The road to Paris—1775
去巴黎的路—1775年
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness.
那是最好的年代，也是最糟的年代。那是光明的時(shí)節(jié) ，也是黑暗的時(shí)節(jié)。
It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of sadness. It was the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy－five.
那是希望的春季，也是悲傷(shāng)的冬日。那是公元1775年。
In France there was a King and a Queen, and in England there was a King and a Queen.
那時的法國(guó)有國(guó)王和王後(hòu)，英國(guó)也有國(guó)王和王後(hòu)，
They believed that nothing would ever change.
他們相信什麽事情都不會(huì)改變(biàn)。
But in France things were bad, and getting worse. The people were poor, hungry and unhappy.
但是法國(guó)的境況很糟糕，而且是每況愈下。人民貧窮、饑餓(è)和不幸中生活。
The King made paper money and spent it, and the people had nothing to eat.
國王發(fā)行紙币進行揮霍，而百姓卻要忍饑挨餓(è)。
Behind closed doors in the homes of the people, voices spoke in whispers against the King and his noblemen；
在門戶緊閉(bì)的家中，人們悄聲地談論著(zhe)反對國王和他的貴族們的話題。
they were only whispers, but they were the angry whispers of desperate people.
它們隻是低聲的密談，但卻是絕(jué)望中的人們憤(fèn)怒的聲音。
Late one November night, in that same year 1775, a coach going from London to Dover, stopped at the top of a long hill.
就在那1775年11月的一個深夜 ，一輛從倫敦趕往多佛的馬車(chē)停在瞭(le)一條綿延的山丘的頂部。
The horses were tired, but as they rested, the driver heard an other horse coming fast up the hill behind them.
馬匹都已經很累瞭(le)，但在它們休息時，趕車(chē)人聽到後面有另一匹馬正急速地朝他們趕來。
The rider stopped his horse beside the coach and shouted：
騎馬人把馬停在馬車的旁邊(biān)並(bìng)喊道：
'I want a passenger, Mr Jarvis Lorry, from Tellson's Bank in London.'
“我要找倫敦台爾(ěr)森銀行來的賈(jiǎ)維斯·勞裏先生。”
'I am Mr Jarvis Lorry, ' said one of the passengers, putting his head out of the window.'What do you want?'
“我就是賈維斯·勞裏先生，”車(chē)内的一位乘客從(cóng)車(chē)窗探出頭來說道。“有什麽事嗎?”
'It's me！Jerry, Jerry Cruncher, from Tellson's Bank, sir, ' cried the man on the horse.
“是我！傑裏，傑裏·克拉徹(chè)，從(cóng)台爾森銀行來的，先生，”馬上的人喊道。
'What's the matter, Jerry?' called Mr Lorry.
“什麽事 ，傑(jié)裏?”勞(láo)裏先生問道。
A message for you, Mr Lorry. You've got to wait at Dover for a young lady.'
“捎個(gè)信兒(ér)給您，勞裏先生 ，您得在多佛等候一位年輕女士。”
'Very well, Jerry, ' said Mr Lorry.'Tell them my answer is CAME BACK TO LIFE'.
“好吧，傑裏，”勞裏先生說。“告訴他們，就說我的答複(fù)是'活過(guò)來'”。
It was a strange message, and a strange answer. No one in the coach understood what they meant.
口信兒是奇特的，而答複就更奇特瞭(le)。馬車(chē)上的人都不明白他們在說什麽。
The next day Mr Lorry was sitting in his hotel in Dover when a young lady arrived.
第二天，勞裏先生在多佛的旅館裏坐著(zhe)時，來瞭(le)一位年輕的女士。
She was pretty, with golden hair and blue eyes, and Mr Lorry remembered a small child, almost a baby.
她很美，有一頭金黃的頭發和藍色的眼睛，這讓勞裏先生想起瞭(le)一個小孩兒(ér)，幾乎是個嬰兒(ér)。
He had carried her in his arms when he came from Calais to Dover, from France to England, many years ago.
那是在很多年前，在從(cóng)法國(guó)加萊去英國(guó)多佛的路上，他曾把她抱在懷裏。
Mr Lorry asked the young lady to sit down.
勞(láo)裏先生讓這位年輕女士坐下來(lái)。
