英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第十七章（上）

英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第十七章(上)

Chapter 17 THE PASTOR AND HIS PARISHIONER

第十七章 教长和教民

SLOWLY as the minister walked, he had almost gone by, before Hester Prynne could gather voice enough to attract his observation. At length, she succeeded.

尽管牧师走得很慢，也几乎要走过去了，可海丝特·白兰还是提不起声音喊他。最后，她总算叫了出来。

"Arthur Dimmesdale!" she said, faintly at first; then louder, but hoarsely: "Arthur Dimmesdale!"

“阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔!她说，起初有气无力，后来声音倒是放开了，可是有些沙哑。“阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔!

"Who speaks?" answered the minister.

“是谁在说话?牧师应声说。

Gathering himself quickly up, he stood more erect, like a man taken by surprise in a mood to which he was reluctantto have witnesses. Throwing his eyes anxiously in the direction of the voice, he indistinctlybeheld a form under the trees, clad in garments so, sombre, and so little relieved from the grey twilight into which the clouded sky and the heavy foliagehad darkened the noontide, that he knew not whether it were a woman or a shadow. It may be, that his pathway through life was haunted thus, by a spectrethat had stolen out from among his thoughts.

他立刻提起精神，挺直身子站住了，就象是一个人正处于不想被人看见的心情之中，突然吃了一惊似的。他急切地循声望去，模模糊糊地看见树下有个人影，身上的服色十分晦暗，在阴霾的天空和浓密的树荫遮得连正午都极为膝脆的昏幽之中，简直难以分辨，’他根本说不上那儿是个女人还是个影子。也许，在他的人生旅途上，常有这么一个幽灵从他的思想里溜出来纠缠他吧。

He made a step nigher, and discovered the scarlet letter.

他向前迈了一步，发现了红字。

"Hester! Hester Prynne!" said he. "Is it thou? Art thou in life?"

“海丝特!海丝特·白兰!他说。“是你吗?你是活人吗?

"Even so!" she answered. "In such life as has been mine these seven years past! And thou, Arthur Dimmesdale, dost thou yet live?"

“岂止如此!她回答说。“我已经这样生活了七年了!而你呢，阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔，你还活着吗?

It was no wonder that they thus questioned one another's actual and bodily existence, and even doubted of their own. So strangely did they meet, in the dim wood, that it was like the first encounter, in the world beyond the grave, of two spirits who had been intimately connected in their former life, but now stood coldly shuddering, in mutual dreadas not yet familiar with their state, nor wonted to the companionship of disembodiedbeings. Each a ghost, and awe-stricken at the other ghost! They were awe-stricken likewise at themselves; because the crisis flung back to them their consciousness, and revealed to each heart its history and experience, as life never does, except at such breathless epochs. The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. It was with fear, and tremulously, and, as it were, by a slow, reluctant necessity, that Arthur Dimmesdale put forth his hand, chill as death, and touched the chill hand of Hester Prynne. The grasp, cold as it was, took away what was dreariest in the interview. They now felt themselves, at least, inhabitants of the same sphere.

他俩这样互相询问对方的肉体的实际存在，甚至怀疑自己还活着，是不足为奇的。他们在这幽暗的树林中如此不期而遇，简直象是两个幽灵，出了坟墓之后在世上首次避遁：他们的前世曾经关系密切，但如今却站在那里打着冷战，都让对方给吓坏了;似乎既不熟悉自己的状态，又不惯于与脱离了肉体的存在为伴。双方都是鬼魂，但又被对方的鬼魂吓得不知所措!他们其实也被自己吓得不知所措;因为这一紧急关头又重新勾起他们的意识，并向各自的心头揭示了自己的历史和经历，那是除去这种令人窒息的时刻，平常的人生中所从来没有的。灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔恰恰是心怀恐惧，周身战抖，并且事实上缓慢而勉强地伸出他那死人一般冰冷的手，触摸到海丝特·白兰的发凉的手。这两手的相握虽然冷漠，但却驱散了相会时最阴沉的东西。他们此时至少感到双方是同一天地中的居民了。

Without a word more spoken- neither he nor she assuming the guidance, but with an unexpressed consent- they glided back into the shadow of the woods, whence Hester had emerged, and sat down on the heapof moss where she and Pearl had before been sitting. When they found voice to speak, it was, at first, only to utter remarks and inquiries such as any two acquaintances might have made, about the gloomysky, the threatening storm, and, next, the health of each. Thus they went onward, not boldly, but step by step, into the themes that were broodingdeepest in their hearts. So long estrangedby fate and circumstances, they needed something slight and casual to run before, and throw open the doors of intercourse, so that their real thoughts might be led across the threshold.

他俩没再多说，况且哪一个也没有引路，只是凭着一种默契，便一起退到海丝特刚才走出的树荫中，双双坐在她和珠儿坐过的那堆青苔上。他们好不容易才开口讲话，起初只是象两个熟人那样搭汕两句，说说天空阴沉，就要有暴风雨了，后来便谈到各自的健康情况。他们就这样谈下去，小心翼翼地，一步一步地，扯到深深埋藏在心底的话题。由于命运和环境这多年来将他们相互隔绝，他们就需要些轻松的阔谈来开头，然后再敞开交谈的大门，把他们的真实思想领进门限。

After a while, the minister fixed his eyes on Hester Prynne's.

过了一会，牧师的目光紧紧盯住海丝特·白兰的眼睛。

"Hester," said he, "hast thou found peace?"

“海丝特，他说，“你得到平静了吗?

She smiled drearily, looking down upon her bosom.

她凄楚地笑了笑，垂下眼睛看着自己胸前。

"Hast thou?" she asked.

“你呢?她反问……

"None!- nothing but despair!" he answered. "What else could I look for, being what I am, and leading such a life as mine? Were I an atheist- a man devoidof conscience- a wretchwith coarseand brutal instincts- I might have found peace, long ere now. Nay, I never should have lost it! But, as matters stand with my soul, whatever of good capacity there originally was in me, all of God's gifts that were the choicest have become the ministers of spiritual torment. Hester, I am most miserable."

“没有!——除了绝望再无其它!他回答说。“作为我这样一个人，过着我这样的生活，我又能指望什么呢?如果我是一个无神论者，——一个丧尽良心的人，——一个本性粗野的恶棍，——或许我早就得到了平静。不，我本来就不该失去它的!不过，就我的灵魂而论，无论我身上原先有什么好品质，上帝所赐予的一切最精美的天赋已经全都变成了精神折磨的执行者。海丝特，我实在太痛苦了!

"The people reverencethee," said Hester. "And surely thou workest good among them! Doth this bring thee no comfort?"

“人们都尊重你，海丝特说。“而且说实在的，你在他们中间确实做着好事!这一点难道还不能给你带来慰藉吗?

"More misery, Hester!- only the more misery!" answered the clergyman, with a bitter smile. "As concerns the good which I may appear to do, I have no faith in it. It must needs be a delusion. What can a ruined soul, like mine, effect towards the redemptionof other souls?- or a polluted soul, towards their purification? And as for the people's reverence, would that it were turned to scornand hatred! Canst thou deem it, Hester, a consolation, that I must stand up in my pulpit, and meet so many eyes turned upward to my face, as if the light of heaven were beamingfrom it!- must see my flockhungry for the truth, and listening to my words as if a tongue of Pentecost were speaking!- and then look inward, and discern the black reality of what they idolise? I have laughed, in bitterness and agony of heart, at the contrast between what I seem and what I am! And Satan laughs at it!"

“益发痛苦，海丝特!——只能是益发痛苦!牧师苦笑着回答说。“至于我表面上做的那些好事，我也毫无信念可言。那不过是一种幻觉罢了。象我这样一个灵魂已经毁灭的人，又能为拯救他人的灵魂做出什么有效之举呢?——或者说，一个亵渎的灵魂能够净化他人吗?至于别人对我的尊重，我宁愿统统变成轻蔑与愤懑!我不得不站在布道坛上，迎着那么多仰望着我的面孔的眼睛，似乎我脸上在发散天国之光!我不得不看着我那群渴望真理的羔羊聆听我的话语，象是一只‘火焰的舌头’在讲话!可是我再向自己的内心一看，却辨出了他们所崇拜的东西中丑陋的真相!海丝特，你能认为这是一种慰藉吗?我曾在内心的极度辛酸悲苦之中，放声嘲笑我的表里不一!撒旦也是这样嘲笑的!

"You wrong yourself in this," said Hester gently. "You have deeply and sorelyrepented. Your sin is left behind you, in the days long past. Your present life is not less holy, in very truth, than it seems in people's eyes. Is there no reality in the penitencethus sealed and witnessed by good works? And wherefore should it not bring you peace?"

“你在这一点上冤枉了自己，海丝特温和地说。“你已经深刻而痛彻地悔过了。’你的罪过早已在逝去的岁月中被你抛弃在身后了。说实在的，你目前的生活并不比人们心目中的神圣的弥差什么。你这样大做好事来弥补和证实你的悔过，难道还不是真心诚意，实实在在的吗?为什么还不能给你带来平静呢?

"No, Hester, no!" replied the clergyman. "There is no substancein it! It is cold and dead, and can do nothing for me! Of penance, I have had enough! Of penitence, there has been none! Else, I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have shown myself to mankind as they will see me at the judgment-seat. Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognises me for what I am! Had I one friend- or were it my worst enemy!- to whom, when sickened with the praises of all other men, I could daily betake myself, and be known as the vilest of all sinners, methinksmy soul might keep itself alive thereby. Even thus much of truth would save me! But, now, it is all falsehood!- all emptiness!- all death!"

“不成，海丝特，不成啊!牧师应道。“其中并没有实实在在的东西!那是冰冷与死寂的，对我毫无用处!忏悔嘛，我已经做得够多的了!可是悔过呢，还一点没有!不然的话，我早就该抛掉这貌似神圣的道袍，象人们在最后审判席上看到我的那样，袒露给他们看了。你是有幸的，海丝特，因为你能把红字公开地戴在胸前!可我的红字却在秘密地灼烧!你简直想象不出，在经过七年之久的欺骗的折磨之后，看到一双眼睛能够认清我是什么货色，我的心内有多么轻松!假如我有一个朋友——或者说，哪怕他是我最恶毒的敌人!——能够让我在受到别人赞扬得难过的时候，随时到他那儿去一下，让他知道我是一切罪人中最可耻的，我想，这样我的灵魂或许还可得以生存。只消这小小的一点真诚就可以挽救我!可是，如今呢，一切全是虚伪!——全是空虚!——全是死亡!

Hester Prynne looked into his face, but hesitated to speak. Yet, uttering his long-restrained emotions so vehementlyas he did, his words here offered her the very point of circumstances in which to interposewhat she came to say. She conquered her fears, and spoke.

海丝特·白兰凝视着他的面孔，迟迟没有开口。不过，他如此激烈地说出长期压抑的情感，这番话倒给了她一个机会，正好借以说出她来此想谈的事。她克服了内心的畏惧，终于启齿了。

"Such a friend as thou hast even now wished for," said she, "with whom to weepover thy sin, thou has in me, the partner of it!" Again she hesitated, but brought out the words with an effort, "Thou hast long had such an enemy, and dwellest with him, under the same roof!"

“象你此时所希望有的那样一个朋友，她说，“以便可以哭诉一下你的罪过，不是已经有我了嘛——我是你的同案犯啊!——她又迟疑了，但还是咬了咬牙，把话说了出来。——“你也早就有了那样一个敌人，你还和他同住在一所房子里呢!

The minister started to his feet, gasping for breath, and clutchingat his heart, as if he would have torn it out of his bosom.

牧师猛地站起身来，大口喘着租气，紧紧抓住胸口，象是要把心抠出来。

"Ha! What sayest thou!" cried he. "An enemy! And under mine own roof! What mean you?"

“啊!你说什么!他叫道。“一个敌人!而且跟我住在一起!你是什么意思?

（编辑：薛琳）