英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第九章（上）

英文名著精选阅读：《红字》第九章(上)

Chapter 09 THE LEECH

第九章 医生

UNDER the appellationof Roger Chillingworth, the reader will remember, was hidden another name, which its former wearer had resolved should never more be spoken. It has been related, how, in the crowd that witnessed Hester Prynne's ignominiousexposure, stood a man, elderly, travel-worn, who, just emerging from the perilouswilderness, beheld the woman, in whom he hoped to find embodied the warmth and cheerfulnessof home, set up as a type of sin before the people. Her matronlyfame was troddenunder all men's feet. Infamy was babbling around her in the public market-place. For her kindred, should the tidings ever reach them, and for the companions of her unspotted life, there remained nothing but the contagionof her dishonour; which would not fail to be distributed in strict accordance and proportion with the intimacy and sacrednessof their previous relationship. Then why- since the choice was with himself- should the individual, whose connection with the fallen woman had been the most intimate and sacred of them all, come forward to vindicatehis claim to an inheritanceso little desirable? He resolved not to be pilloriedbeside her on her pedestalof shame. Unknown to all but Hester Prynne, and possessing the lock and key of her silence, he chose to withdraw his name from the roll of mankind, and as regarded his former ties and interests, to vanish out of life as completely as if he indeed lay at the bottom of the ocean, whither rumour had long ago consigned him. This purpose once effected, new interests would immediately spring up, and likewise a new purpose; dark, it is true, if not guilty, but of force enough to engage the full strength of his faculties.

读者会记得，在罗杰·齐灵渥斯的称呼背后，还隐藏着另一个姓名，原来叫那姓名的人下了决心再不让人提起。前面已经叙述过，在目睹海丝特·白兰示众的人群中，站着一个风尘仆仆的上了年纪的男人，他刚刚逃出危险的荒野，却看到体现着他所希冀的家庭温暖和欢乐的女人，在众人面前作为罪孽的典型高高站在那里。她那主妇的声名任凭所有的人践踏在脚下。在公共市场上，她周围泛滥着对她丑行的种种议论。若是这些浪潮传到她的亲属或是她身无暇疵时代的同伴那里，除去染上她的耻辱之外，别无其它!这种耻辱，会随原有关系的亲密和神圣程度，而严格成比例地在亲友中相应加以分配。那么，作为与这个堕落的女人关系最亲密和最神圣的一个人，既然他还有选挥的余地，何必前来公开要求这份并非求之不得的遗产呢?他决心不同她在那受辱台上并肩而立。由于除海丝特·白兰之外谁都不认识他，而且他还掌握着锁钥，让她缄口不言，他打定主意将自己的姓名从人类的名单上勾销;即使考虑到他原先的关系和利益，他也要从生活中彻底消失，就象他当真如早已风传的那样葬身海底了。这一目的一旦达到，就立刻涌现了新的利益，于是也就又有了新的目标;这个目标即使不是罪过的，也实在是见不得人的，但其力量之强，足以运用他的全部机能与精力去奋争。

In pursuanceof this resolve, he took up his residence in the Puritan town, as Roger Chillingworth, without other introduction than the learning and intelligence of which he possessed more than a common measure. As his studies, at a previous period of his life, had made him extensivelyacquainted with the medical science of the day, it was as a physician that he presented himself, and as such was cordiallyreceived. Skilful men, of the medical and chirurgicalprofession, were of rare occurrence in the colony. They seldom, it would appear, partookof the religious zealthat brought other emigrants across the Atlantic. In their researches into the human frame, it may be that the higher and more subtilefaculties of such men were materialised, and that they lost the spiritual view of existence amid the intricaciesof that wondrous mechanism, which seemed to involve art enough to compriseall of life within itself. At all events, the health of the good town of Boston, so far as medicine had aught to do with it, had hitherto lain in the guardianship of an aged deaconand apothecary, whose pietyand godly deportment were stronger testimonialsin his favour than any that he could have produced in the shape of a diploma. The only surgeon was one who combined the occasional exercise of that noble art with the daily and habitual flourish of a razor. To such a professional body Roger Chillingworth was a brilliant acquisition. He soon manifested his familiarity with the ponderousand imposing machinery of antique physic; in which every remedy contained a multitude of far-fetched and heterogeneousingredients, as elaborately compounded as if the proposed result had been the Elixir of Life. In his Indian captivity, moreover, he had gained much knowledge of the properties of native herbs and roots; nor did he conceal from his patients, that these simple medicines, Nature's boonto the untutoredsavage, had quite as large a share of his own confidence as the European pharmacopoeia, which so many learned doctors had spent centuries in elaborating.

为了实现自己的决心，他以罗杰·齐灵漫斯的名义在这座清教徒城镇中居住下来，他毋须其它介绍，只消他所具备的异乎寻常的学识就成了。由于他的前半生对当时的医学科学作了广泛的研究，于是他就以所熟悉的医生这—行当为业、出现在这里，并且受到了热烈欢迎。当时在殖民地，精通内外科医术的人尚不多见。看来，医生们并不具备促使其他人飘洋过海的那种宗教热情。他们在深入钻研人体内部时，可能把更高明、更微妙的能力表现在物质上，错综复杂的人体机构令人惊诧，似乎其内部包含着全部生命，具备足够的艺术，从而对生命的存在丧失了精伸方面的看法。无论如何，波士顿这座美好城镇的健康，凡涉及医学二字的，以往全都置于一位年老的教会执事兼任药剂师的监督之下，他那驾信宗教的举止就是明证，比起靠一纸文凭配出的药剂，更能赢得人们的信赖。唯一的外科医生则是一位每日惯于操刀为人忙于理发的人，只是偶尔才实践一下这种高贵的技艺。与这两位同行相比，罗杰·齐灵渥斯成了夺目的新星。他很快就证明他对博大精深的古典医道了如指掌，其中每个偏方都含有许多四处接寻面来、形形色色的成分，其配制之精良，似是要获得长生不老药的效果。况且，在他被印第安人俘虏囚禁期间，又对当地的草药的性质掌握了大量的知识;他对病人毫不隐讳地说，大自然恩赐给那些未开化的野蛮入的这些简单药物，同众多博学的医生在试验室中花费了数世纪才积累起来的欧洲药典，几乎可以取得他本人同等的信任。

This learned stranger was exemplary, as regarded, at least, the outward forms of a religious life, and, early after his arrival, had chosen for his spiritual guide the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The young divine, whose scholar-like renown still lived in Oxford, was considered by his more ferventadmirers as little less than a heavenly-ordainedapostle, destined, should he live and labour for the ordinary term of life, to do as great deeds for the now feebleNew England Church, as the early Fathers had achieved for the infancy of the Christian faith. About this period, however, the health of Mr. Dimmesdale had evidently begun to fail. By those best acquainted with his habits, the paleness of the young minister's cheek was accounted for by his too earnest devotionto study, his scrupulous fulfilment of parochialduty, and, more than all, by the fasts and vigilsof which he made a frequent practice, in order to keep the grossnessof this earthly state from clogging and obscuring his spiritual lamp. Some declared, that, if Mr. Dimmesdale were really going to die, it was cause enough, that the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet. He himself, on the other hand, with characteristic humility, avowedhis belief, that, if Providence should see fit to remove him, it would be because of his own unworthiness to perform its humblest mission here on earth. With all this difference of opinion as to the cause of his decline, there could be no question of the fact. His form grew emaciatedhis voice, though still rich and sweet, had a certain melancholy prophecyof decay in it; he was often observed, on any slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicativeof pain.

人们认为，这位陌生的学者至少在宗教生活的表面形式上看，堪称楷模;他来到之后不久，就选定丁梅斯代尔牧师先生作他精神上的导师。这位年轻的圣徒在牛津始终享有学者般的声誊，他的最热心的崇拜者认为，在他的有生之年，只要他能为如今尚属无力的新英格兰教会做出象古代圣徒在基督教信仰初期所成就的那种伟业，便可与上天指定的使徒相提并论。然而，就在此时，丁梅斯代尔先生的健康开始明显地恶化。据那些最熟悉他日常生活的人说，这位年轻牧师的面颊之所以苍白，是因为他过分热衷于潜心研究学问和一丝不苟地完成教区的职守，尤其是为使粗鄙的世俗环境不致遮蔽他精神上的明灯，他经常彻夜不眠并施行斋戒。还有人宣称，如果丁梅斯代尔先生当真要死，无非是因为这个世界不配他的脚再在上面踩踏。反之，他本人则以他特有的谦逊申明他的信念：如果天意认为他应该离世，那就是因为他没有资格在这人世间执行其最卑微的使命。虽说对他健康每况愈下的原因众说纷纭，但事实却是不容质疑的。他身体日见消损，他的嗓畜虽仍然丰润而甜美，却含有某种预示衰颓的忧郁;人们时常观察到，每逢稍有惊恐或其它突发事件，他就会用手捂住心口，脸上一红一自，说明他很痛苦。

Such was the young clergyman's condition, and so imminentthe prospect that his dawning light would be extinguished, all untimely, when Roger Chillingworth made his advent to the town. His first entry on the scene, few people could tell whence, dropping down, it were, out of the sky, or starting from the nether earth, had an aspect of mystery, which was easily heightened to the miraculous. He was now known to be a man of skill; it was observed that he gathered herbs, and the blossoms of wild-flowers, and dug up roots, and pluckedoff twigs from the forest-trees like one acquainted with hidden virtues in what was valueless to common eyes. He was heard to speak of Sir Kenelm Digby, and other famous men- whose scientific attainmentswere esteemed hardly less than supernatural- as having been his correspondentsor associates. Why, with such rank in the learned world, had he come hither? What could he, whose sphere was in great cities, be seeking in the wilderness? In answer to this query, a rumour gained ground- and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people- that Heaven had wrought an absolute miracle, by transporting an eminent Doctor of Physic, from a German university, bodily through the air, and setting him down at the door of Mr. Dimmesdale's study! Individuals of wiser faith, indeed, who knew that Heaven promotes its purposes without aiming at the stage-effect of what is called miraculous interposition, were inclined to see a providentialhand in Roger Chillingworth's so opportune arrival.

这位青年牧师的身体就是这种状况，当罗杰·齐灵渥斯初到镇上的时候，情况已经相当危险，这年轻人的曙光眼见就要过早地殒灭了。齐灵渥斯首次登场时，谁也说不出所以然，简直象是从天而降或从地狱钻出，这就具有一种神秘色彩，从而很容易被夸大成奇迹。如今无人不晓他是一名医生!人们注意到他采集药草、摘取野花、挖掘植根，还从树上折取细校，常人眼中的无用之物，他似是熟知其隐含的价值。人们听到他提起坎奈姆·狄戈比爵士①和其他名人——他们的科学造诣简直被视作超自然的，但他却说是他的笔友或熟人。他既然在学术界地位如此之高，为什么要到这里来呢?他的天地理应在大城市，在这蛮荒野地中又能寻找到什么呢?为了回答这些疑问，于是就有了谣言的土壤，不管一些风传多么离奇，也为一些明智的人所接受：说是上天创造了一个绝对的奇迹，把一位著名的医学博士，从一所德意志大学里，凭空摄到了丁梅斯代尔先生书斋的门前。而一些具有更加聪慧的信仰的人明知，上天为实现其目的，不必求助于所谓奇迹的插曲来达到舞台效果，但也乐于看到罗杰·齐灵握斯是假上天之手才及时到来的。

This idea was countenancedby the strong interest which the physician ever manifested in the young clergyman; he attached himself to him as a parishioner, and sought to win a friendly regard and confidence from his naturally reserved sensibility. He expressed great alarm at his pastor's state of health, but was anxious to attempt the cure, and, if early undertaken, seemed not despondentof a favourable result. The elders, the deacons, the motherly dames, and the young and fair maidens, of Mr. Dimmesdale's flock, were alike importunatethat he should make trial of the physician's frankly offered skill. Mr. Dimmesdale gently repelled their entreaties.

由于医生对年轻的牧师从一开始就显示出强烈的兴趣，上述想法就得到了鼓励;医生以一个教民随身份与他形影相随，并且想战胜他天性中的含蓄和敏感，来赢得他的友谊和信任。他对他的牧师的健康深为震惊，还急切地给予治疗，他认为，如果及早诊治的话，总不会不见疗效的。丁梅斯代尔先生教团中的长老、执事、修女，以及年轻貌美的少女们都众口一词地再三要求他对医生自告奋勇的治疗不妨一试。但丁梅斯代尔先生却委婉地拒绝了这些恳求。

"I need no medicine," said he.

“我不需要医药，他说。

But how could the young minister say so, when, with every successiveSabbath, his cheek was paler and thinner, and his voice more tremulousthan before- when it had now become a constant habit, rather than a casual gesture, to press his hand over his heart? Was he wearyof his labours? Did he wish to die? These questions were solemnly propoundedto Mr. Dimmesdale by the elder ministers of Boston and the deacons of his church, who, to use their own phrase, "dealt with him" on the sin of rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestlyheld out. He listened in silence, and finally promised to confer with the physician.

但这位年轻牧师怎么能这样讲呢?一个接一个安息日，他的面颊越来越苍白消瘦，他的声音也比先前更加颤抖，而且他用手捂心口的动作，已经从漫不经心的姿态变成时时都有的习惯了。是他厌倦了他的工作吗?是他想死吗?丁梅斯代尔先生一路受到波土顿的长老们如此的盘诘和他教堂中的执事们的——用他们自己的话说——“规劝：上天如此明显地伸出救援之手，拒绝是有罪的。他默默不语地听着，终于答应和医生谈谈看。

"Were it God's will," said the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, when, in fulfilment of this pledge, he requested old Roger Chillingworth's professional advice, "I could be well content, that my labours and my sorrows, and my sins and my pains, should shortly end with me, and what is earthlyof them be buried in my grave, and the spiritual go with me to my eternal state, rather than that you should put your skill to the proof in my behalf."

“如果这是上帝的意旨，丁梅斯代尔牧师先生为了实现自己的诺言，向老罗杰·齐灵渥斯医生讨教时说，“我宁愿不要你为我的缘故来证明你医道精熟，我要满意地让我的辛劳、我的悲哀、我的罪孽和我的痛苦都尽快与我同归于尽，令其世俗部分埋在我的墓中，而将其精神部分随我同去永恒的境界。

"Ah," replied Roger Chillingworth, with that quietnesswhich, whether imposed or natural, marked all his deportment, "it is thus that a young clergyman is apt to speak. Youthful men, not having taken a deep root, give up their hold of life so easily! And saintly men, who walk with God on earth, would fainbe away, to walk with Him on the golden pavements of the New Jerusalem."

“啊，罗杰·齐灵渥斯说，不管是做作的还是天生的，他的举止总是安详得令人瞩目，“一个年轻的牧师确实喜欢这么讲话。年轻人啊，都还没有扎下深根呢，就这么轻易地放弃生命吗?在人世间和上帝同行的圣人们，都会欣然随他而去，定在新耶路撤冷的黄金铺路上的。

"Nay," rejoined the young minister, putting his hand to his heart, with a flush of pain flittingover his brow, "were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toilhere."

“不是的，年轻的牧师插话说，他把手放在心口上，额上拣过一抹痛苦的红潮，“如果我还有资格到那里去走动的话，我倒宁愿留在这里来吃苦。

"Good men ever interpret themselves too meanly," said the physician.

“好心的人从来都是把自己说得十分卑微的，医生说。

①狄戈比爵士(1603一1685)，英国作家、航海家和外交家，皇家学会理事。他还发现了植物对氧的需要。

（编辑：薛琳）