creatures that once were men-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



over　its　crests；　beat　upon　the　sides　of　the　ships　and　on　the　

bank；　beat　and　complain；　churned　up　into　foam　and　fouled　with　

all　sorts　of　refuse。



The　jingle　of　the　anchor　chains；　the　rattle　of　the　links　of　the　

trucks　that　bring　down　the　cargoes；　the　metallic　clank　of　sheets　

of　iron　falling　on　the　stone　pavement；　the　dull　thud　of　wood；　

the　creaking　of　the　carts　plying　for　hire；　the　whistles　of　the　

steamers；　piercingly　shrill　and　hoarsely　roaring；　the　shouts　of

dock　laborers；　sailors；　and　customs　officersall　these　sounds　

melt　into　the　deafening　symphony　of　the　working　day；　that　

hovering　uncertainty　hangs　over　the　harbor；　as　though　afraid　to　

float　upward　and　be　lost。　　





125　CHELKASH





And　fresh　waves　of　sound　continually　rise　up　from　the　earth　to　

join　it；　deep；　grumbling；　sullen　reverberations　setting　all　

around　quaking；　shrill；　menacing　notes　that　pierce　the　ear　and　

the　dusty；　sultry　air。



The　granite；　the　iron；　the　wood；　the　harbor　pavement；　the　ships　

and　the　menall　swelled　the　mighty　strains　of　this　frenzied；　

impassioned　hymn　to　Mercury。　　But　the　voices　of　men；　scarcely　

audible　in　it；　were　weak　and　ludicrous。　　And　the　men；　too；　

themselves；　the　first　source　of　all　that　uproar；　were　ludicrous　

and　pitiable：　　their　little　figures；　dusty；　tattered；　nimble；　

bent　under　the　weight　of　goods　that　lay　on　their　backs；　under　

the　weight　of　cares　that　drove　them　hither　and　thither；　in　the　

clouds　of　dust；　in　the　sea　of　sweltering　heat　and　din；　were　so　

trivial　and　small　in　comparison　with　the　colossal　iron　monsters；　

the　mountains　of　bales；　the　thundering　railway　trucks　and　all　

that　they　had　created。　　Their　own　creation　had　enslaved　them；　

and　stolen　away　their　individual　life。



As　they　lay　letting　off　steam；　the　heavy　giant　steamers　

whistled　or　hissed；　or　seemed　to　heave　deep　sighs；　and　in　every　

sound　that　came　from　them　could　be　heard　the　mocking　note　of　

ironical　contempt　for　the　gray；　dusty　shapes　of　men；　crawling　

about　their　decks　and　filling　their　deep　holds　with　the　fruits　

of　their　slavish　toil。　　Ludicrous　and　pitiable　were　the　long

strings　of　dock　laborers　bearing　on　their　backs　thousands　of　

tons　of　bread；　and　casting　it　into　the　iron　bellies　of　the　

ships　to　gain　a　few　pounds　of　that　same　bread　to　fill　their　

own　belliesfor　their　worse　luck　not　made　of　iron；　but　alive　

to　the　pangs　of　hunger。　





127　　CHELKASH





The　men；　tattered；　drenched　with　sweat；　made　dull　by　weariness；　

and　din　and　heat；　and　the　mighty　machines；　created　by　those　men；　

shining；　well…fed；　serene；　in　the　sunshine；　machines　which　in　

the　last　resort　are；　after　all；　not　set　in　motion　by　steam；　but　

by　the　muscles　and　blood　of　their　creatorsin　this　contrast　

was　a　whole　poem　of　cruel　and　frigid　irony。



The　clamor　oppressed　the　spirit；　the　dust　fretted　the　nostrils　

and　blinded　the　eyes；　the　sweltering　heat　baked　and　exhausted　

the　body；　and　everything…buildings；　men；　pavementseemed　

strained；　breaking；　ready　to　burst；　losing　patience；　on　the　

verge　of　exploding　into　some　immense　catastrophe；　some　outbreak；　

after　which　one　would　be　able　to　breathe　freely　and　easily　in　

the　air　refreshed　by　it。　　On　the　earth　there　would　be　quietness；

and　that　dusty　uproar；　deafening；　fretting　the　nerves；　driving　

one　to　melancholy　frenzy；　would　vanish；　and　in　town；　and　sea　

and　sky；　it　would　be　still　and　clear　and　pleasant。　　But　that　

was　only　seeming。　　It　seemed　so　because　man　has　not　yet　grown　

weary　of　hoping　for　better　things；　and　the　longing　to　feel　free　

is　not　dead　in　him。



Twelve　times　there　rang　out　the　regular　musical　peal　of　the　

bell。　　When　the　last　brazen　clang　had　died　away；　the　savage　

orchestra　of　toil　had　already　lost　half　its　volume。　　A　minute　

later　it　had　passed　into　a　dull；　repining　grumble。　　Now　the　

voices　of　men　and　the　splash　of　the　sea　could　be　heard　more　

clearly。　　The　dinner…hour　had　come。





128　CHELKASH





CHAPTER　I









When　the　dock　laborers；　knocking　off　work；　had　scattered　about　

the　dock　in　noisy　groups；　buying　various　edibles　from　the　women　

hawking　food；　and　were　settling　themselves　to　dinner　in　shady　

corners　on　the　pavement；　there　walked　into　their　midst　Grishka　

Chelkash；　an　old　hunted　wolf；　well　known　to　all　the　dock　

population　as　a　hardened　drunkard　and　a　bold　and　dexterous　thief。

He　was　barefoot　and　bareheaded；　clad　in　old；　threadbare；　shoddy　

breeches；　in　a　dirty　print　shirt；　with　a　torn　collar　that　

displayed　his　mobile；　dry；　angular　bones　tightly　covered　with　

brown　skin。　　From　the　ruffled　state　of　his　black；　slightly　

grizzled　hair　and　the　dazed　look　on　his　keen；　predatory　face；　

it　was　evident　that　he　had　only　just　waked　up。　　There　was　a　

straw　sticking　in　one　brown　mustache；　another　straw　clung　to　

the　scrubby　bristles　of　his　shaved　left　cheek；　and　behind　his　

ear　he　had　stuck　a　little；　freshly…picked　twig　of　lime。　　Long；

bony；　rather　stooping；　he　paced　slowly　over　the　flags；　and　

turning　his　hooked；　rapacious…looking　nose　from　side　to　side；　

he　cast　sharp　glances　about　him；　his　cold；　gray　eyes　shining；　

as　he　scanned　one　after　another　among　the　dock　laborers。　　His　

thick　and　long　brown　mustaches　were　continually　twitching　like　

a　cat's　whiskers；　while　he　rubbed　his　hands　behind　his　back；　

nervously　clenching　the　long；　crooked；　clutching　fingers。　　

Even　here；　among　hundreds　of　striking…looking；　tattered　

vagabonds　like　himself；　he　attracted　attention　at　once　from　

his　resemblance　to　a　vulture　of　the　steppes；　from　his　hungry…

looking　thinness；　and　from　that　peculiar　gait　of　his；　as　though　

pouncing　down　on　his　prey；　so　smooth　and　easy　in　appearance；　

but　inwardly　intent　and　alert；　like　the　flight　of　the　keen；　

nervous　bird　he　resembled。





129　　CHELKASH





As　he　reached　one　of　the　groups　of　ragged　dockers；　reclining　

in　the　shade　of　a　stack　of　coal　baskets；　there　rose　to　meet　

him　a　thick…set　young　man；　with　purple　blotches　on　his　dull　

face　and　scratches　on　his　neck；　unmistakable　traces　of　a　

recent　thrashing。　　He　got　up　and　walked　beside　Chelkash；　

saying；　in　an　undertone：



〃The　dock　officers　have　got　wind　of　the　two　cases　of　goods。　

They're　on　the　look…out。　D'ye　hear；　Grishka？〃



〃What　then？〃　queried　Chelkash；　cooly　measuring　him　with　his　

eyes。



〃How　'what　then？'　They're　on　the　look…out；　I　say。　　That's　all。〃



〃Did　they　ask　for　me　to　help　them　look？〃



And　with　an　acrid　smile　Chelkash　looked　toward　the　storehouse　

of　the　Volunteer　Fleet。



〃You　go　to　the　devil！〃



His　companion　turned　away。



〃Ha；　wait　a　bit！　　Who's　been　decorating　you　like　that？　　Why；　

what　a　sight　they　have　made　of　your　signboard！　　Have　you　seen　

Mishka　here？〃



〃I've　not　seen　him　this　long　while！〃　the　other　shouted；　and　

hastily　went　back　to　his　companions。



Chelkash　went　on　farther；　greeted　by　everyone　as　a　familiar　

figure。　　But　he；　usually　so　lively　and　sarcastic；　was　

unmistakably　out　of　humor　to…day；　and　made　short　and　abrupt　

replies　to　all　inquiries。





130　CHELKASH





From　behind　a　pile　of　goods　emerged　a　customs…house　officer；　

a　dark　green；　dusty　figure；　of　military　erectness。　　He　barred　

the　way　for　Chelkash；　standing　before　him　in　a　challenging　

attitude；　his　left　hand　clutching　the　hilt　of　his　dirk；　while　

with　his　right　he　tried　to　seize　Chelkash　by　the　collar。



〃Stop！　Where　are　you　going？〃



Chelkash　drew　back　a　step；　raised　his　eyes；　looked　at　the　

official；　and　smiled　dryly。



The　red；　good…humoredly　crafty　face　of　the　official；　in　its　

attempt　to　assume　a　menacing　air；　puffed　and　grew　round　and　

purple；　while　the　brows　scowled；　the　eyes　rolled；　and　the　

effect　was　very　comic。



〃You've　been　tolddon't　you　dare　come　into　the　dock；　or　I'll　

break　your　ribs！　　And　you're　here　again！〃　the　man　roared　

threateningly。



〃How　d'ye　do；　Semyonitch！　　It's　a　long　while　since　we've　seen　

each　other；〃　Chelkash　greet