【经典名著阅读】《德伯家的苔丝》第二十三章（中）
Poor little Retty, though by far the lightest weight, was the most troublesome of Clare's burdens. Marian had been like a sack of meal, a dead weight of plumpness under which he had literally staggered. Izz had ridden sensibly and calmly. Retty was a bunch of hysterics.可怜的小莱蒂尽管身子最轻，但是抱着她却最麻烦。玛丽安胖乎乎的一堆死肉，好像一口袋粮食，几乎都把克莱尔给压倒了。伊茨很懂事，靠在他的肩上一动也不动。莱蒂却是歇斯底里的一团。
However, he got through with the disquieted creature, deposited her, and returned. Tess could see over the hedge the distant three in a group, standing as he had placed them on the next rising ground. It was now her turn. She was embarrassed to discover that excitement at the proximity of Mr Clare's breath and eyes, which she had contemned in her companions, was intensified in herself; and as if fearful of betraying her secret she pattered with him at the last moment.不过，他还是把这个不安静的姑娘抱过了水塘，把她放在地上，转身走了，苔丝从树篱的顶上望过去，看见远处她们三个人挤在一起，站在他把她们放下的那块高地上，现在轮到她了。苔丝心里感到局促不安，因为她看见她的伙伴们接近克莱尔的呼吸和眼睛时那样激动，曾经嗤之以鼻，而现在却轮到她自己紧张了；她好像是害怕泄露了自己心中的秘密似的，到了最后一刻竟然推托搪塞起来。
'I may be able to clim' along the bank perhaps - I can clim' better than they. You must be so tired, Mr Clare!'“也许我能够沿着这面土坡走过去——走路我比她们强得多。你一定太累了，克莱尔先生！”
'No, no, Tess,' said he quickly. And almost before she was aware she was seated in his arms and resting against his shoulder.“不，不，苔丝，”克莱尔急忙说。苔丝几乎在不知不觉当中倒进了他的怀里，靠在了他的肩上。
'Three Leahs to get one Rachel,' he whispered.“娶三个利亚只是为了得到一个拉结呀！”①他轻声说。
'They are better women than I,' she replied, magnanimously sticking to her resolve.“她们都是比我强的女孩子呀，”她回答说，说话里仍然很慷慨地坚持着自己心中要成全她们的决定。
'Not to me,' said Angel.“在我看来不是这样的，”安琪尔说。
He saw her grow warm at this; and they went some steps in silence.他看见她听了他说的话脸上一红；就抱着她往前走了几步，没有说话。
①《旧约·创世纪》第二十八章说，以撒吩咐雅各到外祖家去，在拉班的三个女儿中娶一个为妻。第二十九章接着说，雅各为拉班工作了七年，拉班把大女儿利亚（Leah）和使女兹尔巴许配给他，但雅各为了得到拉班的 小女儿拉结（Rachel），又为拉班工作了七年。
'I hope I am not too heavy?' she said timidly. 'O no. You should lift Marian! Such a lump. You are like an undulating billow warmed by the sun. And all this fluff of muslin about you is the froth.'“啊，不重。你试试玛丽安就知道！她是那样重的一堆肉呢。你却像阳光照耀下上下起伏的一片波浪。你身上穿的这件细纱衣裳，就是从波浪里飞出来的浪花。”
'It is very pretty - if I seem like that to you.'“这真让人高兴——要是你觉得我真像波浪的话。”
'Do you know that I have undergone three-quarters of this labour entirely for the sake of the fourth quarter?'“我在前面出的四分之三的力气完全是为了后面这四分之一的缘故呀。你知道吗？”
'No.'“不知道。”
'I did not expect such an event to-day.'“我真没有想到今天会碰到这件事。”
'Nor I... The water came up so sudden.'“我也没有想到……水是突然上涨的。”
That the rise in the water was what she understood him to refer to, the state of her breathing belied. Clare stood still and inclined his face towards hers.她嘴里说着水涨了的话，但是她明白他说的话里面的意思，因此她的呼吸把她的真情泄漏了。克莱尔静静地站着，把自己的脸朝向她的脸。
'O Tessy!' he exclaimed.“啊，苔丝！”他感叹地说。
The girl's cheeks burned to the breeze, and she could not look into his eyes for her emotion. It reminded Angel that he was somewhat unfairly taking advantage of an accidental position; and he went no further with it. No definite words of love had crossed their lips as yet, and suspension at this point was desirable now. However, he walked slowly, to make the remainder of the distance as long as possible; but at last they came to the bend, and the rest of their progress was in full view of the other three. The dry land was reached, and he set her down.苔丝姑娘的面颊在微风中烧得发烫，情感荡漾，不敢再看他的眼睛了。安琪尔这时也想到，他利用这个偶然得来的优势有些不公平；他因此就不再迈她了。他们口中虽然没有明白地把他们的情话说出来，但是他们却希望现在就适可而止。但是，他走得很慢，尽量把抱着她走路的时间延长；不过他们最后还是走到了拐弯的地方，剩下的一段路就完全暴露在另外三个姑娘的眼中了。他们走到了干燥的地面，克莱尔把苔丝放了下来。
Her friends were looking with round thoughtful eyes at her and him, and she could see that they had been talking of her. He hastily bade them farewell, and splashed back along the stretch of submerged road.苔丝的朋友们把眼睛睁得圆圆的，带着深思，看着她和安琪尔，她也看得出来她们一直在议论她。他急急忙忙地向她们告了别，又沿着被水淹没的道路哗哗地走了回去。
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