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The French Lieutenant’s Woman 法国中尉的女人

課文朗讀

課文中英文講解

 繁體中文譯本

On the coast of England, in the town of Lyme Regis, a gray sky hurls a cold wind. The restless ocean batters an ancient sea wall. At the end of the wall stands Sarah, sad and alone. Dressed in a long black cape, she searches the horizon for a French lieutenant who she knows will never return.

在英格兰海岸上的莱姆雷吉斯镇，灰蒙蒙的天空刮着冷风。汹涌的波涛拍打海堤。堤防尽头站着既孤伶伶又悲伤的莎拉。她身穿黑色长斗篷，望着海平面，搜寻着她知道不会回来的法国中尉身影。

Charles Smithson, on holiday with his fiancée Ernestina, is immediately attracted to Sarah when he sees her. On the excuse of collecting fossils, he meets Sarah several times. She confesses that despite knowing the French lieutenant had no affection for her, she still followed him to France and gave herself fully to him. Later, Charles is called back to his family estate to discuss his shrinking inheritance. Upon his return to Lyme Regis, he receives a message from Sarah, who urges him to meet her. When Charles and Sarah meet their passions ignite.

和未婚妻艾蜜丝蒂娜一块度假的查尔斯．史密森，见到莎拉后，立即受到她的吸引。他以收集化石为借口，和莎拉见了几次面。她向他坦承，虽然她知道法国中尉对她没感情，她仍然追随他到法国，把自己完全奉献给他。后来，查尔斯被唤回老家，讨论他缩减中的遗产。一回到莱姆雷吉斯镇，他收到莎拉捎来的讯息，信中催促他去看她。两人见面后，天雷勾动地火。

Torn between Ernestina and Sarah, Charles travels to London to discuss his financial setback with Ernestina’s father. The next morning, Charles receives a letter from Sarah saying she has moved to Exeter. However, instead of visiting Sarah, Charles heads for Lyme Regis. There, he finally chooses Ernestina and they marry.

在艾蜜丝蒂娜和莎拉之间左右为难的查尔斯，前往伦敦和艾蜜丝蒂娜的父亲讨论他的财务窘境。隔天早上，查尔斯收到莎拉的信，得知她已搬到艾希特市。然而他并未前去会晤莎拉，反而前往莱姆雷吉斯镇。在那里，他最后选择了艾蜜丝蒂娜，和她结婚。

Suddenly, John Fowles, the writer and narrator, appears in the story. He explains that this is just one possible ending for his characters. As another possibility, Charles, on his way back from London, stays in Exeter. He pays Sarah a visit and, overwhelmed by desire, they fall into each other’s arms.

突然之间，作者兼旁白约翰．傅尔斯出现在故事中。他解释说，这只是书中人物一个可能的结局。另一个可能的情节发展是，查尔斯在从伦敦返家的路上，停留在艾希特市。他造访莎拉，两人敌不过欲望，投入对方怀抱。

Vocabulary

hurl [hɝl] v. 猛力投掷

confess [kənˋfɛs] v. 坦白，供认，承认

setback [ˋsɛt͵bæk] n. 挫折

narrator [næˋretɚ] n. 叙述者，讲述者

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restless [ˋrɛstlɪs] adj. 焦躁不安的; 不平靜的

batter [ˋbætɚ] v. 连续猛击，捣毁

sea wall（海岸的）防波堤

cape [kep] n. 披肩；斗篷

lieutenant [luˋtɛnənt] n.（美国）陆军（或空军，海军陆战队）中尉

excuse [ɪkˋskjuz] n. 理由；借口

estate [ɪsˋtet] n. 庄园; 地产

inheritance [ɪnˋhɛrɪtəns] n. 遗产；遗赠; 继承权

urge [ɝdʒ] v. 催促；力劝

tear [tɛr] v. 使精神不安，折磨

pay someone a visit: 访问, 拜访 to go to see someone

overwhelm [͵ovɚˋhwɛlm] v.〔感情上〕使〔某人〕感到不能自持﹐  使不知所措

課文中英文講解

Encouraged by his experience with Sarah, Charles goes to Lyme Regis and calls off his wedding. He returns to Exeter only to discover that Sarah has left for London. He follows her by train. When Charles falls asleepon the train, the narrator reappears, saying that characters in a book should be independent. Yet if they are, how can he write the ending? If he writes all possible endings, does not the final ending outweigh earlier ones? To be fair, he flips a coin to determine which ending will appear last.

由于和莎拉情投意合，查尔斯受到鼓舞，到莱姆雷吉斯镇取消他的婚礼。他返回艾希特市时，却发现莎拉已前往伦敦。他搭火车去找她。查尔斯在车上睡着时，故事叙述者再度出现，表示一本书中的人物应该是独立的。然而如果他们是独立的，他如何能写出结局呢？如果他写出所有可能的结局，最后一个不就成了压轴? 为了公平起见，他用丢铜板的方式来决定把哪一个结局放在最后面。

In another possibility, Charles spends two years looking for Sarah. He learns that she is living a Bohemian lifestyle as an artist’s model. When he arrives at Sarah’s house, she discloses that she has had a child by him. Their love rekindled, the three live happily together.

另一个结局里，查尔斯花了两年时间寻找莎拉。他得知她当画家模特儿，过着放荡不羁的生活。他到达莎拉的房子之后，莎拉透露她为他生了一个小孩。两人爱火重燃，一家人快乐地过活。

All of a sudden, Fowles shows up in front of Sarah’s house and sets his watch back fifteen minutes. Charles enters Sarah’s house as if for the first time. In this ending, Charles knows he cannot marry such an independent woman. Confident about his decision, he leaves without learning about his child.

忽然之间，傅尔斯出现在莎拉的房子前，把手表往前调15分钟。查尔斯好像是第一次进入莎拉的房子。在这个结局中，查尔斯知道自己无法和这么独立的女人结婚。他深信自己的决定是正确的，于是他离开莎拉，并不知道自己有了小孩。

John Fowles’s novel forces us to contemplate the path of our existence. Have we only unchangeable destiny? Or does our fate change every time we make a decision? The French Lieutenant’s Woman gives us no definite answer. It ends only when the narrator reminds us that life is open to endless possibilities.

傅尔斯的小说迫使我们思考生存的途径。我们只有一个不能改变的命运吗？还是我们的命运随着每一个决定而改变？《法国中尉的女人》并未给我们肯定的答案。在小说的结尾，只有叙述者提醒我们，生命中有无限种可能性。

−by Howard Weston

Vocabulary

flip [flɪp] v.（为作出决定而）掷（硬币）；轻抛

disclose [dɪsˋkloz] v. 透露

contemplate [ˋkɑntɛm͵plet] v. 仔细考虑

definite [ˋdɛfənɪt] adj. 明确的，确切的

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call off: 取消 to cancel or postpone

outweigh [aʊtˋwe] v. 比……更重要（或更有价值等）

Bohemian [boˋhimɪən] adj. 放荡不羁的; 波希米亚（人）的

rekindle [riˋkɪnd!] v. 重新激起﹐ 重新引起

destiny [ˋdɛstənɪ] n. 命运

Reading Questions

1. What is the excuse Charles uses to meet Sarah at the very beginning?

A. Visiting the ancient sea wall.

B. Collecting fossils.

C. Dealing with his family estate.

D. Being attracted to her.

2. Which of the following is true?

A. Charles has been acquainted with Sarah before meeting Ernestina.

B. Knowing Charles has a fiancée, Sarah refuses to see him.

C. Sarah admits that she knew the French lieutenant did not love her.

D. Charles sends a letter to Sarah, asking her to stay in Exeter.

3. Why is John Fowles hesitant to decide the final ending for his characters?

A. The final ending may be considered more important than earlier ones.

B. His characters are so independent that they may not like the final ending.

C. The writer and the narrator disagree on the final ending of the story.

D. If he flips a coin to decide the final ending, all the characters will protest.

4. After reading this love story, what may we, as readers, learn from it?

A. The universe is endless.

B. Love makes the world go around.

C. The end justifies the means.

D. Life is unpredictable.

The French Lieutenant's Woman - Official Trailer

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