英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第八章（上）

英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第八章(上)

Chapter 08 THE ELF-CHILD AND THE MINISTER

第八章 小鬼和牧师

GOVERNOR BELLINGHAM, in a loose gown and easy cap- much as elderly gentlemen loved to enduethemselves with, in their domesticprivacy-walked foremost, and appeared to be showing off his estate, and expatiatingon his projected improvements. The wide circumferenceof an elaborateruff, beneath his grey beard, in the antiquated fashion of King James' reign, caused his head to look not a little like that of John the Baptist in a charger. The impression made by his aspect, so rigid and severe, and frost-bitten with more than autumnalage, was hardly in keeping with the appliances of worldly enjoyment wherewithhe had evidently done his utmost to surround himself. But it is an error to suppose that our grave forefathers- though accustomed to speak and think of human existence as a state merely of trial and warfare, and though unfeignedlyprepared to sacrifice goods and life at the behest of duty- made it a matter of conscience to reject such means of comfort, or even luxury, as lay fairly within their grasp. This creed was never taught, for instance, by the venerablepastor, John Wilson, whose beard, white as a snow-drift, was seen over Governor Bellingham's shoulder; while its wearer suggested that pears and peaches might yet be naturalised in the New England climate, and that purple grapes might possibly be compelledto flourish, against the sunny garden-wall. The old clergyman, nurtured at the rich bosom of the English Church, had a long-established and legitimate taste for all good and comfortable things; and however sternhe might show himself in the pulpit, or in his public reproof of such transgressionsas that of Hester Prynne, still, the genialbenevolenceof his private life had won him warmer affection than was accorded to any of his professional contemporaries.

贝灵汉总督身穿一件宽大的长袍，头戴一顶上年纪的绅士居家独处时喜欢用的便帽，他走在最前面，象是在炫耀他的产业，并且论说着他正在筹划着的种种改进方案。他的灰色胡须下面，围着詹姆斯国王统治期间①那种老式的精致而宽大的环状皱领，使得他的脑袋颇有点象托盘中的洗礼者约翰②的头颅。他外貌刻板威严，再加上垂暮之年的老气横秋，由此给人的印象，与他显然竭力使自己耽于世俗享乐的措施，二者很难协调起来。我们严肃的先人们虽然习惯于嘴里这么说，而且心里也这么想，认为人类的生存无非是经受考验和斗争，并且诚心诚意地准备好一声令下即要牺牲自己的财富和生命，但如果认定他们从道义上会拒绝唾手可得的享乐或奢侈，那可就大错特错了。例如，可尊可敬的约翰·威尔逊牧师，就从来没有宣讲过这一信条。此时他正跟在贝灵汉总督的身后，越过总督的肩膀，可以看见他的雪白的胡须。他建议说，梨和桃可以在新英格兰的气候中驯化，而紫葡萄也可能靠在日照的园墙上得以繁茂地生长。这位在英国教会的丰满乳汁中养育出来的老牧师，早已对一切美好舒适的东西怀有合法的嗜好;而且，无论他在布道坛上或是在公开谴责海丝特·白兰的罪名时显得多么声色惧厉，但他在私生活上的温和宽厚为他赢得的热爱之情，是胜过他的同辈神职人员的。

Behind the Governor and Mr. Wilson came two other guests; one the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, whom the reader may remember as having taken a brief and reluctant part in the scene of Hester Prynne's disgrace; and, in close companionship with him, old Roger Chillingworth, a person of great skill in physic, who, for two or three years past, had been settled in the town. It was understood that this learned man was the physician as well as friend of the young minister, whose health had severelysuffered, of late, by his too unreservedself-sacrifice to the labours and duties of the pastoralrelation.

随在总督和威尔逊先生身后走来的，是另外两名客人：一位就是大家记得在海丝特·白兰示众的场面中短短地扮演了一个不情愿的角色的阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔牧师;另一位紧紧伴着他的是老罗杰·齐灵渥斯，这位精通医术的人已经在镇上定居了两三年了。由于年轻的牧师在教会事务上过于不遗余力地尽职尽责，自我牺牲，最近健康状况严重受损，因此，学者成为他的医生和朋友，也就可以理解了。

The Governor, in advance of his visitors, ascendedone or two steps, and, throwing open the leaves of the great hall-window, found himself close to little Pearl. The shadow of the curtain fell on Hester Prynne, and partially concealed her.

走在客人前面的总督，踏上一两级台阶，打开了大厅的窗户，发现了眼前的小珠儿。但窗帘的阴影罩住了海丝特·白兰，遮往了她的部分身形。

"What have we here?" said Governor Bellingham, looking with surprise at the scarlet little figure before him. "I profess, I have never seen the like, since my days of vanity, in old King James' time, when I was wont to esteem it a high favour to be admitted to a court mask! There used to be a swarmof these small apparitions, in holiday time; and we called them children of the Lord of Misrule. But how gat such a guest into my hall?"

“我们这儿有个什么呀?贝灵汉总督吃惊地望着眼前这个鲜红的小人儿，说道。“我敢说，自从我在老王詹姆斯时代荣获恩宠，时常被召进宫中参加假面舞会、大出风头的岁月以来，我还从来没见过这样的小家伙呢。那时候，每逢节日，常有成群的这种小精灵，我们都把他们叫作司戏者③的孩子。可这样一位客人怎么会跑到我的大厅里来了?

"Ay, indeed!" cried good old Mr. Wilson. "What little bird of scarlet plumagemay this be? MethinksI have seen just such figures, when the sun has been shining through a richlypainted window, and tracing out the golden and crimsonimages across the floor. But that was in the old land. Prithee, young one, who art thou, and what has ailed thy mother to bedizenthee in this strange fashion? Art thou a Christian child- ha? Dost know thy catechism? Or art thou one of those naughty elfs or fairies, whom we thought to have left behind us, with other relicsof Papistry, in merry old England?"

“叹，真的!好心肠的威尔逊老先生叫道。“长着这么鲜红羽毛的会是什么小鸟呢?我想，当阳光穿过五彩绘就的窗户、在地板上反射出金黄和绯红的形象时，我看到过这样子的人物。可那是在故乡本土的。请问你，小家伙，你是谁呀?你母亲为什么把你打扮成这副怪模样啊?你是基督徒的孩子吗，啊?你懂得《教义问答手册》吗?也许，你是那种调皮的小妖精或小仙女吧?我们还以为，连同罗马天主教的其它遗物，全都给留在快乐的老英格兰了呢。

"I am mother's child," answered the scarlet vision, "and my name is Pearl!"

“我是我妈妈的孩子，那鲜红的幻象回答说，“我叫珠儿!

"Pearl?- Ruby, rather!- or Coral!- or Red Rose, at the very least, judging from thy hue!" responded the old minister, putting forth his hand in a vain attempt to patlittle Pearl on the cheek. "But where is this mother of thine? Ah! I see," he added; and, turning to Governor Bellingham, whispered, "This is the selfsamechild of whom we have held speech together; and behold here the unhappy woman, Hester Prynne, her mother!"

“珠儿?——还不如叫红宝石呢!——要不就叫红珊瑚!——要不就叫红玫瑰，从你的颜色来看，这可是最起码的呢!老牧师答应着，伸出一只手，想拍拍小珠儿的脸蛋，可是没成功。“可你的妈妈在哪儿呢?啊!我明白了，他又补充了一句;然后转向贝灵汉总督，悄悄说;“这就是我们一起议论过的那个孩子，往这儿瞧，那个不幸的女人，海丝特·白兰，就是她母亲!

"Sayest thou so?" cried the Governor. "Nay, we might have judged that such a child's mother must needs be a scarlet woman, and a worthy type of her of Babylon! But she comes at a good time; and we will look into this matter forthwith."

“你是这么说的吗?总督叫道。“不，我们满可以判断，这样一个孩子的母亲，应该是一个鲜红色的女人，而且要当之无愧是个巴比伦式的女人④。不过，她来得正好!我们就来办办这件事吧。

Governor Bellingham stepped through the window into the hall, followed by his three guests.

贝灵汉总督跨过窗户，步入大厅，后面跟着他的三位客人。

"Hester Prynne," said he, fixing his naturally sternregard on the wearer of the scarlet letter, "there hath been much question concerning thee, of late. The point hath been weightilydiscussed, whether we, that are of authority and influence, do well discharge our consciences by trusting an immortal Soul, such as there is in yonder child, to the guidance of one who hath stumbledand fallen amid the pitfallsof this world. Speak thou, the child's own mother! Were it not, thinkest thou, for thy little one's temporaland eternal welfare, that she be taken out of thy charge, and cladsoberly, and disciplined strictly, and instructed in the truths of heaven and earth? What canst thou do for the child, in this kind?"

“海丝特·白兰，他说着，把生来严峻的目光盯住这戴红字的女人，“最近，关于你的事议论得不少。我们已经郑重地讨论过，把一个不朽的灵魂，比如说那边那孩子，交付给一个跌进现世的陷阱中的人来指导，我们这些有权势的人能够心安理得吗?你说吧，孩子的母亲!你想一想吧，要是把她从你身边带走，让她穿上朴素的衣服，受到严格的训练，学会天上和人间的真理，是不是对这小家伙的目前和长远利益有好处呢?在这方面，你又能为这孩子做些什么呢?

"I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this!" answered Hester Prynne, laying her finger on the red token.

“我能教我的小珠儿我从这里学到的东西!海丝特·白兰把手指放到那红色标志上回答。

"Woman, it is thy badgeof shame!" replied the sternmagistrate. "It is because of the stain which that letter indicates, that we would transfer thy child to other hands."

“女人，那是你的耻辱牌啊!那严厉的官老爷回答道。“正是因为那字母所指明的污点，我们才要把你的孩子交给别人。

"Nevertheless," said the mother calmly, though growing more pale, "this badge hath taught me- it daily teaches me- it is teaching me at this moment- lessons whereofmy child may be the wiser and better, albeit they can profit nothing to thyself."

“可是，母亲平静地说，不过面色益发苍白了，“这个牌牌已经教会了我——它每日每时都在教育我，此时此刻也正在教育我，我要接受教训，让我的孩子可以变得更聪明。更美好，尽管这一切对我本人已毫无好处了。

"We will judge warily," said Bellingham, "and look well what we are about to do. Good Master Wilson, I pray you, examine this Pearl- since that is her name- and see whether she hath had such Christian nurture as befits a child of her age."

“我们会做出慎重的判断的，贝灵汉说，“而且也会认真考虑我们即将果取的措施的。善良的威尔逊先生，我请求你检查一下这个珠儿——我们权且这么叫她吧——看看她具备不具备这个年龄的孩子应受的基督徒教养。

The old minister seated himself in an arm-chair, and made an effort to draw Pearl betwixthis knees. But the child, unaccustomed to the touch or familiarityof any but her mother, escaped through the open window, and stood on the upper step, looking like a wild tropicalbird, of rich plumage, ready to take flight into the upper air. Mr.Wilson, not a little astonished at this outbreak- for he was a grandfatherlysort of personage, and usually a vast favourite with children- essayed, however, to proceed with the examination.

老牧师在一张安乐椅中就坐之后，想把珠儿拉到他的膝间。但那孩子除去她母亲之外还不习惯别人的亲热，立即穿过敞开的窗户逃了出去，站在最高一层的台阶上，象一只长着斑斓羽毛的热带鸟儿似的，随时准备飞上天空，逃之天天。威尔逊先生对这一反抗举动颇为吃惊——因为他是老爷爷般的人物，通常极受孩子们的喜爱——但他仍继续他的测验。

"Pearl," said he, with great solemnity, "thou must take heedto instruction, that so, in due season, thou mayest wear in thy bosom the pearl of great price. Canst thou tell me, my child, who made thee?"

“珠儿，他郑重其事地说，“你应当留心听取教诲，这样，到时候你才可能在胸前佩戴价值连城的珠宝。你能不能告诉我，我的孩子，是谁造出了你?

Now Pearl knew well enough who made her; for Hester Prynne, the daughter of a pioushome, very soon after her talk with the child about her Heavenly Father, had begun to inform her of those truths which the human spirit, at whatever stage of immaturity, imbibeswith such eager interest. Pearl, therefore, so large were the attainmentsof her three years' lifetime, could have borne a fair examination in the New England Primer, or the first column of the Westminster Catechisms, although unacquainted with the outward form of either of those celebrated works. But that perversity, which all children have more or less of, and of which little Pearl had a tenfoldportion, now, at the most inopportune moment, took thorough possession of her, and closed her lips, or impelled her to speak words amiss. After putting her finger in her mouth, with many ungraciousrefusals to answer good Mr. Wilson's question, the child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been pluckedby her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door.

如今珠儿十分清楚是谁造出了她，因为海丝特·白兰是个出身于虔诚教徒家庭的女儿，在同孩子谈过她的天父之后不久，就开始向她灌输那些真理，而一个人的心灵哪怕再不成熟，都会以热烈的兴趣来吸取这些真理的。因此，珠儿虽然年仅三岁，却已颇有造诣，完全经得起《新英格兰入门》或《西敏寺教义问答手册》初阶的测验，尽管她连这两部名著是什么样子都不知道。但一舷孩子多少都有的那种任性，小珠儿本来就甚于别的儿童十倍，而在目前这最不合时宜的当儿，更是彻底地支配了她：她不是闭口不言，就是给逼得说岔了。这孩子把手指放到嘴里，对好心肠的成尔逊先生的问题，一再粗野地拒不回答，最后居然宣称她根本不是造出来的，面是她妈妈从长在牢门边的野玫瑰丛中采下来的。

This fantasy was probably suggested by the near proximityof the Governor's red roses, as Pearl stood outside of the window; together with her recollection of the prison rose-bush, which she had passed in coming hither.

大概是由于珠儿正站在窗边，附近就有总督的红玫瑰，再加上她想起来时走过狱前见到的玫瑰丛，就受到启示，生出了这样一种奇思异想。

Old Roger Chillingworth, with a smile on his face, whispered something in the young clergyman's ear. Hester Prynne looked at the man of skill, and even then, with her fate hanging in the balance, was startledto perceive what a change had come over his features- how much uglier they were- how his dark complexionseemed to have grown duskier, and his figure more misshapen- since the days when she had familiarly known him. She met his eyes for an instant, but was immediately constrainedto give all her attention to the scene now going forward.

老罗杰·齐灵渥斯面带微笑，对着年轻牧师耳语了几句。海丝特·白兰望着这位医生，即使此刻对她命运仪关，也还是惊讶地发现，他的外貌发生了多么大的变化——自从她熟悉他的时候以来，他的黑皮肤变得益发晦暗，他的身体益发畸形了。她积他的目光接触了瞬间，立即便把全部注意力集中在眼前正在进行的场面中去了。

①指詹姆斯一世，斯图亚特王朝的国王，1567年起为苏格兰壬，16O3年继伊丽莎白女王统治英国。

②《新约·马太福音》言，赦洛提王氏寿，以施洗礼着约翰之头盛于盘中，赏给舞姬汲莎罗美。

③l5和16世纪时圣诞节联欢活动中，招定监督嬉闹游戏的官员。

④《新约·启示录》云，巴比伦的卖淫妇身穿紫红色衣服。

（编辑：薛琳）