A Tale of Two Cities — Page 5

English → Chinese CHAPTER I. Level 8/10

In the midst of them, the hangman, ever busy and ever worse than useless, was in constant requisition; now, stringing up long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now, hanging a housebreaker on Saturday who had been taken on Tuesday; now, burning people in the hand at Newgate by the dozen, and now burning pamphlets at the door of Westminster Hall; to-day, taking the life of an atrocious murderer, and to-morrow of a wretched pilferer who had robbed a farmer's boy of sixpence.

在这一切之中，刽子手始终忙碌不停，却有百害而无一益，时刻都有人差遣他；此刻，他将一长排形形色色的罪犯绳之以法；转眼，他将一个周二被捕的入室盗贼于周六绞死；又是在纽盖特监狱对着数十人施以烙手之刑，又是在威斯敏斯特大厅门口焚烧小册子；今日，他取走一个穷凶极恶的杀人犯的性命，明日，又轮到一个可怜的小偷——他不过抢了一个农家孩子的六便士。

All these things, and a thousand like them, came to pass in and close upon the dear old year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

所有这些事情，以及与之相似的千桩万件，都发生在那令人难忘的一七七五年前后。

Environed by them, while the Woodman and the Farmer worked unheeded, those two of the large jaws, and those other two of the plain and the fair faces, trod with stir enough, and carried their divine rights with a high hand.

在这一切的环绕之中，樵夫与农夫默默劳作，无人理会，而那两位大嘴之人，以及另外那两位容貌平凡与美丽的人，则大张旗鼓地昂然而行，以高傲的姿态执掌着他们所谓的神圣权力。

Thus did the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five conduct their Greatnesses, and myriads of small creatures--the creatures of this chronicle among the rest--along the roads that lay before them.

就这样，一七七五年引领着那些达官显贵，以及无数渺小的芸芸众生——其中包括本书所记述的那些人物——沿着各自面前的道路，一路前行。

Vocabulary

在: zài — at, in, on; indicating location or existence
这: zhè — this; referring to something nearby
一切: yīqiè — everything, all things
之中: zhī zhōng — among, within, in the middle of
刽子手: guìzishǒu — executioner; one who carries out death sentences
始终: shǐzhōng — from beginning to end; always, consistently
忙碌: mánglù — busy, occupied with many tasks
不停: bù tíng — without stopping; continuously, ceaselessly
却: què — but, yet; indicating contrast or unexpectedness
有: yǒu — to have; there is/are
百害: bǎi hài — a hundred harms; many harmful effects
而: ér — yet, but, and; connective particle
无一益: wú yī yì — not a single benefit; utterly without advantage
时刻: shíkè — moment, every moment; at all times
都: dōu — all, both; indicating totality
有人: yǒu rén — there is someone; some people
差遣: chāiqiǎn — to dispatch, send someone on an errand
他: tā — he, him; third-person masculine pronoun
此刻: cǐkè — at this moment, right now
将: jiāng — about to; will; future tense marker
一: yī — one; a single unit
长排: cháng pái — a long row or line of things
形形色色: xíngxíngsèsè — of all kinds; diverse and varied types
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
罪犯: zuìfàn — criminal, offender, felon
绳之以法: shéng zhī yǐ fǎ — to bring to justice; punish according to law
转眼: zhuǎnyǎn — in the blink of an eye; very quickly
一个: yī gè — one (person or thing); a single
周二: zhōu'èr — Tuesday
被捕: bèibǔ — to be arrested, apprehended by authorities
入室盗贼: rùshì dàozéi — burglar; thief who breaks into buildings
于: yú — at, in, on; preposition indicating time or place
周六: zhōuliù — Saturday
绞死: jiǎosǐ — to hang to death; execute by hanging
又是: yòu shì — again it is; once more
监狱: jiānyù — prison, jail
对着: duìzhe — facing, directed at, toward
数十人: shùshí rén — dozens of people; tens of persons
施以: shī yǐ — to apply, administer, inflict upon someone
烙手: lào shǒu — branding of the hand as punishment
之刑: zhī xíng — the punishment of; such-and-such penalty
大厅: dàtīng — great hall, lobby, main hall
门口: ménkǒu — doorway, entrance, at the door
焚烧: fénshāo — to burn, set on fire, incinerate
小册子: xiǎocèzi — pamphlet, booklet, small publication
今日: jīnrì — today, this day
取走: qǔzǒu — to take away, remove, carry off
穷凶极恶: qióngxiōng jí'è — extremely vicious and evil; utterly ferocious
杀人犯: shārénfàn — murderer, killer, homicide criminal
性命: xìngmìng — life; one's existence or vital breath
明日: míngrì — tomorrow, the next day
又: yòu — again, also; once more
轮到: lúndào — to be someone's turn; come around to
可怜: kělián — pitiful, poor, pathetic; to pity someone
小偷: xiǎotōu — petty thief, pickpocket
不过: bùguò — however, but; merely, only
抢了: qiǎng le — stole, snatched; past action of robbing
农家: nóngjiā — farming family, rural household
孩子: háizi — child, children, kid
所有: suǒyǒu — all, every; to possess everything
这些: zhèxiē — these; plural demonstrative pronoun
事情: shìqing — matter, affair, thing, event
以及: yǐjí — as well as, along with, and
与之: yǔ zhī — with it, related to it, therewith
相似: xiāngsì — similar, resembling, alike
千桩万件: qiān zhuāng wàn jiàn — thousands of matters; countless affairs
发生: fāshēng — to happen, occur, take place
那: nà — that; referring to something distant
令人难忘: lìng rén nánwàng — unforgettable; causing one to remember always
前后: qiánhòu — around, approximately; before and after
环绕: huánrào — to surround, encircle, revolve around
樵夫: qiáofū — woodcutter, lumberjack, firewood gatherer
与: yǔ — and, with; together with
农夫: nóngfū — farmer, peasant, agricultural laborer
默默: mòmò — silently, quietly, without a word
劳作: láozuò — to labor, toil, work hard
无人: wú rén — no one, nobody, without people
理会: lǐhuì — to pay attention to, take notice of
两位: liǎng wèi — two (people); polite counter for persons
大嘴: dà zuǐ — big mouth; loud or boastful talker
之人: zhī rén — such a person; one who is so
另外: lìngwài — in addition, besides, furthermore, other
容貌: róngmào — appearance, looks, facial features
平凡: píngfán — ordinary, common, unremarkable, plain
美丽: měilì — beautiful, pretty, lovely
人: rén — person, people, human being
则: zé — then, in that case; indicating contrast
大张旗鼓: dàzhāng qígǔ — with great fanfare; on a grand, showy scale
地: de — structural particle for adverbial phrases
昂然而行: ángrán ér xíng — to walk proudly with head held high
以: yǐ — with, by means of; using
高傲: gāo'ào — arrogant, haughty, proud, disdainful
姿态: zītài — posture, attitude, stance, bearing
执掌: zhízhǎng — to hold power, control, be in charge of
着: zhe — aspect particle indicating ongoing state
他们: tāmen — they, them; third-person plural pronoun
所谓: suǒwèi — so-called; what is referred to as
神圣: shénshèng — sacred, holy, divine
权力: quánlì — power, authority, right to govern
就: jiù — then, just, precisely; indicating result
这样: zhèyàng — like this, in this way, such
引领: yǐnlǐng — to lead, guide, usher forward
那些: nàxiē — those; plural demonstrative for distant things
达官显贵: dáguān xiǎnguì — high officials and nobles; the powerful elite
无数: wúshù — countless, innumerable, without number
渺小: miǎoxiǎo — tiny, insignificant, negligible, petty
芸芸众生: yúnyún zhòngshēng — all living beings; the common masses of people
其中: qízhōng — among them, within that, therein
包括: bāokuò — to include, comprise, encompass
本书: běn shū — this book; the present volume
所: suǒ — particle used before verbs to nominalize actions
记述: jìshù — to record and describe; narrate in writing
人物: rénwù — character, figure, personage in a story
沿着: yánzhe — along, following the course of
各自: gèzì — each, respective, individually
面前: miànqián — in front of, before, ahead of
道路: dàolù — road, path, way, route
一路: yīlù — all the way, throughout the journey
前行: qiánxíng — to move forward, advance, press ahead

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