This leading pedestrian was Car the Queen of Spades, who carried a wicker-basket containing her mother's groceries, her own draperies, and other purchases for the week. The basket being large and heavy, Car had placed it for convenience of porterage on the top of her head, where it rode on in jeopardized balance as she walked with arms akimbo.
在最前面走着的是“黑桃皇后”卡尔,她挽着一个柳条篮子,里面装着她母亲的杂货、她自己买的布料、以及这个星期里要用的其它物品。篮子又大又重,卡尔为了走路方便些,就把篮子放在头顶上顶着,当她两手叉腰走路的时候,篮子就在她的头顶上危险地摇晃着。

'Well - whatever is that a-creeping down the back, Car Darch?' said one of the group suddenly.
“喂——你背上是什么东西在往下爬呀,卡尔·达齐?”人群中有一个大突然说。

All looked at Car. Her gown was a light cotton print, and from the back of her head a kind of rope could be seen descending to some distance below her waist, like a Chinaman's queue.
所有的人都向卡尔望过去。她穿一件薄薄的印花布女衫,有一条像绳子似的东西从她的脑后垂下来,一直延伸到她的腰下,就像中国人的一条辫子。

''Tis her hair falling down,' said another.
“是她的头发散下来了,”另外一个人说。

No; it was not her hair: it was a black stream of something oozing from her basket, mid it glistened like a slimy snake in the cold still rays of the moon.
不对;不是她的头发;那是从她头上的篮子里流出来的一条黑色溪流,好像一条粘乎乎的蛇,在清冷寂寞的月光下闪闪发光。

''Tis treacle,' said an observant matron.
“那是糖浆,”一个目光敏锐的妇女说。

Treacle it was. Car's poor old grandmother had a weakness for the sweet stuff. Honey she had in plenty out of her own hives, but treacle was what her soul desired, and Car had been about to give her a treat of surprise. Hastily lowering the basket the dark girl found that the vessel containing the syrup had been smashed within.
的确是糖浆。卡尔可怜的老祖母有吃甜食的偏好。蜂蜜在她家里的蜂窠里有的是,但是糖浆才是她一心想要的东西,所以卡尔给她买了糖浆,想给她一个意外的惊喜。那黝黑的姑娘急忙把篮子放下来,发现装糖浆的罐子已经在篮子里打碎了。

By this time there had arisen a shout of laughter at the extraordinary appearance of Car's back, which irritated the dark queen into getting rid of the disfigurement by the first sudden means available, and independently of the help of the scoffers. She rushed excitedly into the field they were about to cross, and flinging herself flat on her back upon the grass, began to wipe her gown as well as she could by spinning horizontally on the herbage and dragging herself over it upon her elbows.
这时候大家看见卡尔背上不同寻常的样子,不由得一起哄笑起来,黑桃皇后急着把背上的黑色糖浆弄掉,突然想出来一个当时能想到的办法,这个办法也用不着请那些嘲笑她的人帮忙。她心里激动,就急急忙忙地冲进他们要经过的那块地里,仰面朝天地躺下来,开始在草地上平着旋转,用劲擦她衣服背后的糖浆,她还用胳膊肘把自己从草地上拖过去,又用这种办法把衣服擦了一遍。

The laughter rang louder; they clung to the gate, to the posts, rested on their staves, in the weakness engendered by their convulsions at the spectacle of Car. Our heroine, who had hitherto held her peace, at this wild moment could not help joining in with the rest.
哄笑声更大了;他们看见卡尔的怪相,捧腹大笑起来,笑得没了力气,都一个个地或靠在栅栏门上,或靠在柱子上,或靠在自己的手杖上。我们的女主角苔丝先前一直表现得很平静,这时候也禁不住和大家一起笑了起来。