Returning from one of these dark walks they reached a great gravel-cliff immediately over the levels, where they stood still and listened. The water was now high in the streams, squirting through the weirs, and tinkling under culverts; the smallest gullies were all full; there was no taking short cuts anywhere, and foot-passengers were compelled to follow the permanent ways. From the whole extent of the invisible vale came a multitudinous intonation; it forced upon their fancy that a great city lay below them, and that the murmur was the vociferation of its populace.
他们有一天晚上散步回来，走到耸立在平原上一个高大的沙石峭壁跟前，他们就静静地站在那儿听着。溪流中的水涨高了，在沟渠里哗哗地流着，在暗沟里叮咚叮咚地响着；最小的沟渠里的水也涨得满满的；无论到哪儿去都没有近路，步行的人不得不从铁路上走。从整个黑沉沉的谷区里，传来各种各样的嘈杂声；这不禁使他们想到，在他们的下面是一座巨大的城市，那些嘈杂声就是城市居民的喧闹声。

'It seems like tens of thousands of them,' said Tess; 'holding public-meetings in their market-places, arguing, preaching, quarrelling, sobbing, groaning, praying, and cursing.'
“好像有成千上万的人，”苔丝说：“正在市场上开公民大会呢，他们正在那儿辩论、讲道、争吵、呻吟、祈祷、谩骂。”

Clare was not particularly heeding.
克莱尔并没有怎样留神去听。

'Did Crick speak to you to-day, dear, about his not wanting much assistance during the winter months?'
“亲爱的，克里克在整个冬季不想雇佣许多人，他今天给你谈过这件事吗？”

'No.'
“没有。”

'The cows are going dry rapidly.'
“奶牛很快就要挤不出奶了。”

'Yes. Six or seven went to the straw-barton yesterday, and three the day before, making nearly twenty in the straw already. Ah - is it that the farmer don't want my help for the calving? O, I am not wanted here any more! And I have tried so hard to--'
“不错。昨天已经有六七头牛被送到干草院里去了，前天被送进去三头。整整二十头牛快要生小牛犊了。啊……是不是老板不想要我照顾小牛犊了？啊，我也不想继续在这儿干了！我一直干得这样卖劲，我……”

'Crick didn't exactly say that he would no longer require you. But, knowing what our relations were, he said in the most good-natured and respectful manner possible that he supposed on my leaving at Christmas I should take you with me, and on my asking what he would do without you he merely observed that, as a matter of fact, it was a time of year when he could do with a very little female help. I am afraid I was sinner enough to feel rather glad that he was in this way forcing your hand.'
“克里克并没有肯定说不需要你。可是，由于他知道我们是一种什么样的关系，所以他说话的时候非常和气、非常客气，他说，他认为我在圣诞节离开这儿时应该把你带上的，我说，她离开了你不会有问题吧，他只是说，说实话，一年中这个季节里，只要一两个女工帮忙就行了。我听出他想这样逼着你和我结婚，真有点儿高兴，恐怕这样的感觉要算是一种罪过吧。”

'I don't think you ought to have felt glad, Angel. Because 'tis always mournful not to be wanted, even if at the same time 'tis convenient.'
“我觉得你不应该感到高兴，安琪尔。因为没有人要你，总是叫人伤心的，即使对我们来说是一种方便。”