THE quiet lodgings of Doctor Manette were in a quiet street-corner not far from Soho-square.
曼内特医生的安静住所位于索霍广场附近的一条安静的街角。 —

On the afternoon of a certain fine Sunday when the waves of four months had rolled over the trial for treason, and carried it, as to the public interest and memory, far out to sea, Mr. Jarvis Lorry walked along the sunny streets from Clerkenwell where he lived, on his way to dine with the Doctor.
在一个风和日丽的星期天的下午，在四个月的风浪中，叛国罪的审判被卷入大海，远离了公众的兴趣和记忆。雅维斯·洛瑞先生从他住的克拉肯维尔沿着阳光明媚的街道走来，在去医生家吃饭的路上。 —

After several relapses into business-absorption, Mr. Lorry had become the Doctor’s friend, and the quiet street-corner was the sunny part of his life.
洛瑞先生一度沉迷于工作，但后来成为了医生的朋友，这个安静的街角成为了他生活中阳光灿烂的一部分。

On this certain fine Sunday, Mr. Lorry walked towards Soho, early in the afternoon, for three reasons of habit.
在这个特定的风和日丽的星期天下午，洛瑞先生向索霍方向走去，有三个习惯使他这样做。 —

Firstly, because, on fine Sundays, he often walked out, before dinner, with the Doctor and Lucie;
首先，因为在晴朗的星期天，他常常在晚饭前和医生以及露西一起散步； —

secondly, because, on unfavourable Sundays, he was accustomed to be with them as the family friend, talking, reading, looking out of window, and generally getting through the day;
其次，因为在不好的星期天，他习惯上会和他们在一起作为家庭朋友，谈谈天，阅读，看窗外，度过这一天； —

thirdly, because he happened to have his own little shrewd doubts to solve, and knew how the ways of the Doctor’s household pointed to that time as a likely time for solving them.
第三，因为他碰巧有一些自己狡诈的疑虑需要解决，并且知道医生家的一些方式暗示这是一个可能解决这些疑虑的时机。

A quainter corner than the corner where the Doctor lived, was not to be found in London. There was no way through it, and the front windows of the Doctor’s lodgings commanded a pleasant little vista of street that had a congenial air of retirement on it.
伦敦找不到比医生所住的街角更别致的地方了。它没有通道，医生的住所的前窗户可以俯瞰街道的一个宜人的小景色，给人一种退隐的感觉。 —

There were few buildings then, north of the Oxford-road, and forest-trees flourished, and wild flowers grew, and the hawthorn blossomed, in the now vanished fields.
在牛津路以北，那时几乎没有建筑物，森林树木繁茂，野花盛开，过去的田野上开满了山楂花。 —

As a consequence, country airs circulated in Soho with vigorous freedom, instead of languishing into the parish like stray paupers without a settlement;
结果，乡村的空气在索霍自由地流通，而不像无固定居所的流浪乞丐一样，在教区中衰落； —

and there was many a good south wall, not far off, on which the peaches ripened in their season.
附近有许多良好的南墙，在适当的季节里，桃子成熟。

The summer light struck into the corner brilliantly in the earlier part of the day;
夏日的光线在一天的早些时候照进这个角落， —

but, when the streets grew hot, the corner was in shadow, though not in shadow so remote but that you could see beyond it into a glare of brightness.
但当街道变热时，角落便陷入了阴影。虽然不是在阴影中,但你可以看到它的明亮闪烁。这是一个凉爽的地方, —

It was a cool spot, staid but cheerful, a wonderful place for echoes, and a very harbour from the raging streets.
庄重而愉快, 是一个回声绝佳的地方, 也是远离繁华的街道的港口。

There ought to have been a tranquil bark in such an anchorage, and there was. The Doctor occupied two floors of a large still house, where several callings purported to be pursued by day, but whereof little was audible any day, and which was shunned by all of them at night.
在这样一个停泊地应该有一只静谧的小船, 而事实上的确如此。这位医生占据了一幢宽敞的住宅的两层，白天有几个行业在这里工作，但是任何一天几乎听不到什么声音，而晚上则人迹罕至。 —

In a building at the back, attainable by a court-yard’ where a plane-tree rustled its green leaves, church-organs claimed to be made, and silver to be chased, and likewise gold to be beaten by some mysterious giant who had a golden arm starting out of the wall of the front hall–as if he had beaten himself precious, and menaced a similar conversion of all visitors.
在后边的一栋建筑里，通过一个带有垂柳树的庭院到达，有人声称能制造教堂管风琴，制作银器，还有一位神秘的巨人可以在大厅的墙上打造黄金——就好像他是用自己的黄金手臂将自己打造得宝贵无比，并威胁着将所有访客也变成黄金。 —

Very little of these trades, or of a lonely lodger rumoured to live up-stairs, or of a dim coach-trimming maker asserted to have a counting-house below, was ever heard or seen.
几乎听不到这些行业的动静，也不曾见过据称住在楼上的一位偏僻的房客，或者据说在下面有一间数过数的马车装饰师的昏暗办公室。 —

Occasionally, a stray workman putting his coat on, traversedthe hall, or a stranger peered about there, or a distant clink was heard across the court-yard, or a thump from the golden giant.
偶尔会有个迷失的工人穿过门厅，或有陌生人在那里四处张望，或者从庭院里传来一阵叮当声，或者那位金色巨人发出一声重击声。 —

These, how-ever, were only the exceptions required to prove the rule that the sparrows in the plane-tree behind the house, andthe echoes in the corner before it, had their own way from Sunday morning unto Saturday night.
然而，这些只是例外，证明了“在房子后面的垂柳树上的麻雀和楼前的回声从周日早上到周六晚上一直独占鳌头”的规则。

Doctor Manette received such patients here as his old reputation, and its revival in the floating whispers of his story, brought him.
曼内特医生在这里接待因他的名声和他的故事在人们流言蜚语中重现而前来的病人。 —

His scientific knowledge, and his vigilance and skill in conducting ingenious experiments, brought him other-wise into moderate request, and he earned a, much as he wanted.
他的科学知识以及他在进行巧妙实验时的警觉和技巧，使他在某种程度上广受欢迎，并且赚的钱够多。

These things were within Mr. Jarvis Lorry’s knowledge, thoughts, and notice, when he rang the door-bell of the tranquil house in the corner, on the fine Sunday afternoon.
当一个晴朗的周日下午，洛瑞先生按响了这个安静房子的门铃时，这些事情都在他的知识、思想和注意力范围内。

‘Doctor Manette at home?’
“曼内特博士在家吗？”

Expected home.
预计他在家。

‘Miss Lucie at home?’
“露西小姐在家吗？”

Expected home.
预计她在家。

‘Miss Pross at home?’
“普罗斯小姐在家吗？”

Possibly at home, but of a certainty impossible for hand-maid to anticipate intentions of Miss Pross, as to admission or denial of the fact.
也许在家里，但是肯定不能指望女仆猜测普罗斯小姐的意图，是否同意或拒绝这个事实。

‘As I am at home myself,’ said Mr. Lorry, ‘I’ll go up-stairs.’
“既然我自己在家，” 洛瑞先生说道，”我就上楼去吧。”

Although the Doctor’s daughter had known nothing of the country of her birth, she appeared to have innately derived from it that ability to make much of little means, which is one of its most useful and most agreeable characteristics.
尽管这位医生的女儿对自己出生的国家一无所知，但她似乎天生具备了以小制大的能力，这是那个国家最有用、最令人愉悦的特点之一。 —

Simple as the furniture was, it was set off by so many little adornments, of no value but for their taste and fancy, that its effect was delightful.
尽管家具简朴，但配上了许多点缀物，虽然价值不大，但它们的品味和幻想力使其效果令人愉悦。 —

The disposition of everything in the rooms, from the largest object to the least;
从最大的物件到最微小的物件的布置； —

the arrangement of colours, the elegant variety and contrast obtained by thrift in trifles, by delicate hands, clear eyes, and good sense;
色彩的搭配，通过精打细算、娴熟的双手、清澈的眼睛和良好的判断所得到的优雅多样性和对比度； —

were at once so pleasant in themselves, and so expressive of their originator, that, as Mr. Lorry stood looking about him, the very chairs and tables seemed to ask him, with something of that peculiar expression which he knew so well by this time, whether he approved?
它们本身如此令人愉悦，又如此富有表达力，以至于当洛瑞先生站在那里四处看时，连椅子和桌子都似乎用一种他现在非常熟悉的特殊表情在问他是否满意？

There were three rooms on a floor, and, the doors by which they communicated being put open that the air might pass freely through them all, Mr. Lorry, smilingly observant of that fanciful resemblance which he detected all around him, walked from one to another.
这层楼有三个房间，为了让空气自由流通，它们之间的门敞开着。洛瑞先生笑容满面地观察着他周围发现的这种奇特相似之处，从一个房间走到另一个房间。 —

The first was the best room, and in it were Lucie’s birds, and flowers, and books, and desk, and work-table, and box of water-colours;
第一个房间是最好的房间，里面有露西的鸟、花、书籍、写字台、工作桌和水彩盒； —

the second was the Doctor’s consulting-room, used also as the dining-room;
第二个房间是医生的诊室，也用作餐厅； —

the third, changingly speckled by the rustle of the plane-tree in the yard, was the Doctor’s bedroom, and there, in a corner, stood the disusedshoemaker’s bench and tray of tools, much as it had stood on the fifth floor of the dismal house by the wine-shop, in the suburb of Saint Antoine in Paris.
第三个房间因院子里的梧桐树沙沙声而不断变化，那里是医生的卧室，角落里放着弃用的制鞋工的工作台和工具盘，就像它曾经在巴黎圣安东尼区酒店旁边那座令人沮丧的房子的五楼站着一样。

‘I wonder,’ said Mr. Lorry, pausing in his looking about, ‘that he keeps that reminder of his sufferings about him!’
“我奇怪，”洛瑞先生停下来看着四周说道，” 为什么他要一直保存着那些他所受苦难的提醒呢！”

‘And why wonder at that?’ was the abrupt inquiry that made him start.
“为什么奇怪？” 突然传来的问话让他吃了一惊。

It proceeded from Miss Pross, the wild red woman, strong of hand, whose acquaintance he had first made at the Royal George Hotel at Dover, and had since improved.
这是普罗斯小姐的声音，那个红发女人，手上有力，他是在多佛的皇家乔治酒店第一次遇见她的，后来又多次见过她。

‘I should have thought—‘Mr. Lorry began.
“我本以为……”洛瑞先生开始说。

‘Pooh! You’d have thought!’ said Miss Pross; and Mr. Lorry left off.
“呸！你以为什么！” 普罗斯小姐说道，洛瑞先生收了手。

‘How do you do?’ inquired that lady then–sharply, and yet as if to express that she bore him no malice.
“你好吗？”那位女士接着尖锐地问道，然而又好像是表达她对他没有怨恨的意思。

‘I am pretty well, I thank you,’ answered Mr. Lorry, with meekness;
“我还不错，谢谢你，” 洛瑞先生谦和地回答道，” —

‘how are you?’
你呢？”

‘Nothing to boast of,’ said Miss Pross.
“没什么好吹嘘的，”普罗斯小姐说道。

‘Indeed?’
“是吗？”

‘Ah! indeed!’ said Miss Pross. ‘I am very much put out about my Ladybird.’
“啊！是的！”普罗斯小姐说道，”我非常为我那可爱的小鸟烦恼。”

‘Indeed?’
“真的？”

‘For gracious sake say something else besides ‘‘indeed,” or you’ll fidget me to death,’ said Miss Pross: whose character (dissociated from stature) was shortness.’
“拜托，请说点别的，不要老是说“真的”，要不然你会把我烦死的，” 普罗斯小姐说道。她（与身材无关的）性格充满了短暂。

‘Really, then?’ said Mr. Lorry, as an amendment.
“那真的吗？”洛瑞先生提出修改意见。

‘Really, is bad enough,’ returned Miss Pross, ‘but better. Yes, I am very much put out.’
“真的已经够糟了，”普罗斯小姐回答道，” 但是好一点。是的，我非常为此烦恼。”

‘May I ask the cause?’
“我能问问原因吗？”

‘I don’t want dozens of people who are not at all worthy of Ladybird, to come here looking after her,’ said Miss Pross.
“我不想让那些不值得和我的小鸟有任何关系的人到这里来找她，” 普罗斯小姐说道。

‘Do dozens come for that purpose?’
“为了那个目的，数十人前来吗？”

‘Hundreds,’ said Miss Pross.
“几百人吧，”普洛斯小姐说。

It was characteristic of this lady (as of some other people before her time and since) that whenever her original pro-position was questioned, she exaggerated it.
这位女士有一个特点（以及以前和以后的一些其他人），那就是每当她提出的观点受到质疑时，她总会夸大其词。

‘Dear me!’ said Mr. Lorry, as the safest remark he could think of.
“天哪！”洛瑞先生说，这是他能想到的最安全的话。

‘I have lived with the darling–or the darling has lived with me, and paid me for it; which she certainly should never have done, you may take your affidavit, if I could have afforded to keep either myself or her for nothing–since she was ten years old.
“我和这个宝贝一起生活过，或者说是这个宝贝和我一起生活过，并为此付给了我报酬，如果我承受得起，我当然可以让她自己养活自己或者为她养活自己—自从她10岁起。”普罗斯小姐说道。“这实在是太难了。 —

And it’s really very hard,’ said Miss Pross.
”普罗斯小姐说。

Not seeing with precision what was very hard, Mr. Lorry shook his head;
洛瑞先生并没有准确地看出其中的困难，他摇了摇头； —

using that important part of himself as a sort of fairy cloak that would fit anything.
像是把自己的这一特点当作一种如仙女般的披风，可以适合任何事情。

‘All sorts of people who are not in the least degree worthy of the pet, are always turning up,’ said Miss Pross. ‘When you began it—’
“各种各样不配得到宠物的人总是冒出来，” 普洛斯小姐说。“当你开始的时候——”

‘I began it, Miss Pross?’
“是我开始的吗，普洛斯小姐？”

‘Didn’t you? Who brought her father to life?’
“难道不是你吗？是谁让她父亲复活的？”

‘Oh! If that was beginning it—‘said Mr. Lorry.
“哦！如果那就是开始的话——”洛瑞先生说。

‘It wasn’t ending it, I suppose? I say, when you began it, it was hard enough; not that I have any fault to find with Doctor Manette, except that he is not worthy of such a daughter, which is no imputation on him, for it was not to be expected that anybody should be, under any circumstances.
“结束了吗？我想，当你开始的时候已经够难的了，对曼内特医生我没有任何抱怨，除了他不配拥有这样的女儿，这并不是对他的指责，因为在任何情况下都不会有人配得上。” —

But it really is doubly and trebly hard to have crowds and multitudes of people turning up after him (I could have forgiven him), to take Ladybird’s affections away from me.’
“但真的是又难过又痛苦，大批的人群在他之后凑过来（我本可以原谅他），夺走了Ladybird对我的爱。”

Mr. Lorry knew Miss Pross to be very jealous, but he also knew her by this time to be, beneath the surface of her eccentricity, one of those unselfish creatures–found only among women–who will, for pure love and admiration, bind themselves willing slaves, to youth when they have lost it, to beauty that they never had, to accomplishments that they were never fortunate enough to gain, to bright hopes that never shone upon their own sombre lives.
洛瑞先生深知普罗斯小姐非常嫉妒，但他也知道，在奇异表面之下，她是那种无私的人——仅在女性中才能找到——当她们失去了青春时，会出于纯粹的爱和钦佩而自愿成为奴隶，她们会为了她们没有得到的美貌，她们的生活中从未闪耀过的才华，她们未曾幸运获得的成就，她们灰暗生活中从未照亮过的美好希望， —

He knew enough of the world to know that there is nothing in it better than the faithful service of the heart;
而忠诚地奉献自己的心灵。他对世界有足够的了解，知道没有什么比心灵的忠诚服务更好； —

so rendered and so free from any mercenary taint, he had such an exalted respect for it, that in the retributive arrangements made by his own mind–we all make such arrangements, more or less–he stationed Miss Pross much nearer to the lower Angels than many ladies immeasurably better got up both by Nature and Art, who had balances at Tellson’s.
如果这种服务是如此完全无私、没有丝毫功利之心的话，他对此将怀有敬意，并在他自己的心灵中做出了应有的补偿性安排——我们都会做出这样或那样的安排，他将普罗斯小姐置于较低级的天使之间的位置，比许多身世和器官都远胜普罗斯小姐的女士更值得推崇。这些女士在泰尔森银行都有存款。

‘There never was, nor will be, but one man worthy of Lady-bird,’ said Miss Pross;
“除了一个男人，没有人配得上小鸟，”普洛斯小姐说， —

‘and that was my brother Solomon, if he hadn’t made a mistake in life.’
“那就是我的兄弟所罗门，如果他没有在生活中犯错的话。”

Here again: Mr. Lorry’s inquiries into Miss Pross’s personal history had established the fact that her brother Solomon was a heartless scoundrel who had stripped her of everything she possessed, as a stake to speculate with, and had abandoned her in her poverty for evermore, with no touch of compunction.
再说一次：洛瑞先生对普罗斯小姐个人历史的调查已经证实，她的兄弟所罗门是一个无情的恶棍，他把她所有的财产都拿来做赌注，并永远将她抛弃在贫困中，毫不内疚。普罗斯小姐对所罗门的信任（扣除这个小错误）对洛瑞先生来说是相当重要的，这影响了他对她的好评。 —

Miss Pross’s fidelity of belief in Solomon (deducting a mere trifle for this slight mistake) was quite a serious matter with Mr. Lorry, and had its weight in his good opinion of her.
（没有翻译）

‘As we happen to be alone for the moment, and are both people of business,’ he said, when they had got back to the drawing-room and had sat down there in friendly relations, ‘let me ask you–does the Doctor, in talking with Lucie, never refer to the shoemaking time, yet?’
“我们现在碰巧独处一会儿，而且我们都是商人，” 当他们回到客厅，友好地坐下来时，他说， “让我问你——医生和露西交谈的时候，从来没有提起过制鞋的时光吗？”

‘Never.’
“从来没有。”

‘And yet keeps that bench and those tools beside him?’
“但他还是把那个工作台和那些工具放在他身边吗？”

‘Ah!’ returned Miss Pross, shaking her head.
“啊！”普洛斯小姐摇了摇头。 —

‘But I don’t say he don’t refer to it within himself.’
“但我不否认他在心里面提起过它。”

‘Do you believe that he thinks of it much?’
“你相信他会经常想起吗？”

‘I do,’ said Miss Pross.
“是的，”普洛斯小姐说。

‘Do you imagine—’ Mr. Lorry had begun, when Miss Pross took him up short with:
“我开始幻想……”洛瑞先生刚开口，普罗丝小姐就打断了他。

‘Never imagine anything. Have no imagination at all.’
“别幻想任何事情。完全不要有想象力。”

‘I stand corrected,; do you suppose–you go so far as to Suppose, sometimes?
“我修正了，你会推测吗——你会偶尔去推测一下吗？”

‘Now and then,’ said Miss Pross.
“偶尔会，”普罗丝小姐说。

‘Do you suppose,’ Mr. Lorry went on, with a laughing twinkle in his bright eye, as it looked kindly at her, ‘that Doctor Manette has any theory of his own, preserved through all those years, relative to the cause of his being so oppressed;
“你认为，”洛瑞先生继续说道，明亮的眼睛笑盈盈地看着她，” 曼内特医生是否在这些年里一直保存着自己的理论，关于他为什么如此受压迫的原因， —

perhaps, even to the name of his oppressor?’
甚至可能关于他的压迫者的名字？”

‘I don’t suppose anything about it but what Ladybird tells me.’
“我对此没有什么推测，只知道Ladybird告诉我些什么。”

‘And that is—?’
“那是什么……？”

‘That she thinks he has.’
“她认为他有。”

‘Now don’t be angry at my asking all these questions;
“现在别因为我问这么多问题而生气， —

because I am a mere dull man of business, and you are a woman of business.’
因为我只是一个单调的商务人士，而你是一个商界女性。”

‘Dull?’ Miss Pross inquired, with placidity.
“单调？”普罗丝小姐平静地询问道。

Rather wishing his modest adjective away, Mr. Lorry replied, ‘No, no, no. Surely not. To return to business:
老罗里先生并不希望他这个谦虚的形容词消失，他回答道：“不，不，不。 —

• Is it not remarkable that Doctor Manette, unquestionably innocent of any crime as we are all well assured he is, should never touch upon that question?
  肯定不可能。回到正题：难道不奇怪吗，我们都确信曼内特医生无罪，他竟然从未触及这个问题吗？ —
  

I will not say with me, though he had business relations with me many years ago, and we are now intimate;
我不会说是对我，尽管他多年前与我有业务往来，而且我们如今很亲密； —

I will say with the fair daughter to whom he is so devotedly attached, and who is so devotedly attached to him? Believe me, Miss Pross, I don’t approach the topic with you, out of curiosity, but out of zealous interest.’
我会说是对他所钟爱的那位美丽女儿，以及她对他的深爱呢？相信我，普罗斯小姐，我向你谈论这个话题并不是出于好奇，而是出于热切的兴趣。”

‘Well! To the best of my understanding, and bad’s the best, you’ll tell me,’ said Miss Pross, softened by the tone of the apology, ‘he is afraid of the whole subject.
“好！照我最好的理解，尽管那很糟糕，你告诉我吧，” 普罗丝小姐软化了口气，” 他害怕这个整个问题。”

‘Afraid?’
“害怕？”

‘It’s plain enough, I should think, why he may be.
“我想可以很明显地知道为什么他这样做。 —

It’s a dreadful remembrance. Besides that, his loss of himself grew out of it.
那是一个可怕的回忆。除此之外，他对自己的失落是由此而来。 —

Not knowing how he lost himself, or how he re-covered himself, he may never feel certain of not losing himself again.
他不知道他是如何迷失自己，或者是如何重新找回自己的，他可能永远不会确定自己不会再次迷失自己。 —

That alone wouldn’t make the subject pleasant, I should think.’
仅仅这个原因就足以让他不愉快，我想。

It was a profounder remark than Mr. Lorry had looked for.
这是一个比老罗里先生预料的更深刻的评论。 “没错， —

‘True,’ said he, ‘and fearful to reflect upon. Yet, a doubt lurks in my mind, Miss Pross, whether it is good for Doctor Manette to have that suppression always shut up within him.
”他说，“这是令人恐惧的事情。然而，我心中怀有一丝疑虑，普罗斯小姐，曼内特医生是否一直将这个秘密深埋心底对他而言是好事。事实上， —

Indeed, it is this doubt and the uneasiness it sometimes causes me that has led me to our present confidence.’
正是这个疑虑和它有时带给我的不安，引导我与您进行现在的交谈。”

‘Can’t be helped,’ said Miss Pross, shaking her head.
“无法改变，”普罗斯小姐摇了摇头。 —

‘Touch that string, and he instantly changes for the worse.
“触及此事，他立即变得更糟糕。最好别管它。 —

Better leave it alone. In short, must leave it alone, like or no like.
简而言之，无论喜欢与否，也必须置之不理。 —

Sometimes, lie gets up in the dead of the night, and will be heard, by us overhead there, walking up and down, walking up and down, in his room.
有时，他会在深夜起身，我们楼上会听到他在房间里上下走动，上下走动。 —

Ladybird has learnt to know then that his mind is walking up and down, walking up and down, in his old prison.
小红帽已经学会了那时他的思绪在回到他过去的牢狱。 —

She hurries to him, and they go on together, walking up and down, walking up and down, until he is composed. But he never says a word of the true reason of his restlessness, to her, andshe finds it best not to hint at it to him.
她匆忙走到他身边，他们一起继续上下走动，上下走动，直到他平静下来。但他从不对她透露他焦躁不安的真实原因。”而她认为最好不要给他暗示。 —

In silence they go walking up and down together, walking up and down together, till her love and company have brought him to himself.’
他们默默地一起走来走去，一起走来走去，直到她的爱和陪伴让他恢复了自己。

Notwithstanding Miss Pross’s denial of her own imagination, there was a perception of the pain of being monotonously haunted by one sad idea, in her repetition of the phrase, walking up and down, which testified to her possessing such a thing.
尽管普罗丝小姐否认了自己的想象力，但她一遍又一遍重复着”来回走动”这个词组，显示她确实具有这样的能力。

The corner has been mentioned as a wonderful corner for echoes;
这个角落被称为一个回声奇特的角落， —

it had begun to echo so resoundingly to the tread of coming feet, that it seemed as though the very mention of that weary pacing to and fro had set it going.
脚步声越来越响亮，似乎提到那厌倦的来回走动已经让回响开始。

‘Here they are!’ said Miss Pross, rising to break up the conference;
“他们来了！” 普罗丝小姐站起身来打断谈话说，” —

‘and now we shall have hundreds of people pretty soon!’
很快我们将会有成百上千的人！”

It was such a curious comer in its acoustical properties, such a peculiar Ear of a place, that as Mr. Lorry stood at the open window, looking for the father and daughter whose steps he heard, he fancied they would never approach.
这个地方在声学特性上非常奇特，就像一个奇特的听觉器官，以至于当洛瑞先生站在开着的窗户前，寻找着他听到的父亲和女儿的脚步声时，他觉得他们永远不会靠近。 —

Not only would the echoes die away, as though the steps had gone;
不仅会回声消失，仿佛脚步已经走了； —

but, echoes of other steps that never came would be heard in their stead, and would die away for good when they seemed close at hand.
但是，其他从未到来的脚步的回声将代替他们的声音，并在似乎近在咫尺时永远消失。然而， —

However, father and daughter did at last appear, and Miss Pross was ready at the street door to receive them.
父亲和女儿最终出现了，普罗斯小姐已经准备好在街门口迎接他们了。

Miss Pross was a pleasant sight, albeit wild, and red, and grim, taking off her darling’s bonnet when she came up-stairs, and touching it up with the ends of her handkerchief, and blowing the dust off it, and folding her mantle ready for laying by, and smoothing her rich hair with as much pride as she could possibly have taken in her own hair if she had been the vainest and handsomest of women.
普罗斯小姐是一个令人愉快的景象，尽管有些疯狂，又红又严肃。当她上楼时，她摘下她心爱的女儿的帽子，用手帕的尾巴擦拭并抖掉上面的灰尘，并准备好把她的披风折叠好放在一边，并用自己富有的头发充满自豪地梳理着，就像她自己梳理头发时所能拥有的自豪感一样，如果她是最虚荣最漂亮的女人，那将会更多。 —

Her darling was a pleasant sight too, embracing her and thanking her, and protesting against her taking so much trouble for her–which last she only dared to do playfully, or Miss Pross, sorely hurt, would have retired to her own chamber and cried.
她的心爱的女儿也是一个令人愉快的景象，拥抱着她并感谢她，并对她为她付出这么多的麻烦表示抗议-最后一个抗议只是开玩笑，否则普罗斯小姐会非常伤心，她可能会退到自己的房间里哭泣。 —

The Doctor was a pleasant sight too, looking on at them, and telling Miss Pross how she spoilt Lucie, in accents and with eyes that had as much spoiling in them as Miss Pross had, and would have had more if it were possible.
医生也是一个令人愉快的景象，看着他们，并告诉普罗斯小姐她如何宠溺露西，语气和眼神中充满了和普罗斯小姐一样多的宠溺，如果可能的话，还会有更多。 —

Mr. Lorry was a pleasant sight too, beaming at all this in his little wig, and thanking his bachelor stars for having lighted him in his declining years to a Home. But, no Hundreds of people came to see the sights, and Mr. Lorry looked in vain for the fulfilment of Miss Pross’s prediction.
洛瑞先生也是一个令人愉快的景象，在他小小的假发上对着这一切笑容满面，并感谢他走向衰老之际为自己启迪了一个家园的母星。但是，没有成百上千的人来观看这些景象，洛瑞先生徒劳地期待着普罗斯小姐预言的实现。

Dinner-time, and still no Hundreds of people.
晚餐时间，还没有一百个人。 —

In the arrangements of the little household, Miss Pross took charge of the lower regions, and always acquitted herself marvellously.
在这个小家庭的安排中，普洛斯小姐负责下层区域，并且总是表现得非常出色。 —

Her dinners, of a very modest quality, were so well cooked and so well served, and so neat in their contrivances, half English and half French, that nothing could be better.
她的晚餐虽然很简单，但烹饪得很好，上桌的时候也很整洁，一半是英式的，一半是法式的，再好不过了。 —

Miss Pross’s friendship being of the thoroughly practical kind, she had ravaged Soho and the adjacent provinces, in search of impoverished French, who, tempted by shillings and half-crowns, would impart culinary mysteries to her.
普洛斯小姐的友谊属于非常务实的那种，她在Soho和附近省份四处寻找那些贫穷的法国人，通过一些报酬来学习烹饪的秘诀。 —

From these decayed sons and daughters ofGaul, she had acquired such wonderful arts, that the woman and girl who formed the staff of domestics regarded her as quite a Sorceress, or Cinderella’s Godmother: who would send out for a fowl, a rabbit, a vegetable or two from the garden, and change them into any-thing she pleased.
从这些衰败的高卢人那里，她学到了很多奇妙的手艺，以至于那些做家务的女人和女孩们都把她当作一个女巫或者灰姑娘的教母，她可以把一只鸡、一只兔子或者一些来自花园的蔬菜变成任何她想要的东西。在周日，普洛斯小姐会在医生的餐桌上用餐，但其他时候她坚持在不确定的时间在下层区域或者她自己的二楼房间用餐。那是一个蓝色的房间，除她的女儿以外没有人能进去。

On Sundays, Miss Pross dined at the Doctor’s table, but on other days persisted in taking her meals at unknown periods, either in the lower regions, or in her own room on the second floor–a blue chamber, to which no one but her Ladybird ever gained admittance.
在这个场合，普洛斯小姐对于雀儿脸上的友好表情和想要取悦她的尽力，非常友善；所以这次晚餐也过得非常愉快。 —

On this occasion, Miss Pross, responding to Ladybird’s pleasant face and pleasant efforts to please her, unbent exceedingly; so the dinner was very pleasant, too.
那是一个闷热的日子，在晚餐后露西提议把酒带到梧桐树下，他们可以在那儿坐着享受空气。

It was an oppressive day, and, after dinner, Lucie proposed that the wine should be carried out under the plane-tree, and they should sit there in the air.
由于一切都围绕着她转，他们走出去坐在梧桐树下，并且她为了特别照顾洛瑞先生，把酒倒了出来。她一段时间以前就任命自己做洛瑞先生的酒保。 —

As everything turned upon her, and revolved about her, they went out under the plane-tree, and she carried the wine down for the special benefit of Mr. Lorry. She had installed herself, some time before, as Mr. Lorry’s cup-bearer;
在他们坐在梧桐树下聊天的时候，神秘的房屋背部和末端偷偷地窥视着他们，而梧桐树在他们头顶上以自己的方式低语。 —

and while they sat under the plane-tree, talking, she kept his glass replenished.
TAG 露西的一切都离不开她，也都与她相关， —

Mysterious backs and ends of houses peeped at them as they talked, and the plane-tree whispered to them in its own way above their heads.
所以他们走到梧桐树下并且她为了特别照顾洛瑞先生，把酒倒了出来。

Still, the Hundreds of people did not present themselves.
然而，并没有数百人出现。 —

Mr. Darnay presented himself while they were sitting under the plane-tree, but he was only One.
达尔纳先生在他们坐在悬铃树下的时候出现了，但他只是一个人。

Doctor Manette received him kindly, and so did Lucie. But, Miss Pross suddenly became afflicted with a twitching in the head and body, and retired into the house.
杜博士友善地接待了他，露西也是如此。但是，普罗斯小姐突然间头部和身体抽搐不已，退入屋子里。 —

She was not infrequently the victim of this disorder, and she called it, in familiar conversation, ‘a fit of the jerks.’
她有时会受到这种疾病的困扰，在熟人交谈中，她称之为”抽搐发作”。

The Doctor was in his best condition, and looked specially young.
医生身体状况最佳，看起来特别年轻。 —

The resemblance between him and Lucie was very strong at such times, and as they sat side by side, she leaning on his shoulder, and he resting his arm on the back of her chair, it was very agreeable to trace the likeness.
他和露西之间的相似之处在这个时候非常明显，坐在一起，她倚靠在他的肩膀上，他的手臂搭在她椅子的背上，追溯这种相似性非常愉快。

He had been talking all day, on many subjects, and with unusual vivacity. ‘Pray, Doctor Manette,’ said Mr. Darnay, as they sat under the plane-tree–and he said it in the natural pursuit of the topic in hand, which happened to be the old buildings of London-have you seen much of the Tower?’
医生整天都在谈论各种话题，而且意气风发。 达尔内先生在他们坐在梧桐树下时说道：“曼内特医生，请问你见过伦敦塔吗？”他自然地追问着手头的话题，当时正好谈到伦敦的古老建筑。

‘Lucie and I have been there; but only casually.
“露西和我去过那里，但只是随便看看。 —

We have seen enough of it, to know that it teems with interest;
我们看到了足够多的东西，知道那里充满了趣味， —

little more.’
也没更多的去看了。”

‘I have been there, as you remember,’ said Darnay, with a smile, though reddening a little angrily, ‘in another character, and not in a character that gives facilities for seeing, much of it. They told me a curious thing when I was there.
“我去过那里，你还记得，” 达尔内笑着说，虽然有点生气地变红了脸，” 但那是以我另外一个身份而不是给我看它的身份。当时有个奇怪的事情被告知给我。

‘What was that?’ Lucie asked.
露西问道：”是什么事情？”

‘In making some alterations, the workmen came upon an old dungeon, which had been, for many years, built up and forgotten.
‘在进行一些改建时，工人们发现了一个古老的地牢，这个地牢已经被封建起来并遗忘了很多年。 —

Every stone of its inner wall was covered by inscriptions which had been carved by prisoners–dates, names, complaints, and prayers.
其内墙的每一块石头上都刻满了囚犯们雕刻的铭文——日期、名字、抱怨和祈祷。 —

Upon a corner stone in an angle of the wall, one prisoner, who seemed to have gone to execution, had cut as his last work, three letters.
在墙角的一个角落石上，有一名似乎即将被执行的囚犯用一个糟糕的工具匆匆地刻下了三个字母。 —

They were done with some very poor instrument, and hurriedly, with an unsteady hand.
最初人们读成了 D. I. C.； —

At first, they were read as D. I. C.;
—

but, on being more carefully examined, the last letter was found to be G. There was no record or legend of any prisoner with those initials, and many fruitless guesses were made what the name could have been.
但是，经过仔细检查后发现最后一个字母确实是 G。对于那个具有这些首字母的囚犯没有任何记录或传说，人们猜测他的名字可能是什么。 —

At length, it was suggested that the letters were not initials, but the complete word, DIG. The floor was examined very carefully under the inscription, and, in the earth beneath a stone, or tile, or some fragment of paving, were found the ashes of a paper, mingled with the ashes of a small leathern case or bag.
最后有人认为这些字母不是缩写，而是一个完整的单词，DIG。人们仔细地检查了铭文下面的地板，发现在一块石头、瓦片或一些铺砌碎片的下方，有一张纸的灰烬，混杂在一个小皮制盒子或包里的灰烬中。 —

What the unknown prisoner had written will never be read, but he had written something, and hidden it away to keep it from the gaoler.’
这位未知囚犯写了些什么将永远不会被人读到，但是他确实写了些什么，并将其藏起来以防止狱卒发现。’

‘My father,’ exclaimed Lucie, ‘you are ill!’
“父亲，”露西叫道，”你病了！”

He had suddenly started up, with his hand to his head.
他突然从椅子上站起来，手捂着头。 —

His manner and his look quite terrified them all.
他的举止和表情完全吓坏了他们所有人。

‘No, my dear, not ill. There are large drops of rain falling, and they made me start. We had better go in.’
“不，亲爱的，我没病。有大雨滴落下来，吓了我一跳。我们最好进去吧。”

He recovered himself almost instantly.
他几乎立即恢复了镇定。 —

Rain was really falling in large drops, and he showed the back of his hand with rain-drops on it.
雨确实开始大滴地下了下来，他抬起手背，上面有雨滴。 —

But, he said not a single word in reference to the discovery that had been told of, and, as they went into the house, the business eye of Mr. Lorry either detected, or fancied it detected, on his face, as it turned towards Charles Darnay, the same singular look that had been upon it when it turned towards him in the passages of the Court House.
但是，他对所听到的发现没有说一句话，当他们走进屋子时，洛瑞先生商业眼光发现了，或者认为发现了，他面对查尔斯·达尔内时脸上出现了同样奇怪的表情，就像他在法院走廊时面对洛瑞先生时一样。

He recovered himself so quickly, however, that Mr. Lorry had doubts of his business eye.
然而，他恢复得如此之快，以至于洛瑞先生对他的商业眼光产生了怀疑。 —

The arm of the golden giant in the hall was not more steady than he was, when he stopped under it to remark to them that he was not yet proof against slight surprises (if he ever would be), and that the rain had startled him.
大厅里金色巨人的手臂并没有比他更稳定，当他停在下面对他们说他还不能完全抵御轻微的惊讶（如果他还能的话），并且雨淋湿了他，他被吓到了。

Tea-time, and Miss Pross making tea, with another fit of the jerks upon her, and yet no Hundreds of people.
茶点时间，普罗丝小姐拿着发抖又要再次发作的痉挛去泡茶，但人家只有两个人。 —

Mr. Garton had lounged in, but he made only Two.
加顿先生懒洋洋地走了进来，但他只带来了两个人。

The night was so very sultry, that although they sat with doors and windows open, they were overpowered by heat.
夜晚非常闷热，尽管他们门窗敞开着，还是被炎热逼得喘不过气来。 —

When the tea-table was done with, they all moved to one of the windows, and looked out into the heavy twilight.
喝完茶后，他们全都聚到了窗边，凝视着那浓重的黄昏。露西坐在父亲身旁， —

Lucie sat by her father;
达尔内坐在她旁边； —

Darnay sat beside her;
—

Carton leaned against a window.
卡尔顿倚在窗前。 —

The curtains were long and white, and some of the thunder-gusts that whirled into the corner, caught them up to the ceiling, and waved them like spectral wings.
柔长的白色窗帘被一些骤雨吹入角落，高高拽到天花板，仿佛幻影翅膀一样飘扬。

‘The rain-drops are still falling, large, heavy, and few,’ said Doctor Manette.
‘大而重的雨滴还在落下，虽然很少。’ 曼内特医生说道。 —

‘It comes slowly.
‘它来得很慢。’

‘It comes surely,’ said Carton.
‘它来的肯定。’ 卡尔顿说道。

They spoke low, as people watching and waiting mostly do;
他们轻声交谈， —

as people in a dark room, watching and waiting for Lightning, always do.
就像大多数观察和等待的人那样；就像在黑暗的房间里等待闪电的人那样。

There was a great hurry in the streets, of people speeding away to get shelter before the storm broke;
在街上有很多人匆匆忙忙地赶着找避难所，以免暴风雨来临； —

the wonderful corner for echoes resounded with the echoes of footsteps coming and going, yet not a footstep was there.
回声响彻着回音，仿佛有脚步声来来回回，却没有一个脚步声。

‘A multitude of people, and yet a solitude!’ said Darnay, when they had listened for a while.
‘人山人海，然而孤独！’ 达尔内说道，他们听了一会儿后。

‘Is it not impressive, Mr. Darnay?’ asked Lucie. ‘Sometimes, I have sat here of an evening, until I have fancied–but even the shade of a foolish fancy makes me shudder to-night, when all is so black and solemn—’
‘这不是很震撼人心吗，达尔内先生？’ 露西问道。‘有时候，我晚上坐在这里，会想象出一些事情–但是即使是一个痴迷的幻想的阴影，今晚也让我感到战栗，因为一切都是如此黑暗和庄重—’

‘Let us shudder too. We may know what it is.’
‘让我们也感到战栗吧。我们也许能够知道那是什么。’

‘It will seem nothing to you.
‘对你来说，那只是无关紧要的。 —

Such whims are only impressive as we originate them, I think; they are not to be communicated.
我认为，这样的奇想只有源于我们自己时才会令人印象深刻； —

I have sometimes sat alone here of an evening, listening, until I have made the echoes out to be the echoes of all the footsteps that are coming by-and-by into our lives.’
它们无法沟通。有时候，我晚上独自坐在这里，倾听，直到我把回声解读成了即将踏入我们生活的所有脚步声。’

‘There is a great crowd coming one day into our lives, if that be so,’ Sydney Carton struck in, in his moody way.
‘如果真是这样的话，有一天会有一大群人进入我们的生活，’ 静静无神的悉尼·卡尔顿插嘴说道。

The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more and more rapid.
脚步声不断，越来越匆忙。 —

The corner echoed and re-echoed with the tread of feet;
角落中回荡着脚步声的回音， —

some, as it seemed, under the windows;
有些好像在窗下， —

some, as it seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping altogether;
还有一些好像在房间里，有些朝来，有些往去，有些突然中断，有些彻底停止； —

all in the distant streets, and not one within sight.
一切都在遥远的街道上，一个也看不见。

‘Are all these footsteps destined to come to all of us, Miss Manette, or are we to divide them among us?’
‘所有这些脚步声都注定要到达我们所有人那儿吗，曼内特小姐，还是我们要将它们平均分配？’

‘I don’t know, Mr. Darnay;
‘我不知道，达尔内先生； —

I told you it was a foolish fancy, but you asked for it.
我告诉过你这只是一个愚蠢的幻想， —

When I have yielded myself to it, I have been alone, and then I have imagined them the foot-steps the people who are to come into my life, and my father’s.’
但是你要求了。当我完全投入其中时，我感到孤独，然后我把它们想象成了即将进入我的生活和我父亲生活的人的脚步声。’

‘I take them into mine!’ said Carton.
‘我把它们纳入我的生活中！’ —

‘I ask no questions and make no stipulations.
卡尔顿说道。 ‘我不问问题， —

There is a great crowd bearing down upon us, Miss Manette, and I see them—by the Lightning.’ He added the last words, after there had been a vivid flash which had shown him lounging in the window.
也不提条件。曼内特小姐，一大群人正在向我们走来，我看到了它们—借助闪电。’ 他在闪电闪过时补充道。

‘And I hear them.’ he added again, after a peal of thunder.
‘我听到它们’，雷声过后，他又补充道。

‘Here they come, fast, fierce, and furious.’
‘它们来了，快速、猛烈而狂暴。’

It was the rush and roar of rain that he typified, and it stopped him, for no voice could be heard in it.
他所象征的是雨水的冲刷和轰鸣，它让他停下来， —

A memorable storm of thunder and lightning broke with that sweep of water, and there was not a moment’s interval in crash, and We, and rain, until after the moon rose at midnight.
因为在其中听不见任何声音。一场令人难忘的雷电暴雨席卷而至，水滴声、雷声和雨声连续不断，直到午夜月亮升起。

The great bell of Saint Paul’s was striking One in the cleared air, when Mr. Lorry, escorted by Jerry, high-booted. and bearing a lantern, set forth on his return-passage to Clerkenwell.
圣保罗大教堂的巨钟在晴朗的空气中敲响了一下，这时洛瑞先生便由杰瑞护送着带着灯笼开始了返回克拉肯维尔的旅程，原路返回苏豪和克拉肯维尔之间有几段孤零零的路段， —

There were solitary patches of road on the way between Soho and Clerkenwell, and Mr. Lorry, mindful of footpads, always retained Jerry for this service:
考虑到有可能碰到脚步声，洛瑞先生总是让杰瑞陪同。 —

though it was usually performed a good two hours earlier.
虽然通常提前了至少两个小时才回来。

‘What a night it has been! Almost a night, ‘Jerry,’ said Mr. Lorry, ‘to bring the dead out of their graves.
‘这是一个多么不平凡的夜晚！真是一个夜晚，杰里，’洛瑞先生说道，‘将死者唤醒了。’

‘I never see the night myself, master–nor yet I don’t expect to–what would do that,’ answered Jerry.
‘我从来没见过夜晚，主人–也没有期望会–有什么事会这样。’ 杰里回答道。

‘Good-night, Mr. Carton,’ said the man of business.
‘晚安，卡尔顿先生，’生意人说道。‘晚安， —

‘Good-night, Mr. Darnay.
达尔内先生。 —

Shall we ever see such a night again, together!’
咱们再也看不到这样的夜晚了，一起！’

Perhaps. Perhaps, see the great crowd of people with its rush and roar, bearing down upon them, too.
也许吧。也许，看着那拥挤而嘈杂的人群，冲向他们。