儒琴英语文学词汇咀嚼《德伯家的苔丝》(Tess of the Durbervilles)一书的用词。 《苔丝》以哈代的威塞克斯为背景，是一部关于虚伪和双重标准的感人小说。托马斯·哈代（Thomas Hardy，1840—1928）, 英国诗人、小说家。他是横跨两个世纪的作家，早期和中期的创作以小说为主，继承和发扬了维多利亚时代的文学传统；晚年以其出色的诗歌开拓了英国20世纪的文学。
英语文学词汇 Literature Terms
ruffle /ˈrʌf.əl/
verb: To disturb the smoothness or regularity of; ripple:
弄乱；弄皱；使不平整
An empty egg-basket was slung upon his arm, the nap of his hat was ruffled, a patch being quite worn away at its brim where his thumb came in taking it off. 他的胳膊上挎着一只空鸡蛋篮，帽子的绒线皱了起来，他摘帽子时拇指碰到帽檐的地方已经磨掉了一块。（第一章）
vicissitudes /vɪˈsɪs.ə.tuːdz/
Noun: variations, changes, shifts, changes of fortune, life’s ups and downs
变迁；人生沉浮；波折
His own investigations had begun on a day in the preceding spring when, having been engaged in tracing the vicissitudes of the d’Urberville family, he had observed Durbeyfield’s name on his wagon, and had thereupon been led to make inquiries about his father and grandfather till he had no doubt on the subject. 他自己的调查是在去年春天的一天开始的，当时他一直在追踪德贝维尔家族的兴衰，在他的马车上看到了德北菲尔德的名字，于是他就去打听他的父亲和祖父，直到他对这个问题毫无疑问为止。（第一章）
mendacious /menˈdeɪ.ʃəs/
adj: lying; untruthful, false; untrue
虚假的，捏造的，不真实的
“You don’t live anywhere. You are extinct — as a county family.”
“That’s bad.”
“Yes — what the mendacious family chronicles call extinct in the male line – that is, gone down-gone under.”
“你哪里也不住。作为一个郡里的家族，你们已经绝迹了。”
“那就糟糕了。”
“是的——那是虚假的家族编年史上所说的男系绝迹无后了——就是说，没落了——衰败了。”（第一章）
chasten /ˈtʃeɪ.sən/
verb: To correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain; subdue；to rid of excess; refine or purify
磨炼；抑制; 惩戒; 教训
“And shall we ever come into our own again?”
“Ah, —- that I can’t tell !”
“And what had I better do about it, sir?” aksed Durbeyfield, after a pause.
“Oh – nothing, nothing: except chasten yourself with the thought of ” how are the mighty fallen.”
“我们还能兴旺发达吗?”
“嗯，—-这我可说不准!”
“那我该怎么办呢，先生?”停了一会儿，德贝菲尔问道。
“哦——没办法，没办法啦:除了用圣经中“强者是怎样倒下的”这样的话来克制自己。（第一章）
reverie /ˈrev.ɚ.i/
noun: A state of abstracted musing; daydreaming
幻想；梦想；白日梦
When he was gone Durbeyfield walked a few steps in a profound reverie, and then set down upon the grassy bank by the roadside, depositing his basket before him. 他走后，德贝菲尔陷入沉思，走了几步，然后在路边的草地上坐下来，把篮子放在身边。（第一章）
stripling /ˈstrɪp.lɪŋ/
noun: a young man
青年，小伙子
The lath-like stripling frowned. “Who be you, then John Durbeyfield, order me about and call me “boy?” You know my name as well as I know yours!” 瘦骨嶙峋的小伙子皱起了眉头。“你是谁，约翰·德贝菲尔，对我指手画脚，叫我‘孩子’?”我们俩都很清楚你叫啥名字我叫啥名字!”
