'And then - there is something very unusual about it - about me. I - I was--'
“后來——還有一些非常不同尋常的事——是與我有關(guān)的。我——我——”

Tess's breath quickened.
苔絲的呼吸急促起來。

'Yes, dearest. Never mind.'
“好啦，最親愛的。這沒有關(guān)系的?！?/div>

'I - I - am not a Durbeyfield, but a d'Urberville - a descendant of the same family as those that owned the old house we passed. And - we are all gone to nothing!'
“我——我——不姓德北菲爾德，而是姓德貝維爾——和我們剛才走過去的那座老房子的當(dāng)年主人是一家。還有——我們都衰敗了?！?/div>

'A d'Urberville! - Indeed! And is that all the trouble, dear Tess?'
“姓德貝維爾！——真的嗎？這就是所有的麻煩事嗎，親愛的苔絲？”

'Yes,' she answered faintly.
“是的，”她含糊其辭地說。

'Well - why should I love you less after knowing this?'
“好啦——我知道了這個(gè)為什么就要減少對你的愛呢？”

'I was told by the dairyman that you hated old families.'
“我聽奶牛場老板說你痛恨老門戶啊?！?/div>

He laughed.
他笑了起來。

'Well, it is true, in one sense. I do hate the aristocratic principle of blood before everything, and do think that as reasoners the only pedigrees we ought to respect are those spiritual ones of the wise and virtuous, without regard to corporeal paternity. But I am extremely interested in this news - you can have no idea how interested I am! Are not you interested yourself in being one of that well-known line?'
“好啦，在某種意義上說，這是真的。我的確痛恨血統(tǒng)高于一切的貴族原則，也的確認(rèn)為，作為一個(gè)理性的人，我們應(yīng)該尊重的血統(tǒng)只能是那些有理性有道德的人的精神血統(tǒng)，與祖先的血統(tǒng)毫無關(guān)系。不過我特別對你說的這件事感興趣——你想不出我多么地感興趣呢！難道你對自己這個(gè)顯赫的家世不感興趣嗎？”