One evening at the end of May a middle-aged man was walking home from Shaston to the village of Marlott in the Vale of Blackmoor．His legs were thin and weak，and he could not walk in a straight line．He had an empty egg-basket on his arm，and his hat was old and worn．After a while he passed an elderly parson riding a grey horse．
5月末的一天傍晚，有個中年漢子正從夏斯頓回家到黑荒野山谷的馬勒特村去。他雙腿瘦弱，一路東倒西歪。他手挽一個盛雞蛋用的空籃子，帽子又舊又破。走了一會兒，他遇見了一位騎匹灰馬的老牧師。
Good night，’said the man with the basket．
“晚安。”挽著籃子的人說。
‘Good night，Sir John，’said the parson．
“晚安，約翰爵士，”牧師說道。
After another step or two the man stopped and turned round to speak to the parson．
剛走出一兩步，這人停了下來，轉過身對牧師說：
‘Now，sir，last market-day we met on this road at the same time，and I said “Good night”and you answered“Good night，Sir John，”as you did just now．’
“嗯，先生，上次趕集那天，大約也是這個時候，我們在這條路上碰到過的。當時我向您道聲‘晚安’，您也和剛才一樣回答說‘晚安，約翰爵士’。”
‘I did，’said the parson．
“我是那么說的，”牧師說道。
‘And once before that，almost a month ago．’
“而且更早以前還曾有過一回——將近一個月以前吧。”
‘I may have．’
“我也許是說過的。”
‘So why do you call me Sir John，when I am only John Durbeyfield？’
“那么您為什么要稱呼我‘約翰爵士’呢？我只不過是約翰·德北呀。”
The parson rode nearer，and after a moment's hesitation，explained：‘It was because I've discovered something of historical interest．I am Parson Tringham，the historian．Do you really not know，Durbeyfield，that you are a direct descendant of the ancient and noble family of the d’Urbervilles？They descended from Sir Pagan d’Urberville，who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066．’
牧師拍馬走近，略一猶豫，便解釋道：“那是因為最近我發現了一些史實。我是特林厄姆牧師，歷史學家。德北呀，難道你真的不知道自己是那古老而高貴的德伯家族的一支直系后裔嗎？這個家族起始于培根·德伯爵士，他是在1066年隨同征服者威廉國王從諾曼底來到英格蘭的。”
‘Never heard that before，sir！’
“這事我以前可從沒聽說過，先生！”
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