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It was eleven o’clock before all the family were in bed，and two o’clock next morning was the latest time to set off with the beehives．It was a distance of twenty or thirty miles on bad roads to Casterbridge，where the Saturday market was held．At half-past one Mrs Durbeyfield came into the bedroom where Tess and all the children slept．
‘The poor man can't go，’she whispered1．Tess sat up in bed．
‘But it's late for the bees already．We must take them today．’
‘Maybe a young man would go？’asked Mrs Durbeyfield doubtfully2．‘One of the ones dancing with you yesterday？’
‘Oh no，not for the world！’said Tess proudly．‘And let everybody know the reason？I'd be so ashamed3！I think I could go if little Abraham came with me．’
Tess and Abraham dressed， led out the old horse Prince with the loaded waggon4，and set off in the dark．They cheered themselves up with bread and butter and conversation．
‘Tess！’said Abraham， after a silence．
‘Yes， Abraham．’
‘Aren't you glad that we're a noble5 family？’
‘Not particularly．’
‘But you're glad you're going to marry a gentleman？’
‘What？’said Tess，lifting her face．
‘Our noble relations are going to help you marry a gentleman．’
‘Me？Our noble relations？We haven't any．Whatever put that into your head？’
‘I heard them talking about it at home．There's a rich lady of our family out at Trantridge，and mother said that if you claimed relationship with her，she'd help you marry a gentleman．’
His sister became suddenly silent6．Abraham talked on， not noticing her lack of attention．
‘Did you say the stars were worlds，Tess？’
‘Yes．’
‘All like ours？’
‘They seem like our apples—most of them good， a few bad．’
‘Which do we live on？A good one or a bad one？’
‘A bad one．’
‘If we lived on a good one，how would things be different？’
‘Well，father wouldn't be ill and cough as he does，and mother wouldn't always be washing．’
‘And you would have been a ready-made rich lady，and not have to marry a gentleman．’
‘Oh，Aby，don't—don't talk of that any more！’
Abraham finally went to sleep on the waggon．Tess drove7 the horse． Gradually8 she fell into a dream． She could see her father，foolish in his pride， and the rich gentleman of her mother's imagination laughing at the poor Durbeyfield family．
Suddenly she awoke from her dream to noise and violent9 movement．Something terrible had happened．She jumped down and discovered that the post carriage，speeding along the dark road， had driven into her slow and unlighted waggon．Poor Prince was seriously hurt，and as she watched he fell to the ground．
‘You were on the wrong side，’said the post driver．‘I must go on with the post， but I'll send somebody to help you as soon as I can．You'd better stay here with your waggon．’
He went on his way， while Tess stood and waited，tears pouring down her cheeks． Daylight came． Prince lay there，unmoving，his eyes half open．
‘It's all my fault，’cried Tess．‘What will mother and father live on now？Aby，Aby，wake up！We can't go on with our beehives—Prince is dead！’When Aby realized what had happened， his face looked like an old man's．
‘It's because we live on a bad star，isn't it，Tess？’he said through his tears．
Finally a man arrived with a horse，to take the waggon on to Casterbridge to deliver the beehives，and then collect Prince on the way back．When they got home，Tess broke the news to her parents．They were not angry with her，but she blamed herself completely10．
When Durbeyfield heard he would only get a few shillings11 for Prince's dead body，he rose to the occasion12．
‘We d’Urbervilles don't sell our horses for cat's meat！’he insisted．And the following day he worked harder than usual in digging13 a grave，where Prince was buried．All the children cried：
‘Has he gone to heaven？’asked Abraham in tears．But Tess did not cry．Her face was dry and pale．She felt she had murdered a friend．
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过了11点钟，这一家人才全都上了床。要带着这些蜂箱上路，最迟也不能迟于翌晨两点钟出发。由那条糟糕的路去卡斯特桥市有二三十英里的路，那儿星期六有集市。在一点半钟的时候，德北夫人走进苔丝和其他孩子们睡觉的卧室。
“那个可怜的人儿去不了啦，”她轻轻说道。苔丝从床上坐了起来。
“但是已经迟了，我们必须在今天把蜂箱带到！”
“也许哪个年轻小伙子能去？”德北夫人有些迟疑。“叫个昨天跟你跳舞的小伙子？”
“哦，不，绝对不行！”苔丝自尊地说，“难道要让所有的人都知道原由吗？我会感到很羞耻的！我想我可以去，如果小亚伯拉罕能陪我的话。”
苔丝和亚伯拉罕穿好了衣服，牵出了那匹名叫“王子”的老马。马车已经上好了货。在黑暗中，他们出发了。他们吃了点儿面包黄油，让自己振奋起精神，还聊起了天。
“苔丝！”一阵沉默之后，亚伯拉罕开口了。
“嗯，亚伯拉罕。”
“我们是贵族家庭，难道你不高兴吗？”
“没有特别高兴。”
“但是，你要同一位先生结婚了，你会高兴吗？”
“什么？”苔丝仰起了脸，问道。
“我们的贵族亲戚会帮助你同一位先生结婚的。”
“我？我们的贵族亲戚？我们没有这样的亲戚呀。是什么让你脑子里有这种想法的？”
“我在家里听到他们谈起这件事。在纯瑞脊那儿，有一位我们家族的有钱太太。妈妈说如果你和她攀上亲，她会帮你嫁给一位先生的。”
他姐姐突然沉默了。亚伯拉罕没有注意到姐姐已无心在听，还在继续说着。
“苔丝，你说过这些星星就是一个个世界吧？”
“是的。”
“全都像我们这儿的世界吗？”
“它们就像我们的苹果一样——大多数是好的，也有一些是坏的。”
“我们住在哪颗星星上呢？好的，还是坏的？”
“坏的。”
“假如我们住在一颗好的星星上，会有什么不同吗？”
“那样，爸爸就不会像现在这样生病，也不会咳嗽，而妈妈也不会总是洗个没完。”
“而你也早是一位有钱的小姐，用不着非得嫁给一位先生不可了。”
“哦，亚比，别说了——别再说这个了！”
亚伯拉罕后来在货车上睡着了。苔丝赶着马，也渐渐地进入了梦乡。在梦里她看见父亲荒唐可笑地沉浸在骄傲中，而那位她母亲想象中的有钱绅士嘲笑着贫穷的德北家。
一阵响声和剧烈的震动突然把苔丝从梦中惊醒。发生了什么可怕的事情。她从车上跳了下来，发现是一辆沿着漆黑的马路急速行驶的邮车撞上了她那辆慢吞吞、没点灯的货车。可怜的“王子”伤势严重，苔丝眼看着它倒在了地上。
“你的车跑错道了，”邮车车夫说道，“我必须继续赶送邮件。不过，我会尽快派人来帮助你。你最好和货车一起在这儿等着。”
邮车驰走了。苔丝站在一旁等着。眼泪不住地从脸颊上流下来。天亮起来了。“王子”躺在那儿，一动不动，半睁着眼睛。
“这全都是我的过错，”苔丝哭着说，“现在爸妈靠什么生活呢？亚比，亚比，快醒醒！我们的蜂箱运不成了——‘王子’死了！”亚比明白了所发生的事情时，露出了饱经沧桑的老人才有的表情。
“这是因为我们生活在一颗坏星星上，是不是，苔丝？”他眼泪汪汪地说道。
终于有人牵着匹马过来了。这匹马拉着货车把蜂箱送到了卡斯特桥，并在返回途中把“王子”的尸体捎了上来。到了家之后，苔丝把这事儿跟父母讲了。他们并没有生她的气，反而是苔丝自己陷入了深深的自责中。
当德北听说“王子”的尸体只能换几个先令时，他改变了主意。
“我们德伯家绝不会把我们的马卖掉换猫食的！”他坚持说。接下来的几天里，他比平常更卖劲儿地挖坟墓，“王子”下葬时，孩子们都哭了。
“他会去天堂吗？”亚伯拉罕流着泪问。但苔丝没有哭。她的脸干巴巴的，没有一丝血色。她觉得自己杀死了一个朋友。
收听单词发音 |
1
whispered
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| adj.耳语的，低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 )；私语；小声说；私下说 | |
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2
doubtfully
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| adv.怀疑地；含糊地 | |
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3
ashamed
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| adj.感到惭愧，感到害臊，因为羞耻或勉强作某事 | |
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4
waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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5
noble
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| n.贵族；adj.高贵的，高尚的，贵族的，辉煌的 | |
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6
silent
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| adj.安静的，不吵闹的，沉默的，无言的；n.(复数)默剧 | |
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7
drove
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| vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群 | |
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8
gradually
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| adv.逐渐地 | |
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9
violent
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| adj.暴力的，猛烈的，激烈的，极端的，凶暴的，歪曲的 | |
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10
completely
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| adv.完全地，十分地，全然 | |
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11
shillings
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| n.先令（英国1971年以前的货币单位，为一镑的二十分之一）( shilling的名词复数 ) | |
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12
occasion
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| n.场合，时机，机会，诱因，理由；vt.惹起，引起 | |
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13
digging
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| n.挖掘v.挖，掘( dig的现在分词 )；（如用铲、锨或推土机等）挖掘；挖得；寻找 | |
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