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Chapter 15 - Prince Andrey reports to Bagration
Between three and four o’clock in the afternoon Prince Andrey, who had persisted in his request to Kutuzov, arrived at Grunth and reported himself to Bagration. Bonaparte’s adjutant had not yet reached Murat’s detachment and the battle had not yet begun. In Bagration’s detachment no one knew anything of the general position of affairs. They talked of peace but did not believe in its possibility; others talked of a battle but also disbelieved in the nearness of an engagement. Bagration, knowing Bolkonsky to be a favorite and trusted adjutant, received him with distinction and special marks of favor, explaining to him that there would probably be an engagement that day or the next, and giving him full liberty to remain with him during the battle or to join the rearguard and have an eye on the order of retreat, “which is also very important.”
“However, there will hardly be an engagement today,” said Bagration as if to reassure1 Prince Andrey.
“If he is one of the ordinary little staff dandies sent to earn a medal he can get his reward just as well in the rearguard, but if he wishes to stay with me, let him . . . he’ll be of use here if he’s a brave officer,” thought Bagration. Prince Andrey, without replying, asked the prince’s permission to ride round the position to see the disposition2 of the forces, so as to know his bearings should he be sent to execute an order. The officer on duty, a handsome, elegantly dressed man with a diamond ring on his forefinger3, who was fond of speaking French though he spoke4 it badly, offered to conduct Prince Andrey.
On all sides they saw rain-soaked officers with dejected faces who seemed to be seeking something, and soldiers dragging doors, benches, and fencing from the village.
“There now, Prince! We can’t stop those fellows,” said the staff officer pointing to the soldiers. “The officers don’t keep them in hand. And there,” he pointed5 to a sutler’s tent, “they crowd in and sit. This morning I turned them all out and now look, it’s full again. I must go there, Prince, and scare them a bit. It won’t take a moment.”
“Yes, let’s go in and I will get myself a roll and some cheese,” said Prince Andrey who had not yet had time to eat anything.
“Why didn’t you mention it, Prince? I would have offered you something.”
They dismounted and entered the tent. Several officers, with flushed and weary faces, were sitting at the table eating and drinking.
“Now what does this mean, gentlemen?” said the staff officer, in the reproachful tone of a man who has repeated the same thing more than once. “You know it won’t do to leave your posts like this. The prince gave orders that no one should leave his post. Now you, Captain,” and he turned to a thin, dirty little artillery6 officer who without his boots (he had given them to the canteen keeper to dry), in only his stockings, rose when they entered, smiling not altogether comfortably.
“Well, aren’t you ashamed of yourself, Captain Tushin?” he continued. “One would think that as an artillery officer you would set a good example, yet here you are without your boots! The alarm will be sounded and you’ll be in a pretty position without your boots!” (The staff officer smiled.) “Kindly7 return to your posts, gentlemen, all of you, all!” he added in a tone of command.
Prince Andrey smiled involuntarily as he looked at the artillery officer Tushin, who silent and smiling, shifting from one stockinged foot to the other, glanced inquiringly with his large, intelligent, kindly eyes from Prince Andrey to the staff officer.
“The soldiers say it feels easier without boots,” said Captain Tushin smiling shyly in his uncomfortable position, evidently wishing to adopt a jocular tone. But before he had finished he felt that his jest was unacceptable and had not come off. He grew confused.
“Kindly return to your posts,” said the staff officer trying to preserve his gravity.
Prince Andrey glanced again at the artillery officer’s small figure. There was something peculiar8 about it, quite unsoldierly, rather comic, but extremely attractive.
The staff officer and Prince Andrey mounted their horses and rode on.
Having ridden beyond the village, continually meeting and overtaking soldiers and officers of various regiments10, they saw on their left some entrenchments being thrown up, the freshly dug clay of which showed up red. Several battalions12 of soldiers, in their shirt sleeves despite the cold wind, swarmed13 in these earthworks like a host of white ants; spadefuls of red clay were continually being thrown up from behind the bank by unseen hands. Prince Andrey and the officer rode up, looked at the entrenchment11, and went on again. Just behind it they came upon some dozens of soldiers, continually replaced by others, who ran from the entrenchment. They had to hold their noses and put their horses to a trot14 to escape from the poisoned atmosphere of these latrines.
“Voila l’agrement des camps, monsieur le Prince,”* said the staff officer.
* “This is a pleasure one gets in camp, Prince.”
They rode up the opposite hill. From there the French could already be seen. Prince Andrey stopped and began examining the position.
“That’s our battery,” said the staff officer indicating the highest point. “It’s in charge of the queer fellow we saw without his boots. You can see everything from there; let’s go there, Prince.”
“Thank you very much, I will go on alone,” said Prince Andrey, wishing to rid himself of this staff officer’s company, “please don’t trouble yourself further.”
The staff officer remained behind and Prince Andrey rode on alone.
The farther forward and nearer the enemy he went, the more orderly and cheerful were the troops. The greatest disorder15 and depression had been in the baggage train he had passed that morning on the Znaim road seven miles away from the French. At Grunth also some apprehension16 and alarm could be felt, but the nearer Prince Andrey came to the French lines the more confident was the appearance of our troops. The soldiers in their greatcoats were ranged in lines, the sergeants18 major and company officers were counting the men, poking19 the last man in each section in the ribs20 and telling him to hold his hand up. Soldiers scattered21 over the whole place were dragging logs and brushwood and were building shelters with merry chatter22 and laughter; around the fires sat others, dressed and undressed, drying their shirts and leg bands or mending boots or overcoats and crowding round the boilers24 and porridge cookers. In one company dinner was ready, and the soldiers were gazing eagerly at the steaming boiler23, waiting till the sample, which a quartermaster sergeant17 was carrying in a wooden bowl to an officer who sat on a log before his shelter, had been tasted.
Another company, a lucky one for not all the companies had vodka, crowded round a pock-marked, broad-shouldered sergeant major who, tilting25 a keg, filled one after another the canteen lids held out to him. The soldiers lifted the canteen lids to their lips with reverential faces, emptied them, rolling the vodka in their mouths, and walked away from the sergeant major with brightened expressions, licking their lips and wiping them on the sleeves of their greatcoats. All their faces were as serene26 as if all this were happening at home awaiting peaceful encampment, and not within sight of the enemy before an action in which at least half of them would be left on the field. After passing a chasseur regiment9 and in the lines of the Kiev grenadiers — fine fellows busy with similar peaceful affairs — near the shelter of the regimental commander, higher than and different from the others, Prince Andrey came out in front of a platoon of grenadiers before whom lay a naked man. Two soldiers held him while two others were flourishing their switches and striking him regularly on his bare back. The man shrieked27 unnaturally29. A stout30 major was pacing up and down the line, and regardless of the screams kept repeating:
“It’s a shame for a soldier to steal; a soldier must be honest, honorable, and brave, but if he robs his fellows there is no honor in him, he’s a scoundrel. Go on! Go on!”
“Go on, go on!” said the major.
A young officer with a bewildered and pained expression on his face stepped away from the man and looked round inquiringly at the adjutant as he rode by.
Prince Andrey, having reached the front line, rode along it. Our front line and that of the enemy were far apart on the right and left flanks, but in the center where the men with a flag of truce31 had passed that morning, the lines were so near together that the men could see one another’s faces and speak to one another. Besides the soldiers who formed the picket32 line on either side, there were many curious onlookers33 who, jesting and laughing, stared at their strange foreign enemies.
Since early morning — despite an injunction not to approach the picket line — the officers had been unable to keep sight-seers away. The soldiers forming the picket line, like showmen exhibiting a curiosity, no longer looked at the French but paid attention to the sight-seers and grew weary waiting to be relieved. Prince Andrey halted to have a look at the French.
“Look! Look there!” one soldier was saying to another, pointing to a Russian musketeer who had gone up to the picket line with an officer and was rapidly and excitedly talking to a French grenadier. “Hark to him jabbering36! Fine, isn’t it? It’s all the Frenchy can do to keep up with him. There now, Sidorov!”
The soldier to whom the laughers referred was Dolokhov. Prince Andrey recognized him and stopped to listen to what he was saying. Dolokhov had come from the left flank where their regiment was stationed, with his captain.
“Now then, go on, go on!” incited38 the officer, bending forward and trying not to lose a word of the speech which was incomprehensible to him. “More, please: more! What’s he saying?”
Dolokhov did not answer the captain; he had been drawn39 into a hot dispute with the French grenadier. They were naturally talking about the campaign. The Frenchman, confusing the Austrians with the Russians, was trying to prove that the Russians had surrendered and had fled all the way from Ulm, while Dolokhov maintained that the Russians had not surrendered but had beaten the French.
“We have orders to drive you off here, and we shall drive you off,” said Dolokhov.
“Only take care you and your Cossacks are not all captured!” said the French grenadier.
The French onlookers and listeners laughed.
“We’ll make you dance as we did under Suvorov . . .,”* said Dolokhov.
* “On vous fera danser.”
“Qu’ est-ce qu’il chante?”* asked a Frenchman.
* “What’s he singing about?”
“It’s ancient history,” said another, guessing that it referred to a former war. “The Emperor will teach your Suvara as he has taught the others . . . ”
“Bonaparte . . . ” began Dolokhov, but the Frenchman interrupted him.
“Not Bonaparte. He is the Emperor! Sacre nom . . .!” cried he angrily.
“The devil skin your Emperor.”
“Let us go, Ivan Lukich,” he said to the captain.
“Ah, that’s the way to talk French,” said the picket soldiers. “Now, Sidorov, you have a try!”
Sidorov, turning to the French, winked40, and began to jabber35 meaningless sounds very fast: “Kari, mala, tafa, safi, muter, Kaska,” he said, trying to give an expressive41 intonation42 to his voice.
“Ho! ho! ho! Ha! ha! ha! ha! Ouh! ouh!” came peals43 of such healthy and good-humored laughter from the soldiers that it infected the French involuntarily, so much so that the only thing left to do seemed to be to unload the muskets44, muskets, explode the ammunition45, and all return home as quickly as possible.
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1
reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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4
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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7
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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8
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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entrenchment
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| n.壕沟，防御设施 | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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13
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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14
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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15
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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sergeants
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| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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21
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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22
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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23
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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boilers
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| 锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 ) | |
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25
tilting
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| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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30
stout
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| adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的 | |
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31
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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32
picket
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| n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫 | |
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33
onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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35
jabber
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| v.快而不清楚地说；n.吱吱喳喳 | |
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36
jabbering
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| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的现在分词 )；急促兴奋地说话；结结巴巴 | |
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37
adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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38
incited
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| 刺激，激励，煽动( incite的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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40
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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41
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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42
intonation
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| n.语调，声调；发声 | |
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43
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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44
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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45
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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46
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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