雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第57部分

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　Code；　the　right　to　try　him　for　which　we　reserve　hereafter；　when　his　identity　shall　have　been　judicially　established。
　　He　has　just　mitted　a　fresh　theft；　it　is　a　case　of　a　second　offence；　condemn　him　for　the　fresh　deed；　later　on　he　will　be　judged　for　the　old　crime。〃
　　In　the　face　of　this　accusation；　in　the　face　of　the　unanimity　of　the　witnesses；　the　accused　appeared　to　be　astonished　more　than　anything　else；　he　made　signs　and　gestures　which　were　meant　to　convey　No；　or　else　he　stared　at　the　ceiling：
　　he　spoke　with　difficulty；　replied　with　embarrassment；　but　his　whole　person；　from　head　to　foot；　was　a　denial；　he　was　an　idiot　in　the　presence　of　all　these　minds　ranged　in　order　of　battle　around　him；　and　like　a　stranger　in　the　midst　of　this　society　which　was　seizing　fast　upon　him；　nevertheless；　it　was　a　question　of　the　most　menacing　future　for　him；　the　likeness　increased　every　moment；　and　the　entire　crowd　surveyed；　with　more　anxiety　than　he　did　himself；　that　sentence　freighted　with　calamity；　which　descended　ever　closer　over　his　head；　there　was　even　a　glimpse　of　a　possibility　afforded；　besides　the　galleys；　a　possible　death　penalty；　in　case　his　identity　were　established；　and　the　affair　of　Little　Gervais　were　to　end　thereafter　in　condemnation。　Who　was　this　man？　what　was　the　nature　of　his　apathy？　was　it　imbecility　or　craft？
　　Did　he　understand　too　well；　or　did　he　not　understand　at　all？　these　were　questions　which　divided　the　crowd；　and　seemed　to　divide　the　jury；　there　was　something　both　terrible　and　puzzling　in　this　case：
　　the　drama　was　not　only　melancholy；　it　was　also　obscure。
　　The　counsel　for　the　defence　had　spoken　tolerably　well；　in　that　provincial　tongue　which　has　long　constituted　the　eloquence　of　the　bar；　and　which　was　formerly　employed　by　all　advocates；　at　Paris　as　well　as　at　Romorantin　or　at　Montbrison；　and　which　to…day；　having　bee　classic；　is　no　longer　spoken　except　by　the　official　orators　of　magistracy；　to　whom　it　is　suited　on　account　of　its　grave　sonorousness　and　its　majestic　stride；　a　tongue　in　which　a　husband　is　called　a　consort；　and　a　woman　a　spouse；　Paris；　the　centre　of　art　and　civilization；　the　king；　the　monarch；　Monseigneur　the　Bishop；　a　sainted　pontiff；　the　district…attorney；　the　eloquent　interpreter　of　public　prosecution；　the　arguments；　the　accents　which　we　have　just　listened　to；　the　age　of　Louis　XIV。；　the　grand　age；　a　theatre；　the　temple　of　Melpomene；　the　reigning　family；　the　august　blood　of　our　kings；　a　concert；　a　musical　solemnity；　the　General　mandant　of　the　province；　the　illustrious　warrior；　who；　etc。；　the　pupils　in　the　seminary；　these　tender　levities；　errors　imputed　to　newspapers；　the　imposture　which　distills　its　venom　through　the　columns　of　those　organs；　etc。　The　lawyer　had；　accordingly；　begun　with　an　explanation　as　to　the　theft　of　the　apples；an　awkward　matter　couched　in　fine　style；　but　Benigne　Bossuet　himself　was　obliged　to　allude　to　a　chicken　in　the　midst　of　a　funeral　oration；　and　he　extricated　himself　from　the　situation　in　stately　fashion。
　　The　lawyer　established　the　fact　that　the　theft　of　the　apples　had　not　been　circumstantially　proved。　His　client；　whom　he；　in　his　character　of　counsel；　persisted　in　calling　Champmathieu；　had　not　been　seen　scaling　that　wall　nor　breaking　that　branch　by　any　one。
　　He　had　been　taken　with　that　branch　（which　the　lawyer　preferred　to　call　a　bough）　in　his　possession；　but　he　said　that　he　had　found　it　broken　off　and　lying　on　the　ground；　and　had　picked　it　up。
　　Where　was　there　any　proof　to　the　contrary？　No　doubt　that　branch　had　been　broken　off　and　concealed　after　the　scaling　of　the　wall；　then　thrown　away　by　the　alarmed　marauder；　there　was　no　doubt　that　there　had　been　a　thief　in　the　case。　But　what　proof　was　there　that　that　thief　had　been　Champmathieu？　One　thing　only。
　　His　character　as　an　ex…convict。　The　lawyer　did　not　deny　that　that　character　appeared　to　be；　unhappily；　well　attested；　the　accused　had　resided　at　Faverolles；　the　accused　had　exercised　the　calling　of　a　tree…pruner　there；　the　name　of　Champmathieu　might　well　have　had　its　origin　in　Jean　Mathieu；　all　that　was　true；　in　short；　four　witnesses　recognize　Champmathieu；　positively　and　without　hesitation；　as　that　convict；　Jean　Valjean；　to　these　signs；　to　this　testimony；　the　counsel　could　oppose　nothing　but　the　denial　of　his　client；　the　denial　of　an　interested　party；　but　supposing　that　he　was　the　convict　Jean　Valjean；　did　that　prove　that　he　was　the　thief　of　the　apples？　that　was　a　presumption　at　the　most；　not　a　proof。　The　prisoner；　it　was　true；　and　his　counsel；　〃in　good　faith；〃　was　obliged　to　admit　it；　had　adopted　〃a　bad　system　of　defence。〃　He　obstinately　denied　everything；　the　theft　and　his　character　of　convict。　An　admission　upon　this　last　point　would　certainly　have　been　better；　and　would　have　won　for　him　the　indulgence　of　his　judges；　the　counsel　had　advised　him　to　do　this；　but　the　accused　had　obstinately　refused；　thinking；　no　doubt；　that　he　would　save　everything　by　admitting　nothing。　It　was　an　error；　but　ought　not　the　paucity　of　this　intelligence　to　be　taken　into　consideration？
　　This　man　was　visibly　stupid。　Long…continued　wretchedness　in　the　galleys；　long　misery　outside　the　galleys；　had　brutalized　him；　etc。
　　He　defended　himself　badly；　was　that　a　reason　for　condemning　him？
　　As　for　the　affair　with　Little　Gervais；　the　counsel　need　not　discuss　it；　it　did　not　enter　into　the　case。
　　The　lawyer　wound　up　by　beseeching　the　jury　and　the　court；　if　the　identity　of　Jean　Valjean　appeared　to　them　to　be　evident；　to　apply　to　him　the　police　penalties　which　are　provided　for　a　criminal　who　has　broken　his　ban；　and　not　the　frightful　chastisement　which　descends　upon　the　convict　guilty　of　a　second　offence。
　　The　district…attorney　answered　the　counsel　for　the　defence。　He　was　violent　and　florid；　as　district…attorneys　usually　are。
　　He　congratulated　the　counsel　for　the　defence　on　his　〃loyalty；〃　and　skilfully　took　advantage　of　this　loyalty。
　　He　reached　the　accused　through　all　the　concessions　made　by　his　lawyer。
　　The　advocate　had　seemed　to　admit　that　the　prisoner　was　Jean　Valjean。
　　He　took　note　of　this。　So　this　man　was　Jean　Valjean。
　　This　point　had　been　conceded　to　the　accusation　and　could　no　longer　be　disputed。
　　Here；　by　means　of　a　clever　autonomasia　which　went　back　to　the　sources　and　causes　of　crime；　the　district…attorney　thundered　against　the　immorality　of　the　romantic　school；　then　dawning　under　the　name　of　the　Satanic　school；　which　had　been　bestowed　upon　it　by　the　critics　of　the　Quotidienne　and　the　Oriflamme；　he　attributed；　not　without　some　probability；　to　the　influence　of　this　perverse　literature　the　crime　of　Champmathieu；　or　rather；　to　speak　more　correctly；　of　Jean　Valjean。
　　Having　exhausted　these　considerations；　he　passed　on　to　Jean　Valjean　himself。　Who　was　this　Jean　Valjean？
　　Description　of　Jean　Valjean：
　　a　monster　spewed　forth；　etc。
　　The　model　for　this　sort　of　description　is　contained　in　the　tale　of　Theramene；　which　is　not　useful　to　tragedy；　but　which　every　day　renders　great　services　to　judicial　eloquence。　The　audience　and　the　jury　〃shuddered。〃
　　The　description　finished；　the　district…attorney　resumed　with　an　oratorical　turn　calculated　to　raise　the　enthusiasm　of　the　journal　of　the　prefecture　to　the　highest　pitch　on　the　following　day：
　　And　it　is　such　a　man；　etc。；　etc。；　etc。；　vagabond；　beggar；　without　means　of　existence；　etc。；　etc。；　inured　by　his　past　life　to　culpable　deeds；　and　but　little　reformed　by　his　sojourn　in　the　galleys；　as　was　proved　by　the　crime　mitted　against　Little　Gervais；　etc。；　etc。；　it　is　such　a　man；　caught　upon　the　highway　in　the　very　act　of　theft；　a　few　paces　from　a　wall　that　had　been　scaled；　still　holding　in　his　hand　the　object　stolen；　who　denies　the　crime；　the　theft；　the　climbing　the　wall；　denies　everything；　denies　even　his　own　identity！　In　addition　to　a　hundred　other　proofs；　to　which　we　will　not　recur；　four　witnesses　recognize　himJavert；　the　upright　inspector　of　police；　Javert；　and　three　of　his　former　panions　in　infamy；　the　convicts　Brevet；　Chenildieu；　and　Cochepaille。
　　What　does　he　offer　in　opposition　to　this　overwhelming　unanimity？
　　His　denial。　What　obduracy！
　　You　will　do　justice；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　etc。；　etc。　While　the　district…attorney　was　speaking；　the　accused　listened　to　him　open…mouthed；　with　a　sort　of　amazement　in　which　some　admiration　was　assuredly　blended。
　　He　was　evidently　surprised　that　a　man　could　talk　like　that。
　　From　time　to　time；　at　those　〃energetic〃　moments　of　the　prosecutor's　speech；　when　eloquence　which　cannot　contain　itself　overflows　in　a　flood　of　withering　epithets　and　envelops　the　accused　like　a　storm；　he　moved　his　head　slowly　from　right　to　left　and　from　left　to　right　in　the　sort　of　mute　and　melancholy　protest　with　which　he　had　contented　himself　since　the　beginning　of　the　argument。　Two　or　three　times　the　spectators　who　were　nearest　to　him　heard　him　say　in　a　low　voice；　〃That　is　what　es　of　not　having　asked　M。　Baloup。〃　The　district…attorney　directed　the　attention　of　the　jury　to　this　stupid　attitude；　evidently　deliberate；　which　denoted　not　imbecility；　but　craft；　skill；　a　habit　of　deceiving　justice；　and　which　set　forth　in　all　its　nakedness　the　〃profound　perversity〃　of　this　man。　He　ended　by　making　his　reserves　on　the　affair　of　Little　Gervais　and　demanding　a　severe　sentence。
　　At　that　time；　as　the　reader　will　remember；　it　was　penal　servitude　for　life。
　　The　counsel　for　the　defence　rose；　began　by　plimenting　Monsieur　l'Avocat…General　on　his　〃admirable　speech；〃　then　replied　as　best　he　could；　but　he　weakened；　the　ground　was　evidently　slipping　away　from　under　his　feet。


BOOK　SEVENTH。THE　CHAMPMATHIEU　AFFAIR
CHAPTER　X　
　　THE　SYSTEM　OF　DENIALS
　　The　moment　for　closing　the　debate　had　arrived。
　　The　President　had　the　accused　stand　up；　and　addressed　to　him　the　customary　question；　〃Have　you　anything　to　add　to　your　defence？〃
　　The　man　did　not　appear　to　understand；　as　he　stood　there；　twisting　in　his　hands　a　terrible　cap　which　he　had。
　　The　President　repeated　the　question。
　　This　time　the　man　heard　it。
　　He　seemed　to　understand。
　　He　made　a　motion　like　a　man　who　is　just　waking　up；　cast　his　eyes　about　him；　stared　at　the　audience；　the　gendarmes；　his　counsel；　the　jury；　the　court；　laid　his　monstrous　fist　on　the　rim　of　woodwork　in　front　of　his　bench；　took　another　look；　and　all　at　once；　fixing　his　glance　upon　the　district…attorney；　he　began　to　speak。
　　It　was　like　an　eruption。　It　seemed；　from　the　manner　in　which　the　words　escaped　from　his　mouth；　incoherent；　impetuous；　pell…mell；　tumbling　over　each　other；　as　though　they　were　all　pressing　forward　to　issue　forth　at　once。　He　said：
　　〃This　is　what　I　have　to　say。
　　That　I　have　been　a　wheelwright　in　Paris；　and　that　it　was　with　Monsieur　Baloup。
　　It　is　a　hard　trade。　In　the　wheelwright's　trade　one　works　always　in　the　open　air；　in　courtyards；　under　sheds　when　the　masters　are　good；　never　in　closed　workshops；　because　space　is　required；　you　see。
　　In　winter　one　gets　so　cold　that　one　beats　one's　arms　together　to　warm　one's　self；　but　the　masters　don't　like　it；　they　say　it　wastes　time。　Handling　iron　when　there　is　ice　between　the　paving…stones　is　hard　work。　That　wears　a　man　out　quickly　One　is　old　while　he　is　still　quite　young　in　that　trade。
　　At　forty　a　man　is　don