苔絲 Chapter18
Poor John Durbeyfield's death had more importance than his family realized at first.The cottage was in his name.On his death the farmer who owned it decided to put farm workers in it，and told the Durbeyfields to leave.They were not much respected in the village because of John's laziness.Tess also felt guilty that her presence might have influenced the farmer.The village people clearly thought she was not a good example for their children.
可憐的約翰·德北的去世所帶來的影響比他的家人最先意識到的更為重大。這座房子是以他的名義使用的。因?yàn)樗懒?，農(nóng)場主——也就是房主人決定讓農(nóng)場工人們住到這里，叫德比一家都搬走。因?yàn)榧s翰的懶惰，他們家在村子里不太受敬重。苔絲也感到很愧疚，也許她的存在影響了那個農(nóng)場主。村子里的人們都明確地認(rèn)為她不是弟妹們的好榜樣。
So on Lady Day the Durbeyfields had to leave their old home.The night before they left，d’Urberville came to visit Tess，to offer her and her family a little house on his land at Trantridge.Her mother could look after the chickens，and he would pay for the children to go to school.Tess firmly rejected his offer.But when he had gone，for the first time a feeling of anger rose in her against her husband.She had never intended to do wrong and he had punished her too hard!She passionately wrote these few words to him：
于是在圣母領(lǐng)報(bào)日那天，德北一家不得不離開了他們的老房子。離開的前一天晚上，德伯來看望苔絲，提出把在純?nèi)鸺顾耐恋厣系囊婚g房子給她和她的家人祝她的母親可以為他養(yǎng)雞，他則可以出錢供孩子們上學(xué)。苔絲嚴(yán)厲地拒絕了他的幫助。可是當(dāng)他離開之后，她內(nèi)心第一次產(chǎn)生了對她丈夫憤怒的感覺。她從來沒有存心要做錯事，他對她的懲罰太殘酷了!她滿懷激情地寫了下面幾句話：
Oh why have you treated me so badly，Angel?I do not deserve it.You are cruel!I intend to forget you.You have been so unfair to me!
啊，安吉爾，你為什么對我這么狠哪?這不是我應(yīng)受的懲罰，你真是殘酷!我要設(shè)法忘掉你。你對待我太不公平了!
T
苔
She ran out and posted it before she could change her mind.
她跑出去，趁著她還沒有改變心意趕忙寄了這封信。
‘I see there's been a visitor，’said her mother，coming into the living room later.‘Your husband， was it?’
“我看有人來拜訪過了，”她母親隨后來到了起居室，說道，“是你的丈夫，對嗎?”
‘No，it wasn't him.He'll never，never come，’said Tess hopelessly.She had said it was not her husband，but she was feeling more and more that d’Urberville was physically her husband.
“不，不是他。他永遠(yuǎn)、永遠(yuǎn)也不會來的。”苔絲絕望地說道。她說了來者不是她的丈夫，可是她卻越來越感到，德伯是她實(shí)質(zhì)上的丈夫。
Next day their possessions were put on a waggon and taken to Kingsbere.Mrs Durbeyfield had booked rooms there，as it was the family home of the d’Urbervilles，and she still hoped some good would come of belonging to the ancient family.But as they approached Kingsbere after a long and tiring day's journey，a man came to tell them there were no rooms available.Tess and her mother unloaded the waggon，and left the children and furniture near the churchyard wall，while they looked for somewhere to stay.But all the rooms were full.
第二天，他們的家當(dāng)被裝上了一輛運(yùn)貨馬車，帶到王陴那兒。德北夫人在那兒訂了房間，因?yàn)槟莾菏堑虏易宓姆慨a(chǎn)，并且由于歸屬于這個古老的家族，她仍然抱著從中能出現(xiàn)什么好事的希望?？墒墙?jīng)過一天漫長又疲憊的旅行之后，在臨近王陴時，有個人來告訴他們這兒已經(jīng)沒有空余的房間了。苔絲和她母親從貨車上卸下東酉，把孩子和家具留在教堂墓地圍墻附近，她們自己則去尋找能住的地方。但是所有的房子都是滿滿的。
Tess looked desperately at the pile of their possessions. In the cold sunlight of this spring evening the furniture looked old and the pots looked worn.
苔絲絕望地看著這一堆家當(dāng)。在這春天傍晚冷冷的日光下，家具看起來很破舊，而鍋碗瓢盆都是破破爛爛的。
‘Tombs belong to families for ever，don't they?’asked her mother brightly，having looked round the churchyard.‘Well，that's where we'll stay，children，until the place of your ancestors finds us some shelter!’
“墳?zāi)褂肋h(yuǎn)屬于家族所有，是不是?”在環(huán)顧了教堂墓地之后，她的母親歡快地問道。“好了，孩子們，在你們祖先的地位給我們找到避難所之前，這就是我們要待的地方。”
Tess helped her mother move the big bed against the church wall.Underground were the tombs of the d’Urbervilles，and at the head of the bed was a beautiful old window，in which the symbols on the Durbeyfield seal and spoon could be seen.The children were put to bed all together for warmth and comfort.
苔絲幫助她母親把那張大床移到靠著教堂墻壁的位置。地下就是德伯家族的墳?zāi)梗睬坝幸粋€漂亮古老的窗格，里面可以見到德伯印章和銀匙上的標(biāo)記。為了保暖和舒適起見，孩子們統(tǒng)統(tǒng)上了床，擠在一起。
‘Tomorrow we'll find somewhere better!’said Joan cheerfully.‘But Tess，what's the good of you playing at marrying gentlemen， if it leaves us like this!’
“明天我們會找到一個更好的地方!”瓊樂觀地說道。“可是苔絲，你隨隨便便地嫁給紳士先生們得到了什么好處，如果我們落到這個地步的話!”
Tess went inside the ancient church and stared sadly at the tombs of her ancestors.She thought she saw a movement and turned to look again at a stone figure lying on a tomb.When she saw it was Alec d’Urberville lying there，she almost fainted.
苔絲走進(jìn)了這座古老的教堂，憂傷地盯著她祖先們的墳?zāi)?。她覺得她看到了什么東西在動，掉過頭去又看了一眼，墳?zāi)股咸芍粋€僵硬的身子。當(dāng)她認(rèn)出是亞歷克·德伯躺在那兒時，她幾乎要昏厥過去了。
‘I'm going to help you，’he said，jumping up and smiling at her.‘You'll see that I'm more useful than a real d’Urberville.I'll see your mother.You'll thank me for this!’As he brushed past her，she dropped her head on to the cold stone of the tomb.
“我打算幫助你，”他跳起來，笑著對她說道。“你會看到我比一個真正的德伯家的人更有用處。我要去見你的母親。你會為此感激我的!”當(dāng)他從她身邊擦肩而過時，她對著墳?zāi)贡涞氖瘔K垂下了頭。
‘Why am I on the wrong side of this stone?’she whispered.
“我為什么不是在墓石的另一邊?”她喃喃說道。
Marian and Izz had seen Tess moving house with her family，and knew what a difficult position she was in.They generously hoped she would one day be happy with Angel again，and were afraid for her，knowing that Alec d’Urberville was constantly tempting her.They decided to write a letter to Angel Clare，to inform him of the dangerous situation his wife was in.This is what they wrote：
瑪麗安和伊茨知道苔絲和她的家人搬家了，也了解她處在一個怎樣的困境當(dāng)中。她們寬厚地希望有一天她會重新和安吉爾幸福地生活在一起。她們也為她擔(dān)心，因?yàn)樗齻冎滥莻€亞歷克·德伯在不斷地誘惑她。她們決定給安吉爾·克萊爾寫封信，通知他有關(guān)他妻子的危險(xiǎn)處境。這是她們寫的內(nèi)容：
Dear Sir，
敬愛的先生：
Watch out for your wife if you love her as much as she loves you.She is in danger from an enemy in the shape of a friend.A woman's strength cannot last for ever，and water，if it drops continually，will wear away a stone—yes，even a diamond.
如果您愛您的妻子也像她愛您那樣深的話，請關(guān)心她吧。她正受到一個偽裝成朋友的敵人的威脅。一個女人的力量是不能永無止境地持續(xù)下去的。如果不停地滴落，水都能穿石——是的，即使是鉆石也會被磨光的。
From two well-wishers
兩個好心人
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