1.... and you could have been Sir John yourself．

点金：这句话使用了虚拟语气，谓语结构为could have been，这里用can的过去式，表示说话者现在的猜测。

2.I just happened to discover it last spring，when I was trying to find out more about the d’Urbervilles and noticed your name in the village．

点金：这是一个并列符合句。And连接一个简单句和一个很有从属连词的复合句。简单句是： noticed your name in the village，复合句是：I just happened to discover it last spring，when I was trying to find out more about the d’Urbervilles，从属连词是when。

3.‘That's bad．So where do we lie？’

点金：lie是“位于”的意思，在这里可以理解为“居住”。

4.The parson rode away，half regretting that he had told Durbeyfield of his discovery．

点金：half regretting that he had told Durbeyfield of his discovery是现在分词短语做伴随状况状语。这个现在分词中又含有宾语从句that he had told Durbeyfield of his discovery，这个宾语从句使用的是过去完成时。

5.You have died，as a noble family．

点金：这里的措辞die本义是“死亡”的意思，在这里指“消失，完结”。