牛津书虫系列《苔丝》Chapter7 附中英双语文本

Tess thought a good deal about the baptism， however， and wondered if it might mean that Sorrow could be buried in the churchyard，with a church service． She went to the parson's house after dark， and met him near his gate．
但是苔丝还是对这个洗礼考虑了很多，她想知道这是否意味着“悲哀”可以按照教堂的仪式安葬在教堂墓地。天黑以后，她就到牧师家去了，在大门附近她遇见了牧师。
‘I should like to ask you something，sir．My baby was very ill，and I wanted you to baptize him， but my father refused to allow it．So I baptized him myself．Now sir， can you tell me this，’and she looked him straight in the eyes，‘ will it be just the same for him as if you had baptized him？’
“先生，我想请教您一件事情。我的孩子病得很重，我想让您给他施洗，但是我的父亲不让我这么做。于是我自己给他施了洗。现在，先生，您是否能告诉我，”她两眼直直地看着他，“对他来说，这么做跟您给他施洗是一样的吗？”
The parson wanted to say no． She had done what should have been his job．But the girl's strong feeling impressed him． The man and the parson fought inside him， and the man won．
牧师想说不一样。她做了他份内的事。但是这姑娘炽烈的感情让他感动。在他内心，作为人和作为牧师的两种角色在斗争着，最后，人取得了胜利。
‘My dear girl，’he said，‘it will be just the same．’
“我亲爱的姑娘，”他说，“这会是一样的。”
‘Then will you bury him in the churchyard？’ she asked quickly．
“那你会将他安葬在教堂墓地吗？”她迅速问道。
The parson felt trapped． It was a difficult question to answer．‘Ah，that's a different matter，’he said．‘1'm sorry，I cannot．’
牧师觉得陷入了圈套。这是一个很难回答的问题。“哦，那是另外一回事，”他说，“抱歉，我不能。”
‘Oh sir！’She took his hand as she spoke．
“哦，先生！”她抓住他的手，说道。
He took it away，shaking his head．
他把手拿开了，摇了摇头。
‘Then I'll never come to church again！’she cried．‘But perhaps it will be the same for him？ Tell me， have pity on me， poor me，tell me what you really think！’
“那么，我再也不去教堂了！”她哭道，“但也许对他来说是一样的？告诉我，可怜可怜我，告诉我您真实的想法！”
The parson was deeply touched by her emotion． For a surprising moment he forgot the strict rules of his church．
牧师被她的情绪深深地感染了。有一刻，他竟然忘记了教堂里那些严格的戒律。
‘It will be just the same，’he answered kindly．
“会是一样的。”他善意地回答道。
So the baby was carried in a cheap wooden box to the churchyard at nignt．There is a corner of the churchyard where the grass grows long，and where the suicides，drunks， unbaptized babies and other supposed criminals are laid． Sorrow was buried here，at the cost of a shilling and a pint of beer for the gravedigger．Tess bravely made a little cross and put it at the head of the grave one evening，when she could enter the churchyard without being seen．
因此，当晚孩子被装在一个廉价的木制箱子里，运到了教堂墓地。这是一个杂草丛生的墓地角落，埋葬着那些自杀的人，饮酒过度的人，没有施过洗的婴儿，还有其他被认为有罪的人。她花了一个先令，给了掘墓人一品脱啤酒，“悲哀”便被葬在了这里。一天晚上，当她可以不被人看到地进入墓地时，苔丝做了一个小小的十字架，并把它竖在了坟头。
It is all very well saying that we learn from experience． Tess had certainly learnt from experience，but could not see how to use her knowledge，so painfully gained．
有句话说得好，叫“吃一堑，长一智。”苔丝当然从她的经历中学到了东西，只是不知道该怎样运用这些经历了如此之大的痛苦才懂得的道理。
So she stayed in her parents’ home during the winter， helping to look after the children， making clothes for them and earning a little money whenever she could．Important dates came round again：the night of her shame in The Chase，the baby's birth and death， her own birthday． One day when she was looking at her pretty face in the mirror，she thought of another date，even more important—her own death． When it came it would swallow up all her prettiness and everything that had happened to her．When was it？It was a day lying hidden among all the other days of the year， so that she noticed nothing when it came round，and did not know what week， month，season or year it would be．