Mrs Brooks, the lady who was the householder at The Herons, and owner of all the handsome furniture, was not a person of an unusually curious turn of mind. —
布鲁克斯夫人，这位住在水鸟庄园的女主人，也是所有漂亮家具的主人，并不是一个特别好奇的人。 —

She was too deeply materialized, poor woman, by her long and enforced bondage to that arithmetical demon Profit-and-Loss, to retain much curiosity for its own sake, and apart from possible lodgers’ pockets. —
可怜的她被那个盘算的恶魔——利润和损失——长期和被迫地绑定，以至于对纯粹的好奇心没有多少兴趣，除非是涉及潜在房客的钱袋。 —

Nevertheless, the visit of Angel Clare to her well-paying tenants, Mr and Mrs d’Urberville, as she deemed them, was sufficiently exceptional in point of time and manner to reinvigorate the feminine proclivity which had been stifled down as useless save in its bearings on the letting trade.
然而，天使克莱尔拜访她一向付租金的房客，拉伯维尔夫妇，从时间和方式上说已足以重新激起她本来已被视为无用、只能与出租交易有关的女性倾向。

Tess had spoken to her husband from the doorway, without entering the dining-room, and Mrs Brooks, who stood within the partly-closed door of her own sitting-room at the back of the passage, could hear fragments of the conversation - if conversation it could be called - between those two wretched souls. —
她听见苔丝从门口对着她丈夫说了几句话，没有走进餐厅，而站在走道后面自己的客厅的半关门处，听见那两个可怜灵魂之间所谓的谈话的断断续续。 —

She heard Tess re-ascend the stairs to the first floor, and the departure of Clare, and the closing of the front door behind him. —
她听见苔丝再次上楼到一楼，克莱尔的离开，和他走后关上的前门。 —

Then the door of the room above was shut, and Mrs Brooks knew that Tess had re-entered her apartment. —
然后楼上的房间门被关上，布鲁克斯夫人知道苔丝已经重新进入自己的房间。 —

As the young lady was not fully dressed Mrs Brooks knew that she would not emerge again for some time.
由于年轻女士没有完全穿好衣服，布鲁克斯夫人知道她要一段时间才会再次出现。

She accordingly ascended the stairs softly, and stood at the door of the front room - a drawing-room, connected with the room immediately behind it (which was a bedroom) by folding-doors in the common manner. —
她于是小心地上了楼，站在前间的门口——一个客厅，通过普通的折叠门与其后的房间（一个卧室）相连。 —

This first floor, containing Mrs Brooks’s best apartments, had been taken by the week by the d’Urbervilles. —
这一楼是布鲁克斯夫人最好的一套房间，被拉伯维尔夫妇一周租用。 —

The back room was now in silence; but from the drawing-room there came sounds.
后面的房间现在一片寂静；但从客厅传来声音。

All that she could at first distinguish of them was one syllable, continually repeated in a low note of moaning, as if it came from a soul bound to some Ixionian wheel–
起初她只能分辨出一个音节，低低地重复着一个痛苦的音调，就像来自一个被绑在一架伊克西翁车轮上的灵魂——

O - O - O!' <span><tang1>哦——哦——哦！’

Then a silence, then a heavy sigh, and again–
然后是一阵寂静，接着是一个沉重的叹息，再次—

O - O - O!' <span><tang1>哦——哦——哦！’

The landlady looked through the keyhole. Only a small space of the room inside was visible, but within that space came a corner of the breakfast table, which was already spread for the meal, and also a chair beside. —
房东太太透过钥匙孔看去。只能看到房间内的一小块空间，但在那个空间里，有一张已经为用餐摆好的早餐桌的角落，还有一把椅子旁边。 —

Over the seat of the chair Tess’s face was bowed, her posture being a kneeling one in front of it; —
Tess的脸低垂在椅子上方，她的姿势像是跪在椅子前； —

her hands were clasped over her head, the skirts of her dressing-gown and the embroidery of her night-gown flowed upon the floor behind her, and her stockingless feet, from which the slippers had fallen, protruded upon the carpet. —
她双手交叉在头顶，浴袍和睡衣的裙摆飘落在地板上，没有穿袜子的双脚从拖落的拖鞋中露在地毯上； —

It was from her lips that came the murmur of unspeakable despair.
从她的嘴唇里传出无法言喻的绝望的低语；

Then a man’s voice from the adjoining bedroom `What’s the matter?’
接着，从隔壁卧室传来一个男人的声音：“怎么了？”

She did not answer, but went on, in a tone which was a soliloquy rather than an exclamation, and a dirge rather than a soliloquy. —
她没有回答，只是继续着，声音像是独白还不如哀歌； —

Mrs Brooks could only catch a portion:
布鲁克夫人只能听到其中的一部分；

`And then my dear, dear husband came home to me… and I did not know it!. —
“然后，我亲爱的，亲爱的丈夫回到了我身边… 我却不知道！”； —

.. And you had used your cruel persuasion upon me. —
“…你对我施加了残忍的说服力； —

.. you did not stop using it - no - you did not stop! —
…你没有停止使用它- 不，你没有停止！ —

My little sisters and brothers and my mother’s needs - they were the things you moved me by. —
我的小姐妹和弟弟们以及我母亲的需要- 这些是你用来感动我的事情； —

.. and you said my husband would never come back - never; —
…你说我丈夫永远不会回来- 永远不会； —

and you taunted me, and said what a simpleton I was to expect him!. —
你嘲笑我，说我多么天真，期待他回来！； —

.. And at last I believed you and gave way!… And then he came back! Now he is gone. —
…最后我相信了你并屈服了！… 然后他回来了！现在他又走了； —

Gone a second time, and I have lost him now for ever. —
第二次走掉了，我再也找不到他了； —

.. and he will not love me the littlest bit ever any more - only hate me!. —
… 他将不再爱我，只会恨我！” —

.. O yes, I have lost him now - again because of - you!’ —
哦，我现在又失去了他 - 再次都是因为你！ —

In writhing, with her head on the chair, she turned her face towards the door, and Mrs Brooks could see the pain upon it; —
脸贴在椅子上，她扭动着身体，将脸转向门口，布鲁克夫人能看到上面的痛苦； —

and that her lips were bleeding from the clench of her teeth upon them, and that the long lashes of her closed eyes stuck in wet tags to her cheeks. —
她的嘴唇因为牙齿咬紧而在流血，她合上的眼睛上的长睫毛粘在她的脸颊上成了湿痕。 —

She continued: `And he is dying - he looks as if he is dying!. —
她继续说：”他快死了 - 他看起来就像快死了！“ —

.. And my sin will kill him and not kill me!… O, you have torn my life all to pieces. —
。。我的罪会杀了他，却不会杀死我！。。哦，你已经把我的生活彻底摧毁 。 —

.. made me be what I prayed you in pity not to make me be again!. —
。。让我成为我曾经请求你怜悯不要让我再成为的那个人！。 —

.. My own true husband will never, never - O God - I can’t bear this! - I cannot!’
我的真正的丈夫永远永远 - 哦上帝-我不能忍受这个！- 我不能！‘

There were more and sharper words from the man; then a sudden rustle; she had sprung to her feet. —
男人说了更多更尖锐的话；然后突然听到一阵沙沙声；她站了起来。 —

Mrs Brooks, thinking that the speaker was coming to rush out of the door, hastily retreated down the stairs.
布鲁克夫人以为说话者要冲出门口，赶紧下楼。

She need not have done so, however, for the door of the sitting-room was not opened. —
然而，她其实不需要这样做，因为起居室的门根本没有打开。 —

But Mrs Brooks felt it unsafe to watch on the landing again, and entered her own parlour below.
但布鲁克夫人感到在楼梯口再次窥视不安全，便进入自己位于楼下的客厅。

She could hear nothing through the floor, although she listened intently, and thereupon went to the kitchen to finish her interrupted breakfast. —
她仔细听着，楼上没什么声音传下来，在厨房里处理被中断的早餐。 —

Coming up presently to the front room on the ground floor she took up some sewing, waiting for her lodgers to ring that she might take away the breakfast, which she meant to do herself, to discover what was the matter if possible. —
正在客厅里织毛衣，等着房客按铃，她打算亲自拿走早餐，以便尽可能弄清楚情况。 —

Overhead, as she sat, she could now hear the floorboards slightly creak, as if some one were walking about, and presently the movement was explained by the rustle of garments against the banisters, the opening and the closing of the front door, and the form of Tess passing to the gate on her way into the street. —
坐在那里，她能听到楼板微微响动，仿佛有人走动，不久后，被楼梯上衣裙摩擦声解释了那个声音，前门的打开和关闭声响，然后是苔丝的身影经过大门，走向街头。 —

She was fully dressed now in the walking costume of a well-to-do young lady in which she had arrived, with the sole addition that over her hat and black feathers a veil was drawn.
她现在已经完全穿上了一件富有年轻女士的行头，带着她到达时的唯一装饰，头上戴着帽子和黑色羽毛，还罩着一层面纱。

Mrs Brooks had not been able to catch any word of farewell, temporary or otherwise, between her tenants at the door above. —
布鲁克斯太太没有听到楼上的房客之间的任何告别之词，无论是暂时的还是其他的。 —

They might have quarrelled, or Mr d’Urberville might still be asleep, for he was not an early riser.
他们可能吵架了，或者德伯维尔先生可能还在睡觉，因为他不是一个早起的人。

She went into the back room which was more especially her own apartment, and continued her sewing there. —
她走进了更特别属于她自己的后面的房间，并继续在那里缝纫。 —

The lady lodger did not return, nor did the gentleman ring his bell. —
女房客没有回来，男士也没有按铃。 —

Mrs Brooks pondered on the delay, and on what probable relation the visitor who had called so early bore to the couple upstairs. —
布鲁克斯太太在考虑这种延迟的原因，以及那位早早拜访的访客与楼上的夫妇之间可能有什么关系。 —

In reflecting she leant back in her chair.
思索中，她向椅子上倚靠。

As she did so her eyes glanced casually over the ceiling till they were arrested by a spot in the middle of its white surface which she had never noticed there before. —
随着她这样做，她的目光偶然掠过天花板，直到被天花板的中间一块她以前从未注意到过的斑点吸引住。 —

It was about the size of a wafer when she first observed it, but it speedily grew as large as the palm of her hand, and then she could perceive that it was red. —
当她首次注意到时，它大约有一个馅饼那么大，但很快变得像她手掌一样大，然后她可以看到它是红色的。 —

The oblong white ceiling, with this scarlet blot in the midst, had the appearance of a gigantic ace of hearts.
这个长方形的白色天花板，中间有这个湛红的斑点，看起来像一个巨大的红心A。

Mrs Brooks had strange qualms of misgiving. —
布鲁克斯太太感到奇怪的担忧。 —

She got upon the table, and touched the spot in the ceiling with her fingers. —
她爬上桌子，用手指触摸了天花板上的那个斑点。 —

It was damp, and she fancied that it was a blood stain.
它是潮湿的，她觉得那是一个血迹。

Descending from the table, she left the parlour, and went upstairs, intending to enter the room overhead, which was the bedchamber at the back of the drawing-room. —
从桌子上下来后，她离开了客厅，上楼去，打算进入楼上的房间，那是在客厅后面的卧室。 —

But, nerveless woman as she had now become, she could not bring herself to attempt the handle. —
但是，现在变得没有勇气的女人无法让自己尝试门把手。 —

She listened. The dead silence within was broken only by a regular beat.
她倾听着。房间里死一般的寂静只被规律的节拍打破。

Drip, drip, drip.
滴，滴，滴。

Mrs Brooks hastened downstairs, opened the front door, and ran into the street. —
布鲁克斯夫人匆忙下楼，打开前门，跑到街上。 —

A man she knew, one of the workmen employed at an adjoining villa, was passing by, and she begged him to come in and go upstairs with her; —
她认识的一个工人经过，他是邻居别墅雇佣的，她请求他进来，并和她一起上楼； —

she feared something had happened to one of her lodgers. —
她担心她的房客中有人出事了。 —

The workman assented, and followed her to the landing.
工人同意了，跟着她走上楼。

She opened the door of the drawing-room, and stood back for him to pass in, entering herself behind him. —
她打开客厅的门，退到一边让他进去，在他后面也进去了。 —

The room was empty; the breakfast - a substantial repast of coffee, eggs, and a cold ham - lay spread upon the table untouched, as when she had taken it up, excepting that the carving knife was missing. —
房间空无一人，摆在桌上的丰盛早餐 - 咖啡、鸡蛋和一块冷火腿 - 还像她端上去时一样摆着，只不过少了一把切肉刀。 —

She asked the man to go through the folding-doors into the adjoining room.
她请他通过折叠门走进隔壁的房间。

He opened the doors, entered a step or two, and came back almost instantly with a rigid face. —
他打开门，走了两步，几乎立刻就带着一张僵硬的脸回来了。 —

`My good God, the gentleman in bed is dead! —
“我的上帝，床上的先生死了！” —

I think he has been hurt with a knife - a lot of blood has run down upon the floor!’
“我觉得他被刀子伤了 - 地板上流了许多血！”

The alarm was soon given, and the house which had lately been so quiet resounded with the tramp of many footsteps, a surgeon among the rest. —
不久警报就响起，这座曾经宁静的房子因为许多脚步声而回荡，其中有一名外科医生。 —

The wound was small, but the point of the blade had touched the heart of the victim, who lay on his back, pale, fixed, dead, as if he had scarcely moved after the infliction of the blow. —
伤口很小，但刀锋碰到了受害人的心脏，他躺在床上，脸色苍白，僵直，死了，就像受伤后几乎没动过一样。 —

In a quarter of an hour the news that a gentleman who was a temporary visitor to the town had been stabbed in his bed, spread through every street and villa of the popular watering-place.
在一刻钟内，一个临时造访这个小镇的绅士被刺伤身亡的消息传遍了这个水疗胜地的每一条街道和别墅。