Pearl's inevitable tendency to hover about the enigma of the scarlet letter seemed an innate quality of her being. From the earliest epoch of her conscious life, she had entered upon this as her appointed mission. Hester had often fancied that Providence had a design of justice and retribution, in endowing the child with this marked propensity; but never, until now, had she bethought herself to ask, whether, linked with that design, there might not likewise be a purpose of mercy and beneficence. If little Pearl were entertained with faith and trust, as a spirit messenger no less than an earthly child, might it not be her errand to soothe away the sorrow that lay cold in her mother's heart, and converted it into a tomb?- and to help her to overcome the passion, once so wild, and even yet neither dead nor asleep, but only imprisoned within the same tomb-like heart? Such were some of the thoughts that now stirred in Hester's mind, with as much vivacity of impression as if they had actually been whispered into her ear. And there was little Pearl, all this while, holding her mother's hand in both her own, and turning her face upward, while she put these searching questions, once, and again, and still a third time.
珠儿一味纠缠着要弄清红字之谜,看来是她的一种内在的天性。从她开始懂事的时候起,就对这一问题当作指定的使命来琢磨。海丝特从那时起就常常想象:上天赋予这孩子这种突出的倾向,是有其惩恶扬善的果报意图在内的;但直到最近,她才扪心自问,是否还有一个与那个意图相关的施赐仁慈与恩惠的目的。如果把小珠儿不仅当作一个尘世的孩子,也当‘作一个精神使者,对她抱有忠诚与信任,那么,她难道就不能承担起她的使命,把冷冷地藏在她母亲心中、从而把那颗心变成坟墓的忧伤扫荡净尽吗?——并帮助母亲克制那一度十分狂野、至今仍未死去或入睡、而只是禁锢在同一颗坟墓般的心中的激情呢?此时在海丝特头脑中翻腾的就是这些念头;其印象之活跃生动,不啻在她耳畔低语。而且眼前就有小珠儿,在这段时间里始终用双手握住母亲的手,还仰起脸来望着母亲,同时一而再、再而三地刨根问底。

"What does the letter mean, mother?- and why dost thou wear it?- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?"
“这字母到底是什么意思,妈妈?——你干嘛要戴着它?——牧师干嘛总要用手捂着心口?”

"What shall I say?" thought Hester to herself. "No! If this be the price of the child's sympathy, I cannot pay it."
“我该说什么才好呢?”海丝特心中自忖。“不成!如果这是换取孩子同情的代价,我是不能支付的。”

Then she spoke aloud.
于是她开口说话了。
 

"Silly Pearl," said she, "what questions are these? There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about. What know I of the minister's heart? And as for the scarlet letter, I wear it for the sake of its gold thread."
“傻珠儿,”她说,“这是些什么问题呢?这世上有许多事情是一个小孩子不该问的。我怎么会知道关于牧师的心的事情呢?至于这红字嘛,我戴上是因为金线好看。”