【经典名著阅读】《德伯家的苔丝》第六章（下）
A week afterwards she came in one evening from an unavailing search for some light occupation in the immediate neighbourhood. Her idea had been to get together sufficient money during the summer to purchase another horse. Hardly had she crossed the threshold before one of the children danced across the room, 'The gentleman's been here!' saying.一个星期里，她都在附近的地方寻找一个轻松一点儿的工作，但是她没有找到。一个星期过去了，她在晚上回到家里。她原来的想法是要在夏季里挣一笔钱，再买一匹马。她还没有跨进门，就有一个孩子从屋里跳着跑出来说：“那个绅士到家里来过啦！”
Her mother hastened to explain, smiles breaking from every inch of her person. Mrs d'Urberville's son had called on horseback, having been riding by chance in the direction of Marlott. He had wished to know, finally, in the name of his mother, if Tess could really come to manage the old lady's fowl farm or not; the lad who had hitherto superintended the birds having proved untrustworthy. 'Mr d'Urberville says you must be a good girl if you are at all as you appear; he knows you must be worth your weight in gold. He is very much interested in 'ee - truth to tell.' Tess seemed for the moment really pleased to hear that she had won such high opinion from a stranger when, in her own esteem, she had sunk so low.她母亲赶忙向她解释，浑身上下都透露出笑意来。德贝维尔夫人的儿子骑马刚好路过马洛特村，就顺道来拜访他们。他主要是代表他的母亲来的，想问一问苔丝究竟愿不愿意去为老夫人管理鸡场；还说以前为她管鸡的小伙子不可靠。“德贝维尔先生说，从你的模样看起来，你肯定是个好姑娘；他说你身价如金啦。他对你很感兴趣——老实告诉你。”听说自己得到一个陌生人如此高的评价，苔丝一时似乎真的高兴起来，因为那时候她自己觉得情绪非常低落。
'It is very good of him to think that,' she murmured; 'and if I was quite sure how it would be living there, I would go any-when.'“谢谢他这样想，”苔丝嘟哝着说；“要是我住在那儿的确感到放心的话，任何时候我都会到那儿去。”
'He is a mighty handsome man!'“他是一个聪明漂亮的人啦！”
'I don't think so,' said Tess coldly.“我可不这样认为，”苔丝冷冷地说。
'Well, there's your chance, whether or no; and I'm sure he wears a beautiful diamond ring!'“好啦，无论如何，这总是你的一个机会；我敢肯定，他戴的是一个漂亮的钻石戒指！”
'Yes,' said little Abraham, brightly, from the window bench; 'and I seed it! and it did twinkle when he put his hand up to his mistarshers. Mother, why did our grand relation keep on putting his hand up to his mistarshers?'“是钻石戒指，”在窗子下面板凳上坐着的小亚伯拉罕快活地说；“我也看见啦！他举手摸胡子的时候，那枚钻石戒指光灿灿的。母亲，我们那个阔绰的亲戚为什么老是用手摸他的胡须呢？”
'Hark at that child!' cried Mrs Durbeyfield, with parenthetic admiration.“听听这孩子说的吧！”德北菲尔德太太带着欣赏的神态大声说。
'Perhaps to show his diamond ring,' murmured Sir John, dreamily, from his chair.“大概是炫耀他的钻石戒指吧，”约翰爵士坐在椅子上打瞌睡，嘴里嘟哝着说。
'I'll think it over,' said Tess, leaving the room.“我得想一想这件事，”苔丝说完就离开了房问。
'Well, she's made a conquest o' the younger branch of us, straight off,' continued the matron to her husband, 'and she's a fool if she don't follow it up.'“好啦，她这一去就把比我们小的一房给征服了，”女主人继续对丈夫说，“她要是不继续往前走，那才是个傻瓜呢。”
'I don't quite like my children going away from home,' said the haggler. 'As the head of the family, the rest ought to come to me.'“我可不太喜欢我的孩子们离开家，”做小买卖的丈夫说，“我作为一个家族的大房，别人应该到我这儿来。”
'But do let her go, Jacky,' coaxed his poor witless wife. 'He's struck wi' - her you can see that. He called her Coz! He'll marry her, most likely, and make a lady of her; and then she'll be what her forefathers was.'“不过还是让她去吧，杰克，”可怜的傻乎乎的妻子劝着丈夫说。“他都叫她小堂妹啦！他很有可能娶了她，让她做一个贵夫人；那时候，她就同她的祖先一模一样了。”
John Durbeyfield had more conceit than energy or health, and this supposition was pleasant to him.约翰·德北菲尔德的虚荣心比他的精力和健康强得多，所以这个假设很使他高兴。
'Well, perhaps, that's what young Mr d'Urberville means,' he admitted; 'and sure enough he mid have serious thoughts about improving his blood by linking on to the old line. Tess, the little rogue! And have she really paid 'em a visit to such an end as this?' Meanwhile Tess was walking thoughtfully among the gooseberry bushes in the garden, and over Prince's grave. When she came in her mother pursued her advantage.“哦，也许，那就是年轻的德贝维尔先生的意思，”他承认说：“我敢肯定，他也许真的想同我们大房结亲，以此来改善他们的血统。苔丝真是小淘气鬼！她只是去拜访了他们一次，就真的会带来这种好结果吗？”这时候，苔丝正在院子里的覆盆子丛中、在王子的坟墓上满腹心事地走着。在她走进房间时，她母亲就追问起她来。
'Well, what be you going to do?' she asked.“呃，你打算怎么办呢？”她问。
'I wish I had seen Mrs d'Urberville,' said Tess.“我要是那天见到德贝维尔太太就好了，”苔丝说。
'I think you mid as well settle it. Then you'll see her soon enough.'“我觉得你应该打定主意了。这样你很快就能够见到她了。”
Her father coughed in his chair.她的父亲坐在椅子里咳嗽着。
'I don't know what to say!' answered the girl restlessly. 'It is for you to decide. I killed the old horse, and I suppose I ought to do something to get ye a new one. But - but - I don't quite like Mr d'Urberville being there!'“我简直不知道说什么好！”姑娘心中不安地说，“还是由你作决定吧。既是我把那匹老马弄死了，我想我应该想法再弄一匹新马。可是——可是——我的确很不喜欢那儿的德贝维尔先生！”
The children, who had made use of this idea of Tess being taken up by their wealthy kinsfolk (which they imagined the other family to be) as a species of dolorifuge after the death of the horse, began to cry at Tess's reluctance, and teased and reproached her for hesitating.孩子们在王子死了以后，一直存了苔丝嫁给他们有钱亲戚的想法（在他们的想象里，那一家人一定是他们的亲戚），并以此作为一种安慰，这时候看见苔丝犹豫着，就开始朝苔丝嚷起来，骂她，埋怨她犹犹豫豫的。
'Tess won't go-o-o and be made a la-a-dy-of - !no, she says she won't!' they walled with square mouths. 'And we shan't have a nice new horse, and lots o' golden money to buy fairlings! And Tess won't look pretty in her best cloze no mo-o-ore!'“苔丝不——不——不去啦，不做贵——贵——贵夫人啦！她说她——不——不去啦！”孩子们咧开大嘴哭了起来。“我们不会有漂亮的新马啦，也没有大堆的金钱买礼物啦！苔丝再也没有新衣服穿啦，再也不——不漂亮啦！”
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