With eyes fixed upon the ground they crept slowly across a strip of the field, returning a little further down in such a manner that, when they should have finished, not a single inch of the pasture but would have fallen under the eye of some one of them. It was a most tedious business, not more than half a dozen shoots of garlic being discoverable in the whole field; yet such was the herb's pungency that probably one bite of it by one cow had been sufficient to season the whole dairy's produce for the day.
他們的眼睛盯著地面，慢慢地從草場上搜索過去，把這一生物場搜索完了，就再用同樣的方法往回搜索過去，當(dāng)他們這樣搜索完以后，就沒有一寸牧草能夠逃過他們的眼睛了。這是一種最乏味的事，在整個(gè)草場里，總共就發(fā)現(xiàn)了五六顆蒜苗；不過就是這種氣味辛辣的植物，一頭牛要是碰巧吃了一口，就足以使當(dāng)天奶牛場出產(chǎn)的牛奶變味了。

Differing one from another in natures and moods so greatly as they did, they yet formed, bending, a curiously uniform row - automatic, noiseless; and an alien observer passing down the neighbouring lane might well have been excused for massing them as 'Hodge'. As they crept along, stooping low to discern the plant, a soft yellow gleam was reflected from the buttercups into their shaded faces, giving them an elfish, moonlit aspect, though the sun was pouring upon their backs in all the strength of noon.
他們這一群人的天性變異極大，性情也大不相同，但是他們都彎著腰，排成整齊得讓人感到奇怪的一排——他們都是一聲不響地自動地排在一起的；這時(shí)候如果有一個(gè)外來人從附近的小路上走過，看見了他們，很有可能會把這群人都叫做“霍吉”的。他們一路搜索的時(shí)候，腰彎得低低的，以便看得見地上的蒜苗，陽光照射在毛茛上，從上面反射出來的柔和的黃色光線投射在他們背朝陽光的臉上，使他們看上去有些像在月光照射下的虛無縹緲的樣子，盡管此時(shí)的太陽正在用中午的全部力量把光線照射在他們的背上。

Angel Clare, who communistically stuck to his rule of taking part with the rest in everything, glanced up now and then. It was not, of course, by accident that he walked next to Tess.
安琪爾·克萊爾決心遵守一條原則，什么事都和大家一起干，他不時(shí)地抬起頭來看。他就走在苔絲的旁邊，當(dāng)然這并不是偶然的。

'Well, how are you?' he murmured.
“喂，你好嗎？”他低聲問。

'Very well, thank you, sir,' she replied demurely.
“我很好，謝謝你，先生，”她莊重地說。

As they had been discussing a score of personal matters only half-an-hour before, the introductory style seemed a little superfluous. But they got no further in speech just then. They crept and crept, the hem of her petticoat just touching his gaiter, and his elbow sometimes brushing hers. At last the dairyman, who came next, could stand it no longer.
僅僅在半點(diǎn)鐘以前，他們已經(jīng)討論過許多有關(guān)個(gè)人的問題了，現(xiàn)在他們這種客套似乎有點(diǎn)兒多余。不過當(dāng)時(shí)他們沒有多說別的話，他們彎著腰不停地搜尋著，苔絲的裙邊正好碰到克萊爾的綁腿，克萊爾的胳膊肘有時(shí)也碰著了苔絲的胳膊。跟在后面的奶牛場老板終于累得受不了啦。

'Upon my soul and body, this here stooping do fairly make my back open and shut!' he exclaimed, straightening himself slowly with an excruciated look till quite upright. 'And you, maidy Tess, you wasn't well a day or two ago - this will make your head ache finely! Don't do any more, if you feel fainty; leave the rest to finish it.'
“這樣彎著腰，真是把人給累死了，我的背差不多快要斷了！”他大聲嚷著說，一面皺著眉頭慢慢地伸著腰，最后終于把腰完全伸直了?！斑€有你，苔絲姑娘，一兩天前你不是感到不舒服嗎——這樣會讓你的腦袋疼啊！要是你感到腦袋發(fā)暈，你就別干了吧；把剩下的活兒留給別人吧?！?/div>