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The fire
火灾
Two months later Gabriel went to the great fair at Casterbridge，hoping to find a job as farm manager. But when he realized by late afternoon that none of the farmers at Casterbridge wanted a farm manager，or even a shepherd，he decided to try his luck at another fair the next day. It was fifteen miles further away，in a village the other side of Weatherbury. The name Weatherbury reminded him of Bathsheba，and he wondered if she still lived there. He set out on foot as it was getting dark，and had already walked three or four miles when he saw a cart，half-full of hay，by the side of the road. ‘That's a comfortable place to sleep，’he thought，and he was so tired after his long，disappointing day at the fair that when he climbed into the cart，he fell asleep immediately.
两个月后，盖伯瑞尔去了位于卡斯特桥的大集市，希望找一份农场经理的工作。在下午，快结束时，他意识到卡斯特桥没有哪个农场主需要农场经理，甚或是一个牧羊人，他决定第二天到另一个集市去碰碰运气。这个集市在威瑟伯里另一边的一个村庄，还要再走15英里。威瑟伯里这个名字使他想起了芭丝谢芭，他不知道她是否还住在那儿。天将黑时，他步行着上路了。走了三四英里，他看到一辆马车停在路边，车上装着半车干草。“那个地方睡觉挺舒服，”他想，经过在集市上漫长、令人失望的一天后，他太累了。一爬上车他立刻就睡着了。
A couple of hours later，however，he was woken by the movement of the cart. It was being driven towards Weather－bury by two farm workers，who had not noticed Gabriel. He listened to their conversation.
一两个小时后，马车的颠簸惊醒了他。两个农场工人正把马车赶向威瑟伯里，他们没有注意到盖伯瑞尔。他听到了他们的谈话。
‘She's a handsome woman，that's true，’said one，‘but proud too！And very vain，that's what people say！’
“她是个很漂亮的女人，这倒不假，”一个说，“可是太傲慢！人们都说她很自负！
‘Oh，if she's vain，Billy Smallbury，I'll never be able to look at her！I'm such a shy man，as you know！’said the other. ‘A single woman，and vain！And does she pay her farm workers well？’
“唉，比利·斯摩伯里，要是她很自以为是，我就连正眼看她也不敢了！你知道，我是一个害羞的人！”另一个说。“一个单身女人，而且自负！她给她的农场工人报酬高吗？”
‘I don't know about that，Joseph Poorgrass. ’
“这个我不知道，约瑟夫·普格拉斯。”
Gabriel thought they could be talking about Bathsheba，except that the woman they were discussing seemed to be the mistress of a farm. As the cart was now quite near Weather－bury，Gabriel jumped out，unseen by the two men. He climbed a gate into a field，intending to sleep for the rest of the night under a hay－rick，but then he noticed an unusual light in the darkness，about half a mile away. Something was on fire.
盖伯瑞尔想他们谈论的可能是芭丝谢芭，只是他们谈论的女人好像是一个农场的女主人。马车快到威瑟伯里时，盖伯瑞尔跳下了车，那两个人也未发现。他翻越过一个大门进了一块地里，打算在一个干草垛下过夜，就在这时，他注意到大约一英里远的地方黑暗中有不寻常的火光。有东西着火了。
