'An' I knew it! Jacky he called her Coz!' cried Joan to her husband. 'Well, he spoke to his mother, of course, and she do want 'ee there.'
“我就知道他会叫你堂妹的！杰克——他叫她堂妹啦！”琼对她的丈夫喊道：“对了，他当然对他的母亲说了，他的母亲就要你到她那儿去。”

'But I don't know that I am apt at tending fowls,' said the dubious Tess.
“可是我不知道我会不会养鸡呀，”心中疑惑的苔丝说。

'Then I don't know who is apt. You've been born in the business, and brought up in it. They that be born in a business always know more about it than any 'prentice. Besides, that's only just a show of something for you to do, that you midn't feel beholden.'
“那我就不知道谁会养鸡了。你生在一个做小买卖的家庭里，又是做小买卖长大的。生在做小买卖的家里的人，总是比半路出家的人懂得多些。另外，那也不过是表面上做做样子，让你觉得你是在给他们做事，而不会感到欠了别人的情。”

'I don't altogether think I ought to go,' said Tess thoughtfully.'Who wrote the letter? Will you let me look at it?'
“总而言之，我觉得我不应该去，”苔丝仔细想了想说。“信是谁写的？给我看看好吗？”

'Mrs d'Urberville wrote it. Here it is.'
“是德贝维尔夫人写的。拿去看吧。”

The letter was in the third person, and briefly informed Mrs Durbeyfield that her daughter's services would be useful to that lady in the management of her poultry farm, that a comfortable room would be provided for her if she could come, and that the wages would be on a liberal scale if they liked her.
那封信是用第三人称的口气写的，很简单地告诉德北菲尔德太太说，那位夫人需要她的女儿去工作，帮助那位夫人管理鸡场，如果她能够去的话，还会给她提供一个舒适的房间，并说只要他们满意，工钱是很优厚的。

'Oh - that's all!' said Tess.
“哦——就写了这些！”苔丝说。

'You couldn't expect her to throw her arms round 'ee, an' to kiss and to coll 'ee all at once.'
“你也不能指望她立刻就伸开双臂搂着你、吻你呀。”

Tess looked out of the window.
苔丝抬头看着窗外。

'I would rather stay here with father and you,' she said.
“我宁肯同你和父亲留在家里，”她说。

'But why?'
“可是为什么呀？”

'I'd rather not tell you why, mother; indeed, I don't quite know why.'
“我也不想告诉你为什么，母亲；说实话，我也不完全知道为了什么。”