雨果 悲惨世界 英文版2-第57部分

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　　Two　days'　wine！　and　meat！　and　stew！　we'll　have　a　royal　feast！　and　a　good　fill！〃
　　She　pulled　her　chemise　up　on　her　shoulders；　made　a　low　bow　to　Marius；　then　a　familiar　sign　with　her　hand；　and　went　towards　the　door；　saying：
　　〃Good　morning；　sir。
　　It's　all　right。
　　I'll　go　and　find　my　old　man。〃
　　As　she　passed；　she　caught　sight　of　a　dry　crust　of　bread　on　the　mode；　which　was　moulding　there　amid　the　dust；　she　flung　herself　upon　it　and　bit　into　it；　muttering：
　　〃That's　good！　it's　hard！　it　breaks　my　teeth！〃
　　Then　she　departed。


BOOK　EIGHTH。THE　WICKED　POOR　MAN
CHAPTER　V　
　　A　PROVIDENTIAL　PEEP…HOLE
　　Marius　had　lived　for　five　years　in　poverty；　in　destitution；　even　in　distress；　but　he　now　perceived　that　he　had　not　known　real　misery。
　　True　misery　he　had　but　just　had　a　view　of。　It　was　its　spectre　which　had　just　passed　before　his　eyes。　In　fact；　he　who　has　only　beheld　the　misery　of　man　has　seen　nothing；　the　misery　of　woman　is　what　he　must　see；　he　who　has　seen　only　the　misery　of　woman　has　seen　nothing；　he　must　see　the　misery　of　the　child。
　　When　a　man　has　reached　his　last　extremity；　he　has　reached　his　last　resources　at　the　same　time。
　　Woe　to　the　defenceless　beings　who　surround　him！
　　Work；　wages；　bread；　fire；　courage；　good　will；　all　fail　him　simultaneously。
　　The　light　of　day　seems　extinguished　without；　the　moral　light　within；　in　these　shadows　man　encounters　the　feebleness　of　the　woman　and　the　child；　and　bends　them　violently　to　ignominy。
　　Then　all　horrors　bee　possible。
　　Despair　is　surrounded　with　fragile　partitions　which　all　open　on　either　vice　or　crime。
　　Health；　youth；　honor；　all　the　shy　delicacies　of　the　young　body；　the　heart；　virginity；　modesty；　that　epidermis　of　the　soul；　are　manipulated　in　sinister　wise　by　that　fumbling　which　seeks　resources；　which　encounters　opprobrium；　and　which　acodates　itself　to　it。　Fathers；　mothers；　children；　brothers；　sisters；　men；　women；　daughters；　adhere　and　bee　incorporated；　almost　like　a　mineral　formation；　in　that　dusky　promiscuousness　of　sexes；　relationships；　ages；　infamies；　and　innocences。
　　They　crouch；　back　to　back；　in　a　sort　of　hut　of　fate。　They　exchange　woe…begone　glances。
　　Oh；　the　unfortunate　wretches！　How　pale　they　are！
　　How　cold　they　are！
　　It　seems　as　though　they　dwelt　in　a　planet　much　further　from　the　sun　than　ours。
　　This　young　girl　was　to　Marius　a　sort　of　messenger　from　the　realm　
of　sad　shadows。
　　She　revealed　to　him　a　hideous　side　of　the　night。
　　Marius　almost　reproached　himself　for　the　preoccupations　of　revery　and　passion　which　had　prevented　his　bestowing　a　glance　on　his　neighbors　up　to　that　day。
　　The　payment　of　their　rent　had　been　a　mechanical　movement；　which　any　one　would　have　yielded　to；　but　he；　Marius；　should　have　done　better　than　that。
　　What！　only　a　wall　separated　him　from　those　abandoned　beings　who　lived　gropingly　in　the　dark　outside　the　pale　of　the　rest　of　the　world；　he　was　elbow　to　elbow　with　them；　he　was；　in　some　sort；　the　last　link　of　the　human　race　which　they　touched；　he　heard　them　live；　or　rather；　rattle　in　the　death　agony　beside　him；　and　he　paid　no　heed　to　them！　Every　day；　every　instant；　he　heard　them　walking　on　the　other　side　of　the　wall；　he　heard　them　go；　and　e；　and　speak；　and　he　did　not　even　lend　an　ear！
　　And　groans　lay　in　those　words；　and　he　did　not　even　listen　to　them；　his　thoughts　were　elsewhere；　given　up　to　dreams；　to　impossible　radiances；　to　loves　in　the　air；　to　follies；　and　all　the　while；　human　creatures；　his　brothers　in　Jesus　Christ；　his　brothers　in　the　people；　were　agonizing　in　vain　beside　him！　He　even　formed　a　part　of　their　misfortune；　and　he　aggravated　it。　For　if　they　had　had　another　neighbor　who　was　less　chimerical　and　more　attentive；　any　ordinary　and　charitable　man；　evidently　their　indigence　would　have　been　noticed；　their　signals　of　distress　would　have　been　perceived；　and　they　would　have　been　taken　hold　of　and　rescued！　They　appeared　very　corrupt　and　very　depraved；　no　doubt；　very　vile；　very　odious　even；　but　those　who　fall　without　being　degraded　are　rare；　besides；　there　is　a　point　where　the　unfortunate　and　the　infamous　unite　and　are　confounded　in　a　single　word；　a　fatal　word；　the　miserable；　whose　fault　is　this？
　　And　then　should　not　the　charity　be　all　the　more　profound；　in　proportion　as　the　fall　is　great？
　　While　reading　himself　this　moral　lesson；　for　there　were　occasions　on　which　Marius；　like　all　truly　honest　hearts；　was　his　own　pedagogue　and　scolded　himself　more　than　he　deserved；　he　stared　at　the　wall　which　separated　him　from　the　Jondrettes；　as　though　he　were　able　to　make　his　gaze；　full　of　pity；　penetrate　that　partition　and　warm　these　wretched　people。
　　The　wall　was　a　thin　layer　of　plaster　upheld　by　lathes　and　beams；　and；　as　the　reader　had　just　learned；　it　allowed　the　sound　of　voices　and　words　to　be　clearly　distinguished。　Only　a　man　as　dreamy　as　Marius　could　have　failed　to　perceive　this　long　before。
　　There　was　no　paper　pasted　on　the　wall；　either　on　the　side　of　the　Jondrettes　or　on　that　of　Marius；　the　coarse　construction　was　visible　in　its　nakedness。
　　Marius　examined　the　partition；　almost　unconsciously；　sometimes　revery　examines；　observes；　and　scrutinizes　as　thought　would。
　　All　at　once　he　sprang　up；　he　had　just　perceived；　near　the　top；　close　to　the　ceiling；　a　triangular　hole；　which　resulted　from　the　space　between　three　lathes。　The　plaster　which　should　have　filled　this　cavity　was　missing；　and　by　mounting　on　the　mode；　a　view　could　be　had　through　this　aperture　into　the　Jondrettes'　attic。
　　miseration　has；　and　should　have；　its　curiosity。
　　This　aperture　formed　a　sort　of　peep…hole。　It　is　permissible　to　gaze　at　misfortune　like　a　traitor　in　order　to　succor　it。＇27＇
　　＇27＇　The　peep…hole　is　a　Judas　in　French。
　　Hence　the　half…punning　allusion。
　　〃Let　us　get　some　little　idea　of　what　these　people　are　like；〃　thought　Marius；　〃and　in　what　condition　they　are。〃
　　He　climbed　upon　the　mode；　put　his　eye　to　the　crevice；　and　looked。


BOOK　EIGHTH。THE　WICKED　POOR　MAN
CHAPTER　VI　
　　THE　WILD　MAN　IN　HIS　LAIR
　　Cities；　like　forests；　have　their　caverns　in　which　all　the　most　wicked　and　formidable　creatures　which　they　contain　conceal　themselves。
　　Only；　in　cities；　that　which　thus　conceals　itself　is　ferocious；　unclean；　and　petty；　that　is　to　say；　ugly；　in　forests；　that　which　conceals　itself　is　ferocious；　savage；　and　grand；　that　is　to　say；　beautiful。
　　Taking　one　lair　with　another；　the　beast's　is　preferable　to　the　man's。　Caverns　are　better　than　hovels。
　　What　Marius　now　beheld　was　a　hovel。
　　Marius　was　poor；　and　his　chamber　was　poverty…stricken；　but　as　his　poverty　was　noble；　his　garret　was　neat。
　　The　den　upon　which　his　eye　now　rested　was　abject；　dirty；　fetid；　pestiferous；　mean；　sordid。
　　The　only　furniture　consisted　of　a　straw　chair；　an　infirm　table；　some　old　bits　of　crockery；　and　in　two　of　the　corners；　two　indescribable　pallets；　all　the　light　was　furnishd　by　a　dormer　window　of　four　panes；　draped　with　spiders'　webs。
　　Through　this　aperture　there　penetrated　just　enough　light　to　make　the　face　of　a　man　appear　like　the　face　of　a　phantom。
　　The　walls　had　a　leprous　aspect；　and　were　covered　with　seams　and　scars；　like　a　visage　disfigured　by　some　horrible　malady；　a　repulsive　moisture　exuded　from　them。
　　Obscene　sketches　roughly　sketched　with　charcoal　could　be　distinguished　upon　them。
　　The　chamber　which　Marius　occupied　had　a　dilapidated　brick　pavement；　this　one　was　neither　tiled　nor　planked；　its　inhabitants　stepped　directly　on　the　antique　plaster　of　the　hovel；　which　had　grown　black　under　the　long…continued　pressure　of　feet。
　　Upon　this　uneven　floor；　where　the　dirt　seemed　to　be　fairly　incrusted；　and　which　possessed　but　one　virginity；　that　of　the　broom；　were　capriciously　grouped　constellations　of　old　shoes；　socks；　and　repulsive　rags；　however；　this　room　had　a　fireplace；　so　it　was　let　for　forty　francs　a　year。　There　was　every　sort　of　thing　in　that　fireplace；　a　brazier；　a　pot；　broken　boards；　rags　suspended　from　nails；　a　bird…cage；　ashes；　and　even　a　little　fire。
　　Two　brands　were　smouldering　there　in　a　melancholy　way。
　　One　thing　which　added　still　more　to　the　horrors　of　this　garret　was；　that　it　was　large。
　　It　had　projections　and　angles　and　black　holes；　the　lower　sides　of　roofs；　bays；　and　promontories。
　　Hence　horrible；　unfathomable　nooks　where　it　seemed　as　though　spiders　as　big　as　one's　fist；　wood…lice　as　large　as　one's　foot；　and　perhaps　evenwho　knows？　some　monstrous　human　beings；　must　be　hiding。
　　One　of　the　pallets　was　near　the　door；　the　other　near　the　window。　One　end　of　each　touched　the　fireplace　and　faced　Marius。
　　In　a　corner　near　the　aperture　through　which　Marius　was　gazing；　a　colored　engraving　in　a　black　frame　was　suspended　to　a　nail　on　the　wall；　and　at　its　bottom；　in　large　letters；　was　the　inscription：
　　THE　DREAM。　This　represented　a　sleeping　woman；　and　a　child；　also　asleep；　the　child　on　the　woman's　lap；　an　eagle　in　a　cloud；　with　a　crown　in　his　beak；　and　the　woman　thrusting　the　crown　away　from　the　child's　head；　without　awaking　the　latter；　in　the　background；　Napoleon　in　a　glory；　leaning　on　a　very　blue　column　with　a　yellow　capital　ornamented　with　this　inscription：
　　MARINGO　
　　　AUSTERLITS　
　　IENA　WAGRAMME　
　　ELOT
　　Beneath　this　frame；　a　sort　of　wooden　panel；　which　was　no　longer　than　it　was　broad；　stood　on　the　ground　and　rested　in　a　sloping　attitude　against　the　wall。
　　It　had　the　appearance　of　a　picture　with　its　face　turned　to　the　wall；　of　a　frame　probably　showing　a　daub　on　the　other　side；　of　some　pier…glass　detached　from　a　wall　and　lying　forgotten　there　while　waiting　to　be　rehung。
　　Near　the　table；　upon　which　Marius　descried　a　pen；　ink；　and　paper；　sat　a　man　about　sixty　years　of　age；　small；　thin；　livid；　haggard；　with　a　cunning；　cruel；　and　uneasy　air；　a　hideous　scoundrel。
　　If　Lavater　had　studied　this　visage；　he　would　have　found　the　vulture　mingled　with　the　attorney　there；　the　bird　of　prey　and　the　pettifogger　rendering　each　other　mutually　hideous　and　plementing　each　other；　the　pettifogger　making　the　bird　of　prey　ignoble；　the　bird　of　prey　making　the　pettifogger　horrible。
　　This　man　had　a　long　gray　beard。
　　He　was　clad　in　a　woman's　chemise；　which　allowed　his　hairy　breast　and　his　bare　arms；　bristl