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Chapter 1 The road to Paris—1775
第1章 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。那是光明的時節，也是黑暗的時節。
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.
那時的法國有國王和王后，英國也有國王和王后，
They believed that nothing would ever change.
他們相信什么事情都不會改變。
But in France things were bad, and getting worse. The people were poor, hungry and unhappy.
但是法國的境況很糟糕，而且是每況愈下。人民貧窮、饑餓和不幸中生活。
The King made paper money and spent it, and the people had nothing to eat.
國王發行紙幣進行揮霍，而百姓卻要忍饑挨餓。
Behind closed doors in the homes of the people, voices spoke in whispers against the King and his noblemen；
在門戶緊閉的家中，人們悄聲地談論著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.
它們只是低聲的密談，但卻是絕望中的人們憤怒的聲音。
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停在了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.
馬匹都已經很累了，但在它們休息時，趕車人聽到后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并喊道：
'I want a passenger, Mr Jarvis Lorry, from Tellson's Bank in London.'
“我要找倫敦臺爾森銀行來的賈維斯·勞里先生。”
'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·勞里先生，”車內的一位乘客從車窗探出頭來說道。“有什么事嗎?”
'It's me！Jerry, Jerry Cruncher, from Tellson's Bank, sir, ' cried the man on the horse.
“是我！杰里，杰里·克拉徹，從臺爾森銀行來的，先生，”馬上的人喊道。
'What's the matter, Jerry?' called Mr Lorry.
“什么事，杰里?”勞里先生問道。
A message for you, Mr Lorry. You've got to wait at Dover for a young lady.'
“捎個信兒給您，勞里先生，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，杰里，”勞里先生說。“告訴他們，就說我的答復是'活過來'”。
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，而答復就更奇特了。馬車上的人都不明白他們在說什么。
The next day Mr Lorry was sitting in his hotel in Dover when a young lady arrived.
第二天，勞里先生在多佛的旅館里坐著時，來了一位年輕的女士。
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，這讓勞里先生想起了一個小孩兒，幾乎是個嬰兒。
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，在從法國加萊去英國多佛的路上，他曾把她抱在懷里。
Mr Lorry asked the young lady to sit down.
勞里先生讓這位年輕女士坐下來。
