resurrection(复活)-第112章

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〃No；　they　are　not　human；　they　who　can　do　what　they　are　doing
No　There；　now；　I　heard　that　some　kind　of　bombs　and　balloons
have　been　invented。　Well；　one　ought　to　go　up　in　such　a　balloon
and　sprinkle　bombs　down　on　them　as　if　they　were　bugs；　until　they
are　all　exterminated　Yes。　Because〃　he　was　going　to　continue；
but；　flushing　all　over；　he　began　coughing　worse　than　before；　and
a　stream　of　blood　rushed　from　his　mouth。

Nabatoff　ran　to　get　ice。　Mary　Pavlovna　brought　valerian　drops　and
offered　them　to　him；　but　he；　breathing　quickly　and　heavily；
pushed　her　away　with　his　thin；　white　hand；　and　kept　his　eyes
closed。　When　the　ice　and　cold　water　had　eased　Kryltzoff　a　little；
and　he　had　been　put　to　bed；　Nekhludoff；　having　said　good…night　to
everybody；　went　out　with　the　sergeant；　who　had　been　waiting　for
him　some　time。

The　criminals　were　now　quiet；　and　most　of　them　were　asleep。
Though　the　people　were　lying　on　and　under　the　bed　shelves　and　in
the　space　between；　they　could　not　all　be　placed　inside　the　rooms；
and　some　of　them　lay　in　the　passage　with　their　sacks　under　their
heads　and　covered　with　their　cloaks。　The　moans　and　sleepy　voices
came　through　the　open　doors　and　sounded　through　the　passage。
Everywhere　lay　compact　heaps　of　human　beings　covered　with　prison
cloaks。　Only　a　few　men　who　were　sitting　in　the　bachelors'　room　by
the　light　of　a　candle　end；　which　they　put　out　when　they　noticed
the　sergeant；　were　awake；　and　an　old　man　who　sat　naked　under　the
lamp　in　the　passage　picking　the　vermin　off　his　shirt。　The　foul
air　in　the　political　prisoners'　rooms　seemed　pure　compared　to　the
stinking　closeness　here。　The　smoking　lamp　shone　dimly　as　through
a　mist；　and　it　was　difficult　to　breathe。　Stepping　along　the
passage；　one　had　to　look　carefully　for　an　empty　space；　and　having
put　down　one　foot　had　to　find　place　for　the　other。　Three　persons；
who　had　evidently　found　no　room　even　in　the　passage；　lay　in　the
anteroom；　close　to　the　stinking　and　leaking　tub。　One　of　these　was
an　old　idiot；　whom　Nekhludoff　had　often　seen　marching　with　the
gang；　another　was　a　boy　about　twelve；　he　lay　between　the　two
other　convicts；　with　his　head　on　the　leg　of　one　of　them。

When　he　had　passed　out　of　the　gate　Nekhludoff　took　a　deep　breath
and　long　continued　to　breathe　in　deep　draughts　of　frosty　air。


CHAPTER　XIX。

WHY　IS　IT　DONE？

It　had　cleared　up　and　was　starlight。　Except　in　a　few　places　the
mud　was　frozen　hard　when　Nekhludoff　returned　to　his　inn　and
knocked　at　one　of　its　dark　windows。　The　broad…shouldered　labourer
came　barefooted　to　open　the　door　for　him　and　let　him　in。　Through
a　door　on　the　right；　leading　to　the　back　premises；　came　the　loud
snoring　of　the　carters；　who　slept　there；　and　the　sound　of　many
horses　chewing　oats　came　from　the　yard。　The　front　room；　where　a
red　lamp　was　burning　in　front　of　the　icons；　smelt　of　wormwood　and
perspiration；　and　some　one　with　mighty　lungs　was　snoring　behind　a
partition。　Nekhludoff　undressed；　put　his　leather　travelling
pillow　on　the　oilcloth　sofa；　spread　out　his　rug　and　lay　down；
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　resp