雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第66章

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of　destiny　no　longer　anything　more　than　an　immense　dare…devil？
　　We　do　not　think　so。
　　His　plan　of　battle　was；　by　the　confession　of　all；　a　masterpiece。　To　go　straight　to　the　centre　of　the　Allies'　line；　to　make　a　breach　in　the　enemy；　to　cut　them　in　two；　to　drive　the　British　half　back　on　Hal；　and　the　Prussian　half　on　Tongres；　to　make　two　shattered　fragments　of　Wellington　and　Blucher；　to　carry　Mont…Saint…Jean；　to　seize　Brussels；　to　hurl　the　German　into　the　Rhine；　and　the　Englishman　into　the　sea。　All　this　was　contained　in　that　battle；　according　to　Napoleon。　Afterwards　people　would　see。
　　Of　course；　we　do　not　here　pretend　to　furnish　a　history　of　the　battle　of　Waterloo；　one　of　the　scenes　of　the　foundation　of　the　story　which　we　are　relating　is　connected　with　this　battle；　but　this　history　is　not　our　subject；　this　history；　moreover；　has　been　finished；　and　finished　in　a　masterly　manner；　from　one　point　of　view　by　Napoleon；　and　from　another　point　of　view　by　a　whole　pleiad　of　historians。＇7＇
　　　＇7＇　Walter　Scott；　Lamartine；　Vaulabelle；　Charras；　Quinet；　Thiers。
　　　As　for　us；　we　leave　the　historians　at　loggerheads；　we　are　but　a　distant　witness；　a　passer…by　on　the　plain；　a　seeker　bending　over　that　soil　all　made　of　human　flesh；　taking　appearances　for　realities；　perchance；　we　have　no　right　to　oppose；　in　the　name　of　science；　a　collection　of　facts　which　contain　illusions；　no　doubt；　we　possess　neither　military　practice　nor　strategic　ability　which　authorize　a　system；　in　our　opinion；　a　chain　of　accidents　dominated　the　two　leaders　at　Waterloo；　and　when　it　bees　a　question　of　destiny；　that　mysterious　culprit；　we　judge　like　that　ingenious　judge；　the　populace。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　IV　
　　A
　　　Those　persons　who　wish　to　gain　a　clear　idea　of　the　battle　of　Waterloo　have　only　to　place；　mentally；　on　the　ground；　a　capital　A。　The　left　limb　of　the　A　is　the　road　to　Nivelles；　the　right　limb　is　the　road　to　Genappe；　the　tie　of　the　A　is　the　hollow　road　to　Ohain　from　Braine…l'Alleud。　The　top　of　the　A　is　Mont…Saint…Jean；　where　Wellington　is；　the　lower　left　tip　is　Hougomont；　where　Reille　is　stationed　with　Jerome　Bonaparte；　the　right　tip　is　the　Belle…Alliance；　where　Napoleon　was。
　　At　the　centre　of　this　chord　is　the　precise　point　where　the　final　word　of　the　battle　was　pronounced。
　　It　was　there　that　the　lion　has　been　placed；　the　involuntary　symbol　of　the　supreme　heroism　of　the　Imperial　Guard。
　　The　triangle　included　in　the　top　of　the　A；　between　the　two　limbs　and　the　tie；　is　the　plateau　of　Mont…Saint…Jean。　The　dispute　over　this　plateau　constituted　the　whole　battle。
　　The　wings　of　the　two　armies　extended　to　the　right　and　left　of　the　two　roads　to　Genappe　and　Nivelles；　d'Erlon　facing　Picton；　Reille　facing　Hill。
　　Behind　the　tip　of　the　A；　behind　the　plateau　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　is　the　forest　of　Soignes。
　　As　for　the　plain　itself；　let　the　reader　picture　to　himself　a　vast　undulating　sweep　of　ground；　each　rise　mands　the　next　rise；　and　all　the　undulations　mount　towards　Mont…Saint…Jean；　and　there　end　in　the　forest。
　　Two　hostile　troops　on　a　field　of　battle　are　two　wrestlers。
　　It　is　a　question　of　seizing　the　opponent　round　the　waist。
　　The　one　seeks　to　trip　up　the　other。
　　They　clutch　at　everything：
　　a　bush　is　a　point　of　support；　an　angle　of　the　wall　offers　them　a　rest　to　the　shoulder；　for　the　lack　of　a　hovel　under　whose　cover　they　can　draw　up；　a　regiment　yields　its　ground；　an　unevenness　in　the　ground；　a　chance　turn　in　the　landscape；　a　cross…path　encountered　at　the　right　moment；　a　grove；　a　ravine；　can　stay　the　heel　of　that　colossus　which　is　called　an　army；　and　prevent　its　retreat。
　　He　who　quits　the　field　is　beaten；　hence　the　necessity　devolving　on　the　responsible　leader；　of　examining　the　most　insignificant　clump　of　trees；　and　of　studying　deeply　the　slightest　relief　in　the　ground。
　　The　two　generals　had　attentively　studied　the　plain　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　now　called　the　plain　of　Waterloo。
　　In　the　preceding　year；　Wellington；　with　the　sagacity　of　foresight；　had　examined　it　as　the　possible　seat　of　a　great　battle。
　　Upon　this　spot；　and　for　this　duel；　on　the　18th　of　June；　Wellington　had　the　good　post；　Napoleon　the　bad　post。　The　English　army　was　stationed　above；　the　French　army　below。
　　It　is　almost　superfluous　here　to　sketch　the　appearance　of　Napoleon　on　horseback；　glass　in　hand；　upon　the　heights　of　Rossomme；　at　daybreak；　on　June　18；　1815。
　　All　the　world　has　seen　him　before　we　can　show　him。
　　That　calm　profile　under　the　little　three…cornered　hat　of　the　school　of　Brienne；　that　green　uniform；　the　white　revers　concealing　the　star　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　his　great　coat　hiding　his　epaulets；　the　corner　of　red　ribbon　peeping　from　beneath　his　vest；　his　leather　trousers；　the　white　horse　with　the　saddle…cloth　of　purple　velvet　bearing　on　the　corners　crowned　N's　and　eagles；　Hessian　boots　over　silk　stockings；　silver　spurs；　the　sword　of　Marengo；that　whole　figure　of　the　last　of　the　Caesars　is　present　to　all　imaginations；　saluted　with　acclamations　by　some；　severely　regarded　by　others。
　　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