牛津书虫系列《苔丝》Chapter18 附中英双语文本

18
18
This desperate cry for help eventually arrived at the parson's house in Emminster．Old Mr Clare was pleased．
这封绝望的求助信最终到了爱敏斯特牧师的家中，老克莱尔先生很高兴。
‘I think this letter is from Angel's wife．I hope this will bring him home more quickly．He did say he was planning to come home next month．’
“我想这是安吉尔的妻子来的信。我希望这会让他更快地回家。他是说过，他计划下个月回家的。”
‘Dear boy，I hope he will get home safely，’murmured Mrs Clare．‘I still feel he should have gone university like the other two．He should have had the same chance as them，Church or no Church．’
“亲爱的孩子，我希望他能平安到家。”克莱尔夫人低声说道，“我仍然觉得他应该像其他两个那样去上大学，他应该和他们有同样的机会，不管是不是到教会工作。”
This was the only complaint she ever made to her husband．He too was worried that he had been unfair to Angel．They blamed themselves for this unfortunate marriage．If Angel had studied at Cambridge he would never have become a farmer and married a country girl．Still，his more recent letters showed that Angel was planning to come home to fetch her， so perhaps their quarrel，whatever it was， could be settled．
这是她有史以来唯一一次向她的丈夫发牢骚。他自己也为他没有公平地对待安吉尔感到忧虑。他们为这桩不幸的婚姻责备自己。假如安吉尔在剑桥学习的话，他就永远不会成为一个农场主，也不会跟一个乡下姑娘结婚了。不过，安吉尔最近一次的来信表明他仍打算回家带她一起去，所以他们的争吵，不管是为了什么，也许可以解决了。
Angel himself was at this moment riding across Brazil towards the coast．He had never completely recovered from the serious illness he had had when he first arrived．He was not as strong as before，and looked much older．The country had been a disappointment to him．Many farmers had come here from England hoping to make their fortune，and had died in the fields or on the roads．He knew now he could not farm here．
安吉尔自己这个时候正骑马横穿巴西到海岸。他一到这儿就生了场大病，以后再也没有彻底恢复过来。他已经不如以前那么健壮了，看起来也老了许多。这个国家让他失望了。许多从英国来的农场主，怀着发家致富的梦想到了这儿，却死在了地里或路上。他知道他无法在此经营农场了。
His attitude to life had changed during this time． He began to look again at what was right and wrong．He began to see that a person should be judged not only on what he has done but also on what he wanted to do．He began to think that he had perhaps been unfair to Tess，and he thought about her with growing affection．
在这期间，他对生活的态度已发生了转变。他开始再度审视起是非曲直来。他开始明白，评判一个人不仅仅要根据他做过什么，还要根据他想做什么。他开始想到自己过去对待苔丝也许是不公平的，他怀着与日俱增的爱恋，回想着她。
He wondered why she had not written．He forgot that he had told her not to write first．He did not realize that she was obeying his orders exactly，although it was breaking her heart．
他纳闷她为什么不给他写信。他忘了，他说过不要先来信的。他没有意识到她在完完全全地服从他的命令，尽管这叫她伤心欲碎。
On his journey，he travelled with another Englishman．They were both depressed and both told each other their problems．The stranger was older and more experienced than Angel．He had a different，more open approach to life．He told Angel clearly that he was wrong in parting from Tess．
在行程中，他和另外一个英国人结伴而行。他们都很沮丧，彼此倾诉着自己的问题。这位陌生人比安吉尔年长，阅历也更丰富。他对生活的态度有自己不同的、更为豁达开朗的一套。他明确地对安吉尔说，他离开苔丝是错误的。
The next day they got wet in a thunderstorm．The stranger fell ill and died a few days later．Death came as no surprise in that unfriendly land．Clare buried him，and continued his journey．The man's words were somehow given greater importance by his unexpected death，and suddenly Clare felt ashamed．Tess had committed no crime． He should believe in her character，and not object to a past action she could not avoid．He remembered the words of Izz Huett：She would have laid down her life for you．No woman could do more．How she had looked at him on their wedding day—as if he were a god！And during that terrible evening by the fireside，when she told him her story，how desperately sad she had been to realize he might not love her any more．