A Tale of Two Cities — Page 1

English → Chinese CHAPTER II. Level 8/10

The Mail

驿车

It was the Dover road that lay, on a Friday night late in November, before the first of the persons with whom this history has business.

在十一月末的一个星期五夜晚，多佛尔大路展现在与本书有关的第一个人物面前。

The Dover road lay, as to him, beyond the Dover mail, as it lumbered up Shooter's Hill.

对他来说，多佛尔大路就在多佛尔驿车的前方，而驿车正在沉重地爬上射手山。

He walked up hill in the mire by the side of the mail, as the rest of the passengers did; not because they had the least relish for walking exercise, under the circumstances, but because the hill, and the harness, and the mud, and the mail, were all so heavy, that the horses had three times already come to a stop, besides once drawing the coach across the road, with the mutinous intent of taking it back to Blackheath.

他和其余的乘客一样，在泥泞中步行上山，走在驿车旁边；这并非因为他们在此情形下对步行锻炼有丝毫兴趣，而是因为山坡、挽具、泥泞和驿车全都如此沉重，马匹已经三次停了下来，还有一次将马车拖向路的另一侧，摆出一副要把它拉回布莱克希思的叛逆架势。

Reins and whip and coachman and guard, however, in combination, had read that article of war which forbade a purpose otherwise strongly in favour of the argument, that some brute animals are endued with Reason; and the team had capitulated and returned to their duty.

然而，缰绳、鞭子、车夫和护卫共同发挥作用，宣读了那条军规，禁止了那个原本极有力地支持某些动物具有理性这一论点的企图；于是马队屈服了，重新回到了它们的职责上。

With drooping heads and tremulous tails, they mashed their way through the thick mud, floundering and stumbling between whiles, as if they were falling to pieces at the larger joints.

它们垂着头，尾巴颤抖，在厚厚的泥泞中艰难跋涉，不时地挣扎踉跄，仿佛那些较大的关节处就要散架一般。

As often as the driver rested them and brought them to a stand, with a wary "Wo-ho! so-ho-then!" the near leader violently shook his head and everything upon it--like an unusually emphatic horse, denying that the coach could be got up the hill.

每当车夫让它们歇息，用谨慎的"吁——吁——"将它们停住时，靠边的领头马就猛烈地摇晃着脑袋和头上的一切——活像一匹格外坚定的马，否认马车能够爬上这座山。

Vocabulary

驿车: yì chē — Horse-drawn stagecoach used for travel and mail.
在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or time.
十一月: shíyī yuè — November, the eleventh month of the year.
末: mò — End, tip, final part of a period.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
一个: yī gè — One, a single (general measure word).
星期五: xīngqī wǔ — Friday, the fifth day of the week.
夜晚: yèwǎn — Nighttime, the hours after dark.
大路: dà lù — Main road, highway, broad public thoroughfare.
展现: zhǎnxiàn — To display, reveal, or unfold before someone.
与: yǔ — And, with; connects nouns or phrases formally.
本书: běn shū — This book, the current volume being read.
有关: yǒuguān — Related to, concerning, having to do with.
第一个: dì yī gè — The first one, the initial item or person.
人物: rénwù — Character, figure, important or notable person.
面前: miànqián — In front of, before someone's eyes.
对: duì — For, toward; indicates perspective or relation.
他: tā — He, him; third-person singular male pronoun.
来说: lái shuō — From one's perspective, as far as concerned.
就在: jiù zài — Right at, exactly at a location or moment.
前方: qiánfāng — Ahead, the area directly in front.
而: ér — And yet, but; adversative or connective conjunction.
正在: zhèngzài — Currently in the process of doing something.
沉重: chénzhòng — Heavy, weighty; describing burden or difficulty.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb.
爬上: pá shàng — To climb up, ascend with effort.
和: hé — And, together with; connects nouns or clauses.
其余: qíyú — The rest, the remaining others.
乘客: chéngkè — Passenger, traveler riding a vehicle.
一样: yīyàng — The same, alike, just like something else.
泥泞: nínìng — Muddy, mired in wet sticky mud.
中: zhōng — In, within, amid a situation or place.
步行: bùxíng — To walk on foot rather than ride.
上山: shàng shān — To go up the hill, ascend a slope.
走在: zǒu zài — Walking at or beside a place.
旁边: pángbiān — Beside, next to, at the side of.
这: zhè — This, referring to something nearby or just mentioned.
并非: bìng fēi — Not at all, definitely not the case.
因为: yīnwèi — Because, since; introduces reason or cause.
他们: tāmen — They, them; third-person plural pronoun.
此: cǐ — This, such; formal demonstrative pronoun.
情形下: qíngxíng xià — Under such circumstances or conditions.
锻炼: duànliàn — To exercise, train, strengthen the body.
有: yǒu — To have, there is, to exist.
丝毫: sīháo — The slightest bit, even a trace of.
兴趣: xìngqù — Interest, enthusiasm for an activity or subject.
而是: ér shì — Rather, but instead; corrects a previous statement.
山坡: shānpō — Hillside, the sloping side of a hill.
全都: quán dōu — All, every single one without exception.
如此: rúcǐ — So, such, in this manner or degree.
马匹: mǎpǐ — Horses collectively, referring to draft animals.
已经: yǐjīng — Already, by now, having done previously.
三次: sān cì — Three times, on three separate occasions.
停了: tíng le — Stopped, came to a halt.
下来: xià lái — To come down, settle; completes a downward action.
还有: hái yǒu — Also, in addition there is or are.
一次: yī cì — Once, one time, a single occasion.
将: jiāng — About to, going to; formal future marker.
马车: mǎchē — Horse-drawn carriage or coach.
拖向: tuō xiàng — To drag or pull toward a direction.
路: lù — Road, path, route for traveling.
另一侧: lìng yī cè — The other side, the opposite side.
摆出: bǎi chū — To assume, display, or adopt a posture.
一副: yī fù — A look of, an expression or appearance.
要: yào — Want to, going to, intend to do.
把: bǎ — Disposal marker indicating action on an object.
它: tā — It; third-person pronoun for non-human things.
拉回: lā huí — To pull back, drag something back to place.
叛逆: pànnì — Rebellious, defiant, refusing to submit to authority.
架势: jiàshi — Posture, stance, attitude suggesting intention.
然而: rán'ér — However, yet; introduces a contrasting statement.
缰绳: jiāngshéng — Reins, straps used to control a horse.
鞭子: biānzi — Whip, a flexible instrument for driving animals.
车夫: chēfū — Coachman, driver of a horse-drawn vehicle.
护卫: hùwèi — Guard, escort protecting a person or vehicle.
共同: gòngtóng — Together, jointly, in cooperation with others.
发挥: fāhuī — To bring into play, exert, make use of.
作用: zuòyòng — Effect, function, role played in a situation.
宣读: xuāndú — To read aloud officially, proclaim a decree.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or changed state.
那条: nà tiáo — That (measure word for rules, roads, etc.).
军规: jūn guī — Military regulation, army rule or ordinance.
禁止: jìnzhǐ — To prohibit, forbid, not allow something.
那个: nà gè — That one, referring to a specific thing or person.
原本: yuánběn — Originally, fundamentally, in the first place.
极: jí — Extremely, to the utmost degree.
有力: yǒulì — Powerful, forceful, having strength or influence.
支持: zhīchí — To support, back up, endorse an idea.
某些: mǒuxiē — Certain, some specific but unnamed things or people.
动物: dòngwù — Animal, a living creature other than plants.
具有: jùyǒu — To possess, have, be endowed with a quality.
理性: lǐxìng — Reason, rationality, capacity for logical thought.
这一: zhè yī — This particular, referring to one specific point.
论点: lùndiǎn — Argument, thesis, point made in a debate.
企图: qǐtú — To attempt, try to do, usually with intent.
于是: yúshì — Therefore, as a result, and so then.
马队: mǎduì — Team of horses, a group harnessed together.
屈服: qūfú — To yield, submit, give in to pressure.
重新: chóngxīn — Again, anew, starting once more from beginning.
回到: huí dào — To return to, go back to a place.
它们: tāmen — They, them; plural pronoun for non-human things.
职责: zhízé — Duty, responsibility, obligation of a role.
上: shàng — On, upon; directional or locational particle.
垂着: chuí zhe — Hanging down, drooping in a lowered position.
头: tóu — Head, the uppermost part of the body.
尾巴: wěiba — Tail, the rear appendage of an animal.
颤抖: chàndǒu — To tremble, shiver with cold or exhaustion.
厚厚: hòu hòu — Thick and heavy, describing substantial layered depth.
艰难: jiānnán — Difficult, arduous, involving great hardship.
跋涉: báshè — To trudge, travel with great difficulty through terrain.
不时: bùshí — From time to time, now and then occasionally.
挣扎: zhēngzhá — To struggle, to strive against difficulty or restraint.
踉跄: liàngqiàng — To stagger, stumble unsteadily while walking.
仿佛: fǎngfú — As if, as though, seemingly resembling something.
那些: nàxiē — Those, referring to multiple distant things or people.
较大: jiào dà — Relatively large, comparatively bigger in size.
关节: guānjié — Joint, the connection point between bones.
处: chù — Place, location, point at which something occurs.
就要: jiù yào — About to, on the verge of happening soon.
散架: sànjià — To fall apart, come undone, break into pieces.
一般: yībān — Like, as if, similar to something; generally.
每当: měi dāng — Whenever, every time that something occurs.
让: ràng — To let, allow, cause someone to do something.
歇息: xiēxi — To rest, take a break from exertion.
用: yòng — To use, employ, make use of something.
谨慎: jǐnshèn — Cautious, careful, prudent in actions or words.
停住: tíng zhù — To halt, come to a complete stop.
时: shí — When, at the time of an action or event.
靠边: kào biān — To pull over, move aside to the edge.
就: jiù — Then, precisely; indicates immediacy or emphasis.
猛烈: měngliè — Violent, fierce, intensely forceful in action.
摇晃: yáohuàng — To shake, sway, rock back and forth.
着: zhe — Ongoing action particle; indicates continuing state.
脑袋: nǎodai — Head, the head of a person or animal.
头上: tóu shàng — On the head, above or atop the head.
一切: yīqiè — Everything, all things without exception.
活像: huó xiàng — Exactly like, looking just like something.
一匹: yī pǐ — One horse (measure word for horses).
格外: géwài — Especially, particularly, to an exceptional degree.
坚定: jiāndìng — Firm, resolute, unwavering in stance or belief.
马: mǎ — Horse, a large domesticated animal for riding.
否认: fǒurèn — To deny, refuse to acknowledge or admit something.
能够: nénggòu — To be able to, capable of doing something.
这座: zhè zuò — This (measure word for mountains, buildings, etc.).
山: shān — Mountain, hill, a large natural elevation of land.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →