228.英文正文(228)
theyhadgivenhimawhiteslatewithastumpofpenciltiedtothecorner。atfirsthemadenouseofit。evenwhenhewasawakehewascompletelytorpid。oftenhewouldliefromonemealtothenextalmostwithoutstirring,sometimesasleep,sometimeswakingintovaguereveriesinwhichitwastoomuchtroubletoopenhiseyes。hehadlonggrownusedtosleepingwithastronglightonhisface。itseemedtomakenodifference,exceptthatone』sdreamsweremorecoherent。hedreamedagreatdealallthroughthistime,andtheywerealwayshappydreams。hewasinthegoldencountry,orhewassittingamongenormousglorious,sunlitruins,withhismother,withjulia,witho』brien—notdoinganything,merelysittinginthesun,talkingofpeacefulthings。suchthoughtsashehadwhenhewasawakeweremostlyabouthisdreams。heseemedtohavelostthepowerofintellectualeffort,nowthatthestimulusofpainhadbeenremoved。hewasnotbored,hehadnodesireforconversationordistraction。merelytobealone,nottobebeatenorquestioned,tohaveenoughtoeat,andtobecleanallover,wascompletelysatisfying。
bydegreeshecametospendlesstimeinsleep,buthestillfeltnoimpulsetogetoffthebed。allhecaredforwastoliequietandfeelthestrengthgatheringinhisbody。hewouldfingerhimselfhereandthere,tryingtomakesurethatitwasnotanillusionthathismusclesweregrowingrounderandhisskintauter。finallyitwasestablishedbeyondadoubtthathewasgrowingfatter;histhighswerenowdefinitelythickerthanhisknees。afterthat,reluctantlyatfirst,hebeganexercisinghimselfregularly。inalittlewhilehecouldwalkthreekilometres,measuredbypacingthecell,andhisbowedshouldersweregrowingstraighter。heattemptedmoreelaborateexercises,andwasastonishedandhumiliatedtofindwhatthingshecouldnotdo。hecouldnotmoveoutofawalk,hecouldnotholdhisstooloutatarm』slength,hecouldnotstandononelegwithoutfallingover。hesquatteddownonhisheels,andfoundthatwithagonizingpainsinthighandcalfhecouldjustlifthimselftoastandingposition。helayflatonhisbellyandtriedtolifthisweightbyhishands。itwashopeless,hecouldnotraisehimselfacentimetre。butafterafewmoredays—afewmoremealtimes—eventhatfeatwasaccomplished。atimecamewhenhecoulddoitsixtimesrunning。hebegantogrowactuallyproudofhisbody,andtocherishanintermittentbeliefthathisfacealsowasgrowingbacktonormal。onlywhenhechancedtoputhishandonhisbaldscalpdidheremembertheseamed,ruinedfacethathadlookedbackathimoutofthemirror。