Chapter 15 HESTER AND PEARL
第十五章 海丝特和珠儿

Her final employment was to gather sea-weed, of various kinds, and make herself a scarf, or mantle, and a head-dress, and thus assume the aspect of a little mermaid. She inherited her mother's gift for devising drapery and costume. As the last touch to her mermaid garb, Pearl took some eel-grass, and imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom, the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother's. A letter- the letter A- but freshly green, instead of scarlet! The child bent her chin upon her breast, and contemplated this device with strange interest; even as if the one only thing for which she had been sent into the world was to make out its hidden import.
她最后一件事是采集各种海草,给自己做了一条围巾或披肩,还有一圈头饰,把自己打扮成一个小人鱼的模样。她倒是继承了她母亲那种制做服装衣饰的天才。珠儿拿过一片大叶藻给她那身人鱼的装束做最后的点缀:她在自己的胸前,尽力模仿着她所极熟悉的她母亲胸上的装饰,也为自己佩了一个。一个字母“A";,不过不是腥红的,而且鲜绿的!这孩子把下额抵到胸口,怀着奇妙的兴致端详着这一玩艺儿,仿佛她诞生到这个世界上的唯一目的就是弄清其隐秘的含义。

"I wonder if mother will ask me what it means?" thought Pearl.
“我不知道妈妈会不会问我这是什么意思!”珠儿想道。

Just then, she heard her mother's voice, and flitting along as lightly as one of the little sea-birds, appeared before Hester Prynne, dancing, laughing, and pointing her finger to the ornament upon her bosom.
就在这时,她听到了她母亲的呼唤,就象一只小海鸟似的一路轻快地跑跳着,来到海丝特·白兰的面前,又跳又笑地用手指着自己胸前的装饰。

"My little Pearl," said Hester, after a moment's silence, "the green letter, and on thy childish bosom, has no purport. But dost thou know, my child, what this letter means which thy mother is doomed to wear?"
“我的小珠儿,”海丝特沉默了一会儿之后说,“那绿色的字母,在你童稚的胸口是没有意义的。不过,我的孩子,你可知道你妈妈非戴不可的这个字母的意思吗?”。

"Yes, mother," said the child. "It is the great letter A. Thou hast taught me in the hornbook."
“知道的,妈妈,”那孩子说。“那是一个大写的A宇。你已经在字帖上教过我了。”

Hester looked steadily into her little face; but, though there was that singular expression which she had so often remarked in her black eyes, she could not satisfy herself whether Pearl really attached any meaning to the symbol. She felt a morbid desire to ascertain the point.
海丝特目不转睛地盯着她的小脸;然而,孩子那黑眼睛中虽然带着平时极其独特的表情,她却说不准珠儿是否当真把什么意思同那象征联系到了一起。她感到有一种病态的欲望想弄明白这一点。

"Dost thou know, child, wherefore thy mother wears this letter?"
“孩子,你知道你妈妈为什么要戴这个字母吗?”

"Truly do I!" answered Pearl, looking brightly into her mother's face. "It is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart!"
“我当然知道!”珠儿说着,闪光的眸子紧盯着她母亲的面孔。“这和牧师用手捂住心口都是出于同样的原因!”