书虫四级《红字》：7.林中散步

7．A walk in the forest

7．林中散步

For several days, Hester Prynne waited for a chance to speak privately with Mr Dimmesdale. She would not go to his house because she was afraid of meeting Roger Chillingworth. Then she heard that the priest had gone to visit a family a little distance away and would be returning the next afternoon, through the forest. 'Come, Pearl,' she said the next day. 'We are going for a walk in the forest.'

几天以来，赫斯特·普林一直在等待机会想和丁梅斯代尔先生私下谈谈。她不想去他的住处，因为怕遇见罗杰·奇林沃思。不久，她听说牧师到较远的一户人家探访去了，第二天下午才能回来，回来的时候会穿过树林。“跟我来，珍珠，”她在第二天对孩子说，“我们去树林里散步吧。”

The trees were tall and close together, and the path through them was dark and narrow under a grey sky.

树木高而浓密，林中小径在灰色的天空下显得阴暗、狭窄。

Mother,' said little Pearl, 'the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself because it is afraid of something on your bosom. But it will not run away from me, because I do not wear anything on my bosom yet.'

“妈妈，”小珍珠说，“阳光并不爱你。它跑开躲起来了，因为它害怕你胸口的东西。但它不会躲着我，因为我胸前还什么都没戴呢！”

And never will, my child, I hope,' said Hester. 'Now, run away and catch the sunshine.'

“但愿你一辈子也别戴吧，我的孩子。”赫斯特说，“现在，快跑吧，去抓住阳光！”

Pearl ran off, and Hester smiled when she saw that her child had found a circle of sunshine between the trees. But when Hester came near to it, Pearl said, 'It will go now.'

珍珠飞快地跑开了。赫斯特微笑着看到，她的孩子还真的在树木之间发现了一圈阳光。但是当赫斯特走近的时候，珍珠说：“这下它要走了。”

Hester smiled. 'Look, I can put out my hand and hold some of it.' But when she put her hand into the circle, the sunshine disappeared.

赫斯特微笑着：“看，我可以伸出手来，抓住一些阳光，”可她刚把手伸进光圈，阳光就消失了。

They walked on. Then Hester saw someone coming and said, 'Go and play by the river, child, and leave me to speak to the gentleman who is coming.'

她们继续散步。后来，赫斯特发觉有人走过来，就说：“到河边玩去吧，孩子，让我和那边走过来的先生单独说几句话。”

Who is it?' said Pearl.

“他是谁？”珍珠问。

Can't you see?' said Hester. 'It is the priest.'

“你没看到吗？”赫斯特说，“是牧师啊。”

And he has his hand over his heart!' said Pearl.

“他的手还捂着心口哪！”珍珠说。

Go now, child, but not too far beyond the river.'

“现在就去吧，孩子，但是别离河边太远。”

When Pearl had gone, Hester waited under the trees. The priest walked slowly, but he had almost gone by before Hester could find her voice.

珍珠走开后，赫斯特在树下等着。牧师慢慢地走过来，可他几乎都要走过去了，赫斯特还是说不出话来。

Arthur Dimmesdale!' she said, quietly at first, then louder. 'Arthur Dimmesdale!'

“阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔！”她开口了，起初声音很低，后来大了起来。“阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔！”

Who speaks?' he said, turning quickly. He saw a shadow under the trees, and then he saw the scarlet letter. 'Hester! Hester Prynne! Is it you?'

“谁在说话？”牧师应声说，他急忙转过身，看见树下有个人影，接着发现了红字。“赫斯特！赫斯特·普林！是你吗？”

It is me,' she answered.

“是我。”她回答道。

He touched her hand, and his touch was as cold as death. They moved back into the shadows of the trees and sat down on a fallen branch. At first they spoke of the weather, the grey sky, the coming storm, but then the priest looked into Hester's eyes.

他碰到了她的手，他的触摸就像死亡一样冰冷。两人走回树阴下，坐在一根断落的枝干上。起初他们谈论天气，灰暗的天空，即将到来的暴风雨，接下来，牧师凝视着赫斯特的双眼。

Have you found peace?' he said.

“你得到平静了吗？”他问。

She smiled sadly, and looked down at her bosom. 'Have you?' she asked.

她伤感地笑了，低头望着自己的胸口。“你呢？”她问。

None! Nothing but misery!' he answered. 'But what else could I expect? You wear your scarlet letter openly, on your bosom, Hester. Mine burns in secret! It is good, after these seven years, to talk to someone who knows the truth. If I had one friend—or even an enemy—whom I could talk to openly each day, then perhaps it would save me. But now it is all lies, all emptiness, all death!'

“没有！除了痛苦再没别的！”他回答说，“但是我还能指望什么呢？你公开地在胸口上戴着红字，赫斯特，而我的红字在私下里灼烧着！就这样过了七年之后，能和知道真相的人谈一谈真好。如果我有一个朋友——甚至是一个敌人——我可以每天和他开诚布公地谈话，也许我都可以获救呢。可是如今呢，一切全是谎言，全是空虚，全是死亡！”

Hester Prynne looked into his face. 'You have the friend that you wish for; someone to cry with you over your sin. You have me, your partner in sin.' She hesitated, then went on, 'And you have an enemy, and you live with him in the same house.'

赫斯特·普林凝视着他的面孔。“此时就有一个你所期望的朋友，愿意和你一起为你的罪过哭泣。有我陪着你，我们是一同犯下罪孽的人！”她迟疑了一下，但还是把话说了出来。“你也有一个敌人，就和你同住在一所房子里。”

The priest jumped up and put his hand over his heart. 'What are you saying? An enemy!' he cried. 'In the same house? What do you mean?'

牧师猛地站起身来，双手紧紧抓住胸口。“你说什么？一个敌人！”他叫道，“而且跟我住在一起！你是什么意思？”

Oh, Arthur!' she cried. 'Forgive me! In all things except one, I have been true to you. But I agreed to keep a secret. I did it to save your position, Arthur, your work as a priest, here in the town. But I cannot keep the secret any more. I must tell you. The doctor—the old man they call Roger Chillingworth—he was my husband!'

“啊，阿瑟！”她叫道，“原谅我吧！我一直对你坦诚相待，可有一件事除外。我当年答应保守一个秘密，那是为了挽救你的地位。阿瑟，你是这个镇上的牧师。但是我不能再保守秘密了。我必须告诉你。那个医生——就是大家叫他罗杰·奇林沃斯的那个老人——他是我从前的丈夫！”

The priest stared at her for a moment—a black, violent look on his face. Then he dropped down on to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

牧师看了她一会儿——露出一种阴郁凄厉的表情。他一下子跪在地上，用双手捂住了脸。

Why didn't I guess it?' he said quietly. 'Or perhaps I did! The horror in my heart when I first saw him, and when I see him now... Why didn't I understand? Oh, Hester Prynne, you don't know the horror and shame this news brings me! He has been secretly laughing at my sick and guilty heart. Woman, I cannot forgive you for this!'

“我怎么就没想到呢？”他悄声说，“也许我早就知道了！从我第一眼看到他起，直到现在看他的时候，我的心都会感到恐惧……我以前怎么就没明白呢？噢，赫斯特·普林，你根本不懂这消息对我来说有多可怕，有多羞耻！他一直在暗地里嘲笑我软弱、负疚的心！女人啊，我不能原谅你！”

You will forgive me!' cried Hester. 'Let God punish me! You shall forgive me!'

“你应当原谅我！”赫斯特叫道，“让上帝来惩罚我吧！你得原谅我！”

She fell to her knees beside him, put her arms around him, and pulled his head against her bosom, not caring that his face rested on the scarlet letter. She could not allow him to hate her. 'For seven long years, all the world has blamed and hated me,' she thought. 'But I shall die if this weak, sinful, unhappy man hates me too.'

她跪在他身边，伸出双臂搂住了他，把他的头抱在胸前，毫不顾忌这样一来他的面颊恰好贴在那红字上。赫斯特不允许他恨她。“整整七年了，整个世界都在谴责我、痛恨我。”她想，“然而，如果这个柔弱、负疚、痛苦不堪的男人也恨我，我就去死。”

Will you forgive me, Arthur?' she repeated, again and again. 'Don't hate me! Forgive me, please!'

“你会原谅我吗？阿瑟？”她一遍一遍地问道，“别恨我！请原谅我！”

I forgive you, Hester,' the priest replied at last. His voice was sad, but not angry. 'May God forgive us both! We are not the worst sinners in the world. That old man's revenge has been blacker than our sin, Hester!'

“我原谅你，赫斯特。”牧师终于回答了。他的声音充满悲伤，但没有愤恨。“愿上帝饶恕我们俩吧！我们并不是世上最坏的罪人。那老人的复仇比我们的罪过更见不得人，赫斯特！”

Yes!' she whispered. 'We loved one another, we told each other. Have you forgotten it?'

“是的！”她低声说，“我们彼此相爱，彼此倾诉过。你忘记了吗？”

Shh! Hester,' said Arthur Dimmesdale, getting up from the ground. 'No, I have not forgotten!'

“嘘！赫斯特。”阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔说，他从地上站起来。“不，我没有忘记！”

They sat down on the tree branch, holding each other's hands. Around them, the trees were dark, and the branches moved noisily in the wind.

他们一起坐在树干上，互相拉着手。周围的树木朦胧一片，枝桠在风中摇曳作响。

What will Roger Chillingworth do now?' asked the priest. 'Will he continue to keep our secret?'

“罗杰·奇林沃思现在会做什么呢？”牧师问道，“他还肯继续保守我们的秘密吗？”

He has a secret nature, and I think he will,' said Hester. 'But he will doubtless find other ways to take his revenge.'

“他天性行事诡秘，我猜他会保密的。”赫斯特说，“但是他肯定会寻找其他方式进行报复。”

And me! How can I live in the same house, breathing the same air with this deadly enemy?' said Mr Dimmesdale, his hand over his heart again. 'Think for me, Hester! You are strong! Tell me what to do!'

“至于我！我怎能和这个致命的敌人生活在同一个屋檐下，呼吸同样的空气呢？”丁梅斯代尔先生说。他又一次捂住了心口。“为我想一想，赫斯特！你很坚强！告诉我该怎样做！”

You must not stay with this evil man,' said Hester.

“你一定要离开这个邪恶的人。”赫斯特说。

But where can I go? I cannot hide from God,' he said.

“但是我能去哪里呢？我不能逃避上帝的监督。”他说。

God will show mercy,' replied Hester, 'if you are strong enough to take advantage of it.'

“上帝会怜悯你的，”赫斯特接口说，“只要你足够坚强，能好好利用这个机会。”

Be strong for me!' he answered. 'Advise me what to do.'

“为我坚强起来吧！”他回答说，“告诉我该怎么办。”

Is the world so small, then?' said Hester, looking into his eyes. 'Is there nothing beyond this little town? Walk a few miles from here, and the yellow leaves will show no sign of a white man's feet. There you can be free! A short journey will take you from a world where you have been miserable, to one where you may still be happy! Then there is the sea. It brought you here, and if you choose, it can take you back again. Perhaps to London, or to Germany, or France, or pleasant Italy. You'll be beyond Roger Chillingworth there.'

“难道这世界就这么狭小吗？”赫斯特注视着牧师的眼睛说，“难道世界就只有这小镇这么大吗？再走出几英里远，枯黄的落叶上便看不见白人的足迹了。到那里你就自由了！只消走过这短短的一段路，你就可以走出这万分苦恼的世界，到一个幸福的地方去！再说还有宽阔的大海，是它把你带到了这里，只要你愿意，它可以把你再送回去。不管是在伦敦、德国、法国、还是怡人的意大利，你都会逃出罗杰·奇林沃思的掌握。”

I can't do it!' answered the priest. 'I cannot walk away and leave my work. Although my own soul is lost, I must do what I can for the other human souls in my care.'

“我不能那样做！”牧师回答，“我不能丢下工作逃开。虽然我自己的灵魂已经迷失，我必须尽我所能来拯救别的灵魂！”

After seven years of misery, you must leave it all behind you!' said Hester, with passion in her voice. 'Begin again. There is happiness to be enjoyed, there is good to be done. Change this false life for a true one! Teach, write! Work among the Indians! Do anything, except lie down and die! Why wait another day in this place? Go now!'

“你已经熬过七年的痛苦了，你应该把一切都抛下！”赫斯特说，她的声音中饱含深情。“一切从新开始！还有幸福等待你去享受！还有善举要你去做。把你虚假的生活变成真实的吧！传教，写作！就到印第安人中间去做牧师吧。你可以做任何事情，就是不要躺下死掉！你何必还要多等一天呢？立刻离开这里吧！”

Oh, Hester!' cried Arthur Dimmesdale. 'I am not strong enough, nor brave enough, to go out into the wide, strange, difficult world alone.'

“噢，赫斯特！”阿瑟·丁梅斯代尔喊道，“我已经没有那么大的力量和勇气独自到那广袤陌生的艰苦天地去闯荡了！”

Sadly, hopelessly, he repeated the word.

他又怀着悲伤与绝望重复了一遍那个词。

Alone, Hester!'

“独自一人啊，赫斯特！”

You shall not go alone,' she answered, her voice a deep whisper.

“你不会独自一人前往的！”她答以一声深沉的低语。