04-02-03-双城记 [1]
■ 1 去巴黎的路—1775年
那是最好的年代，也是最糟的年代。那是光明的时节，也是黑暗的时节。那是希望的春季，也是悲伤的冬日。那是公元1775年。
那时的法国有国王和王后，英国也有国王和王后，他们相信什么事情都不会改变。但是法国的境况很糟糕，而且是每况愈下。人民在贫艇、饥饿和不幸中生活。国王发行纸币进行挥霍，而百姓却要忍饥挨饿。在门户紧闭的家中，人们悄声地谈论着反对国王和他的贵族们的话题。它们只是低声的密谈，但却是绝望中的人们愤怒的声音。
就在那1775年11月的一个深夜，一辆从伦敦赶往多佛的马车停在了一条绵延的山丘的顶部。马匹都已经很累了，但在它们休息时，赶车人听到后面有另一匹马正急速地朝他们赶来。骑马人把马停在马车的旁边并喊道：
“我要找伦敦台尔森银行来的贾维斯·劳里先生。”
“我就是贾维斯·劳里先生，”车内的一位乘客从车窗探出头来说道。“有什么事吗
”
“是我！杰里，杰里·克拉彻，从台尔森银行来的，先生，”马上的人喊道。
“什么事，杰里
”劳里先生问道。
“捎个信儿给您，劳里先生，您得在多佛等候一位年轻女士。”
“好吧，杰里，”劳里先生说。“告诉他们，就说我的答复是'活过来'”。
口信儿是奇特的，而答复就更奇特了。马车上的人都不明白他们在说什么。
第二天，劳里先生在多佛的旅馆里坐着时，来了一位年轻的女士。她很美，有一头金黄的头发和蓝色的眼睛，这让劳里先生想起了一个小孩儿，几乎是个婴儿。那是在很多年前，在从法国加莱去英国多佛的路上，他曾把她抱在怀里。劳里先生让这位年轻女士坐下来。
“马内特小姐，”他说道。“我有个离奇的故事要告诉你，是关于台尔森银行的一位顾客的。台尔森银行是我工作的地方。”
“好吧，但是我不太明白，劳里先生，”年轻的女士说。“我从台尔森银行接到口信，要我到这儿来见您。我知道一些有关我可怜的父亲的钱的事。他很早就已死了——还在我出生之前。您要告诉我的是什么故事呢
”
“大约20年前，马内特小姐，有位法国医生娶了一位英国女士。他们有了一个女儿，但是还在他们的女儿出生之前，这位父亲却失踪了。没有人知道他出了什么事。不久，他那位伤心的妻子也死了，他们的女儿被带回了英国。”
“但这像是我父亲的故事呀，劳里先生。况且不正是您把我带回英国的吗
”
“是的，是这样的，马内特小姐。很多年前我把你从法国带到了英国，并且自那以后台尔森银行就开始照料你。人家告诉你说你的父亲已经死了。但是设想一下，马内特小姐，或许你的父亲那时并没有死，或许他在监狱里呢。那并不是因为他犯了什么罪！而只是因为他有一个强大的敌人——这个敌人拥有权势将他投进监狱，而且让他在那里与世隔绝、被人遗忘地关了18年！”
“这是真的吗
我父亲可能还活着吗
”路茜·马内特紧盯着劳里先生。她的脸色苍白，双手颤抖着。“那会是他的灵魂，而不是他本人！”
“不，马内特小姐，”劳里先生温和地说。“他还活着，只是有了很大的变化，就连他自己的名字也记不得了！我们绝对不可以问起从前的事，一点都不能问。那样的话就太危险了。他已经被带到巴黎的一个旧日的仆人的家里，我们就是要去那里让他回到日常生活中来。”
■ 2 A wine－shop in Paris
In the part of Paris called Saint Antoine everyone was poor. The streets were narrow and dirty, the food－shops were almost empty. The faces of the children looked old already, because they were so hungry. In the wine－shop of Monsieur Defarge there were not many customers and Defarge was outside, talking to a man in the street. His wife, Madame Defarge, sat inside the shop, knitting and watching. Defarge came in and his wife looked at him, then turned her eyes to look at two new customers, a man of about sixty and a young lady. Defarge went over to speak to them, suddenly kissed the young lady's hand, and led them out of the back of the shop. They followed him upstairs, many stairs, until they reached the top. Defarge took a key out of his pocket.
'Why is the door locked
' asked Mr Lorry in surprise.'He is a free man now.'
'Because he has lived too long behind a locked door, ' replied Defarge angrily.'He is afraid if the door is not locked！That is one of the things they have done to him.'
'I'm afraid, too, ' whispered Miss Manette. Her blue eyes looked worriedly at Mr Lorry.'I am afraid of him—of my father.'
Defarge made a lot of noise as he opened the door. Mr Lorry and Lucie went into the room behind him. A thin, white－haired man was sitting on a wooden seat. He was very busy, making shoes.
'Good day, ' said Defarge.'You are still working hard, I see.'
After a while they heard a whisper.'Yes, I am still working.'
'Come, ' said Defarge.'You have a visitor. Tell him your name.'
'My name
' came the whisper.'One Hundred and Five, North Tower.'
Mr Lorry moved closer to the old man.'Dr Manette, don't you remember me, Jarvis Lorry
' he asked gently.
The old prisoner looked up at Mr Lorry, but there was no surprise, no understanding in his tired face, and he went back to work making shoes.
Slowly Lucie came near to the old man. After a while he noticed her.
'Who are you
' he asked.
Lucie put her arms around the old man and held him, tears of happiness and sadness running down her face. From a little bag the old man took some golden hair. He looked at it, and then he looked at Lucie's hair.'It is the same. How can it be
' He stared into Lucie's face.'No, no, you are too young, too young.'
Through her tears Lucie tried to explain that she was the daughter he had never seen. The old man still did not understand, but he seemed to like the sound of Lucie's voice and the touch of her warm young hand on his.
Then Lucie said to Mr Lorry, 'I think we should leave Paris at once. Can you arrange it
'
'Yes, of course, ' said Mr Lorry.'But do you think he is able to travel
'
'He will be better far away from this city where he has lost so much of his life, ' said Lucie.