Les Misérables · chapter 7 of 8
The Barricade and the Sewer
街垒和下水道
On a night of fighting in Paris, Valjean faces his old enemy twice: once with a knife in his hand, and once at the end of a long dark tunnel.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 夜里，巴黎的一条窄街上，堆起了一座高高的街垒。桌子、木桶、旧马车……什么都用上了。冉阿让走了进去。
Yè lǐ, Bālí de yì tiáo zhǎi jiē shang, duī qǐ le yí zuò gāogāo de jiēlěi. Zhuōzi, mùtǒng, jiù mǎchē…… shénme dōu yòng shàng le. Rǎn Ā'ràng zǒu le jìnqù.
At night, in a narrow Paris street, a tall barricade had been piled up. Tables, barrels, an old carriage... everything was used. Valjean walked in.
- The Student 大家再搬一些桌子来！天一亮，他们一定会来，我们要让这道墙更高、更结实！
Dàjiā zài bān yìxiē zhuōzi lái! Tiān yí liàng, tāmen yídìng huì lái, wǒmen yào ràng zhè dào qiáng gèng gāo, gèng jiēshi!
Everyone, bring more tables! They'll come as soon as it's light, and we must make this wall higher and stronger!
- Marius 先生，您是谁？这里很危险，您年纪这么大，不该来。
Xiānsheng, nín shì shéi? Zhèlǐ hěn wēixiǎn, nín niánjì zhème dà, bù gāi lái.
Sir, who are you? It's dangerous here. You're too old to be here.
Chapter 7 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.
- Jean Valjean 我是来帮忙的。我年纪大了，可是我还有力气。我可以搬东西，也可以做饭。
Wǒ shì lái bāngmáng de. Wǒ niánjì dà le, kěshì wǒ hái yǒu lìqi. Wǒ kěyǐ bān dōngxi, yě kěyǐ zuòfàn.
I came to help. I'm old, but I still have strength. I can carry things, and I can cook.
- The Student 快看！我们抓到了一个假扮的人，他是警察！
Kuài kàn! Wǒmen zhuā dào le yí gè jiǎbàn de rén, tā shì jǐngchá!
Look! We've caught someone in disguise. He's a policeman!
- Javert 我是沙威。你们想怎么样，就怎么样。我不会求你们，也不会告诉你们任何事。
Wǒ shì Shāwēi. Nǐmen xiǎng zěnmeyàng jiù zěnmeyàng. Wǒ bú huì qiú nǐmen, yě bú huì gàosu nǐmen rènhé shì.
I am Javert. Do what you like. I will not beg you, and I will tell you nothing.
- Jean Valjean 沙威……他也在这里。
Shāwēi…… tā yě zài zhèlǐ.
Javert... he is here too.
- The Student 天亮以后，我们再想怎么办。
Tiānliàng yǐhòu, wǒmen zài xiǎng zěnme bàn.
After daybreak we'll decide what to do with him.
- Jean Valjean 让我来吧。我认识他，我带他到外面的小巷去。你们守着街垒，这里更需要你们。
Ràng wǒ lái ba. Wǒ rènshi tā, wǒ dài tā dào wàimiàn de xiǎoxiàng qù. Nǐmen shǒu zhe jiēlěi, zhèlǐ gèng xūyào nǐmen.
Let me handle it. I know him. I'll take him to the alley outside. You guard the barricade. You're needed here.
- Marius 好。请您快一点，先生。天快亮了。
Hǎo. Qǐng nín kuài yìdiǎn, xiānsheng. Tiān kuài liàng le.
All right. Please be quick, sir. It will be light soon.
- Jean Valjean 沙威，你自由了。
Shāwēi, nǐ zìyóu le.
Javert, you are free.
- Javert 你为什么放我？你知道我是谁，我是要抓你的人！
Nǐ wèishénme fàng wǒ? Nǐ zhīdào wǒ shì shéi, wǒ shì yào zhuā nǐ de rén!
Why are you letting me go? You know who I am. I'm the man who wants to arrest you!
- Jean Valjean 我住在哪里，你知道。你想抓我，随时可以来。走吧。
Wǒ zhù zài nǎlǐ, nǐ zhīdào. Nǐ xiǎng zhuā wǒ, suíshí kěyǐ lái. Zǒu ba.
You know where I live. Come and arrest me whenever you like. Go.
- Narrator 枪声停了。街垒里的人，大多没有再站起来。冉阿让背着受伤的马吕斯，走进了黑黑的下水道。
Qiāng shēng tíng le. Jiēlěi lǐ de rén, dàduō méiyǒu zài zhàn qǐlái. Rǎn Ā'ràng bēi zhe shòushāng de Mǎlǚsī, zǒu jìn le hēihēi de xiàshuǐdào.
The shooting stopped. Most of the people at the barricade did not stand up again. Valjean carried the wounded Marius on his back into the dark sewer.
- Jean Valjean 马吕斯，别怕。我背着你，我们回家。
Mǎlǚsī, bié pà. Wǒ bēi zhe nǐ, wǒmen huíjiā.
Marius, don't be afraid. I've got you. We're going home.
- Marius 珂赛特……她在哪里？
Kēsàitè…… tā zài nǎlǐ?
Cosette... where is she?
- Jean Valjean 她在家里等你。别说话，留着力气。
Tā zài jiā lǐ děng nǐ. Bié shuōhuà, liú zhe lìqi.
She's waiting for you at home. Don't talk. Save your strength.
- Jean Valjean 珂赛特在家里等我们。她一定没有睡，一直坐在窗边。
Kēsàitè zài jiā lǐ děng wǒmen. Tā yídìng méiyǒu shuì, yìzhí zuò zài chuāng biān.
Cosette is waiting for us at home. She surely hasn't slept, and she must be sitting by the window.
- Jean Valjean 下水道里的水这么深……脚下全是泥……好臭啊！这里的老鼠，比街上的士兵还多！
Xiàshuǐdào lǐ de shuǐ zhème shēn…… jiǎo xià quán shì ní…… hǎo chòu a! Zhèlǐ de lǎoshǔ, bǐ jiē shang de shìbīng hái duō!
The water in this sewer is so deep... mud all around... and what a smell! There are more rats here than soldiers in the street!
- Jean Valjean 我老了。以前在监狱里，什么重东西我没搬过？可这个孩子，比一座山还重。可是我不会放下他。
Wǒ lǎo le. Yǐqián zài jiānyù lǐ, shénme zhòng dōngxi wǒ méi bān guo? Kě zhège háizi, bǐ yí zuò shān hái zhòng. Kěshì wǒ bú huì fàng xià tā.
I'm old. In prison there was no heavy load I didn't carry. But this boy is heavier than a mountain. Still, I will not put him down.
- Jean Valjean 不能停。停下来，我们两个都出不去。
Bù néng tíng. Tíng xiàlái, wǒmen liǎng gè dōu chū bù qù.
I can't stop. If I stop, neither of us gets out.
- Jean Valjean 再走一点点……前面有光了！
Zài zǒu yìdiǎndiǎn…… qiánmiàn yǒu guāng le!
A little farther... I see light ahead!
- Jean Valjean 铁门开着一条缝！走！
Tiěmén kāi zhe yì tiáo fèng! Zǒu!
The iron gate is open a crack! Go!
- Javert 冉阿让。
Rǎn Ā'ràng.
Jean Valjean.
- Jean Valjean 沙威……果然是你。
Shāwēi…… guǒrán shì nǐ.
Javert... of course it's you.
- Javert 我在这里等了一个晚上。这是唯一的出口。
Wǒ zài zhèlǐ děng le yí gè wǎnshang. Zhè shì wéiyī de chūkǒu.
I've waited here all night. This is the only way out.
- Javert 我知道所有的出口。我只是想不到，你会背着一个人走出来。
Wǒ zhīdào suǒyǒu de chūkǒu. Wǒ zhǐshì xiǎng bú dào, nǐ huì bēi zhe yí gè rén zǒu chūlái.
I know every exit. I just never imagined you would walk out carrying someone.
- Jean Valjean 我不会跑。但我求你一件事：让我先把这个年轻人送回家，他的家人在等他。然后，你想怎么样都可以。
Wǒ bú huì pǎo. Dàn wǒ qiú nǐ yí jiàn shì: ràng wǒ xiān bǎ zhège niánqīng rén sòng huíjiā, tā de jiārén zài děng tā. Ránhòu, nǐ xiǎng zěnmeyàng dōu kěyǐ.
I won't run. But I beg one thing of you: let me take this young man home first, because his family is waiting. Then you can do what you like with me.
- Javert 好。我去叫一辆马车。
Hǎo. Wǒ qù jiào yí liàng mǎchē.
Very well. I'll call a carriage.
- Jean Valjean 你……你不先抓我吗？
Nǐ…… nǐ bù xiān zhuā wǒ ma?
You... you won't arrest me first?
- Javert 先送这个孩子回去。快点儿！别让我改变主意，我已经追了你很多年。
Xiān sòng zhège háizi huíqù. Kuài diǎnr! Bié ràng wǒ gǎibiàn zhǔyi, wǒ yǐjīng zhuī le nǐ hěn duō nián.
First take this boy home. Hurry! Don't make me change my mind. I've chased you for many years.
- Jean Valjean 谢谢你，沙威。
Xièxie nǐ, Shāwēi.
Thank you, Javert.
- Javert 不用谢我。昨晚你放了我，一个囚犯放了一个警察……我做了一辈子警察，从来没有想过这样的事。
Búyòng xiè wǒ. Zuówǎn nǐ fàng le wǒ, yí gè qiúfàn fàng le yí gè jǐngchá…… wǒ zuò le yíbèizi jǐngchá, cónglái méiyǒu xiǎng guo zhèyàng de shì.
Don't thank me. Last night you let me go. A convict freed a policeman... I have been a policeman all my life and never imagined such a thing.
- Javert 去吧。我们……不会再见面了。
Qù ba. Wǒmen…… bú huì zài jiànmiàn le.
Go. We... will not meet again.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who is tied up at the barricade?
“我们抓到了一个假扮的人，他是警察！”
- What does Valjean do for Javert?
“沙威，你自由了。”
- How does Valjean carry Marius to safety?
“冉阿让背着受伤的马吕斯，走进了黑黑的下水道。”
- What does Valjean ask of Javert at the gate?
“让我先把这个年轻人送回家”
- How does Javert answer?
“我去叫一辆马车。”……“先送这个孩子回去。”