"That, good sir, is but a fantasy of yours," replied the minister."There can be, if I forebode aright, no power, short of the Divine mercy, to disclose, whether by uttered words, or by type or emblem, the secrets that may be buried with a human heart. The heart, making itself guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed. Nor have I so read or interpreted Holy Writ, as to understand that the disclosure of human thoughts and deeds, then to be made, is intended as a part of the retribution. That, surely, were a shallow view of it. No; these revelations, unless I greatly err, are meant merely to promote the intellectual satisfaction of all intelligent beings, who will stand waiting, on that day, to see the dark problem of this life made plain. A knowledge of men's hearts will be needful to the completest solution of that problem. And I conceive, moreover, that the hearts holding such miserable secrets as you speak of will yield them up, at that last day, not with reluctance, but with a joy unutterable."
“这样解释，好先生，不过是你自己的想象，”牧师答道。“如果我的预感不错的话，除去上天的仁慈，没有什么力量，无论是通过讲出来的语言或是任何形式的标志，能够揭示可能埋在一个人心里的秘密。那颗因怀有这种秘密而有负罪感的心，也就此必然将秘密保持下去，直到一切隐秘的事情都要予以揭示的那一天。就我阅读和宣讲的《圣经》而论，我并不认为，人们的思想和行为到了非揭示不可的时刻，就一定是一种报应。这种看法确实是非常肤浅的。绝非如此；除非我的见解根本不对，我认为这种揭示仅仅意昧着促使一切智者在知识上的满足，他们将在那一天立等看到人生中的阴暗问题得以揭示；需要有一种对人心的知识来彻底解决那一问题。何况，我还设想，如你所说的那种怀有这些痛苦的隐私的心，到了最后那一天非袒露不可的时候，不是不情愿的，倒是带着一种难言的愉快的。”

"Then why not reveal them here?" asked Roger Chillingworth, glancing quietly aside at the minister. "Why should not the guilty ones sooner avail themselves of this unutterable solace?"
“那么，何必不及时说出来呢？”罗杰·齐灵渥斯平静地斜睨着牧师说。“有负罪感的人为什么不尽早地让自己获得这种难言的慰藉呢？”

"They mostly do," said the clergyman, griping hard at his breast, as if afflicted with an importunate throb of pain. "Many, many a poor soul hath given its confidence to me, not only on the deathbed, but while strong in life, and fair in reputation. And ever, after such an outpouring, oh, what a relief have I witnessed in those sinful brethren! even as in one who at last draws free air, after long stifling with his own polluted breath. How can it be otherwise? Why should a wretched man, guilty, we will say, of murder, prefer to keep the dead corpse buried in his own heart, rather than fling it forth at once, and let the universe take care of it?"
“他们大多能这么做，”牧师一边说着，一边紧紧捂住自己的心口，象是有揪心的疼痛纠缠着他。“许许多多可怜的灵魂向我作过仟悔，不仅是在生命弥留的病倔上，而且也在精力旺盛、名声良好的时刻。何况，我还亲眼看到，在作了这样一番倾诉之后，那些负罪的兄弟们有多么轻松！就象是被自己污浊的呼吸长时间窒息之后，终于吸进了自由的空气。还能是别的情况吗？一个倒霉的人，比如说犯了谋杀罪吧，怎么可能宁愿把死尸埋在自己心中，而不肯把尸体马上抛出去，听凭世界去安排呢！”

"Yet some men bury their secrets thus," observed the calm physician.
“然而，有些人就是这样埋葬着自己的秘密的，”那安详的医生评论着。