牛津书虫系列《苔丝》Chapter7 附中英双语文本

于是，整个冬天她都住在父母家里，帮着照看孩子，给他们缝制衣服，并力所能及地挣点钱。一些重要的日子又转回来了：逐猎林受辱的那晚，孩子的生日和忌日，还有她自己的生日。一天，当她对着镜子看自己那张漂亮的脸孔时，她想到了另外一个甚至更重要的日子——她自己死去的日子。当它来临时，它会吞噬掉她的全部美丽和发生在她身上的一切事情。它会是什么时候呢？它偷偷地藏在一年中其他日子的背后，因此当它再度来临时，她无从察觉。她不知道它将出现在哪个星期，哪个月，哪个季节或者哪一年。
In a flash Tess changed from simple girl to complicated woman．Her face was often thoughtful，and there was sometimes a tragic note in her voice．Her eyes grew larger and more expressive．She became a beautiful woman． She had suffered，but had gained a certain self－confidence from her experiences．
几乎仅在一瞬之间，苔丝就由纯朴的姑娘变成了成熟的女人。她经常带着一副沉思的表情，声音有时透着悲凉的语气。她的眼睛更大也更意味深长了。她变成了一个美丽的女人。她经历过痛苦，从经历中她获得了一种自信。
Although the village people had almost forgotten her trouble， she decided she could never be really happy in Marlott．Trying to claim relationship with the rich d’Urbervilles seemed so foolish and shameful to her． She thought her family would never be respected there again． Even now she felt hope rise within her，hope of finding a place with no family connections and no memories．In escaping from Marlott she intended to destroy the past．Perhaps now she could make up for her crime against society．
尽管村里的人们几乎已经忘记了她的遭遇，但苔丝觉得自己在马勒特是不会真正快乐的。在她看来，想要与富有的德伯家攀亲是那么地荒唐可耻。她认为她的家庭在那儿再不会受到尊敬了。她现在心里甚至萌生了希望。这希望就是找一个既没有家庭关系也没有回忆的地方。她想逃离马勒特村，企图由此毁灭过去。也许现在她可以弥补她对社会犯下的罪行了。
Consequently she looked hard for work away from Marlott． She finally heard that a dairyman some miles to the south needed a good milkmaid for the summer．Having decided to go there，she promised herself there would be no more hopeless dreams．She would simply be the dairymaid Tess， and nothing more．Even her mother no longer talked about their connection with the noble d’Urbervilles．
接下来她就积极地寻找远离马勒特村的工作。终于，她听说往南几英里的一个奶场主这个夏天需要一名熟练的挤奶女工。她决定去那儿，并向自己保证不再做空洞的梦。她将仅仅是挤奶女工苔丝，仅此而已。就连她的母亲也不再谈论他们与高贵的德伯家族的关系了。
But in spite of Tess's decision to forget her ancestors， the dairy， called Talbothays，especially attracted her because it was near the former lands of the old d’Urberville family． She would be able to look at them， and not only observe that the noble d’Urberville family had lost its greatness，but also remember that a poor descendant had lost her innocence．She wondered if some good might come of being in the land of her ancestors．Hope and youthful energy rose up in her again，like leaves on a young tree in spring．
但是，尽管苔丝决意忘掉她的祖先，那个叫塔尔勃塞的牛奶场之所以特别吸引她，却正是因为它挨着古老的德伯家族的土地。她可以看到它，这样，她不仅可以看到高贵的德伯家族失去了它的辉煌，还会记起它的一个可怜的后代失去了她的贞操。她想知道，生活在她祖先的土地上是否能给她带来一些好运。新的希望和青春的活力再度在她心中涌起，就像春天小树上的新叶。