This learned stranger was exemplary, as regarded, at least, the outward forms of a religious life, and, early after his arrival, had chosen for his spiritual guide the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The young divine, whose scholar-like renown still lived in Oxford, was considered by his more fervent admirers as little less than a heavenly-ordained apostle, destined, should he live and labour for the ordinary term of life, to do as great deeds for the now feeble New England Church, as the early Fathers had achieved for the infancy of the Christian faith. About this period, however, the health of Mr. Dimmesdale had evidently begun to fail. By those best acquainted with his habits, the paleness of the young minister's cheek was accounted for by his too earnest devotion to study, his scrupulous fulfilment of parochial duty, and, more than all, by the fasts and vigils of which he made a frequent practice, in order to keep the grossness of this earthly state from clogging and obscuring his spiritual lamp. Some declared, that, if Mr. Dimmesdale were really going to die, it was cause enough, that the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet. He himself, on the other hand, with characteristic humility, avowed his belief, that, if Providence should see fit to remove him, it would be because of his own unworthiness to perform its humblest mission here on earth. With all this difference of opinion as to the cause of his decline, there could be no question of the fact. His form grew emaciated; his voice, though still rich and sweet, had a certain melancholy prophecy of decay in it; he was often observed, on any slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicative of pain.
人們認為，這位陌生的學者至少在宗教生活的表面形式上看，堪稱楷模；他來到之后不久，就選定丁梅斯代爾牧師先生作他精神上的導師。這位年輕的圣徒在牛津始終享有學者般的聲謄，他的最熱心的崇拜者認為，在他的有生之年，只要他能為如今尚屬無力的新英格蘭教會做出象古代圣徒在基督教信仰初期所成就的那種偉業(yè)，便可與上天指定的使徒相提并論。然而，就在此時，丁梅斯代爾先生的健康開始明顯地惡化。據(jù)那些最熟悉他日常生活的人說，這位年輕牧師的面頰之所以蒼白，是因為他過分熱衷于潛心研究學問和一絲不茍地完成教區(qū)的職守，尤其是為使粗鄙的世俗環(huán)境不致遮蔽他精神上的明燈，他經(jīng)常徹夜不眠并施行齋戒。還有人宣稱，如果丁梅斯代爾先生當真要死，無非是因為這個世界不配他的腳再在上面踩踏。反之，他本人則以他特有的謙遜申明他的信念：如果天意認為他應該離世，那就是因為他沒有資格在這人世間執(zhí)行其最卑微的使命。雖說對他健康每況愈下的原因眾說紛紜，但事實卻是不容質(zhì)疑的。他身體日見消損，他的嗓畜雖仍然豐潤而甜美，卻含有某種預示衰頹的憂郁；人們時常觀察到，每逢稍有驚恐或其它突發(fā)事件，他就會用手捂住心口，臉上一紅一自，說明他很痛苦。

Such was the young clergyman's condition, and so imminent the prospect that his dawning light would be extinguished, all untimely, when Roger Chillingworth made his advent to the town. His first entry on the scene, few people could tell whence, dropping down, it were, out of the sky, or starting from the nether earth, had an aspect of mystery, which was easily heightened to the miraculous. He was now known to be a man of skill; it was observed that he gathered herbs, and the blossoms of wild-flowers, and dug up roots, and plucked off twigs from the forest-trees like one acquainted with hidden virtues in what was valueless to common eyes. He was heard to speak of Sir Kenelm Digby, and other famous men- whose scientific attainments were esteemed hardly less than supernatural- as having been his correspondents or associates. Why, with such rank in the learned world, had he come hither? What could he, whose sphere was in great cities, be seeking in the wilderness? In answer to this query, a rumour gained ground- and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people- that Heaven had wrought an absolute miracle, by transporting an eminent Doctor of Physic, from a German university, bodily through the air, and setting him down at the door of Mr. Dimmesdale's study! Individuals of wiser faith, indeed, who knew that Heaven promotes its purposes without aiming at the stage-effect of what is called miraculous interposition, were inclined to see a providential hand in Roger Chillingworth's so opportune arrival.
這位青年牧師的身體就是這種狀況，當羅杰·齊靈渥斯初到鎮(zhèn)上的時候，情況已經(jīng)相當危險，這年輕人的曙光眼見就要過早地殞滅了。齊靈渥斯首次登場時，誰也說不出所以然，簡直象是從天而降或從地獄鉆出，這就具有一種神秘色彩，從而很容易被夸大成奇跡。如今無人不曉他是一名醫(yī)生！人們注意到他采集藥草、摘取野花、挖掘植根，還從樹上折取細校，常人眼中的無用之物，他似是熟知其隱含的價值。人們聽到他提起坎奈姆·狄戈比爵士①和其他名人——他們的科學造詣簡直被視作超自然的，但他卻說是他的筆友或熟人。他既然在學術界地位如此之高，為什么要到這里來呢？他的天地理應在大城市，在這蠻荒野地中又能尋找到什么呢？為了回答這些疑問，于是就有了謠言的土壤，不管一些風傳多么離奇，也為一些明智的人所接受：說是上天創(chuàng)造了一個絕對的奇跡，把一位著名的醫(yī)學博士，從一所德意志大學里，憑空攝到了丁梅斯代爾先生書齋的門前。而一些具有更加聰慧的信仰的人明知，上天為實現(xiàn)其目的，不必求助于所謂奇跡的插曲來達到舞臺效果，但也樂于看到羅杰·齊靈握斯是假上天之手才及時到來的。