Chapter I.

第一章

The Period

这一时期

It was the best of times,

这是最好的时代，

it was the worst of times,

这是最坏的时代，

it was the age of wisdom,

这是智慧的时代，

it was the age of foolishness,

这是愚昧的年头;

it was the epoch of belief,

这是信仰的时期，

it was the epoch of incredulity,

这是怀疑的时期;

it was the season of Light,

这是光明的季节，

it was the season of Darkness,

这是黑暗的季节，

it was the spring of hope,

这是希望的春天，

it was the winter of despair,

那是失望的冬天;

we had everything before us,

我们面前的一切，

we had nothing before us,

我们面前一无所有;

we were all going direct to Heaven,

我们都将直上天堂，

we were all going direct the other way--

我们都将直下地狱 -

in short, the period was so far like the

总之，这一时期很象远

present period, that some of its noisiest

目前时期，即其最嘈杂的一些

authorities insisted on its being received,

当局坚持其被接受，

for good or for evil, in the superlative

善或恶，在最高级

degree of comparison only.

只有程度的比较。

There were a king with a large jaw and a

那里有一个大下巴的国王和一个

queen with a plain face, on the throne of

女王与普通的脸，在宝座

England; there were a king with a large jaw

英格兰，其中有一家大下巴的国王

and a queen with a fair face, on the throne

和一个面貌姣好的王后，在宝座

of France.

法国。

In both countries it was clearer than

在这两个国家比它更清楚

crystal to the lords of the State preserves

水晶国家的首领保留

of loaves and fishes, that things in

的面包和鱼，那东西

general were settled for ever.

一般获得解决，直到永远。

It was the year of Our Lord one thousand

这是我们今年的主千

seven hundred and seventy-five.

七百七十五。

Spiritual revelations were conceded to

灵魂启示让步

England at that favoured period, as at

英国在那个受到欢迎的时期，截至

this.

这一点。

Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her

索思科特夫人最近她取得

five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of

五年和二十分祝福生日，

whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards

其中一个先知的私人卫队的生命

had heralded the sublime appearance by

崇高形象的出现，预示了由

announcing that arrangements were made for

宣布已作出安排

the swallowing up of London and

在伦敦和吞噬

Westminster.

威斯敏斯特。

Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only

即使是公鸡巷的幽灵已经奠定只

a round dozen of years, after rapping out

一圆十几年后销声匿迹

its messages, as the spirits of this very

它的消息，作为这个精神非常

year last past (supernaturally deficient in

今年最后一个过去（超自然的

originality) rapped out theirs.

原创）出他们的说唱。

Mere messages in the earthly order of

在人世间单纯的信息

events had lately come to the English Crown

最近发生的事件来英国国王

and People, from a congress of British

与人，从英国国会

subjects in America: which, strange to

在美国的主题：其中，奇怪

relate, have proved more important to the

有关，更重要的是证明了

human race than any communications yet

人类比任何通讯尚未

received through any of the chickens of the

通过对收到的任何鸡

Cock-lane brood.

公鸡巷耿耿于怀。

France, less favoured on the whole as to

法国，那么受宠总体上以

matters spiritual than her sister of the

事情的精神比她的妹妹

shield and trident, rolled with exceeding

盾和三叉戟，与超过轧

smoothness down hill, making paper money

下山平滑​​，使纸币

and spending it.

和花钱。

Under the guidance of her Christian

在她的基督教指导

pastors, she entertained herself, besides,

牧师，她招待自己，此外，

with such humane achievements as sentencing

作为这种仁慈的功勋判刑

a youth to have his hands cut off, his

一个青年斩去双手，他的

tongue torn out with pincers, and his body

用钳子撕裂了舌头，他的身体

burned alive, because he had not kneeled

活活烧死，因为他没有跪

down in the rain to do honour to a dirty

在雨中下来做一个肮脏的荣誉

procession of monks which passed within his

游行的僧侣通过了它在他的

view, at a distance of some fifty or sixty

看来，在约五，六十距离

yards.

码。

It is likely enough that, rooted in the

很可能不够，在扎根

woods of France and Norway, there were

法国和挪威的森林，有

growing trees, when that sufferer was put

种植树木，当那人被放

to death, already marked by the Woodman,

到死，已经明显的樵夫，

Fate, to come down and be sawn into boards,

命运下来，并锯成木板，

to make a certain movable framework with a

做一个有特定动产框架

sack and a knife in it, terrible in

在这口袋和刀，可怕的

history.

历史。

It is likely enough that in the rough

很可能不够，在粗糙

outhouses of some tillers of the heavy

外屋的一些分蘖的重

lands adjacent to Paris, there were

巴黎附近土地，有

sheltered from the weather that very day,

庇护从当天的天气情况，

rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire,

粗鲁的车，与质朴的泥潭bespattered，

snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by

扼杀有关的猪，由栖

poultry, which the Farmer, Death, had

家禽，农民，死亡，有

already set apart to be his tumbrils of the

除了已经设置的是他的囚车

Revolution.

革命。

But that Woodman and that Farmer, though

但是，樵夫和农民，虽然

they work unceasingly, work silently, and

他们不断地工作，默默工作，并

no one heard them as they went about with

没有人听到他们他们正想用

muffled tread: the rather, forasmuch as to

低沉的胎面：相当，forasmuch因为以

entertain any suspicion that they were

抱有任何怀疑，他们是

awake, was to be atheistical and

醒了，是被无神论和

traitorous.

大逆不道。

In England, there was scarcely an amount of

在英格兰，现在几乎一量

order and protection to justify much

秩序和保障，证明多

national boasting.

民族自夸。

Daring burglaries by armed men, and highway

大胆爆窃案武装男子，和公路

robberies, took place in the capital itself

劫案，发生在资本本身的地方

every night; families were publicly

每天晚上，有的家庭被公开

cautioned not to go out of town without

警告不要去离城外出

removing their furniture to upholsterers'

消除他们的家具什物'

warehouses for security; the highwayman in

保安局仓库;的强盗在

the dark was a City tradesman in the light,

黑暗是在大白天的城市商人，

and, being recognised and challenged by his

并得到了肯定，他的挑战

fellow-tradesman whom he stopped in his

同胞商人停在他的人，他

character of "the Captain," gallantly shot

字符“船长，”勇敢地出手

him through the head and rode away; the

通过他的头部，骑走;的

mail was waylaid by seven robbers, and the

邮车，被押车七个强盗抢劫的

guard shot three dead, and then got shot

卫士击毙了三个，然后被射杀

dead himself by the other four, "in

死自己被其他四，“在

consequence of the failure of his

因此他的失败

ammunition:" after which the mail was

弹药：“之后，该邮件

robbed in peace; that magnificent

在和平抢劫，这壮丽

potentate, the Lord Mayor of London, was

当权者，伦敦市长被

made to stand and deliver on Turnham Green,

罚站和交付滕汉姆绿色，

by one highwayman, who despoiled the

一个强盗，掠夺了谁

illustrious creature in sight of all his

杰出的生物看到了他的所有

retinue; prisoners in London gaols fought

左右，在伦敦gaols囚犯打

battles with their turnkeys, and the

他们看守的战斗，以及

majesty of the law fired blunderbusses in

法律的权威在发射大口径

among them, loaded with rounds of shot and

其中，装子弹和与拍摄

ball; thieves snipped off diamond crosses

球;小偷扯下钻石十字架

from the necks of noble lords at Court

从贵族领主在法院的脖子

drawing-rooms; musketeers went into St.

客厅里;三剑客成街去

Giles's, to search for contraband goods,

Giles的，要搜索违禁品，

and the mob fired on the musketeers, and

和暴徒开枪的火枪手，和

the musketeers fired on the mob, and nobody

对暴民还击的火枪手，也没有人

thought any of these occurrences much out

想到这些事件的多了

of the common way.

常见的方式。

In the midst of them, the hangman, ever

在他们中间，刽子手，永远

busy and ever worse than useless, was in

比以往任何时候都很忙，没有用坏，是在

constant requisition; now, stringing up

不断征用，现在，挂起来

long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now,

长排杂罪犯，现在，

hanging a housebreaker on Saturday who had

上周六一窃贼挂了谁

been taken on Tuesday; now, burning people

周二采取了，现在，烧人

in the hand at Newgate by the dozen, and

在按手在纽盖特的十几家，和

now burning pamphlets at the door of

在门口的焚烧小册子

Westminster Hall; to-day, taking the life

西敏寺大厅，向天，以生命

of an atrocious murderer, and to-morrow of

一个穷凶极恶的杀人犯，明天的

a wretched pilferer who had robbed a

有一个可怜的小偷抢了谁

farmer's boy of sixpence.

农民的孩子六便士。

All these things, and a thousand like them,

所有这些东西，像他们千，

came to pass in and close upon the dear old

29:23到并关闭后，亲爱的老

year one thousand seven hundred and

年一千七百和

seventy-five.

七五。

Environed by them, while the Woodman and

他们环绕一切，而樵夫和

the Farmer worked unheeded, those two of

农民工作被忽视，这两项的

the large jaws, and those other two of the

大下巴和另外两个

plain and the fair faces, trod with stir

平原和公平的脸，踩搅拌

enough, and carried their divine rights

够了，他们的神圣权利，并进行

with a high hand.

具有高的手。

Thus did the year one thousand seven

因此做了一年一千七

hundred and seventy-five conduct their

一百七五其行为

Greatnesses, and myriads of small

伟大，无数的小

creatures--the creatures of this chronicle

生物 - 本编年史的生物

among the rest--along the roads that lay

在余下的 - 沿着道路，奠定

before them.

在他们面前。