書蟲四級《紅字》：2.羅杰·奇林沃思的秘密

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2．Roger Chillingworth's secret

2．羅杰·奇林沃思的秘密

Back inside the prison, Hester Prynne became strangely fearful and excited. The prison officer, Master Brackett, watched her carefully, afraid that she would do something violent, either to herself or to the child. By night-time, unable to quieten her, and worried about the child who screamed without stopping, Brackett decided to bring a doctor to her.

赫斯特·普林回到監(jiān)獄之后，便陷入一陣莫名的恐懼和激動之中。監(jiān)獄看守布拉克特長官小心翼翼地觀察著她的一舉一動，擔心她會做出什么過激的事情來，傷害她自己或孩子。到了夜里，布拉克特長官依然無法使她平靜下來，同時也很擔心那一直哭個不停的孩子，于是決定請個醫(yī)生來看看。

He described him to Hester as someone who had learned much about natural medicines from the Indians. But the man who followed Brackett into the prison was the man Hester had seen on the edge of the crowd earlier, the man she had watched in fear. His name, she was told, was Roger Chillingworth.

布拉克特長官向赫斯特介紹說，那位醫(yī)生從印第安人那里學過不少天然藥物的知識。但是跟在布拉克特身后走進牢房的那個男人正是赫斯特早些時候在人群邊上看到的人——當時她充滿恐懼地看著他。布拉克特向她介紹說，此人名叫羅杰·奇林沃思。

Brackett brought the man in, and stood watching in surprise as Hester became as still as death. The child, however, continued to cry.

布拉克特把那人領(lǐng)進牢房，吃驚地發(fā)現(xiàn)赫斯特突然像死人一樣僵住了，但那個孩子還繼續(xù)哭著。

Please leave us alone,' Chillingworth said to the prison officer, 'and you will soon have peace in your house.'

“請讓我們單獨呆一會兒，”奇林沃思對監(jiān)獄看守說道，“這間牢房很快就會安靜下來的。”

He had entered the room calmly, carrying a small bag, and he remained calm after Brackett had left them. First he went to the child and looked carefully at her. Then he opened his bag, took out some powder, and put it into a cup of water.

他走進牢房時很平靜，攜帶著一個小包。布拉克特離開以后，他也依然鎮(zhèn)定自若。他先走到孩子身邊仔細看了看，接著打開小包，取出一些粉末，倒進一杯水中。

Here, woman!' he said. 'The child is yours, not mine. Give this to her.'

“聽我說，女人！”他說，“這個孩子是你的，不是我的。你把這個給她喝下去吧。”

Hester did not move, and when she spoke, her voice was a whisper. 'Don't take your revenge on an innocent child.'

赫斯特沒有動。當她開口的時候，聲音小的近乎耳語：“不要拿一個無辜的孩子來報復吧。”

Silly woman!' he replied, half coldly, half kindly. 'If this poor, miserable baby was my own—mine, as well as yours! —I would give her the same medicine.'

“你這個蠢女人！”那醫(yī)生不冷不熱地應道，“即使這個可憐的孩子是我自己的——我的，也是你的！——我也會給她同樣的藥。”

Hester still hesitated, so he took the child and gave her the medicine himself. Almost at once she became quiet, and after a moment fell peacefully asleep.

赫斯特仍然遲疑不決，他便抱起孩子，親自給她喂了藥。她幾乎立即平靜了下來，過了一會兒，就乖乖地進入了夢鄉(xiāng)。

Chillingworth prepared another drink of medicine and held out the cup to Hester. 'Drink it!' he said. 'It cannot quieten your troubled soul, but it will calm you.'

奇林沃思調(diào)了另一杯藥水遞給赫斯特。“把它喝了！”他說，“它不能平息你躁動的靈魂，但是可以使你鎮(zhèn)靜下來。”

She took it from him slowly, but her eyes were full of doubt about his reasons for helping her. Then she looked at her sleeping child.

她慢慢地接過杯子，但目光中充滿了懷疑，不知道他幫忙的目的何在。她接著又看了看那熟睡的孩子。

I have thought of death,' she said. 'I have wished for it, and even prayed for it, but if death is in this cup, then I ask you to think again before I drink it.'

“我想到過死，”她說，“我希望去死，甚至還為此祈禱過，不過，要是這杯藥可以致我于死地，在我喝下去之前，我請求你再想一想。”

You need not be afraid,' he replied calmly. 'If I wanted revenge, then what more could I ask for than to let you live—and suffer, under the shadow of this shame?'

“你不用害怕，”他平靜地回答，“如果我想復仇，我最大的愿望就是讓你活著——讓你在這種恥辱的陰影下受盡折磨。”

As he spoke, he put his finger on the scarlet letter, which suddenly seemed to burn red-hot on Hester's bosom.

他一邊說著，一邊把手指放到那紅字上，那字立刻像是在赫斯特的胸膛上灼燒起來。

She drank the medicine quickly, then sat down on the bed where the child was sleeping. She watched, trembling as the man she had wronged pulled up a chair and sat beside her.

赫斯特將藥一飲而盡，然后坐到孩子睡的床上。看著這個她曾經(jīng)辜負的人拉過一把椅子坐在身邊，她不由得全身顫栗起來。

Hester,' he said, 'you've been weak, but I've been stupid. Look at me! I'm old and ugly. I was ugly from the moment that I was born. But you? You were young and beautiful, and full of life. How could I have imagined, the day that I married you, that you would ever love me? How could a man of books and learning be so stupid?'

“赫斯特，”他說，“你一直那么軟弱，可是我卻一直那么愚蠢。看看我！我又老又丑。我從生下來的那一刻就是丑的。但是你呢？你那時年輕漂亮，充滿活力。我娶你的時候怎么會以為你會愛上我呢？像我這樣一個飽讀詩書的男人為什么會如此愚蠢？”

I never felt or pretended any love for you,' said Hester.

“我對你從沒有任何愛意，也沒假裝有過。”赫斯特說。

True,' he replied. 'But I hoped to make you love me.'

“這倒是真的，”他答道，“但是我曾經(jīng)希望能使你愛上我。”

I have greatly wronged you,' Hester whispered.

“我太委屈你了。”赫斯特喃喃地說。

We have wronged each other,' he said. 'I'm not looking for revenge, Hester. I wish you no harm. But there is a man living who has wronged us both! Who is he?'

“我們彼此都讓對方受了委屈。”他回答說，“我不想報復你，赫斯特，我對你沒有惡意?？赡莻€讓我們都受了委屈的人還活著，他是誰？”

Do not ask me!' she cried, looking straight at him. 'You will never know his name!'

“不要問我！”她叫道，直視著他。“你永遠也不會知道他的名字！”

His smile was both dark and confident. 'Believe me, Hester,' he said, 'I shall know him! Although he does not wear a letter of shame on his clothes, as you do, I shall read it on his heart. I shall see it in his eyes. I shall watch him tremble, and I will feel myself tremble with him. But don't be afraid. I won't hurt him, or harm his position in the town if he is an important man here. Nor shall I inform the law. No, let him live! Let him pretend to be an honest man! Heaven will punish him for me. But I will know him!'

他臉上露出陰沉和自信的笑意。“相信我，赫斯特，”他說，“我會把他找出來的！盡管他并沒有像你這樣，在衣服上繡著個恥辱的字母，但是我會在他的心里看到的，會在他眼睛里看到的。我要看著他渾身顫抖，我都能感到自己會和他一起顫栗了。不過不要害怕，我不會傷害他，如果他在這里是一個顯赫人物的話，我也不會對他的地位造成什么損害。我不會告發(fā)他的。不，我要讓他活著！讓他假裝是一個誠實的人！上天會代我懲罰他。但是我肯定能找出他是誰！”

You say you will not harm him,' said Hester, confused and afraid, 'but your words frighten me.'

“你說你不會傷害他，”赫斯特困惑而驚恐地說，“但是你的話讓我害怕。”

One thing I ask you—you, who were my wife,' he said. 'You have kept your lover's secret, now keep mine! Tell nobody that you ever called me husband. No one in this land knows me. But here, on this wild edge of the earth, I shall stay, because you and yours, Hester Prynne, belong to me. Love or hate, right or wrong, my home is where you are and where he is. But keep my secret!'

“我只要求你——我曾經(jīng)的妻子——做一件事。”他說，“既然你一直都為情人保密，那就也為我保密吧！不要告訴任何人，你曾稱我為丈夫。這片土地上沒有人認識我。可就在這里，這世界的荒蕪邊緣，我要留下來，因為赫斯特·普林，你和你的一切都屬于我。愛也好恨也好，對也罷錯也罷！你和他在哪兒，我的家就安在哪兒。但你要為我保守這個秘密！”

Why do you want this?' said Hester, suddenly afraid of this secret agreement, although she did not know why. 'Why not say openly who you are, and send me away at once?'

“你為什么要這樣做？”赫斯特問，她突然為這個秘密約定而感到莫名的恐懼。“你為什么不公開你的身份，把我立刻趕走呢？”

Perhaps because I do not want to hear what people say about a husband who loses his wife to another man,' he said. 'Let them think your husband is already dead. Pretend not to know me. Do not tell our secret to anyone, and most of all, not to your lover. Do not fail in this, Hester! Remember, his good name, his position, his life will be in my hands!'

“可能因為我不愿意聽見別人議論我戴了綠帽子。”他說，“讓大家都以為你丈夫已經(jīng)死了吧。裝作不認識我！不要把我們的秘密告訴任何人，尤其是你的情人。不要違背諾言，赫斯特！記住，他的名聲、地位和性命全都握在我的手心里！”

I will keep your secret, as I have kept his,' said Hester.

“我為你保密，就像為他保密一樣。”赫斯特說。

And now, Mistress Prynne,' said the man called Roger Chillingworth, 'I will leave you alone with your child and the scarlet letter!' He smiled, slowly.

“現(xiàn)在，普林太太，”這個自稱羅杰·奇林沃思的男人說，“我要走了，留下你守著孩子和那個紅字吧！”他慢慢地笑了。

Hester stared at him, afraid of the expression in his eyes.

赫斯特瞪著他，被他的眼神嚇壞了。

Why do you smile at me?' she asked. 'Have you tied me into an agreement that will destroy my soul?'

“你沖我笑什么？”她問道，“你是不是把我綁在一個會毀掉我的靈魂的協(xié)議上了？”

Not your soul,' he answered, with another smile. 'No, not yours!'

“不是你的靈魂。”他說著，又露出一絲笑容。“不，不是你的！”