牛津书虫系列《苔丝》Chapter2 附中英双语文本

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It was eleven o’clock before all the family were in bed，and two o’clock next morning was the latest time to set off with the beehives．It was a distance of twenty or thirty miles on bad roads to Casterbridge，where the Saturday market was held．At half-past one Mrs Durbeyfield came into the bedroom where Tess and all the children slept．
过了11点钟，这一家人才全都上了床。要带着这些蜂箱上路，最迟也不能迟于翌晨两点钟出发。由那条糟糕的路去卡斯特桥市有二三十英里的路，那儿星期六有集市。在一点半钟的时候，德北夫人走进苔丝和其他孩子们睡觉的卧室。
‘The poor man can't go，’she whispered．Tess sat up in bed．
“那个可怜的人儿去不了啦，”她轻轻说道。苔丝从床上坐了起来。
‘But it's late for the bees already．We must take them today．’
“但是已经迟了，我们必须在今天把蜂箱带到！”
‘Maybe a young man would go？’asked Mrs Durbeyfield doubtfully．‘One of the ones dancing with you yesterday？’
“也许哪个年轻小伙子能去？”德北夫人有些迟疑。“叫个昨天跟你跳舞的小伙子？”
‘Oh no，not for the world！’said Tess proudly．‘And let everybody know the reason？I'd be so ashamed！I think I could go if little Abraham came with me．’
“哦，不，绝对不行！”苔丝自尊地说，“难道要让所有的人都知道原由吗？我会感到很羞耻的！我想我可以去，如果小亚伯拉罕能陪我的话。”
Tess and Abraham dressed， led out the old horse Prince with the loaded waggon，and set off in the dark．They cheered themselves up with bread and butter and conversation．
苔丝和亚伯拉罕穿好了衣服，牵出了那匹名叫“王子”的老马。马车已经上好了货。在黑暗中，他们出发了。他们吃了点儿面包黄油，让自己振奋起精神，还聊起了天。
‘Tess！’said Abraham， after a silence．
“苔丝！”一阵沉默之后，亚伯拉罕开口了。
‘Yes， Abraham．’
“嗯，亚伯拉罕。”
‘Aren't you glad that we're a noble family？’
“我们是贵族家庭，难道你不高兴吗？”
‘Not particularly．’
“没有特别高兴。”
‘But you're glad you're going to marry a gentleman？’
“但是，你要同一位先生结婚了，你会高兴吗？”
‘What？’said Tess，lifting her face．
“什么？”苔丝仰起了脸，问道。
‘Our noble relations are going to help you marry a gentleman．’
“我们的贵族亲戚会帮助你同一位先生结婚的。”
‘Me？Our noble relations？We haven't any．Whatever put that into your head？’
“我？我们的贵族亲戚？我们没有这样的亲戚呀。是什么让你脑子里有这种想法的？”
‘I heard them talking about it at home．There's a rich lady of our family out at Trantridge，and mother said that if you claimed relationship with her，she'd help you marry a gentleman．’
“我在家里听到他们谈起这件事。在纯瑞脊那儿，有一位我们家族的有钱太太。妈妈说如果你和她攀上亲，她会帮你嫁给一位先生的。”
His sister became suddenly silent．Abraham talked on， not noticing her lack of attention．
他姐姐突然沉默了。亚伯拉罕没有注意到姐姐已无心在听，还在继续说着。
‘Did you say the stars were worlds，Tess？’
“苔丝，你说过这些星星就是一个个世界吧？”
‘Yes．’
“是的。”
‘All like ours？’
“全都像我们这儿的世界吗？”
‘They seem like our apples—most of them good， a few bad．’
“它们就像我们的苹果一样——大多数是好的，也有一些是坏的。”
‘Which do we live on？A good one or a bad one？’
“我们住在哪颗星星上呢？好的，还是坏的？”
‘A bad one．’
“坏的。”
‘If we lived on a good one，how would things be different？’
“假如我们住在一颗好的星星上，会有什么不同吗？”
‘Well，father wouldn't be ill and cough as he does，and mother wouldn't always be washing．’
“那样，爸爸就不会像现在这样生病，也不会咳嗽，而妈妈也不会总是洗个没完。”
‘And you would have been a ready-made rich lady，and not have to marry a gentleman．’
“而你也早是一位有钱的小姐，用不着非得嫁给一位先生不可了。”
‘Oh，Aby，don't—don't talk of that any more！’
“哦，亚比，别说了——别再说这个了！”
Abraham finally went to sleep on the waggon．Tess drove the horse． Gradually she fell into a dream． She could see her father，foolish in his pride， and the rich gentleman of her mother's imagination laughing at the poor Durbeyfield family．
亚伯拉罕后来在货车上睡着了。苔丝赶着马，也渐渐地进入了梦乡。在梦里她看见父亲荒唐可笑地沉浸在骄傲中，而那位她母亲想象中的有钱绅士嘲笑着贫穷的德北家。