《双城记》的开篇名言是：

"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. It is a far, far better" 。

这句话的意思是：

“这是最好的时代，也是最坏的时代；这是智慧的时代，也是愚蠢的时代；这是信仰的时期，也是怀疑的时期；这是光明的季节，也是黑暗的季节；这是充满希望的春天，也是让人绝望的冬天。我们面前无所不有，我们面前一无所有；我们大家都在直升天堂，我们大家都在直下地狱——简而言之，那个时代和当今这个时代是如此相似。”