"You wrong yourself in this," said Hester gently. "You have deeply and sorely repented. Your sin is left behind you, in the days long past. Your present life is not less holy, in very truth, than it seems in people's eyes. Is there no reality in the penitence thus sealed and witnessed by good works? And wherefore should it not bring you peace?"
“你在這一點(diǎn)上冤枉了自己，”海絲特溫和地說。“你已經(jīng)深刻而痛徹地悔過了。’你的罪過早已在逝去的歲月中被你拋棄在身后了。說實(shí)在的，你目前的生活并不比人們心目中的神圣的彌差什么。你這樣大做好事來彌補(bǔ)和證實(shí)你的悔過，難道還不是真心誠意，實(shí)實(shí)在在的嗎？為什么還不能給你帶來平靜呢？”

"No, Hester, no!" replied the clergyman. "There is no substance in it! It is cold and dead, and can do nothing for me! Of penance, I have had enough! Of penitence, there has been none! Else, I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have shown myself to mankind as they will see me at the judgment-seat. Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognises me for what I am! Had I one friend- or were it my worst enemy!- to whom, when sickened with the praises of all other men, I could daily betake myself, and be known as the vilest of all sinners, methinks my soul might keep itself alive thereby. Even thus much of truth would save me! But, now, it is all falsehood!- all emptiness!- all death!"
“不成，海絲特，不成啊！”牧師應(yīng)道?！捌渲胁]有實(shí)實(shí)在在的東西！那是冰冷與死寂的，對(duì)我毫無用處！懺悔嘛，我已經(jīng)做得夠多的了！可是悔過呢，還一點(diǎn)沒有！不然的話，我早就該拋掉這貌似神圣的道袍，象人們?cè)谧詈髮徟邢峡吹轿业哪菢?，袒露給他們看了。你是有幸的，海絲特，因?yàn)槟隳馨鸭t字公開地戴在胸前！可我的紅字卻在秘密地灼燒！你簡直想象不出，在經(jīng)過七年之久的欺騙的折磨之后，看到一雙眼睛能夠認(rèn)清我是什么貨色，我的心內(nèi)有多么輕松！假如我有一個(gè)朋友——或者說，哪怕他是我最惡毒的敵人！——能夠讓我在受到別人贊揚(yáng)得難過的時(shí)候，隨時(shí)到他那兒去一下，讓他知道我是一切罪人中最可恥的，我想，這樣我的靈魂或許還可得以生存。只消這小小的一點(diǎn)真誠就可以挽救我！可是，如今呢，一切全是虛偽！——全是空虛！——全是死亡！”

Hester Prynne looked into his face, but hesitated to speak. Yet, uttering his long-restrained emotions so vehemently as he did, his words here offered her the very point of circumstances in which to interpose what she came to say. She conquered her fears, and spoke.
海絲特·白蘭凝視著他的面孔，遲遲沒有開口。不過，他如此激烈地說出長期壓抑的情感，這番話倒給了她一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)，正好借以說出她來此想談的事。她克服了內(nèi)心的畏懼，終于啟齒了。?

"Such a friend as thou hast even now wished for," said she, "with whom to weep over thy sin, thou has in me, the partner of it!" Again she hesitated, but brought out the words with an effort, "Thou hast long had such an enemy, and dwellest with him, under the same roof!"
“象你此時(shí)所希望有的那樣一個(gè)朋友，”她說，“以便可以哭訴一下你的罪過，不是已經(jīng)有我了嘛——我是你的同案犯??！”——她又遲疑了，但還是咬了咬牙，把話說了出來。——“你也早就有了那樣一個(gè)敵人，你還和他同住在一所房子里呢!”

The minister started to his feet, gasping for breath, and clutching at his heart, as if he would have torn it out of his bosom.
牧師猛地站起身來，大口喘著租氣，緊緊抓住胸口，象是要把心摳出來。

"Ha! What sayest thou!" cried he. "An enemy! And under mine own roof! What mean you?"
“?。∧阏f什么！”他叫道?！耙粋€(gè)敵人！而且跟我住在一起！你是什么意思？”