華閱文章網雙城記（《The tale of two cities》）是我最喜歡的外國小說之一。
第一章第一段“時代”（The period）：It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so. far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. 那是最美好的時代，那是最糟糕的時代；那是智慧的年頭，那是愚昧的年頭；那是信仰的時期，那是懷疑的時期；那是光明的季節，那是黑暗的季節；那是希望的春天，那是失望的冬天；我們全都在直奔天堂，我們全都在直奔相反的方向--簡而言之，那時跟現在非常相象，某些最喧囂的權威堅持要用形容詞的最高級來形容它。
說它好，是最高級的；說它不好，也是最高級的。
另：Sydeny最后的獨白：（我個人認為最經典）
They said of him, about the city that night, that it was the peacefullest man's face ever beheld there. Many added that he looked sublime and prophetic.
One of the most remarkable sufferers by the same axe--a woman--Had asked at the foot of the same scaffold, not long before, to be allowed to write down the thoughts that were inspiring her. If he had given an utterance to his, and they were prophetic, they would have been these:
`I see Barsad, and Cly, Defarge, The Vengeance, the Juryman, the Judge, long ranks of the new oppressors who have risen on the destruction of the old, perishing by this retributive instrument, before it shall cease out of its present use. I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people' rising from this abyss, and, in their struggles to be truly free, in their triumphs and defeats, through long long years to come, I see the evil of this time and of the previous time of which this is the natural birth, gradually making expiation for itself and wearing out.
`I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which I shall see no more. I see Her with a child upon her bosom, who bears my name. I see her father, aged and bent, but otherwise restored, and faithful to all men in his healing office, and at peace. I see the good old man, so long their friend, in ten years' time enriching them with all he has, and passing tranquilly to his reward.
`I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. I see her, an old woman, weeping for me on the anniversary of this day. I see her and her husband, their course done, lying side by side in their last earthly bed, and I know that each was not more honoured and held sacred in the other's soul, than I was in the souls of both.
`I see that child who lay upon her bosom and who bore my name, a man winning his way up in that path of life which once was mine. I see him winning it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his. I see the blots I threw upon it, faded away. I see him, foremost of just judges and honoured men, bringing a boy of my name, with a forehead that I know and golden hair, to this place--then fair to look upon, with not a trace of this day's disfigurement--and I hear him tell the child my story, with a tender and a faltering voice.
`It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.'
那天晚上城里的人議論起來，說他的面孔是在那兒所見到的最平靜的面孔。
不少的人還說他顯得崇高，像個先知。
死在同一把利斧之下的引人注目的受難者中有一個婦女，不久前曾在同一個刑架的腳下要求準許寫下激蕩在她胸中的思想。
若是卡爾頓能抒發他的感想，而他的感想又出自先知之口，那么，他的想法會是這樣：
“我看見巴薩、克萊、德伐日、復仇女神、陪審員、法官，一長串新的壓迫者從被這個懲罰工具所摧毀的老壓迫者們身上升起，又在這個懲罰工具還沒有停止使用被消滅。
我看見一座美麗的城市和一個燦爛的民族從這個深淵中升起。
在他們爭取真正的自由的奮斗中，在他們的勝利與失敗之中，在未來的漫長歲月中，我看見這一時代的邪惡和前一時代的邪惡（后者是前者的自然結果）逐漸贖去自己的罪孽，并逐漸消失。
“我看見我為之獻出生命的人在英格蘭過著平靜、有貢獻、興旺、幸福的生活—一我是再也見不到英格蘭了。
我見到露西胸前抱著個以我命名的孩子。
我看見露西的父親衰老了、背駝了，其它方面卻復了原，并以他的醫術忠實地濟世救人，過著平靜的生活。
我看見他們的好友，那個善良的老人，在十年之后把他的財產贈送給了他們，并平靜地逝世，去接受主的報償。
“我看見我在他們和他們無數代后裔心里占有神圣的地位。
我看見露西成了個龍鐘老婦，在我的祭日為我哭泣。
我看見她跟她的丈夫正結束生命的歷程，并排躺在彌留的榻上。
我知道他倆彼此在對方的靈魂中占有光榮崇高的地位，而我在他倆靈魂中的地位則更光榮、更崇高。
“我看見躺在她懷里的以我命名的孩子長大成人，在我曾走過的道路上奮勇前行。
我看見他業績優異，以他的光耀使我的名字輝煌。
我看見我染在那名字上的污跡消失。
我看見他站在公平正直的法官和光明磊落的人們的最前列。
我看見他帶了一個又以我命名的孩子來到這里。
那時這里已是一片美景，全沒了今天的扭曲和丑惡。
那孩子長了個我所熟悉的前額和一頭金發。
我聽見他告訴孩子我的故事，聲音顫抖，帶著深情。
“我現在已做的遠比我所做過的一切都美好；我將獲得的休息遠比我所知道的一切都甜蜜。”
轉載請注明出處華閱文章網 » 《雙城記》中的好句子
