品嚼语段

It was July and very hot．The atmosphere of the flat valley hung like a drug over the dairy people， the cows and the trees．

到了7月，天气非常炎热。悬浮在平坦的山谷中的大气就像麻醉剂一般，笼罩着奶场的人们、奶牛和树木。

It was Sunday morning after milking．

这是挤完奶后的一个星期天的早晨。

Tess and the other three girls dressed quickly to go to Mellstock Church，which was three or four miles away from Talbothays．

苔丝和另外三个姑娘急匆匆地换上衣服，准备到梅尔斯托克教堂去，那儿距塔尔勃塞有三四英里远。

Heavy thunderstorms had poured down the day before，but today the sun shone brightly and the air was warm and clear．

前一天刚下过很大的暴雨，今天却阳光明媚，空气温和清新。

When the girls reached the lowest part of the road to Mellstock，they found it was flooded．

当姑娘们走到通向梅尔斯托克那条路的最低的一段时，发现这一段路被洪水淹没了。

In working clothes and boots they would have walked through，but they were wearing Sunday white stockings and thin shoes which they did not want to ruin．

平时穿着工作服和靴子，她们走过去就行了。但今天她们穿着做礼拜才穿的白袜子和薄鞋子，她们可不想把它们都毁了。

The church bell was calling，still a mile away．

还有一英里路，教堂的钟声已经响了。

语段精讲

1. The atmosphere of the flat valley hung like a drug over the dairy people，the cows and the trees．

语句赏析：这句话是景物描写，描写到山谷里的大气，像毒品一样笼罩着整个奶场。这是借物抒情，通过让人觉得烦闷的污浊之气从而揭示出苔丝内心的郁闷，以及被以前的经历和对克莱尔的躲避而深深压抑着。

写作短语：hang over的意思是“悬挂，笼罩”的意思。例如：

A pall of mystery seems to hang over it all. 整个事件似乎笼罩上一层神秘的气氛。

此外，hang over还有“延迟，拖延”的意思。例如：

They will probably let the final decision hang over until next year. 他们或许会把最后决定留到明年再作出。

The court decided to let the suit hang over till next session. 法庭决定把这个诉讼案留到下次开庭时处理。

2. Tess and the other three girls dressed quickly to go to Mellstock Church，which was three or four miles away from Talbothays．

文法解析：which was three or four miles away from Talbothays是非线性定语从句，修饰先行词church。补充说明这个教堂距离挤奶场的距离。

写作语库：基数词+表示距离的单位+away from表示“距离某处有多远”的意思。例如：

He was born in a small town fifty miles away from Chicago. 他出生在距芝加哥五十英里的一个小镇上。

My hometown is 100 miles away from here. 我的家乡离这里有一百英里路。

Heavy thunderstorms had poured down the day before，but today the sun shone brightly and the air was warm and clear．

陷阱提示：其他几个人的说法是“other+基数词”。文中说到的是the other three girls（其他三个女孩），不要用作the three other girls.

3. In working clothes and boots they would have walked through，but they were wearing Sunday white stockings and thin shoes which they did not want to ruin．

词汇解析：in working clothes and boots中的介词in是穿着的意思。Working clothes是指“工作服”。

写作语库：walk through的意思是“走过”。Through在这里是副词，表示“穿过”的意思。例如：

We're coming to a farmyard I suppose we can just walk through. 我们来到一个农家场院--我看我们可以径直走着穿过去。

那么，through也可以做介词用，walk through somewhere是“走过，穿过某处”的意思。例如：

He conceded us the right to walk through his garden. 他允许我们从他的花园中走过。

文法解析：which they did not want to ruin是限定性定语从句，修饰表示物且在定语从句中做宾语的先行词stockings and shoes。

4. The church bell was calling，still a mile away．

文法解析：was calling是过去进行时，这里是用进行时来表示“将来”发生的事情，但是这个将来发生的事情是马上要发生的，不是距离现在很久的。

词汇注释：still在这里是副词，意思是“还”。