It was a misfortune - in more ways than one. No sooner did the dark queen hear the soberer richer note of Tess among those of the other work people than a long smouldering sense of rivalry inflamed her to madness. She sprang to her feet and closely faced the object of her dislike.
这是一件不幸的事——在许多方面都是一件不幸的事。黑桃皇后听见了这群工人中出现的苔丝发出来的冷静深沉的笑声,她内心里长期压抑的一股吃醋情绪,就立刻燃烧起来,使她变得疯狂起来。

'How darest th' laugh at me, hussy!' she cried.
“你竟敢也来笑我,你这个骚货!”她嚷了起来。

'I couldn't really help it when toothers did,' apologized Tess, still tittering.
“大家都笑,我也实在忍不住了,”苔丝向她道歉说,嘴里还在嗤嗤地笑着。

'Ah, th'st think th' beest everybody, dostn't, because th' beest first favourite with He just now! But stop a bit, my lady, stop a bit! I'm as good as two of such! look here here's at 'ee!'
“啊,你觉得你比所有的人都强,是不是?就因为你现在是他的新宠吗?不过别太得意,我的小姐,别太得意!我一个人也比得过你两个呢!来吧——你给我过来吧!”

To Tess's horror the dark queen began stripping off the bodice of her gown - which for the added reason of its ridiculed condition she was only too glad to be free of - till she had bared her plump neck, shoulders, and arms to the moonshine, under which they looked as luminous and beautiful as some Praxitelean creation, in their possession of the faultless rotundities of a lusty country girl. She closed her fists and squared up at Tess.
使苔丝吓了一跳的是,“黑桃皇后”开始脱她的上身衣服——真正的原因是弄脏的上衣引人发笑,她正乐意借故把它脱掉——她在月光下脱得露出了浑圆的脖子、肩膀和胳膊,因为她是一个农村姑娘,在朦胧的月色里,她的脖子、肩膀和胳膊光亮美丽、丰满圆润和完美无缺,就像蒲拉克西蒂利①创造的某些作品一样。她握起拳头,对苔丝摆出了进攻的姿态。

'Indeed, then, I shall not fight!' said the latter majestically; 'and if I had known you was of that sort, I wouldn't have so let myself down as to come with such a whorage as this is!'
“哎,真的,我可不想同你打架!”苔丝神色严肃地说;“要是我早知道你是这样的一种人,我才不会自甘下流,同你这样一个娼妇走在一起呢!”

The rather too inclusive speech brought down a torrent of vituperation from other quarters upon fair Tess's unlucky head, particularly from the Queen of Diamonds, who having stood in the relations to d'Urberville that Car had also been suspected of, united with the latter against the common enemy. Several other women also chimed in, with an animus which none of them would have been so fatuous as to show but for the rollicking evening they had passed. Thereupon, finding Tess unfairly browbeaten, the husbands and lovers tried to make peace by defending her; but the result of that attempt was directly to increase the war.
这句伤了一大群人的话立刻引来了其他人对漂亮的苔丝的一阵滔滔不绝的责骂,把怒气发作到不幸的苔丝身上。尤其是“方块皇后”把其他所有的人联合起来,攻击共同的敌人,因为她同德贝维尔的关系也就是卡尔遭到别人怀疑的那种关系。还有几个其他的女人也齐声响应,她们骂得粗鲁毒辣,要不是她们晚上事先都在寻欢作乐,她们也不会那样愚蠢地乱骂一气的。因此,几个丈夫和情人看见苔丝受到欺负,感到不公平,就想化解这场吵,帮着苔丝说了几句话;但是他们努力的结果,却是更加把战事激化了。

Tess was indignant and ashamed. She no longer minded the loneliness of the way and the lateness of the hour; her one object was to get away from the whole crew as soon as possible. She knew well enough that the better among them would repent of their passion next day. They were all now inside the field, and she was edging back to rush off alone when a horseman emerged almost silently from the corner of the hedge that screened the road, and Alec d'Urberville looked round upon them.
苔丝又羞又气。她再也不怕路上孤单了,也不管时间多晚了;她只有一个目的,就是尽快摆脱那一群人。她也知道得很清楚,明天他们中间较好的一些人会为他们的感情冲动懊悔的。那时候他们都已经走到地里面了,她就慢慢地向后移动,想独自跑开,就在这时候,从遮挡着道路的树篱的一角,有一个骑马的人悄悄地出现了,这个人就是阿历克·德贝维尔,他把他们打量了一番。

'What the devil is all this row about, work-folk?' he asked.
“干活的,他妈的你们为什么这样吵闹啊?”他问。

The explanation was not readily forthcoming; and, in truth, he did not require any. Having heard their voices while yet some way off he had ridden creepingly forward, and learnt enough to satisfy himself.
没有人立即给他解释;说实话,他也不需要任何解释。还在老远的地方,他已经听见他们的吵嚷声了,他骑着马悄悄地走过来,他听见的已经足够他明白了。

①蒲拉克西蒂利(Prasitelean),公元前四世纪希腊著名雕刻家,其作品以表现人体美为主要特点,代表作品为《阿佛洛狄忒》。