牛津书虫L4双城记丨Chapter1

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简

介

时间：1775年。在巴黎的一家酒馆楼上的屋子里，坐着一位白发男人，他正忙着做鞋。他曾在巴士底狱当了18年的囚徒。现在他已是一个自由人了，然而他却不知道自己的名字，也认不出他的朋友。他所知道的就是他必须继续做鞋。

在一辆去巴黎的车上坐着路茜，这是他从未见过面的女儿。路茜把她父亲带回了伦敦，在女儿的爱心和照料之下，他忘掉了过去并学会了重像一个自由人那样去生活。

然而在法国大革命的暴风雨年代，过去既没有消失也没有被忘掉。于是不久过去的危险秘密地把路茜和她所爱的人们带回了巴黎……那儿恐怖的死亡机器——断头台正饥饿地等候着法兰西的敌人们。

查尔斯·狄更斯是英国最伟大的作家之一，他1812年出生于普茨茅斯，1870年去世。他出身贫寒，但在不幸的童年过后，他很快便变得富有和成功。在他众多的著名小说中有《雾都孤儿》、《远大前程》及《圣诞欢歌》。

·Chapter1·

The RoadtoParis—1775

Itwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes.Itwastheseasonoflight,itwastheseasonofdarkness.Itwasthespringofhope,itwasthewinterofsadness.Itwastheyearonethousandsevenhundredandseventy－five.

InFrancetherewasaKingandaQueen,andinEnglandtherewasaKingandaQueen.Theybelievedthatnothingwouldeverchange.ButinFrancethingswerebad,andgettingworse.Thepeoplewerepoor,hungryandunhappy.TheKingmadepapermoneyandspentit,andthepeoplehadnothingtoeat.Behindcloseddoorsinthehomesofthepeople,voicesspokeinwhispersagainsttheKingandhisnoblemen；theywereonlywhispers,buttheyweretheangrywhispersofdesperatepeople.

LateoneNovembernight,inthatsameyear1775,acoachgoingfromLondontoDover,stoppedatthetopofalonghill.Thehorsesweretired,butastheyrested,thedriverheardanotherhorsecomingfastupthehillbehindthem.Theriderstoppedhishorsebesidethecoachandshouted：

'Iwantapassenger,MrJarvisLorry,fromTellson'sBankinLondon.'

'IamMrJarvisLorry,'saidoneofthepassengers,puttinghisheadoutofthewindow.'Whatdoyouwant?'

'It'sme！Jerry,JerryCruncher,fromTellson'sBank,sir,'criedthemanonthehorse.

'What'sthematter,Jerry?'calledMrLorry.

Amessageforyou,MrLorry.You'vegottowaitatDoverforayounglady.'

'Verywell,Jerry,'saidMrLorry.'TellthemmyanswerisCAMEBACKTOLIFE'.

Itwasastrangemessage,andastrangeranswer.Nooneinthecoachunderstoodwhattheymeant.

ThenextdayMrLorrywassittinginhishotelinDoverwhenayoungladyarrived.Shewaspretty,withgoldenhairandblueeyes,andMrLorryrememberedasmallchild,almostababy.HehadcarriedherinhisarmswhenhecamefromCalaistoDover,fromFrancetoEngland,manyyearsago.MrLorryaskedtheyoungladytositdown.

'MissManette,'hesaid.'Ihaveastrangestorytotellyou,aboutoneofthecustomersofTellson'sBank.That'swhereIwork.'

'Yes,butIdon'tquiteunderstand,MrLorry,'saidtheyounglady.'IreceivedamessagefromTellson'sBank,askingmetocomeheretomeetyou.Iunderstoodtherewassomenewsaboutmypoorfather'smoney.Hediedsolongago—beforeIwasborn.Whatisthisstoryyouwanttotellme?'

'Abouttwentyyearsago,MissManette,aFrenchdoctormarriedanEnglishlady.Theyhadadaughter,butjustbeforeshewasborn,herfatherdisappeared.Nobodyknewwhathadhappenedtohim.Notlongafterwardshisunhappywifedied,andtheirdaughterwasbroughtbacktoEngland.'

'Butthisislikemyfather'sstory,MrLorry.Andwasn'tityouwhobroughtmebacktoEngland?'

'Yes,that'strue,MissManette.ManyyearsagoIbroughtyoufromFrancetoEngland,andTellson'sBankhastakencareofyousincethen.Youweretoldthatyourfatherhaddied.Butthink,MissManette.Perhapsyourfatherwasn'tdead.Perhapshewasinprison.Notbecausehehaddonesomethingwrong！Butjustbecausehehadapowerfulenemy—anenemywiththepowertosendhimtoprisonandtokeephimthere,hiddenandforgotten,foreighteenyears！'

'Canitbetrue?Isitpossiblethatmyfatherisstillalive?'LucieManettestaredatMrLorry.Herfacewaswhiteandherhandstrembled.'Itwillbehisghost—nothim！'

'No,MissManette,'saidMrLorrygently.'Heisalive,buthehaschangedverymuch.Evenhisnamehadbeenforgotten！Andwemustasknoquestionsaboutthepast,noquestionsatall.Itwouldbetoodangerous.HehasbeentakentothehouseofanoldservantinParis,andwearegoingtheretobringhimbacktolife.'

Newwords

sadnessn.悲伤

whispern.低声耳语

noblemann.贵族

coachn.四轮马车

passengern.乘客，旅客

messagen.消息

customern.顾客

marryv. 结婚。

receivev.接受，接收

disappearv.消失

powerfuladj.有力的，强的

tremblev.发抖

afterwardsadv.以后，后来

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