'My only reason was on account of you - on account of a question. I have something to tell you--'
“我唯一的理由也是为了你啊——只是为了一个问题，我还有些话同你说——”

'But suppose it to be entirely for my happiness, and my worldly convenience also?'
“我能够认为完全是为了我的幸福，也为了我事业的方便吗？”

'O yes; if it is for your happiness and worldly convenience. But my life before I came here - I want------'
“啊，是的；是为了你的幸福和事业上的方便。但是在我来这儿以前——我想——”

'Well, it is for my convenience as well as my happiness. If I have a very large farm, either English or colonial, you will be invaluable as a wife to me; better than a woman out of the largest mansion in the country. So please - please, dear Tessy, disabuse your mind of the feeling that you will stand in my way.'
“好啦，我本来就是为了自己的幸福和事业的方便才向你求婚的。假如我在英国或者在殖民地拥有一个大农场，你做我的妻子就有无限的价值了；也比娶一个出身在全国都是最高贵门户的女子好得多。所以请你——请你，亲爱的苔丝，你一定要消除心里的那种想法，以为嫁给我会妨碍了我。”

'But my history. I want you to know it - you must let me tell you - you will not like me so well!'
“但是我的过去。我要让你知道我的过去——你一定要让我告诉你——你要是知道了，就不会像现在这样喜欢我了。”

'Tell it if you wish to, dearest. This precious history then. Yes, I was born at so and so, Anno Domini--'
“如果你想说，那你就说吧，最亲爱的。那一定是珍贵的历史。是呀，你要说我于某年某月某日出生，等等——”

'I was born at Marlott,'she said, catching at his words as a help, lightly as they were spoken. 'And I grew up there. And I was in the Sixth Standard when I left school, and they said I had great aptness, and should make a good teacher, so it was settled that I should be one. But there was trouble in my family; father was not very industrious, and he drank a little.'
“我生于马洛特村，”她说，借用了他说的几个字，尽管那几个字也是随随便便说出来的。“我在那儿长大。我离开学校的时候，受了六年的标准教育，他们都说我很能干，应该当一个好教员。但是我家里出现了一些麻烦事；我的父亲不太勤劳，又喜欢喝点儿酒。”

'Yes, yes. Poor child! Nothing new.' He pressed her more closely to his side.
“好啦，好啦。可怜的孩子！这有什么新奇啊。”他把她更紧地搂在自己的怀里。