Ball of Fat 羊脂球 Chapter 2

Some detachments rapped at each door, then disappeared into the houses. It was occupation after invasion. Then the duty commences for the conquered to show themselves gracious toward the conquerors ¹. , ,After some time, as soon as the first terror disappears, a new calm is established. In many families, the Prussian officer eats at the table. He is sometimes well bred and, through politeness, pities France, and speaks of his repugnance ² in taking part in this affair. One is grateful to him for this sentiment; then, one may be, some day or other, in need of his protection. By treat-ing him well, one has, perhaps, a less number of men to feed. And why should we wound anyone on whom we are entirely ³ dependent? To act thus would be less bravery than temerity ⁴. And temerity is no longer a fault of the commoner of Rouen, as it was at the time of the heroic defense ⁵, when their city became famous. Final-ly, each told himself that the highest judgment ⁶ of French urbanity required that they be allowed to be polite to the strange soldier in the house, provided they did not show themselves familiar with him in public. Outside they would not make themselves known to each other, but at home they could chat freely, and the German might remain longer each evening warming his feet at their hearthstones. , ,The town even took on, little by little, its ordinary aspect. The French scarcely went out, but the Prussian soldiers grumbled ⁷ in the streets. In short, the officers of the Blue Hussars, who dragged with arrogance ⁸ their great weapons of death up and down the pavement, seemed to have no more grievous scorn for the simple citizens than the officers or the sportsmen who, the year before, drank in the same cafes. , , ,The conquerors exacted money, much money. The inhabitants always paid and they were rich enough to do it. But the richer a trading Norman becomes the more he suffers at every outlay ¹¹, at each part of his fortune that he sees pass from his hands into those of another. , ,Therefore, two or three leagues below the town, following the course of the river toward Croisset, Dieppedalle, or Biessart mariners ¹² and fishermen often picked up the swollen ¹³ corpse ¹⁴ of a German in uniform from the bottom of the river, killed by the blow of a knife, the head crushed with a stone, or perhaps thrown into the water by a push from the high bridge. The slime of the river bed buried these obscure vengeances, savage ¹⁵, but legitimate ¹⁶, unknown heroisms, mute attacks more perilous ¹⁷ than the battles of broad day, and without the echoing sound of glory. , ,The conquerors believed in crushing the defeated people into submission, knowing that they could not win their loyalty by the victory. 征服者们知道他们的胜利并不能赢得失败者的忠心 ，于是就认为只有通过武力才能将他们压服 。,He fought down a feelings of repugnance.他抑制住了厌恶感。