Section One What You Make of Your Life Is Up to You
每个人的人生都是由他或她自己创造的。每个人都绝对享有创造自己人生的权利，然而人们总是否认他们有能力描绘自己所向往的人生。他们忽视了一个根本的事实，即决定我们成功与失败的不是外在条件，而是我们对自己有没有信心，是否愿意根据自己的最高志向创造人生。显然，这里的挑战是创造并掌握自己的人生。你一旦明白人生全由你自己去创造，你就能按照自己真正的选择与愿望去设计人生。在这里你将学到的课程是承担责任和潜能无限，它们将带你走进你想要的人生，并将给予你主宰自己的人生所必需的重要手段。
Every person creates his or her own life. Authorship of your life is one of your absolute rights； yet sooften people deny that they have the ability to the life they desire. They look past the fundamental truththat it is not our external resources that determine our success or failure， but rather our own belief in ourselvesand our willingness to create a life according to our highest aspirations. Clearly， the challenge here is to createand have your own life. When you understand that what you make of your life is up to you， you are able todesign it according to your authentic choices and desires. You will learn lessons here， such as responsibilityand limitlessness， which will lead you to the life you were meant to live. These lessons provide you with theessential tools you need in order to take command of your life.
承担责任是指你认同自己负有责任，承认自己在自身所处环境中的影响和作用。也就是说你为自己的行为负责，完全承担由自己的行为所造成的一切后果。承担责任能推动你不断前进，创造更美好的前程。承担责任是每个成年人的一门主修课。如果你还没有学会承担责任这门课，现在还为时不晚。记住，人生会给你提供许许多多的机会去学会承担责任。
To take responsibility means you admit your accountability and acknowledge your influence and role inthe circumstances in which you find yourself. It means you are answerable for your behaviour and you fullyaccept any consequences created by your actions. To take responsibility will propel you forward and onwardto your greater goal. Responsibility is a major lesson of adulthood. If you still haven’t learned the lesson ofresponsibility， it’s not too late. Remember， life will provide you with plenty of opportunities to get it right.
潜能无限，即没有任何东西可以限制你成为你想成为的人，做到你想做到的事。如果你相信自己的进步是永无止境的，自己的发展潜力是无穷无尽的，那你就学会了这一课。然而，随着你在这个世界上慢慢地成长，逐渐融入社会生活，你可能就开始相信有种种限制妨碍你，使你不能达到精神、情感和思想上的最高层次。但是，这些极限只存在于你的心里。
如果你能超越这些极限，那你就学到了潜能无限这一课。
Limitlessness is the sense that there are no boundaries to what you can become or do. You learn it whenyou know that your evolution is never-ending and your potential for growth reaches to infinity. However，you might have come to believe that there are boundaries that prevent you from reaching the highest levelsof spiritual， emotional， or mental evolution. But， boundaries exist only in your mind. When you are able totranscend them， you learn the lesson of limitlessness.
在这个世界上，人们一次又一次地证实了这么一个道理：世上无难事，只怕有心人。人生全由你自己去创造。
In this world， we have countless people who have proven that a person can do whatever he or she strivesto do. What you make of your life is up to you.
咱们读一读维克多·雨果的《悲惨世界》吧！我们就能看到作者及其主要人物是如何创造他们自己的人生的。
Let’s read Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables！ We can see how the writer and his main characters havemade of their own lives.
1.1 内容介绍
1.1 Introduction
雨果从开始写作《悲惨世界》到1862年最终出版，花了20年时间。他写这部小说的目的同小说获得的荣誉一样崇高，《悲惨世界》首先是一部伟大的人道主义作品，它鼓励在面对灾难和不公正时，展现同情并希望不泯。然而，这也是一部有着非凡见识和分析的历史小说，它展现了19世纪法国政治和社会的详细图景。通过将有关法国近代不公的详细记载与救赎的故事相结合，雨果希望《悲惨世界》能够催生一个更进步和更民主的未来。
Hugo began writing Les Misérables twenty years before its eventual publication in 1862. His goals inwriting the novel were as loftly as the reputation it has subsequently acquired； Les Misé- rables is primarilya great humanitarian work that encourages compassion and hope in the face of adversity and injustice. It isalso， however， a historical novel of great scope and analysis， and it provides a detailed vision of nineteenth-century French politics and society. By coupling his story of redemption with a meticulous documentation ofthe injustices of France’s recent past， Hugo hoped Les Misérables would encourage a more progressive anddemocratic future.
《悲惨世界》的故事梗概：因为偷了一块面包和一再企图越狱，被判有罪的冉·阿让坐了19年牢后才从法国监狱被放出来。冉·阿让来到迪涅城，因为他有前科，没有人愿意给他提供住所。绝望的冉·阿让敲开了迪涅城善良的主教米里埃先生的房门。他善待冉·阿让，而冉·阿让却以偷了主教的银器作为回报。警察抓住了冉·阿让，米里埃保护了他，说那银器是送给冉·阿让的礼物。当局放了冉·阿让，米里埃要他承诺成为一个诚实的人。冉·阿让渴望实现自己的诺言，他隐瞒自己的身份，来到滨海蒙特勒伊城。他以马德兰的假名作掩护，发明了一套精巧的生产程序，由此给城市带来繁荣。他最终当上了市长。
A summary of Les Misérables： The convict Jean Valjean is released from a French prison after servingnineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent attempts to escape from prison. When Valjeanarrives at the town of Digne， no one is willing to give him shelter because he is an ex-convict. Desperate，Valjean knocks on the door of M. Myriel， the kindly bishop of Digne. Myriel treats Valjean with kindness，but Valjean repays the bishop by stealing his silverware. When the police arrest Valjean， Myriel covers forhim， claiming that the silverware was a gift. The authorities release Valjean and Myriel makes him promiseto become an honest man. Eager to fulfill his promise， Valjean masks his identity and enters the town ofMontreuil-sur-mer. Under the assumed name of Madeleine， Valjean invents an ingenious manufacturingprocess that brings the town prosperity. He eventually becomes the town’s mayor.
芳汀，一位来自蒙特勒伊城的年轻女子，她生活在巴黎。芳汀爱上了托洛米耶斯，这位富有的大学生使芳汀怀上了孩子，而后又抛弃了她。芳汀带着女儿柯赛特返回了家乡。在回蒙特勒伊的路上，芳汀意识到，如果城里人知道她有一个私生女，她就不可能找到工作。在蒙费梅城，她遇到了在当地开小旅店的泰纳迪埃一家。只要芳汀按月贴补钱，泰纳迪埃夫妇就同意照看柯赛特。在蒙特勒伊，芳汀在马德兰的工厂找到工作。可是，芳汀的同事揭发了柯赛特的秘密，她被解雇了。泰纳迪埃夫妇借口贴补柯赛特，要求寄更多的钱。为了勉强维持生计，芳汀沦为娼妓。一天夜里，蒙特勒伊的探长沙威抓住了芳汀，要把她关进监狱，马德兰从中调解。芳汀病倒了，她渴望见到柯赛特，马德兰答应为她传信。然而，马德兰首先要对付沙威，因为沙威发现马德兰有前科。沙威告诉马德兰，有个人被指控是冉·阿让，马德兰承认了自己的真实身份。冉·阿让守在芳汀的床边，沙威前来逮捕他，芳汀惊吓而死。
Fantine， a young woman from Montreuil， lives in Paris. She fails in love with Tholomyès， a wealthystudent who gets her pregnant and then abandons her. Fantine returns to her home village with her daughter，Cosette. On the way to Montreuil， however， Fantine realizes that she will never be able to find work if thetownspeople know that she has an illegitimate child. In the town of Montfermeil， she meets the Thénardiers，a family that runs the local inn. The Thénardiers agree to look after Cosette as long as Fantine sends thema monthly allowance. In Montreuil， Fantine finds work in Madeleine’s factory. Fantine’s coworkers find outabout Cosette， however， and Fantine is fired. The Thénardiers demand more money to support Cosette， andFantine resorts to prostitution to make ends meet. One night， Javert， Montreuil’s police chief， arrests Fantine.
She is to be sent to prison， but Madeleine intervenes. Fantine has fallen ill， and when she longs to seeCosette， Madeleine promises to send for her. First， however， he must contend with Javert， who has discoveredMadelein’s criminal past. Javert tells Madeleine that a man has been accused of being Jean Valjean， andMadeleine confesses his true identity. Javert shows up to arrest Valjean while Valjean is at Fantine’s bedside，and Fantine dies from the shock.
几年后，冉·阿让从监狱逃了出来，前往蒙费梅，为的是在那儿把从泰纳迪埃夫妇手里把柯赛特赎出来。泰纳迪埃夫妇宠溺他们的两个女儿爱波尼娜和阿泽尔玛，同时又虐待柯赛特，成了恶魔之家。冉·阿让和柯赛特住到了巴黎破败的街区。沙威发现了他俩的藏身处，他俩不得不匆忙逃离。他们在一个修道院避难，柯赛特进了学校，冉·阿让当了一名园丁。
After a few years， Valjean escapes from prison and heads to Montfermeil， where he is able to buyCosette from the Thénardiers. The Thénardiers turn out to be a family of scoundrels who abuse Cosettewhile spoiling their own two daughters， Eponine and Azelma. Valjeane and Cosett move to a run-down partof Paris. Javert discovers their hideout， however， and they are forced to flee. They find refuge in a convent，where Cosette attends school and Valjean works as a gardener.
马里于斯·蓬梅西是一位和他富有的祖父吉尔诺曼一起生活的年轻人。由于家庭内的政治分歧，马里于斯从未见过父亲乔治·蓬梅西。然而，在父亲去世后，马里于斯对父亲有了更多的了解，并转为赞同父亲的民主政治思想。马里于斯对祖父很是气恼，离开了吉尔诺曼的家，做了一名穷困年轻的法律专业学生。在法律学校期间，马里于斯参加了一个激进学生团体——“ABC之友”，他的引路人是极有魅力的昂若拉。一天，马里于斯在公园里遇见了柯赛特，两人一见钟情。身为监护人的冉·阿让竭力阻止马里于斯与柯赛特的任何见面机会。
当冉·阿让到马里于斯的穷邻居荣德雷特夫妇家做慈善性看望时，柯赛特和马里于斯的人生之路再次交汇。荣德雷特夫妇实际上正是泰纳迪埃夫妇，他们关了小旅馆，化名来到巴黎。
冉·阿让离开后，泰纳迪埃宣布了一个计划，等冉·阿让再来时实施抢劫。震惊之下，马里于斯向当地的警官报警，来的人是沙威。抢劫暗算没有成功，泰纳迪埃夫妇被逮捕。在沙威认出之前，冉·阿让跑掉了。
Marius Pontmercy is a young man who lives with his wealthy grandfather， M. Gillenormand. Because ofpolitical differences within the family， Marius has never met his father， Georges Pontmercy. After his fatherdies， however， Marius learns more about him and comes to admire his father’s democratic politics. Angrywith his grandfather， Marius moves out of Gillenormand’s house and lives a poor young law student. Whilein law school， Marius associates with a group of radical students， the Friends of the ABC， who are led by thecharismatic Enjolras. One day， Marius sees Cosette at a public park. It is love at first sight， but the protectiveValjean does his utmost to prevent Costte and Marius from ever meeting. Their paths cross once again，however， when Valjean makes a charitable visit to Marius’s poor neighbours， the Jondrettes. The Jondrettesare in fact the Thénardiers， who have lost their inn and moved to Paris under an assumed name. AfterValjean leaves， Thénardier announces a plan to rob Valjean when he returns. Alarmed， Marius alerts thelocal police inspector， who turns out to be Javert. The ambush is failed and the Thénardiers are arrested，but Valjean escapes before Javert can identify him.
泰纳迪埃的女儿爱波尼娜爱上了马里于斯，她帮助马里于斯发现了柯赛特的行踪。马里于斯终于能够联系上柯赛特，两人表白了彼此的爱慕之情。冉·阿让很快破坏了他们的喜悦。害怕失去柯赛特，也由于巴黎的政治动乱而紧张不安，冉·阿让宣称他和柯赛特要迁到英格兰。绝望之下，马里于斯求助于外祖父吉尔诺曼，请求外祖父允许他娶柯赛特。他们的见面以激烈的争吵告终。当马里于斯返回去找柯赛特时，柯赛特和冉·阿让都已不见踪影。
心碎的马里于斯决定加入发动政治起义的激进的学生朋友的行列。他手持双枪，奔向街垒。
起义显露颓势，马里于斯和他的同学们仍然坚守阵地，誓死为自由和民主而战。同学们发现沙威混在队伍中，识破他是个奸细，昂若拉把沙威捆绑了起来。当军队向学生们发动第一次攻击时，为了救马里于斯性命，爱波尼娜堵住了来福枪口。她把柯赛特的信交给马里于斯，然后死在马里于斯的怀里。马里于斯迅速写了一个便条，命令一个叫加弗罗什的男孩把便条给柯赛特送去。
Thénardier’s daughter Eponine， who is in love with Marius， helps Marius discover Cosette’swhereabouts. Marius is finally able to make contact with Cosette， and the two declare their love for each other.
Valjean， however， soon shatters their happiness. Worried that he will lose Cosette and unnerved by politicalunrest in the city， Valjean announces that he and Cosette are moving to England. In desperation， Marius runsto his grandfather， M. Gillenormand， to ask for M. Gillenormand’s permission to marry Cosette. Their meetingends in a bitter argument. When Marius returns to Cosette， she and Valjean have disappeared. Heartbroken，Marius decides to join his radical student friends， who have started a political uprising. Armed with twopistols， Marius heads for the barricades.The uprising seems doomed， but Marius and his fellow studentsnonetheless stand their ground and vow to fight for freedom and democracy. The students discover Javertamong their ranks， and， realizing that he is a spy， Enjolras ties him up. As the army launches its first attackagainst the students， Eponine throws herself in front of a rifle to save Marius’s life. As Eponine dies in Marius’
arms， she hands him a letter from Cosette. Marius quickly scribbles a reply and orders a boy， Gavroche， todeliver it to Cosette.
冉·阿让设法截住了那个便条，他动身去解救柯赛特钟爱的那个男人的性命。他赶到街垒，自愿要亲手处死沙威。当与沙威独处时，冉·阿让反倒秘密地放跑了沙威。军队向街垒发起了猛攻，冉·阿让拖着受伤的马里于斯从下水道逃脱。几小时后，冉·阿让一露面，沙威立即抓住了他。冉·阿让请求沙威让他带着垂死的马里于斯去投奔马里于斯的外祖父。沙威同意了。沙威痛苦万分，在职业操守和偿还冉·阿让的救命之恩之间进退维谷。最后，沙威放了冉·阿让，自己投河身亡。
Valjean manages to intercept the note and sets out to save the life of the man his daughter loves. Valjeanarrives at the barricade and volunteers to execute Javert. When alone with Javert， however， Valjean insteadsecretly lets him go free. As the army storms the barricade， Valjean grabs the wounded Marius and fleesthrough the sewers. When Valjean emerges hours later， Javert immediately arrests him. Valjean pleads withJavert to let him take the dying Marius to Marius’s grandfather. Javert agrees. Javert feels tormented， tornbetween his duty to his profession and the debt he owes Valjean for saving his life. Ultimately， Javert letsValjean go and throws himself into the river， where he drowns.
马里于斯彻底康复并与外祖父和解，外祖父同意了马里于斯和柯赛特的婚事。婚礼是欢乐的，冉·阿让对马里于斯坦白了他有犯罪的前科，这使婚礼大煞风景。惊人的隐情使马里于斯恐慌不安，他没意识到，正是冉·阿让在街垒救了他一命，因此竭力阻止柯赛特同冉·阿让的联系。孤独而压抑的冉·阿让躺在床上等待死亡。马里于斯最终从泰纳迪埃那得知，正是冉·阿让救了自己的命。马里于斯羞于自己愧对冉·阿让，他把发生的一切告诉了柯赛特。为了最终的和解，他俩非常及时地赶到冉·阿让的身边。带着与养女重逢的喜悦，冉·阿让平静地死去。
Marius makes a full recovery and is reconciled with Gillenormand， who consents to Marius and Cosette’smarriage. Their wedding is a happy one， marred only when Valjean confesses his criminal past to Marius.
Alarmed by this revelation and unaware that it was Valjean who saved his life at the barricades， Marius triesto prevent Cosette from having contact with Valjean. Lonely and depressed， Valjean takes to his bed andawaits his death. Marius eventually finds out from Thenardier that Valjean saved Marius’s life. Ashamedthat he mistrusted Valjean， Marius tells Cosette everything that has happened. Marius and Cosette rush toValjean’s side just in time for final reconciliation. Happy to be reunited with his adopted daughter， Valjeandies in peace.
《悲惨世界》运用雨果富于想象力的现实主义风格，以人为造成的人间地狱为背景，强调19世纪的三大问题。小说中三个主要人物中的每一个都象征着三大问题中的一个问题：
冉·阿让代表着贫困使男人沉沦，芳汀代表着饥饿使妇女堕落，柯赛特代表着黑暗使儿童羸弱。雨果没有采取平铺直叙的文学手法，他创造的人物非常成功，他们是重大问题的象征，这也是小说的声望经久不衰的部分原因。
Les Misérables employs Hugo’s style of imaginative realism and is set in an artificially created humanhell that emphasizes the three major predicaments of the nineteenth century. Each of the three majorcharacters in the novel symbolizes one of these predicaments： Jean Valjean represents the degradation of manin the proletariat， Fantine represents the subjection of women through hunger， and Cosette represents theatrophy of the child by darkness. In part， the novel’s fame has endured because Hugo successfully createdcharacters that serve as symbols of larger problems without being flat devices.