195.英文正文（195）

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hewaslyingonsomethingthatfeltlikeacampbed，exceptthatitwashigheroffthegroundandthathewasfixeddowninsomewaysothathecouldnotmove。***lightthatseemedstrongerthanusualwasfallingonhisface。o』brienwasstandingathisside，lookingdownathimintently。attheothersideofhimstoodamaninawhitecoat，holdingahypodermicsyringe。

evenafterhiseyeswereopenhetookinhissurroundingsonlygradually。hehadtheimpressionofswimmingupintothisroomfromsomequitedifferentworld，asortofunderwaterworldfarbeneathit。howlonghehadbeendowntherehedidnotknow。sincethemomentwhentheyarrestedhimhehadnotseendarknessordaylight。besides，hismemorieswerenotcontinuous。therehadbeentimeswhenconsciousness，eventhesortofconsciousnessthatonehasinsleep，hadstoppeddeadandstartedagainafterablankinterval。butwhethertheintervalswereofdaysorweeksoronlyseconds，therewasnowayofknowing。

withthatfirstblowontheelbowthenightmarehadstarted。laterhewastorealizethatallthatthenhappenedwasmerelyapreliminary，aroutineinterrogationtowhichnearlyallprisonersweresubjected。therewasalongrangeofcrimes—espionage，sabotage，andthelike—towhicheveryonehadtoconfessasamatterofcourse。theconfessionwasaformality，thoughthetorturewasreal。howmanytimeshehadbeenbeaten，howlongthebeatingshadcontinued，hecouldnotremember。alwaystherewerefiveorsixmeninblackuniformsathimsimultaneously。sometimesitwasfists，sometimesitwastruncheons，sometimesitwassteelrods，sometimesitwasboots。thereweretimeswhenherolledaboutthefloor，asshamelessasananimal，writhinghisbodythiswayandthatinanendless，hopelessefforttododgethekicks，andsimplyinvitingmoreandyetmorekicks，inhisribs，inhisbelly，onhiselbows，onhisshins，inhisgroin，inhistesticles，ontheboneatthebaseofhisspine。thereweretimeswhenitwentonandonuntilthecruel，wicked，unforgivablethingseemedtohimnotthattheguardscontinuedtobeathimbutthathecouldnotforcehimselfintolosingconsciousness。thereweretimeswhenhisnervesoforsookhimthathebeganshoutingformercyevenbeforethebeatingbegan，whenthemeresightofafistdrawnbackforablowwasenoughtomakehimpourforthaconfessionofrealandimaginarycrimes。therewereothertimeswhenhestartedoutwiththeresolveofconfessingnothing，wheneverywordhadtobeforcedoutofhimbetweengaspsofpain，andthereweretimeswhenhefeeblytriedtocompromise，whenhesaidtohimself：「iwillconfess，butnotyet。imustholdouttillthepainbecomesunbearable。threemorekicks，twomorekicks，andtheniwilltellthemwhattheywant。」sometimeshewasbeatentillhecouldhardlystand，thenflunglikeasackofpotatoesontothestonefloorofacell，lefttorecuperateforafewhours，andthentakenoutandbeatenagain。therewerealsolongerperiodsofrecovery。herememberedthemdimly，becausetheywerespentchieflyinsleeporstupor。herememberedacellwithaplankbed，asortofshelfstickingoutfromthewall，andatinwash-basin，andmealsofhotsoupandbreadandsometimescoffee。herememberedasurlybarberarrivingtoscrapehischinandcrophishair，andbusinesslike，unsympatheticmeninwhitecoatsfeelinghispulse，tappinghisreflexes，turninguphiseyelids，runningharshfingersoverhiminsearchforbrokenbones，andshootingneedlesintohisarmtomakehimsleep。