Chapter 02 THE MARKET-PLACE
第二章　市場

"She hath good skill at her needle, that's certain," remarked one of her female spectators; "but did ever a woman, before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it! Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for a punishment?"
“她倒做得一手好針線，這是不用說的，”一個旁觀的女人說，“這個厚臉皮的淫婦居然想到用這一手來顯示自己，可真是從來汲見過我說，婆娘們，這純粹是當面笑話我們那些規(guī)規(guī)矩矩的宮老爺，這不是借火入先生們判的刑罰來大出風(fēng)頭嗎？”

"It were well," muttered the most iron-visaged of the old dames, "if we stripped Madam Hester's rich gown off her dainty shoulders; and as for the red letter, which she hath stitched so curiously, I'll bestow a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel, to make a fitter one!"
“我看?。　币粋€面孔板得最緊的老太婆咕哦著，“要是我們能把海絲特太太那件講究的衣袍從她秀氣的肩膀上扒下來，倒挺不錢；至于她繡得稀奇古怪的那個紅字嘛，我倒愿意貨給她一塊我害風(fēng)濕病用過的法蘭絨破布片，做出來才更合適呢！”
?

"Oh, peace, neighbours, peace!" whispered their youngest companion; "do not let her hear you! Not a stitch in that embroidered letter, but she has felt it in her heart."
“噢，安靜點，街坊們，安靜點！”她們當中最年輕的同伴悄聲說；“別讓她聽見體們的話！她繡的那個宇，針針線線全都扎到她心口上呢?！?/div>

The grim beadle now made a gesture with his staff.
獄吏此時用權(quán)杖做了個姿勢。

"Make way, good people, make way, in the King's name!" cried he."Open a passage; and, I promise ye, Mistress Prynne shall be set where man, woman, and child, may have a fair sight of her brave apparel, from this time till an hour past meridian. A blessing on the righteous Colony of the Massachusetts, where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine! Come along, Madam Hester, and show your scarlet letter in the market-place!"
“讓開路，好心的人們，讓開路，看在國王的份上！”他叫嚷著。“讓開一條隊我向諸位保證，白蘭太太要站的地方，無論男女老少都可以看清她的漂亮的衣服，從現(xiàn)在起直到午后一點，保你們看個夠。祝福光明正大的馬薩諸塞殖民地，一切罪惡都得拉出來見見太陽！過來，海絲特太太，在這市場上亮亮你那鮮紅的字母吧！”

A lane was forthwith opened through the crowd of spectators. Preceded by the beadle, and attended by an irregular procession of stern-browed men and unkindly-visaged women, Hester Prynne set forth towards the place appointed for her punishment. A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys, understanding little of the matter in hand, except that it gave them a half-holiday, ran before her progress, turning their heads continually to stare into her face, and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast. It was no great distance, in those days, from the prison-door to the market-place. Measured by the prisoner's experience, however, it might be reckoned a journey of some length; for, haughty as her demeanour was, she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her, as if her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon. In our nature, however, there is a provision alike marvellous and merciful, that the sufferer should never know the intensity of what he endures by its present torture, but chiefly by the pang that rankles after it. With almost a serene deportment, therefore, Hester Prynne passed through this portion of her ordeal, and came to a sort of scaffold, at the western extremity of the market-place. It stood nearly beneath the eaves of Boston's earliest church, and appeared to be a fixture there.
圍觀的人群中擠開了一條通路。海絲特·白蘭跟著在前面開路的獄吏，身后昆隨著擰眉攢目購男人和心狠面惡的女人的不成形的隊伍，走向指定讓她示眾的地方。一大群懷著好奇心來湊熱鬧的小男孩，對眼前的事態(tài)不明所以，只曉得學(xué)校放了他們半天假，他們一邊在頭前跑著，一邊不時回過頭來盯著她的臉、她懷中抱著的眨著眼的嬰兒、還有她胸前那個丟人現(xiàn)眼的紅字。當年，從牢門到市場沒有幾步路。然而，要是以囚犯的體驗來測量，恐怕是一個路途迢迢的旅程；因為她雖說是高視闊步，但在人們逼視的目光下，每邁出一步都要經(jīng)歷一番痛苦，似乎她的心已經(jīng)給拋到滿心，任憑所有的人碾踩踐踏。然而，在我們?nèi)祟惖谋拘灾校幸粭l既絕妙又慈悲的先天準備：遭受苦難的人在承受痛楚的當時并不能覺察到其劇烈的程度，反倒是過后延綿的折磨最能使其撕心裂肺。因此，海絲特·白蘭簡直是以一種安詳?shù)呐e止，度過了此時的磨難，來到市場西端的刑臺跟前。這座刑臺幾乎就豎在波士頓最早的教堂的檐下，看上去象是教堂的附屬建筑。