The village had formerly contained, side by side with the agricultural labourers, an interesting and better informed class, ranking distinctly above the former-the class to which tess s father and mother had belonged-and including the carpenter, the smith, the shoemaker, the huckster, together with nondescript workers other than farm-labourers; a set of people who owed a certain stability of aim and conduct to the fact of their being life-holders like tess s father, or copyholders, or, occasionally, small freeholders 从前在乡村里,还有另外一个有趣的见识广的阶级同种地的庄稼汉居住在一起,他们的地位比庄稼汉高,苔丝的父亲和母亲属于这个阶级,这个阶级包括木匠铁匠鞋匠小贩,还有一些除了种地的庄稼汉而外的不好分类的人。他们这一班人都有固定的目的和职业,有的和苔丝的父亲一样,是不动产的终身所有人,也有的是副本持有不动产的人,有时候也有一些小不动产所有人。