牛津书虫系列《苔丝》Chapter18 附中英双语文本

第二天，他们赶上一场雷阵雨，被浇湿了。这个陌生人病倒了，几天之后便死去了。在那种环境恶劣的地方，死神的降临是不足为奇的。克莱尔将他安葬了，又继续自己的行程。由于这出人意料的死亡，他的话不知怎地显示出了更大的重要性，克莱尔突然感到羞愧了，苔丝并没有犯罪。他应该相信她的品质，而不是对她无法避免的一段过去横加指责。他回想起了伊茨·休爱特说的话：她可以为你舍弃她的生命。没有任何一个女人能付出更多了。在他们结婚的那天，她是带着怎样的眼神凝视着他呀——仿佛他是一个神！而在火炉边度过的那个可怕的夜晚，当她对他说了她的经历后，意识到他可能不再爱她时，她又是多么地伤心欲绝啊！
Meanwhile Tess was not hopeful that Angel would come in answer to her letter．The past had not changed，so he might not change either．Nevertheless she spent her spare time preparing for his possible return，practising singing the songs he used to like，tears rolling down her cheeks all the while．
同时，苔丝对安吉尔会响应她的信而回来不抱什么希望了。过去并没有改变，所以也许他也没有改变。然而，她还是利用空闲的时间，为他可能的返回作着准备，练习唱他过去爱听的歌，每到这个时候，眼泪就会从她的双颊潸潸滚落。
One evening she was in the cottage as usual when there was a knock at the door．A tall thin girl came in and Tess recognized her young sister Liza－Lu．
一天晚上，像往常一样，她正待在小屋里，这时响起了一阵敲门声。一个高高瘦瘦的女孩走了进来，苔丝认出，是她的妹妹丽莎－露。
‘Liza－Lu！’said Tess．‘What's the matter？’
“丽莎－露！”苔丝说，“出什么事儿啦？”
‘Mother is very ill，’her sister said seriously，‘and father is not well either and says a man of such noble family shouldn't have to work．So we don't know what to do．’
“妈妈病得很重，”她的妹妹焦虑地说道，“爸爸的身体也不好，还说像这样一个高贵家族的人是不该工作的。所以我们不知道如何是好。”
Tess thought for a moment．She realized she had to go home immediately，although her time was not yet up at the farm．She left her sister to rest for a while，and she herself set off at once with her possessions in a basket．
苔丝想了一会儿。她意识到自己必须立即回家一趟，尽管她在农场的干活期未满。她让妹妹留下来休息一会儿，自己把行李装在一个篮子里，即刻启程了。
Although it was night and she had a fifteen－mile walk， she felt quite safe．She was only worried about her mother， and did not notice the strange shapes of trees and hedges in the darkness．At three in the morning she passed the field where she had first seen Angel Clare，and felt again the disappointment when he did not dance with her．And when she saw the family cottage， it seemed to be part of her body and life，as it always did．
虽然是夜里了，她还有15英里的路要走，但她觉得十分安全。她只是担心她的母亲，根本注意不到黑暗中那些树木和篱笆怪异的影子。凌晨3点，她经过与安吉尔·克莱尔初次见面的田野，因他没有请她跳舞产生的失望又一次涌上心头。她看到她们家的房子，它就像她身体和生活的一部分。它总是这样的。
She found her mother recovering from her illness，and took over as head of the household．Her father did not seem ill，and had a new plan for earning money．
她发现她母亲正从病中恢复，又接管了一家的事务，她的父亲则不像生病的样子，还制定了一个挣钱的新计划。
‘I'm going to find all the historians round here，’he said，‘and get them to pay money to keep me going．After all，they pay to look after old ruins，and I'm of historical interest．I think they'll be pleased to do it！’
“我打算找到周围地区的所有的历史学家，”他说道，“让他们出钱支持我的生活。毕竟，他们是要花钱照看那些历史古迹的，我也有历史价值，我认为他们会乐意这么做的！”
Tess did not have time to answer．She nursed her mother，fed the children，and worked in the garden，planting vegetables for next year．She enjoyed working outside，among her neighbours．One evening when it was almost dark，she was digging happily in the vegetable garden，some distance from the cottage．It was a clear，fresh night，with smoke blowing about from small fires in the gardens．Suddenly she saw a man's face in the light of a fire．It was d’Urberville！She gasped and stepped back，her face pale．
苔丝没有工夫回答他的话。她要看护母亲，喂养孩子，还要在园子里干活儿，为来年种点儿蔬菜。她喜欢跟左邻右舍一起，在户外干活儿。一天傍晚，天将黑时，她在菜园子里欢快地掘着土。园子离家有些距离。这是一个明朗、清新的夜晚。园子里的小火堆升起了一团团的烟雾，突然，她在火光中看到了一张男人的脸，是德伯！她惊得透不过气来，后退了几步，脸变得惨白。