That summer， Tess and Clare unconsciously studied each other， balanced on the edge of a passion， yet just keeping out of it．

 

那个夏天，苔丝和克莱尔都在无意中探究着对方，在感情的边缘徘徊，并试图避免陷入其中。

 

But all the time， like two streams in a valley， they were destined to join．

 

但是在这整段时间里，他们就像山谷中的两条溪流，终究是要汇合在一起的。

 

Tess had never been so happy as she was now， and perhaps never would be so again．

 

苔丝从来没有像现在这样快乐过，也许将来也不会再有。

 

They met continually．They could not help it．

 

他们频频相会，一天不见面心里就受不了。

 

They met daily in the half-light， at three o’clock in the morning， just before milking．

 

每天凌晨3点钟，在开始挤奶之前，天还没有全亮呢，他们就在一起了。

 

They felt they were the first two up in the whole world， like Adam and Eve．

 

他们觉得自己是整个世界上起得最早的一对，就如同亚当和夏娃。

Tess seemed like a queen to Clare， perhaps because he knew that she was the most beautiful woman walking about at this time of day．

 

在克莱尔眼里，苔丝就像一个王后，也许是因为他知道她是一天中在这个时候走动的最美丽的女人。

 

Lovely women are usually asleep at midsummer sunrise．

 

漂亮可爱的女人在盛夏太阳初升时，通常还在睡觉。

 

But Tess was near， and the rest were nowhere．

 

但是苔丝就在身边，其他人却了无影踪。

 

In the strange light she was no longer a milkmaid， but a vision of woman， the whole of womanhood in one form．

 

在这种特别的光线中，她不再是一个挤奶女工，而是一个女人的幻象，她集所有女性气质于一身。