Повесть о двух городах / A Tale of Two Cities

Либо вы идете вперед, либо начинаете сползать назад.

А самое главное – не прекращать изучение языка. Это может быть чтение оригинальной литературы. Любите читать про любовь – читайте про любовь, любите фантастику – читайте фантастику. Но читайте обязательно!»

    Н. А. Бонк, лингвист, педагог, автор наиболее популярных в России учебников английского языка

Book the First

Recalled to Life

I

The Period

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France.

[1 - a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England – имеется ввиду Георг III (1738–1820), правивший в то время в Англии; a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France – король Людовик XVI (1754–1793) и королева Мария Антуаннета, казненные во время Французской Революции. ] In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.

It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. Spiritual revelations were conceded to England at that favoured period, as at this. Mrs. Southcott[2 - Mrs. Southcott – Джоанна Саускотт (1750–1814), религиозная фанатичка.