06-04-苔丝 [13]
in the market town two or three miles away． On Sundays they would sleep late．For a long time Tess did not go with them．But after a while she wanted a change from her routine and began to go on the weekly trips regularly．She always came home with the others at night， preferring the protection of being in a group．One Saturday night she was in the town looking for her companions as it was time to go home，when she met Alec d’Urberville．
‘What，my beauty？Here so late？’he said，smiling at her．
‘I'm just waiting for my friends，’she answered．
‘I'll see you again，’he said as she moved away．
She became worried when she realized the workers were still dancing wildly and would not be going home soon．Again she caught sight of Alec，waiting in a doorway，his cigar glowing red in the dark．Eventually she joined a group wandering home．They had all been drinking，but she felt safer with them than alone．But after a while she became involved in a quarrel with them，and was trying to get away from the angry group，when Alec d’Urberville rode by．He offered to take her home on the back of his horse．She hesitatedt，then accepted．
Together they rode along in the dark，Tess holding on to Alec．She was very tired：every day that week she had got up at five．So she did not notice that they were riding off the main road and into The Chase，the oldest wood in England．It began to get foggy，and finally Alec admitted honestly that he was lost．
‘Put me down here，sir，’cried Tess at once．‘Let me walk home from here．How wrong of you to bring me away from the main road！I knew I shouldn't trust you！’
‘Don't worry，my beauty，’laughed Alec．‘I thought you would enjoy a longer ride on such a lovely night．But I can't let you go．The fog is so bad now that you couldn't possibly find your way．I'll leave you here and go to find out where we are．When I come back，I'll tell you，and you can come with me on horseback or go alone on foot—just as you like．’
She agreed to this．‘Shall I hold the horse？’she asked．
‘No，he'll stay quiet，’answered Alec．‘By the way， your father has a new horse today．And the children have some new toys．’
‘Was it…was it you who gave them？Oh，how good of you！’murmured Tess with a heavy heart．‘I almost wish you hadn't！’
‘Tessy，don't you love me just a little now？’
‘I'm grateful，’she admitted，‘but I'm afraid I don't…’and slowly she started to cry．
‘Now don't cry，my dear．Sit here and wait for me．’He made a bed for the tired girl among the dead leaves， and covered her with his coat．He set off into the fog to find out where he was，and came back to find Tess fast asleep． He saw her in her white dress among the leaves， a pale，shining figure in the dark．He bent down and touched her cheek with his．Everywhere there was darkness and silence．The birds and animals slept，safe in and under the trees．But who was looking after Tess？Who was protecting her innocence？
‘Tess！’said d’Urberville，and lay down beside her．The girl was not strong enough to resist him．
Why was Tess's girlish purity lost？Why does the wrong man take the wrong woman？Why do the bad so often ruin the good？ Why is beauty damaged by ugliness？Thousands of years of philosophy cannot give us the answers to these questions．These things happen， and have always happened． Perhaps in the past，rolling home after a battle，Tess's ancestors，the real d’Urbervilles，had done the same，even more cruelly，to young country girls．But we cannot accept that that is Tess's fault，and should happen to her．As the people of her village say，‘It was to be．’And from now on，Tess's life was to be completely different．
■ 5
苔丝要养的鸡关在德伯夫人庄园的一间旧茅舍里。第一天她就要带着几只鸡去见
‘What，my beauty？Here so late？’he said，smiling at her．
‘I'm just waiting for my friends，’she answered．
‘I'll see you again，’he said as she moved away．
She became worried when she realized the workers were still dancing wildly and would not be going home soon．Again she caught sight of Alec，waiting in a doorway，his cigar glowing red in the dark．Eventually she joined a group wandering home．They had all been drinking，but she felt safer with them than alone．But after a while she became involved in a quarrel with them，and was trying to get away from the angry group，when Alec d’Urberville rode by．He offered to take her home on the back of his horse．She hesitatedt，then accepted．
Together they rode along in the dark，Tess holding on to Alec．She was very tired：every day that week she had got up at five．So she did not notice that they were riding off the main road and into The Chase，the oldest wood in England．It began to get foggy，and finally Alec admitted honestly that he was lost．
‘Put me down here，sir，’cried Tess at once．‘Let me walk home from here．How wrong of you to bring me away from the main road！I knew I shouldn't trust you！’
‘Don't worry，my beauty，’laughed Alec．‘I thought you would enjoy a longer ride on such a lovely night．But I can't let you go．The fog is so bad now that you couldn't possibly find your way．I'll leave you here and go to find out where we are．When I come back，I'll tell you，and you can come with me on horseback or go alone on foot—just as you like．’
She agreed to this．‘Shall I hold the horse？’she asked．
‘No，he'll stay quiet，’answered Alec．‘By the way， your father has a new horse today．And the children have some new toys．’
‘Was it…was it you who gave them？Oh，how good of you！’murmured Tess with a heavy heart．‘I almost wish you hadn't！’
‘Tessy，don't you love me just a little now？’
‘I'm grateful，’she admitted，‘but I'm afraid I don't…’and slowly she started to cry．
‘Now don't cry，my dear．Sit here and wait for me．’He made a bed for the tired girl among the dead leaves， and covered her with his coat．He set off into the fog to find out where he was，and came back to find Tess fast asleep． He saw her in her white dress among the leaves， a pale，shining figure in the dark．He bent down and touched her cheek with his．Everywhere there was darkness and silence．The birds and animals slept，safe in and under the trees．But who was looking after Tess？Who was protecting her innocence？
‘Tess！’said d’Urberville，and lay down beside her．The girl was not strong enough to resist him．
Why was Tess's girlish purity lost？Why does the wrong man take the wrong woman？Why do the bad so often ruin the good？ Why is beauty damaged by ugliness？Thousands of years of philosophy cannot give us the answers to these questions．These things happen， and have always happened． Perhaps in the past，rolling home after a battle，Tess's ancestors，the real d’Urbervilles，had done the same，even more cruelly，to young country girls．But we cannot accept that that is Tess's fault，and should happen to her．As the people of her village say，‘It was to be．’And from now on，Tess's life was to be completely different．
■ 5
苔丝要养的鸡关在德伯夫人庄园的一间旧茅舍里。第一天她就要带着几只鸡去见