红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第8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！


rnamental　article　of　dress；　but　how　it　wasto　be　worn；　or　what　rank；　honour；　and　dignity；　in　by…past　times；were　signified　by　it；　was　a　riddle　which　（so　evanescent　are　thefashions　of　the　world　in　these　particulars）　I　saw　little　hope　ofsolving。　And　yet　it　strangely　interested　me。　My　eyes　fastenedthemselves　upon　the　old　scarlet　letter；　and　would　not　be　turned　aside。Certainly；　there　was　some　deep　meaning　in　it；　most　worthy　ofinterpretation；　and　which；　as　it　were；　streamed　forth　from　themystic　symbol；　subtly　municating　itself　to　my　sensibilities；　butevading　the　analysis　of　my　mind。　　While　thus　perplexed…　and　cogitating；　among　other　hypotheses；whether　the　letter　might　not　have　been　one　of　those　decorationswhich　the　white　men　used　to　contrive；　in　order　to　take　the　eyes　ofIndians…　I　happened　to　place　it　on　my　breast。　It　seemed　to　me…　thereader　may　smile；　but　must　not　doubt　my　word…　it　seemed　to　me；　then；that　I　experienced　a　sensation　not　altogether　physical；　yet　almost　so；as　of　burning　heat；　and　as　if　the　letter　were　not　of　red　cloth；　butred…hot　iron。　I　shuddered；　and　involuntarily　let　it　fall　upon　thefloor。　　In　the　absorbing　contemplation　of　the　scarlet　letter；　I　had　hithertoneglected　to　examine　a　small　roll　of　dingy　paper；　around　which　ithad　been　twisted。　This　I　now　opened；　and　had　the　satisfaction　to　find；recorded　by　the　old　Surveyor's　pen；　a　reasonably　pleteexplanation　of　the　whole　affair。　There　were　several　foolscap　sheets；containing　many　particulars　respecting　the　life　and　conversation　ofone　Hester　Prynne；　who　appeared　to　have　been　rather　a　noteworthypersonage　in　the　view　of　our　ancestors。　She　had　flourished　duringthe　period　between　the　early　days　of　Massachusetts　and　the　close　ofthe　seventeenth　century。　Aged　persons；　alive　in　the　time　of　Mr。Surveyor　Pue；　and　from　whose　oral　testimony　he　had　made　up　hisnarrative；　remembered　her；　in　their　youth；　as　a　very　old；　but　notdecrepit　woman；　of　a　stately　and　solemn　aspect。　It　had　been　her　habit；from　an　almost　immemorial　date；　to　go　about　the　country　as　a　kind　ofvoluntary　nurse；　and　doing　whatever　miscellaneous　good　she　might；taking　upon　herself；　likewise；　to　give　advice　in　all　matters；especially　those　of　the　heart；　by　which　means；　as　a　person　of　suchpropensities　inevitably　must；　she　gained　from　many　people　thereverence　due　to　an　angel；　but；　I　should　imagine；　was　looked　upon　byothers　as　an　intruder　and　a　nuisance。　Prying　further　into　themanuscript；　I　found　the　record　of　other　doings　and　sufferings　ofthis　singular　woman；　for　most　of　which　the　reader　is　referred　to　thestory　entitled　〃THE　SCARLET　LETTER〃；　and　it　should　be　bornecarefully　in　mind；　that　the　main　facts　of　that　story　are　authorisedand　authenticated　by　the　document　of　Mr　Surveyor　Pue。　The　originalpapers；　together　with　the　scarlet　letter　itself…　a　most　curious　relic…are　still　in　my　possession；　and　shall　be　freely　exhibited　towhomsoever；　induced　by　the　great　interest　of　the　narrative；　may　desirea　sight　of　them。　I　must　not　be　understood　as　affirming；　that；　in　thedressing　up　of　the　tale；　and　imagining　the　motives　and　modes　ofpassion　that　influenced　the　characters　who　figure　in　it；　I　haveinvariably　confined　myself　within　the　limits　of　the　old　Surveyor'shalf…a…dozen　sheets　of　foolscap。　On　the　contrary；　I　have　allowedmyself；　as　to　such　points；　nearly　or　altogether　as　much　license　asif　the　facts　had　been　entirely　of　my　own　invention。　What　I　contend　foris　the　authenticity　of　the　outline。　　This　incident　recalled　my　mind；　in　some　degree；　to　its　old　track。There　seemed　to　be　here　the　groundwork　of　a　tale。　It　impressed　me　asif　the　ancient　Surveyor；　in　his　garb　of　a　hundred　years　gone　by；　andwearing　his　immortal　wig…　which　was　buried　with　him；　but　did　notperish　in　the　grave…　had　met　me　in　the　deserted　chamber　of　theCustom…House。　In　his　port　was　the　dignity　of　one　who　had　borne　hisMajesty's　mission；　and　who　was　therefore　illuminated　by　a　ray　ofthe　splendour　that　shone　so　dazzlingly　about　the　throne。　How　unlike；alas！　the　hang…dog　look　of　a　republican　official；　who；　as　theservant　of　the　people；　feels　himself　less　than　the　least；　and　belowthe　lowest　of　his　masters。　With　his　own　ghostly　hand；　the　obscurelyseen　but　majestic　figure　had　imparted　to　me　the　scarlet　symbol；　andthe　little　roll　of　explanatory　manuscript。　With　his　own　ghostly　voice；he　had　exhorted　me；　on　the　sacred　consideration　of　my　filial　dutyand　reverence　towards　him…　who　might　reasonably　regard　himself　as　myofficial　ancestor…　to　bring　his　mouldy　and　moth…eaten　lucubrationsbefore　the　public。　〃Do　this；〃　said　the　ghost　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；emphatically　nodding　the　head　that　looked　so　imposing　within　itsmemorable　wig；　〃do　this；　and　the　profit　shall　be　all　your　own！　Youwill　shortly　need　it；　for　it　is　not　in　your　days　as　it　was　in　mine；when　a　man's　office　was　a　life…lease；　and　oftentimes　an　heirloom。　But；I　charge　you；　in　this　matter　of　old　Mistress　Prynne；　give　to　yourpredecessor's　memory　the　credit　which　will　be　rightfully　due！〃　And　Isaid　to　the　ghost　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；　〃I　will！〃　　On　Hester　Prynne's　story；　therefore；　I　bestowed　much　thought。　It　wasthe　subject　of　my　meditations　for　many　an　hour；　while　pacing　to　andfro　across　my　room；　or　traversing；　with　a　hundred…fold　repetition；　thelong　extent　from　the　front…door　of　the　Custom…House　to　theside…entrance；　and　back　again。　Great　were　the　weariness　andannoyance　of　the　old　Inspector　and　the　Weighers　and　Gaugers；　whoseslumbers　were　disturbed　by　the　unmercifully　lengthened　tramp　of　mypassing　and　returning　footsteps。　Remembering　their　own　formerhabits；　they　used　to　say　that　the　Surveyor　was　walking　thequarter…deck。　They　probably　fancied　that　my　sole　object…　and；indeed；　the　sole　object　for　which　a　sane　man　could　ever　put　himselfinto　voluntary　motion…　was；　to　get　an　appetite　for　dinner。　And　tosay　the　truth；　an　appetite；　sharpened　by　the　east　wind　thatgenerally　blew　along　the　passage；　was　the　only　valuable　result　ofso　much　indefatigable　exercise。　So　little　adapted　is　the　atmosphere　ofa　Custom…House　to　the　delicate　harvest　of　fancy　and　sensibility；　that；had　I　remained　there　through　ten　Presidencies　yet　to　e；　I　doubtwhether　the　tale　of　〃The　Scarlet　Letter〃　would　ever　have　beenbrought　before　the　public　eye。　My　imagination　was　a　tarnishedmirror。　It　would　not　reflect；　or　only　with　miserable　dimness；　thefigures　with　which　I　did　my　best　to　people　it。　The　characters　of　thenarrative　would　not　be　warmed　and　rendered　malleable　by　any　heatthat　I　could　kindle　at　my　intellectual　forge。　They　would　takeneither　the　glow　of　passion　nor　the　tenderness　of　sentiment；　butretained　all　the　rigidity　of　dead　corpses；　and　stared　me　in　the　facewith　a　fixed　and　ghastly　grin　of　contemptuous　defiance。　〃What　have　youto　do　with　us？〃　that　expression　seemed　to　say。　〃The　little　power　youmight　once　have　possessed　over　the　tribe　of　unrealities　is　gone！　Youhave　bartered　it　for　a　pittance　of　the　public　gold。　Go；　then；　and　earnyour　wages！〃　In　short；　the　almost　torpid　creatures　of　my　own　fancytwitted　me　with　imbecility；　and　not　without　fair　occasion。　　It　was　not　merely　during　the　three　hours　and　a　half　which　UncleSam　claimed　as　his　share　of　my　daily　life；　that　this　wretched　numbnessheld　possession　of　me。　It　went　with　me　on　my　sea…shore　walks；　andrambles　into　the　country；　whenever…　which　was　seldom　andreluctantly…　I　bestirred　myself　to　seek　that　invigorating　charm　ofNature；　which　used　to　give　me　such　freshness　and　activity　ofthought；　the　moment　that　I　stepped　across　the　threshold　of　the　OldManse。　The　same　torpor；　as　regarded　the　capacity　for　intellectualeffort；　acpanied　me　home；　and　weighed　upon　me　in　the　chamberwhich　I　most　absurdly　termed　my　study。　Nor　did　it　quit　me；　when；late　at　night；　I　sat　in　the　deserted　parlour；　lighted　only　by　theglimmering　coal…fire　and　the　moon；　striving　to　picture　forth　imaginaryscenes；　which；　the　next　day；　might　flow　out　on　the　brightening　page　inmany…hued　description。　　If　the　imaginative　faculty　refused　to　act　at　such　an　hour；　itmight　well　be　deemed　a　hopeless　case。　Moonlight；　in　a　familiar　room；falling　so　white　upon　the　carpet；　and　showing　all　its　figures　sodistinctly…　making　every　object　so　minutely　visible；　yet　so　unlike　amorning　or　noontide　visibility…　is　a　medium　the　most　suitable　for　aromance…writer　to　get　acquainted　with　his　illusive　guests。　There　isthe　little　domesti