Chapter 12 THE MINISTER'S VIGIL
第十二章　牧師的夜游

There was a singular circumstance that characterised Mr. Dimmesdale's psychological state at this moment. All the time that he gazed upward to the zenith, he was, nevertheless, perfectly aware that little Pearl was pointing her finger towards old Roger Chillingworth, who stood at no great distance from the scaffold. The minister appeared to see him, with the same glance that discerned the miraculous letter. To his features, as to all other objects, the meteoric light imparted a new expression; or it might well be that the physician was not careful then, as at all other times, to hide the malevolence with which he looked upon his victim. Certainly, if the meteor kindled up the sky, and disclosed the earth, with an awfulness that admonished Hester Prynne and the clergyman of the day of judgment, then might Roger Chillingworth have passed with them for the arch-fiend, standing there with a smile and scowl, to claim his own. So vivid was the expression, or so intense the minister's perception of it, that it seemed still to remain painted on the darkness, after the meteor had vanished, with an effect as if the street and all things else were at once annihilated.
當(dāng)時(shí)還有一個(gè)特殊的細(xì)節(jié)可以說(shuō)明了梅斯代爾先生的心理狀態(tài)。在仰望天頂?shù)恼麄€(gè)過(guò)程中，他始終非常清楚，小珠兒在指著站得離刑臺(tái)不遠(yuǎn)的老羅杰·齊靈渥斯。牧師似乎用辨出那神奇字母的同樣目光，也看見了他。流星的亮光，如同對(duì)一切其它物體一樣，也給予他的容貌一種嶄新的表情；也可能是，醫(yī)生當(dāng)時(shí)沒有象乎素那樣小心地掩飾他看著自己的犧牲品時(shí)的那種惡毒樣子。誠(chéng)然，如果那流星照亮了天空，顯現(xiàn)了大地，并以末日審判來(lái)威脅海絲特·白蘭和牧師的話，那么，羅杰·齊靈渥斯就可以看作是魔王，他怒目獰笑地站在那里，等候著來(lái)認(rèn)領(lǐng)他們。他的表情如此真切，或者說(shuō)，牧師對(duì)其感覺是那么強(qiáng)烈，直到那流星殞落、街道及一切其它東西都立即湮滅之后，依然如畫般地保持在黑暗中。

"Who is that man, Hester?" gasped Mr. Dimmesdale, overcome with terror. "I shiver at him! Dost thou know the man? I hate him, Hester!"
“那人是誰(shuí)，海絲特？”丁梅斯代爾先生心驚膽戰(zhàn)地喘著氣說(shuō)?！拔乙灰娝桶l(fā)抖！你認(rèn)識(shí)那人嗎？我恨他，海絲特！”

She remembered her oath, and was silent.
她記起了她的誓言，便默不作聲。

"I tell thee, my soul shivers at him!" muttered the minister again. "Who is he? Who is he? Canst thou do nothing for me? I have a nameless horror of the man!"
“我告訴你，一見到他，我的靈魂就發(fā)抖！”牧師又囁嚅著說(shuō)?！八钦l(shuí)？他是誰(shuí)？你不能幫我一下嗎？我對(duì)那人有一種無(wú)名的恐懼！”

"Minister," said little Pearl, "I can tell thee who he is!"
“牧師，”小珠兒說(shuō)，“我能告訴你他是誰(shuí)！”

"Quickly, then, child!" said the minister, bending his ear close to her lips. "Quickly!- and as low as thou canst whisper."
“那就快說(shuō)吧，孩子！”牧師說(shuō)著，彎腰把耳朵湊近她的嘴唇。“快說(shuō)吧！——悄悄地，盡量小聲點(diǎn)。”