'In short,' concluded the parson, decisively smacking his leg with his switch, 'there's hardly such another family in England.'
“简而言之,”牧师态度坚决地用马鞭抽了一下自己的腿,下结论说,“在英格兰,你们这样的家族简直找不出第二家。”

'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.
“真令我吃惊,在英格兰找不出第二家吗?”德北菲尔德说,“可是我一直在这一带四处漂泊,一年又一年的,糟糕透顶了,好像我同这个教区里的最普通的人没有什么两样……特林汉姆牧师,关于我们家族的这件事,大家知道得有多久了?”牧师解释说,据他所知,这件事早让人忘光了,很难说有什么人知道。他对家系的调查,是从去年春天开始的。他一直在对德贝维尔家族的盛衰史进行研究,在马车上看见了德北菲尔德的名字,因而才引起他展开对德北菲尔德的父亲和祖父的调查,最后才确定了这件事。

'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.'
“起初我决心不拿这种毫无用处的消息打扰你,”他说,“可是,我们的冲动有时候太强烈,控制不住我们的理智。我还一直以为你也许对这件事已经知道一些了。”

'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,我也听说过一两次,说我这家人在搬到黑荒原谷以前,也经历过富裕的日子。可是我却没有在意,心想只是说我们现在只有一匹马,而过去我们曾经有过两匹马。我家里还保存着一把古老的银匙和一方刻有纹章的古印;可是,天啦,一把银匙和一方古印算得了什么?……想想吧,我一直同这些高贵的德贝维尔血肉相连。听别人说,我的曾祖父有些不肯告人的秘密,不肯谈论他的来历……噢,牧师,我想冒昧地问一句,现在我们家族的炊烟又升起在哪儿呢?我是说,我们德贝维尔家族住在哪儿?”

①纪功寺文档(Battle Abbey Roll),记载跟随威廉王征战英国的诺曼贵族的一份名单,现保存于纪功寺。

②派普名册(Pipe Rolls),记录皇家每年收支情况的文件,始于1131年,止于1842年。