【经典名著阅读】《红字》第十九章（下）

英语自学网

15287231.jpg

        Chapter 19 THE CHILD AT THE BROOK-SIDE第十九章　溪边的孩子
        "Hasten, Pearl; or I shall be angry with thee!" cried Hester Prynne, who, however inured to such behaviour on the elf-child's part at other seasons, was naturally anxious for a more seemly deportment now. "Leap across the brook, naughty child, and run hither! Else I must come to thee!"“快点，珠儿；要不我可要跟你生气了！”海丝特·白兰嚷道，她平时尽管已经熟习了这小精灵似的孩子的这种举止，但此时自然巴不得她能表现得更懂规矩些。“跳过小溪来，顽皮的孩子，跑过来！要不我就过去了！”
        But Pearl, not a whit startled at her mother's threats, any more than mollified by her entreaties, now suddenly burst into a fit of passion, gesticulating violently, and throwing her small figure into the most extravagant contortions. She accompanied this wild outbreak with piercing shrieks, which the woods reverberated on all sides; so that, alone as she was in her childish and unreasonable wrath, it seemed as if a hidden multitude were lending her their sympathy and encouragement. Seen in the brook, once more, was the shadowy wraith of Pearl's image, crowned and girdled with flowers, but stamping its foot, wildly gesticulating, and, in the midst of all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester's bosom!珠儿刚才对她母亲的请求无动于衷，此时对母亲的吓唬也毫不惊惶；却突然大发脾气，做出激烈的姿态，把她小小的身躯弄得七扭八歪。她一边这样狂暴地扭动着，一边厉声尖叫，震得四下的树木一起回响；因此，虽说她只是独自一人毫无道理地大发小孩脾气，却象是有一群不露面的人在同情地绘她助威。此时在小溪中又一次看到殊儿温怒的身影：头戴花冠，腰缠花带，脚下使劲地跺着，身子狂暴地扭着，同时那小小的食指也始终指着海丝特的胸口！
        "I see what ails the child," whispered Hester to the clergyman, and turning pale in spite of a strong effort to conceal her trouble and annoyance. "Children will not abide any, the slightest, change in the accustomed aspect of things that are daily before their eyes. Pearl misses something which she has always seen me wear!"“我明白这孩子是怎么回事了，”海丝特对牧师低声说着，由于强按心中的忧烦而变得面色苍白。“孩子们对于每日在眼前司空见惯的东西容不得有丝毫改变。珠儿是看不见我不离身地佩戴的东西了！”
        "I pray you," answered the minister, "if thou hast any means of pacifying the child, do it forthwith! Save it were the cankered wrath of an old witch, like Mistress Hibbins," added he, attempting to smile, "I know nothing that I would not sooner encounter than this passion in a child. In Pearl's young beauty, as in the wrinkled witch, it has a preternatural effect. Pacify her, if thou lovest me!"“我恳求你了，”牧师回答说，“如果你有什么办法能让这孩子安静下来，赶紧拿出来吧！除去象西宾斯太太那样的老妖婆发疯式的愤怒，”他强笑着补充说，“再没有比看到这孩子发脾气更让人不情愿的了。在年幼、美丽的珠儿身上，和那满脸皱纹的老妖婆一样，准有一种超自然的力量。要是你爱我，就让她安静下来吧！”
        Hester turned again towards Pearl, with a crimson blush upon her cheek, a conscious glance aside at the clergyman, and then a heavy sigh; while, even before she had time to speak, the blush yielded to a deadly pallor.海丝特又转向珠儿，这时她脸上泛起红潮，故意斜睨了牧师一眼，然后重重地叹了口气；但她还没来得及开口，红潮就褪成死一般的苍白了。
        "Pearl," said she sadly, "look down at thy feet! There- before thee!- the hither side of the brook!"“珠儿，”她伤心地说，“往你脚下瞧！就在那儿！——在你跟前！——在小溪的这边岸上！”

enthree

        The child turned her eyes to the point indicated; and there lay the scarlet letter, so close upon the margin of the stream, that the gold embroidery was reflected in it.那孩子的目光转向指给她看的地方；红字就躺在那里，紧靠着岸边，金丝刺绣还在溪中反着光。
        "Bring it hither!" said Hester.“把它拣回来！”海丝特说。
        "Come thou and take it up!" answered Pearl.“你过来拾吧！”珠儿回答道。
        "Was ever such a child!" observed Hester, aside to the minister. "Oh, I have much to tell thee about her! But, in very truth, she is right as regards this hateful token. I must bear its torture yet a little longer- only a few days longer- until we shall have left this region, and look back hither as to a land which we have dreamed of. The forest cannot hide it! The mid-ocean shall take it from my hand, and swallow it up for ever!"“哪有这样的孩子！”海丝特回头对牧师评论着。“噢，我有好多她的事要告诉你呢！不过，的的确确，她对这可恨的标记的看法是没错的。我还得再忍受一下这折磨人的玩艺儿，——也就是几天吧，——到那时我们就已经离开这块地方，再回头看看，就只是一块我们曾经梦想过的土地了。这片森林还藏不住它！但汪洋大海可以从我手里把它取走，并且永远把它吞没！”
        With these words, she advanced to the margin of the brook, took up the scarlet letter, and fastened it again into her bosom. Hopefully, but a moment ago, as Hester had spoken of drowning it in the deep sea, there was a sense of inevitable doom upon her, as she thus received back this deadly symbol from the hand of fate. She had flung it into infinite space!- she had drawn an hour's free breath!- and here again was the scarlet misery, glittering on the old spot! So it ever is, whether thus typified or no, that an evil deed invests itself with the character of doom. Hester next gathered up the heavy tresses of her hair, and confined them beneath her cap. As if there were a withering spell in the sad letter, her beauty, the warmth and richness of her womanhood, departed, like fading sunshine; and a grey shadow seemed to fall across her.她一边这样说着，一边走到小溪边上，把红字拣起来，重新钉到胸前。仅仅片刻之前，海丝特还满怀希望地谈到要把红字沉进深深的海底，但当她从命运之神的手中重新接过这死一般的象征时，就感到一种难以避免的阴沉笼罩着她。她已经把它抛进了无限的空间！——她曾经吸进了一小时的自由空气！——可现在那红色的悲惨又重新在老地方闪闪发光了！事情从来如此，一种邪恶的行为不管有否这种表征，从来都带有这种厄运的品性。接着，海丝特挽起她浓密的发绺，用帽子罩了起来。似乎在这令人哀伤的字母中有一种枯萎的符咒，她的美丽，她那女性的丰满和温暖，都象落日般地离去了；一抹灰蒙蒙的阴影似是落在了她身上。
        When the dreary change was wrought, she extended her hand to Pearl.这一阴郁的变化完成之后，她向珠儿伸出了手。
        "Dost thou know thy mother now, child?" asked she reproachfully, but with a subdued tone. "Wilt thou come across the brook, and own thy mother, now that she has her shame upon her- now that she is sad?"“现在你认识你妈妈了吧，孩子？”她压着声音责问说。“现在你妈妈又戴上了她的耻辱，——她又悲伤了，你愿意走过河来，认她了吧？”
        "Yes; now I will!" answered the child, bounding across the brook, and clasping Hester in her arms. "Now thou art my mother indeed! And I am thy little Pearl!"In a mood of tenderness that was not usual with her, she drew down her mother's head, and kissed her brow and both her cheeks. But then- by a kind of necessity that always impelled this child to alloy whatever comfort she might chance to give with a throb of anguish- Pearl put up her mouth, and kissed the scarlet letter too!“是啊；现在我愿意过去了！”孩子回答着，跳过小溪，抱住了海丝特。“现在你才真是我妈妈了！而我也是你的小珠儿了！”珠儿以一种她不常有的温柔劲，往下拽着她母亲的头，亲了她母亲的额头和双颊。可是，似乎有一种必要推动着这孩子，在她偶然给人的某种安慰中溶进一阵极度的苦恼，接着，珠儿抬起她的嘴唇，也把那红字亲吻了一下。