英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第十章（下）

英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第十章(下)

Chapter 10 THE LEECH AND HIS PATIENT

第十章 医生和病人

Before Roger Chillingworth could answer, they heard the clear, wild laughter of a young child's voice, proceeding from the adjacentburial-ground. Looking instinctivelyfrom the open window- for it was summer-time- the minister beheld Hester Prynne and little Pearl passing along the footpath that traversedthe enclosure. Pearl looked as beautiful as the day, but was in one of those moods of perverse merriment which, whenever they occurred, seemed to remove her entirely out of the sphere of sympathy or human contact. She now skipped irreverently from one grave to another; until, coming to the broad, flat, armorialtombstone of a departed worthy- perhaps of Isaac Johnson himself- she began to dance upon it. In reply to her mother's command and entreatythat she would behave more decorously, little Pearl paused to gather the prickly burrs from a tall burdock which grew beside the tomb. Taking a handful of these, she arranged them along the lines of the scarlet letter that decorated the maternal bosom, to which the burrs, as their nature was, tenaciouslyadhered. Hester did not pluckthem off.

罗杰·齐灵渥斯还没有来得及回答，就听到从邻近的墓地里传来了一个小孩子的清澈而狂野的笑声。当时正是夏天，牧师不自主地从打开的窗子向外面望去，看到海丝特·白兰和小珠儿在穿越围栏的小径上走着。珠儿的模样如白昼一般美丽，但处于那种调皮任性的兴致之中，每当此刻，她便象完全脱离了人性的共鸣与交往的范围。此时她正大不敬地从一个坟墓跳到另一个坟墓;终于来到一位逝去的大人物——说不定正是艾萨克，约翰逊本人——的宽大、平整、带纹章的墓石跟前，在那上面跳起舞来。听到她母亲又是命令又是恳求地要她放规矩些，小珠儿才不再跳舞，从长在墓旁的一株高大的牛蒡上采集多刺的果实。她摘了满满一把之后，便在缀在母亲胸前的红字周围，沿着笔画一一插满，这些带刺的牛蒡便牢牢地扎在上面了。海丝特并没有把它们取下。

Roger Chillingworth had by this time approached the window, and smiled grimlydown. "There is no law, nor reverencefor authority, no regard for human ordinances or opinions, right or wrong, mixed up with that child's composition," remarked her, as much to himself as to his companion. "I saw her, the other day, bespatterthe Governor himself with water, at the cattle-trough in Spring Lane. What, in Heaven's name, is she? Is the impaltogether evil? Hath she affections? Hath she any discoverableprinciple of being?"

罗杰·齐灵渥斯这时已走到窗前，面带狞笑地向下望着。“在那孩子的气质中，根本没有法律，没有对权威的敬重，对于人类的法令或意向，不管正确与否，也不屑一顾，他这样讲着，与其说是在同他的同伴谈话，倒更象是自言自语。“有一天，我看到她在春巷的畜槽边，竟然往总督身上泼水。我的天，她究竟是个什么东西呢?这小鬼是不是彻头彻尾地邪恶了?她有感情吗?在她身上能看到什么人性原则吗?

"None- save the freedom of a broken law," answered Mr. Dimmesdale, in a quiet way, as if he had been discussing the point within himself. "Whether capable of good I know not."

“完全没有——只有把法律破坏得支离破碎的自由，丁梅斯代尔先生回答说，其态度之安详，简直象是对此自问自答。“至于能否为善，我可就不得而知了。

The child probably overheard their voices; for, looking up to the window, with a bright, but naughty smile of mirthand intelligence, she threw one of the pricklyburrsat the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The sensitive clergyman shrunk, with nervous dread, from the light missile. Detecting his emotion, Pearl clapped her little hands, in the most extravagant ecstasy. Hester Prynne, likewise, had involuntarily looked up; and all these four persons, old and young, regarded one another in silence, till the child laughed aloud, and shouted, "Come away, mother! Come away, or yonderold Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!"

那孩子可能是远远听到了他俩的声音;因为她抬头看着窗户，面带欢快而聪明的顽皮笑容，朝丁梅斯代尔牧师先生扔上一颗带刺的牛蒡。那敏感的牧师怀着神经质的恐惧，将身子一缩，躲开了那轻飘的飞弹。珠儿发现了他的激动，在极度狂喜之中，拍起了小手。海丝特·白兰也同样禁不住始眼来看;于是这老老少少四个人便默默地互相瞅着;后来，孩子出声笑了，还大叫着——“走吧，妈妈!走吧，要不，那老黑人就抓住你了!他已经抓住了牧师。走吧，妈妈，要不他就抓住你了!可他抓不住小珠儿!

So she drew her mother away, skipping, dancing, and friskingfantastically, among the hillocksof the dead people, like a creature that had nothing in common with a bygone and buried generation, nor owned herself akinto it. It was as if she had been made afresh, out of new elements, and must perforce be permitted to live her own life, and be a law unto herself, without her eccentricitiesbeing reckoned to her for a crime.

于是她在死者的坟墓间蹦蹦跳跳，欢快雀跃地拽着她母亲走开了，她那出奇的劲头似乎说明她与那逝去并埋葬的一代毫无共同之处，也不承认她自己与他们同属一个族类。仿佛她是由新元素刚刚做成的，因此必得获准去过她自身的生活，并自有其定法，面不能将她的怪异看作是一种罪过。

"There goes a woman," resumed Roger Chillingworth, after a pause, "who, be her demeritswhat they may, hath none of that mystery of hidden sinfulnesswhich you deem so grievousto be borne. Is Hester Prynne the less miserable, think you, for that scarlet letter on her breast?"

“那边走着一个妇人，罗杰·齐灵渥斯停了一会儿后接着说，“她不论有什么过错，绝不会被你认为如此难以忍受的隐蔽着的负罪感所左右。你看，海丝特·白兰是不是胸前佩戴了那红字，就不那么痛苦了呢?

"I do verilybelieve it," answered the clergyman. "Nevertheless, I cannot answer for her. There was a look of pain in her face, which I would gladly have been spared the sight of. But still, methinks, it must needs be better for the sufferer to be free to show his pain, as this poor woman Hester is, than to cover it all up in his heart."

“我的确十分相信这一点，牧师回答说。“不过我无法为她作答。她面孔上有一种痛楚的表情，那是我不情愿看到的。话说回来，我认为，一个受折磨的人能够象这可怜的妇人海丝特这样，有自由来表达自己的痛苦，总比全都闷在心里要强。

There was another pause; and the physician began anew to examine and arrange the plants which he had gathered.

又是一阵停顿;医生开始重新动手检查和整理他采集来的植物。

"You inquired of me, a little time agone," said he, at length, "my judgment as touching your health."

“刚才你在问我，他终于开口说，“我对你的健康有何看法。

"I did," answered the clergyman, "and would gladly learn it. Speak frankly, I pray you, be it for life or death."

“是啊，牧师回答说，“我很乐于听一听。我请你坦率地讲出来，不管我是该活还是该死。

"Freely, then, and plainly," said the physician, still busy with his plants, but keeping a waryeye on Mr. Dimmesdale, "the disorder is a strange one; not so much in itself, nor as outwardlymanifested- in so far, at least, as the symptoms have been laid open to my observation. Looking dallyat you, my good sir, and watching the tokens of your aspect, now for months gone by, I should deem you a man sore sick, it may be, yet not so sick but that an instructed and watchful physician might well hope to cure you. But- I know not what to say- the disease is what I seem to know, yet know it not."

“那我就坦率直陈吧，医生说着，一边仍然忙着摆弄他那些药草，一边始终不动声色地睨视着丁梅斯代尔先生，“你的身体失调很奇怪，症候本身并不严重，也不象表现出来的那样厉害——到目前为止，至少我所观察到的症状是如此。我的好先生，我每日都在观察你，注意你的表象，如今已经有几个月过去了，我应该说你是一个病得很重的人，不过也还没有病到连一个训练有素而且克尽职守的医生都感到无望和不治的地步。可是——我不知道说什么才是——这病我似乎知道，可又不明白。

"You speak in riddles, learned sir," said the pale minister, glancing aside out of the window.

“你是在打哑谜，博学的先生，牧师斜瞥着窗外说。

"Then, to speak more plainly," continued the physician, "and I cravepardon, sir- should it seem to require pardon- for this needful plainness of my speech. Let me ask, as your friend- as one having charge, under Providence, of your life and physical well-being- hath all the operation of this disorder been fairly laid open and recountedto me?"

“那我就说得再明确些，医生继续说，“出于我谈话所不得不有的坦率，我要请你原谅，先生——如果看来确实需要的话。作为你的朋友——作为受命于天，对你的生命和身体健康负有责任的人，我来问问你，你是否已经把你的全部症状暴露给我并向我详加说明了呢?

"How can you question it?" asked the minister. "Surely, it were child's play, to call in a physician, and then hide the sore!"

“你怎么能这样盘问呢?牧师问道。“的确，请来医生，却又向他隐瞒病情，岂不成了儿戏嘛!

"You would tell me, then, that I know all?" said Roger Chillingworth deliberately, and fixing an eye, bright with intenseand concentrated intelligence, on the minister's face. "Be it so! But, again! He to whom only the outward and physical evil is laid open, knoweth, oftentimes, but half the evil which be is called upon to cure. A bodily disease, which we look upon as whole and entire within itself, may, after all, be but a symptom of some ailmentin the spiritual part. Your pardon, once again, good sir, if my speech give the shadow of offence. You, sir, of all men whom I have known, are he whose body is the closest conjoined, and imbued, and identified, so to speak, with the spirit whereofit is the instrument."

“那么，你就是说，我已经全部了然了?罗杰·齐灵渥斯故意这样说着，同时用透着精明的炯炯目光盯着牧师的面孔。“但愿如此吧!不过，我还是要说!只了解病症表象的人;通常也不过只掌握了要他医治的疾病的一半症状。一种由体上的疾病，我们以为是全部症状了，其实呢，很可能只是精神上某种失调的征候。如果我的话有丝毫冒犯的话，我的好先生，就再次请你原谅。先生，在我所认识的一切人当中，你的肉体同你的精神，可啤说是最相融熔、合二而一的了，对你而言，身体不过是精神的工具罢了。

"Then I need ask no further," said the clergyman, somewhat hastilyrising from his chair. "You deal not, I take it, in medicine for the soul!"

“这样看来，我就不必多问了，牧师说着，有点匆忙地从椅子上站起身。“我是这样理解的，你并不经营治疗灵魂的药物!

"Thus, a sickness," continued Roger Chillingworth going on, in an unalteredtone, without heedingthe interruption, but standing up and confronting the emaciatedand white-cheeked minister, with his low, dark, and misshapen figure- "a sickness, a sore place, if we may so call it, in your spirit, hath immediately its appropriate manifestationin your bodily frame. Would you, therefore, that your physician heal the bodily evil? How may this be, unless you first lay open to him the wound or trouble in your soul?"

“这就是说，一种疾病，罗杰·齐灵渥斯用原先的语气继续侃侃而谈，似乎没有留意刚才的话被打断了——只是站起身来，把自己那矮小、黝黑和畸形的身体面对着形容憔悴、双颊苍白的牧师——“如果我们能这么叫的话，你精神上的一种疾病，一处痛楚，会立即在你肉体上出现恰如其分的反应。因此，你能叫你的医生只诊治你肉体上的病症吗?你要是不肯首先向他袒示你灵魂上的创伤或烦恼，他又怎能对症下药呢?

"No!- not to thee!- not to an earthly physician!" cried Mr. Dimmesdale passionately, and turning his eyes, full and bright, and with a kind of fierceness, on old Roger Chillingworth. "Not to thee! But, if it be the soul's disease, then do I commit myself to the one Physician of the soul! He, if it stand with His good pleasure, can cure; or He can kill! Let Him do with me as, in His justice and wisdom, He shall see good. But who art thou, that meddlestin this matter?- that dares thrusthimself between the sufferer and his God?"

“我不!——不会对你说!——我不会对一个世俗的医生讲的!丁梅斯代尔先生激动地叫喊起来，同时把他那双瞪得又圆又亮、带着一种恶狠狠目光的眼睛，转向老罗杰·齐灵渥斯。“我不会对你说的!不过，果真我得的是灵魂上的疾病，那我就把自己交给灵魂的唯一的医生!只要他高兴，他可以治愈我，也可以杀死我!让他以他的公正和智慧，随心所欲地处置我吧。然而，你算什么?竟要来插一手?——竟敢置身于受磨难的人和他的上帝之间?

With a franticgesture, he rushed out of the room.

他作了个发狂般的姿势，便冲出屋去了。

"It is as well to have made this step," said Roger Chillingworth to himself, looking after the minister, with a grave smile. "There is nothing lost. We shall be friends again anon. But see, now, how passion takes hold upon this man, and hurrieth him out of himself! As with one passion, so with another! He hath done a wild thing erenow, this pious Master Dimmesdale, in the hot passion of his heart!"

“迈出这一步倒也好，罗杰·齐灵涯斯望着牧师的背影，阴沉地一笑，自言自语地说。“一无所失。我们很快还会重新成为朋友的。不过看看吧，如今，激情如何完全左右了这个人，让他无法自主了!这种激情能如此，另一种激情当然也一样!这位。虚诚的丁梅斯代尔牧师，以前也曾在他内心热烈的激情的驱使之下，于出过荒唐事的!

It proved not difficult to re-establish the intimacy of the two companions, on the same footing and in the same degree as heretofore. The young clergyman, after a few hours of privacy, was sensible that the disorder of his nerves had hurried him into an unseemlyoutbreak of temper, which there had been nothing in the physician's words to excuse or palliate. He marvelled, indeed, at the violence with which he had thrust back the kind old man, when merely profferingthe advice which it was his duty to bestow, and which the minister himself had expressly sought. With these remorsefulfeelings, he lost no time in making the amplestapologies, and besought his friend still to continue the care, which, if not successful in restoring him to health, had, in all probability, been the means of prolonging his feeble existence to that hour. Roger Chillingworth readily assented, and went on with his medical supervision of the minister; doing his best for him, in all good faith, but always quitting the patient's apartment, at the close of a professional interview, with a mysterious and puzzled smile upon his lips. This expression was invisible in Mr. Dimmesdale's presence, but grew strongly evident as the physician crossed the threshold.

事实证明，在这两个伙伴之间，同以往一样，在同一基础上重建同一程度的亲密关系，并不困难。年轻的牧师经过数小时独处之后，意识到自己神经的失调促使他出现了不自觉的大发脾气，其实，从医生的言谈话语之中丝毫找不出为自己辩解或掩饰的借口。他确实为自己对那善良的老人粗暴的发泄感到惊讶，人家不过是在尽职尽责地忠言相劝，何况也正是牧师他本人所求之不得的呢;他怀着懊悔不选曲心情，迫不及待地去向医生赔礼道歉，并请他这位朋友继续为他诊治，即使没有成功地恢复他的健康，但总算把他的病弱之躯维系到目前嘛。罗杰·齐灵渥斯欣然同意，并继续为牧师进行医疗监督;他诚心诚意地尽力而为，但在每次诊视之后，总要在嘴上带着神秘而迷惑的笑意，离开病人的房间。医生的这一表情在丁梅斯代尔先生面前是看不出的，但他穿过前厅时就变得十分明显了。

"A rare case!" he muttered. "I must needs look deeper into it. A strange sympathy betwixt soul and body! Were it only for the art's sake, I must search this matter to the bottom!"

“一种罕见的病例!他喃喃地说。“我一定要更深入地观察。这是灵魂和肉体之间一种奇妙的共鸣!即使仅仅出于医术的缘故，我也要穷根究底!

It came to pass, not long after the scene above recorded, that the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, at noon-day, and entirely unawares, fell into a deep, deep slumber, sitting in his chair, with a large black-letter volume open before him on the table. It must have been a work of vast ability in the somniferousschool of literature. The profound depth of the minister's reposewas the more remarkable, inasmuchas he was one of those persons whose sleep, ordinarily, is as light, as fitful, and as easily scared away, as a small bird hoppingon a twig. To such an unwontedremoteness, however, had his spirit now withdrawn into itself, that he stirred not in his chair, when old Roger Chillingworth, without any extraordinary precaution, came into the room. The physician advanced directly in front of his patient, laid his hand upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment, that, hitherto, had always covered it even from the professional eye.

就在上述那场面发生之后不久的一天正午，丁梅斯代尔牧师先生毫不知觉地陷入了沉睡之中，他坐在椅子上，前面的桌上摊开一大本黑皮的书卷。那准是一部催眠派文献中卓有功效的作品。象牧师这样的深沉酣睡，尤其值得注意，因为他属于那种通常睡眠极轻、时断时续，如同在嫩枝上雀跃的小鸟般极易受惊的人。无论如何，他这种非同寻常的酣睡，已经让他的精神完全收缩到自己的天地，以致当老罗杰·齐灵渥斯并没有特别蹑手蹑脚地走进他的房间时，他居然没有在椅子里惊动一下。医生直接走到他的病人跟前，把手放在牧师的胸口，扯开到目前为止连诊视时都没解开过的法衣。

Then, indeed, Mr. Dimmesdale shuddered, and slightly stirred.

此时，丁梅斯代尔先生确实抖了抖，微微一动。

After a brief pause, the physician turned away.

那医生稍停一会儿，就转身走了。

But, with what a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror! With what a ghastlyrapture, as it were, too mighty to be expressed only by the eye and features, and therefore bursting forth through the whole ugliness of his figure, and making itself even riotouslymanifest by the extravagantgestures with which he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the floor! Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom.

然而，他却带有一种多么狂野的惊奇、欢乐和恐惧的表情网!事实上，他的那种骇人的狂喜，绝不仅仅是由跟睛和表情所能表达的，因之要从他整个的丑陋身躯进发出来，他将两臂伸向天花板，一只脚使劲跺着地面，以这种非同寻常的姿态来益发放纵地表现他的狂喜!若是有人看到老罗杰·齐灵渥斯此时的忘乎所以，他就不必去询问：当一个宝贵的人类灵魂失去了天国，堕入撤旦的地狱之中时，那魔王该如何举动了。

But what distinguished the physician's ecstasy from Satan's was the trait of wonder in it!

不过，那医生的狂喜同撒旦的区别在于，其中尚有惊奇的成分!

（编辑：薛琳）