It reminded Tess of a Confirmation, in which Mrs d'Urberville was the bishop, the fowls the young people presented, and herself and the maidservant the parson and curate of the parish bringing them up. At the end of the ceremony Mrs d'Urberville abruptly asked Tess, wrinkling and twitching her face into undulations, 'Can you whistle?'
這使苔絲想起了一種堅信禮儀式②，在這種儀式里，德貝維爾夫人就是主教，那些雞就是受禮的一群小孩子，而她自己和那個女仆就是把它們帶去受禮的牧師和副牧師。儀式結(jié)束時，德貝維爾夫人把臉皺起來，扭動出一臉的折子，突然問苔絲：“你會吹口哨吧？”

'Whistle, Ma'am?'
“吹口哨，夫人？”

'Yes, whistle tunes.'
“是的，吹口哨?！?/div>

Tess could whistle like most other country girls, though the accomplishment was one which she did not care to profess in genteel company. However, she blandly admitted that such was the fact.
苔絲同大多數(shù)鄉(xiāng)下姑娘一樣會吹口哨，雖然她在體面人面前不愿承認會這門技藝。但是，她還是滿不在乎地承認了她是會吹口哨的。

'Then you will have to practise it every day. I had a lad who did it very well, but he has left. I want you to whistle to my bullfinches; as I cannot see them I like to hear them, and we teach 'em airs that way. Tell her where the cages are, Elizabeth. You must begin tomorrow, or they will go back in their piping. They have been neglected these several days.'
“那么你每天都得吹口哨。從前我這兒有個小伙子口哨吹得好，不過他已經(jīng)走了。我要你對著我的紅腹灰雀吹口哨；因為我看不見鳥兒，所以我喜歡聽鳥兒唱歌，我們就是用那種方法教鳥兒唱歌的。伊麗莎白，告訴她鳥籠子在什么地方。從明天開始你就要吹口哨，不然的話，它們會唱的就要忘啦。這幾天來，已經(jīng)沒有人教它們了?！?/div>

'Mr d'Urberville whistled to 'em this morning, ma'am,' said Elizabeth.
“今天早晨德貝維爾先生向它們吹口哨來著，夫人，”伊麗莎白說。

'He! Pooh!'
“他！呸！”

The old lady's face creased into furrows of repugnance, and she made no further reply.
老夫人的臉上堆起了許多皺紋，表示她的厭惡，不再說別的話了。

Thus the reception of Tess by her fancied kinswoman terminated, and the birds were taken back to their quarters. The girl's surprise at Mrs d'Urberville's manner was not great; for since seeing the size of the house she had expected no more. But she was far from being aware that the old lady had never heard a word of the so-called kinship. She gathered that no great affection flowed between the blind woman and her son. But in that, too, she was mistaken. Mrs d'Urberville was not the first mother compelled to love her offspring resentfully, and to be bitterly fond.
苔絲想象中的親戚對她的接見就這樣結(jié)束了，那些雞也被送回到它們的院子里。對德貝維爾夫人的態(tài)度，苔絲并不怎樣感到奇怪；因為自從見到了這座莊園的規(guī)模以后，她就沒有抱什么奢望。但是她一點兒也不知道，關于所謂的親戚的事，老夫人卻沒有聽說過一個字。她猜想那個瞎眼的老婦人和她的兒子之間沒有什么感情交流。不過關于這一點，她也猜獵了。天下帶著怨恨愛孩子和帶著傷心疼孩子的母親，德貝維爾夫人并不是第一個。

①斯特拉特（Strut），意為趾高氣揚、神氣活現(xiàn)。

②堅信禮（Confirmation），一種基督教儀式。根據(jù)基督教教義，孩子在一個月時受洗禮，十三歲時受堅信禮。孩子只有被施堅信禮后，才能成為教會正式教徒。