"You wrong yourself in this," said Hester gently. "You have deeply and sorely repented. Your sin is left behind you, in the days long past. Your present life is not less holy, in very truth, than it seems in people's eyes. Is there no reality in the penitence thus sealed and witnessed by good works? And wherefore should it not bring you peace?"
“你在这一点上冤枉了自己，”海丝特温和地说。“你已经深刻而痛彻地悔过了。’你的罪过早已在逝去的岁月中被你抛弃在身后了。说实在的，你目前的生活并不比人们心目中的神圣的弥差什么。你这样大做好事来弥补和证实你的悔过，难道还不是真心诚意，实实在在的吗？为什么还不能给你带来平静呢？”

"No, Hester, no!" replied the clergyman. "There is no substance in it! It is cold and dead, and can do nothing for me! Of penance, I have had enough! Of penitence, there has been none! Else, I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have shown myself to mankind as they will see me at the judgment-seat. Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognises me for what I am! Had I one friend- or were it my worst enemy!- to whom, when sickened with the praises of all other men, I could daily betake myself, and be known as the vilest of all sinners, methinks my soul might keep itself alive thereby. Even thus much of truth would save me! But, now, it is all falsehood!- all emptiness!- all death!"
“不成，海丝特，不成啊！”牧师应道。“其中并没有实实在在的东西！那是冰冷与死寂的，对我毫无用处！忏悔嘛，我已经做得够多的了！可是悔过呢，还一点没有！不然的话，我早就该抛掉这貌似神圣的道袍，象人们在最后审判席上看到我的那样，袒露给他们看了。你是有幸的，海丝特，因为你能把红字公开地戴在胸前！可我的红字却在秘密地灼烧！你简直想象不出，在经过七年之久的欺骗的折磨之后，看到一双眼睛能够认清我是什么货色，我的心内有多么轻松！假如我有一个朋友——或者说，哪怕他是我最恶毒的敌人！——能够让我在受到别人赞扬得难过的时候，随时到他那儿去一下，让他知道我是一切罪人中最可耻的，我想，这样我的灵魂或许还可得以生存。只消这小小的一点真诚就可以挽救我！可是，如今呢，一切全是虚伪！——全是空虚！——全是死亡！”

Hester Prynne looked into his face, but hesitated to speak. Yet, uttering his long-restrained emotions so vehemently as he did, his words here offered her the very point of circumstances in which to interpose what she came to say. She conquered her fears, and spoke.
海丝特·白兰凝视着他的面孔，迟迟没有开口。不过，他如此激烈地说出长期压抑的情感，这番话倒给了她一个机会，正好借以说出她来此想谈的事。她克服了内心的畏惧，终于启齿了。 

"Such a friend as thou hast even now wished for," said she, "with whom to weep over thy sin, thou has in me, the partner of it!" Again she hesitated, but brought out the words with an effort, "Thou hast long had such an enemy, and dwellest with him, under the same roof!"
“象你此时所希望有的那样一个朋友，”她说，“以便可以哭诉一下你的罪过，不是已经有我了嘛——我是你的同案犯啊！”——她又迟疑了，但还是咬了咬牙，把话说了出来。——“你也早就有了那样一个敌人，你还和他同住在一所房子里呢!”

The minister started to his feet, gasping for breath, and clutching at his heart, as if he would have torn it out of his bosom.
牧师猛地站起身来，大口喘着租气，紧紧抓住胸口，象是要把心抠出来。

"Ha! What sayest thou!" cried he. "An enemy! And under mine own roof! What mean you?"
“啊！你说什么！”他叫道。“一个敌人！而且跟我住在一起！你是什么意思？”