Les Misérables · chapter 3 of 8
Monsieur Madeleine
马德兰市长
Years later Valjean is the kind mayor of a seaside town. But a new police inspector keeps staring at him, and a poor woman needs his help.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 八年过去了。海边的小城里，来了一位马德兰先生。他开了一家工厂，大家都叫他市长。
Bā nián guòqù le. Hǎibiān de xiǎochéng lǐ, lái le yí wèi Mǎdélán xiānsheng. Tā kāi le yì jiā gōngchǎng, dàjiā dōu jiào tā shìzhǎng.
Eight years passed. A Monsieur Madeleine had come to a small town by the sea. He opened a factory, and everyone called him the mayor.
- The Factory Worker 市长先生，今天发工钱！大家都说，您的工厂是全城最好的。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, jīntiān fā gōngqián! Dàjiā dōu shuō, nín de gōngchǎng shì quán chéng zuì hǎo de.
Mayor, it's payday! Everyone says yours is the best factory in town.
- Jean Valjean 别夸我了。你们做得好，工厂才会好。来，这是你的，还有一点儿给孩子买糖。
Bié kuā wǒ le. Nǐmen zuò de hǎo, gōngchǎng cái huì hǎo. Lái, zhè shì nǐ de, hái yǒu yìdiǎnr gěi háizi mǎi táng.
Don't praise me. The factory is good because you work well. Here, this is yours, plus a little extra to buy candy for your child.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Les Misérables is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- The Factory Worker 市长先生，您又多给了！您这样，我们会被您宠坏的！
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, nín yòu duō gěi le! Nín zhèyàng, wǒmen huì bèi nín chǒnghuài de!
Mayor, you've paid extra again! You'll spoil us this way!
- Jean Valjean 那你们就好好工作，让我的钱花得值得。
Nà nǐmen jiù hǎohāo gōngzuò, ràng wǒ de qián huā de zhídé.
Then work hard, and make my money well spent.
- The Factory Worker 放心吧，市长先生！明天我们早一点来，把活儿做得更好。
Fàngxīn ba, shìzhǎng xiānsheng! Míngtiān wǒmen zǎo yìdiǎn lái, bǎ huór zuò de gèng hǎo.
Don't worry, Mr. Mayor! Tomorrow we'll come earlier and do even better work.
- Javert 市长先生。我是新来的警察，我叫沙威。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng. Wǒ shì xīn lái de jǐngchá, wǒ jiào Shāwēi.
Mr. Mayor. I am the new police inspector. My name is Javert.
- Jean Valjean 欢迎，沙威先生。这个小城很平静，你会喜欢的。
Huānyíng, Shāwēi xiānsheng. Zhège xiǎochéng hěn píngjìng, nǐ huì xǐhuan de.
Welcome, Inspector Javert. This town is very peaceful. You'll like it.
- Javert 昨天我看见，您一个人抬起了一辆车，救了一位老人。
Zuótiān wǒ kànjiàn, nín yí gè rén tái qǐ le yí liàng chē, jiù le yí wèi lǎorén.
Yesterday I saw you lift a cart all by yourself and save an old man.
- Jean Valjean 那位老人有危险，我只是做了任何人都会做的事。那辆车太重了，我只是运气好。
Nà wèi lǎorén yǒu wēixiǎn, wǒ zhǐshì zuò le rènhé rén dōu huì zuò de shì. Nà liàng chē tài zhòng le, wǒ zhǐshì yùnqi hǎo.
That old man was in danger. I only did what anyone would do. The cart was heavy, and I was just lucky.
- Javert 不，没有几个人有那么大的力气。我认识过一个……算了。
Bù, méiyǒu jǐ gè rén yǒu nàme dà de lìqi. Wǒ rènshi guo yí gè…… suànle.
No, very few men are that strong. I once knew a man who... never mind.
- Jean Valjean 他的眼睛……像一只在等着的鹰。不能让他看出来。
Tā de yǎnjing…… xiàng yì zhī zài děng zhe de yīng. Bù néng ràng tā kàn chūlái.
His eyes... like a hawk that is waiting. I can't let him figure it out.
- Narrator 那年冬天，一个雪夜，街上传来了吵闹声。
Nà nián dōngtiān, yí gè xuě yè, jiē shang chuán lái le chǎonào shēng.
That winter, on a snowy night, noise came from the street.
- Javert 走！跟我去警察局！你打了一位先生，法律不能不管！
Zǒu! Gēn wǒ qù jǐngchájú! Nǐ dǎ le yí wèi xiānsheng, fǎlǜ bù néng bù guǎn!
Move! You're coming to the police station! You hit a gentleman, and the law cannot ignore that!
- Fantine 他往我背上丢雪，还笑我！我没有钱，我的女儿病了……
Tā wǎng wǒ bèi shang diū xuě, hái xiào wǒ! Wǒ méiyǒu qián, wǒ de nǚ'ér bìng le……
He threw snow down my back and laughed at me! I have no money, and my daughter is sick...
- Jean Valjean 沙威，等一等。这位女士为什么哭？
Shāwēi, děng yi děng. Zhè wèi nǚshì wèishénme kū?
Javert, wait. Why is this lady crying?
- Fantine 是您的工厂把我赶出来了！我什么都卖了，只为给我的女儿寄钱！
Shì nín de gōngchǎng bǎ wǒ gǎn chūlái le! Wǒ shénme dōu mài le, zhǐ wèi gěi wǒ de nǚ'ér jì qián!
Your factory threw me out! I sold everything I had, just to send money to my daughter!
- Jean Valjean 赶走你？我完全不知道这件事。你叫什么名字？
Gǎn zǒu nǐ? Wǒ wánquán bù zhīdào zhè jiàn shì. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Threw you out? I knew nothing about it. What is your name?
- Fantine 我叫芳汀。
Wǒ jiào Fāngtīng.
My name is Fantine.
- Javert 市长先生，她打了人。法律就是法律，她要进监狱六个月。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, tā dǎ le rén. Fǎlǜ jiùshì fǎlǜ, tā yào jìn jiānyù liù gè yuè.
Mr. Mayor, she hit someone. The law is the law. She goes to prison for six months.
- Jean Valjean 沙威，放开她。我是市长，我说了算。
Shāwēi, fàng kāi tā. Wǒ shì shìzhǎng, wǒ shuō le suàn.
Javert, let her go. I am the mayor, and I decide.
- Javert 好的，市长先生。可是您太心软了。
Hǎo de, shìzhǎng xiānsheng. Kěshì nín tài xīnruǎn le.
Very well, Mr. Mayor. But you are too soft.
- Jean Valjean 别怕。我会付你女儿的钱，也会请医生。来，我送你去医院。
Bié pà. Wǒ huì fù nǐ nǚ'ér de qián, yě huì qǐng yīshēng. Lái, wǒ sòng nǐ qù yīyuàn.
Don't be afraid. I'll pay for your daughter and call a doctor. Come, I'll take you to the hospital.
- Fantine 您……您为什么这样帮我？
Nín…… nín wèishénme zhèyàng bāng wǒ?
Why... why are you helping me like this?
- Jean Valjean 因为很久以前，也有一个人，这样帮过我。
Yīnwèi hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yě yǒu yí gè rén, zhèyàng bāng guo wǒ.
Because a long time ago, someone helped me in just this way.
- Narrator 医院里，芳汀躺在床上。窗外，雪还在下。
Yīyuàn lǐ, Fāngtīng tǎng zài chuáng shang. Chuāngwài, xuě hái zài xià.
In the hospital, Fantine lay in bed. Outside, the snow was still falling.
- Fantine 市长先生，我的珂赛特今年八岁了。我已经三年没有见过她。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, wǒ de Kēsàitè jīnnián bā suì le. Wǒ yǐjīng sān nián méiyǒu jiàn guo tā.
Mr. Mayor, my Cosette is eight this year. I haven't seen her for three years.
- Jean Valjean 她住在哪里？
Tā zhù zài nǎlǐ?
Where does she live?
- Fantine 在一家客栈，老板叫德纳第。他们每个月都写信要钱，说她生病了，要买药。
Zài yì jiā kèzhàn, lǎobǎn jiào Dénàdì. Tāmen měi gè yuè dōu xiě xìn yào qián, shuō tā shēngbìng le, yào mǎi yào.
At an inn. The owner is called Thénardier. Every month they write to ask for money, saying she's sick and needs medicine.
- Jean Valjean 你放心。我会去接她。你好好休息，等她来。
Nǐ fàngxīn. Wǒ huì qù jiē tā. Nǐ hǎohāo xiūxi, děng tā lái.
Don't worry. I'll go and bring her. You rest and wait for her.
- Fantine 珂赛特……妈妈很快就能抱你了。
Kēsàitè…… māma hěn kuài jiù néng bào nǐ le.
Cosette... Mama will hold you soon.
- Javert 市长先生，对不起，这么晚来打扰您。我有一件事要告诉您。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, duìbuqǐ, zhème wǎn lái dǎrǎo nín. Wǒ yǒu yí jiàn shì yào gàosu nín.
Mr. Mayor, forgive me for troubling you so late. I have something to tell you.
- Javert 我以前怀疑过您，还给巴黎的警察写过信。现在我知道我错了。
Wǒ yǐqián huáiyí guo nín, hái gěi Bālí de jǐngchá xiě guo xìn. Xiànzài wǒ zhīdào wǒ cuò le.
I used to suspect you, and I even wrote to the police in Paris. Now I know I was wrong.
- Javert 他们抓到了真的冉阿让！他叫尚马蒂厄。明天，他就要上法庭。
Tāmen zhuā dào le zhēn de Rǎn Ā'ràng! Tā jiào Shàngmǎdì'è. Míngtiān, tā jiù yào shàng fǎtíng.
They have caught the real Jean Valjean! His name is Champmathieu. Tomorrow he goes to court.
- Jean Valjean 明天……你说，明天？
Míngtiān…… nǐ shuō, míngtiān?
Tomorrow... did you say tomorrow?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What is Monsieur Madeleine's job in the town?
“他开了一家工厂，大家都叫他市长。”
- Why does Javert study the mayor so closely?
“没有几个人有那么大的力气。我认识过一个……算了。”
- Why is Fantine crying in the snowy street?
“我什么都卖了，只为给我的女儿寄钱！”
- What does Valjean promise Fantine?
“我会去接她。”
- What news does Javert bring at the end?
“他们抓到了真的冉阿让！”