182.英文正文(182)
“smith!”yelledavoicefromthetelescreen。***“6079smithw。!handsoutofpocketsinthecells!”
hesatstillagain,hishandscrossedonhisknee。beforebeingbroughtherehehadbeentakentoanotherplacewhichmusthavebeenanordinaryprisonoratemporarylock-upusedbythepatrols。hedidnotknowhowlonghehadbeenthere;somehoursatanyrate;withnoclocksandnodaylightitwashardtogaugethetime。itwasanoisy,evil-smellingplace。theyhadputhimintoacellsimilartotheonehewasnowin,butfilthilydirtyandatalltimescrowdedbytenorfifteenpeople。themajorityofthemwerecommoncriminals,buttherewereafewpoliticalprisonersamongthem。hehadsatsilentagainstthewall,jostledbydirtybodies,toopreoccupiedbyfearandthepaininhisbellytotakemuchinterestinhissurroundings,butstillnoticingtheastonishingdifferenceindemeanourbetweenthepartyprisonersandtheothers。thepartyprisonerswerealwayssilentandterrified,buttheordinarycriminalsseemedtocarenothingforanybody。theyyelledinsultsattheguards,foughtbackfiercelywhentheirbelongingswereimpounded,wroteobscenewordsonthefloor,atesmuggledfoodwhichtheyproducedfrommysterioushiding-placesintheirclothes,andevenshouteddownthetelescreenwhenittriedtorestoreorder。ontheotherhandsomeofthemseemedtobeongoodtermswiththeguards,calledthembynicknames,andtriedtowheedlecigarettesthroughthespyholeinthedoor。theguards,too,treatedthecommoncriminalswithacertainforbearance,evenwhentheyhadtohandlethemroughly。therewasmuchtalkabouttheforced-labourcampstowhichmostoftheprisonersexpectedtobesent。itwas“allright”inthecamps,hegathered,solongasyouhadgoodcontactsandknewtheropes。therewasbribery,favouritism,andracketeeringofeverykind,therewashomosexualityandprostitution,therewasevenillicitalcoholdistilledfrompotatoes。thepositionsoftrustweregivenonlytothecommoncriminals,especiallythegangstersandthemurderers,whoformedasortofaristocracy。allthedirtyjobsweredonebythepoliticals。