Chapter 02 THE MARKET-PLACE
第二章 市场

"She hath good skill at her needle, that's certain," remarked one of her female spectators; "but did ever a woman, before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it! Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for a punishment?"
“她倒做得一手好针线,这是不用说的,”一个旁观的女人说,“这个厚脸皮的淫妇居然想到用这一手来显示自己,可真是从来汲见过我说,婆娘们,这纯粹是当面笑话我们那些规规矩矩的宫老爷,这不是借火入先生们判的刑罚来大出风头吗?”

"It were well," muttered the most iron-visaged of the old dames, "if we stripped Madam Hester's rich gown off her dainty shoulders; and as for the red letter, which she hath stitched so curiously, I'll bestow a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel, to make a fitter one!"
“我看啊!”一个面孔板得最紧的老太婆咕哦着,“要是我们能把海丝特太太那件讲究的衣袍从她秀气的肩膀上扒下来,倒挺不钱;至于她绣得稀奇古怪的那个红字嘛,我倒愿意货给她一块我害风湿病用过的法兰绒破布片,做出来才更合适呢!”
 

"Oh, peace, neighbours, peace!" whispered their youngest companion; "do not let her hear you! Not a stitch in that embroidered letter, but she has felt it in her heart."
“噢,安静点,街坊们,安静点!”她们当中最年轻的同伴悄声说;“别让她听见体们的话!她绣的那个宇,针针线线全都扎到她心口上呢。”

The grim beadle now made a gesture with his staff.
狱吏此时用权杖做了个姿势。

"Make way, good people, make way, in the King's name!" cried he."Open a passage; and, I promise ye, Mistress Prynne shall be set where man, woman, and child, may have a fair sight of her brave apparel, from this time till an hour past meridian. A blessing on the righteous Colony of the Massachusetts, where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine! Come along, Madam Hester, and show your scarlet letter in the market-place!"
“让开路,好心的人们,让开路,看在国王的份上!”他叫嚷着。“让开一条队我向诸位保证,白兰太太要站的地方,无论男女老少都可以看清她的漂亮的衣服,从现在起直到午后一点,保你们看个够。祝福光明正大的马萨诸塞殖民地,一切罪恶都得拉出来见见太阳!过来,海丝特太太,在这市场上亮亮你那鲜红的字母吧!”

A lane was forthwith opened through the crowd of spectators. Preceded by the beadle, and attended by an irregular procession of stern-browed men and unkindly-visaged women, Hester Prynne set forth towards the place appointed for her punishment. A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys, understanding little of the matter in hand, except that it gave them a half-holiday, ran before her progress, turning their heads continually to stare into her face, and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast. It was no great distance, in those days, from the prison-door to the market-place. Measured by the prisoner's experience, however, it might be reckoned a journey of some length; for, haughty as her demeanour was, she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her, as if her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon. In our nature, however, there is a provision alike marvellous and merciful, that the sufferer should never know the intensity of what he endures by its present torture, but chiefly by the pang that rankles after it. With almost a serene deportment, therefore, Hester Prynne passed through this portion of her ordeal, and came to a sort of scaffold, at the western extremity of the market-place. It stood nearly beneath the eaves of Boston's earliest church, and appeared to be a fixture there.
围观的人群中挤开了一条通路。海丝特·白兰跟着在前面开路的狱吏,身后昆随着拧眉攒目购男人和心狠面恶的女人的不成形的队伍,走向指定让她示众的地方。一大群怀着好奇心来凑热闹的小男孩,对眼前的事态不明所以,只晓得学校放了他们半天假,他们一边在头前跑着,一边不时回过头来盯着她的脸、她怀中抱着的眨着眼的婴儿、还有她胸前那个丢人现眼的红字。当年,从牢门到市场没有几步路。然而,要是以囚犯的体验来测量,恐怕是一个路途迢迢的旅程;因为她虽说是高视阔步,但在人们逼视的目光下,每迈出一步都要经历一番痛苦,似乎她的心已经给抛到满心,任凭所有的人碾踩践踏。然而,在我们人类的本性中,原有一条既绝妙又慈悲的先天准备:遭受苦难的人在承受痛楚的当时并不能觉察到其剧烈的程度,反倒是过后延绵的折磨最能使其撕心裂肺。因此,海丝特·白兰简直是以一种安详的举止,度过了此时的磨难,来到市场西端的刑台跟前。这座刑台几乎就竖在波士顿最早的教堂的檐下,看上去象是教堂的附属建筑。