1. That summer， Tess and Clare unconsciously studied each other， balanced on the edge of a passion， yet just keeping out of it．

【詞匯注釋】study在這里的意思是“仔細察看；仔細觀察；研究調查”，相當于“examine something or somebody carefully”例如：

I know that you've been studying chimpanzees for thirty years now. 我知道你研究黑猩猩至今已有30年了。

I invite every citizen to carefully study the document. 我請每位市民都仔細研讀該文件。

【短語注釋】on the edge of的意思是“在.......的邊緣”。例如：

Silent, they loafed on the edge of the wharf, swinging their legs above the water. 他們悄悄地坐在碼頭邊上消磨時光，兩腿在水面上來回晃蕩。

New houses have mushroomed on the edge of the town. 城市邊緣的新建房屋猶如雨后春筍。

【短語注釋】keep out of something的意思是“，使某事不發生，避免發生某事”。例如：

He's trying to keep out of this quarrel.他不想插身在這場糾紛中間。

He'd better draw in his horns if he wants to keep out of trouble. 如果他想避免麻煩的話，最好再謹慎點。

【寫作佳句】Sb. balances on the edge of passion：徘徊在感情的邊緣

2. But all the time， like two streams in a valley， they were destined to join．

【語匯注釋】all the time：所有時間 in a valley：在山谷間 destine：注定 join：結合

【寫作佳句】 Sb. and sb. like two streams in a valley，they were destined to join．描寫出某人與某人的愛已經到達很深的地步，這種愛使得他們是肯定要走在一起的。這句話體現出苔絲和這位男子對相互的愛慕已經很深了。

3. They met daily in the half-light，at three o’clock in the morning， just before milking．

【語匯注釋】 half-light的意思是“a dull light in which it is difficult to see things”，指光線微弱而難以看到東西。例如：in the grey half-light of dawn（在拂曉時灰暗的光線下）。那么，in the half-light的意思就是“在微弱的光線下”。At three o’clock in the morning的意思是“凌晨三點鐘”。

【文法解析】before milking是現在分詞短語作時間狀語，before可以省略。

4.They met continually．They could not help it．

【短語注釋】 could not help something or doing something的意思是“經不住做某事”“忍不住做某事哦”。 例如：

We could not help being impressed by the majesty of the lofty mountains. 高山的雄偉壯麗不能不在我們心目中留下深刻的印象。

She could not help the tears of rage rolling down her face. 她那憤怒的淚水禁不住從臉上流了下來。

4. Tess seemed like a queen to Clare，perhaps because he knew that she was the most beautiful woman walking about at this time of day．

【短語注釋】walk about的意思是“散步漫步”或“踱來踱去”“四處走動”。例如：

You can't walk about in this heat. 你不能在酷暑中到處走。

She might, possibly, have taken it into her head to walk about the garden?她是不是心血來潮地到花園里散步去了？

【文法解析】walking about是現在分詞作后置定語修飾名詞woman，意思是“正在漫步的女人”。

5. In the strange light she was no longer a milkmaid，but a vision of woman，the whole of womanhood in one form．

【語匯注釋】no longer：不再是...... womanhood：女人的氣質

【寫作佳句】 Sb is a vision of woman, the whole of womanhood in one form. 某人是一個女人的幻象，集所有女人氣質于一身。

此句話描繪出苔絲在這位男孩心中的地位很深，常言道：“情人眼里出西斯”。這句話體現出這句話的含義。