Thus, there had come to the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale- as to most men, in their various spheres, though seldom recognised until they see it far behind them- an epoch of life more brilliant and full of triumph than any previous one, or that any which could hereafter be. He stood, at this moment, on the very proudest eminence of superiority, to which the gifts of intellect, rich lore, prevailing eloquence, and a reputation of whitest sanctity, could exalt a clergyman in New England's earliest days, when the professional character was of itself a lofty pedestal. Such was the position which the minister occupied, as he bowed his head forward on the cushions of the pulpit, at the close of his Election Sermon. Meanwhile Hester Prynne was standing beside the scaffold of the pillory, with the scarlet letter still burning on her breast!
于是，丁梅斯代爾牧師先生來到了他一生中空前絕后的最輝煌也是最充滿勝利的時期，許多人在他們不同的領域里也曾有過這樣的時期；只是經過好久以后他們往往才意識到。此時，他是站在最驕傲的卓越地位之上，在早期的新英格蘭，牧師這一職業(yè)本身已然是一座高高的礎座，而一個牧師要想達到他如今那種高度，還有賴于智慧的天賦、豐富的學識、超凡的口才和最無理的圣潔的名聲。當我們的這位牧師結束了他在慶祝選舉日的布道，在講壇的靠墊上向前垂著頭時，所處的正是這樣一個高位。與此同時，海絲特·白蘭卻站在刑臺的旁邊，胸前依然灼燒著紅字！

Now was heard again the clangour of the music, and the measured tramp of the military escort, issuing from the church-door. The procession was to be marshalled thence to the town-hall, where a solemn banquet would complete the ceremonies of the day.
這時又聽到了鏗鏘的音樂和衛(wèi)隊的整齊的步伐聲從教堂門口傳出。游行隊伍將從那里走到鎮(zhèn)議事廳，以廳中的一個莊嚴的宴會來結束這一天的慶典。

Once more, therefore, the train of venerable and majestic fathers was seen moving through a broad pathway of the people, who drew back reverently, on either side, as the Governor and magistrates, the old and wise men, the holy ministers, and all that were eminent and renowned, advanced into the midst of them. When they were fairly in the market-place, their presence was greeted by a shout. This- though doubtless it might acquire additional force and volume from the child- like loyalty which the age awarded to its rulers- was felt to be an irrepressible outburst of enthusiasm kindled in the auditors by that high strain of eloquence which was yet reverberating in their ears. Each felt the impulse in himself, and, in the same breath, caught it from his neighbour. Within the church, it had hardly been kept down; beneath the sky, it pealed upward to the zenith. There were human beings enough, and enough of highly wrought and symphonious feeling, to produce that more impressive sound than the organ tones of the blast, or the thunder, or the roar of the sea, even that mighty swell of many voices, blended into one great voice by the universal impulse which makes likewise one vast heart out of the many. Never, from the soil of New England, had gone up such a shout! Never, on New England soil, had stood the man so honoured by his mortal brethren as the preacher!
于是，人們又一次看到，由令人肅然起敬的威風凜凜的人士組成的隊伍走在寬寬的通道上，夾道觀看的群眾在總督和官員們、賢明的長者、神圣的牧師以及一切德高望重的人們走道他們身邊時，紛紛敬畏地向后退避。這支隊伍出現(xiàn)在市場時，人群中進發(fā)出一陣歡呼，向他們致意。這種歡呼無疑額外增加了聲勢，表明了當年人們對其統(tǒng)治者孩提式的忠誠，但也讓人感到，仍在聽眾耳際回蕩的高度緊張的雄辯布道所激起的熱情借此而不可遏止地爆發(fā)。每一個人不但自身感到了這種沖動，而且也從旁邊的人身上感受到了程度相當?shù)臎_動。在教堂里的時候，這種沖動已經難以遏制；如今到了露天，便扶搖直沖云霄。這里有足夠多的人，也有足夠高的激昂交匯鮑情感，可以發(fā)出比狂風的呼嘯、閃電的雷鳴或大海的咆哮更為震撼人心的聲響；眾心結成一心，形成一致的沖動，眾聲融成一聲，發(fā)出巨大的浪濤聲。在新英格蘭的土壤中還從未進發(fā)出這樣響徹云霄的歡呼！在新英格蘭的土地上還從未站立過一個人象這位布道師那樣受到他的人間兄弟的如此尊崇！