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第32章

红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第32章

小说: 红字-the scarlet letter(英文版) 字数: 每页3500字

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     XIII。                     ANOTHER VIEW OF HESTER。  IN her late singular interview with Mr。 Dimmesdale; Hester Prynnewas shocked at the condition to which she found the clergyman reduced。His nerve seemed absolutely destroyed。 His moral force was abased intomore than childish weakness。 It grovelled helpless on the ground; evenwhile his intellectual faculties retained their pristine strength;or had perhaps acquired a morbid energy; which disease only could havegiven them。 With her knowledge of a train of circumstances hidden fromall others; she could readily infer that; besides the legitimateaction of his own conscience; a terrible machinery had been brought tobear; and was still operating; on Mr。 Dimmesdale's well…being andrepose。 Knowing what this poor fallen man had once been; her wholesoul was moved by the shuddering terror with which he had appealedto her… the outcast woman… for support against his instinctivelydiscovered enemy。 She decided; moreover; that he had a right to herutmost aid。 Little accustomed; in her long seclusion from society;to measure her ideas of right and wrong by any standard external toherself; Hester saw… or seemed to see… that there lay aresponsibility upon her; in reference to the clergyman; which she owedto no other; nor to the whole world besides。 The links that united herto the rest of human kind… links of flowers; or silk; or gold; orwhatever the material… had all been broken。 Here was the iron linkof mutual crime; which neither he nor she could break。 Like allother ties; it brought along with it its obligations。  Hester Prynne did not now occupy precisely the same position inwhich we beheld her during the earlier periods of her ignominy。Years had e and gone。 Pearl was now seven years old。 Her mother;with the scarlet letter on her breast; glittering in its fantasticembroidery; had long been a familiar object to the townspeople。 Asis apt to be the case when a person stands out in any prominencebefore the munity; and; at the same time; interferes neither withpublic nor individual interests and convenience; a species ofgeneral regard had ultimately grown up in reference to HesterPrynne。 It is to the credit of human nature; that; except where itsselfishness is brought into play; it loves more readily than it hates。Hatred; by a gradual and quiet process; will even be transformed tolove; unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritationof the original feeling of hostility。 In this matter of Hester Prynne;there was neither irritation nor irksomeness。 She never battled withthe public; but submitted; unplainingly; to its worst usage; shemade no claim upon it; in requital for what she suffered; she didnot weigh upon its sympathies。 Then; also; the blameless purity of herlife during all these years in which she had been set apart to infamy;was reckoned largely in her favour。 With nothing now to lose; in thesight of mankind; and with no hope; and seemingly no wish; ofgaining anything; it could only be a genuine regard for virtue thathad brought back the poor wanderer to its paths。  It was perceived; too; that while Hester never put forward eventhe humblest title to share in the world's privileges… further than tobreathe the mon air; and earn daily bread for little Pearl andherself by the faithful labour of her hands… she was quick toacknowledge her sisterhood with the race of man; whenever benefitswere to be conferred。 None so ready as she to give of her littlesubstance to every demand of poverty; even though the bitter…heartedpauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularlyto his door; or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that couldhave embroidered a monarch's robe。 None so self…devoted as Hester;when pestilence stalked through the town。 In all seasons ofcalamity; indeed; whether general or of individuals; the outcast ofsociety at once found her place。 She came; not as a guest; but as arightful inmate into the household that was darkened by trouble; as ifits gloomy twilight were a medium in which she was entitled to holdintercourse with her fellow…creatures。 There glimmered the embroideredletter; with fort in its unearthly ray。 Elsewhere the token of sin;it was the taper of the sick…chamber。 It had even thrown its gleam; inthe sufferer's hard extremity; across the verge of time。 It hadshown him where to set his foot; while the light of earth was fastbeing dim; and ere the light of futurity could reach him。 In suchemergencies; Hester's nature showed itself warm and rich; awell…spring of human tenderness; unfailing to every real demand; andinexhaustible by the largest。 Her breast; with its badge of shame; wasbut the softer pillow for the head that needed one。 She wasself…ordained a Sister of Mercy; or; we may rather say; the world'sheavy hand had so ordained her; when neither the world nor shelooked forward to this result。 The letter was the symbol of hercalling。 Such helpfulness was found in her… so much power to do; andpower to sympathise… that many people refused to interpret the scarletA by its original signification。 They said that it meant Able; sostrong was Hester Prynne; with a woman's strength。  It was only the darkened house that could contain her。 When sunshinecame again; she was not there。 Her shadow had faded across thethreshold。 The helpful inmate had departed; without one backwardglance to gather up the meed of gratitude; if any were in the heartsof those whom she had served so zealously。 Meeting them in the street;she never raised her head to receive their greeting。 If they wereresolute to accost her; she laid her finger on the scarlet letterand passed on。 This might be pride; but was so like humility; thatit produced all the softening influence of the latter quality on thepublic mind。 The public is despotic in its temper; it is capable ofdenying mon justice; when too strenuously demanded as a right;but quite as frequently it awards more than justice when the appeal ismade; as despots love to have it made; entirely to its generosity。Interpreting Hester Prynne's deportment as an appeal of this nature;society was inclined to show its former victim a more benigncountenance than she cared to be favoured with; or; perchance; thanshe deserved。  The rulers; and the wise and learned men of the munity; werelonger in acknowledging the influence of Hester's good qualitiesthan the people。 The prejudices which they shared in mon with thelatter were fortified in themselves by an iron framework of reasoning;that made it a far tougher labour to expel them。 Day by day;nevertheless; their sour and rigid wrinkles were relaxing intosomething which; in the due course of years; might grow to be anexpression of almost benevolence。 Thus it was with the men of rank; onwhom their eminent position imposed the guardianship of the publicmorals。 Individuals in private life; meanwhile; had quite forgivenHester Prynne for her frailty; nay; more; they had begun to lookupon the scarlet letter as the token; not of that one sin; for whichshe had borne so long and dreary a penance; but of her many good deedssince。 〃Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge?〃 theywould say to strangers。 〃It is our Hester… the town's own Hester…who is so kind to the poor; so helpful to the sick; so fortableto the afflicted!〃 Then; it is true; the propensity of human nature totell the very worst of itself; when embodied in the person of another;would constrain them to whisper the black scandal of bygone years。It was none the less a fact; however; that; in the eyes of the verymen who spoke thus; the scarlet letter had the effect of the crosson a nun's bosom。 It imparted to the wearer a kind of sacredness;which enabled her to walk securely amid all peril。 Had she fallenamong thieves; it would have kept her safe。 It was reported; andbelieved by many; that an Indian had drawn his arrow against thebadge; and that the missile struck it; but fell harmless to theground。  The effect of the symbol… or; rather; of the position in respectto society that was indicated by it… on the mind of Hester Prynneherself; was powerful and peculiar。 All the light and graceful foliageof her character had been withered up by this red…hot brand; and hadlong ago fallen away; leaving a bare and harsh outline; which mighthave been repulsive; had she possessed friends or panions to berepelled by it。 Even the attractiveness of her person had undergonea similar change。 It might be partly owing to the studied austerity ofher dress; and partly to the lack of demonstration in her manners。It was a sad transformation; too; that her rich and luxuriant hair hadeither been cut off; or was so pletely hidden by a cap; that nota shining lock of it ever once gushed into the sunshine。 It was due inpart to all these causes; but still more to something else; that thereseemed to be no longer anything in Hester's face for Love to dwellupon; nothing in Hester's form; though majestic and statue…like;that Passion would ever dream of clasping in its embrace; nothing inHester's bosom; to make it ever again the pillow of Affection。 Someattribute had departed from her; the permanence of which had beenessential to keep her a woman。 Such is frequently the fate; and suchthe stern development; of the feminine character and person; whenthe woman has encountered; and lived 

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