"Go now, child, and thou shalt tease me as thou wilt another time," cried Hester Prynne. "But do not stray far. Keep where thou canst hear the babble of the brook."
“现在快走吧,孩子,过一会儿再来缠我,‘”海丝特·白兰叫喊着。“不过别走远。就在能听到流水声的地方好了。”

The child went singing away, following up the current of the brook, and striving to mingle a more lightsome cadence with its melancholy voice. But the little stream would not be comforted, and still kept telling its unintelligible secret of some very mournful mystery that had happened- or making a prophetic lamentation about something that was yet to happen- within the verge of the dismal forest. So Pearl, who had enough of shadow in her own little life, chose to break off all acquaintance with this repining brook. She set herself, therefore, to gathering violets and wood-anemones, and some scarlet columbines that she found growing in the crevices of a high rock.
那孩子沿着溪流唱着走开了,她想把更明快的歌声融进溪水的忧郁腔调中。但那小溪并没有因此而得到安慰,仍然不停地唠叨着在这阴森的树林中已经发生的一些十分哀伤的故事——或是预言某些将要发生的事情的伤心之处——诉说着其中莫测的隐秘。于是,在她小小的生命中已经有了太多的阴影的珠儿,便放弃了这条如泣如诉的小溪,不再和它交往。因此,她就一心采集紫罗兰和木莲花,以及她发现长在一块高大石头的缝隙中的一些腥红的耧斗菜。

When her elf-child had departed, Hester Prynne made a step or two towards the track that led through the forest, but still remained under the deep shadow of the trees. She beheld the minister advancing along the path, entirely alone, and leaning on a staff which he had cut by the wayside. He looked haggard and feeble, and betrayed a nerveless despondency in his air, which had never so remarkably characterised him in his walks about the settlement, nor in any other situation where he deemed himself liable to notice. Here it was woefully visible, in this intense seclusion of the forest, which of itself would have been a heavy trial to the spirits. There was a listlessness in his gait; as if he saw no reason for taking one step farther, nor felt any desire to do so, but would have been glad, could he be glad of anything, to fling himself down at the root of the nearest tree, and lie there passive, for evermore. The leaves might bestrew him, and the soil gradually accumulate and form a little hillock over his frame, no matter whether there were life in it or no. Death was too definite an object to be wished for, or avoided.
海丝特·白兰等她的小精灵孩子走远之后,便向那穿过森林的小径上走了一两步,但仍遮在树木的暗影之中。她看到牧师正沿着小径走来,他只身一人,只是手中接着一根从路边砍下的手杖。他样子憔悴无力,露出一种失魂落魄的沮丧神情,这是他在居民区周围或其它他认为显眼的地方散步时,从来在他身上看不到的。但在这里,在这与世隔绝的密林中,在这密林本身就使人深感精神压力的地方,他这种沮丧神情却暴露无遗,令人目不忍睹。他无精打采,举步维艰;仿佛他不明所以,不肯向前,也根本不想再迈一步,如果他还有什么可高兴的,大概就是巴不得在最近的一棵树下躺倒,无所事事地躺上一辈子。树叶会撒落在他身上,泥土会逐渐堆积,从而在他身上形成一个小土丘,无需过问他的躯体内还有无生命。死亡这个十分明确的目标,是不必巴望,也不必回避的。

To Hester's eye, the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale exhibited no symptom of positive and vivacious suffering, except that, as little Pearl had remarked, he kept his hand over his heart.
在海丝特的眼中,丁梅斯代尔牧师先生除去象小珠儿曾经说过的那样,总用手捂着心口之外,没有表现出显面易见的受折磨的征候。