All this while, Hester had been looking steadily at the old man, and was shocked, as well as wonder-smitten, to discern what a change had been wrought upon him within the past seven years. It was not so much that he had grown older; for though the traces of advancing life were visible, he bore his age well, and seemed to retain a wiry vigour and alertness. But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet, which was what she best remembered in him, had altogether vanished, and been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look. It seemed to be his wish and purpose to mask this expression with a smile; but the latter played him false, and flickered over his visage so derisively, that the spectator could see his blackness all the better for it. Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man's soul were on fire, and kept on smouldering duskily within his breast, until, by some casual puff of passion, it was blown into a momentary flame. This he repressed, as speedily as possible, and strove to look as if nothing of the kind had happened.
在他俩谈话的这段时间里,海丝特一直不错眼珠地盯着那老人,她惊奇地注意到,在这七年之间,他发生了多么明显的变化。那倒不是说他又老了许多;因为虽然可以看出他年事益高的痕迹,但就他的年纪而论,仍有坚韧的精力和机敏,然而,她原来印象最深的他先前那种聪慧好学的品格,那种平和安详的风度,如今已经踪影皆无,取而代之的是一种急切窥测的神色,近乎疯狂而又竭力掩饰。他似乎有意用微笑来遮掩,但那种微笑却暴露出他的虚伪,在他脸上时隐时现,似是在捉弄他,使旁人益发清楚地看出他的阴险。他的眼睛中还不时闪出阵阵红光;象是那老人的灵魂正在燃烧,却憋在胸中装着,只是偶尔不小心受到激情的鼓吹,才喷出瞬间的火焰。而他则尽快地将这火焰压下去,竭力装出一副没发生过这种事的样子。

In a word, old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man's faculty of transforming himself into a devil, if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake a devil's office. This unhappy person had effected such a transformation, by devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture, and deriving his enjoyment thence, and adding fuel to those fiery tortures which he analysed and gloated over.
总之,老罗杰·齐灵渥斯是一个显而易见的实例,证明人只要甘心从事魔鬼的勾当,经过相当一段时间,就可以靠他本人的智能将良身变成魔鬼。这个闷闷不乐的人之所以发生了这一变化,就是由于他在七年的时间里全力以赴地剖析一颗充满痛苦的心灵并从中取乐,甚至还要对他正剖析并观察着的剧烈痛苦幸灾乐祸地火上浇油。

The scarlet letter burned on Hester Prynne's bosom. Here was another ruin, the responsibility of which came partly home to her.
红字在海丝特·白兰的胸上燃烧。因为这里又多了一个被毁灭的人,其责任,部分要归咎于她。

"What see you in my face," asked the physician, "that you look at it so earnestly?"
“你在我脸上看到了什么,”医生问道,“让你盯得这么紧?”

"Something that would make me weep, if there were any tears bitter enough for it," answered she. "But let it pass! It is of yonder miserable man that I would speak."
“要是我还有多余的心酸的泪的话,我会为一件事而哭泣的,”她回答说。“不过,算了吧!我还是来谈谈那个不幸的人吧。”

"And what of him?" cried Roger Chillingworth eagerly, as if he loved the topic, and were glad of an opportunity to discuss it with the only person of whom he could make a confidant. "Not to hide the truth, Mistress Hester, my thoughts happen just now to be busy with the gentleman. So speak freely; and I will make answer."
“谈他的什么事呢?”罗杰·齐灵渥斯迫不及待地叫着,仿佛他喜爱这个话题,巴不得有个机会能同这个唯一可以谈谈悄悄话的人讨论一番。“咱们不说假话,海丝特太太,这会儿我刚好正忙着在那位先生身上转着念头。你就随便说吧,我会作出答复的。”