'I've not asked her. She don't know there is any such lady relation yet. But it would certainly put her in the way of a grand marriage, and she won't say nay to going.'
“我还没有问过她。现在她还不知道我们有这样一个贵夫人亲戚。不过，如果到那儿去肯定能给她结上一门好亲事，她是不会说不的。”

'Tess is queer.'
“苔丝可是脾气古怪呀。”

'But she's tractable at bottom. Leave her to me.'
“不过其实她还是听话的。把她交给我好了。”

Though this conversation had been private, sufficient of its import reached the understandings of those around to suggest to them that the Durbeyfields had weightier concerns to talk of now than common folks had, and that Tess, their pretty eldest daughter had fine prospects in store.
虽然这场谈话是私下进行的，可是这场谈话的意义已足已使周围的人明白，猜想出德北菲尔德家现在商谈的是一件十分重要的大事，非寻常人能比，猜想出他们漂亮的大女儿苔丝，已经有了美好的前途。

'Tess is a fine figure o' fun, as I said to myself today when I zeed her vamping round parish with the rest,' observed one of the elderly boozers in an undertone.'But Joan Durbeyfield must mind that she don't get green malt in floor.' It was a local phrase which had a peculiar meaning, and there was no reply.
“今天我看见苔丝和别的女孩子一起在教区游行，我就在心里对自己说，苔丝真是一个逗人喜爱的漂亮人儿。”一个老酒鬼低声说，“不过约翰·德北菲尔德可要当心她，不要让地上的大麦发了芽。”这是当地的一句土话，有它特殊的意思，但是没有人回答这句话。 

The conversation became inclusive, and presently other footsteps were heard crossing the room below.
这场谈话内容变得广泛起来，过了不久，又听见楼下有脚步声走过房问。

'------Being a few private friends asked in tonight to keep up club-walking at my own expense.' The landlady had rapidly reused the formula she kept on hand for intruders before she recognized that the newcomer was Tess.
“——这是我的几个私人朋友，会社游行他们没有尽兴，我花钱请他们来的。”老板娘又迅速地把嘴边应付外来人的现成话重新背了一遍，才看见进来的人是苔丝。

Even to her mother's gaze the girl's young features looked sadly out of place amid the alcoholic vapours which floated here as no unsuitable medium for wrinkled middle-age; and hardly was a reproachful f lash f rom Tess's dark eyes needed to make her father and mother rise from their seats, hastily finish their ale, and descend the stairs behind her, Mrs Rolliver's caution following their footsteps.
室内弥漫着酒气，有了皱纹的中年人逗留在这儿并没有什么不合适，但是姑娘年轻的面孔出现在这个地方，就叫人感到难受了，即使姑娘的母亲也能够看出这一点。苔丝的黑色眼睛里还没有显露出来责备的神气，她的父母亲就从座位上站起来，急忙把酒喝干，跟在女儿的身后走下了楼梯，随着他们的脚步声传来罗利弗太太的叮嘱声。

'No noise, please, if yell be so good, my dears or I mid lose my license, and be summons'd, and I don't know what all! 'Night t'ye!'
“亲爱的，请千万不要声张；要不然我就要丢掉我的执照了，把我传唤去，还不知道有什么麻烦呢！再见吧！”