德伯家的苔丝(TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES)第五十章
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She plunged1 into the chilly2 equinoctial darkness as the clock struck ten, for her fifteen miles' walk under the steely stars. In lonely districts night is a protection rather than a danger to a noiseless pedestrian, and knowing this Tess pursued the nearest course along by-lanes that she would almost have feared in the day time; but marauders were wanting now, and spectral4 fears were driven out of her mind by thoughts of her mother. Thus she proceeded mile after mile, ascending5 and descending7 till she came to Bulbarrow, and about midnight looked from that height into the abyss of chaotic8 shade which was all that revealed itself of the vale on whose further side she was born. Having already traversed about five miles on the upland she had now some ten or eleven in the lowland before her journey would be finished. The winding9 road downwards10 became just visible to her under the wan3 starlight as she followed it, and soon she paced a soil so contrasting with that above it that the difference was perceptible to the tread and to the smell. It was the heavy clay land of Blackmoor Vale, and a part of the Vale to which turnpike-roads had never penetrated11. Superstitions12 linger longest on these heavy soils. Having once been forest, at this shadowy time it seemed to assert something of its old character, the far and the near being blended, and every tree and tall hedge making the most of its presence. The harts that had been hunted here, the witches that had been pricked13 and ducked, the green-spangled fairies that `whickered' at you as you passed; the place teemed14 with beliefs in them still, and they formed an impish multitude now.

At Nuttlebury she passed the village inn, whose sign creaked in response to the greeting of her footsteps, which not a human soul heard but herself. Under the thatched roofs her mind's eye beheld15 relaxed tendons and flaccid muscles, spread out in the darkness beneath coverlets made of little purple patchwork16 squares, and undergoing a bracing17 process at the hands of sleep for renewed labour on the morrow, as soon as a hint of pink nebulosity appeared on Hambledon Hill.

At three she turned the last corner of the maze18 of lanes she had threaded, and entered Marlott, passing the field in which, as a club-girl, she had first seen Angel Clare, when he had not danced with her; the sense of disappointment remained with her yet. In the direction of her mother's house she saw a light. It came from the bedroom window, and a branch waved in front of it and made it wink19 at her. As soon as she could discern the outline of the house - newly thatched with her money - it had all its old effect upon Tess's imagination. Part of her body and life it ever seemed to be; the slope of its dormers, the finish of its gables, the broken courses of brick which topped the chimney, all had something in common with her personal character. A stupefaction had come into these features, to her regard; it meant the illness of her mother.

She opened the door so softly as to disturb nobody; the lower room was vacant, but the neighbour who was sitting up with her mother came to the top of the stairs, and whispered that Mrs Durbeyfield was no better, though she was sleeping just then. Tess prepared herself a breakfast, and then took her place as nurse in her mother's chamber20.

In the morning, when she contemplated21 the children, they had all a curiously22 elongated23 look; although she had been away little more than a year their growth was astounding24; and the necessity of applying herself heart and soul to their needs took her out of her own cares.

Her father's ill-health was of the same indefinite kind, and he sat in his chair as usual. But the day after her arrival he was unusually bright. He had a rational scheme for living, and Tess asked him what it was.

`I'm thinking of sending round to all the old antiqueerians in this part of England,' he said, `asking them to subscribe25 to a fund to maintain me. I'm sure they'd see it as a romantical, artistical, and proper thing to do. They spend lots o' money in keeping up old ruins, and finding the bones o'things, and such like; and living remains26 must be more interesting to 'em still, if they only knowed of me. Would that somebody would go round and tell 'em what there is living among 'em, and they thinking nothing of him! If Pa'son Tringham, who discovered me, had lived, he'd ha done it, I'm sure.'

Tess postponed27 her arguments on this high project till she had grappled with pressing matters in hand, which seemed little improved by her remittances28. When indoor necessities had been cased she turned her attention to external things. It was now the season for planting and sowing; many gardens and allotments of the villagers had already received their spring tillage; but the garden and the allotment of the Durbeyfields were behindhand. She found, to her dismay, that this was owing to their having eaten all the seed potatoes,-that last lapse29 of the improvident30. At the earliest moment she obtained what others she could procure31, and in a few days her father was well enough to see to the garden, under Tess's persuasive32 efforts: while she herself undertook the allotment-plot which they rented in a field a couple of hundred yards out of the village.

She liked doing it after the confinement33 of the sick chamber, where she was not now required by reason of her mother's improvement. Violent motion relieved thought. The plot of ground was in a high, dry open enclosure, where there were forty or fifty such pieces, and where labour was at its briskest when the hired labour of the day had ended. Digging began usually at six o'clock, and extended indefinitely into the dusk or moonlight. Just now heaps of dead weeds and refuse were burning on many of the plots, the dry weather favouring their combustion34.

One fine day Tess and 'Liza-Lu worked on here with their neighbours till the last rays of the sun smote35 flat upon the white pegs36 that divided the plots. As soon as twilight37 succeeded to sunset the flare38 of the couch-grass and cabbage-stalk fires began to light up the allotments fitfully, their outlines appearing and disappearing under the dense39 smoke as wafted40 by the wind. When a fire glowed, banks of smoke, blown level along the ground, would themselves become illuminated41 to an opaque42 lustre43, screening the workpeople from one another; and the meaning of the `pillar of a cloud,' which was a wall by day and a light by night, could be understood.

As evening thickened some of the gardening men and women gave over for the night, but the greater number remained to get their planting done, Tess being among them, though she sent her sister home. It was on one of the couch-burning plots that she laboured with her fork, its four shining prongs resounding44 against the stones and dry clods in little clicks. Sometimes she was completely involved in the smoke of her fire; then it would leave her figure free, irradiated by the brassy glare from the heap. She was oddly dressed to-night, and presented a somewhat staring aspect, her attire45 being a gown bleached46 by many washings, with a short black jacket over it, the effect of the whole being that of a wedding and funeral guest in one. The women further back wore white aprons47, which, with their pale faces, were all that could be seen of them in the gloom, except when at moments they caught a flash from the flames.

Westward48, the wiry boughs49 of the bare thorn hedge which formed the boundary of the field rose against the pale opalescence50 of the lower sky. Above, Jupiter hung like a full-blown jonquil, so bright as almost to throw a shade. A few small nondescript stars were appearing elsewhere. Iii the distance a dog barked, and wheels occasionally rattled51 along the dry road.

Still the prongs continued to click assiduously, for it was not late-, and though the air was fresh and keen there was a whisper of spring in it that cheered the workers on. Something in the place, the hour, the crackling fires, the fantastic mysteries of light and shade, made others as well as Tess enjoy being there. Nightfall, which in the frost of winter comes as a fiend and in the warmth of summer as a lover, came as a tranquillizer on this March day.

Nobody looked at his or her companions. The eyes of all were on the soil as its turned surface was revealed by the fires. Hence as Tess stirred the clods, and sang her foolish little songs with scarce now a hope that Clare would ever hear them, she did not for a long time notice the person who worked nearest to her - a man in a long smockfrock who, she found, was forking the same plot as herself, and whom she supposed her father had sent there to advance the work. She became more conscious of him when the direction of his digging brought him closer. Sometimes the smoke divided them; then it swerved52, and the two were visible to each other but divided from all the rest.

Tess did not speak to her fellow-worker, nor did he speak to her. Nor did she think of him further than to recollect53 that he had not been there when it was broad daylight, and that she did not know him as any one of the Marlott labourers, which was no wonder, her absences having been so long and frequent of late years. By-and-by he dug so close to her that the fire-beams were reflected as distinctly from the steel prongs of his fork as from her own. On going up to the fire to throw a pitch of dead weeds upon it, she found that he did the same on the other side. The fire flared54 up, and she beheld the face of d'Urberville.

The unexpectedness of his presence, the grotesqueness55 of his appearance in a gathered smockfrock, such as was now worn only by the most old-fashioned of the labourers, had a ghastly comicality that chilled her as to its bearing. D'Urberville emitted a low long laugh.

`If I were inclined to joke I should say, How much this seems like Paradise!' he remarked whimsically, looking at her with an inclined head.

`What do you say?' she weakly asked.

`A jester might say this is just like Paradise. You are Eve, and I am the old Other One come to tempt56 you in the disguise of an inferior animal. I used to be quite up in that scene of Milton's when I was theological. Some of it goes--

"Empress, the way is ready, and not long,
Beyond a row of myrtles...
... If thou accept
My conduct, I can bring thee thither57 soon."
"Lead then," said Eve.

And so on. My dear, dear Tess, I am only putting this to you as a thing that you might have supposed or said quite untruly, because you think so badly of me.'
`I never said you were Satan, or thought it. I don't think of you in that way at all. My thoughts of you are quite cold, except when you affront58 me. What, did you come digging here entirely59 because of me?'

`Entirely. To see you; nothing more. The smockfrock, which I saw hanging for sale as I came along, was an after-thought, that I mightn't be noticed. I come to protest against your working like this.'

`But I like doing it - it is for my father.'

`Your engagement at the other place is ended?'

`Yes.'

`Where are you going to next? To join your dear husband?'

She could not bear the humiliating reminder60.

`O - I don't know!' she said bitterly. `I have no husband!'

`It is quite true - in the sense you mean. But you have a friend, and I have determined61 that you shall be comfortable in spite of yourself. When you get down to your house you will see what I have sent there for you.'

`O, Alec, I wish you wouldn't give me anything at all! I cannot take it from you! I don't like - it is not right!'

`It is right!' he cried lightly. `I am not going to see a woman whom I feel so tenderly for as I do for you, in trouble without trying to help her.'

`But I am very well off! I am only in trouble about - about - not about living at all!'

She turned, and desperately62 resumed her digging, tears dripping upon the fork-handle and upon the clods.

`About the children - your brothers and sisters,' he resumed. `I've been thinking of them.'

Tess's heart quivered - he was touching63 her in a weak place. He had divined her chief anxiety. Since returning home her soul had gone out to those children with an affection that was passionate64.

`If your mother does not recover, somebody ought to do something for them; since your father will not be able to do much, I suppose?'

`He can with my assistance. He must!'

`And with mine.'

`No, sir!'

`How damned foolish this is!' burst out d'Urberville. `Why, he thinks we are the same family; and will be quite satisfied!'

`He don't. I've undeceived him.'

`The more fool you!'

D'Urberville in anger retreated from her to the hedge, where he pulled off the long smockfrock which had disguised him; and rolling it up and pushing it into the couch-fire, went away.

Tess could not get on with her digging after this; she felt restless; she wondered if he had gone back to her father's house; and taking the fork in her hand proceeded homewards.

Some twenty yards from the house she was met by one of her sisters.

`O, Tessy - what do you think! 'Liza-Lu is a-crying, and there's a lot of folk in the house, and mother is a good deal better, but they think father is dead!'

The child realized the grandeur65 of the news; but not as yet its sadness; and stood looking at Tess with round-eyed importance, till, beholding66 the effect produced upon her, she said

`What, Tess, shan't we talk to father never no more?'

`But father was only a little bit ill!' exclaimed Tess distractedly.

'Liza-Lu came up.

`He dropped down just now, and the doctor who was there for mother said there was no chance for him, because his heart was growed in.'

Yes; the Durbeyfield couple had changed places; the dying one was out of danger, and the indisposed one was dead. The news meant even more than it sounded. Her father's life had a value apart from his personal achievements, or perhaps it would not have had much. It was the last of the three lives for whose duration the house and premises67 were held under a lease; and it had long been coveted68 by the tenant-farmer for his regular labourers, who were stinted69 in cottage accommodation. Moreover, `leviers' were disapproved70 of in villages almost as much as little freeholders, because of their independence of manner, and when a lease determined it was never renewed.

Thus the Durbeyfields, once d'Urbervilles, saw descending upon them the destiny which, no doubt, when they were among the Olympians of the county, they had caused to descend6 many a time, and severely71 enough, upon the heads of such landless ones as they themselves were now. So do flux72 and reflux - the rhythm of change - alternate and persist in everything under the sky.

在钟声敲响十点的时候,苔丝就在春分时节寒冷的黑夜里上路了,她要在清冷的星光中走完十五英里的路程。在人迹稀少的地方,黑夜对于一声不响的夜行人来说不是危险,而是一种保护;苔丝知道这一点,所以就专门拣她在白天害怕的最近的路走;不过在那个时候,路上没有拦路打劫的,加上她一心挂念着母亲的病,所以也就不怕鬼怪了。她就这样一英里接着一英里地走,上了山又下山,终于走到了野牛坟;大约半夜时分,她站在野牛坟的高地上向下面一片昏冥的深渊望去,只见山谷里一片黑暗,在山谷的另一边,就是她出生的地方。她在高地上已经走了大约五英里的路,然后再在低地上走十或十一英里的路,她就走完这次回家的全部路程了。在她下山的时候,那条蜿蜒而下的山路刚好在暗淡的星光下可以看清。她走了不久,就走到了同山上完全不同的土壤上了,那种不同可以用脚踩出来,用鼻子闻出来。这就是黑荒原谷的粘质土壤地带,在谷内这一部分,收税的卡子路一直没有延伸进来。在这些难以耕种的土地上,迷信的流行倒是经久不衰。这儿曾经是一片森林,在这种夜色朦胧的时刻,似乎遥远的和最近的融合在一起,表现出某些旧日的特点,所有的树林和高高的树篱,也显得威严可怖。这儿是追猎公鹿的地方,也是通过针刺和投水而验明女巫的地方,当你从这儿走过的时候,还有一些绿色的精灵嘲笑你,吓唬你;——人们现在仍然相信,这几遍地都是妖怪和精灵。
  苔丝从纳特伯利的乡村酒店经过时,酒店的招牌嘎吱嘎吱地响着,回应着她走路的脚步声,村子里没有人,除了她谁也不会听见。在苔丝的想象里,她看见茅屋里的人,肌腱松弛了,肌肉放松了,躺在黑暗的屋顶下,盖着小紫花格子的被子,正在蓄积体力,等到第二天早晨汉姆布莱顿的山顶刚染上朝霞,他们就要起来从事新的一天的劳动了。
  在凌晨三点钟的时候,她终于走完了蜿蜒曲折的篱路的最后一段弯路,进入马洛特村;她走过乡村会社游行时她第一次见到安琪尔·克莱尔的地方;那一次他没有和她跳舞,苔丝至今仍然还有一种失望的感觉。在她的母亲住的那座房屋的方向,她看见有一缕亮光。亮光是从卧室的窗户里透出来的,亮光的前面有一根树枝不住地摇动,弄得亮光似乎在向她眨眼一样。等到她能够看清房屋轮廓的时候——屋顶是用她的钱新盖的——她立刻想起了旧日的所有情景。这座屋子是她的身体和生命的一部分;天窗上的斜坡,山墙上的石灰,烟囱顶上的破砖,都和她有着某种共同的特点。在她看来,这一切东西都带有一种模糊不清的特点,意味着她的母亲病倒了。
  她轻轻地打开门,没有惊动任何人;楼下的房间是空的,陪伴她母亲的邻居走到楼梯口小声告诉她说,德北菲尔德太太现在虽然睡着了,但是还不见好转。苔丝给自己做了早饭吃了,接着就在她母亲房间里看护她的母亲。
  她在早晨见到了孩子们,他们一个个都像是被人拉长了的样子;虽然她离开家只有一年多一点的时间,但是他们的成长却是叫人吃惊的。她现在必须一心一意照顾他们了,因此自己的忧愁也就顾不上了。
  她父亲的身体还是同过去一样,害着那种叫不上名字的病,像往常一样坐在椅子里。不过苔丝回来后的这一天,他却特别有精神。他说他想出来一个过生活的办法了,苔丝问他是什么办法。
  “我想,我们给英国这一带所有的考古学家都寄一封信去,”他说,“请他们寄钱来维持我的生活。我敢肯定他们会把我的要求当成一件富有浪漫精神、艺术趣味和恰当不过的事来做。他们花了大量的钱去保护古代遗迹,去发掘人的骨头之类的东西;如果他们知道了我这个活古董,他们一定会更加觉得有意思的。最好是有一个人去一个个告诉他们,说现在就有一个活古董生活在他们中间,他们却没有重视他!这件事是特林汉姆牧师发现的,如果他还活着,我敢担保他一定会去办这件事的。”
  苔丝急于处理目前一些紧急事情,顾不上和她的父亲去争论他的伟大计划,她虽然接济过家里几次,但家里的状况并没有多大的改善。当她把家里的事情弄妥当了,这才开始注意外面的事情。那时已经到了栽种和播种的季节,村子里的人许多园子和租种的公地都已经耕种过了,可是德北菲尔德家的园子和租种的公地还荒着。她一了解,不觉大吃一惊,原来他们家把做种的土豆全吃光了,——这真是一个只顾眼前不顾将来的错误了。她尽快地弄到一些她能够弄到的别的作物种子,过了几天,她父亲身体也好多了。苔丝又哄又劝,她父亲才出来照看园子:而她自己则去耕种她家租种的离村子有二百码远的一块公地。
  她被束缚在病房里已经有了一些时日,加上她母亲的病已经有了好转,所以她也愿意出去种地。剧烈的运动可以使人的思想放松。她家租种的那块地在高处那块干燥开阔的圈地中间,那片圈地里大约有四五十块租种地,种地的白天做完了雇工的活儿,晚上就到租种地里忙碌。挖地通常在六点钟开始,要一直干到天黑或者月亮上来的时候。在那个时候,许多租种地里开始烧毁一堆堆野草和垃圾,天气干燥,正适合把它们烧掉。
  有一天,天气晴朗,苔丝和丽莎·露一起在自己的租种地里干活,那天邻居们也在那块圈地里,他们一直干到傍晚,干到落日的最后一道余晖洒在那些把圈地分成一块块租种地的白色界桩上。太阳落了,黄昏来了,大家点燃租种地里的茅草和卷心菜的菜根,地里冒出来一阵阵火光,浓烟被风一吹,租种地的轮廓时明时暗。火光亮起来的时候,大团大团的浓烟被风吹得贴地滚动,在火光的映照下变成了半透明的发光体,把干活的人相互遮挡起来;这时候,白天是墙晚上是光的“云柱”①的意思,就可以领会了。
  
  ①云柱(pillar of a cloud),见《圣经·出埃及记》第十三章第十七至二十一节。

  夜色越来越浓,有些男人和女人就放下地里的活儿回家了,不过大多数人还是留在地里,想把手里的活儿干完,苔丝虽然叫她的妹妹回去了,但是她自己还留在地里。她当时拿着叉子在烧着野草的租种地里干活,那把叉子有四个发亮的齿,碰到土里的石头和硬土块,就发出叮当的响声。有时候她全身都笼罩在火堆燃起的烟雾里,有时候身上一点儿烟雾也没有,只有火堆燃起的黄铜色火光照着她。今天她的穿着也有点儿奇怪,是一副惹人眼目的样子;她穿的一件袍子已经洗得发白,袍子的外面罩一件黑色的短上装,给人总的感觉她既像是一个参加婚礼的人,也像是一个送葬的人。在她背后稍远一点儿的妇女,在昏暗中看得见她们身上穿的白色裙子和灰白的脸,只有她们偶尔被火光照亮的时候,才能看见她们的全身。
  在西边,光秃秃的棘树的枝条像铁丝一样,结成树篱,形成一块块田地的边界,在低矮的灰白天色里十分显眼。木星高悬在空中,好像一朵盛开的黄水仙,它是那样明亮,差不多能够照出影子来。天上还有几颗叫不出名字的小星星。远处有一只狗在叫,偶尔也听见车轮在干燥的路面上嘎吱嘎吱地碾过。
  因为天色还不晚,工人们手中的叉子挣③直响;那时的空气虽然清冷刺骨,但是已经有了春天的细语,鼓舞了种地的人。在那个地方,在那个时刻,在哗剥直响的火堆里,在忽明忽暗的离奇的神秘里,有一种东四使大家和苔丝都喜欢待在地里。在冬天的霜冻里,夜色就像魔鬼,在夏天的温暖里,夜色就像情人,而在这种三月的天气里,夜色却像镇静剂一样。
  当时谁也没有去看自己周围的伙伴。大家的眼睛都盯着地面,看着刚翻开的被火光照亮的地面。因此,苔丝一边翻着泥块,一边痴情地唱着短小的歌曲,不过现在她对克莱尔会来听她唱歌已经不抱希望了,过了好久,她才注意到有一个人在她的附近干活——她看见那个人穿着粗布长衫,和她一样在租种地里翻地,她以为那个人是她父亲请来帮她干活的。当那个人挖得离她更近了些,她看他看得更清楚了。有时候烟雾把他们隔开,烟雾一飘走,他们又能互相看见了,不过烟雾又把他们和其他的人隔开了。
  苔丝没有和她一起干活的这个人说话,他也没有和她说话。她也没有多想一想,只记得白天他不在地里,知道他不是马洛特村里的人;近几年来她时常离家,有时长期离家,所以她不认识那个人也不足为怪。他挖地挖得离她越来越近了,近得她可以清楚地看见他及子上的铁饭像她叉子上的铁齿一样闪光。当她把一把枯草扔到火堆上的时候,她看见他在对面也在做同样的事。火光一亮,她看见了德贝维尔的那张脸。
  她万万没有想到会在这儿见到他,他的样子也非常古怪,身上穿着只有最古板的农民才穿的打褶粗布长衫,他这种极其好笑的样子使她心里感到阵阵发悚。德贝维尔发出一声低低的长笑。
  “如果我想开玩笑,我就要说,这多么像伊甸乐园啊!”他歪着头看着她,想入非非地说。
  “你说什么呀?”苔丝有气无力地问。
  “一个爱说笑话的人,一定要说我们两个人的情景就像在伊甸乐园里一样了。你是夏娃,我就是另外那个人,装扮成一个下等动物来诱惑你。我相信神学的时候,很熟悉弥尔顿描写的那个场面。有一段这样说——
  “女王,路已铺好,并不太长,
  就在一排桃金娘的那边……
  ……要是你接受
  我的指引,我马上就带你去。”
  “那么带路吧,”夏娃回答。①
  
  ①见弥尔顿《失乐园》第九章六二六至六三一行。

  “等等。我亲爱的亲爱的苔丝,我只能把这些话向你说出来,这都是你以为的或者想说的话,但这样说不是真实的,因为你把我想得太坏了。”
  “我从来没有说过你是撒旦,也没有想过你是撒旦。我根本就没有那样看待你。除非你惹恼了我,我都能冷静地看待你。怎么,你到这儿来挖地完全是为了我吗?”
  “完全是为了你。为了来看看你;别的什么也没有。我来这儿的路上,看见有件长衫挂在那儿出售,就头了芽上,免得被你认出来。我到这儿来,就是为了阻止你像这样干活。”
  “但是我自己愿意这样干活——也是为我的父亲干活。”
  “你在那个地方的合同期满了吗?”
  “满了。”
  “你以后到哪儿去呢?到你亲爱的丈夫那儿去吗?”
  她简直受不了这种令人难堪的话。
  “啊——我不知道!”她痛苦地说。“我没有丈夫了!”
  “说得完全对——你的意思不错。但是你还有朋友呀,我已经下了决心,不管你怎么想,我也要让你过上舒服日子。你回家的时候,你就会看见我给你们送去了什么。”
  “啊,阿历克,我希望你什么东西也不要送给我!你的东西我也不会要!我不愿意要你的东西——要你的东西是不对的!”
  “说得对!”他轻佻地喊着说。“要是我对一个女人像对你一样心疼的话,我是不会看着她受苦而不帮助她的。”
  “但是我的日子过得也不错!我的困难只是——只是——根本不是生活问题!”
  她转过身去,拼命地挖起地来,眼泪流到锄头把上,又从锄头的把上流到地里。
  “关于孩子们——你的弟弟和妹妹,”他接着说。“我也一直在为他们考虑。”
  苔丝的心战栗了——他正在触她心中的痛处,猜到了她主要的烦恼。自从回家以来,她就怀着热烈的感情在为这些孩子们操心。
  “你的母亲要是不能恢复过来,总得有个人照顾他们吧;因为,我想你的父亲是没有多大用处的,是不是?”
  “有我帮助他,他能管用的。他一定能管用的!”
  “还有我的帮助。”
  “不要你的帮助,先生!”
  “你他妈的不是太糊涂吗!”德贝维尔叫起来。“唉,你的父亲认为我们是一家呀,他会感到很满意的啊!”
  “他不会的。我已经实话告诉他了。”
  “那你更加糊涂了!”
  德贝维尔生气地从她的身边退到树篱的边上,在那儿把身上乔装打扮的长衫脱了下来,揉成一团扔进了火里,转身走了。
  苔丝也无法继续挖下去了,只感到心神不定,不知道他是不是回到她父亲家里去了。她就用手拿着锄头,向家里走去。
  她走到离家还有二十码远的地方,有一个妹妹向她走来。
  “啊,苔丝——你看怎么办吧!丽莎·露正在哭,家里挤了一大堆人,妈妈倒是大见好了,可是他们却说父亲已经死了啊!”
  这个孩子只知道这件事重要,但是不知道这件事悲惨;她站在那儿,睁着一双大眼睛看着苔丝,她看见苔丝听了她的话后脸上出现的神情,就说——
  “喂,苔丝,我们是不是再也不能和父亲说话了啊?”
  “可是父亲只不过是一点儿小病啊!”苔丝慌慌张张地喊着说。
  丽莎·露也来了。
  “他刚才跌倒的,给妈妈看病的大夫说,没有办法救了,他的心都叫油长满了。”
  不错;德北菲尔德夫妇互相把位置变换了;快死的人脱离了危险,生小病的人倒死了。这件事比听起来的意义要严重得多。她的父亲活着的时候,他的价值和他个人成就的关系并不大,或者说也许没有多大价值,但是他的价值在他的个人以外。他是三辈人中的最后一辈,他们租住的房屋和宅基地的典约就到他这里为止。转租土地的农场主早就垂涎他们的房子,想把房子租给他的长工住,那时他的长工正缺少住的地方。而且,终身典房人几乎和小自由保产人一样在村子里不受欢迎,所以租期一到,就绝不让他们再租了。
  因此,当年的德贝维尔家,现在的德北菲尔德家看着不幸的命运降临在他们的头上,毫无疑问,在他们还是郡中望族的时候,也肯定制造了许多次不幸的命运,或许还要更为严重,让它们降临在那些和他们现在一样的没有土地的人的身上。天下的一切事情,彼此消长,盛衰交替,本来就是这样不断变化的啊。



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 plunged 06a599a54b33c9d941718dccc7739582     
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降
参考例句:
  • The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
  • She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳,从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。
2 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
参考例句:
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
3 wan np5yT     
(wide area network)广域网
参考例句:
  • The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。
4 spectral fvbwg     
adj.幽灵的,鬼魂的
参考例句:
  • At times he seems rather ordinary.At other times ethereal,perhaps even spectral.有时他好像很正常,有时又难以捉摸,甚至像个幽灵。
  • She is compelling,spectral fascinating,an unforgettably unique performer.她极具吸引力,清幽如鬼魅,令人着迷,令人难忘,是个独具特色的演员。
5 ascending CyCzrc     
adj.上升的,向上的
参考例句:
  • Now draw or trace ten dinosaurs in ascending order of size.现在按照体型由小到大的顺序画出或是临摹出10只恐龙。
6 descend descend     
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降
参考例句:
  • I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
  • We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。
7 descending descending     
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句:
  • The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
  • The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置,然后再下山。
8 chaotic rUTyD     
adj.混沌的,一片混乱的,一团糟的
参考例句:
  • Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
  • The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。
9 winding Ue7z09     
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
参考例句:
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
10 downwards MsDxU     
adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地)
参考例句:
  • He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
  • As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。
11 penetrated 61c8e5905df30b8828694a7dc4c3a3e0     
adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
  • They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。
12 superstitions bf6d10d6085a510f371db29a9b4f8c2f     
迷信,迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Old superstitions seem incredible to educated people. 旧的迷信对于受过教育的人来说是不可思议的。
  • Do away with all fetishes and superstitions. 破除一切盲目崇拜和迷信。
13 pricked 1d0503c50da14dcb6603a2df2c2d4557     
刺,扎,戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 ); 刺伤; 刺痛; 使剧痛
参考例句:
  • The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
  • He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。
14 teemed 277635acf862b16abe43085a464629d1     
v.充满( teem的过去式和过去分词 );到处都是;(指水、雨等)暴降;倾注
参考例句:
  • The pond teemed with tadpoles. 池子里有很多蝌蚪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Ideas of new plays and short stories teemed in his head. 他的脑海里装满了有关新的剧本和短篇小说的构思。 来自辞典例句
15 beheld beheld     
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟
参考例句:
  • His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
16 patchwork yLsx6     
n.混杂物;拼缝物
参考例句:
  • That proposal is nothing else other than a patchwork.那个建议只是一个大杂烩而已。
  • She patched new cloth to the old coat,so It'seemed mere patchwork. 她把新布初到那件旧上衣上,所以那件衣服看上去就象拼凑起来的东西。
17 bracing oxQzcw     
adj.令人振奋的
参考例句:
  • The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
  • The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。
18 maze F76ze     
n.迷宫,八阵图,混乱,迷惑
参考例句:
  • He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
  • She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时,她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。
19 wink 4MGz3     
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁
参考例句:
  • He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
  • The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间,那颗卫星就消失了。
20 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
21 contemplated d22c67116b8d5696b30f6705862b0688     
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
  • The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。
22 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
23 elongated 6a3aeff7c3bf903f4176b42850937718     
v.延长,加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。
  • A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》
24 astounding QyKzns     
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊,使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
  • The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊,所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 subscribe 6Hozu     
vi.(to)订阅,订购;同意;vt.捐助,赞助
参考例句:
  • I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
  • The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。
26 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
27 postponed 9dc016075e0da542aaa70e9f01bf4ab1     
vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发)
参考例句:
  • The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
  • The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。
28 remittances 1fe103ae250a4b47c91d24b461c02b7f     
n.汇寄( remittance的名词复数 );汇款,汇款额
参考例句:
  • He sends regular remittances to his parents. 他定期汇款给他父母。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Remittances sometimes account for as much as 20% of GDP. 在这些国家中,此类汇款有时会占到GDP的20%之多。 来自互联网
29 lapse t2lxL     
n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效
参考例句:
  • The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
  • I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。
30 improvident nybyW     
adj.不顾将来的,不节俭的,无远见的
参考例句:
  • Her improvident speech at the meeting has set a stone rolling.她在会上的发言缺乏远见,已产生严重后果。
  • He must bear the consequences of his improvident action.他必须对自己挥霍浪费所造成的后果负责。
31 procure A1GzN     
vt.获得,取得,促成;vi.拉皮条
参考例句:
  • Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗?
  • I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。
32 persuasive 0MZxR     
adj.有说服力的,能说得使人相信的
参考例句:
  • His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
  • The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。
33 confinement qpOze     
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限
参考例句:
  • He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
  • The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。
34 combustion 4qKzS     
n.燃烧;氧化;骚动
参考例句:
  • We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
  • The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。
35 smote 61dce682dfcdd485f0f1155ed6e7dbcc     
v.猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去式 )
参考例句:
  • Figuratively, he could not kiss the hand that smote him. 打个比方说,他是不能认敌为友。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • \"Whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully.\" 珠儿会毫不留情地将这些\"儿童\"踩倒,再连根拔起。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
36 pegs 6e3949e2f13b27821b0b2a5124975625     
n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 );挂钉;系帐篷的桩;弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 );使固定在某水平
参考例句:
  • She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句
  • The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句
37 twilight gKizf     
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期
参考例句:
  • Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
  • Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
38 flare LgQz9     
v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发
参考例句:
  • The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
  • You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。
39 dense aONzX     
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
参考例句:
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
40 wafted 67ba6873c287bf9bad4179385ab4d457     
v.吹送,飘送,(使)浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The sound of their voices wafted across the lake. 他们的声音飘过湖面传到了另一边。
  • A delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafted across the garden. 花园中飘过一股刚出炉面包的香味。 来自《简明英汉词典》
41 illuminated 98b351e9bc282af85e83e767e5ec76b8     
adj.被照明的;受启迪的
参考例句:
  • Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
  • the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市
42 opaque jvhy1     
adj.不透光的;不反光的,不传导的;晦涩的
参考例句:
  • The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。
  • Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。
43 lustre hAhxg     
n.光亮,光泽;荣誉
参考例句:
  • The sun was shining with uncommon lustre.太阳放射出异常的光彩。
  • A good name keeps its lustre in the dark.一个好的名誉在黑暗中也保持它的光辉。
44 resounding zkCzZC     
adj. 响亮的
参考例句:
  • The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
  • He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。
45 attire AN0zA     
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装
参考例句:
  • He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
  • Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。
46 bleached b1595af54bdf754969c26ad4e6cec237     
漂白的,晒白的,颜色变浅的
参考例句:
  • His hair was bleached by the sun . 他的头发被太阳晒得发白。
  • The sun has bleached her yellow skirt. 阳光把她的黄裙子晒得褪色了。
47 aprons d381ffae98ab7cbe3e686c9db618abe1     
围裙( apron的名词复数 ); 停机坪,台口(舞台幕前的部份)
参考例句:
  • Many people like to wear aprons while they are cooking. 许多人做饭时喜欢系一条围裙。
  • The chambermaid in our corridor wears blue checked gingham aprons. 给我们扫走廊的清洁女工围蓝格围裙。
48 westward XIvyz     
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西
参考例句:
  • We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
  • Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。
49 boughs 95e9deca9a2fb4bbbe66832caa8e63e0     
大树枝( bough的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
  • A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。
50 opalescence 58c790beed8bef7dfb1ed4115a92a284     
n.乳白光,蛋白色光;乳光
参考例句:
  • The sunset was making great splashes of fiery opalescence across the sky. 夕阳将大片天空染成色彩变幻的火红色。 来自辞典例句
51 rattled b4606e4247aadf3467575ffedf66305b     
慌乱的,恼火的
参考例句:
  • The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
  • Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里,窗户都格格作响。
52 swerved 9abd504bfde466e8c735698b5b8e73b4     
v.(使)改变方向,改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯,以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
  • The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅,司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
53 recollect eUOxl     
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得
参考例句:
  • He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
  • She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。
54 Flared Flared     
adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
  • The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭,但它突然又燃烧起来。
55 grotesqueness 4d1cf85e10eca8cf33e3d5f96879aaa2     
参考例句:
56 tempt MpIwg     
vt.引诱,勾引,吸引,引起…的兴趣
参考例句:
  • Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
  • The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了,可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。
57 thither cgRz1o     
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的
参考例句:
  • He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
  • He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。
58 affront pKvy6     
n./v.侮辱,触怒
参考例句:
  • Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
  • This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。
59 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
60 reminder WkzzTb     
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示
参考例句:
  • I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
  • It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知,她才付应该交的房租。
61 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
62 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
63 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
64 passionate rLDxd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
参考例句:
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
65 grandeur hejz9     
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
参考例句:
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
66 beholding 05d0ea730b39c90ee12d6e6b8c193935     
v.看,注视( behold的现在分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟
参考例句:
  • Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱,还看到了爱的结局,/听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥! 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的,都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句
67 premises 6l1zWN     
n.建筑物,房屋
参考例句:
  • According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定,场内不准饮酒。
  • All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行,不用送到外面去做。
68 coveted 3debb66491eb049112465dc3389cfdca     
adj.令人垂涎的;垂涎的,梦寐以求的v.贪求,觊觎(covet的过去分词);垂涎;贪图
参考例句:
  • He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
  • Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
69 stinted 3194dab02629af8c171df281829fe4cb     
v.限制,节省(stint的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Penny-pinching landlords stinted their tenants on heat and hot water. 小气的房东在房客的取暖和热水供应上进行克扣。 来自互联网
  • She stinted herself of food in order to let the children have enough. 她自己省着吃,好让孩子们吃饱。 来自互联网
70 disapproved 3ee9b7bf3f16130a59cb22aafdea92d0     
v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
71 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
72 flux sg4zJ     
n.流动;不断的改变
参考例句:
  • The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
  • In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。
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