《红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)》

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红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第45部分


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at it had so faithfully performed itsoffice。 The glow; which they had just before beheld burning on hischeek; was extinguished; like a flame that sinks down hopelessly amongthe late…decaying embers。 It seemed hardly the face of a man alive;with such a deathlike hue; it was hardly a man with life in him;that tottered on his path so nervelessly; yet tottered; and did notfall!  One of his clerical brethren… it was the venerable John Wilson…observing the state in which Mr。 Dimmesdale was left by the retiringwave of intellect and sensibility; stepped forward hastily to offerhis support。 The minister tremulously; but decidedly; repelled the oldman's arm。 He still walked onward; if that movement could be sodescribed; which rather resembled the wavering effort of an infant;with its mother's arms in view; outstretched to tempt him forward。 Andnow; almost imperceptible as were the latter steps of his progress; hehad e opposite the well…remembered and weather…darkened scaffold;where; long since; with all that dreary lapse of time between;Hester Prynne had encountered the world's ignominious stare。 Therestood Hester; holding little Pearl by the hand! And there was thescarlet letter on her breast! The minister here made a pause; althoughthe music still played the stately and rejoicing march to which theprocession moved。 It summoned him onward… onward to the festival!… buthere he made a pause。  Bellingham; for the last few moments; had kept an anxious eye uponhim。 He now left his own place in the procession; and advanced to giveassistance; judging; from Mr。 Dimmesdale's aspect; that he mustotherwise inevitably fall。 But there was something in the latter'sexpression that warned back the magistrate; although a man not readilyobeying the vague intimations that pass from one spirit to another。The crowd; meanwhile; looked on with awe and wonder。 This earthlyfaintness was; in their view; only another phase of the ministers'celestial strength; nor would it have seemed a miracle too high tobe wrought for one so holy; had he ascended before their eyes;waxing dimmer and brighter; and fading at last into the light ofheaven!  He turned towards the scaffold; and stretched forth his arms。  〃Hester;〃 said he; 〃e hither! e; my little Pearl!〃  It was a ghastly look with which he regarded them; but there wassomething at once tender and strangely triumphant in it。 The child;with the bird…like motion which was one of her characteristics; flewto him; and clasped her arms about his knees。 Hester Prynne… slowly;as if impelled by inevitable fate; and against her strongest will…likewise drew near; but paused before she reached him。 At thisinstant; old Roger Chillingworth thrust himself through the crowd… or;perhaps; so dark; disturbed; and evil was his look; he rose up outof some her region… to snatch back his victim from what he soughtto do! Be that as it might; the old man rushed forward; and caught theminister by the arm。  〃Madman; hold! what is your purpose?〃 whispered he。 〃Wave backthat woman! Cast off this child! All shall be well! Do not blackenyour fame; and perish in dishonour。 I can yet save you! Would youbring infamy on your sacred profession?〃  〃Ha; tempter! Methinks thou art too late!〃 answered the minister;encountering his eye; fearfully; but firmly。 〃Thy power is not what itwas! With God's help; I shall escape thee now!〃  He again extended his hand to the woman of the scarlet letter。  〃Hester Prynne;〃 cried he; with a piercing earnestness; 〃in the nameof Him; so terrible and so merciful; who gives me grace; at thislast moment; to do what… for my own heavy sin and miserable agony… Iwithheld myself from doing seven years ago; e hither now; and twihy strength about me! Thy strength; Hester; but let it be guided bythe will which God hath granted me! This wretched and wronged oldman is opposing it with all his might!… with all his own might; andthe fiend's! e; Hester; e! Support me up yonder scaffold!〃  The crowd was in a tumult。 The men of rank and dignity; who stoodmore immediately around the clergyman; were so taken by surprise;and so perplexed as to the purport of what they saw… unable to receivethe explanation which most readily presented itself; or to imagine anyother… that they remained silent and inactive spectators of thejudgment which Providence seemed about to work。 They beheld theminister; leaning on Hester's shoulder; and supported by her armaround him; approach the scaffold; and ascend its steps; while stillthe little hand of the sin…born child was clasped in his。 Old RogerChillingworth followed; as one intimately connected with the dramaof guilt and sorrow in which they had all been actors; and wellentitled; therefore; to be present at its closing scene。  〃Hadst thou sought the whole earth over;〃 said he; looking darkly atthe clergyman; 〃there was no one place so secret… no high place norlowly place; where thou couldst have escaped me… save on this veryscaffold!〃  〃Thanks be to Him who hath led me hither〃 answered the minister。  Yet he trembled; and turned to Hester with an expression of doubtand anxiety in his eyes; not the less evidently betrayed; that therewas a feeble smile upon his lips。  〃Is not this better;〃 murmured he; 〃than what we dreamed of in theforest?〃  〃I know not! I know not!〃 she hurriedly replied。 〃Better? Yea; so wemay both die; and little Pearl die with us!〃  〃For thee and Pearl; be it as God shall order;〃 said the minister;〃and God is merciful! Let me now do the will which He hath madeplain before my sight。 For; Hester; I am a dying man。 So let me makehaste to take my shame upon me!〃  Partly supported by Hester Prynne; and holding one hand of littlePearl's; the Reverend Mr。 Dimmesdale turned to the dignified andvenerable rulers; to the holy ministers; who were his brethren; to thepeople; whose great heart was thoroughly appalled; yet overflowingwith tearful sympathy; as knowing that some deep life…matter… which;if full of sin; was full of anguish and repentance likewise… was nowto be laid open to them。 The sun; but little past its meridian;shone down upon the clergyman; and gave a distinctness to hisfigure; as he stood out from all the earth; to put in his plea ofguilty at the bar of Eternal Justice。  〃People of New England!〃 cried he; with a voice that rose over them;high; solemn; and majestic… yet had always a tremor through it; andsometimes a shriek; struggling up out of a fathomless depth of remorseand woe… 〃ye; that have loved me!… ye; that have deemed me holy…behold me here; the one sinner of the world! At last!… at last!… Istand upon the spot where; seven years since; I should have stood;here; with this woman; whose arm; more than the little strengthwherewith I have crept hitherward; sustains me; at this dreadfulmoment; from grovelling down upon my face! Lo; the scarlet letterwhich Hester wears! Ye have all shuddered at it! Wherever her walkhath been… wherever; so miserably burdened; she may have hoped to findrepose… it hath cast a lurid gleam of awe and horrible repugnanceround about her。 But there stood one in the midst of you; at whosebrand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!〃  It seemed; at this point; as if the minister must leave theremainder of his secret undisclosed。 But he fought back the bodilyweakness… and; still more; the faintness of heart… that was strivingfor the mastery with him。 He threw off all assistance; and steppedpassionately forward a pace before the woman and the child。  〃It was on him!〃 he continued; with a kind of fierceness; sodetermined was he to speak out the whole。 〃God's eye beheld it! Theangels were forever pointing at it! The Devil knew it well; andfretted it continually with the touch of his burning finger! But hehid it cunningly from men; and walked among you with the mien of aspirit; mournful; because so pure in a sinful world!… and sad; becausehe missed his heavenly kindred! Now; at the death…hour; he stands upbefore you! He bids you look again at Hester's scarlet letter! Hetells you; that; with all its mysterious horror; it is but theshadow of what he bears on his own breast; and that even this; his ownred stigma; is no more than the type of what has seared his inmostheart! Stand any here that question God's judgment on a sinner?Behold! Behold a dreadful witness of it!〃  With a convulsive motion; he tore away the ministerial band frombefore his breast。 It was revealed! But it were irreverent to describethat revelation。 For an instant; the gaze of the horror…strickenmultitude was concentred on the ghastly miracle; while the ministerstood; with a flush of triumph in his face; as one who; in thecrisis of acutest pain; had won a victory。 Then; down he sank upon thescaffold! Hester partly raised him; and supported his head against herbosom。 Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him; with a blank;dull countenance; out of which the life seemed to have departed。  〃Thou hast escaped me!〃 he repeated more than once。 〃Thou hastescaped me!〃  〃May God forgive thee!〃 said the minister。 〃Thou; too; hast deeplysinned!〃   
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