苔丝 Chapter16
But this new information made her think again of visiting Angel's family in Emminster.She wanted to know why he had not written to her.She could meet his parents，who would surely be kind to her in her loneliness.So she decided to walk there from the farm at Flintcomb-Ash on a Sunday， her only free day.It was fifteen miles each way.She dressed in her best，encouraged by Marian and Izz，who sent her on her way at four o’clock in the morning.The girls sincerely loved Tess and wished for her happiness.It was a year since her wedding，and on that bright cold morning her unspoken hope was to win over her husband's family and so persuade him back to her.
但是这个新信息让她重新考虑起到爱敏斯特拜访安吉尔的家人。她想知道为什么他没有给她写信。她可以见见他的父母，在她孤苦伶仃的时候，他们一定会善待她的。于是她决定在一个她唯一空闲的日子，礼拜天，从弗林特石灰谷的农场出发，步行去那儿。单程的路就有15英里。在玛丽安和伊茨的怂恿下，她穿上了最好的衣服。她们在那天清晨4点钟把她送上了路。姑娘们都真挚地爱着她，由衷地希望她幸福。现在距她结婚的日子已有一年了，在那个睛朗寒冷的早晨，她那不曾说出口的愿望就是赢得她丈夫的家人，然后说服他回到她的身边。
Although she started cheerfully，she began to lose her courage as she approached Emminster.The church looked forbidding.Perhaps the rather strict parson would not approve of her travelling so far on a Sunday.But she had to go on.She took off her thick walking boots and hid them behind a tree，changing into her pretty shoes.She would collect the boots on the way out of town.
虽然她出来时欢欣鼓舞，但是随着渐渐走近爱敏斯特，她却开始心慌了。教堂显得令人生畏。也许那位相当严格的牧师会不赞许她在礼拜日长途跋涉。可是，她只有往前走了。她脱下笨重的靴子，把它们藏到一棵树后面，然后，换上那双精致漂亮的靴子。她想在出镇的路上再把靴子捡回来。
She took a deep breath and rang the bell at the parson's house.Nobody answered.She tried again.Silence.It was almost with relief that she turned and walked away.Then she suddenly remembered that they must all be at church.So she waited in a quiet part of the street until people began to stream out of church.She immediately recognized Angel's brothers and even overheard some of their conversation.
她深深地吸了口气，按响了牧师家的门铃。没有人答应。她又按了一次。还是没有动静。她几乎是松了口气，转身离开了。然后她想起来他们一定都在教堂呢。于是她就在街上一个安静的地方等着，直到人们川流不息地从教堂出来了。她马上认出了安吉尔的哥哥们，甚至还远远地听到了他们的谈话。
‘Poor Angel!’one of them said.‘There's that nice girl，Mercy Chant.Why on earth didn't he marry her instead of rushing into marriage with a dairymaid?’
“可怜的安吉尔!”其中一个说道，“默茜·钱特，那个好姑娘在那儿。到底为什么他不娶她，而是跟一个挤奶工仓促地结了婚?”
‘It's certainly very strange.But his ideas have always been most odd.’
“这真是很奇怪。不过，他的想法一直是最古怪的。”
They joined Mercy Chant as she came out of church，and walked together along the road Tess had walked into Emminster.
当默茜·钱特从教堂出来时，他们便上前陪同她一起沿着那条苔丝走进爱敏斯特的路走着。
‘Look，here's a pair of old boots，’said one of the brothers，noticing Tess's boots behind the tree.
“看，这儿有一双旧靴子，”兄弟中有一人说道，他发现了苔丝放在树后的靴子。
‘Excellent walking boots，I see，’said Miss Chant.‘How wicked to throw them away!Give them to me.I'll find a poor person who would like them.’
“我觉得，这是很不错的步行靴子。”钱特小姐说道，“这样就扔了，多差劲啊!把它们交给我吧。拿去送给穷人，会有人喜欢的。”
Tess walked quickly past them，tears running down her face.She continued walking as fast as she could away from Emminster.How unlucky that she had met the sons and not the father!Angel's parents would have taken poor lonely Tess to their hearts immediately，as they did every other lost soul，without thought of family or education or wealth.
苔丝匆匆地超过了他们，泪水从她脸上潸潸滚下。她继续尽可能快地走着，离开了爱敏斯特。她是多么不走运啊，碰见的偏偏会是两个儿子，而不是父亲。安吉尔的父母会立即打心底里接受孤苦可怜的苔丝，就像他们对每一个迷失的人做的那样，而不会去考虑他的出身、学识或财富。
She grew more and more tired and depressed as she walked the fifteen miles back to Flintcomb-Ash，where only hard work awaited her.But on the way she noticed a crowd listening to a preacher and she stopped for a while to join them.The preacher was describing with enthusiasm how he had been wicked for years and how a certain parson had pointed it out to him：this had gradually turned him from wickedness.But Tess was more shocked by the voice than the words.She moved round behind the crowd to look at his face.As the afternoon sun shone full on him， she recognized Alec d’Urberville.
在返回弗林特石灰谷的15英里路中，她变得越来越疲惫沮丧，那儿只有繁重的活儿等着她干。可是在半路上，她注意到有一群人正在听一个传道士说着什么。她停下脚步，也去听了一会儿。这个传道士正热情高涨地讲述他多年来曾是如何地品行不端，而一个牧师又是怎样地给他指出来：这让他渐渐地从邪恶中转变过来。但是他的声音比他的讲道更让苔丝震惊。她从人群后绕过去看他的脸，午后的阳光充沛地照在他身上，她认出来了，他是亚历克·德伯。
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