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One cold winter evening, outside a restaurant in the centre of Montreuil, a woman walked up and down.
一个寒冷的冬夜，有个女人在蒙特勒伊镇中心的一家餐馆外面走来走去。
There was snow on the ground, but the woman wore an evening dress, with flowers in her hair.
地上还有积雪，可那个女人却只穿了一件晚礼服，发间插着花。
Some young men came out of the restaurant, saw her, and began to call her bad names.
几名年轻男子从餐馆里走了出来，他们看见了她，开始对她骂骂咧咧。
They laughed and shouted, but the woman did not look at them.
他们又是笑又是嚷，可女人并没有朝他们看。
Then, one young man took some snow and put it down the back of the woman's dress.
这时，一个年轻男子抓了一把雪，塞进了女人后背的衣服里。
The woman was Fantine. She gave a cry, turned, and hit the young man's face with her hands. People came to watch, laughing.
这个女人正是芳汀。她“啊”的一声叫了出来，转过身子，挥手打了那个年轻男子的脸。人们上前围观，哄笑声一片。
A tall policeman arrived, took the woman by the arm, and pulled her away. 'Come with me,' he said.
一个高个子警察赶了过来，抓住女人的胳膊，把她拉开了。“跟我走。”他说道。
This policeman was inspector Javert. He was new to Montreuil, and he was a hard man.
这个警察是沙威督察。他是个冷酷无情的人，刚刚才调到蒙特勒伊。
To him, the law was the only important thing in life, and he hated criminals.
对他来说，法律是生活中唯一重要的事情，他痛恨罪犯。
The law in France at that time was not kind to women like Fantine. Javert took Fantine to the office of police.
在那个时代，法国的法律对芳汀这样的女人是毫不容情的。沙威把芳汀带到了警局。
'You hit a man in the street, and that's a crime,' he told her. 'You're getting six months.'
“你在大街上打了一个男人，这是犯罪行为。”他对她说，“你要坐六个月的牢。”
'Six months in prison?' Fantine cried. 'No! I'm not a bad woman, Monsieur, please!
“坐六个月牢？”芳汀哭喊道，“不行啊！我不是个坏女人，先生，求求您！
I must work, I need the money for my little daughter. Please, please don't send me to prison!' She fell to the floor, crying.
我必须工作，我需要赚钱来养活我的小女儿。求求您，求求您不要送我进监狱！”她瘫倒在地上哭了起来。
'Take her away,' Javert said to a policeman.
“把她带走。”沙威对一名警察说。
'One moment, please,' said a new voice.
“请等一下。”这时响起了另一个声音。
Everybody turned to look at the door, and there stood the good, the great Monsieur Madeleine. He was an important man in Montreuil.
大家都转过头去看着门口，门口站着的是善良、威严的马德兰先生。他是蒙特勒伊镇上的大人物。
'Inspector,' he said. 'I was outside the restaurant too, and I can tell you the true story.
“督察，”他说道，“我当时也在餐馆外面，可以告诉您事情的真实情况。
The young man began the fight, and this poor woman' -- he looked at Fantine on the floor -- 'must go free. She did nothing wrong.'
是那个年轻人先挑事儿的，而这个可怜的女人”，他看着地上的芳汀，“您必须放了她。她没有做错任何事。”
'The woman is a criminal,' said Javert angrily. 'She...'
“这女人是个罪犯。”沙威愤怒地说道，“她...”
'She must go free,' said Monsieur Madeleine. 'Ask the other people at the restaurant. We all saw the same thing.'
“您必须放了她。”马德兰先生说，“问问餐馆的其他人。我们都看到了那一幕。”
Fantine stood up slowly. She began to cough, a hard dry noise. Monsieur Madeleine took her arm gently.
芳汀慢慢站了起来。她开始咳嗽，是很厉害的干咳。马德兰先生轻轻扶住了她的胳膊。
'My dear child, you are not well,' he said.
“我亲爱的孩子，你生病了。”他说。
Javert's cold eyes stared at Monsieur Madeleine.
沙威一双冷酷的眼睛紧盯着马德兰先生。
'Do I know you from somewhere?' he said. 'Were you ever at Toulon?'
“我以前在哪儿见过您吗？”他说，“您到过土伦吗？”
Monsieur Madeleine looked at him. His face did not change, but his eyes were Suddenly very watchful. 'No, I don't know Toulon,' he said.
马德兰先生看着他。他脸上的神情没有任何变化，眼神却突然变得警惕起来。“不，我不知道土伦这个地方。”他说。
