'My only reason was on account of you - on account of a question. I have something to tell you--'
“我唯一的理由也是為了你啊——只是為了一個(gè)問(wèn)題，我還有些話同你說(shuō)——”

'But suppose it to be entirely for my happiness, and my worldly convenience also?'
“我能夠認(rèn)為完全是為了我的幸福，也為了我事業(yè)的方便嗎？”

'O yes; if it is for your happiness and worldly convenience. But my life before I came here - I want------'
“啊，是的；是為了你的幸福和事業(yè)上的方便。但是在我來(lái)這兒以前——我想——”

'Well, it is for my convenience as well as my happiness. If I have a very large farm, either English or colonial, you will be invaluable as a wife to me; better than a woman out of the largest mansion in the country. So please - please, dear Tessy, disabuse your mind of the feeling that you will stand in my way.'
“好啦，我本來(lái)就是為了自己的幸福和事業(yè)的方便才向你求婚的。假如我在英國(guó)或者在殖民地?fù)碛幸粋€(gè)大農(nóng)場(chǎng)，你做我的妻子就有無(wú)限的價(jià)值了；也比娶一個(gè)出身在全國(guó)都是最高貴門(mén)戶的女子好得多。所以請(qǐng)你——請(qǐng)你，親愛(ài)的苔絲，你一定要消除心里的那種想法，以為嫁給我會(huì)妨礙了我?！?/div>

'But my history. I want you to know it - you must let me tell you - you will not like me so well!'
“但是我的過(guò)去。我要讓你知道我的過(guò)去——你一定要讓我告訴你——你要是知道了，就不會(huì)像現(xiàn)在這樣喜歡我了。”

'Tell it if you wish to, dearest. This precious history then. Yes, I was born at so and so, Anno Domini--'
“如果你想說(shuō)，那你就說(shuō)吧，最親愛(ài)的。那一定是珍貴的歷史。是呀，你要說(shuō)我于某年某月某日出生，等等——”

'I was born at Marlott,'she said, catching at his words as a help, lightly as they were spoken. 'And I grew up there. And I was in the Sixth Standard when I left school, and they said I had great aptness, and should make a good teacher, so it was settled that I should be one. But there was trouble in my family; father was not very industrious, and he drank a little.'
“我生于馬洛特村，”她說(shuō)，借用了他說(shuō)的幾個(gè)字，盡管那幾個(gè)字也是隨隨便便說(shuō)出來(lái)的?！拔以谀莾洪L(zhǎng)大。我離開(kāi)學(xué)校的時(shí)候，受了六年的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)教育，他們都說(shuō)我很能干，應(yīng)該當(dāng)一個(gè)好教員。但是我家里出現(xiàn)了一些麻煩事；我的父親不太勤勞，又喜歡喝點(diǎn)兒酒?！?/div>

'Yes, yes. Poor child! Nothing new.' He pressed her more closely to his side.
“好啦，好啦?？蓱z的孩子！這有什么新奇啊?！彼阉o地?fù)г谧约旱膽牙铩?/div>