红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


a　snore；and　with　that　lack　of　energy　that　distinguishes　the　occupants　ofalms…houses；　and　all　other　human　beings　who　depend　for　subsistence　oncharity；　on　monopolised　labour；　or　anything　else　but　their　ownindependent　exertions。　These　old　gentlemen…　seated；　like　Matthew；　atthe　receipt　of　customs；　but　not　very　liable　to　be　summoned　thence；like　him；　for　apostolic　errands…　were　Custom…House　officers。　　Furthermore；　on　the　left　hand　as　you　enter　the　front　door；　is　acertain　room　or　office；　about　fifteen　feet　square；　and　of　a　loftyheight；　with　two　of　its　arched　windows　manding　a　view　of　theaforesaid　dilapidated　wharf；　and　the　third　looking　across　a　narrowlane；　and　along　a　portion　of　Derby　Street。　All　three　give　glimpsesof　the　shops　of　grocers；　block…makers；　slop…sellers；　andship…chandlers；　around　the　doors　of　which　are　generally　to　be　seen；laughing　and　gossiping；　clusters　of　old　salts；　and　such　otherwharf…rats　as　haunt　the　Wapping　of　a　seaport。　The　room　itself　iscobwebbed；　and　dingy　with　old　paint；　its　floor　is　strewn　with　greysand；　in　a　fashion　that　has　elsewhere　fallen　into　long　disuse；　andit　is　easy　to　conclude；　from　the　general　slovenliness　of　the　place；that　this　is　a　sanctuary　into　which　womankind；　with　her　tools　ofmagic；　the　broom　and　mop；　has　very　infrequent　access。　In　the　way　offurniture；　there　is　a　stove　with　a　voluminous　funnel；　an　old　pinedesk；　with　a　three…legged　stool　beside　it；　two　or　threewooden…bottom　chairs；　exceedingly　decrepit　and　infirm；　and…　not　toforget　the　library…　on　some　shelves；　a　score　or　two　of　volumes　ofthe　Acts　of　Congress；　and　a　bulky　Digest　of　the　Revenue　Laws。　A　tinpipe　ascends　through　the　ceiling；　and　forms　a　medium　of　vocalmunication　with　other　parts　of　the　edifice。　And　here；　some　sixmonths　ago…　pacing　from　corner　to　corner；　or　lounging　on　thelong…legged　stool；　with　his　elbow　on　the　desk；　and　his　eyeswandering　up　and　down　the　columns　of　the　morning　newspaper…　youmight　have　recognised；　honoured　reader；　the　same　individual　whoweled　you　into　his　cheery　little　study；　where　the　sunshineglimmered　so　pleasantly　through　the　willow　branches；　on　the　westernside　of　the　Old　Manse。　But　now；　should　you　go　thither　to　seek　him；　youwould　inquire　in　vain　for　the　Locofoco　Surveyor。　The　besom　of　reformhas　swept　him　out　of　office；　and　a　worthier　successor　wears　hisdignity；　and　pockets　his　emoluments。　　This　old　town　of　Salem…　my　native　place；　though　I　have　dwelt　muchaway　from　it；　both　in　boyhood　and　maturer　years…　possesses；　or　didpossess；　a　hold　on　my　affections；　the　force　of　which　I　have　neverrealised　during　my　seasons　of　actual　residence　here。　Indeed；　so　far　asits　physical　aspect　is　concerned；　with　its　flat；　unvaried　surface；covered　chiefly　with　wooden　houses；　few　or　none　of　which　pretend　toarchitectural　beauty…　its　irregularity；　which　is　neither　picturesquenor　quaint；　but　only　tame…　its　long　and　lazy　street；　loungingwearisomely　through　the　whole　extent　of　the　peninsula；　with　GallowsHill　and　New　Guinea　at　one　end；　and　a　view　of　the　alms…house　at　theother…　such　being　the　features　of　my　native　town；　it　would　be　quite　asreasonable　to　form　a　sentimental　attachment　to　a　disarrangedchecker…board。　And　yet；　though　invariably　happiest　elsewhere；　there　iswithin　me　a　feeling　for　old　Salem；　which；　in　lack　of　a　betterphrase；　I　must　be　content　to　call　affection。　The　sentiment　is　probablyassignable　to　the　deep　and　aged　roots　which　my　family　has　struckinto　the　soil。　It　is　now　nearly　two　centuries　and　a　quarter　sincethe　original　Briton；　the　earliest　emigrant　of　my　name；　made　hisappearance　in　the　wild　and　forest…bordered　settlement；　which　has　sincebee　a　city。　And　here　his　descendants　have　been　born　and　died；　andhave　mingled　their　earthy　substance　with　the　soil；　until　no　smallportion　of　it　must　necessarily　be　akin　to　the　mortal　framewherewith；　for　a　little　while；　I　walk　the　streets。　In　part；　therefore；the　attachment　which　I　speak　of　is　the　mere　sensuous　sympathy　ofdust　for　dust。　Few　of　my　countrymen　can　know　what　it　is；　nor；　asfrequent　transplantation　is　perhaps　better　for　the　stock；　need　theyconsider　it　desirable　to　know。　　But　the　sentiment　has　likewise　its　moral　quality。　The　figure　of　thatfirst　ancestor；　invested　by　family　tradition　with　a　dim　and　duskygrandeur；　was　present　to　my　boyish　imagination；　as　far　back　as　I　canremember。　It　still　haunts　me；　and　induces　a　sort　of　home…feelingwith　the　past；　which　I　scarcely　claim　in　reference　to　the　presentphase　of　the　town。　I　seem　to　have　a　stronger　claim　to　a　residence　hereon　account　of　this　grave；　bearded；　sable…cloaked　and　steeple…crownedprogenitor…　who　came　so　early；　with　his　Bible　and　his　sword；　andtrod　the　unworn　street　with　such　a　stately　port；　and　made　so　large　afigure；　as　a　man　of　war　and　peace…　a　stronger　claim　than　for　myself；whose　name　is　seldom　heard　and　my　face　hardly　known。　He　was　a　soldier；legislator；　judge；　he　was　a　ruler　in　the　Church；　he　had　all　thePuritanic　traits；　both　good　and　evil。　He　was　likewise　a　bitterpersecutor；　as　embered　him　in　theirhistories；　and　relate　an　incident　of　his　hard　severity　towards　a　womanof　their　sect；　which　will　last　longer；　it　is　to　be　feared；　than　anyrecord　of　his　better　deeds；　although　these　were　many。　His　son；　too；inherited　the　persecuting　spirit；　and　made　himself　so　conspicuous　inthe　martyrdom　of　the　witches；　that　their　blood　may　fairly　be　said　tohave　left　a　stain　upon　him。　So　deep　a　stain；　indeed；　that　his　olddry　bones；　in　the　Charter　Street　burial…ground；　must　still　retainit；　if　they　have　not　crumbled　utterly　to　dust！　I　know　not　whetherthese　ancestors　of　mine　bethought　themselves　to　repent；　and　ask　pardonof　Heaven；　for　their　cruelties；　or　whether　they　are　now　groaning　underthe　heavy　consequences　of　them；　in　another　state　of　being。　At　allevents；　I；　the　present　writer；　as　their　representative；　hereby　takeshame　upon　myself　for　their　sakes；　and　pray　that　any　curse　incurred　bythem…　as　I　have　heard；　and　as　the　dreary　and　unprosperous　condition　ofthe　race；　for　many　a　long　year　back；　would　argue　to　exist…　may　benow　and　henceforth　removed。　　Doubtless；　however；　either　of　these　stern　and　black…browedPuritans　would　have　thought　it　quite　a　sufficient　retribution　forhis　sins；　that；　after　so　long　a　lapse　of　years；　the　old　trunk　of　thefamily　tree；　with　so　much　venerable　moss　upon　it；　should　have　borne；as　its　topmost　bough；　an　idler　like　myself。　No　aim；　that　I　have　evercherished；　would　they　recognise　as　laudable；　no　success　of　mine…　ifmy　life；　beyond　its　domestic　scope；　had　ever　been　brightened　bysuccess…　would　they　deem　otherwise　than　worthless；　if　not　positivelydisgraceful。　〃Where　is　he？〃　murmurs　one　grey　shadow　of　myforefathers　to　the　other。　〃A　writer　of　story…books！　What　kind　of　abusiness　in　life…　what　mode　of　glorifying　God；　or　being　serviceable　tomankind　in　his　day　and　generation…　may　that　be？　Why；　the　degeneratefellow　might　as　well　have　been　a　fiddler！〃　Such　are　the　plimentsbandied　between　my　great…grandsires　and　myself；　across　the　gulf　oftime！　And　yet；　let　them　scorn　me　as　they　will；　strong　traits　oftheir　nature　have　intertwined　themselves　with　mine。　　Planted　deep；　in　the　town's　earliest　infancy　and　childhood；　by　thesetwo　earnest　and　energetic　men；　the　race　has　ever　since　subsisted　here；always；　too；　in　respectability；　never；　so　far　as　I　have　known；disgraced　by　a　single　unworthy　member；　but　seldom　or　never；　on　theother　hand；　after　the　first　two　generations；　performing　anymemorable　deed；　or　so　much　as　putting　forward　a　claim　to　publicnotice。　Gradually；　they　have　sunk　almost　out　of　sight；　as　oldhouses；　here　and　there　about　the　streets；　get　covered　half…way　tothe　eaves　by　the　accumulation　of　new　soil。　From　father　to　son；　forabove　a　hundred　years；　they　followed　the　sea；　a　grey…headedshipmaster；　in　each　generation；　retiring　from　the　quarter…deck　tothe　homestead；　while　a　boy　of　fourteen　took　the　hereditary　placebefore　the　mast；　confronting　the　salt　spray　and　the　gale；　which　hadblustered　against　his　sire　and　grandsire。　The　boy；　also；　in　duetime；　passed　from　the　forecastle　to　the　cabin；　spent　a　tempestuousmanhood；　and　returned　from　his　world…wanderings；　to　grow　old；　and　die；and　mingle　his　dust　with　the　natal　earth。　This　long　connection　of　afamily　with　one　spot；　as　its　place　of　birth　and　burial；　creates　akindred　between　the　human　being　and　the　locality；　quite　independent　o