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There was an infernal uproar, beams from the roof crashing in, corridors filled with a suffocating smoke. In order to reach the rooms where the lodgers were imprisoned, there was no other way left but to pass over the roof. They instantly sprang upon it, and a moment later something which resembled a black phantom appeared on the tiles, in the midst of the smoke. It was the corporal, who had been the first to arrive. But in order to get from the roof to the small set of rooms cut off by the fire, he was forced to pass over an extremely narrow space comprised between a dormer window and the eaves trough: all the rest was in flames, and that tiny space was covered with snow and ice, and there was no place to hold on to.
在那里听见了恐怖的叫声，梁木从屋顶落下，门口满是烟焰。要到那有人的屋子里去，除了从屋顶走，已没有别的路了。他们急忙跳上屋顶，只看到从烟里露出一个黑影，这就是那最先跑到的伍长。可是，要从屋顶到那被火包着的屋里去，非通过那屋顶的窗和承溜间的极狭小的地方不可。因为别处都被火焰包住了，只这狭小的地方，还积着冰雪，却没有可攀援的东西。
"'It is impossible for him to pass!' shouted the crowd below. " The corporal advanced along the edge of the roof. All shuddered, and began to observe him with bated breath. He passed. A tremendous hurrah rose towards heaven. The corporal resumed his way, and on arriving at the point which was threatened, he began to break away, with furious blows of his axe, beams, tiles, and rafters, in order to open a hole through which he might descend within.
“那里无论如何通不过！”群众在下面叫。”伍长沿了屋顶边上走，群众震栗地看着他。他终于通过了那狭小的地方。下面的喝彩声几乎要震荡天空。伍长走到现危急的场所，用斧把梁椽斩断，砍出可以钻进去的窟窿。
In the meanwhile, the woman was still suspended outside the window. The fire raged with increased violence over her head; another moment, and she would have fallen into the street. The hole was opened. We saw the corporal pull off his shoulder-belt and lower himself inside: the other firemen, who had arrived, followed. At that instant a very lofty Porta ladder, which had just arrived, was placed against the entablature of the house, in front of the windows whence issued flames, and howls, as of maniacs. But it seemed as though they were too late.
这时，那女子们在窗外挂着，火焰快将卷到她的头上，眼见得就要落下来了。伍长砍出了窟窿，把身子缩紧了就跳进屋里去，跟着他的消防队员也跳了进去。才运到的长梯子架在屋前。窗口冒出凶险的烟焰来，耳边闻到可怖的呼号声，危急得几乎无从着手了。
"No one can be saved now!"they shouted. "The firemen are burning! The end has come! They are dead!" All at once the black form of the corporal made its appearance at the window with the balcony, lighted up by the flames overhead. The woman clasped him round the neck; he caught her round the body with both arms, drew her up, and laid her down inside the room. The crowd set up a shout a thousand voices strong, which rose above the roar of the conflagration. "But the others? And how were they to get down? The ladder which leaned against the roof on the front of another window was at a good distance from them. How could they get hold of it? "
“不好了！连消防队员也要烧死了！完了！早已死了！’群众叫着。忽然，伍长的黑影在有栏杆的窗口出现了，火光在他头上照得红红的。女子抱着他的头颈，伍长两手抱住那女子，下到屋中去。群众的叫声在火烧声中沸腾：“还有别个呢，怎样下来？那梯子离窗口很远，怎样接得着呢！”
