Chapter 03 THE RECOGNITION
第三章　相認(rèn)

The voice which had called her attention was that of the reverend and famous John Wilson, the eldest clergyman of Boston, a great scholar, like most of his contemporaries in the profession, and withal a man of kind and genial spirit. This last attribute, however, had been less carefully developed than his intellectual gifts, and was, in truth, rather a matter of shame than self-congratulation with him. There he stood, with a border of grizzled locks beneath his skull-cap; while his grey eyes, accustomed to the shaded light of his study, were winking, like those of Hester's infant, in the unadulterated sunshine. He looked like the darkly engraved portraits which we see prefixed to old volumes of sermons; and had no more right than one of those portraits would have, to step forth, as he now did, and meddle with a question of human guilt, passion, and anguish.
剛才呼喊她注意的聲音發(fā)自德高望重的約翰·威爾遜牧師，他是波士頓神職人員中年事最高的一位，如同當(dāng)年從事這一職業(yè)的他的同輩人一樣，他也是一位大學(xué)者，此外，他還是個親切和藹的人。不過，他的這種待人親切和藹的心腸，并沒有象他那聰明才智的頭腦一樣得到仔細(xì)認(rèn)真的栽培，老實(shí)講，于他來說，這種好心腸與其值得自我慶幸，不如視作一種恥辱。他站在那里，便帽下面露出一綹灰白的假發(fā)；他那雙習(xí)慣于他的書齋中朦朧光線的灰色眼睛，在這纖變不染的陽光中，也象海絲特的嬰兒的眼睛一樣眨著。他那副樣子就象我們在古舊的經(jīng)書扉頁上看到的黑色木刻肖像；而當(dāng)他此時邁步向前，干與人類的罪孽、情欲和苦惱時，他的權(quán)力也并不比那些肖像為多。

"Hester Prynne," said the clergyman, "I have striven with my young brother here, under whose preaching of the Word you have been privileged to sit"- here Mr. Wilson laid his hand on the shoulder of a pale young man beside him- "I have sought, I say, to persuade this godly youth, that he should deal with you, here in the face of Heaven, and before these wise and upright rulers, and in hearing of all the people, as touching the vileness and blackness of your sin. Knowing your natural temper better than I, he could the better judge what arguments to use, whether of tenderness or terror, such as might prevail over your hardness and obstinacy; insomuch that you should no longer hide the name of him who tempted you to this grievous fall. But he opposes to me (with a young man's over-softness, albeit wise beyond his years) that it were wronging the very nature of woman to force her to lay open her heart's secrets in such broad daylight, and in presence of so great a multitude. Truly, as I sought to convince him, the shame lay in the commission of the sin, and not in the showing of it forth. What say you to it, once again, brother Dimmesdale! Must it be thou, or I, that shall deal with this poor sinner's soul?"
“海絲特·白蘭，”那牧師說道，“我已經(jīng)同我這里這位年輕的兄弟爭論過，而你正是有幸坐聽他布道的，”——此時威爾遜先生把手放在身邊一個臉色蒼白的年輕人的肩頭——“我說，我曾經(jīng)試圖說服這位虔誠的青年，要由他面對蒼天，在這些英明而正直的長官面前，在全體人民的旁聽之下，來處理你的問題，觸及你罪孽中邪惡而陰暗的一面。由于他比我更了解你的秉性，他應(yīng)該是個更合格的法官，他更清楚應(yīng)該選用什么樣的剛?cè)嵯酀?jì)的辭令，來克服你的桀驁不馴；以使你不再隱瞞那個誘惑你如此墮落的人的姓名。然而，盡管他的才華超出了他的年齡，卻仍有年輕人的優(yōu)柔，他同我爭辯說，強(qiáng)制一個婦女在光天化日之下和大庭廣眾之中，敞開自己內(nèi)心的隱私，是和婦女的本性格格不入的。確實(shí)，我試圖說服他，恥辱在于茍且罪孽的當(dāng)時，面不在于袒露罪孽的事后。你再說一遍吧，丁梅斯代爾兄弟，你對此看法如何？到底該由你呢還是由我，來探究這可憐的罪人的靈魂呢？”
?

There was a murmur among the dignified and reverend occupants of the balcony; and Governor Bellingham gave expression to its purport, speaking in an authoritative voice, although tempered with respect towards the youthful clergyman whom he addressed.
陽臺上那些道貌岸然、可尊可敬的先生們彼此一陣交頭接耳，貝靈漢總督表達(dá)了這陣竊竊私語的主旨，他說話時語氣莊重威嚴(yán)，不過仍含有對他招呼著的那年輕牧師的尊敬。

"Good Master Dimmesdale," said he, "the responsibility of this woman's soul lies greatly with you. It behooves you, therefore, to exhort her to repentance, and to confession, as a proof and consequence thereof."
“善心的丁梅斯代爾牧師先生，”他說，“你對這女人的靈魂負(fù)有極大的責(zé)任。因此，應(yīng)該由你來規(guī)勸她悔過和招供，以證明你盡職盡責(zé)并非枉然?！?/div>