05-04-远离尘嚣 [1]
win the argument every time？Oh，you're right. ’
‘No，her great fault is that she's vain. ’
A few days later，at nearly midnight on the longest night of the year，Gabriel Oak could be heard playing his flute on Nor-combe Hill. The sky was so clear and the stars so visible that the earth could almost be seen turning. In that cold，hard air the sweet notes of the flute rang out. The music came from a little hut on wheels，standing in the corner of a field. Shep－herds'huts like this are used as a shelter during the winter and spring，when shepherds have to stay out all night in the fields，looking after very young lambs.
Gabriel's two hundred and fifty sheep were not yet paid for He knew that，in order to make a success of the farming business，he had to make sure they produced a large number of healthy lambs. So he was determined to spend as many nights as necessary in the fields，to save his lambs from dying of cold or hunger.
The hut was warm and quite comfortable inside. There was a stove，and some bread and beer on a shelf. On each side of the hut was a round hole like a window，which could be closed with a piece of wood. These air－holes were usually kept open when the stove was burning， because too much smoke in a small，airless hut could kill the shepherd.
From time to time the sound of the flute stopped， and Gabriel came out of his hut to check his sheep. Whenever he discovered a half-dead new lamb，he brought the creature into the hut. In front of the stove it soon came back to life，and then he could return it to its mother.
He noticed a light further down the hill. It came from a wooden hut at the edge of a field. He walked down to it and put his eye to a hole in the wood. Inside，two women were feeding a sick cow. One of the women was middle－aged. The other was young and wore a cloak. Gabriel could not see her face.
‘ I think she'll be all right now，aunt，’said the younger woman. ‘I can come and feed her again in the morning. What a pity I lost my hat on the way here!’Just then the girl dropped her cloak，and her long hair fell on to the shoulders of her red jacket. Gabriel recognized the girl of the yellow cart and the mirror，the girl who owed him twopence.
The women left the hut，and Gabriel returned to his sheep.
As the sun was rising the next morning， Gabriel waited out-side his hut until he saw the young woman riding up the hill. She was sitting sideways on the horse in the usual lady's posi－tion. He suddenly thought of the hat she had lost，searched for it，and found it among some leaves on the ground. He was just going to go up to her to give it back， when the girl did some-thing very strange. Riding under the low branches of a tree，she dropped backwards flat on the horse's back，with her feet on its shoulders. Then，first looking round to make sure no one was watching，she sat up straight again and pulled her dress to her knees，with her legs on either side of the horse. This was obviously easier for riding，but not very ladylike. Gabriel was surprised and amused by her behaviour. He waited until she returned from her aunt's hut，and stepped out into the path in front of her.
‘I found a hat，’he said.
‘It's mine，’she said. She put it on and smiled. ‘It flew away. ’
‘At one o'clock this morning？’
‘Well，yes. I needed my hat this morning. I had to ride to the hut in that field，where there's a sick cow belonging to my aunt. ’
‘Yes，I know. I saw you. ’
‘Where？’she asked，horrified.
‘Riding all the way up the hill，along the path，’said Gabriel，thinking of her unladylike position on the horse's back.
A deep blush spread from her head to her neck. Gabriel turned sympathetically away，wondering when he dared look at her again. When he turned back，she had gone.
Five mornings and evenings passed. The young woman came regularly to take care of the sick cow，but never spoke to
‘No，her great fault is that she's vain. ’
A few days later，at nearly midnight on the longest night of the year，Gabriel Oak could be heard playing his flute on Nor-combe Hill. The sky was so clear and the stars so visible that the earth could almost be seen turning. In that cold，hard air the sweet notes of the flute rang out. The music came from a little hut on wheels，standing in the corner of a field. Shep－herds'huts like this are used as a shelter during the winter and spring，when shepherds have to stay out all night in the fields，looking after very young lambs.
Gabriel's two hundred and fifty sheep were not yet paid for He knew that，in order to make a success of the farming business，he had to make sure they produced a large number of healthy lambs. So he was determined to spend as many nights as necessary in the fields，to save his lambs from dying of cold or hunger.
The hut was warm and quite comfortable inside. There was a stove，and some bread and beer on a shelf. On each side of the hut was a round hole like a window，which could be closed with a piece of wood. These air－holes were usually kept open when the stove was burning， because too much smoke in a small，airless hut could kill the shepherd.
From time to time the sound of the flute stopped， and Gabriel came out of his hut to check his sheep. Whenever he discovered a half-dead new lamb，he brought the creature into the hut. In front of the stove it soon came back to life，and then he could return it to its mother.
He noticed a light further down the hill. It came from a wooden hut at the edge of a field. He walked down to it and put his eye to a hole in the wood. Inside，two women were feeding a sick cow. One of the women was middle－aged. The other was young and wore a cloak. Gabriel could not see her face.
‘ I think she'll be all right now，aunt，’said the younger woman. ‘I can come and feed her again in the morning. What a pity I lost my hat on the way here!’Just then the girl dropped her cloak，and her long hair fell on to the shoulders of her red jacket. Gabriel recognized the girl of the yellow cart and the mirror，the girl who owed him twopence.
The women left the hut，and Gabriel returned to his sheep.
As the sun was rising the next morning， Gabriel waited out-side his hut until he saw the young woman riding up the hill. She was sitting sideways on the horse in the usual lady's posi－tion. He suddenly thought of the hat she had lost，searched for it，and found it among some leaves on the ground. He was just going to go up to her to give it back， when the girl did some-thing very strange. Riding under the low branches of a tree，she dropped backwards flat on the horse's back，with her feet on its shoulders. Then，first looking round to make sure no one was watching，she sat up straight again and pulled her dress to her knees，with her legs on either side of the horse. This was obviously easier for riding，but not very ladylike. Gabriel was surprised and amused by her behaviour. He waited until she returned from her aunt's hut，and stepped out into the path in front of her.
‘I found a hat，’he said.
‘It's mine，’she said. She put it on and smiled. ‘It flew away. ’
‘At one o'clock this morning？’
‘Well，yes. I needed my hat this morning. I had to ride to the hut in that field，where there's a sick cow belonging to my aunt. ’
‘Yes，I know. I saw you. ’
‘Where？’she asked，horrified.
‘Riding all the way up the hill，along the path，’said Gabriel，thinking of her unladylike position on the horse's back.
A deep blush spread from her head to her neck. Gabriel turned sympathetically away，wondering when he dared look at her again. When he turned back，she had gone.
Five mornings and evenings passed. The young woman came regularly to take care of the sick cow，but never spoke to