登陆注册
5257900000096

第96章 英文(65)

“Thoughtcrime!”said Parsons, almost blubbering. The tone of his voice implied at once a complete admission of his guilt and a sort of incredulous horror that such a word could be applied to himself. He paused opposite Winston and began eagerly appealing to him:“You don’t think they’ll shoot me, do you, old chap? They don’t shoot you if you haven’t actually done anything — only thoughts, which you can’t help? I know they give you a fair hearing. Oh, I trust them for that! They’ll know my record, won’t they? You know what kind of chap I was. Not a bad chap in my way. Not brainy, of course, but keen. I tried to do my best for the Party, didn’t I? I’ll get off with five years, don’t you think? Or even ten years? A chap like me could make himself pretty useful in a labour-camp. They wouldn’t shoot me for going off the rails just once?”

“Are you guilty?”said Winston.

“Of course I’m guilty!”cried Parsons with a servile glance at the telescreen.“You don’t think the Party would arrest an innocent man, do you?”His frog-like face grew calmer, and even took on a slightly sanctimonious expression.“Thoughtcrime is a dreadful thing, old man,” he said sententiously. “It’s insidious. It can get hold of you without your even knowing it. Do you know how it got hold of me? In my sleep! Yes, that’s a fact. There I was, working away, trying to do my bit — never knew I had any bad stuff in my mind at all. And then I started talking in my sleep. Do you know what they heard me saying?”

He sank his voice, like someone who is obliged for medical reasons to utter an obscenity.

“‘Down with Big Brother!’Yes, I said that! Said it over and over again, it seems. Between you and me, old man, I’m glad they got me before it went any further. Do you know what I’m going to say to them when I go up before the tribunal?‘Thank you,’I’m going to say,‘thank you for saving me before it was too late.’”

“Who denounced you?”said Winston.

“It was my little daughter,”said Parsons with a sort of doleful pride. "She listened at the keyhole. Heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the very next day. Pretty smart for a nipper of seven, eh? I don’t bear her any grudge for it. In fact I’m proud of her. It shows I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway.”

He made a few more jerky movements up and down, several times, casting a longing glance at the lavatory pan. Then he suddenly ripped down his shorts.

“Excuse me, old man,”he said.“I can’t help it. It’s the waiting.”

He plumped his large posterior into the lavatory pan. Winston covered his face with his hands.

“Smith!”yelled the voice from the telescreen.“6079 Smith W.! Uncover your face. No faces covered in the cells.”

Winston uncovered his face. Parsons used the lavatory, loudly and abundantly. It then turned out that the plug was defective and the cell stank abominably for hours afterwards.

Parsons was removed. More prisoners came and went, mysteriously. One, a woman, was consigned to “Room 101”, and, Winston noticed, seemed to shrivel and turn a different colour when she heard the words. A time came when, if it had been morning when he was brought here, it would be afternoon; or if it had been afternoon, then it would be midnight. There were six prisoners in the cell, men and women. All sat very still. Opposite Winston there sat a man with a chinless, toothy face exactly like that of some large, harmless rodent. His fat, mottled cheeks were so pouched at the bottom that it was difficult not to believe that he had little stores of food tucked away there. His pale-grey eyes flitted timorously from face to face and turned quickly away again when he caught anyone’s eye.

The door opened, and another prisoner was brought in whose appearance sent a momentary chill through Winston. He was a commonplace, mean-looking man who might have been an engineer or technician of some kind. But what was startling was the emaciation of his face. It was like a skull. Because of its thinness the mouth and eyes looked disproportionately large, and the eyes seemed filled with a murderous, unappeasable hatred of somebody or something.

The man sat down on the bench at a little distance from Winston. Winston did not look at him again, but the tormented, skull-like face was as vivid in his mind as though it had been straight in front of his eyes. Suddenly he realized what was the matter. The man was dying of starvation. The same thought seemed to occur almost simultaneously to everyone in the cell. There was a very faint stirring all the way round the bench. The eyes of the chinless man kept flitting towards the skull-faced man, then turning guiltily away, then being dragged back by an irresistible attraction. Presently he began to fidget on his seat. At last he stood up, waddled clumsily across the cell, dug down into the pocket of his overalls, and, with an abashed air, held out a grimy piece of bread to the skull- faced man.

There was a furious, deafening roar from the telescreen. The chinless man jumped in his tracks. The skull-faced man had quickly thrust his hands behind his back, as though demonstrating to all the world that he refused the gift.

“Bumstead!”roared the voice.“2713 Bumstead J.! Let fall that piece of bread!”

The chinless man dropped the piece of bread on the floor.

“Remain standing where you are,”said the voice.“Face the door. Make no movement.”

The chinless man obeyed. His large pouchy cheeks were quivering uncontrollably. The door clanged open. As the young officer entered and stepped aside, there emerged from behind him a short stumpy guard with enormous arms and shoulders. He took his stand opposite the chinless man, and then, at a signal from the officer, let free a frightful blow, with all the weight of his body behind it, full in the chinless man’s mouth. The force of it seemed almost to knock him clear of the floor. His body was flung across the cell and fetched up against the base of the lavatory seat. For a moment he lay as though stunned, with dark blood oozing from his mouth and nose. A very faint whimpering or squeaking, which seemed unconscious, came out of him. Then he rolled over and raised himself unsteadily on hands and knees. Amid a stream of blood and saliva, the two halves of a dental plate fell out of his mouth.

同类推荐
  • 城里的月光

    城里的月光

    《城里的月光》是从作者许春樵已发表的六十多部中短篇小说中精选的佳作,《城里的月光》代表了许春樵中短篇小说创作的基本实力和最高水准。其作品有着鲜明的个人叙事特色,艺术上具有独立的个人化意志,对社会、对人生、对人性的洞察力和穿透力,得到评论界的高度肯定和广泛认同。被誉为国内“新生代实力派作家”。小说曾获过“上海文学奖”、“安徽文学奖”、“《当代》拉力赛冠军”等。
  • 20世纪大情爱

    20世纪大情爱

    《20世纪大情爱》一书中所选择的婚恋故事,有功成名就的著名政治家、革命家,有探索大自然阖人类心灵奥秘的科学家,有才华横溢、风流倜傥的文学家、艺术家,也有崇尚理智、冷静沉着的学者、哲学家。
  • 2015中国年度小学生优秀作文

    2015中国年度小学生优秀作文

    小作者们从真实的体验着笔,写家乡美景,写家庭趣事,写老师的关爱,写社会百态,写荣誉也写悔恨,写幸福也写悲伤,语言质朴纯粹,不事雕琢,充满童真童趣。本书由《作文报》小学版主编李国元先生从众多的学生报刊中精选而成,收入2015年最有代表性的作文,旨在检阅2015年度小学生的作文实绩。
  • 养在深闺人未识

    养在深闺人未识

    爱情也有味道:爱一个人,对方也爱你,甜的居多;爱一个人,对方不知道,酸的居多;爱一个人,对方不爱你,则苦的居多。酸甜苦,每一个滋味都暗藏一个故事,每一个滋味都代表一段感情……
  • 黑白兄弟

    黑白兄弟

    这本《黑白兄弟》由严歧成著,讲述的是:黑道枭雄,职业警察,本属天敌。可是,他们源于一个母亲的血,他们几乎同时来到这个世界。苍茫人生,风雨之路,三十年时光,程鲲、程鹏兄弟二人面对友谊、情感、道德、财富、乃至法律,他们各有取舍。程鲲忠实于职业使命,职业道德,职业精神,终为警察中的佼佼者。程鹏在黑道上摸爬滚打,在嗜血的搏斗中也杀出了自己的天地,成为袖转乾坤的流氓大亨。从自然朴实的乡村到灯红酒绿的都市,人的欲望如魔鬼般飞舞,程鹏从捞到他的第一桶金开始,他就没有停止对于财富的渴望,对于利益的争夺。
热门推荐
  • 柠檬未熟时

    柠檬未熟时

    本书以男主人公王鑫和女主人公汤灵在高中时期的初恋故事为主线,讲述了高中三年他们的分分合合,有在一起的羞涩,有争吵的幸福,有离别的牵挂。初恋有如一颗还未成熟的柠檬,酸涩但清纯。最后两人各奔东西,然而遗憾的是没来得及好好的道别。
  • 网游天涯明月刀

    网游天涯明月刀

    这是个剑与刀的世界,武学之天下,功法之圣堂。武林之神话,再次横空傲世。挑天下英雄,潇潇洒洒快活人间。
  • 找个小偷当保镖

    找个小偷当保镖

    一次突发的事故,让本来威名赫赫的盗宝集团销声匿迹然而,却从此多了一个全能的保镖叶晨回到都市,本来是为了照顾队友的亲人,可接下来发生的一切却完全超乎了他的想象。自己不但被大明星硬拉去当了保镖,而且还莫名其妙的成了“驸马爷”“尼玛,这就是传说中的桃花劫吗?”叶晨不禁仰天长叹一声:“造孽啊,我只是个普通的小偷……”
  • 醉爱夏甜心

    醉爱夏甜心

    石头有沒有心?但水终究可以穿石我愿化为夏雨,穿透你冷硬的外殼,到达你柔软的內心====暂停中...
  • 女校小门卫

    女校小门卫

    【免费火爆,十万人追读】美艳校花的玲珑身姿,御姐老师的火辣身材,女神校长的完美娇躯……在会透视,会隐身的佣兵之王萧阳眼中,一切无所遁形!想看就看,想摸就摸,自从回归都市,意外进入了一所美女如云的女子学校的当门卫,萧阳过上了帝王一般的潇洒生活!美艳校花,御姐老师,女神校长,通通都不放过!“美女们,我萧阳来了!”
  • 残缺的小队

    残缺的小队

    一个是被母亲利用的独子,一个是被政治暗杀未遂的公主,他在寻找自我存在的价值,她在寻找复仇夺位的机会。当两人相遇,他发现可以实现自己的价值,而她觉得可以实现自己的目的。他是队员,她是队长。残缺人格的人组成了残缺的小队,也就有了以下残缺的故事。。。
  • 天行健之商业帝国

    天行健之商业帝国

    普通的少年、外星系的传承,这样的组合如何打造一个商业的帝国来改变世界。天行健,君子当自强不息。地势坤,君子当厚德载物。
  • 国民教父

    国民教父

    三件意外神秘的生日礼物,一个意外出现的女儿,一张神秘的照片,一次意外的人肉炸弹,狸猫换太子,7亿独奖背后的秘密,一场场突入起来的刺杀,政府神秘部门的介入。一切却只因一个众所周知的神话故事,且看一个草根如何夹缝中生存,成就国民教父之称号。
  • 夜黑风高:隋魔医馆

    夜黑风高:隋魔医馆

    有这么一家神秘莫测的医馆。他们白天闭门休息,晚上打灯营业。特别是在夜黑风高之时,他们还会打着灯笼到竹林深处去看有没有需要帮助的病人。他们并不被老百姓看好,有人说他们是妖,有人说他们是道士,也有人认为这里面就没有什么医生,就是一个古时候留下来的破旧医馆……
  • 庶女重生之卿城世子妃

    庶女重生之卿城世子妃

    在临死前,她怒斥上天的不公。她是庶女,却有一天变成了遭世人唾弃的凤凰。小妾争宠,侧妃使诈,甚至连她的夫君都容不下她,亲手将她毒死。她含着一缕冤魂,带着还未出世的孩子含恨离世。许是前世的恨太过深刻,重生一世,她带着目的一步步接近。她能够真切地了解到一个“忍”字的真正含义。在事情没有决定成败之前,忍耐,忍耐到心中如有利爪、有利刃,一下一下划开、抓挠、撕拉你的心!即使心一下一下抽搐着的疼,也要对着仇人笑得可人、温柔、甜美,暖柔柔的仿佛什么都没有发生过一样。直到有一天,会一击必中,将对方置诸死地!只是她原本以为这辈子再也不会爱上一个人,谁知一池心水又被谁搅乱。