Les Misérables · chapter 2 of 8
The Silver Candlesticks
银烛台
The police drag Valjean back to the bishop with the stolen silver. What the old man says next changes Valjean's whole life.
Read what you hear
- The Police Sergeant 主教先生，我们在路上抓到了这个人！他背着您的银盘子，还说是您送给他的。我们当然不相信！
Zhǔjiào xiānsheng, wǒmen zài lù shang zhuā dào le zhège rén! Tā bèi zhe nín de yín pánzi, hái shuō shì nín sòng gěi tā de. Wǒmen dāngrán bù xiāngxìn!
Bishop, we caught this man on the road! He was carrying your silver plates and claims you gave them to him. Of course we don't believe it!
- Jean Valjean 我……我什么也说不出来。
Wǒ…… wǒ shénme yě shuō bù chūlái.
I... I have nothing to say.
- The Bishop's Sister 哥哥！你看，我说得对吧？他真是个小偷！
Gēge! Nǐ kàn, wǒ shuō de duì ba? Tā zhēn shì gè xiǎotōu!
Brother! See, I was right, wasn't I? He really is a thief!
Chapter 2 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 Bishop 啊，朋友！你回来了，我真高兴！
Ā, péngyou! Nǐ huílái le, wǒ zhēn gāoxìng!
Ah, my friend! You're back! I'm so glad!
- The Police Sergeant 主教先生，他说的是真的吗？这些银盘子，真是您送的？
Zhǔjiào xiānsheng, tā shuō de shì zhēn de ma? Zhèxiē yín pánzi, zhēn shì nín sòng de?
Bishop, is what he says true? You really gave him these silver plates?
- The Bishop 当然是真的。可是朋友，我还送了你两个烛台，你怎么没有拿走呢？
Dāngrán shì zhēn de. Kěshì péngyou, wǒ hái sòng le nǐ liǎng gè zhútái, nǐ zěnme méiyǒu názǒu ne?
Of course it's true. But friend, I also gave you the two candlesticks. Why didn't you take them?
- Jean Valjean 烛台……您……您真的不生气吗？我偷了您的银盘子，您还要把烛台也给我？
Zhútái…… nín…… nín zhēn de bù shēngqì ma? Wǒ tōu le nín de yín pánzi, nín hái yào bǎ zhútái yě gěi wǒ?
The candlesticks... You... you really aren't angry? I stole your silver plates, and you would give me the candlesticks too?
- The Police Sergeant 既然主教先生这样说，我们就不能抓人了。对不起，我们只是想保护您。打扰了！
Jìrán zhǔjiào xiānsheng zhèyàng shuō, wǒmen jiù bù néng zhuā rén le. Duìbuqǐ, wǒmen zhǐshì xiǎng bǎohù nín. Dǎrǎo le!
If the bishop says so, we can't arrest him. Sorry, we only wanted to protect you. Sorry to trouble you!
- The Bishop's Sister 哥哥，你把银子都送人了。以后我们用什么吃饭？
Gēge, nǐ bǎ yínzi dōu sòng rén le. Yǐhòu wǒmen yòng shénme chīfàn?
Brother, you've given all the silver away. What will we eat with now?
- The Bishop 用木勺子。我们小时候，不是也用木勺子吗？
Yòng mù sháozi. Wǒmen xiǎoshíhou, bú shì yě yòng mù sháozi ma?
Wooden spoons. Didn't we use wooden spoons when we were small?
- The Bishop's Sister 哥哥，你太善良了。总有一天，你会后悔的。
Gēge, nǐ tài shànliáng le. Zǒng yǒu yì tiān, nǐ huì hòuhuǐ de.
Brother, you are too good. One day you'll regret it.
- The Bishop 如果一定要后悔，我宁愿后悔开了门，也不愿后悔关了门。
Rúguǒ yídìng yào hòuhuǐ, wǒ nìngyuàn hòuhuǐ kāi le mén, yě bú yuàn hòuhuǐ guān le mén.
If I must regret something, I would rather regret opening the door than closing it.
- The Bishop 来，把烛台也拿去。
Lái, bǎ zhútái yě ná qù.
Come, take the candlesticks too.
- Jean Valjean 为什么？我偷了您的东西，您应该恨我。
Wèishénme? Wǒ tōu le nín de dōngxi, nín yīnggāi hèn wǒ.
Why? I stole from you. You should hate me.
- The Bishop 冉阿让，你已经不属于黑暗了。我用这些银子，买下了你的心。
Rǎn Ā'ràng, nǐ yǐjīng bù shǔyú hēi'àn le. Wǒ yòng zhèxiē yínzi, mǎi xià le nǐ de xīn.
Jean Valjean, you no longer belong to the darkness. With this silver, I have bought your heart.
- The Bishop 我要把它还给光明。你要做一个好人。答应我。
Wǒ yào bǎ tā huán gěi guāngmíng. Nǐ yào zuò yí gè hǎorén. Dāying wǒ.
I want to give it back to the light. You must become a good man. Promise me.
- Jean Valjean 我……我答应您。我答应。
Wǒ…… wǒ dāying nín. Wǒ dāying.
I... I promise you. I promise.
- Jean Valjean 可是……您为什么相信我这样的人？
Kěshì…… nín wèishénme xiāngxìn wǒ zhèyàng de rén?
But... why do you trust a man like me?
- The Bishop 因为我知道，你自己还不相信自己。有一天，你会明白的。
Yīnwèi wǒ zhīdào, nǐ zìjǐ hái bù xiāngxìn zìjǐ. Yǒu yì tiān, nǐ huì míngbai de.
Because I know you don't yet believe in yourself. One day you will understand.
- The Bishop 去吧，朋友。路还很长，别忘了今天，也别忘了你答应我的事。
Qù ba, péngyou. Lù hái hěn cháng, bié wàng le jīntiān, yě bié wàng le nǐ dāying wǒ de shì.
Go now, friend. The road is long. Don't forget today, and don't forget what you promised me.
- Narrator 冉阿让走上了一条长长的路。天黑了，风吹过光秃秃的树，他一个人坐在路边，怀里抱着那两个烛台。
Rǎn Ā'ràng zǒu shàng le yì tiáo cháng cháng de lù. Tiān hēi le, fēng chuī guò guāngtūtū de shù, tā yí gè rén zuò zài lù biān, huái lǐ bào zhe nà liǎng gè zhútái.
Valjean walked down a long road. When night fell and the wind blew through the bare trees, he sat alone by the roadside, holding the two candlesticks.
- Jean Valjean 好人……我这样的人，真的能做好人吗？十九年，我只学会了怎么恨。
Hǎorén…… wǒ zhèyàng de rén, zhēn de néng zuò hǎorén ma? Shíjiǔ nián, wǒ zhǐ xué huì le zěnme hèn.
A good man... can a man like me really become one? In nineteen years, I only learned how to hate.
- The Little Boy 一枚，两枚……哎呀！我的硬币滚走了！那是妈妈给我买面包的钱！
Yì méi, liǎng méi…… āiyā! Wǒ de yìngbì gǔn zǒu le! Nà shì māma gěi wǒ mǎi miànbāo de qián!
One coin, two coins... Oh no! My coin rolled away! That's the money Mama gave me for bread!
- Jean Valjean 别过来……走开。我今天不想看见任何人。
Bié guòlái…… zǒukāi. Wǒ jīntiān bù xiǎng kànjiàn rènhé rén.
Don't come near... go away. I don't want to see anyone today.
- The Little Boy 先生，请您把脚拿开，那是我的钱。
Xiānsheng, qǐng nín bǎ jiǎo ná kāi, nà shì wǒ de qián.
Sir, please move your foot. That's my money.
- Jean Valjean 我说，走开！
Wǒ shuō, zǒukāi!
I said, go away!
- The Little Boy 我……我不要了！我要回家！
Wǒ…… wǒ bú yào le! Wǒ yào huíjiā!
I... I don't want it anymore! I want to go home!
- Jean Valjean 我做了什么？他还是个孩子！
Wǒ zuò le shénme? Tā hái shi gè háizi!
What have I done? He's only a child!
- Jean Valjean 孩子！孩子，回来！我把钱还给你！
Háizi! Háizi, huílái! Wǒ bǎ qián huán gěi nǐ!
Child! Child, come back! I'll give you your money!
- Jean Valjean 他跑远了……主教先生，我才答应过您，可是我又做了坏事……
Tā pǎo yuǎn le…… zhǔjiào xiānsheng, wǒ cái dāying guo nín, kěshì wǒ yòu zuò le huàishì……
He has run far away... Bishop, I only just promised you, and yet I have done wrong again...
- Jean Valjean 我恨这样的自己！
Wǒ hèn zhèyàng de zìjǐ!
I hate what I am!
- Jean Valjean 但是这两个烛台……主教相信我。我不能让他失望。他说过，我要做一个好人。
Dànshì zhè liǎng gè zhútái…… zhǔjiào xiāngxìn wǒ. Wǒ bù néng ràng tā shīwàng. Tā shuō guo, wǒ yào zuò yí gè hǎorén.
But these two candlesticks... The bishop believed in me. I can't let him down. He said I must become a good man.
- Jean Valjean 从今天起，冉阿让死了。我要换一个名字，去一个没有人认识我的地方。
Cóng jīntiān qǐ, Rǎn Ā'ràng sǐ le. Wǒ yào huàn yí gè míngzi, qù yí gè méiyǒu rén rènshi wǒ de dìfang.
From today, Jean Valjean is dead. I'll take a new name and go where no one knows me.
- Jean Valjean 可是我能躲多久呢？那些警察，他们还会一直找我。
Kěshì wǒ néng duǒ duō jiǔ ne? Nàxiē jǐngchá, tāmen hái huì yìzhí zhǎo wǒ.
But how long can I hide? The police will keep looking for me.
- Jean Valjean 如果有一天，有人认出了我……我还能做一个好人吗？
Rúguǒ yǒu yì tiān, yǒu rén rèn chū le wǒ…… wǒ hái néng zuò yí gè hǎorén ma?
If one day someone recognizes me... can I still be a good man?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the bishop tell the police about the silver?
“这些银盘子，真是您送的？”……“当然是真的。”
- What extra gift does the bishop offer Valjean?
“我还送了你两个烛台”
- What does the bishop ask Valjean to promise?
“你要做一个好人。答应我。”
- Why is Valjean ashamed on the road?
“我说，走开！”……“我做了什么？他还是个孩子！”
- What does Valjean decide at the end?
“我要换一个名字，去一个没有人认识我的地方。”