184.英文正文（184）

“smith？”saidthewoman。***“thassfunny。myname’ssmithtoo。why，”sheaddedsentimentally，“imightbeyourmother！”

shemight，thoughtwinston，behismother。shewasabouttherightageandphysique，anditwasprobablethatpeoplechangedsomewhataftertwentyyearsinaforced-labourcamp。

nooneelsehadspokentohim。toasurprisingextenttheordinarycriminalsignoredthepartyprisoners。“thepolits，”theycalledthem，withasortofuninterestedcontempt。thepartyprisonersseemedterrifiedofspeakingtoanybody，andaboveallofspeakingtooneanother。onlyonce，whentwopartymembers，bothwomen，werepressedclosetogetheronthebench，heoverheardamidthedinofvoicesafewhurriedly-whisperedwords；andinparticularareferencetosomethingcalled“roomone-ohone”，whichhedidnotunderstand。

itmightbetwoorthreehoursagothattheyhadbroughthimhere。thedullpaininhisbellyneverwentaway，butsometimesitgrewbetterandsometimesworse，andhisthoughtsexpandedorcontractedaccordingly。whenitgrewworsehethoughtonlyofthepainitself，andofhisdesireforfood。whenitgrewbetter，panictookholdofhim。thereweremomentswhenheforesawthethingsthatwouldhappentohimwithsuchactualitythathisheartgallopedandhisbreathstopped。hefeltthesmashoftruncheonsonhiselbowsandiron-shodbootsonhisshins；hesawhimselfgrovellingonthefloor，screamingformercythroughbrokenteeth。hehardlythoughtofjulia。hecouldnotfixhismindonher。helovedherandwouldnotbetrayher；butthatwasonlyafact，knownasheknewtherulesofarithmetic。hefeltnoloveforher，andhehardlyevenwonderedwhatwashappeningtoher。hethoughtoftenerofo’brien，withaflickeringhope。o’brienmightknowthathehadbeenarrested。thebrotherhood，hehadsaid，nevertriedtosaveitsmembers。buttherewastherazorblade；theywouldsendtherazorbladeiftheycould。therewouldbeperhapsfivesecondsbeforetheguardcouldrushintothecell。thebladewouldbiteintohimwithasortofburningcoldness，andeventhefingersthathelditwouldbecuttothebone。everythingcamebacktohissickbody，whichshranktremblingfromthesmallestpain。hewasnotcertainthathewouldusetherazorbladeevenifhegotthechance。itwasmorenaturaltoexistfrommomenttomoment，acceptinganothertenminutes’lifeevenwiththecertaintythattherewastortureattheendofit。