A Tale of Two Cities—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（編織）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.”

在巴黎的一個名叫圣安東尼的地方，所有的人都很窮。街道狹窄骯臟，食品店幾乎都是空的。孩子們的臉已顯出老態，因為他們太饑餓了。在得法熱先生的酒店里沒有多少顧客，得法熱則在門外與街上的一個男人交談著。他的妻子得法熱夫人正坐在店里一邊織毛衣一邊觀察著周圍。得法熱走進店來，他的妻子看著他，然后把眼光轉過去盯著兩位新來的顧客，他們是一位大約60歲的男人和一位年輕的女士。得法熱走過去同他們說話，他突然吻起了那位小姐的手，接著領著他們從店鋪后面走出去。他們跟著他上樓，爬了很多級樓梯才到達樓頂。得法熱從兜里掏出一把鑰匙來。

“為什么鎖著門?”勞里先生驚訝地問，“他現在是個自由人了。”

“因為他在上了鎖的房子里生活的時間太長了，”得法熱氣憤地回答說，“門要是不鎖上他就會害怕！這是他們給他造成的惡果之一。”

“我也害怕，”馬內特小姐低聲地說。她那藍藍的眼睛憂心地看著勞里先生。“我害怕他——我的父親。”

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.

得法熱開門時弄出了很多響聲，勞里先生和路茜跟在他后面進了屋子。一個瘦削而頭發全白的人正坐在一個木頭凳子上。他在忙著做鞋子。

“您好，”得法熱說，“您還在忙著啊！”

過了一會兒他們才聽到一聲嘟噥：“是的，我還在干著活。”

“瞧，”得法熱說，“有人來看您了。告訴他們您的名字。”

“我的名字?”嘟噥聲傳過來道，“一百零五，北塔。”

勞里先生走近了老人。“馬內特醫生，您不記得我了嗎，賈維斯·勞里?”他輕聲地問道。

這個老犯人抬起頭看著勞里先生，但是沒有表現出驚奇，疲憊的臉上沒有顯示出他明白了什么的表情，然后他又重新做起鞋來。

路茜慢慢地走近了老人。過了片刻他才注意到了她。

“你是誰?”他問道。

路茜伸出胳膊抱住了老人并摟緊他，悲喜交加的淚水滾下了臉頰。老人從一個小包里拿出幾縷金發。他看看它們，然后又看看路茜的頭發。“是一樣的，這怎么可能呢?”他凝視著路茜的臉。“不，不，你太年輕了，太年輕了。”

路茜含著淚竭力地要說明她是他從未曾見過的女兒。老人仍舊不明白，但似乎很喜歡路茜的聲音以及她年輕溫暖的手觸摸他的手。

后來路茜對勞里先生說：“我看我們得馬上離開巴黎。您能安排一下嗎?”

“是的，當然能，”勞里先生說，“但你認為他能夠旅行嗎?”

“遠離這個讓他失去生命中如此之多的城市，他就會好些的。”路茜說道。

“You are right，” said Defarge. “And there are many other reasons why Dr Manette should leave France now.”

While Mr Lorry and Defarge went to arrange for a coach to take them out of Paris，Lucie sat with her father.Exhausted by the meeting，he fell asleep on the floor，and his daughter watched him quietly and patiently until it was time to go.

When MrLorryreturned，he and Defarge brought food and clothes for Dr Manette.The doctor did everything they told him to do；he had been used to obeying orders for so many years.As he came down the stairs，Mr Lorry heard him say again and again， “One Hundred and Five， North Tower.”

When they went to the coach，only one person saw them go：Madame Defarge.She stood in the doorway， and knitted and watched， seeing everything...and seeing nothing.（To be continued）

“你說得對，”得法熱說，“況且讓馬內特醫生馬上離開法國還有很多其他的原因。”

在勞里先生和得法熱去安排載他們出巴黎的馬車時，路茜陪坐在她父親的身旁。他被這次相會弄得疲倦極了，便在地板上睡著了。他的女兒則安靜而耐心地看顧著他，直到該走的時候。

勞里先生回來時，他和得法熱給馬內特醫生帶回來些食物和衣服。醫生完全照著他們的要求行事，這么多年來他已經習慣了服從命令。在他下樓時，勞里先生聽見他一遍又一遍地說著“一百零五，北塔。”

在他們朝馬車走去時，只有一個人看到了他們，那就是得法熱夫人。她站在門口，邊織著毛衣邊觀察著。她看到了所有的事情……但沒有發現任何的問題。（未完待續）

巧筆妙記

Ⅰ.詞匯積累

go over走過去；復習；檢查；仔細檢查make a lot of noise十分嘈雜after a while過了一會look up at抬頭看……at once立刻

arrange for安排；準備；為……作安排be exhausted by因……而精疲力盡be used to doing習慣于……Ⅱ.難句分析

獨立主格結構

路茜伸出胳膊抱住了老人并摟緊他，悲喜交加的淚水滾下了臉頰。

Lucie put her arms around the old man and held him， tears of happiness and sadness _______ （run）down her face.

【點石成金】獨立主格結構是一個名詞或代詞（作為邏輯主語），加上一個形容詞、副詞、介詞短語、分詞、不定式，以及名詞等構成，主要用于描繪性文字中，在句中常作狀語。獨立主格結構的邏輯主語與句子的主語不一致，它獨立存在。

The work done （=After the work had been done）， we went home.（表時間）

Weather permitting （=If weather permits）， the will go on an outing to the beach tomorrow.如果天氣允許的話，他們將在明天組織一次海濱小游。（表條件）

There being no taxis，we had to walk.沒有出租車，我們只好步行。（表原因）

He was lying on the grass，his hands crossed under his head（=and his hands were crossed unde his head）.他躺在草地上，兩手交叉枕在腦后。（表伴隨狀況）

We redoubled our efforts，each man working lik two.我們加倍努力，一個人干兩個人的活。（表補充說明）

【答案】running