【英語閱讀】德伯家的苔絲 Tess of the d’urbervilles

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德伯家的苔絲 Tess of the d’urbervilles

作者：托馬斯·哈代 (Thomas Hardy) [英國]

苔絲出生於一個貧苦小販的家庭，他的父親約翰·德比有一天被人告知是古代貴族德伯的後代，他便得意忘形起來。約翰和他的老婆決定讓女兒到一個富老太婆家去攀親戚，以期在經濟上得到幫助。苔絲去了以後被老太婆的兒子亞雷誘姦，她懷孕回家，孩子一生下即夭折。過了幾年，苔絲離家來到陶勃賽乳牛場干擠奶的活兒，在這裡他與牧師的兒子安吉爾·克萊戀愛並訂婚。苔絲對文質彬彬、頗有知識的克萊十分崇拜和熱愛，幾次想把自己曾被亞雷姦汙的事告訴他，但都因種種緣故而沒有辦到。結婚前數日她曾寫了一封長信將往事告知克萊，她把信從房門下邊塞進克萊的屋子卻塞到了地毯下面。新婚之夜她把自己昔日的這一不幸事件向丈夫坦白，但是克萊沒能原諒她。這以後他們兩人分居，克萊去巴西發展他的事業，苔絲仍在一些農場打工糊口。命運卻讓她再次與已經披上牧師黑袍的亞雷·德伯相遇。亞雷對苔絲的情慾頓時擊敗了他那沒有根基的宗教信仰，他糾纏苔絲，不得到她決不罷休。這時候苔絲的父親病故，為了母親和弟弟妹妹們的生活，她被迫與亞雷同居。不久，安吉爾·克萊爾從巴西回國，找到妻子並表示悔恨以往的冷酷無情。苔絲在這種情況下認為，是亞雷· 德伯使她第二次失去了克萊，又一次毀掉了她的幸福，她懊惱和憤怒到了極點，帶着一種責任感，殺死了亞雷。在與克萊一起度過幸福、滿足的最後五天之後，苔絲被捕並被處以絞刑。

第一章

On an evening in the latter part of May a middle-aged man was walking homeward from Shaston to the village of Marlott, in the adjoining Vale of Blakemore or Blackmoor. The pair of legs that carried him were rickety, and there was a bias in his gait which inclined him somewhat to the left of a straight line. He occasionally gave a smart nod, as if in confirmation of some opinion, though he was not thinking of anything in particular. An empty egg-basket was slung upon his arm, the nap of his hat was ruffled, a patch being quite worn away at its brim where his thumb came in taking it off. Presently he was met by an elderly parson astride on a gray mare, who, as he rode, hummed a wandering tune.

五月下旬的一個傍晚，一個中年男子正從沙斯頓向靠近布萊克莫爾谷（也叫黑荒原谷）的馬洛特村裡的家中走去。他走路的一雙腿搖搖晃晃的，走路的姿態不能保持一條直線，老是朝左邊歪着。他偶爾還輕快地點一下頭，彷彿對某個意見表示同意，其實他心裡一點兒也沒有想到什麼特別的事。他的胳膊上挎着一隻裝雞蛋的空籃子，頭上戴的帽子的絨面皺皺巴巴的，摘帽子時大拇指接觸帽沿的地方也被磨舊了一大塊。不一會兒，一個騎着一匹灰色母馬一邊隨口哼着小調的老牧師迎面走來——

'Good night,' said the man with the basket.

“您好。”挎着籃子的男子說。

'Good night, Sir John,' said the parson.

“您好，約翰爵士。”牧師說。

The pedestrian, after another pace or two, halted, and turned round.

步行的男子又向前走了一兩步，站住了，轉過身來。

'Now, sir, begging your pardon; we met last market-day on this road about this time, and I said "Good-night", and you made reply "Good night, Sir John", as now.'

“喂，對不起，先生；大約上個集市日的這個時候，我們在這條路上遇見了，我說‘您好‘，你也回答說‘您好，約翰爵士‘，就像剛才說的一樣。”

'I did,' said the parson.

“我是這樣說的。”牧師說。

'And once before that -- near a month ago.'

“在那以前還有一次——大約一個月以前。”

'I may have.'

“我也許說過。”

'Then what might your meaning be in calling me "Sir John" these different times, when I be plain Jack Durbeyfield, the haggler?'

“我只不過是一個普通的流動小販，名叫傑克·德北菲爾德，那你反覆叫我‘約翰爵士‘是什麼意思？”

The parson rode a step or two nearer.

牧師騎着馬向他走近一兩步。

'It was only my whim,' he said; and, after a moment's hesitation: 'It was on account of a discovery I made some little time ago, whilst I was hunting up pedigrees for the new county history. I am Parson Tringham, the antiquary, of Stagfoot Lane. Don't you really know, Durbeyfield, that you are the lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the d'Urbervilles, who derived their descent from Sir Pagan d'Urberville, that renowned knight who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror, as appears by Battle Abbey Roll?'

“那只是我的一時興緻，”他說；然後又稍稍遲疑了一會兒：“那是因為不久前我為了編寫新的郡史在查考家譜時的一個發現。我是鹿腳路的考古學家特林漢姆牧師。德北菲爾德，你真的不知道你是德貝維爾這個古老騎士世家的嫡傳子孫嗎？德貝維爾家是從著名的騎士帕根·德貝維爾爵士傳下來的，據紀功寺文檔①記載，他是跟隨征服者威廉王從諾曼底來的。”

'Never heard it before, sir!'

“過去我從沒聽說過，先生！”

'Well it's true. Throw up your chin a moment, so that I may catch the profile of your face better. Yes, that's the d'Urberville nose and chin -- a little debased. Your ancestor was one of the twelve knights who assisted the Lord of Estremavilla in Normandy in his conquest of Glamorganshire. Branches of your family held manors over all this part of England; their names appear in the Pipe Rolls in the time of King Stephen. In the reign of King John one of them was rich enough to give a manor to the Knights Hospitallers; and in Edward the Second's time your forefather Brian was summoned to Westminster to attend the great Council there. You declined a little in Oliver Cromwell's time, but to no serious extent, and in Charles the Second's reign you were made Knights of the Royal Oak for your loyalty. Aye, there have been generations of Sir Johns among you, and if knighthood were hereditary, like a baronetcy, as it practically was in old times, when men were knighted from father to son, you would be Sir, John now.'

“啊，不錯。你把下巴抬起來一點點，讓我好好看看你的臉的側面。不錯，這正是德貝維爾家族的鼻子和下巴——但有一點兒衰落。輔佐諾曼底的埃斯徹瑪維拉勛爵征服格拉摩甘郡的騎士一共有十二個，你的祖先是他們中間的一個。在英格蘭這一帶地方，到處都有你們家族分支的采地；在斯蒂芬王時代，派普名冊②記載着他們的名字。在約翰王時代，他們的分支中有一支很富有，曾給救護騎士團贈送了一份采地；在愛德華二世時代，你的祖先布里恩也應召到威斯敏斯特參加過大議會。你們家族在奧利弗·克倫威爾時代就有點兒開始衰落，不過沒有到嚴重的程度，在查理斯二世時期，你們家族又因為對王室忠心，被封為皇家橡樹爵士。唉，你們家族的約翰爵士已經有好幾代了，如果騎士稱號也像從男爵一樣可以世襲的話，你現在就應該是約翰爵士了，其實在過去的時代里都是世襲的，騎士稱號由父親傳給兒子。”

'Ye don't say so!'

“可你沒有這樣說過呀！”

'In short,' concluded the parson, decisively smacking his leg with his switch, 'there's hardly such another family in England.'

“簡而言之，”牧師態度堅決地用馬鞭抽了一下自己的腿，下結論說，“在英格蘭，你們這樣的家族簡直找不出第二家。”

'Daze my eyes, and isn't there?' said Durbeyfield. 'And here have I been knocking about, year after year, from pillar to post, as if I was no more than the commonest feller in the parish… And how long hev this news about me been knowed, Pa'son Tringham?'The clergyman explained that, as far as he was aware, it had quite died out of knowledge, and could hardly be said to be known at all. His own investigations had begun on a day in the preceding spring when, having been engaged in tracing the vicissitudes of the d'Urberville family, he had observed Durbeyfield's name on his waggon, and had thereupon been led to make inquiries about his father and grandfather till he had no doubt on the subject.

“真令我吃驚，在英格蘭找不出第二家嗎？”德北菲爾德說，“可是我一直在這一帶四處漂泊，一年又一年的，糟糕透頂了，好像我同這個教區里的最普通的人沒有什麼兩樣……特林漢姆牧師，關於我們家族的這件事，大家知道得有多久了？”牧師解釋說，據他所知，這件事早讓人忘光了，很難說有什麼人知道。他對家系的調查，是從去年春天開始的。他一直在對德貝維爾家族的盛衰史進行研究，在馬車上看見了德北菲爾德的名字，因而才引起他展開對德北菲爾德的父親和祖父的調查，最後才確定了這件事。

'At first I resolved not to disturb you with such a useless piece of information,' said he. 'However, our impulses are too strong for our judgment sometimes. I thought you might perhaps know something of it all the while.'

“起初我決心不拿這種毫無用處的消息打擾你，”他說，“可是，我們的衝動有時候太強烈，控制不住我們的理智。我還一直以為你也許對這件事已經知道一些了。”

'Well, I have heard once or twice, 'tis true, that my family had seen better days afore they came to Blackmoor. But I took no notice o't, thinking it to mean that we had once kept two horses where we now keep only one. I've got a wold silver spoon, and a wold graven seal at home, too; but, Lord, what's a spoon and seal?… And to think that I and these noble d'Urbervilles were one flesh all the time. 'Twas said that my gr't-grandfer had secrets, and didn't care to talk of where he came from… And where do we raise our smoke, now, parson, if I may make so bold; I mean, where do we d'Urbervilles live?'

“啊，是的，我也聽說過一兩次，說我這家人在搬到黑荒原谷以前，也經歷過富裕的日子。可是我卻沒有在意，心想只是說我們現在只有一匹馬，而過去我們曾經有過兩匹馬。我家裡還保存着一把古老的銀匙和一方刻有紋章的古印；可是，天啦，一把銀匙和一方古印算得了什麼？……想想吧，我一直同這些高貴的德貝維爾血肉相連。聽別人說，我的曾祖父有些不肯告人的秘密，不肯談論他的來歷……噢，牧師，我想冒昧地問一句，現在我們家族的炊煙又升起在哪兒呢？我是說，我們德貝維爾家族住在哪兒？”

'You don't live anywhere. You are extinct -- as a county family.'

“哪兒也沒有你們家族了。作為一個郡的家族，你們家族是已經滅絕了。”

'That's bad.'

“真是遺憾。”

'Yes -- what the mendacious family chronicles call extinct in the male line -- that is, gone down -- gone under.'

“是的——那些虛假的家譜所說的男系滅絕，就是說衰敗了，沒落了。”

'Then where do we lie?'

“那麼，我們的祖先又埋在哪兒呢？”

'At Kingsbere-sub-Greenhill: rows and rows of you in your vaults, with your effigies under Purbeck-marble canopies.'

“埋在青山下的金斯比爾：一排一排地埋在你們家族的地下墓室里，在用佩比克大理石做成的華蓋下面，還刻有你們祖先的雕像。”

'And where be our family mansions and estates?'

“還有，我們家族的宅第和房產在哪兒呢？”

'You haven't any.'

“你們沒有宅第和房產了。”

'Oh? No lands neither?'

“啊？土地也沒有了？”

'None; though you once had 'em in abundance, as I said, for your family consisted of numerous branches. In this county there was a seat of yours at Kingsbere, and another at Sherton, and another at Milipond, and another at Lullstead, and another at Wellbridge.'

“也沒有了；雖然像我說的那樣，你們曾經擁有過大量的宅第和房產，因為你們的家族是由眾多的支系組成的。在這個郡，過去在金斯比爾有一處你們的房產，在希爾屯還有一處，在磨房池有一處，在拉爾斯德有一處，在井橋還有一處。”

'And shall we ever come into our own again?'

“我們還會恢復我們自己的家族嗎？”

'Oh -- nothing, nothing; except chasten yourself with the thought of "how are the mighty fallen". It is a fact of some interest to the local historian and genealogist, nothing more. There are several families among the cottagers of this county of almost equal lustre. Good night.'

“噢——不行了，不行了；‘大英雄何竟死亡‘，你除了用這句話責罰你自己外，別無它法。這件事對本地的歷史學家和家譜學家還有些興趣，但沒有其它什麼了。在本郡居住的農戶里，有差不多同樣光榮歷史的還有好幾家。再見。”

'But you'll turn back and have a quart of beer wi' me on the strength o't, Pa'son Tringham? There's a very pretty brew in tap at The Pure Drop -- though, to be sure, not so good as at Rolliver's.'

“可是，特林漢姆牧師，為了這件事，你轉回來和我去喝一夸脫啤酒好不好？在純酒酒店，正好開了一桶上好的佳釀——雖然我敢說它還是不如羅利弗酒店的酒好。”

'No, thank you -- not this evening, Durbeyfield. You've had enough already.' Concluding thus the parson rode on his way, with doubts as to his discretion in retailing this curious bit of lore.

“不喝了，謝謝你——德北菲爾德，今天晚上不喝了。你已經喝得夠多了。”牧師這樣把話說完以後，就騎着馬走了，心裡有些懷疑，該不該把這個多少有點奇怪的傳說告訴他。

When he was gone Durbeyfield walked a few steps in a profound reverie, and then sat down upon the grassy bank by the roadside, depositing his basket before him. In a few minutes a youth appeared in the distance, walking in the same direction as that which had been pursued by Durbeyfield. The latter, on seeing him, held up his hand, and the lad quickened his pace and came near.

牧師走了，德北菲爾德陷入沉思，走了幾步路，就把籃子放在面前，然後在路邊的草坡上坐下來。不一會兒，遠方出現了一個年輕人，正朝先前德北菲爾德走路的方向走着。德北菲爾德一看見他，就把手舉起來，小夥子緊走幾步，來到他的跟前。

'Boy, take up that basket! I want'ee to go on an errand for me.'

“小夥子，把那個籃子拿起來！我要你為我走一趟。”

The lath-like stripling frowned. 'Who be you, then, John Durbeyfield, to order me about and call me "boy"? You know my name as well as I know yours!'

那個像板條一樣瘦長的小夥子有點不高興：“你是什麼人，約翰·德北菲爾德，你竟要使喚我，叫我‘小夥子‘？我們誰不認識誰呀！”

'Do you, do you? That's the secret -- that's the secret! Now obey my orders, and take the message I'm going to charge 'ee wi'… Well, Fred, I don't mind telling you that the secret is that I'm one of a noble race -- it has been just found out by me this present afternoon P. M.' And as he made the announcement, Durbeyfield, declining from his sitting position, luxuriously stretched himself out upon the bank among the daisies.

“你認識我，認識我？這是秘密——這是秘密！現在你就聽我的吩咐，把我讓你送的信送走……好吧，弗里德，我不在乎把這個秘密告訴你，我是一家貴族的後裔，——我也是午後，今天這個下午才知道的。”德北菲爾德一邊宣布這則消息，一邊從坐着的姿勢向後倒下去，舒舒服服地仰卧在草坡上的雛菊中了。

The lad stood before Durbeyfield, and contemplated his length from crown to toe.

小夥子站在德北菲爾德的面前，把他從頭到腳仔細地打量了一番。

'Sir John d'Urberville -- that's who I am,' continued the prostrate man. 'That is if knights were baronets -- which they be. 'Tis recorded in history all about me. Dost know of such a place, lad, as Kingsbere-sub-Greenhill?'

“約翰·德貝爾菲爾爵士——這才是我的名字。”躺着的人接著說。“我是說，如果騎士是從男爵的話——它們本來就是一樣的呀。我的一切都記錄在歷史中。小夥子，你知道不知道青山下的金斯伯爾這個地方？”

'Yes. I've been there to Greenhill Fair.'

“知道。我去過那兒的青山市場。”

'Well, under the church of that city there lie --'

“好了，就在那個城市的教堂下面，埋着——”

''Tisn't a city, the place I mean; leastwise 'twaddn' when I was there --'twas a little one-eyed, blinking sort of place.'

“那兒哪是一個城市，我是說那兒只是一塊地方；至少我去那兒的時候不是一個城市——那兒只不過是像一隻眼睛般大小的討厭的地方。”

'Never you mind the place, boy, that's not the question before us. Under the church of that there parish lie my ancestors -- hundreds of 'em -- in coats of mail and Jewels, in gr't lead coffins weighing tons and tons. There's not a man in the county of South-Wessex that's got grander and nobler skillentons in his family than I.'

“你不必管那個地方了，小夥子，那不是我們要說的事。在那個教區的下面，埋着我的祖先——有好幾百個——穿着鎧甲，滿身珠寶，睡的用鉛做成的大棺材就有好幾噸重。在南威塞克斯這個郡里，沒有誰家有比我更顯赫更高貴的祖先了。”

'Oh?'

“是嗎？”

'Now take up that basket, and goo on to Marlott, and when you've come to The Pure Drop Inn, tell 'em to send a horse and carriage to me immediately, to carry me hwome. And in the bottom of the carriage they be to put a noggin of rum in a small bottle, and chalk it up to my account. And when you've done that goo on to my house with the basket, and tell my wife to put away that washing, because she needn't finish it, and wait till I come hwome, as I've news to tell her.'

“好了，你把籃子拿上，到馬洛特村去，走到純酒酒店的時候，告訴他們立刻給我叫一輛馬車，把我接回家去。馬車裡叫他們放上一小瓶甜酒，記在我的帳上。你把這件事辦完了，就把籃子送到我家裡去，告訴我老婆把正在洗的衣服放下來，用不着把衣服洗完，等着我回家，因為我有話要告訴她。”

As the lad stood in a dubious attitude, Durbeyfield put his hand in his pocket, and produced a shilling, one of the chronically few that he possessed.

小夥子半信半疑，站着沒有動身，德北菲爾德就把手伸進口袋，摸出來一個先令，長期以來，那是他口袋中少有的先令中的一個。

'Here's for your labour, lad.'

“辛苦你了，小夥子，這個給你。”

This made a difference in the young man's estimate of the position.

有了這個先令，小夥子對形勢的估計就有了不同。

'Yes, Sir John. Thank 'ee. Anything else I can do for 'ee, Sir John?'

“好吧，約翰爵士。謝謝你。還有別的事要我為你效勞嗎，約翰爵士？”

'Tell 'em at hwome that I should like for supper, -- well, lamb's fry if they can get it; and if they can't, black-pot; and if they can't get that, well, chitterlings will do.'

“告訴我家裡人，晚飯我想吃——好吧，要是有羊雜碎，我就吃油煎羊雜碎；要是沒有羊雜碎，我就吃血腸；要是沒有血腸，好吧，我就將就着吃小腸吧。”

'Yes, Sir John.'

“是，約翰爵士。”

The boy took up the basket, and as he set out the notes of a brass band were heard from the direction of the village.

小夥子拿起籃子，就在他要動身離開的時候，聽見一陣銅管樂隊的音樂聲從村子的方向傳過來。

'What's that?' said Durbeyfield. 'Not on account of I?'

“什麼聲音？”德北菲爾德說。“不是為了歡迎我吧？”

''Tis the women's club-walking, Sir John. Why, your dater is one of the members.'

“那是婦女俱樂部正在遊行，約翰爵士。唔，你女兒就是俱樂部的一個會員呀。”

'To be sure -- I'd quite forgot it in my thoughts of greater things! Well, vamp on to Marlott, will ye, and order that carriage, and maybe I'll drive round and inspect the club.'

“真是的——我想的都是大事情，把這件事全給忘了。好吧，你去馬洛特村吧，給我把馬車叫來，說不定我要坐車轉一圈，好看看俱樂部的遊行。”

The lad departed, and Durbeyfield lay waiting on the grass and daisies in the evening sun. Not a soul passed that way for a long while, and the faint notes of the band were the only human sounds audible within the rim of blue hills.

小夥子走了，德北菲爾德躺在草地的雛菊中，沐浴着午後的夕照等候着。很久很久，那條路上沒有一個人走過，在綠色山巒的四周以內，能夠聽到的人類聲音只有那隱約傳來的銅管樂隊的音樂聲。