01 Gabriel Oak falls in love（1）

1 Gabriel Oak falls in love
　　Gabriel Oak was a sensible man of good character， who had been brought up by his father as a shepherd， and then managed to save enough money to rent his own farm on Norcombe Hill，in Dorset. He was twenty－eight，a tall，well－built man，who did not seem，however，to think his appear－ance was very important.
　　One winter morning he was in one of his fields on the side of Norcombe Hill . Looking over his gate，Gabriel could see a yellow cart，loaded with furniture and plants，coming up the road. Right on top of the pile sat a handsome young woman As Gabriel was watching，the cart stopped at the top of the hill，and the driver climbed down to go back and fetch some－thing that had fallen off.
　　The girl sat quietly in the sunshine for a few minutes. Then she picked up a parcel lying next to her，and looked round to see if the driver was coming back. There was no sign of him. She unwrapped the parcel，and took out the mirror it con-tained. The sun shone on her lovely face and hair. Although it was December，she looked almost summery，sitting there in her bright red jacket with the fresh green plants around her. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled，thinking that only the birds could see her. But behind the gate Gabriel Oak was watching too.
　　‘She must be rather vain，’he thought. ‘She doesn't need to look in that mirror at all! ’
　　As the girl smiled and blushed at herself，she seemed to be dreaming，dreaming perhaps of men's hearts won and lost. When she heard the driver's footsteps，she packed the mirror away. The cart moved on downhill to the toll－gate. Gabriel followed on foot. As he came closer he could hear the driver arguing with the gatekeeper.
　　‘My mistress's niece，that's her on top of the furniture，is not going to pay you the extra two pence ，’said the driver. ‘She says she's offered you quite enough already. ’
　　‘Well，if she doesn't pay the toll，your mistress's niece can't pass through the gate，’replied the gatekeeper.
　　Gabriel thought that two pence did not seem worth bothering about, so he stepped forward. ‘Here，’he said，handing the coins to the gatekeeper，‘let the young woman pass. ’
　　The girl in the red jacket looked carelessly down at Gabriel，and told her man to drive on，without even thanking the farmer. Gabriel and the gatekeeper watched the cart move away. ‘That's a lovely young woman，’said the gatekeeper.
　　‘But she has her faults，’answered Gabriel.
　　‘True，farmer. ’
　　‘And the greatest of them is what it always is with women. ’
　　‘Wanting to win the argument every time？Oh，you're right. ’
　　‘No，her great fault is that she's vain. ’
　　A few days later，at nearly midnight on the longest night of the year，Gabriel Oak could be heard playing his flute on Nor-combe Hill. The sky was so clear and the stars so visible that the earth could almost be seen turning. In that cold，hard air the sweet notes of the flute rang out. The music came from a little hut on wheels，standing in the corner of a field. Shep－herds'huts like this are used as a shelter during the winter and spring，when shepherds have to stay out all night in the fields，looking after very young lambs.
　　Gabriel's two hundred and fifty sheep were not yet paid for He knew that，in order to make a success of the farming business，he had to make sure they produced a large number of healthy lambs. So he was determined to spend as many nights as necessary in the fields，to save his lambs from dying of cold or hunger.
　　The hut was warm and quite comfortable inside. There was a stove，and some bread and beer on a shelf. On each side of the hut was a round hole like a window，which could be closed with a piece of wood. These air－holes were usually kept open when the stove was burning， because too much smoke in a small，airless hut could kill the shepherd.
　　From time to time the sound of the flute stopped， and Gabriel came out of his hut to check his sheep. Whenever he discovered a half-dead new lamb，he brought the creature into the hut. In front of the stove it soon came back to life，and then he could return it to its mother.


1 盖伯瑞尔•奥克在恋爱
　　盖伯瑞尔•奥克有头脑，性格好，他的父亲把他带大成为一个牧羊人。以后他设法攒足了钱在多塞特的诺科姆租下自己的农场。他28岁，身材高大魁梧，不过他好像并不认为自己的外表很重要。
　　一个冬日的早晨，他正在诺科姆山边的一块地里。越过大门，盖伯瑞尔能够看到一辆黄色的装满家具和花木的马车朝路这边驶来。在那一堆东西的顶上坐着一位面容姣好的年轻女人。当盖伯瑞尔正盯着看时，马车在山顶停了下来。车夫爬下马车，回去拣掉了的东西。
　　姑娘在太阳下静静地坐了几分钟，然后她拿起身边的一个包袱，四下看看车夫是否回来了。没有车夫的影子。她打开包袱，从里面拿出镜子。太阳照在她漂亮的脸上和头发上。身着红色上衣坐在那里，被鲜绿的花木簇拥着，虽然是在12月，看上去她像在夏日。她看着镜子里的自己笑了，以为只有鸟会看到。但是在大门后边盖伯瑞尔也正在看着。
　　“她一定很虚荣，”他想，“她根本不需要照镜子！”
　　当姑娘看到镜子里的自己笑着羞红了脸时，她似乎在做梦，也许幻想着赢得的和失去的男人心。当听到车夫的脚步声时，她收起了镜子。马车继续向山下的路卡驶去。盖伯瑞尔徒步跟随着。当他走近时，他听到车夫在和守卡人争吵。
　　“我的女主人的侄女就坐在家具上，不会再给你两便士，”车夫说。“她说她给你的钱已足够了。”
　　“好吧，如果你的女主人的侄女不付过路钱，她就不能从路卡通过，”守卡人回答。
　　盖伯瑞尔觉得不值得为两便士如此劳神，所以他走向前。“给，”他说，把硬币递给了守卡人，“让这个姑娘过去。”
　　穿红色上衣的姑娘不经意地向下看看盖伯瑞尔，吩咐车夫继续赶路，甚至都没有谢一声农夫。盖伯瑞尔和守卡人看着马车走远了。“那个年轻姑娘很漂亮，”守卡人说。
　　“不过她有她的缺点，”盖伯瑞尔回答。
　　“没错，农夫。”
　　“最严重的缺点总是与女人为伴。”
　　“每次都想取胜？噢，你说得对。”
　　“不，她最大的缺点是虚荣。”
　　几天后，在一年中夜最长的那个午夜，可以听到盖伯瑞尔•奥克在诺科姆山上吹笛子。天空是那样晴朗，星星是那样清晰可辨，似乎都能看到地球在转动。在那寒冷的空中回荡着甜美的笛声。在田野的一隅停着一辆车，车上有一间棚屋，音乐即从此传出。冬春两季里，当牧羊人必须整夜呆在户外田野里照料羊羔时，他们的这种棚屋就权当做遮风避寒处。
　　盖伯瑞尔的250只羊还没有付钱。他懂得若想靠养羊发迹，他就得保证这些羊能生出大批健康的羊羔。所以他决定需要多少个夜晚留在田野上他就化多少个夜晚，以免羊羔被冻死、饿死。
　　棚屋里很温暖也很舒眼。有一个炉子，架子上有面包和啤酒。在棚屋的两侧各有一个像窗户的圆孔.可以用一块木头关上。当炉子燃着火时，这些通气孔通常是开着的，因为狭小、不通风的小屋中若有过多的烟，会使牧羊人丧生的。
　　笛声不时地停下来，盖伯瑞尔走出他的小屋查看羊群。一旦发现一只半死的新生羊羔，他就把那可怜的东西带到屋里。新生羊羔在炉子前很快就活过来了，然后他就把羊羔送还给它的妈妈。