托马斯·哈代是英国文学史上最著名的作家之一,《苔丝》是其“性格与环境小说”系列中最著名的一部。小说讲述了没落贵族之女苔丝希望通过自己的劳动来帮助父母摆脱家庭困境,结果却被新兴贵族亚历克诱奸的故事。后来苔丝与牧师之子克莱尔相恋并结婚,新婚之夜夫妇互相坦白往事,苔丝却因旧日失贞遭到丈夫遗弃。 Thomas Hardy is one of the most famous writers in the history of British literature, and Tess is the most famous of his series of novels of character and environment. The novel tells the story of the declining noblewoman Tess, who hopes to help her parents get out of her family’s dilemma through her own work, but was seduced by the newly born aristocrat Alec. Later, Tess fell in love with the son of the priest, Claire, and married. The wedding night was a frank one for each other, and Tess was abandoned by her husband for losing her virginity.