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第21章

红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第21章

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way; within their dusky chambers。 Then;however; there was the freshness of the passing year on itsexterior; and the cheerfulness; gleaming forth from the sunny windows;of a human habitation; into which death had never entered。 It had;indeed; a very cheery aspect; the walls being overspread with a kindof stucco; in which fragments of broken glass were intermixed; sothat; when the sunshine fell aslant…wise over the front of theedifice; it glittered and sparkled as if diamonds had been flungagainst it by the double handful。 The brilliancy might have befittedAladdin's palace; rather than the mansion of a grave old Puritanruler。 It was further decorated with strange and seeminglycabalistic figures and diagrams; suitable to the quaint taste of theage; which had been drawn in the stucco when newly laid on; and hadnow grown hard and durable; for the admiration of after times。  Pearl; looking at this bright wonder of a house; began to caperand dance; and imperatively required that the whole breadth ofsunshine should be stripped off its front; and given her to play with。  〃No; my little Pearl!〃 said her mother。 〃Thou must gather thineown sunshine。 I have none to give thee!〃  They approached the door; which was of an arched form; and flankedon each side by a narrow tower or projection of the edifice; in bothof which were lattice…windows; with wooden shutters to close over themat need。 Lifting the iron hammer that hung at the portal; HesterPrynne gave a summons; which was answered by one of the Governor'sbond…servants; a free…born Englishman; but now a seven years' slave。During that term he was to be the property of his master; and asmuch a modity of bargain and sale as an ox; or a joint…stool。 Theserf wore the blue coat; which was the customary garb of serving…menat that period; and long before; in the old hereditary halls ofEngland。  〃Is the worshipful Governor Bellingham within?〃 inquired Hester。  〃Yea; forsooth;〃 replied the bond…servant; staring with wide…openeyes at the scarlet letter; which; being a new…er in the country;he had never before seen。 〃Yea; his honourable worship is within。But he hath a godly minister or two with him; and likewise a leech。 Yemay not see his worship now。〃  〃Nevertheless; I will enter;〃 answered Hester Prynne; and thebond…servant; perhaps judging from the decision of her air; and theglittering symbol in her bosom; that she was a great lady in the land;offered no opposition。  So the mother and little Pearl were admitted into the hall ofentrance。 With many variations; suggested by the nature of hisbuilding…materials; diversity of climate; and a different mode ofsocial life; Governor Bellingham had planned his new habitationafter the residences of gentlemen of fair estate in his native land。Here; then; was a wide and reasonably lofty hall; extending throughthe whole depth of the house and forming a medium of generalmunication; more or less directly; with all the other apartments。At one extremity; this spacious room was lighted by the windows of thetwo towers; which formed a small recess on either side of theportal。 At the other end; though partly muffled by a curtain; it wasmore powerfully illuminated by one of those embowed hall…windows whichwe read of in old books; and which was provided with a keep andcushioned seat。 Here; on the cushion; lay a folio tome; probably ofthe Chronicles of England; or other such substantial literature;even as; in our own days; we scatter gilded volumes on thecentre…table; to be turned over by the casual guest。 The furnitureof the hall consisted of some ponderous chairs; the backs of whichwere elaborately carved with wreaths of oaken flowers; and likewisea table in the same taste; the whole being of the Elizabethan age;or perhaps earlier; and heirlooms; transferred hither from theGovernor's paternal home。 On the table… in token that the sentiment ofold English hospitality had not been left behind… stood a large pewtertankard; at the bottom of which; had Hester or Pearl peeped into it;they might have seen the frothy remnant of a recent draught of ale。  On the wall hung a row of portraits; representing the forefathers ofthe Bellingham lineage; some with armour on their breasts; andothers with stately ruffs and robes of peace。 All were characterisedby the sternness and severity which old portraits so invariably puton; as if they were the ghosts; rather than the pictures; ofdeparted worthies; and were gazing with harsh and intolerant criticismat the pursuits and enjoyments of living men。  At about the centre of the oaken panels; that lined the hall; wassuspended a suit of mail; not; like the pictures; an ancestralrelic; but of the most modern date; for it had been manufactured bya skilful armourer in London; the same year in which GovernorBellingham came over to New England。 There was a steel headpiece; acuirass; a gorget; and greaves; with a pair of gauntlets and a swordhanging beneath; all; and especially the helmet and breastplate; sohighly burnished as to glow with white radiance; and scatter anillumination everywhere about upon the floor。 This bright panoplywas not meant for mere idle show; but had been worn by the Governor onmany a solemn muster and training field; and had glittered;moreover; at the head of a regiment in the Pequod war。 For; thoughbred a lawyer; and accustomed to speak of Bacon; Coke; Noye; andFinch; as his professional associates; the exigencies of this newcountry had transformed Governor Bellingham into a soldier; as well asa statesman and ruler。  Little Pearl… who was as greatly pleased with the gleaming armour asshe had been with the glittering frontispiece of the house… spent sometime looking into the polished mirror of the breastplate。  〃Mother;〃 cried she; 〃I see you here。 Look! Look!〃  Hester looked; by way of humouring the child; and she saw that;owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror; the scarlet letterwas represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions; so as to begreatly the most prominent feature of her appearance。 In truth; sheseemed absolutely hidden behind it。 Pearl pointed upward; also; at asimilar picture in the head…piece; smiling at her mother; with theelfish intelligence that was so familiar an expression on her smallphysiognomy。 That look of naughty merriment was likewise reflectedin the mirror; with so much breadth and intensity of effect; that itmade Hester Prynne feel as if it could not be the image of her ownchild; but of an imp who was seeking to mould itself into Pearl'sshape。  〃e along; Pearl;〃 said she; drawing her away。 〃e and look intothis fair garden。 It may be; we shall see flowers there; morebeautiful ones than we find in the woods。〃  Pearl; accordingly; ran to the bow…window; at the farther end of thehall; and looked along the vista of a garden…walk; carpeted withclosely shaven grass; and bordered with some rude and immature attemptat shrubbery。 But the proprietor appeared already to haverelinquished; as hopeless; the effort to perpetuate on this side ofthe Atlantic; in a hard soil and amid the close struggle forsubsistence; the native English taste for ornamental gardening。Cabbages grew in plain sight; and a pumpkin vine; rooted at somedistance; had run across the intervening space; and deposited one ofits gigantic products directly beneath the hall…window; as if towarn the Governor that this great lump of vegetable gold was as richan ornament as New England earth would offer him。 There were a fewrose…bushes; however; and a number of apple…trees; probably thedescendants of those planted by the Reverend Mr。 Blackstone; the firstsettler of the peninsula; that half mythological personage; whorides through our early annals; seated on the back of a bull。  Pearl; seeing the rose…bushes; began to cry for a red rose; andwould not be pacified。  〃Hush; child; hush!〃 said her mother earnestly。 〃Do not cry; dearlittle Pearl! I hear voices in the garden。 The Governor is ing; andgentlemen along with him!〃  In fact; adown the vista of the garden avenue; a number of personswere seen approaching towards the house。 Pearl; in utter scorn ofher mother's attempt to quiet her; gave an eldritch scream; and thenbecame silent; not from any notion of obedience; but because the quickand mobile curiosity of her disposition was excited by theappearance of these new personages。                             VIII。                  THE ELF…CHILD AND THE MINISTER。  GOVERNOR BELLINGHAM; in a loose gown and easy cap… much as elderlygentlemen loved to endue themselves with; in their domestic privacy…walked foremost; and appeared to be showing off his estate; andexpatiating on his projected improvements。 The wide circumference ofan elaborate ruff; beneath his grey beard; in the antiquated fashionof King James' reign; caused his head to look not a little like thatof John the Baptist in a charger。 The impression made by his aspect;so rigid and severe; and frost…bitten with more than autumnal age; washardly in keeping with the appliances of worldly enjoyment wherewithhe had evidently done his utmost to surround himself。 But it is anerror to suppose that our grave forefathers… though accustomed tospeak and think of human existence as a state merely of trial andwarfare; and though unfeignedly prepared to sacrifice goods and lifeat the behest of duty… made it a m

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