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; 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. 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. 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.
盡管頭一天一開始就叫人不痛快，但是既然她已經(jīng)在這兒安置下來，所以當(dāng)早晨太陽照耀時(shí)，她就愛上了她的新工作的自由和新奇；她想試試?yán)戏蛉藢?duì)她作的出人意料的吩咐，檢驗(yàn)一下自己的能力，以便確定保不保得住她得到的這個(gè)工作機(jī)會(huì)。當(dāng)苔絲回到圍墻的院子里只剩下一個(gè)人時(shí)，她就在一個(gè)雞籠上坐下來，認(rèn)真地把嘴巴撮起來，開始了她早已生疏了的練習(xí)。她發(fā)現(xiàn)她吹口哨的能力已經(jīng)退化了，只能從撮起的嘴唇中吹出一陣陣空洞的風(fēng)聲，根本就吹不成清楚的音調(diào)。

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. Looking that way she beheld a form springing from the coping to the plot. 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.
她坐在那兒吹了又吹，總是吹不成音調(diào)，心想究竟是怎么回事，自己生來就會(huì)的本領(lǐng)怎么會(huì)忘記得這樣干凈；院子的圍墻上爬滿了長春藤，一點(diǎn)兒也不比屋子上的長春藤少，后來，她發(fā)現(xiàn)在長春藤中間有什么東西在動(dòng)。她向那個(gè)方向看去，看見一個(gè)人影從墻頭上跳到了地上。那個(gè)人影是阿歷克·德貝維爾，自從前天他把她帶進(jìn)院子小屋里住下以后，她再也沒有見過他。

'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]. 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. Why, you are quite cross because you can't do it.'
“我用名譽(yù)擔(dān)保！”他叫道，“無論在人間里還是在繪畫里，從來也沒有像你這樣漂亮的人，‘苔絲’堂妹（在‘堂妹’的口氣里，有一點(diǎn)兒嘲弄的味兒）。我已經(jīng)在墻那邊觀察你好半天了——你坐在那兒，就像石碑上雕刻的急躁女神①，把你漂亮的紅色嘴唇撮起來，做成吹口哨的形狀，不停地吹著，悄悄地罵著，可就是吹不出一個(gè)音來。你因?yàn)榇挡怀隹谏趤?，所以你很生氣。?/div>

'I may be cross, but I didn't swear.'
“我也許生氣來著，但是我沒有罵?！?/div>

'Ah! I understand why you are trying - those bullies! My mother wants you to carry on their musical education. How selfish of her! As if attending to these curst cocks and hens here were not enough work for any girl. I would flatly refuse, if I were you.'
“啊！我知道你為什么吹口哨——是為了那些小鳥兒！我母親要你給它們上音樂課。她多么自私呀！好像照看這些公雞和母雞還不夠一個(gè)女孩子忙的。我要是你，我就干脆不干?！?/div>

'But she wants me particularly to do it, and to be ready by to-morrow morning.'
“可是她特別要我吹口哨啊，而且要我明天早晨就開始吹?！?/div>