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

SO Roger Chillingworth- a deformed old figure, with a face that haunted men's memories longer than they liked- took leave of Hester Prynne, and went stooping away along the earth. He gathered here and there an herb, or grubbed up a root, and put it into the basket on his arm. His grey beard almost touched the ground, as he crept onward. Hester gazed after him a little while, looking with a half fantastic curiosity to see whether the tender grass of early spring would not be blighted beneath him, and show the wavering track of his footsteps, sere and brown, across its cheerful verdure. She wondered what sort of herbs they were, which the old man was so sedulous to gather. Would not the earth, quickened to an evil purpose by the sympathy of his eye, greet him with poisonous shrubs, of species hitherto unknown, that would start up under his fingers? Or might it suffice him, that every wholesome growth should be converted into something deleterious and malignant at his touch? Did the sun, which shone so brightly everywhere else, really fall upon him? Or was there, as it rather seemed, a circle of ominous shadow moving along with his deformity, whichever way he turned himself? And whither was he now going? Would he not suddenly sink into the earth, leaving a barren and blasted spot, where, in due course of time, would be seen deadly nightshade, dogwood, henbane, and whatever else of vegetable wickedness the climate could produce, all flourishing with hideous luxuriance? Or would he spread bat's wings and flee away, looking so much the uglier, the higher he rose towards heaven?
就这样,罗杰·齐灵渥斯——那个身材畸形的老人,他那张面孔会长时间地萦绕在人们的脑海,想忘都忘不掉——离开了海丝特·白兰,一路弯着腰走开了。他东一处西一处地采集一棵药草或挖掘一个树根,然后装进他挎着的提篮里。他深猫着腰朝前走着,灰白的胡须几乎触到了地面。海丝特在他身后盯视了一小会儿,怀着一种有点想入非非的好奇心,想看清楚早春的嫩草会不会在他脚下枯萎,那一片欣欣向荣的葱翠会不会显出一条枯褐、弯曲的足迹。她不晓得那老人如此勤快地采集的是哪种药草。坟地会不会在他目光的感应下立刻产生邪意,在他手指的一触之下马上生出一种从不知名的毒草来迎接他呢?或者说,大地会不会把每一种良木益草在他接触之后都变成毒木莠草来满足他呢?那普照四方的明亮的太阳是不是也当真能照到他身上呢?或者说,是不是有一圈不样的阴影,当真象看上去的那样,始终伴随着他那畸形的身躯,任凭他走到哪里都如影随形呢?那么,现在他又往哪里去了呢?他会不会突然沉入地下?从而留下一块枯荒之地,很需要经过一段时间,才会看见龙葵、山茱萸、杀生草以及其它种种在这一气候中能够生长的毒草,可怕地滋生蔓延起来。或者说,他会不会展开蝙蝠的翅膀腾空飞去,飞得越高,样子越丑呢?

"Be it sin or no," said Hester Prynne bitterly, as she still gazed after him, "I hate the man!"
“不管是不是罪过,”海丝特·白兰一边继续注视着他的背影,一边狠狠地说,“我反正恨这个人!”