Les Misérables · chapter 8 of 8
The Last Candles
最后的烛光
Valjean tells Marius the truth and steps out of his children's lives. But the truth finds Marius, and the two young people run to the bed of the man who saved them both.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 几个月后，马吕斯的伤好了。他和珂赛特结了婚，大家都很高兴。一天早上，冉阿让来到了他们家，手里没有带任何东西。
Jǐ gè yuè hòu, Mǎlǚsī de shāng hǎo le. Tā hé Kēsàitè jié le hūn, dàjiā dōu hěn gāoxìng. Yì tiān zǎoshang, Rǎn Ā'ràng lái dào le tāmen jiā, shǒu lǐ méiyǒu dài rènhé dōngxi.
A few months later, Marius had healed. He and Cosette were married, and everyone was happy. One morning Valjean came to their house, bringing nothing in his hands.
- Jean Valjean 马吕斯先生，我有话要对你说。我是一个囚犯，我叫冉阿让。
Mǎlǚsī xiānsheng, wǒ yǒu huà yào duì nǐ shuō. Wǒ shì yí gè qiúfàn, wǒ jiào Rǎn Ā'ràng.
Monsieur Marius, I have something to tell you. I am a convict. My name is Jean Valjean.
- Marius 冉阿让？您……您在说什么？
Rǎn Ā'ràng? Nín…… nín zài shuō shénme?
Jean Valjean? What... what are you saying?
Chapter 8 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 我偷过面包，坐了十九年牢。我不是珂赛特的亲生父亲。她的妈妈叫芳汀，早就不在了。我只是答应过她，要照顾她的孩子。
Wǒ tōu guo miànbāo, zuò le shíjiǔ nián láo. Wǒ bú shì Kēsàitè de qīnshēng fùqīn. Tā de māma jiào Fāngtīng, zǎo jiù bú zài le. Wǒ zhǐshì dāying guo tā, yào zhàogù tā de háizi.
I stole bread and served nineteen years. I am not Cosette's real father. Her mother was named Fantine, and she died long ago. I only promised her that I would look after her child.
- Marius 可是您对珂赛特那么好……您为什么要告诉我这些？
Kěshì nín duì Kēsàitè nàme hǎo…… nín wèishénme yào gàosu wǒ zhèxiē?
But you have been so good to Cosette... Why are you telling me this?
- Jean Valjean 因为你们的家应该干净。一个囚犯，不应该坐在你们的桌子旁。
Yīnwèi nǐmen de jiā yīnggāi gānjìng. Yí gè qiúfàn, bù yīnggāi zuò zài nǐmen de zhuōzi páng.
Because your home should be clean. A convict should not sit at your table.
- Marius 我需要想一想。也许……您以后少来几次。
Wǒ xūyào xiǎng yi xiǎng. Yěxǔ…… nín yǐhòu shǎo lái jǐ cì.
I need to think. Perhaps... you should come less often.
- Jean Valjean 我明白。我会的。请你好好照顾她。
Wǒ míngbai. Wǒ huì de. Qǐng nǐ hǎohāo zhàogù tā.
I understand. I will. Please take good care of her.
- Jean Valjean 我对芳汀的约定，已经做到了。现在，我可以休息了。
Wǒ duì Fāngtīng de yuēdìng, yǐjīng zuò dào le. Xiànzài, wǒ kěyǐ xiūxi le.
I have kept my promise to Fantine. Now I can rest.
- Narrator 冬天到了。冉阿让一个人住在小房间里，他生病了。桌子上，点着那两个银烛台。
Dōngtiān dào le. Rǎn Ā'ràng yí gè rén zhù zài xiǎo fángjiān lǐ, tā shēngbìng le. Zhuōzi shang, diǎn zhe nà liǎng gè yín zhútái.
Winter came. Valjean lived alone in a small room, and he was ill. On the table burned the two silver candlesticks.
- Marius 冉阿让先生！有人告诉了我真相：是您在下水道里救了我的命！
Rǎn Ā'ràng xiānsheng! Yǒu rén gàosu le wǒ zhēnxiàng: shì nín zài xiàshuǐdào lǐ jiù le wǒ de mìng!
Monsieur Valjean! Someone told me the truth: you saved my life in the sewer!
- Cosette 爸爸！爸爸！你为什么躲着我们？请原谅我们，我们来晚了！
Bàba! Bàba! Nǐ wèishénme duǒ zhe wǒmen? Qǐng yuánliàng wǒmen, wǒmen lái wǎn le!
Papa! Papa! Why have you been hiding from us? Please forgive us, we came too late!
- Jean Valjean 珂赛特……我的孩子。你们来了。
Kēsàitè…… wǒ de háizi. Nǐmen lái le.
Cosette... my child. You came.
- Cosette 你生病了！我们带你回家，我给你煮汤，我们再也不分开！
Nǐ shēngbìng le! Wǒmen dài nǐ huíjiā, wǒ gěi nǐ zhǔ tāng, wǒmen zài yě bù fēnkāi!
You're ill! We'll take you home, I'll make you soup, and we'll never be apart again!
- Jean Valjean 不用了，孩子。我很好。我只是……有一点儿累。
Búyòng le, háizi. Wǒ hěn hǎo. Wǒ zhǐshì…… yǒu yìdiǎnr lèi.
No need, child. I'm fine. I'm just... a little tired.
- Marius 请原谅我。我说了那样的话……您是我见过最勇敢的人。
Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ. Wǒ shuō le nàyàng de huà…… nín shì wǒ jiàn guo zuì yǒnggǎn de rén.
Please forgive me. I said such things... You are the bravest man I have ever met.
- Jean Valjean 你没有错，我早就原谅你了。你爱她，这就够了。
Nǐ méiyǒu cuò, wǒ zǎo jiù yuánliàng nǐ le. Nǐ ài tā, zhè jiù gòu le.
You were not wrong, and I forgave you long ago. You love her, and that is enough.
- Marius 先生，请搬来和我们一起住吧。我们的家很大。
Xiānsheng, qǐng bān lái hé wǒmen yìqǐ zhù ba. Wǒmen de jiā hěn dà.
Sir, please come and live with us. Our house is big.
- Jean Valjean 老人有老人的路。我看见你们这么幸福，就够了。
Lǎorén yǒu lǎorén de lù. Wǒ kànjiàn nǐmen zhème xìngfú, jiù gòu le.
An old man has his own road. Seeing you so happy is enough for me.
- Cosette 爸爸，那些烛台……还是那么亮。
Bàba, nàxiē zhútái…… háishi nàme liàng.
Papa, the candlesticks... they still shine so brightly.
- Jean Valjean 是的。一位主教把它们给了我。他把我从黑暗里带了出来，所以我才有今天。
Shì de. Yí wèi zhǔjiào bǎ tāmen gěi le wǒ. Tā bǎ wǒ cóng hēi'àn lǐ dài le chūlái, suǒyǐ wǒ cái yǒu jīntiān.
Yes. A bishop gave them to me. He led me out of the darkness, and that is why I am here today.
- Jean Valjean 珂赛特，你还记得吗？那个圣诞节的晚上，你提着一个大水桶。
Kēsàitè, nǐ hái jìde ma? Nàge Shèngdàn jié de wǎnshang, nǐ tí zhe yí gè dà shuǐtǒng.
Cosette, do you remember? That Christmas night, when you carried a huge bucket.
- Cosette 我记得。有一位好心的先生帮我提水。他后来成了我的爸爸。
Wǒ jìde. Yǒu yí wèi hǎoxīn de xiānsheng bāng wǒ tí shuǐ. Tā hòulái chéng le wǒ de bàba.
I remember. A kind gentleman helped me carry the water. Later he became my papa.
- Jean Valjean 那个大娃娃呢？你还留着吗？
Nàge dà wáwa ne? Nǐ hái liú zhe ma?
And the big doll? Do you still have it?
- Cosette 留着！我一直留着！它现在坐在我们的床边。
Liú zhe! Wǒ yìzhí liú zhe! Tā xiànzài zuò zài wǒmen de chuáng biān.
I kept it! I've always kept it! It sits by our bed now.
- Jean Valjean 好……这样很好。
Hǎo…… zhèyàng hěn hǎo.
Good... that is very good.
- Jean Valjean 芳汀……我做到了。她有一个家了。她的孩子，一点儿也不孤单了。
Fāngtīng…… wǒ zuò dào le. Tā yǒu yí gè jiā le. Tā de háizi, yìdiǎnr yě bù gūdān le.
Fantine... I did it. She has a home now. Your child is not lonely at all anymore.
- Jean Valjean 你们要记住：这个世界上最好的事，就是爱别人，也被别人爱。这是那位主教教给我的。
Nǐmen yào jìzhù: zhège shìjiè shang zuì hǎo de shì, jiùshì ài biérén, yě bèi biérén ài. Zhè shì nà wèi zhǔjiào jiāo gěi wǒ de.
Remember this: the best thing in the world is to love others and be loved. The bishop taught me that.
- Marius 我们会记住的。
Wǒmen huì jìzhù de.
We will remember.
- Narrator 烛光轻轻地晃着。冉阿让笑着，闭上了眼睛。他走得很平静。
Zhúguāng qīngqīng de huàng zhe. Rǎn Ā'ràng xiào zhe, bì shàng le yǎnjing. Tā zǒu de hěn píngjìng.
The candlelight swayed gently. Valjean smiled and closed his eyes. He passed away in peace.
- Cosette 爸爸？……
Bàba?……
Papa?...
- Marius 他睡着了，珂赛特。他终于可以休息了。
Tā shuì zháo le, Kēsàitè. Tā zhōngyú kěyǐ xiūxi le.
He is asleep, Cosette. At last he can rest.
- Cosette 晚安，爸爸。我们都爱你。
Wǎn'ān, bàba. Wǒmen dōu ài nǐ.
Good night, Papa. We all love you.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Valjean tell Marius at the start?
“我是一个囚犯，我叫冉阿让。”
- How does Marius learn the truth about the sewer?
“有人告诉了我真相：是您在下水道里救了我的命！”
- Which Christmas gift has Cosette kept all these years?
“留着！我一直留着！”
- What does Valjean say is the best thing in the world?
“就是爱别人，也被别人爱。”
- What lights the room at the end?
“桌子上，点着那两个银烛台。”……“烛光轻轻地晃着。”