Father Milon 米隆老爹

For a month the hot sun has been parching the fields. Nature is expanding beneath its rays; the fields are green as far as the eye can see. The big azure dome of the sky is unclouded. The farms of Normandy, scattered over the plains and surrounded by a belt of tall beeches, look, from a distance, like little woods. On closer view, after lowering the worm—eaten wooden bars, you imagine yourself in an immense garden, for all the ancient apple—trees, as gnarled as the peasants themselves, are in bloom. The sweet scent of their blossoms mingles with the heavy smell of the earth and the penetrating odor of the stables. It is noon. The family is eating under the shade of a pear tree planted in front of the door; father, mother, the four children, and the help—two women and three men are all there. All are silent. The soup is eaten and then a dish of potatoes fried with bacon is brought on.

一个月以来，烈日一直灼烤着田野。在烈日的照耀下，生命在舒展，绿油油的田野一望无际。蔚蓝色的广阔苍穹中没有一丝云彩。诺曼底的农庄散落在平原上，被一片高高的带状山毛榉树环抱着，远远望去，就像小树林。放下那条被虫蛀坏的木头门闩，走近一看，你会以为自己置身于一座广阔无边的大花园，因为所有好似农夫一样粗糙扭曲的老苹果树都开花了。苹果花的甜香与浓郁的泥土气息以及马厩散发出的刺鼻气味混在一起。正值中午。父亲、母亲、四个孩子、还有两个女雇工和三个男雇工，全家人正在门前的梨树阴下用餐。一言不发。喝过汤后，又端上来一盘马铃薯煎培根。

From time to time one of the women gets up and takes a pitcher down to the cellar to fetch more cider.

期间，一个女雇工不时地起身，拎着罐子到地窖里去装苹果酒。

The man, a big fellow about forty years old, is watching a grape vine, still bare, which is winding and twisting like a snake along the side of the house.

男主人是个四十来岁的壮汉，正打量着一株还没长出叶子的葡萄藤，那藤像蛇一样沿着屋边蜿蜒伸展。

At last he says: "Father's vine is budding early this year. Perhaps we may get something from it.”

最后他说： “老爹这株葡萄今年发芽早。也许要结果子了。”

The woman then turns round and looks, without saying a word.

女主人也转过头来端详着，但是没说话。

This vine is planted on the spot where their father had been shot.

这株葡萄藤正种在他们的父亲当年被枪决的地方。

It was during the war of 1870. The Prussians were occupying the whole country. General Faidherbe, with the Northern Division of the army, was opposing them.

1870年战争期间，普鲁士军队占领了整个地区。费代尔布将军正率领着北师与之抵抗着。

The Prussians had established their headquarters at this farm. The old farmer to whom it belonged, Father Pierre Milon, had received and quartered them to the best of his ability.

普军的几个司令部当时就设在这个农庄上。农庄主人是个上了年纪的老农，名叫皮埃尔的米隆老爹，他尽力款待他们，把他们安置好。

For a month the German vanguard had been in this village. The French remained motionless, ten leagues away; and yet, every night, some of the Uhlans disappeared.

一个月来，德国的先头部队一直留在村里。法国军队在十里格外按兵不动，可普军每晚总有一些骑兵失踪。

Of all the isolated scouts, of all those who were sent to the outposts, in groups of not more than three, not one ever returned.

凡是单独派到前哨的侦察兵，只要是一组不超过三人出去的，总是有去无回。

They were picked up the next morning in a field or in a ditch. Even their horses were found along the roads with their throats cut.

到了第二天早上，就会有人在地里或是壕沟里发现他们的尸体。甚至连他们的马也被割了喉，扔在大路上。

These murders seemed to be done by the same men, who could never be found.

这一系列谋杀事件像是同一伙人干的，但始终无法破案。

The country was terrorized. Farmers were shot on suspicion, women were imprisoned; children were frightened in order to try and obtain information. Nothing could be ascertained.

整个地区陷入了一片恐慌之中。有嫌疑的农民都被枪决了，妇女也被囚禁起来。他们还尝试用恐吓手段从孩子口中套出话来。结果却一无所获。

But, one morning, Father Milon was found stretched out in the barn, with a sword gash across his face.

然而某天早上，他们发现米隆老爹平躺在自己的马厩里，脸上有一道深深的刀伤。

Two Uhlans were found dead about a mile and a half from the farm. One of them was still holding his bloody sword in his hand. He had fought, tried to defend himself. A court—martial was immediately held in the open air, in front of the farm. The old man was brought before it.

在离农庄一英里半以外的地方，他们发现了两个骑兵的尸体。其中一个的手中还握着他那血淋淋的刺刀。可见他曾经搏斗过，自卫过。军事法庭立即在农庄门口的露天场地开庭了。那老头被带到了前面。

He was sixty—eight years old, small, thin, bent, with two big hands resembling the claws of a crab. His colorless hair was sparse and thin, like the down of a young duck, allowing patches of his scalp to be seen. The brown and wrinkled skin of his neck showed big veins which disappeared behind his jaws and came out again at the temples. He had the reputation of being miserly and hard to deal with.

他当年68岁，个子瘦小，微驼着背，两只手大得像对蟹钳。失去色泽的头发稀疏得像雏鸭的绒毛，头皮上的斑依稀可见。棕色的颈部皮肤布满了皱纹，显露出一根根粗筋。这些粗筋一直延伸到下颚，而后又在两鬓凸显出来。在当地他因难相处又吝啬而出名。

They stood him up between four soldiers, in front of the kitchen table, which had been dragged outside. Five officers and the colonel seated themselves opposite him.

他们叫他站在一张从厨房搬出来的桌子跟前，由四名士兵围着。五位军官和上校坐在他的对面。

The colonel spoke in French: "Father Milon, since we have been here we have only had praise for you. You have always been obliging and even attentive to us. But today a terrible accusation is hanging over you, and you must clear the matter up. How did you receive that wound on your face? "

上校用法语发话了： “米隆老爹，自从我们到这儿以后，对你一直都是赞许有嘉的。你一向对我们很热心，甚至可以说，是很体贴的。但是，今天却有一桩重大案件牵连到你，你必须把事情解释清楚。你脸上的伤是怎么来的？”

The peasant answered nothing.

这个乡下人只字不语。

The colonel continued: "Your silence accuses you, Father Milon. But I want you to answer me! Do you understand? Do you know who killed the two Uhlans who were found this morning near Calvaire? "

那上校又说： “米隆老爹，你不说话就证明你有罪。不过我要你回答我！听懂没有？你知道今天早上在加尔威尔找到的那两个骑兵是谁杀的吗？”

The old man answered clearly "I did. "

老人干脆利落地答道： “是我杀的。”

The colonel, surprised, was silent for a minute, looking straight at the prisoner. Father Milon stood impassive, with the stupid look of the peasant, his eyes lowered as though he were talking to the priest. Just one thing betrayed an uneasy mind; he was continually swallowing his saliva, with a visible effort, as though his throat were terribly contracted.

上校吃了一惊，沉默一会儿，直愣愣地盯着眼前这个犯人。米隆老爹一直面无表情地站着，身上带着乡下人的那股傻气。他低垂着眼帘，仿佛是在跟牧师说话一般。只有一处暴露了他内心的慌乱，那就是他在不停地咽口水，明显很用力，就像喉咙被大大地收紧了。

The man's family, his son Jean, his daughter—in—law and his two grandchildren were standing a few feet behind him, bewildered and affrighted.

老头家的儿子让和儿媳，还有两个孙子都站在他背后几步以外的地方，既迷惑又害怕。

The colonel went on: "Do you also know who killed all the scouts who have been found dead, for a month, throughout the country, every morning? "

上校又问： “你可知道这一个月来，每天早上在野外找到的死去的我军侦察兵是谁杀的吗？”

The old man answered with the same stupid look: "I did. "

老头依然呆头呆脑地答道： “是我！”

"You killed them all? "

“全都是你杀的吗？”

"Uh huh! I did. "

“是的！全都是我杀的。”

"You alone? All alone? "

“你一个人？都是一个人？”

"Uh huh! "

“嗯，是的！”

"Tell me how you did it. "

“告诉我，你是怎么干的。”

This time the man seemed moved; the necessity for talking any length of time annoyed him visibly. He stammered: "I dunno! I simply did it. "

这回他有点紧张了，因为非得多说话不可，这显然使他生气。他结结巴巴地说： “我说不上来！我就那么干了。”

The colonel continued: "I warn you that you will have to tell me everything. You might as well make up your mind right away. How did you begin? "

上校接着说： “我警告你，你必须把所有经过讲出来。你最好还是尽快给我拿定主意。你是怎样开的头？”

The man cast a troubled look toward his family, standing close behind him. He hesitated a minute longer, and then suddenly made up his mind to obey the order.

老人不安地朝站在他背后的家人瞧了一眼。他迟疑了一会儿，然后突然下定了决心服从命令。

"I was coming home one night at about ten o'clock, the night after you got here. You and your soldiers had taken more than fifty ecus worth of forage from me, as well as a cow and two sheep. I said to myself: 'As much as they take from you; just so much will you make them pay back. ' And then I had other things on my mind which I will tell you. Just then I noticed one of your soldiers who was smoking his pipe by the ditch behind the barn. I went and got my scythe and crept up slowly behind him, so that he couldn't hear me. And I cut his head off with one single blow, just as I would a blade of grass, before he could say 'Booh! ' If you should look at the bottom of the pond, you will find him tied up in a potato—sack, with a stone fastened to it.

“有天晚上我正往家赶，大概十点钟吧，也就是你们来这儿的第二天。你，还有你的士兵，拿走了我价值50多埃居的草料，还有一头牛和两只羊。我对自己说： ‘尽管拿吧，我会叫你们如数归还的。’ 同时我心里还打着其他算盘，等会儿我会告诉你的。就在那天晚上，我看见你手下的一个骑兵在我马厩后面的沟沿上抽烟。我便连忙摘下我的镰刀，悄悄摸到他背后，他一点也没听见。我就像割草叶似的，一下就把他的脑袋割下来了，他当时连喊 ‘哎呦！’ 的功夫也没有。如果你到池塘底下找一找，就能发现他被绑在装土豆的麻袋里，袋上还捆着一块石头。

"I got an idea. I took all his clothes, from his boots to his cap, and hid them away in the little wood behind the yard. "

“我那时就有了打算。我剥下他全身的衣物，从靴子一直到帽子，然后把它们藏进院子后面的那片小树林中去。”

The old man stopped. The officers remained speechless, looking at each other. The questioning began again, and this is what they learned.

老头默不作声了。那些军官一时无言，面面相觑。审问继续进行，以下就是他们所得的口供。

Once this murder committed, the man had lived with this one thought: "Kill the Prussians! " He hated them with the blind, fierce hate of the greedy yet patriotic peasant. He had his idea, as he said. He waited several days.

自从杀了那个骑兵之后，他心里就一直有个念头： “杀普鲁士人！” 他恨他们，是一个贪心却爱国的农民所有的那种盲目强烈的恨。正如他自己所说的，他有他的打算。他等了几天。

He was allowed to go and come as he pleased, because he had shown himself so humble, submissive and obliging to the invaders. Each night he saw the outposts leave. One night he followed them, having heard the name of the village to which the men were going, and having learned the few words of German which he needed for his plan through associating with the soldiers.

因为他在入侵者面前表现得卑微顺从又热心，所以他可以随意进出。每天晚上，他都看到有前哨兵出去。由于跟士兵们常有往来，他学会了几句计划中用得上的德语。一天夜里，他跟上骑兵，听见了他们要去的村庄名字。

He left through the back yard, slipped into the woods, found the dead man's clothes and put them on. Then he began to crawl through the fields, following along the hedges in order to keep out of sight, listening to the slightest noises, as wary as a poacher.

他从后院离开，溜进树林，找到了那个死人的衣服，然后穿上。为了避免被人看到，他只能沿着树篱爬过田地，竖起耳朵听着哪怕是最轻微的响声，像个偷猎者那样小心翼翼。

As soon as he thought the time ripe, he approached the road and hid behind a bush. He waited for a while. Finally, toward midnight, he heard the sound of a galloping horse. The man put his ear to the ground in order to make sure that only one horseman was approaching, then he got ready.

一到他认为时机成熟的时候，他便向大路贴近，然后躲在灌木丛后。他等了一会儿。最后，将近半夜，他终于听到了疾驰的马蹄声。他把耳朵贴在路面上，以确保只有一个骑兵过来，随后就做好准备。

An Uhlan came galloping along, carrying des patches. As he went, he was all eyes and ears. When he was only a few feet away, Father Milon dragged himself across the road, moaning: "Hilfe! Hilfe! " (Help! Help! ) The horseman stopped, and recognizing a German, he thought he was wounded and dismounted, coming nearer without any suspicion, and just as he was leaning over the unknown man, he received, in the pit of his stomach, a heavy thrust from the long curved blade of the sabre. He dropped without suffering pain, quivering only in the final throes. Then the farmer, radiant with the silent joy of an old peasant, got up again, and, for his own pleasure, cut the dead man's throat. He then dragged the body to the ditch and threw it in.

那个骑兵带着紧急公文，疾驰而来。一路上，他耳目并用。等他来到相隔几步的地方，米隆老爹就横在大路上，呻吟道： "Hilfe! Hilfe！" （救命！救命！）那骑兵勒住了马，认出是一个德国人，以为他受了伤，于是就跳下马，毫无疑虑地走过来。可正当他朝这个陌生人俯下身时，那柄弯弯的长马刀就重重地刺进了他的腹窝。他来不及觉得疼就倒下来了，仅仅在断气时颤抖了几下。接着，这个农民怀着老乡下人才有的那种不动声色的快乐站了起来，容光焕发，为了取乐，他又割断了那死人的喉咙。然后才把尸首拖到壕沟边扔下去。

The horse quietly awaited its master. Father Milon mounted him and started galloping across the plains.

那匹马静静地等候他的主人。米隆老爹跨上马，快马加鞭穿过了平原。

About an hour later he noticed two more Uhlans who were returning home, side by side. He rode straight for them, once more crying "Hilfe! Hilfe! "

大约一小时后，他又看见两个归营的骑兵并肩而来。他就直冲他们跑去，嘴里又叫着 "Hilfe! Hilfe! "

The Prussians, recognizing the uniform, let him approach without distrust. The old man passed between them like a cannon—ball, felling them both, one with his sabre and the other with a revolver.

普鲁士士兵认出了军服，让他过来，丝毫没有起疑心。那老农像炮弹一样在他们中间一穿而过，一手持马刀一手持枪地把他们同时撂倒。

Then he killed the horses, German horses! After that he quickly returned to the woods and hid one of the horses. He left his uniform there and again put on his old clothes; then going back into bed, he slept until morning.

接着他把两匹马也宰了，那可都是德国马！之后他迅速返回林子，把其中一匹马藏了起来。他脱掉军服，换上自己的破衣裳，爬回床上，一觉睡到天亮。

For four days he did not go out, waiting for the inquest to be terminated; but on the fifth day he went out again and killed two more soldiers by the same stratagem. From that time on he did not stop. Each night he wandered about in search of adventure, killing Prussians, sometimes here and sometimes there, galloping through deserted fields, in the moonlight, a lost Uhlan, a hunter of men. Then, his task accomplished, leaving behind him the bodies lying along the roads, the old farmer would return and hide his horse and uniform.

整整四天他都没有出门，一直等候着侦查的结束；然而到了第五天，他又出去了，用相同的计策又杀了两名士兵。从此以后，他不再收手。每天夜里，他都要到周围逛逛寻找机会杀掉普鲁士人，在月光下策马扬鞭穿过荒凉的田野，有时在这儿，有时在那儿，既是迷途中的骑兵也是骑兵猎手。每次任务完成后，这个老农民都任凭那些尸首横在大路上，自己回来把马和军服藏好。

He went, toward noon, to carry oats and water quietly to his mount, and he fed it well as he required from it a great amount of work.

到了中午，他安静地拎着燕麦和水去喂马，他把它喂得饱饱的，好像他让它干了很多活一样。

But one of those whom he had attacked the night before, in defending himself slashed the old peasant across the face with his sabre.

但是，头天晚上遭到他袭击的士兵中，有一个在抵抗中用他的马刀在老农民的脸上划了一刀。

However, he had killed them both. He had come back and hidden the horse and put on his ordinary clothes again; but as he reached home he began to feel faint, and had dragged himself as far as the stable, being unable to reach the house.

不过，他还是把那两个人都杀死了。他回来后把马藏好，换回他的破衣裳，可是到家时他感到身子发软，只能勉强拖着脚步走到马厩，就再没有气力往屋子里走了。

They had found him there, bleeding, on the straw.

他被人发现时，正倒在干草上，浑身是血。

When he had finished his tale, he suddenly lifted up his head and looked proudly at the Prussian officers.

口供结束后，他突然抬起头，傲视那些普鲁士军官。

The colonel, who was gnawing at his mustache, asked: "You have nothing else to say? "

上校捻着胡子问： “你没什么别的要说了吗？”

"Nothing more; I have finished my task; I killed sixteen, not one more or less. "

“没有了，我已经完成任务了，不多不少，一共杀了16个。”

"Do you know that you are going to die? "

“你可知道你要受死了吗？”

"I haven't asked for mercy.”

“我又没有向你讨饶。”

"Have you been a soldier? "

“你当过兵吗？”

"Yes, I served my time. And then, you had killed my father, who was a soldier of the first Emperor. And last month you killed my youngest son, Francois, near Evreux. I owed you one for that; I paid. We are quits. "

“当过，我从前打过仗。是你们杀死了我父亲，他是拿破仑的士兵。上个月你们又在埃夫勒附近杀了我的小儿子弗朗索瓦。你们欠我的债已还清。现在我们两不相欠。”

The officers were looking at each other.

军官们互相看看。

The old man continued: "Eight for my father, eight for the boy—we are quits. I did not seek any quarrel with you. I don't know you. I don't even know where you come from. And here you are, ordering me about in my home as though it were your own. I took my revenge upon the others. I 'm not sorry.”

老人接着说： “八个是替我父亲还的，八个是替我儿子还的——我们扯平了。我可不是成心跟你们过不去。我根本不认识你们。我甚至不知道你们是打哪儿来的。可你们来到我家里，就跟在你们自己家里一样使唤我。我已经在那些人身上复了仇。我不会内疚。”

And, straightening up his bent back, the old man folded his arms in the attitude of a modest hero.

老头挺直弯曲的背，双手交叉抱在胸前，像位谦逊的英雄。

The Prussians talked in a low tone for a long time. One of them, a captain, who had also lost his son the previous month, was defending the poor wretch. Then the colonel arose and, approaching Father Milon, said in a low voice: "Listen, old man, there is perhaps a way of saving your life, it is to—” But the man was not listening, and, his eyes fixed on the hated officer, while the wind played with the downy hair on his head, he distorted his slashed face, giving it a truly terrible expression, and, swelling out his chest, he spat, as hard as he could, right in the Prussian's face.

普鲁士人窃窃私语了许久。其中有一个上尉，也是上个月才失去自己的孩子，在为这个可怜不幸的人辩护。于是上校站起来，走到米隆老爹跟前，压低嗓音说： “听着，老头，也许还有个法子可以救你的命，只要……” 但是老人家根本不听，微风吹拂着他头上绒毛般的稀发，他用两眼紧盯其憎恶的军官，扭动着带刀伤的脸，露出一副很可怕的样子，接着他挺起胸膛，使出全身力气吐了一口唾沫，正落在普鲁士人的脸上。

The colonel, furious, raised his hand, and for the second time the man spat in his face.

上校气疯了，扬起了一只手。老头又朝他脸上吐了一口唾沫。

All the officers had jumped up and were shrieking orders at the same time.

军官们都跳起来了，同时大声发布一道道命令。

In less than a minute the old man, still impassive, was pushed up against the wall and shot, looking smilingly the while toward Jean, his eldest son, his daughter—in—law and his two grandchildren, who witnessed this scene in dumb terror.

不到一分钟，那个始终面无表情的老头被推到墙根，他被枪决了。他的大儿子让、儿媳妇和两个孙子都惊慌失措地目睹了这一切，而他在临死时还在朝他们微笑着。