有一读者问：我在读《德伯家的苔丝》 （Tess of the D'Urbervilles ）一书时碰到这样一句话：
The two women valiantly disguised these forced excursions and countermarches as well as they could from Durbeyfield their cause, and from Abraham and from themselves, and so they approached by degrees their own door, the head of the family bursting suddenly into former refrain as he drew near, as if to fortify his soul a sight of the smallness of his present residence — （第4章第33段最后一句）
我感到难于理解，请你解释一下。
让我们先简要地分析一下这个较长的句子，然后就容易理解了。这是一个并列复合句，其基本结构是：主语 + 谓语 + 宾语 + 短语连词 and so + 主语 + 谓语 + 宾语。
第一个分句的主语是 the two women，谓语是 disguised，宾语是 these forced excursions and countermarches， valiantly 是一副词，用作修饰 disguised 的状语。as well as they could 是一状语从句，亦用以修饰 disguised。from Durbeyfield their cause, and from Abraham and from themselves 这三个并列的介词短语也都是修饰 disguised 的状语。 their cause 是 Durbeyfield 的同位语。
第二个分句的主语是 they，谓语是 approached，宾语是 their own door。the head of the family bursting...his present residence 是一较长的分词独立结构，起一伴随状语的作用。
从上下文我们得知，父亲Durbeyfield 在酒馆里喝醉了，母女俩 (Durbeyfield的妻子Joan和女儿Tess)搀扶着他往家走，他的儿子Abraham 也相跟着。上述句子的大意就是：
母女俩竭力掩饰着 Durbeyfield （这都是由他引起的）、Abraham 以及他们自己不得不时而晃悠时而倒退的狼狈相，等到他们好不容易快到家门时，一家之长 Durbeyfield 却像是一见到他当今所住的寒舍就要乞灵于他的口头禅似的，突然喊道：“我在 Kingsbere 有地下墓呀!（I've got a family vault at Kingsbere!）”
这里需要解释几个词汇问题。 forced excursions and countermarches 的直译应是“被迫进行的偏离方向和向后倒退”。 disguise...from 是一常见的搭配，其义是“不让……露出，掩饰，掩藏起来”。their cause 指 Durbeyfield 。英语里的 cause （起因）可指人，如：The driver was the cause of the accident （司机是肇事者）.by degrees 意为“逐渐地，慢慢地”，“好不容易”，在此是意译。former refrain 意为“以前经常重复的话语”，这里译作“口头禅”也是意译。 as he drew near 似乎没有必要译出，以免与前文“快到家门时”重复。 to fortify his soul 的意思是“使自己的灵魂坚强，使自己的精神振奋”。
