苔絲 Chapter11

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It was July and very hot. The atmosphere of the flat valley hung like a drug over the dairy people， the cows and the trees. It was Sunday morning after milking. Tess and the other three girls dressed quickly to go to Mellstock Church，which was three or four miles away from Talbothays. Heavy thunderstorms had poured down the day before， but today the sun shone brightly and the air was warm and clear.When the girls reached the lowest part of the road to Mellstock， they found it was flooded. In working clothes and boots they would have walked through， but they were wearing Sunday white stockings and thin shoes which they did not want to ruin. The church bell was calling， still a mile away.

到了7月，天氣非常炎熱。懸浮在平坦的山谷中的大氣就像麻醉劑一般，籠罩著奶場的人們、奶牛和樹木。這是擠完奶后的一個星期天的早晨。苔絲和另外三個姑娘急匆匆地換上衣服，準備到梅爾斯托克教堂去，那兒距塔爾勃塞有三四英里遠。前一天剛下過很大的暴雨，今天卻陽光明媚，空氣溫和清新。當姑娘們走到通向梅爾斯托克那條路的最低的一段時，發(fā)現(xiàn)這一段路被洪水淹沒了。平時穿著工作服和靴子，她們走過去就行了。但今天她們穿著做禮拜才穿的白襪子和薄鞋子，她們可不想把它們都毀了。還有一英里路，教堂的鐘聲已經(jīng)響了。

Suddenly they saw Angel Clare approaching. He had seen them from far away， and had come to help them， one of them in particular.

突然，她們看到安吉爾·克萊爾正朝這邊走近。他遠遠就看見她們了，是過來幫助她們的，特別是她們中的某一個。

‘I'll carry you through the water， all of you，’he offered.All four blushed as if they had one heart.

“我把你們都抱過水去，你們所有人。”他開口提供幫助。四個人的臉不約而同地全紅了，好像心有靈犀。

‘Now， Marian， put your arms round my shoulders. Hold on!’ and Angel walked off with her in his arms. Next was lzz Huett.Her lips were dry with emotion. Angel returned for Retty. While he was picking her up， he glanced at Tess. He could not have said more plainly，‘ It will soon be you and I.’There was an understanding between them.

“現(xiàn)在，瑪麗安，用你的手臂抱住我的肩膀，抱緊點!”然后安吉爾抱起她走了。下一個是伊茨·休愛特。她激動得嘴唇都干了。然后安吉爾又回來接蕾蒂。當他抱起她時，他瞥了一眼苔絲。他用不著更直接了當?shù)卣f：“很快就到你和我了。”他們之間存在著一種默契。

It was now Tess's turn. He picked her up. She was embarrassed to discover her excitement at his nearness.

這下輪到苔絲了。他把她抱了起來。當她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己因他的貼近而激動時，她有些局促不安。

‘Three plain girls to get one beauty，’he whispered.

“抱過三個相貌平平的姑娘，就為了抱一個漂亮的。”他輕輕說道。

‘They are better women than I，’ she said bravely.

“她們是比我更好的姑娘，”她勇敢地說。

‘Not to me，’ said Angel. She blushed. There was silence.Clare stood still and bent his face to hers.

“對我來說不是，”安吉爾說道。她的臉又紅了。一陣沉默后，克萊爾站住了，低下頭，把自己的臉靠近苔絲的臉。

‘Oh Tessy!’he said. Her cheeks were pink and she could not look into his eyes. But he respected her modesty and did nothing more. He walked slowly， however， to make the journey as long as possible， and put her down on dry land. Her friends were looking with round thoughtful eyes at them.He said goodbye and went back by the road.

“哦，苔絲!”他輕喚道。她的臉頰微微紅著，不能直視他的眼睛。出于對她的端莊的尊重，他沒有再做出什么。然而，他走得很慢，盡可能地延長這段行程。然后他把她放在了干地上。她的朋友們都瞪圓了眼睛，關切地注視著他們。他說了聲再見就沿原路返回了。

The four walked on together. Marian broke the silence by saying，‘No， we have no chance against her!’She looked joylessly at Tess.

四個人繼續(xù)往前走著?，旣惏泊蚱屏顺聊f道：“不，在她面前我們沒有機會!”她悶悶不樂地看著苔絲。

‘What do you mean?’asked Tess.

“你這是什么意思?”苔絲問道。

‘He likes you best， the very best!We saw as he brought you over. He'd have kissed you if you had encouraged him， only a little.’

“他最喜歡你!最最喜歡!當他抱你過來時，我們都看到了。如果你鼓勵他的話，哪怕只有一點點鼓勵，他就會吻你的。”

They were no longer cheerful but they were not bitter.They were generous country girls who accept that such things happen.Tess's heart ached.She knew that she loved Angel Clare， perhaps all the more passionately because the others also loved him.And yet that same hungry heart of hers pitied her friends.

她們的愉快心情一掃而光，但她們也并不懷恨在心。她們都是寬厚的鄉(xiāng)下姑娘，能夠接受這種事情的發(fā)生。苔絲的心在作痛。她知道她愛安吉爾·克萊爾，也許這種愛變得更強烈了，因為其他姑娘也在愛著他。然而，正是她那顆充滿渴望的心，對她的朋友們產(chǎn)生了同情。

‘I will never stand in your way!’ she cried to them that evening in the bedroom.‘I don't think he's thinking of marrying， but even if he asked me， I'd refuse him， as I'd refuse any man.’

“我將永遠不會妨礙你們的!”那天晚上在臥室里，她向她們宣布，“我認為他并沒有在考慮結(jié)婚，但是即使他向我求婚，我也會拒絕他的，就像拒絕任何其他男人一樣。”

‘Oh why?’they asked.

“哦，為什么?”她們問。

‘I cannot marry! But I don't think he will choose any of you.

“我不能結(jié)婚!但是我認為他不會選擇你們中任何一個的。”

So the girls remained friends. They all shared each other's secret. The air in their bedroom was full of their hopeless passion. There was a flame burning the inside of their hearts out. But because they had no hope， they were not jealous of each other.They had even heard that Angel's family were planning for him to marry a neighbour's daughter. Tess no longer attached any importance to Clare's interest in her.It was a passing summer attraction， nothing more.

這樣，姑娘們還是朋友。她們互相分享彼此的秘密。她們臥室的空氣中充斥著沒有希望的熱情。她們的心被激情燃燒著。但是因為她們不抱任何希望，她們之間也就沒有妒忌。他們甚至還聽說，安吉爾的家人正打算讓他娶一個鄰居的女兒。克萊爾對她的關注對苔絲來說，已不再有任何重要性。這只是一次夏天的、轉(zhuǎn)瞬即逝的吸引，僅此而已。

The heat grew steadily greater. In this stormy atmosphere even a passing attraction would deepen into love. Everything in nature was ready for love.Clare became gradually more passionately in love with the soft and silent Tess. The fields were dry. Waggons threw up clouds of dust on the road. Cows jumped over gates， chased by flies. Dairyman Crick's sleeves were rolled up from Monday to Saturday， and the milkers milked in the fields for coolness.

氣溫不斷地升高。在這多風暴的空氣中，甚至短暫的吸引都會成為深深的愛慕。自然中的一切事物都為愛作好了準備?？巳R爾對溫柔沉靜的苔絲的愛也越來越熾烈了。地是干的，馬車駛過，揚起一片塵煙。奶牛跳過柵門，被一群蒼蠅追逐著。奶場主克里克卷起袖子從星期一干到星期六，為了圖涼快，工人們都在地里擠奶。

On one of these afternoons Tess and Angel were milking near each other. Tess used to rest her head on the cow's body，her eyes fixed on a distant field. The sun shone on the beautiful lines of the face. She did not know that Clare had followed her round and sat watching her. How very lovable her face was to him. He had never seen such beautiful lips and teeth， like roses filled with snow.

就在這樣的一個下午，苔絲和安吉爾在相距不遠的地方擠著奶。苔絲習慣于把頭靠在奶牛的身上休息，眼睛注視著遠方的田野。陽光照在她臉龐秀美的輪廓上。她不知道克萊爾已經(jīng)跟著她過來了，正坐著觀看她。那是張多么討人喜歡的臉啊!他從來沒有見過如此美麗動人的唇齒，恰如含雪的玫瑰一般。

Suddenly Clare jumped up， leaving his bucket to be kicked over by the cow， went quickly towards her， and， kneeling down beside her， took her in his arms. Tess let herself relax in his arms in a moment of joyful surprise. He was on the point of kissing that tempting mouth， but stopped himself.

突然，克萊爾從坐的地方一躍而起，顧不上奶牛是否會把奶桶踢翻，快速地向她跑去。他跪在她身旁，把她摟進了懷里。那一刻，苔絲又驚又喜，她讓自己依順地偎在了他的懷里。他差點就要親吻那張充滿誘惑的小嘴了，但他抑制住了自己。

‘Forgive me， Tess dear!’he whispered.‘I ought to have asked.I love you， Tess really!’

“請原諒我，苔絲，我親愛的!”他輕聲說道，“我本來應該問問你的。我愛你，苔絲，真的!”

Tess tried to free herself and her eyes began to fill with tears.

苔絲想從他懷里掙脫出來，她的眼里開始噙滿淚水。

‘Why are you crying， my darling?’he asked.

“為什么哭，親愛的?”他問。

‘Oh I don't know!’ she murmured， trying to pull away.

“哦，我不知道!”她輕聲說道，試圖脫身走開。

‘Well， I've shown my feeling at last， Tess，’he said with a curious sigh， showing that his heart had overcome his reason.‘I do love you dearly and truly. But I shall go no further now.I have surprised you.

“嗯，我終于向你表露了我的真情，苔絲，”他有些奇怪地嘆了口氣，說道。這表明他的情感戰(zhàn)勝了他的理智。“我真地愛你，真心誠意地愛你，但是現(xiàn)在我不該有過分的表示，我嚇著你了。”

She freed herself and they went on milking. Nobody had noticed， and when Dairyman Crick came round there was no sign to show that there was any connection between them. Yet something had happened which was to change their whole world. As a practical man， the dairyman might laugh at love，but love has a habit of changing people's lives.It is a force to be respected.

她從他懷里掙脫出來，他們又開始擠奶了。沒有人注意到他們，當奶場主克里克走過來時，沒有任何跡象表明他們之間有什么瓜葛。然而，事情已經(jīng)發(fā)生了，并將改變他們的整個世界。作為一個講究實際的人，這位奶場主可能會嘲笑愛情，但是愛情慣于改變?nèi)藗兊纳?。這是一種應該受到尊敬的力量。