196.英文正文（196）

thebeatingsgrewlessfrequent，andbecamemainlyathreat，ahorrortowhichhecouldbesentbackatanymomentwhenhisanswerswereunsatisfactory。hisquestionersnowwerenotruffiansinblackuniformsbutpartyintellectuals，littlerotundmenwithquickmovementsandflashingspectacles，whoworkedonhiminrelaysoverperiodswhichlasted—hethought，hecouldnotbesure—tenortwelvehoursatastretch。theseotherquestionerssawtoitthathewasinconstantslightpain，butitwasnotchieflypainthattheyreliedon。theyslappedhisface，wrunghisears。pulledhishair，madehimstandononeleg，refusedhimleavetourinate，shoneglaringlightsinhisfaceuntilhiseyesranwithwater；buttheaimofthiswassimplytohumiliatehimanddestroyhispowerofarguingandreasoning。theirrealweaponwasthemercilessquestioningthatwentonandon，hourafterhour，trippinghimup，layingtrapsforhim，twistingeverythingthathesaid，convictinghimateverystepofliesandself-contradictionuntilhebeganweepingasmuchfromshameasfromnervousfatiguesometimeshewouldweephalfadozentimesinasinglesession。mostofthetimetheyscreamedabuseathimandthreatenedateveryhesitationtodeliverhimovertotheguardsagain；butsometimestheywouldsuddenlychangetheirtune，callhimcomrade，appealtohiminthenameofingsocandbigbrother，andaskhimsorrowfullywhetherevennowhehadnotenoughloyaltytothepartylefttomakehimwishtoundotheevilhehaddone。whenhisnerveswereinragsafterhoursofquestioning，eventhisappealcouldreducehimtosnivellingtears。intheendthenaggingvoicesbrokehimdownmorecompletelythanthebootsandfistsoftheguards。hebecamesimplyamouththatuttered，ahandthatsigned，whateverwasdemandedofhim。hissoleconcernwastofindoutwhattheywantedhimtoconfess，andthenconfessitquickly，beforethebullyingstartedanew。heconfessedtotheassassinationofeminentpartymembers，thedistributionofseditiouspamphlets，embezzlementofpublicfunds，saleofmilitarysecrets，sabotageofeverykind。heconfessedthathehadbeenaspyinthepayoftheeastasiangovernmentasfarbackas1968。heconfessedthathewasareligiousbeliever，anadmirerofcapitalism，andasexualpervert。heconfessedthathehadmurderedhiswife，althoughheknew，andhisquestionersmusthaveknown，thathiswifewasstillalive。heconfessedthatforyearshehadbeeninpersonaltouchwithgoldsteinandhadbeenamemberofanundergroundorganizationwhichhadincludedalmosteveryhumanbeinghehadeverknown。itwaseasiertoconfesseverythingandimplicateeverybody。besides，inasenseitwasalltrue。itwastruethathehadbeentheenemyoftheparty，andintheeyesofthepartytherewasnodistinctionbetweenthethoughtandthedeed。