The community of fowls to which Tess had been appointed as supervisor, purveyor, nurse, surgeon, and friend, made its head quarters in an old thatched cottage standing in an enclosure that had once been a garden, but was now a trampled and sanded square. —
Tess被任命为禽兽社区的管理者、供应商、保姆、外科医生和朋友，他们的总部设在一座老茅草屋内，这个院子曾经是一个花园，但现在是一个被踩踏和铺上沙子的广场。 —

The house was overrun with ivy, its chimney being enlarged by the boughs of the parasite to the aspect of a ruined tower. —
这座房子被常春藤覆盖，其烟囱被寄生物的树枝扩大，看起来像座废墟中的塔楼。 —

The lower rooms were entirely given over to the birds, who walked about them with a proprietary air, as though the place had been built by themselves, and not by certain dusty copy holders who now lay east and west in the churchyard. —
下面的房间完全交给了这些禽兽，它们在屋里自由穿行，仿佛这个地方是它们自己建造的，而不是一些尘封的地主建造的，他们现在东倒西歪地躺在教堂墓地里。 —

The descendants of these bygone owners felt it almost as a slight to their family when the house which had so much of their affection, had cost so much of their forefathers’ money, and had been in their possession for several generations before the d’Urbervilles came and built here, was indifferently turned into a fowl house by Mrs Stoke-d’Urberville as soon as the property fell into hand according to law. —
这些逝去所有者的后代几乎感到被冒犯，当那所房子——他们如此钟爱的房子，花费了他们祖辈很多钱，世代相传直到d’Urbervilles家族来到这里建造，后来依法所有权归Mrs Stoke-d’Urberville所有——被Mrs Stoke-d’Urberville漫不经心地改建成禽兽房。 —

'Twas good enough for Christians in grandfather's time,' they said. <span><tang1> '以前祖辈的时候对基督徒们够好的, 他们说。

The rooms wherein dozens of infants had wailed at their nursing now resounded with the tapping of nascent chicks. —
曾是无数婴儿哭声的房间现在回响着刚出生小鸡的叩击声。 —

Distracted hens in coops occupied spots where formerly stood chairs supporting sedate agriculturists. —
困扰中的母鸡被关在木笼里, 曾经摆放着农人的椅子。 —

The chimney-corner and once blazing hearth was now filled with inverted beehives, in which the hens laid their eggs; —
原本闪烁着炉火光芒的烟囱角落现在被颠倒的蜜蜂箱填满，母鸡在里面下蛋； —

while out of doors the plots that each succeeding householder had carefully shaped with his spade were torn by the cocks in wildest fashion.
而室外，每一任房主都用铁锹精心雕刻的园地被母鸡们肆意践踏。

The garden in which the cottage stood was surrounded by a wall, and could only be entered through a door.
茅屋周围的花园被围墙环绕，只能通过一扇门进入。

When Tess had occupied herself about an hour the next morning in altering and improving the arrangements, according to her skilled ideas as the daughter of a professed poulterer, the door in the wall opened and a servant in white cap and apron entered. —
第二天早上，当Tess忙活了一个小时改善安排时，墙上的门打开了，一个身穿白色帽子和围裙的女仆走了进来。 —

She had come from the manor-house.
她来自庄园。

Mrs d'Urberville wants the fowls as usual,' she said; --- <span><tang1>d’Urberville太太想要禽兽，像往常一样，’她说； —

but perceiving that Tess did not quite understand, she explained, Mis'ess is a old lady, and blind.' <span><tang1> 但是看到Tess并不完全明白，她解释说，主妇是个老太太，又瞎又聋。’

Blind!' said Tess. <span><tang1>瞎！’ Tess说。

Almost before her misgiving at the news could find time to shape itself she took, under her companion’s direction, two of the most beautiful of the Hamburghs in her arms, and followed the maid-servant, who had likewise taken two, to the adjacent mansion, which, though ornate and imposing, showed traces everywhere on this side that some occupant of its chambers could bend to the love of dumb creatures - feathers floating within view of the front, and hen-coops standing on the grass.
几乎在她对消息的疑虑还来得及形成之前，她根据同伴的指示，抱起了两只最美丽的汉堡鸡，跟着女仆走到了附近的豪宅，尽管这座别墅华丽而雄伟，但从这一侧到处都留下了痕迹，表明这座房子的住户对哑光爱护的迹象 - 在前方视野中漂浮的羽毛，以及立在草地上的鸡舍。

In a sitting-room on the ground-floor, ensconced in an armchair with her back to the light, was the owner and mistress of the estate, a white haired woman of not more than sixty, or even less, wearing a large cap. —
在底楼的一间起居室里，坐在靠窗的扶手椅上的是这座庄园的主人和女主人，一位不超过六十岁，甚至更小的白发女人，戴着一顶大帽子。 —

She had the mobile face frequent in those whose sight has decayed by stages, has been laboriously striven after, and reluctantly let go, rather than the stagnant mien apparent in persons long sightless or born blind. —
她那种面庞神态活泼，是那些视力逐渐衰退，曾经艰难地争取，不情愿地放手的人中常见的，而不是久经失明或天生盲目者那种呆滞的神情。 —

Tess walked up to this lady with her feathered charges - one sitting on each arm.
塔丝走向这位老太太，手里抱着她的羽毛朋友 - 一只坐在每只臂膀上。

Ah, you are the young woman come to look after my birds?' --- <span><tang1>啊，你是来照看我的小鸟们的年轻女人？’ —

said Mrs d’Urberville, recognizing a new footstep. I hope you will be kind to them. --- <span><tang1> 杜伯维尔夫人说道，认出了新来的脚步。我希望你会对它们好一点。 —

My bailiff tells me you are quite the proper person. Well, where are they? Ah, this is Strut! —
我的管家告诉我你绝对称职。好了，它们在哪里？啊，这是斯特尔！ —

But he is hardly so lively today, is he? He is alarmed at being handled by a stranger, I suppose. —
但他今天看起来并不那么活泼，是吧？我想，他被陌生人摆弄着，感到害怕。 —

And Phena too - yes, they are a little frightened - aren’t you, dears? —
菲娜也是 - 是的，它们有点害怕 - 对吧，亲爱的们？ —

But they will soon get used to you.’
但它们很快就会习惯你的。

While the old lady had been speaking Tess and the other maid, in obedience to her gestures, had placed the fowls severally in her lap, and she had felt them over from head to tail, examining their beaks, their combs, the manes of the cocks, their wings, and their claws. —
老太太说话时，塔丝和另一个女仆按照她的手势，把小鸟们一个一个放在她的膝盖上，她从头到尾摸过它们，检查它们的喙、冠、公鸡的羽毛、翅膀和爪子。 —

Her touch enabled her to recognize them in a moment, and to discover if a single feather were crippled or dragged. —
通过触摸，她立刻辨认出它们，并发现有没有任何翅膀受伤或受到拖累的羽毛。 —

She handled their crops, and knew what they had eaten, and if too little or too much; —
她摸着它们的喉囊，知道它们已经吃了些什么，吃得太少还是太多； —

her face enacting a vivid pantomime of the criticisms passing in her mind.
她的面部表现出来的生动肢体语言，展现了她脑海中的评论。

The birds that the two girls had brought in were duly returned to the yard, and the process was repeated till all the pet cocks and hens had been submitted to the old woman - Hamburghs, Bantams, Cochins, Brahmas, Dorkings, and such other sorts as were in fashion just then - her perception of each visitor being seldom at fault as she received the bird upon her knees.
女孩们带来的小鸟们被带回了院子，整个过程被重复，直到所有的爱鸡和母鸡都被老太太检查过一遍 - 汉堡鸡、邦坦鸡、科钦鸡、布腊马鸡、多丁鸡，以及当时流行的其他品种 - 她对每一位来访者的洞察力很少出错，当她接过小鸟放在膝盖上时。

It reminded Tess of a Confirmation, in which Mrs d’Urberville was the bishop, the fowls the young people presented, and herself and the maidservant the parson and curate of the parish bringing them up. —
它让苔丝想起了礼仪，其中德伯夫人是主教，禽鸟是年轻人献上的礼物，她和女仆是该堂会的牧师和助理牧师在抚养他们。 —

At the end of the ceremony Mrs d’Urberville abruptly asked Tess, wrinkling and twitching her face into undulations, `Can you whistle?’
在仪式结束时，德伯夫人突然问苔丝，皱着脸搓动着，‘你会吹口哨吗？’

`Whistle, Ma’am?’
‘吹口哨，夫人？’

`Yes, whistle tunes.’
‘是的，吹曲子。’

Tess could whistle like most other country girls, though the accomplishment was one which she did not care to profess in genteel company. —
虽然这项技能是她不愿在上流社会中展示的，但苔丝像大多数农村女孩一样会吹口哨。 —

However, she blandly admitted that such was the fact.
然而，她温和地承认了这一事实。

`Then you will have to practise it every day. I had a lad who did it very well, but he has left. —
‘那么你得每天练习。我有一个男孩吹得很好，但他走了。 —

I want you to whistle to my bullfinches; —
我想让你吹给我的金丝雀听； —

as I cannot see them I like to hear them, and we teach `em airs that way. —
因为我看不见它们，我喜欢听到它们，我们就这样教它们曲调。 —

Tell her where the cages are, Elizabeth. —
埃丽莎贝斯，告诉她笼子在哪儿。 —

You must begin tomorrow, or they will go back in their piping. —
你必须明天开始，否则它们会忘记了吹。 —

They have been neglected these several days.’
这几天它们被忽视了。’

`Mr d’Urberville whistled to ‘em this morning, ma’am,’ said Elizabeth.
‘德伯先生今天早上给它们吹了，夫人，’ 埃丽莎贝斯说道。

`He! Pooh!’
‘他！呸！’

The old lady’s face creased into furrows of repugnance, and she made no further reply.
老夫人的脸皱成厌恶的沟壑，她没有再作进一步回复。

Thus the reception of Tess by her fancied kinswoman terminated, and the birds were taken back to their quarters. —
因此，泰丝被她想象中的亲戚接待结束，鸟儿被带回了它们的住处。 —

The girl’s surprise at Mrs d’Urberville’s manner was not great; —
女孩对德伯维尔夫人的态度并不感到很惊讶； —

for since seeing the size of the house she had expected no more. —
因为自从看到了这么大的房子，她就没期望过更多。 —

But she was far from being aware that the old lady had never heard a word of the so-called kinship. —
但她远未意识到老太太从未听说过所谓的亲属关系。 —

She gathered that no great affection flowed between the blind woman and her son. —
她感觉到这位盲人女士和她的儿子之间并没有太多的情感流动。 —

But in that, too, she was mistaken. Mrs d’Urberville was not the first mother compelled to love her offspring resentfully, and to be bitterly fond.
但在这方面，她错了。德伯维尔夫人不是第一位被迫以怨恨之心爱自己后代的母亲，和苦涩深情。

In spite of the unpleasant initiation of the day before, Tess inclined to the freedom and novelty of her new position in the morning when the sun shone, now that she was once installed there; —
尽管前一天的令人不快的接待，但在早晨阳光照耀时，泰丝倾向于她在新位置的自由和新奇，既然她已经安顿下来； —

and she was curious to test her powers in the unexpected direction asked of her, so as to ascertain her chance of retaining her post. —
她很好奇测试一下被要求的意外方向的能力，以便确定自己保留职位的机会。 —

As soon as she was alone within the walled garden she sat herself down on a coop, and seriously screwed up her mouth for the long neglected practice. —
一旦她在围墙花园内独自一人，她就坐在一个独立的小屋上，认真地扭动嘴唇，进行长时间忽略的练习。 —

She found her former ability to have degenerated to the production of a hollow rush of wind through the lips, and no clear note at all.
她发现自己以前的能力已经退化为通过嘴唇发出的空洞的风声，根本没有清晰的音符。

She remained fruitlessly blowing and blowing, wondering how she could have so grown out of the art which had come by nature, till she became aware of a movement among the ivy-boughs which cloaked the garden-wall no less than the cottage. —
她仍然在徒劳地吹着，思考着自己如何会失去天生的艺术，直到她注意到爬满园墙和小屋的常春藤枝间有一丝动静。 —

Looking that way she beheld a form springing from the coping to the plot. —
她往那个方向看去，看到一个身影从墙上跃到地面。 —

It was Alec d’Urberville, whom she had not set eves on since he had conducted her the day before to the door of the gardener’s cottage where she had lodgings.
那是亚历克斯·德伯维尔，自从前一天他送她到园丁小屋门口后，她就没有再见过他。

Upon my honour!' cried he,there was never before such a beautiful thing in Nature or Art as you look, “Cousin” Tess [“Cousin” had a faint ring of mockery]. —
他喊道：“我发誓！从墙上我看到你坐在那里——像雕像上的焦躁，用那漂亮的红唇吹成哨声状，糊里糊涂地吹，内心诅咒，却从未发出过音符。 —

I have been watching you from over the wall sitting - like Im-patience on a monument, and pouting up that pretty red mouth to whistling shape, and `whoaing and whoaing, and privately swearing, and never being able to produce a note. —
趁你在边界上看着那美丽的小胡蝶袅袅飞行，看着那漂亮的红唇在哨声形状中不停地扭动，以及‘哼哼哈哈’，永远不能发出音符的时候，我一直在看着你。”PropTypes起了冷嘲热讽的作用。 —

Why, you are quite cross because you can’t do it.’
为什么你这么生气，因为你做不到。

I may be cross, but I didn't swear.' <span><tang1>我可能很生气，但我没有发誓。

Ah! I understand why you are trying - those bullies! --- <span><tang1>啊！我明白你为什么要尝试 - 因为那些恶霸！ —

My mother wants you to carry on their musical education. How selfish of her! —
我母亲希望你继续他们的音乐教育。她是多么自私啊！ —

As if attending to these curst cocks and hens here were not enough work for any girl. —
好像照顾这些可恶的公鸡和母鸡还不够一个女孩干的活。 —

I would flatly refuse, if I were you.’
如果我是你，我绝对会拒绝。

But she wants me particularly to do it, and to be ready by to-morrow morning.' <span><tang1>但她特别希望我这样做，并且明天早上就准备好。

Does she? Well then - I'll give you a lesson or two.' <span><tang1>是吗？那么 - 我会教你一两课。

Oh no, you won't!' said Tess, withdrawing towards the door. <span><tang1>哦不，你不会！’苔丝说，朝门口退去。

Nonsense; I don't want to touch you. See - I'll stand on this side of the wire netting, and you can keep on the other; --- <span><tang1>胡说；我不想碰你。瞧 - 我会站在铁丝网的这一边，你可以保持在另一边； —

so you may feel quite safe. Now, look here; —
这样你就会感到非常安全。现在看这里； —

you screw up your lips too harshly. There ‘tis - so.’
你嘟起嘴唇太严厉。就是这样 - 这样。

He suited the action to the word, and whistled a line of `Take, O take those lips away’. —
他配合动作和言语，吹了一段“拿走，拿走那些嘴唇”。 —

But the allusion was lost upon Tess.
但是苔丝没有理解这个暗示。

Now try,' said d'Urberville. <span><tang1>现在试试，’德伯维尔说。

She attempted to look reserved; her face put on a sculptural severity. —
她试图显得保守; 她的脸上带着一种雕塑般的严肃。 —

But he persisted in his demand, and at last, to get rid of him, she did put up her lips as directed for producing a clear note; —
但他坚持要求，最后，为了摆脱他，她按照指示挤出嘴唇发出清晰的音符; —

laughing distressfully, however, and then blushing with vexation that she had laughed.
然而，哀戚地笑了一下，然后因为自己笑了而羞愧起来。

He encouraged her with `Try again!’
他鼓励她说“再试试！”

Tess was quite serious, painfully serious by this time; —
泰丝现在很认真，非常认真; —

and she tried - ultimately and unexpectedly emitting a real round sound. —
她尝试着 - 最终出乎意料地发出了一个真实而圆润的声音。 —

The momentary pleasure of success got the better of her; —
瞬间成功的喜悦让她控制不住; —

her eyes enlarged, and she involuntarily smiled in his face.
她的眼睛放大了，不由自主地对他微笑。

`That’s it! Now I have started you - you’ll go on beautifully. —
“就是这样！现在我已经启发了你 - 你会表现得很好的。 —

There - I said I would not come near you; —
嗯 - 我说过我不会靠近你; —

and, in spite of such temptation as never before fell to mortal man, I’ll keep my word. —
可是，尽管从未有过的诱惑落到凡人的身上，我会信守诺言。 —

.. Tess, do you think my mother a queer old soul?’
.. 泰丝，你认为我母亲是一个怪异的老灵魂吗？

`I don’t know much of her yet, sir.’
“我还不太了解她，先生。”

`You’ll find her so; she must be, to make you learn to whistle to her bullfinches. —
“你会发现她很奇怪;她一定是的，才会让你学着向她的金翅雀吹口哨。 —

I am rather out of her books just now, but you will be quite in favour if you treat her live-stock well. —
我现在与她关系不太好，但如果你善待她的牲畜，你会很受欢迎。 —

Good morning. If you meet with any difficulties and want help here, don’t go to the bailiff, come to me.’
早安。如果你遇到任何困难要求帮助，不要找法警，来找我。

——————————————————————————–

It was in the economy of this régime that Tess Durbeyfield had undertaken to fill a place. —
塞斯·德比菲尔德在这个体制下担任一个位置。 —

Her first day’s experiences were fairly typical of those which followed through many succeeding days. —
她第一天的经历相当典型，随后很多天也是如此。 —

A familiarity with Alec d’Urberville’s presence - which that young man carefully cultivated in her by playful dialogue, and by lastingly calling her his cousin when they were alone - removed much of her original shyness of him, without, however, implanting any feeling which could engender shyness of a new and tenderer kind. —
阿列克·德伯维尔精心培养了她对他的熟悉感，通过俏皮的对话和在独处时永远称她为堂妹，让她原有的害羞消退，但又没有培养出任何可能产生新的、更娇羞心情的感觉。 —

But she was more pliable under his hands than a mere companionship would have made her, owing to her unavoidable dependence upon his mother, and, through that lady’s comparative helplessness, upon him.
由于她不得不依赖他的母亲，以及通过那位相对无助的女士依赖他，她在他手下比在一个简单的友谊中更加顺从。

She soon found that whistling to the bullfinches in Mrs d’Urberville’s room was no such onerous business when she had regained the art, for she had caught from her musical mother numerous airs that suited those songsters admirably. —
塞斯德比菲尔德从母亲那里学到了很多适合那些歌唱者的曲调,她很快发现，在德伯维尔夫人房间里对着金翅雀吹口哨并不是一项繁重的工作。 —

A far more satisfactory time than when she practised in the garden was this whistling by the cages each morning. —
和在花园里练习时相比，每天早上在笼子旁吹口哨要愉快得多。 —

Unrestrained by the young man’s presence she threw up her mouth, put her lips near the bars, and piped away in easeful grace to the attentive listeners.
在年轻人不在场的情况下，她把嘴伸到横条附近，轻松优雅地向聚精会神的听众吹奏。

Mrs d’Urberville slept in a large four-post bedstead hung with heavy damask curtains, and the bullfinches occupied the same apartment, where they flitted about freely at certain hours, and made little white spots on the furniture and upholstery. —
德伯维尔太太睡在一张挂着厚重达马斯克窗帘的大床上，而金翅雀则在同一房间里，它们在特定时间自由地飞来飞去，在家具和装饰上留下小白斑点。 —

Once while Tess was at the window where the cages were ranged, giving her lesson as usual, she thought she heard a rustling behind the bed. —
一次塞斯站在窗前，教唱鸟，她觉得床后有动静。 —

The old lady was not present, and turning round the girl had an impression that the toes of a pair of boots were visible below the fringe of the curtains. —
老太太不在场，她转过身，看到床帷子下面似乎露出一双靴子的脚趾。 —

Thereupon her whistling became so disjointed that the listener, if such there were, must have discovered her suspicion of his presence. —
于是她吹奏的声音变得如此不连贯，如果有听众的话，一定会发现她对他的存在产生了怀疑。 —

She searched the curtains every morning after that, but never found anybody within them. —
从那时起，她每天早上都会在帷幕后搜寻，但从未发现有人在那里。 —

Alec d’Urberville had evidently thought better of his freak to terrify her by an ambush of that kind.
阿列克·德伯维尔显然觉得以那种方式恐吓她不妥。