书包小说网

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第1部分(第1页)

by Ernest Hemingway

1

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains。 In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders; dry and white in the sun; and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels。 Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees。 The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves; stirred by the breeze; falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves。

The plain was rich with crops; there were many orchards of fruit trees and beyond the plain the mountains were brown and bare。 There was fighting in the mountains and at night we could see the flashes from the artillery。 In the dark it was like summer lightning; but the nights were cool and there was not the feeling of a storm ing。

Sometimes in the dark we heard the troops marching under the window and guns going past pulled by motor…tractors。 There was much traffic at night and many mules on the roads with boxes of ammunition on each side of their pack…saddles and gray motor trucks that carried men; and other trucks with loads covered with canvas that moved slower in the traffic。 There were big guns too that passed in the day drawn by tractors; the long barrels of the guns covered with green branches and green leafy branches and vines laid over the tractors。 To the north we could look across a valley and see a forest of chestnut trees and behind it another mountain on this side of the river。 There was fighting for that mountain too; but it was not successful; and in the fall when the rains came the leaves all fell from the chestnut trees and the branches were bare and the trunks black with rain。 The vineyards were thin and bare…branched too and all the country wet and brown and dead with the autumn。 There were mists over the river and clouds on the mountain and the trucks splashed mud on the road and the troops were muddy and wet in their capes; their rifles were wet and under their capes the two leather cartridge…boxes on the front of the belts; gray leather boxes heavy with the packs of clips of thin; long 6。5 mm。 cartridges; bulged forward under the capes so that the men; passing on the road; marched as though they were six months gone with child。

There were small gray motor cars that passed going very fast; usually there was an officer on the seat with the driver and more officers in the back seat。 They splashed more mud than the camions even and if one of the officers in the back was very small and sitting between two generals; he himself so small that you could not see his face but only the top of his cap and his narrow back; and if the car went especially fast it was probably the King。 He lived in Udine and came out in this way nearly every day to see how things were going; and things went very badly。

At the start of the winter came the permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera。 But it was checked and in the end only seven thousand died of it in the army。

2

The next year there were many victories。 The mountain that was beyond the valley and the hillside where the chestnut forest grew was captured and there were victories beyond the plain on the plateau to the south and we crossed the river in August and lived in a house in Gorizia that had a fountain and many thick shady trees in a walled garden and a wistaria vine purple on the side of the house。 Now the fighting was in the next mountains beyond and was not a mile away。 The town was very nice and our house was very fine。 The river ran behind us and the town had been captured very handsomely but the mountains beyond it could not be taken and I was very glad the Austrians seemed to want to e back to the town some time; if the war should end; because they did not bombard it to destroy it but only a little in a military way。 People lived on in it and there were hospitals and caf閟 and artillery up side streets and two bawdy houses; one for troops and one for officers; and with the end of the summer; the cool nights; the fighting in the mountains beyond the town; the shell…marked iron of the railway bridge; the smashed tunnel by the river where the fighting had been; the trees around the square and the long avenue of trees that led to the square; these with there being girls in the town; the King passing in his motor car; sometimes now seeing his face and little long necked body and gray beard like a goats chin tuft; all these with the sudden interiors of houses that had lost a wall through shelling; with plaster and rubble in their gardens and sometimes in the street; and the whole thing going well on the Carso made the fall very different from the last fall when we had been in the country。 The war was changed too。

The forest of oak trees on the mountain beyond the town was gone。 The forest had been green in the summer when we had e into the town but now there were the stumps and the broken trunks and the ground torn up; and one day at the end of the fall when I was out where the oak forest had been I saw a cloud ing over the mountain。 It came very fast and the sun went a dull yellow and then everything was gray and the sky was covered and the cloud came on down the mountain and suddenly we were in it and it was snow。 The snow slanted across the wind; the bare ground was covered; the stumps of trees projected; there was snow on the guns and there were paths in the snow going back to the latrines behind trenches。

Later; below in the town; I watched the snow falling; looking out of the window of the bawdy house; the house for officers; where I sat with a friend and two glasses drinking a bottle of Asti; and; looking out at the snow falling slowly and heavily; we knew it was all over for that year。 Up the river the mountains had not been taken; none of the mountains beyond the river had been taken。 That was all left for next year。 My friend saw the priest from our mess going by in the street; walking carefully in the slush; and pounded on the window to attract his attention。 The priest looked up。 He saw us and smiled。 My friend motioned for him to e in。 The priest shook his head and went on。 That night in the mess after the spaghetti course; which every one ate very quickly and seriously; lifting the spaghetti on the fork until the loose strands hung clear then lowering it into the mouth; or else using a continuous lift and sucking into the mouth; helping ourselves to wine from the grass…covered gallon flask; it swung in a metal cradle and you pulled the neck of the flask down with the forefinger and the wine; clear red; tannic and lovely; poured out into the glass held with the same hand; after this course; the captain menced picking on the priest。

The priest was young and blushed easily and wore a uniform like the rest of us but with a cross in dark red velvet above the left breast pocket of his gray tunic。 The captain spoke pidgin Italian for my doubtful benefit; in order that I might understand perfectly; that nothing should be lost。

〃Priest to…day with girls;〃 the captain said looking at the priest and at me。 The priest smiled and blushed and shook his head。 This captain baited him often。

〃Not true?〃 asked the captain。 〃To…day I see priest with girls。〃

〃No;〃 said the priest。 The other officers were amused at the baiting。

〃Priest not with girls;〃 went on the captain。 〃Priest never with girls;〃 he explained to me。 He took my glass and filled it; looking at my eyes all the time; but not losing sight of the priest。

〃Priest every night five against one。〃 Every one at the table laughed。 〃You understand? Priest every night five against one。〃 He made a gesture and laughed loudly。 The priest accepted it as a joke。

〃The Pope wants the Austrians to win the war;〃 the major said。 〃He loves Franz Joseph。 Thats where the money es from。 I am an atheist。〃

〃Did you ever read the Black Pig?〃 asked the lieutenant。 〃I will get you a copy。 It was that which shook my faith。〃

〃It is a filthy and vile book;〃 said the priest。 〃You do not really like it。〃

〃It is very valuable;〃 said the lieutenant。 〃It tells you about those priests。 You will like it;〃 he said to me。 I smiled at the priest and he smiled back across the candle…light。 〃Dont you read it;〃 he said。

〃I will get it for you;〃 said the lieutenant。

〃All thinking men are atheists;〃 the major said。 〃I do not believe in the Free Masons however。〃

〃I believe in the Free Masons;〃 the lieutenant said。 〃It is a noble organization。〃 Some one came in and as the door opened I could see the snow falling。

[HP]成为獾祖的人生  北后  三年抱俩,冷硬军官别太宠  郭靖,别跑(  我只想闯荡江湖  言咒师  小宫女(辣)  月在回廊新月如钩_(全书已完结)  药膳空间[种田养子] 作者:辣椒拌饭  重生之成就非凡  师兄竟是战略级房产经纪大师  四合院:从杀猪佬开始  邪妃盗情:粘人相公太妖娆  斗罗:千仞雪的伐神之路  一默如雷  爱江山  昆仑镜之宁不臣  爱恨交织  侍灵记  奇怪的运动  

热门小说推荐
开挂

开挂

不牛逼不拉风的低端业余玩家甄浪,被班花拒绝后,偶然得到一块来历神秘的智能芯片。从此,一个游戏界的传奇诞生了。那神一样的操作妖一样的走位魔一样的意识,令无数高端玩家失声惊呼挂了吧?事实证明,甄浪注定是泡不到班花的男人。因为,千姿百态的系花院花校花,风情各异的美女老师女神主播,纷纷闯进了他的生活火爆...

天美地艳男人是山

天美地艳男人是山

从农村考入大学的庾明毕业后因为成了老厂长的乘龙快婿,后随老厂长进京,成为中央某部后备干部,并被下派到蓟原市任市长。然而,官运亨通的他因为妻子的奸情发生了婚变,蓟原市急欲接班当权的少壮派势力以为他没有了后台,便扯住其年轻恋爱时与恋人的越轨行为作文章,将其赶下台,多亏老省长爱惜人才,推荐其参加跨国合资公司总裁竞聘,才东山再起然而,仕途一旦顺风,官运一发不可收拾由于庾明联合地方政府开展棚户区改造工程受到了中央领导和老百姓的赞誉。在省代会上,他又被推举到了省长的重要岗位。一介平民跃升为省长...

真香实录

真香实录

作为一个无节操无底线无尺度的三无大龄少女,男人于她而言不过是解决生理需求的生活用品,所以她并不在意他们视她如玩物,将她介绍给别人,搂着名门千金假装不认识她,故意贬低她否认与她的情史,利用她欺骗她甚至当众羞辱她。她很懒,懒得跟无所谓的人计较太多。但,等她识趣地走人了还指望她乖乖躺回他们身下?他们以为全世界的男人只有他们才长了根能用的东西?她只想说,呵呵。Nph文,6个男主,有处有非处,伪骨科。已完结~感谢所有妹子们!...

重生八零之极品军妻

重生八零之极品军妻

吃货林思念重生到了八零年,面对这桩谋算来的婚姻,男人的冷漠,她却像打了鸡血似的,誓要把男主拿下。男人的冷漠与误会让她终于有了离开的想法,可军婚不好离,她不信邪的为离婚奋斗着。可这冷漠的男人从什么时候起,紧紧的追着她的脚步,还恬不知耻的要和她生儿子。呸,谁要和你生儿子?你有儿子了好不好,要生也是生一个像她一样漂亮可爱...

色间道

色间道

穷小子楚帅,先赚了一个极品级二奶,却原来是间谍精英,然后,一个大陆女警官凌小杰好有暗恋他,可是,穷小子还有一个比鸟齐飞的原配初恋,还有一个女朋友的死党小魔女蓝菲,还有几乎是后宫佳丽如云,不过,一个个美眉都有好神秘的身份,你中有我,我中有你...

每日热搜小说推荐