Poor little Retty, though by far the lightest weight, was the most troublesome of Clare's burdens. Marian had been like a sack of meal, a dead weight of plumpness under which he had literally staggered. Izz had ridden sensibly and calmly. Retty was a bunch of hysterics.
可憐的小萊蒂盡管身子最輕，但是抱著她卻最麻煩?，旣惏才趾鹾醯囊欢阉廊猓孟褚豢诖Z食，幾乎都把克萊爾給壓倒了。伊茨很懂事，靠在他的肩上一動也不動。萊蒂卻是歇斯底里的一團。

However, he got through with the disquieted creature, deposited her, and returned. Tess could see over the hedge the distant three in a group, standing as he had placed them on the next rising ground. It was now her turn. She was embarrassed to discover that excitement at the proximity of Mr Clare's breath and eyes, which she had contemned in her companions, was intensified in herself; and as if fearful of betraying her secret she pattered with him at the last moment.
不過，他還是把這個不安靜的姑娘抱過了水塘，把她放在地上，轉(zhuǎn)身走了，苔絲從樹籬的頂上望過去，看見遠處她們?nèi)齻€人擠在一起，站在他把她們放下的那塊高地上，現(xiàn)在輪到她了。苔絲心里感到局促不安，因為她看見她的伙伴們接近克萊爾的呼吸和眼睛時那樣激動，曾經(jīng)嗤之以鼻，而現(xiàn)在卻輪到她自己緊張了；她好像是害怕泄露了自己心中的秘密似的，到了最后一刻竟然推托搪塞起來。

'I may be able to clim' along the bank perhaps - I can clim' better than they. You must be so tired, Mr Clare!'
“也許我能夠沿著這面土坡走過去——走路我比她們強得多。你一定太累了，克萊爾先生！”

'No, no, Tess,' said he quickly. And almost before she was aware she was seated in his arms and resting against his shoulder.
“不，不，苔絲，”克萊爾急忙說。苔絲幾乎在不知不覺當(dāng)中倒進了他的懷里，靠在了他的肩上。

'Three Leahs to get one Rachel,' he whispered.
“娶三個利亞只是為了得到一個拉結(jié)呀！”①他輕聲說。

'They are better women than I,' she replied, magnanimously sticking to her resolve.
“她們都是比我強的女孩子呀，”她回答說，說話里仍然很慷慨地堅持著自己心中要成全她們的決定。

'Not to me,' said Angel.
“在我看來不是這樣的，”安琪爾說。

He saw her grow warm at this; and they went some steps in silence.
他看見她聽了他說的話臉上一紅；就抱著她往前走了幾步，沒有說話。

①《舊約·創(chuàng)世紀》第二十八章說，以撒吩咐雅各到外祖家去，在拉班的三個女兒中娶一個為妻。第二十九章接著說，雅各為拉班工作了七年，拉班把大女兒利亞（Leah）和使女茲爾巴許配給他，但雅各為了得到拉班的 小女兒拉結(jié)（Rachel），又為拉班工作了七年。