234.英文正文（234）

onedaytheywoulddecidetoshoothim。youcouldnottellwhenitwouldhappen，butafewsecondsbeforehanditshouldbepossibletoguess。itwasalwaysfrombehind，walkingdownacorridor。tensecondswouldbeenough。inthattimetheworldinsidehimcouldturnover。andthensuddenly，withoutaworduttered，withoutacheckinhisstep，withoutthechangingofalineinhisface—suddenlythecamouflagewouldbedownandbang！wouldgothebatteriesofhishatred。hatredwouldfillhimlikeanenormousroaringflame。andalmostinthesameinstantbang！wouldgothebullet，toolate，ortooearly。theywouldhaveblownhisbraintopiecesbeforetheycouldreclaimit。thehereticalthoughtwouldbeunpunished，unrepented，outoftheirreachforever。theywouldhaveblownaholeintheirownperfection。todiehatingthem，thatwasfreedom。heshuthiseyes。itwasmoredifficultthanacceptinganintellectualdiscipline。itwasaquestionofdegradinghimself，mutilatinghimself。hehadgottoplungeintothefilthiestoffilth。whatwasthemosthorrible，sickeningthingofall？hethoughtofbigbrother。theenormousface（becauseofconstantlyseeingitonpostershealwaysthoughtofitasbeingametrewide），withitsheavyblackmoustacheandtheeyesthatfollowedyoutoandfro，seemedtofloatintohismindofitsownaccord。whatwerehistruefeelingstowardsbigbrother？

therewasaheavytrampofbootsinthepassage。thesteeldoorswungopenwithaclang。o’brienwalkedintothecell。behindhimwerethewaxen-facedofficerandtheblack-uniformedguards。