resurrection(复活)-第82章

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thinking　over　all　he　had　seen　and　heard　that　day；　the　boy
sleeping　on　the　liquid　that　oozed　from　the　stinking　tub；　with　his
head　on　the　convict's　leg；　seemed　more　dreadful　than　all　else。

Unexpected　and　important　as　his　conversation　with　Simonson　and
Katusha　that　evening　had　been；　he　did　not　dwell　on　it；　his
situation　in　relation　to　that　subject　was　so　complicated　and
indefinite　that　he　drove　the　thought　from　his　mind。　But　the
picture　of　those　unfortunate　beings；　inhaling　the　noisome　air；
and　lying　in　the　liquid　oozing　out　of　the　stinking　tub；
especially　that　of　the　boy；　with　his　innocent　face　asleep　on　the
leg　of　a　criminal；　came　all　the　more　vividly　to　his　mind；　and　he
could　not　get　it　out　of　his　head。

To　know　that　somewhere　far　away　there　are　men　who　torture　other
men　by　inflicting　all　sorts　of　humiliations　and　inhuman
degradation　and　sufferings　on　them；　or　for　three　months
incessantly　to　look　on　while　men　were　inflicting　these
humiliations　and　sufferings　on　other　men　is　a　very　different
thing。　And　Nekhludoff　felt　it。　More　than　once　during　these　three
months　he　asked　himself；　〃Am　I　mad　because　I　see　what　others　do
not；　or　are　they　mad　that　do　these　things　that　I　see？〃

Yet　they　（and　there　were　many　of　them）　did　what　seemed　so
astonishing　and　terrible　to　him　with　such　quiet　assurance　that
what　they　were　doing　was　necessary　and　was　important　and　useful
work　that　it　was　hard　to　believe　they　were　mad；　nor　could　he；
conscious　of　the　clearness　of　his　thoughts；　believe　he　was　mad；
and　all　this　kept　him　continually　in　a　state　of　perplexity。

This　is　how　the　things　he　saw　during　these　three　months　impressed
Nekhludoff：　From　among　the　people　who　were　free；　those　were
chosen；　by　means　of　trials　and　the　administration；　who　were　the
most　nervous；　the　most　hot　tempered；　the　most　excitable；　the　most
gifted；　and　the　strongest；　but　the　least　careful　and　cunning。
These　people；　not　a　wit　more　dangerous　than　many　of　those　who
remained　free；　were　first　locked　in　prisons；　transported　to
Siberia；　where　they　were　provided　for　and　kept　months　and　years
in　perfect　idleness；　and　away　from　nature；　their　families；　and
useful　workthat　is；　away　from　the　conditions　necessary　for　a
natural　and　moral　life。　This　firstly。　Secondly；　these　people　were
subjected　to　all　sorts　of　unnecessary　indignity　in　these
different　Placeschains；　shaved　heads；　shameful　clothingthat
is；　they　were　deprived　of　the　chief　motives　that　induce　the　weak
to　live　good　lives；　the　regard　for　public　opinion；　the　sense　of
shame　and　the　consciousness　of　human　dignity。　Thirdly；　they　were
continually　exposed　to　dangers；　such　as　the　epidemics　so　frequent
in　places　of　confinement；　exhaustion；　flogging；　not　to　mention
accidents；　such　as　sunstrokes；　drowning　or　conflagrations；　when
the　instinct　of　self…preservation　makes　even　the　kindest；　most
moral　men　commit　cruel　actions；　and　excuse　such　actions　when
committed　by　others。

Fourthly；　these　people　were　forced　to　associate　with　others　who
were　particularly　depraved　by　life；　and　especially　by　these　very
institutionsrakes；　murderers　and　villainswho　act　on　those　who
are　not　yet　corrupted　by　the　measures　inflicted　on　them　as　leaven
acts　on　dough。

And；　fifthly；　the　fact　that　all　sorts　of　violence；　cruelty；
inhumanity；　are　not　only　tolerated；　but　even　permitted　by　the
government；　when　it　suits　its　purposes；　was　impressed　on　them
most　forcibly　by　the　inhuman　treatment　they　were　subjected　to；　by
the　sufferings　inflicted　on　children；　women　and　old　men；　by
floggings　with　rods　and　whips；　by　rewards　offered　for　bringing　a
fugitive　back；　dead　or　alive；　by　the　separation　of　husbands　and
wives；　and　the　uniting　them　with　the　wives　and　husbands　of　others
for　sexual　intercourse；　by　shooting　or　hanging　them。　To　those　who
were　deprived　of　their　freedom；　who　were　in　want　and　misery；　acts
of　violence　were　evidently　still　more　permissible。　All　these
institutions　seemed　purposely　invented　for　the　production　of
depravity　and　vice；　condensed　to　such　a　degree　that　no　other
conditions　could　produce　it；　and　for　the　spreading　of　this
condensed　depravity　and　vice　broadcast　among　the　whole　population

〃Just　as　if　a　problem　had　been　set　to　find　the　best；　the　surest
means　of　depraving　the　greatest　number　of　persons；〃　thought
Nekhludoff；　while　investigating　the　deeds　that　were　being　done　in
the　prisons　and　halting　stations。　Every　year　hundreds　of
thousands　were　brought　to　the　highest　pitch　of　depravity；　and
when　completely　depraved　they　were　set　free　to　carry　the
depravity　they　had　caught　in　prison　among　the　people。　In　the
prisons　of　Tamen；　Ekaterinburg；　Tomsk　and　at　the　halting　stations
Nekhludoff　saw　how　successfully　the　object　society　seemed　to　have
set　itself　was　attained。

Ordinary；　simple　men　with　a　conception　of　the　demands　of　the
social　and　Christian　Russian　peasant　morality　lost　this
conception；　and　found　a　new　one；　founded　chiefly　on　the　idea　that
any　outrage　or　violence　was　justifiable　if　it　seemed　profitable。
After　living　in　a　prison　those　people　became　conscious　with　the
whole　of　their　being　that；　judging　by　what　was　happening　to
themselves；　all　the　moral　laws；　the　respect　and　the　sympathy　for
others　which　church　and　the　moral　teachers　preach；　was　really　set
aside；　and　that；　therefore；　they；　too；　need　not　keep　the　laws。
Nekhludoff　noticed　the　effects　of　prison　life　on　all　the　convicts
he　knewon　Fedoroff；　on　Makar；　and　even　on　Taras；　who；　after　two
months　among　the　convicts；　struck　Nekhludoff　by　the　want　of
morality　in　his　arguments。　Nekhludoff　found　out　during　his
journey　how　tramps；　escaping　into　the　marshes；　persuade　a　comrade
to　escape　with　them；　and　then　kill　him　and　feed　on　his　flesh。　（He
saw　a　living　man　who　was　accused　of　this　and　acknowledged　the
fact。）　And　the　most　terrible　part　was　that　this　was　not　a
solitary；　but　a　recurring　case。

Only　by　a　special　cultivation　of　vice；　such　as　was　perpetrated　in
these　establishments；　could　a　Russian　be　brought　to　the　state　of
this　tramp；　who　excelled　Nietzsche's　newest　teaching；　and　held
that　everything　was　possible　and　nothing　forbidden；　and　who
spread　this　teaching　first　among　the　convicts　and　then　among　the
people　in　general。

The　only　explanation　of　all　that　was　being　done　was　the　wish　to
put　a　stop　to　crime　by　fear；　by　correction；　by　lawful　vengeance
as　it　was　written　in　the　books。　But　in　reality　nothing　in　the
least　resembling　any　of　these　results　came　to　pass。　Instead　of
vice　being　put　a　stop　to；　it　only　spread　further；　instead　of
being　frightened；　the　criminals　were　encouraged　（many　a　tramp
returned　to　prison　of　his　own　free　will）。　Instead　of　being
corrected；　every　kind　of　vice　was　systematically　instilled；　while
the　desire　for　vengeance　did　not　weaken　by　the　measures　of　the
government；　but　was　bred　in　the　people　who　had　none　of　it。

〃Then　why　is　it　done？〃　Nekhludoff　asked　himself；　but　could　find
no　answer。　And　what　seemed　most　surprising　was　that　all　this　was
not　being　done　accidentally；　not　by　mistake；　not　once；　but　that
it　had　continued　for　centuries；　with　this　difference　only；　that
at　first　the　people's　nostrils　used　to　be　torn　and　their　ears　cut
off；　then　they　were　branded；　and　now　they　were　manacled　and
transported　by　steam　instead　of　on　the　old　carts。　The　arguments
brought　forward　by　those　in　government　service；　who　said　that　the
things　which　aroused　his　indignation　were　simply　due　to　the
imperfect　arrangements　of　the　places　of　confinement；　and　that
they　could　all　be　put　to　rights　if　prisons　of　a　modern　type　were
built；　did　not　satisfy　Nekhludoff；　because　he　knew　that　what
revolted　him　was　not　the　consequence　of　a　better　or　worse
arrangement　of　the　prisons。　He　had　read　of　model　prisons　with
electric　bells；　of　executions　by　electricity；　recommended　by
Tard；　but　this　refined　kind　of　violence　revolted　him　even　more。

But　what　revolted　Nekhludoff　most　was　that　there　were　men　in　the
law　courts　and　in　the　ministry　who　received　large　salaries；　taken
from　the　people；　for　referring　to　books　written　by　men　like
themselves　and　with　like　motives；　and　sorting　actions　that
violated　laws　made　by　themselves　according　to　different　statutes；
and；　in　obedience　to　these　statutes；　sending　those　guilty　of　such
actions　to　places　where　they　were　completely　at　the　mercy　of
cruel；　hardened　inspectors；　jailers；　convoy　soldiers；　where
millions　of　them　perished　body　and　soul。

Now　that　he　had　a　closer　knowledge　of　prisons；　Nekhludoff　found
out　that　all　those　vices　which　developed　among　the
prisonersdrunkenness；　gambling；　cruelty；　and　all　these　terrible
crimes；　even　cannibalismwere　not　casual；　or　due　to　degeneration
or　to　the　existence　of　monstrosities　of　the　criminal　type；　as
science；　going　hand　in　hand　with　the　government；　explained　it；
but　an　unavoidable　consequence　of　the　incomprehensible　delusion
that　men　may　punish　one　another。　Nekhludoff　saw　that　cannibalism
did　not　commence　in　the　marshes；　but　in　the　ministry。　He　saw　that
his　brother…in…law；　for　example；　and；　in　fact；　all　the　lawyers
and　officials；　from　the　usher　to　the　minister；　do　not　care　in　the
least　for　justice　or　the　good　of　the　people　about　whom　they
spoke；　but　only　for　the　roubles　they　were　paid　for　doing　the
things　that　were　the　source　whence　all　this　degradation　and
suffering　flowed。　This　was　quite　evident。

〃Can　it　be；　then；　that　all　this　is　done　simply　through
misapprehension？　Could　it　not　be　managed　that　all　these　officials
should　have　their　salaries　secured　to　them；　and　a　premium　paid
them；　besides；　so　that　they　should　leave　off；　doing　all　that　they
were　doing　now？〃　Nekhludoff　thought；　and　in　spite　of　the　fleas；
that　seemed　to　spring　up　round　him　like　water　from　a　fountain
whenever　he　moved；　he　fell　fast　asleep。


CHAPTER　XX。

THE　JOURNEY　RESUMED。

The　carters　had　left　the　inn　long　before　Nekhludoff　awoke。　The
landlady　had　had　her　tea；　and　came　in　wiping　her　fat；　perspiring
neck　with　her　handkerchief；　and　said　that　a　soldier　had　brought　a
note　from　the　halting　station。　The　note　was　from　Mary　Pavlovna。
She　wrote　that　Kryltzoff's　attack　was　more　serious　than　they　had
imagined。　〃We　wished　him　to　be　left　behind　and　to　remain　with
him；　but　this　has　not　been　allowed；　so　that　we　shall　take　him　on；
but　we　fear　the　worst。　Please　arrange　so　that　if　he　should　he
left　in　the　next　town；　one　of　us　might　remain　with　him。　If　in
order　to　get　the　permission　to　stay　I　should　be　obliged　to　get
married　to　him；　I　am　of　course　ready　to　do　so。〃

Nekhludoff　sent　the　young　labourer　to　the　post　station　to　order
horses　and　began　packing　up　hurriedly。　Before　he　had　drunk　his
second　tumbler　of　tea　the　three…horsed　postcart　drove　up　to　the
porch　with　ringing　bells；　the　wheels　rattling　on　the　frozen　mud
as　on　stones。　Nekhludoff　paid　the　fat…necked　landlady；　hurried
out　and　got　into　the　cart；　and　gave　orders　to　the　driver　to　go　on
as　fast　as　possible；　so　as　to　overtake　the　gang。　Just　past　the
gates　of　the　commune　pasture　ground　they　did　overtake　the　carts；
loaded　with　sacks　and　the　sick　prisoners；　as　they　rattled　over
the　frozen　mud；　that　was　just　beginning　to　be　rolled　smooth　by
the　wheels　（the　officer　was　not　there；　he　had　gone　in　advance）。
The　soldiers；　who　had　evidently　been　drinking；　followed　by　the
side　of　the　r