动的➕

🔊

aspect /ˈæspekt/

n. 方面,面貌,样子➕

🔊 This was because all who began to grow depressed or who lost strength were sifted out of the army day by day. All the physically or morally weak had long since been left behind and only the flower of the army-physically and mentally-remained.

这是因为,那些开始消沉或失去力量的人,每天都在被从军队中筛除。所有身体或精神上的弱者早已被抛在后面,留下的只是军队的精华--无论身心。

🔊

depressed /dɪˈprest/

adj. 沮丧的,抑郁的➕

🔊

sifted /sɪftɪd/

v. 筛选,过滤➕

🔊 More men collected behind the wattle fence of the Eighth Company than anywhere else. Two sergeants major were sitting with them and their campfire blazed brighter than others. For leave to sit by their wattle they demanded contributions of fuel.

第八连柳条篱笆后面聚集的人比别处都多。两个军士长坐在他们中间,他们的篝火比其他的燃得更旺。要想获准坐在他们的柳条旁,就得贡献柴火。

🔊

wattle /ˈwɒtl/

n. 枝条；篱笆➕

🔊

sergeants major /ˈsɑːdʒənts ˈmeɪdʒər/

n. 军士长（复数）➕

🔊

campfire /ˈkæmpfaɪə/

n. 篝火,营火➕

🔊

blazed /bleɪzd/

v. 燃烧,发出火焰➕

🔊

contributions /ˌkɒntrɪˈbjuːʃənz/

n. 贡献,捐献➕

🔊 "Eh, Makéev! What has become of you, you son of a bitch? Are you lost or have the wolves eaten you? Fetch some more wood!" shouted a red-haired and red-faced man, screwing up his eyes and blinking because of the smoke but not moving back from the fire. "And you, Jackdaw, go and fetch some wood!" said he to another soldier.

“嘿,马凯耶夫！你他娘的跑哪儿去了？是迷路了还是让狼吃了？再去抱点柴火来！”一个红脸膛红头发的汉子嚷道,他被烟熏得眯着眼睛直眨巴,但并没有往后退。“还有你,寒鸦,也去弄点柴火！”他对另一个士兵说。

🔊

screwing /ˈskruːɪŋ/

v. 拧,扭曲；眯起（眼睛）➕

🔊

blinking /ˈblɪŋkɪŋ/

v. 眨眼➕

🔊

Jackdaw /ˈdʒækdɔː/

n. 寒鸦（一种鸟）➕

🔊 This red-haired man was neither a sergeant nor a corporal, but being robust he ordered about those weaker than himself. The soldier they called "Jackdaw," a thin little fellow with a sharp nose, rose obediently and was about to go but at that instant there came into the light of the fire the slender, handsome figure of a young soldier carrying a load of wood.

这个红发汉子既不是军士也不是下士,但因为身强力壮,他就指挥起比他弱的人来。那个被叫做寒鸦的士兵是个瘦小的小个子,长着一副尖鼻子,他顺从地站起来正要走,这时一个年轻士兵背着柴火走进了火光中,模样瘦削而英俊。

🔊

robust /rəʊˈbʌst/

adj. 强健的, robust 的；坚强的➕

🔊

obediently /əˈbiːdiəntli/

adv. 顺从地➕

🔊

slender /ˈslendə/

adj. 苗条的,纤细的➕

🔊 "Bring it here-that's fine!"

“拿到这儿来--这就好了！”

🔊 They split up the wood, pressed it down on the fire, blew at it with their mouths, and fanned it with the skirts of their greatcoats, making the flames hiss and crackle.

他们把柴火劈开,压实到火上,用嘴吹气,用大衣下摆扇风,弄得火焰嘶嘶作响,噼啪爆裂。

🔊

fanned /fænd/

v. 扇动；煽动➕

🔊

greatcoats /ˈɡreɪtkoʊts/

n. 厚大衣,军大衣➕

🔊

crackle /ˈkrækl/

v. 发出噼啪声➕

🔊 The men drew nearer and lit their pipes. The handsome young soldier who had brought the wood, setting his arms akimbo, began stamping his cold feet rapidly and deftly on the spot where he stood.

人们凑得更近,点起了烟斗。那个背柴火的英俊年轻士兵叉着腰,开始在他站的地方灵巧而迅速地跺着冻僵的双脚。

🔊

akimbo /əˈkɪmbəʊ/

adj. 叉腰的（通常用于短语with arms akimbo）➕

🔊

deftly /ˈdeftli/

adv. 灵巧地,熟练地➕

🔊 "Mother! The dew is cold but clear... It's well that I'm a musketeer..." he sang, pretending to hiccough after each syllable.

“妈妈！露水冰冷又清亮……幸好我是个火枪手……”他唱道,每个音节后都假装打了个嗝。

🔊

musketeer /ˌmʌskɪˈtɪə/

n. 火枪手➕

🔊

hiccough /ˈhɪkʌp/

n./v. 打嗝（名词或动词）➕

🔊 "Look out, your soles will fly off!" shouted the red-haired man, noticing that the sole of the dancer's boot was hanging loose. "What a fellow you are for dancing!"

“当心,你的鞋底要飞了！”红发汉子喊道,他注意到跳舞士兵的靴子底翻了起来。“可真是个跳舞的好料子！”

🔊 The dancer stopped, pulled off the loose piece of leather, and threw it on the fire.

跳舞的士兵停了下来,扯下那块松脱的皮子,扔进了火里。

🔊

leather /ˈleðə/

n. 皮革➕

🔊 "Right enough, friend," said he, and, having sat down, took out of his knapsack a scrap of blue French cloth, and wrapped it round his foot. "It's the steam that spoils them," he added, stretching out his feet toward the fire.

“说得对,伙计。”他说着坐下,从背包里掏出一块蓝色的法国布料,裹在脚上。“是蒸汽弄坏的。”他补充道,把脚伸向火边。

🔊

knapsack /ˈnæpsæk/

n. （军用或旅行用的）背包➕

🔊 "They'll soon be issuing us new ones. They say that when we've finished hammering them, we're to receive double kits!"

“很快就会发新鞋了。听说等我们打完仗,每人能领两套装备！”

🔊

issuing /ˈɪʃuːɪŋ/

v. 发放,发布➕

🔊

kits /kɪts/

n. 装备,成套工具➕

🔊 "And that son of a bitch Petróv has lagged behind after all, it seems," said one sergeant major.

“那个狗娘养的彼得罗夫到底还是掉队了,看样子。”一个军士长说。

🔊

lagged behind /læɡd bɪˈhaɪnd/

v. phrase. 落后➕

🔊

sergeant major /ˈsɑːdʒənt ˈmeɪdʒər/

n. 军士长（单数）➕

🔊 "I've had an eye on him this long while," said the other.

“我早就注意他了。”另一个说。

🔊 "Well, he's a poor sort of soldier..."

“哼,他算个什么兵……”

🔊 "But in the Third Company they say nine men were missing yesterday."

“不过第三连说昨天少了九个人。”

🔊 "Yes, it's all very well, but when a man's feet are frozen how can he walk?"

“没错,这倒是真的,可脚都冻僵了,怎么走路？”

🔊 "Eh? Don't talk nonsense!" said a sergeant major.

“啊？别胡说八道！”一个军士长说。

🔊 "Do you want to be doing the same?" said an old soldier, turning reproachfully to the man who had spoken of frozen feet.

“你想也变成那样吗？”一个老兵转过身来,责备地对那个说脚冻僵的人说。

🔊

reproachfully /rɪˈprəʊtʃfəli/

adv. 责备地,带着谴责地➕

🔊 "Well, you know," said the sharp-nosed man they called Jackdaw in a squeaky and unsteady voice, raising himself at the other side of the fire, "a plump man gets thin, but for a thin one it's death. Take me, now! I've got no strength left," he added, with sudden resolution turning to the sergeant major. "Tell them to send me to hospital; I'm aching all over; anyway I shan't be able to keep up."

“唉,你知道,”那个尖鼻子、被叫做寒鸦的人用尖细而不稳的声音说道,他在火堆另一边直起身子,“胖子会变瘦,瘦子可就没命了。就拿我来说吧！我已经没有力气了。”他补充道,突然下定决心转向军士长,“叫他们送我去医院吧；我浑身疼；反正我也跟不上队伍了。”

🔊

unsteady /ʌnˈstɛdi/

adj. 不稳定的,摇晃的➕

🔊

resolution /ˌrɛzəˈluːʃən/

n. 决心,决议➕

🔊 "That'll do, that'll do!" replied the sergeant major quietly.

“行了,行了！”军士长平静地回答。

🔊 The soldier said no more and the talk went on.

士兵不再说话,谈话继续下去。

🔊 "What a lot of those Frenchies were taken today, and the fact is that not one of them had what you might call real boots on," said a soldier, starting a new theme. "They were no more than make-believes."

“今儿个抓了多少法国佬,可说实话,他们脚上连双像样的靴子都没有。”一个士兵开始新话题,“都是些糊弄人的玩意儿。”

🔊

make-believes /ˈmeɪk bɪˈliːvz/

n. 假装的东西,假货（复数形式）➕

🔊 "The Cossacks have taken their boots. They were clearing the hut for the colonel and carried them out. It was pitiful to see them, boys," put in the dancer. "As they turned them over one seemed still alive and, would you believe it, he jabbered something in their lingo."

“哥萨克们把他们靴子拿走了。他们正在给上校清理小屋,就把靴子拎出去了。看着真可怜,兄弟们。”跳舞的士兵插嘴道,“翻动他们的时候,有一个好像还活着,你们信不信,他叽里咕噜说着他们的鸟语。”

🔊

jabbered /ˈdʒæbərd/

v. 喋喋不休地说,急促不清地说话➕

🔊

lingo /ˈlɪŋɡoʊ/

n. 行话,术语,外语➕

🔊

pitiful /ˈpɪtɪfəl/

adj. 可怜的,令人同情的➕

🔊 "But they're a clean folk, lads," the first man went on; "he was white-as white as birchbark-and some of them are such fine fellows, you might think they were nobles."

“不过他们那帮人挺干净,伙计们。”第一个人接着说,“他白净--白得像桦树皮--有些长得可真俊,你简直以为他们是贵族。”

🔊

birchbark /ˈbɜːrtʃbɑːrk/

n. 桦树皮➕

🔊 "Well, what do you think? They make soldiers of all classes there."

“那你觉得呢？他们那儿各行各业的人都当兵。”

🔊 "But they don't understand our talk at all," said the dancer with a puzzled smile. "I asked him whose subject he was, and he jabbered in his own way. A queer lot!"

“可他们完全听不懂我们说话。”跳舞的士兵困惑地笑着说,“我问他是什么出身,他就用自己的话叽里咕噜。真怪！”

🔊

queer /kwɪr/

adj. 奇怪的,异常的➕

🔊 "But it's strange, friends," continued the man who had wondered at their whiteness, "the peasants at Mozháysk were saying that when they began burying the dead-where the battle was you know-well, those dead had been lying there for nearly a month, and says the peasant, 'they lie as white as paper, clean, and not as much smell as a puff of powder smoke.'"

“可是怪了,朋友们。”那个对他们白净感到惊奇的人继续说道,“莫扎伊斯克附近的农民说,他们开始埋死人的时候--你知道,就是打仗那地方--那些死了的人躺了快一个月了,农民说:‘他们白得像纸一样,干干净净,连一点火药味也没有。’”

🔊

whiteness /ˈwaɪtnɪs/

n. 白色,洁白➕

🔊 "Was it from the cold?" asked someone.

“是因为冷吗？”有人问。

🔊 "You're a clever fellow! From the cold indeed! Why, it was hot. If it had been from the cold, ours would not have rotted either. 'But,' he says, 'go up to ours and they are all rotten and maggoty. So,' he says, 'we tie our faces up with kerchiefs and turn our heads away as we drag them off: we can hardly do it. But theirs,' he says, 'are white as paper and not so much smell as a whiff of gunpowder.'"

“你可真聪明！因为冷？哪能啊！天热着呢。要是因为冷,咱们的人也不会烂了。可是他说:‘走到咱们的人跟前,全都烂了,生了蛆。所以我们用头巾扎住脸,扭着头拖他们,简直没法干。可他们的呢,白得像纸,连一点火药味也没有。’”

🔊

maggoty /ˈmæɡəti/

adj. 生蛆的,腐烂的➕

🔊

kerchiefs /ˈkɜːrtʃɪfs/

n. 方巾,围巾（复数）➕

🔊

whiff /wɪf/

n. 一缕（气味）；少量➕

🔊

gunpowder /ˈɡʌnpaʊdər/

n. 火药➕

🔊 All were silent.

大家都不说话了。

🔊 "It must be from their food," said the sergeant major. "They used to gobble the same food as the gentry."

“准是因为他们的伙食。”军士长说,“他们以前跟老爷们吃一样的东西。”

🔊

gobble /ˈɡɒbəl/

v. 狼吞虎咽➕

🔊

gentry /ˈdʒentri/

n. 上层社会人士,贵族➕

🔊 No one contradicted him.

没人反驳他。

🔊

contradicted /ˌkɒntrəˈdɪktɪd/

v. 反驳（过去式）➕

🔊 "That peasant near Mozháysk where the battle was said the men were all called up from ten villages around and they carted for twenty days and still didn't finish carting the dead away. And as for the wolves, he says..."

“莫扎伊斯克附近那场仗的农民说,附近十个村子的人都给征调了,运了二十天还没把死人运完。至于狼呢,他说……”

🔊

peasant /ˈpezənt/

n. 农民➕

🔊

battle /ˈbætəl/

n. 战役➕

🔊

carted /ˈkɑːrtɪd/

v. 用马车运送（过去式）➕

🔊

carting /ˈkɑːrtɪŋ/

v. 用马车运送（现在分词）➕

🔊 "That was a real battle," said an old soldier. "It's the only one worth remembering; but since that... it's only been tormenting folk."

“那才是真打仗。”一个老兵说,“是唯一值得记住的一场仗；从那以后……纯粹是折腾人。”

🔊

tormenting /tɔːrˈmentɪŋ/

v. 折磨（现在分词）➕

🔊

folk /foʊk/

n. 人们➕

🔊 "And do you know, Daddy, the day before yesterday we ran at them and, my word, they didn't let us get near before they just threw down their muskets and went on their knees. 'Pardon!' they say. That's only one case. They say Plátov took 'Poleon himself twice. But he didn't know the right charm. He catches him and catches him-no good! He turns into a bird in his hands and flies away. And there's no way of killing him either."

“你知道吗,老爷子,前天我们冲他们冲过去,哎呀,还没等我们靠近,他们就扔下枪,跪了下来。说:‘饶命！’就这么回事。他们说普拉托夫亲手抓了‘波拿巴’两次。可他没念对咒语。他抓呀抓呀,就是抓不着；拿破仑一到他手里就变成鸟飞走了。而且怎么也杀不死他。”

🔊

muskets /ˈmʌskɪts/

n. 火枪（复数）➕

🔊

charm /tʃɑːrm/

n. 魔法,魅力➕

🔊 "You're a first-class liar, Kiselëv, when I come to look at you!"

“你真是个头号撒谎精,基谢廖夫,我算是看透你了！”

🔊

liar /ˈlaɪər/

n. 说谎者➕

🔊

first-class /ˈfɜːrst ˈklæs/

adj. 一流的➕

🔊 "Liar, indeed! It's the real truth."

“撒谎？这可是千真万确！”

🔊 "If he fell into my hands, when I'd caught him I'd bury him in the ground with an aspen stake to fix him down. What a lot of men he's ruined!"

“要是他落到我手里,我抓住他就把他埋进地里,再钉上一根白杨桩子。他害死了多少人！”

🔊

aspen /ˈæspən/

n. 白杨树➕

🔊

stake /steɪk/

n. 木桩➕

🔊

ruined /ˈruːɪnd/

v. 毁灭（过去式）➕

🔊 "Well, anyhow we're going to end it. He won't come here again," remarked the old soldier, yawning.

“好了,无论如何我们就要结束了。他不会再来了。”老兵打着哈欠说。

🔊

anyhow /ˈenihaʊ/

adv. 无论如何➕

🔊

yawning /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/

v. 打哈欠（现在分词）➕

🔊

remarked /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

v. 评论（过去式）➕

🔊 The conversation flagged, and the soldiers began settling down to sleep.

谈话渐渐冷下来,士兵们开始准备睡觉。

🔊

flagged /flæɡd/

v. 减弱（过去式）➕

🔊

settling /ˈsetlɪŋ/

v. 安顿（现在分词）➕

🔊 "Look at the stars. It's wonderful how they shine! You would think the women had spread out their linen," said one of the men, gazing with admiration at the Milky Way.

“看那些星星,亮得多神奇！你简直以为女人们晒出了亚麻布。”一个士兵凝视着银河,赞叹道。

🔊

linen /ˈlɪnɪn/

n. 亚麻布➕

🔊

gazing /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/

v. 凝视（现在分词）➕

🔊

admiration /ˌædməˈreɪʃən/

n. 钦佩➕

🔊

Milky Way /ˈmɪlki weɪ/

n. 银河➕

🔊 "That's a sign of a good harvest next year."

“这是明年有好收成的兆头。”

🔊 "We shall want some more wood."

“我们还需要些柴火。”

🔊 "You warm your back and your belly gets frozen. That's queer."

“你暖了后背,肚子就冻僵了。真怪。”

🔊 "O Lord!"

“哦,主啊！”

🔊 "What are you pushing for? Is the fire only for you? Look how he's sprawling!"

“你挤什么挤？火就给你一个人用吗？看他躺的样儿！”

🔊

sprawling /ˈsprɔːlɪŋ/

v. 四肢摊开地躺或坐；杂乱蔓延➕

🔊 In the silence that ensued, the snoring of those who had fallen asleep could be heard. Others turned over and warmed themselves, now and again exchanging a few words.

随后的寂静中,可以听到睡着的人的鼾声。其他人翻着身取暖,偶尔交谈几句。

🔊

ensued /ɪnˈsjuːd/

v. 继而发生；随之而来➕

🔊

snoring /ˈsnɔːrɪŋ/

n. 打鼾声➕

🔊

exchanging /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/

v. 交换；交流➕

🔊 From a campfire a hundred paces off came a sound of general, merry laughter.

百步之外的一个篝火堆传来一片欢快的笑声。

🔊 "Hark at them roaring there in the Fifth Company!" said one of the soldiers, "and what a lot of them there are!"

“听听他们在第五连那边笑得多欢！”一个士兵说,“人可真多！”

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Company /ˈkʌmpəni/

n. 连队（军事单位）；公司➕

🔊 One of the men got up and went over to the Fifth Company.

有个人站起来,走到第五连那边。

🔊 "They're having such fun," said he, coming back. "Two Frenchies have turned up. One's quite frozen and the other's an awful swaggerer. He's singing songs..."

“他们可开心了。”他回来说,“来了两个法国人。一个冻僵了,另一个是个特别神气的家伙。他在唱歌……”

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awful /ˈɔːfəl/

adj. 极坏的；可怕的➕

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swaggerer /ˈswæɡərər/

n. 自大的人；虚张声势者➕

🔊 "Oh, I'll go across and have a look..."

“哦,我也过去看看……”

🔊 And several of the men went over to the Fifth Company.

于是好几个人都去了第五连。

Book Fifteen: 1812 - 13 – Chapter eight (第八章)

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