A young man appeared in the garden.He looked about twenty-four,and was tall and dark,with full red lips and a black moustache curled at the ends.
一個年輕人從花園里走了出來。他看起來有二十四歲左右,高大,黝黑,嘴唇肥厚紅潤,留著打卷的唇髭。
‘Well,my beauty,what can I do for you?’he said, looking interestedly at her.‘I'm Mr d’Urberville.’
“喂,我的美人兒,我能為你效勞嗎?”他說道,一邊頗有興趣地看著她。“我是德伯先生。”
It needed all Tess's courage to reply.‘I came to see your mother,sir.’
苔絲鼓足了所有的勇氣,回答道:“我是來看望你母親的,先生。”
‘I'm afraid you can't see her. She's ill. What do you want to see her about?’
“恐怕你不能見她,她病了。你見她有什么事兒嗎?”
‘I…I…it seems so foolish!’
“我……我……這事顯得太傻了!”
‘Never mind,’said he kindly.‘I like foolish things.Try again,my dear.’
“不要緊,”他溫和地說,“我就愛聽傻事兒。說吧,親愛的。”
‘I came, sir, to tell you we are of the same family as you.’
‘Aha! Poor relations?’
“啊,窮親戚吧?”
‘Yes.’
“是的。”
‘Stokes?’
“斯托克家的人嗎?”
‘No,d’Urbervilles.’
“不是,是德伯家的。”
‘Oh yes,of course,I mean d’Urbervilles.’
“哦,對,當然,我指的是德伯家。”
‘We have several proofs that we are d’Urbervilles.We have an old silver spoon and a seal at home.But mother uses the spoon to stir the soup.
“我們有根據說自己是德伯家的人。我們家有個舊銀匙,還有個印章。但我母親用那個銀匙攪湯。
Mother said we ought to tell you, as we are the oldest branch of the family and we've lost our horse in an accident.’
母親說我們應該來告訴你們,因為我們是這個家族最古老的一房。還有,在一次事故中,我們連馬都失去了。”
‘Very kind of your mother,’ said Alec d’Urberville, ‘and I certainly don't regret it.”He looked admiringly at Tess, whose face blushed a deep pink.
“你母親可真是一片好意。”亞歷克·德伯說,“我當然不會為此感到遺憾。”他傾慕地盯著她,這使苔絲的臉變得緋紅。
‘And so you've come on a friendly visit?’
“那么你是來做一次友好訪問的嘍?”
‘I suppose I have,’ murmured Tess, looking uncomfortable.