FOREWORD
Nine years pass. Valjean and Cosette are living in the Rue Plumet in Paris, in a house with a big garden. It is a quiet street and nobody comes there. This pleases Valjean, because he is still afraid of Inspector Javert.
Cosette is now a young woman. She is tall, with golden-brown hair. She is beautiful, but there are many beautiful faces in the world. The wonderful thing about Cosette's face is her smile – a slow, warm, gentle smile, like sunlight after rain.
And now we must meet Marius, and his young friend Gavroche. Marius is a student, a young man with many ideas but no money. Paris is full of young men like this. Marius has a grandfather (his father is dead), but he does not talk to him. Their political ideas are very different. At seventeen, he leaves home with 30 francs, his watch, and a small bag of clothes. Now, five years older, he lives with other students, and they talk all night about books and ideas, politics and government, life and death. All students are like this. They live for ideas, and do a little work here and there. When they need to.
Gavroche is a child of the Paris streets. He is eleven or twelve years old, and wears a man's trousers and a woman's shirt (a kind woman gave these clothes to him). He lives on the streets, knows everybody, goes everywhere, and enjoys life. Well, why not? He knows no other life, only this one.
Marius loved walking through the streets and gardens of Paris, and he often walked in the Luxembourg garden. One day in the garden he saw a man with a young girl. The man was about sixty, and the girl, Marius thought, was about seventeen. He did not see her eyes, but he saw her golden-brown hair and her slow gentle smile.
He walked past them once, and did not look back. But he came to the Luxembourg the next day, and the day after that, and for the next five days. The man and the girl were always there. He could not stop looking at the girl. He wanted very much to see that smile again.
On the seventh day the girl turned her head and looked at Marius. She looked into his eyes across the garden, and that look went, like a bullet from a gun, into Marius's heart. There were no words, but at once Marius knew and the girl knew. This was love.
Life stopped for Marius then. He spent hours in the Luxembourg, and every time he saw her, the sun came out and all the birds in the garden began singing.
But the man began to look at Marius too, and his face was not friendly. Marius was afraid, and he went to Gavroche.
Gavroche, please, you must help me.'
Why? What's the matter, Monsieur Marius?'
There's a girl, Gavroche. She walks in the Luxembourg every day. I want you to follow her home and tell me the address.'
Why don't you follow her? I'm busy,' said Gavroche.
I'm afraid to,' said Marius. 'Her father, grandfather, I don't know, is watching me. He doesn't like me.'
Why is this important, Monsieur Marius?' Gavroche said. He had a big smile on his face.
Why is this important, Monsieur Marius?' asked Gavroche.
Because I'm IN LOVE,' shouted Marius. 'Please, Gavroche, do it!'
Gavroche ran away, laughing. Two days later he came to Marius's rooms.
Rue Plumet,' he said. 'House at the end of the street. Hard to find. You need to look for it.'
Spring came, and Cosette began to go out into the garden at Rue Plumet. She was usually alone. Her old servant, Toussaint, was always in the kitchen, and Father (Jean Valjean) was in his room, reading.
Cosette was sad. She remembered the young man in the Luxembourg garden, but Father no longer wanted to go there. But that evening in the Rue Plumet garden, something very wonderful happened.
She heard a voice, a man's voice. She looked round, and it was him.
I'm so sorry,' he said. 'Please don't be afraid. I just wanted to... You remember the Luxembourg garden? I saw you there for the first time... I can't forget you, day and night I think about you... Please don't be afraid... You see, I love you... It just happened to me... I can't stop it... Don't be afraid... please.'
Cosette listened to this wonderful river of words, and then held out her hand to him. He took her hand, and she pulled it to her, and put it against her heart.
Then – you love me?' he said.
Of course! You know that.'
A kiss. No words. They did not need words. Later, words came. The story of his life, the story of her life, everything. Between lovers, everything is interesting.
When they were done with words, Cosette put her head on Marius's shoulder and asked:
What is your name?'
My name is Marius. And yours?'
Cosette.'
Every evening they met secretly in the garden at Rue Plumet. A kiss, a gentle laugh, whispered words of love – it was the spring and summer of their young lives.
It was the spring and summer of their young lives.
But around them, outside their garden, there was change. There were angry people; there were police and soldiers on the streets of Paris. And one day Jean Valjean said to Cosette, 'My dearest child, we live in dangerous times. We must leave France and go to England.'
Cosette looked at him with frightened eyes. 'Must we go, Father?' she said.
Valjean watched her face. 'We must,' he said. 'Get ready to leave very soon.'
There was a change in Cosette. Valjean remembered the young man in the Luxembourg garden, and he looked at Cosette's beautiful young face. He was afraid – afraid of losing his dear daughter.
That evening in the Rue Plumet garden, there were many unhappy tears.
But you must follow us to England,' cried Cosette.
How can I do that?' cried Marius. 'I have no money, no passport even! England to me is like the moon!'
They held hands in the moonlight.
Listen. I have an idea,' Marius said slowly. 'Wait two days. Perhaps...'
Two days?' cried Cosette. 'How can I live two days without you?'
please v. to make someone happy or satisfied 使高興;使?jié)M意
idea n. someone's opinion or belief 想法,信念
political adj. relating to the government and politics of a country 政治的
government n. the group of people who govern a country 政府
across prep. from one side of something to the other 在……的另一邊
bullet n. a small piece of metal fired from a gun 子彈
address n. the details of the place where someone lives 住址
kiss n. an act of touching someone lovingly with your mouth 親吻
unhappy adj. not happy 不快樂的
passport n. a small official document needed to leave your country and enter other countries 護照
引言
九年過去了。冉阿讓和珂賽特如今住在巴黎卜呂梅街一所帶大花園的房子里。這是條僻靜的街道,沒有人到這兒來。這一點讓冉阿讓很滿意,因為他仍然怕被沙威督察發(fā)現(xiàn)。
珂賽特現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是個大姑娘了。她個子高挑,一頭金褐色的頭發(fā)。她容貌美麗,不過這個世界上的漂亮臉蛋兒多得是,而珂賽特的臉龐吸引人的地方在于她的笑容——慢慢綻放、帶著暖意的溫柔笑容,就像雨后的陽光。
現(xiàn)在我們必須來介紹一下馬呂斯和他年輕的朋友伽弗洛什。馬呂斯是個學(xué)生,他是個很有想法的年輕人,可是卻沒有錢。巴黎到處都是這樣的年輕人。馬呂斯的祖父還在(他的父親已經(jīng)過世了),但他們不說話——他們的政治觀點天差地別。17歲那年,他帶著30法郎、自己的表和一小包衣服離開了家?,F(xiàn)在,五年過去了,他和其他學(xué)生住在一起,他們徹夜暢談書籍和信念、政治和政府、生和死。所有的學(xué)生都是這樣。他們?yōu)樾拍疃辉谛枰臅r候,東家西家地打點零工。
伽弗洛什是個在巴黎街頭流浪的孩子。他十一二歲,穿著一條男式長褲和一件女式襯衣(這些衣服是一位好心的婦人送給他的)。街頭就是他的家,每一個人他都認識,每個地方他都去過,每天他都過得快快活活。是啊,為什么不呢?他沒有過過其他的生活,他所知道的生活就是這樣。
馬呂斯喜歡穿行于巴黎的街道和公園,他常常在盧森堡公園散步。有一天,在盧森堡公園里,他見到一個男人和一個年輕女孩。那個男人60歲上下,而那個女孩,馬呂斯心想,大概17歲吧。他沒有看到她的眼睛,但他看到了她金褐色的頭發(fā)和慢慢綻放的溫柔笑容。
有一次,他從他們身邊走過,不過他沒有回頭。可是第二天,他又來到了盧森堡公園,再下一天也來了,接下來的五天都來了。那個男人和女孩總是在公園里。他無法把目光從女孩的身上挪開。他非常想再見到那個笑容。
到了第七天,女孩轉(zhuǎn)過頭看著馬呂斯。她的目光從公園的另一端投來,就像從槍口射出的一顆子彈,射進了馬呂斯的心房。他們彼此無言,但馬呂斯和女孩同時意識到,這就是愛。
馬呂斯的生活自此定格。他長時間地呆在盧森堡公園內(nèi),每一次見到她,太陽便破云而出,公園里的鳥兒也開始歌唱。
但是那個男人也開始注意到馬呂斯,他臉上的表情并不友好。馬呂斯有些怕他,于是他去找伽弗洛什。
“伽弗洛什,求求你,你一定要幫幫我?!?/p>
“為了什么呀?怎么回事,馬呂斯先生?”
“我遇到了個女孩,伽弗洛什。她每天都在盧森堡公園散步。我想讓你跟著她回家,再把她的地址告訴我?!?/p>
“你為什么不去跟呢?我忙著呢?!辟じヂ迨舱f。
“我害怕。”馬呂斯說,“她的父親——還是祖父,我也說不準(zhǔn)——在盯著我。他不喜歡我?!?/p>
“這有什么大不了的,馬呂斯先生?”伽弗洛什說。他的臉上綻開了燦爛的笑容。
“因為我戀愛了?!瘪R呂斯大聲說道,“拜托,伽弗洛什,你就幫我這個忙吧!”
伽弗洛什笑著跑開了。兩天后,他來到馬呂斯的住處。
“在卜呂梅街?!彼f,“街道盡頭的房子。很難找。你得仔細找才行。”
春天來了,珂賽特開始到卜呂梅街的花園里去。她通常都是一個人去。她的老仆人杜桑總是在廚房里忙活,爸爸(冉阿讓)則在自己的房間里看書。
珂賽特悶悶不樂。她回想起盧森堡公園里的那個小伙子,可是爸爸不愿再到那里去了。但是,就在那天傍晚,在卜呂梅街的花園里,一件非常美妙的事情發(fā)生了。
她聽到了一個聲音,一個男人的聲音。她四下張望,原來是他。
“真是非常抱歉?!彼f,“請不要害怕。我只是想……你還記得盧森堡公園嗎?我是在那里第一次見到你的……我忘不了你,日日夜夜都在想著你……千萬別害怕……我想說,我愛你……愛情就這么發(fā)生在我身上了……我控制不住……別害怕……求求你?!?/p>
珂賽特耳聽著他傾訴不絕的動人話語,然后向他伸出了自己的手。他抓住她的手,她又把他的手拉向自己,放在胸口上。
“那么說——你愛我?”他說。
“當(dāng)然!你知道的?!?/p>
一個親吻。沒有話語。他們不需要話語。親吻過后,他們才聊起來。他從小到大的生活,她從小到大的生活,無話不談。對熱戀中的情人來說,什么話題都有趣。
等到他們終于把要說的話都說完了,珂賽特把頭靠在馬呂斯的肩頭,問道:
“你叫什么名字?”
“我叫馬呂斯。你呢?”
“珂賽特。”
每天傍晚,他們都在卜呂梅街的花園里秘密會面。一個親吻,一聲輕笑,呢喃的情話——這是兩個年輕人生命中的春天和夏天。
可是,在他們周圍,在他們的花園圍墻之外,世界正在發(fā)生變化。民怨洶洶;軍警進駐巴黎街頭。一天,冉阿讓對珂賽特說:“我最親愛的孩子,我們生活在充滿危險的時代。我們必須離開法國,到英格蘭去?!?/p>
珂賽特看著他,眼睛里滿是驚恐。“我們一定要走嗎,爸爸?”她問。
冉阿讓望著她的臉?!耙欢ㄒ??!彼f,“先收拾好東西,我們很快就出發(fā)。”
珂賽特變了。冉阿讓記起了盧森堡公園里的那個小伙子,他看著珂賽特年輕美麗的面孔。他害怕——害怕失去自己親愛的女兒。
那天傍晚,在卜呂梅街的花園里,灑下了許多悲傷的眼淚。
“可你一定要跟我們到英格蘭去。”珂賽特哭著說。
“我怎么去得了呢?”馬呂斯嗚咽道,“我沒有錢,連護照都沒有!對我來說,去英格蘭就像登天一樣難!”
他們在月光下手拉著手。
“聽著,我有個主意。”馬呂斯慢慢說道,“等兩天。也許……”
“兩天?”珂賽特哭了出來,“沒有了你,我怎么挨過兩天呢?”
瘋狂英語 英語語法 新概念英語 走遍美國 四級聽力 英語音標(biāo) 英語入門 發(fā)音 美語 四級 新東方 七年級 賴世雄 zero是什么意思徐州市宏宇金色里程英語學(xué)習(xí)交流群