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There was an infernal uproar, beams from the roof crashing in, corridors filled with a suffocating smoke. In order to reach the rooms where the lodgers were imprisoned, there was no other way left but to pass over the roof. They instantly sprang upon it, and a moment later something which resembled a black phantom appeared on the tiles, in the midst of the smoke. It was the corporal, who had been the first to arrive. But in order to get from the roof to the small set of rooms cut off by the fire, he was forced to pass over an extremely narrow space comprised between a dormer window and the eaves trough: all the rest was in flames, and that tiny space was covered with snow and ice, and there was no place to hold on to.
在那里聽見了恐怖的叫聲，梁木從屋頂落下，門口滿是煙焰。要到那有人的屋子里去，除了從屋頂走，已沒有別的路了。他們急忙跳上屋頂，只看到從煙里露出一個黑影，這就是那最先跑到的伍長。可是，要從屋頂到那被火包著的屋里去，非通過那屋頂的窗和承溜間的極狹小的地方不可。因為別處都被火焰包住了，只這狹小的地方，還積著冰雪，卻沒有可攀援的東西。
"'It is impossible for him to pass!' shouted the crowd below. " The corporal advanced along the edge of the roof. All shuddered, and began to observe him with bated breath. He passed. A tremendous hurrah rose towards heaven. The corporal resumed his way, and on arriving at the point which was threatened, he began to break away, with furious blows of his axe, beams, tiles, and rafters, in order to open a hole through which he might descend within.
“那里無論如何通不過！”群眾在下面叫。”伍長沿了屋頂邊上走，群眾震栗地看著他。他終于通過了那狹小的地方。下面的喝彩聲幾乎要震蕩天空。伍長走到現危急的場所，用斧把梁椽斬斷，砍出可以鉆進去的窟窿。
In the meanwhile, the woman was still suspended outside the window. The fire raged with increased violence over her head; another moment, and she would have fallen into the street. The hole was opened. We saw the corporal pull off his shoulder-belt and lower himself inside: the other firemen, who had arrived, followed. At that instant a very lofty Porta ladder, which had just arrived, was placed against the entablature of the house, in front of the windows whence issued flames, and howls, as of maniacs. But it seemed as though they were too late.
這時，那女子們在窗外掛著，火焰快將卷到她的頭上，眼見得就要落下來了。伍長砍出了窟窿，把身子縮緊了就跳進屋里去，跟著他的消防隊員也跳了進去。才運到的長梯子架在屋前。窗口冒出兇險的煙焰來，耳邊聞到可怖的呼號聲，危急得幾乎無從著手了。
"No one can be saved now!"they shouted. "The firemen are burning! The end has come! They are dead!" All at once the black form of the corporal made its appearance at the window with the balcony, lighted up by the flames overhead. The woman clasped him round the neck; he caught her round the body with both arms, drew her up, and laid her down inside the room. The crowd set up a shout a thousand voices strong, which rose above the roar of the conflagration. "But the others? And how were they to get down? The ladder which leaned against the roof on the front of another window was at a good distance from them. How could they get hold of it? "
“不好了！連消防隊員也要燒死了！完了！早已死了！’群眾叫著。忽然，伍長的黑影在有欄桿的窗口出現了，火光在他頭上照得紅紅的。女子抱著他的頭頸，伍長兩手抱住那女子，下到屋中去。群眾的叫聲在火燒聲中沸騰：“還有別個呢，怎樣下來？那梯子離窗口很遠，怎樣接得著呢！”
