They drove by the level road along the valley to a distance of a few miles, and, reaching Wellbridge, turned away from the village to the left, and over the great Elizabethan bridge which gives the place half its name. Immediately behind it stood the house wherein they had engaged lodgings, whose exterior features are so well known to all travellers through the Froom Valley; once portion of a fine manorial residence, and the property and seat of a d'Urberville, but since its partial demolition a farm-house.
他們沿著谷中的平坦大道趕車走了幾英里的路，就到了井橋村，然后轉(zhuǎn)彎向左走，穿過伊麗莎白橋，正是這座橋，井橋村才帶了一個橋字。緊靠橋的后面，就是他們租了住處的那座屋子，凡是從佛盧姆谷來的人，都非常熟悉這座屋子的外部特點(diǎn)；它曾經(jīng)是一座富麗堂皇的莊園的一部分，是德貝維爾家族的產(chǎn)業(yè)和府邸，但是自從有一部分坍塌以后，它就變成了一座農(nóng)屋。

'Welcome to one of your ancestral mansions!' said Clare as he handed her down. But he regretted the pleasantry; it was too near a satire.
“歡迎你回到你祖先的府邸！”克萊爾扶苔絲下車時說。不過他又立即后悔起來，因?yàn)檫@句話太接近諷刺了。

On entering they found that, though they had only engaged a couple of rooms, the farmer had taken advantage of their proposed presence during the coming days to pay a New Year's visit to some friends, leaving a woman from a neighbouring cottage to minister to their few wants. The absoluteness of possession pleased them, and they realized it as the first moment of their experience under their own exclusive roof-tree.
他們進(jìn)屋后發(fā)現(xiàn)，房主利用他們租住他的屋子的幾天時間到朋友家過除夕節(jié)去了，只給他們留下一個從附近農(nóng)舍請來的婦女，照顧他們不多的需要。雖然他們只租了兩個房間，但是他們卻可以完全占用整個屋子，意識到這是他們兩個人第一次領(lǐng)略獨(dú)處一室的經(jīng)驗(yàn)這使他們大為高興。

But he found that the mouldy old habitation somewhat depressed his bride. When the carriage was gone they ascended the stairs to wash their hands, the charwoman showing the way. On the landing Tess stopped and started.
但是他也發(fā)現(xiàn)，他的新娘子見了這座又霉又舊的老宅有些情緒低落。馬車離去了，他們在那個做雜活女人的指引下上樓洗手。苔絲在樓梯口停住了，嚇了一跳。

'What's the matter?' said he.
“怎么啦？”他問。

'Those horrid women!' she answered, with a smile. 'How they frightened me.'
“都是這些可怕的女人！”她笑著回答說?！八齻儼盐覈樍艘淮筇！?/div>

He looked up, and perceived two life-size portraits on panels built into the masonry. As all visitors to the mansion are aware, these paintings represent women of middle age, of a date some two hundred years ago, whose lineaments once seen can never be forgotten. The long pointed features, narrow eye, and smirk of the one, so suggestive of merciless treachery; the bill-hook nose, large teeth, and bold eye of the other, suggesting arrogance to the point of ferocity, haunt the beholder afterwards in his dreams.
他抬頭看去，看見有兩幅真人一樣大小的畫像，鑲嵌在屋子的墻板上。凡是到過這座莊園的人都知道，這兩幅畫著兩個中年女人的畫像，大概是兩百年前的遺物了，畫中人物的面貌只要看過一眼，就永遠(yuǎn)不會忘記。一個是又長又尖的臉，細(xì)瞇眼，皮笑肉不笑的，一副奸詐無情的兇狠樣子；另一個是鷹嘴鼻，大牙齒，瞪著眼睛，一副兇神惡煞的驕橫樣子，看見這兩幅畫像的人，晚上都要做惡夢的。

'Whose portraits are those?' asked Clare of the charwoman.
“你知道這是誰的畫像嗎？”克萊爾問那位女仆。