While occupied with these reflections, a knock came at the door of the study, and the minister said, "Come in!"- not wholly devoid of an idea that he might behold an evil spirit. And so he did! It was old Roger Chillingworth that entered. The minister stood, white and speechless, with one hand on the Hebrew Scriptures, and the other spread upon his breast.
就在牧師沉浸在這些冥思苦想之中的時候，書齋的房門那兒傳來一聲敲門聲，牧師便說道，“請進！”——并非完全沒有料到他可能又要看到一個邪魔了。果不其然！進來的正是老羅杰·齊靈渥斯。牧師面包蒼白、默默無言地站在那里，一手放在希伯來文鮑《圣經(jīng)》上，另一只手則捂住心口。

"Welcome home, reverend sir," said the physician. "And how found you that godly man, the Apostle Eliot? But methinks, dear sir, you look pale; as if the travel through the wilderness had been too sore for you. Will not my aid be requisite to put you in heart and strength to preach your Election Sermon?"
“歡迎你回到家中，可敬的牧師先生，”醫(yī)生說。“你看那位圣潔的艾略特使徒可好?。靠墒俏铱茨愕臉幼雍苌n白，親愛的先生；看來你在荒野中的這次旅行過于疲憊不堪了。要不要我來幫忙你恢復一下身心健康，以便在慶祝選舉的布道中祈禱呢？”

"Nay, I think not so," rejoined the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. "My journey, and the sight of the holy Apostle yonder, and the free air which I have breathed, have done me good, after so long confinement in my study. I think to need no more of your drugs, my kind physician, good though they be, and administered by a friendly hand."
“不，我看不必了，”丁梅斯代爾牧師先生接口說?！拔疫@次旅行，同那位圣潔的使徒的會面，以及我所呼吸到的自由空氣，對我大有好處，原先我悶在書齋里的時間太長了。我想我已經(jīng)不再需要你的藥了，我的好心的醫(yī)生，雖說那些藥很好，又是一只友好的手給的?！?/div>

All this time, Roger Chillingworth was looking at the minister with the grave and intent regard of a physician towards his patient. But, in spite of his outward show, the latter was almost convinced of the old man's knowledge, or, at least, his confident suspicion, with respect to his own interview with Hester Prynne. The physician knew then, that, in the minister's regard, he was no longer a trusted friend, but his bitterest enemy. So much being known, it would appear natural that a part of it should be expressed. It is singular, however, how long a time often passes before words embody things; and with what security two persons, who choose to avoid a certain subject, may approach its very verge, and retire without disturbing it. Thus, the minister felt no apprehension that Roger Chillingworth would touch, in express words, upon the real position which they sustained towards one another. Yet did the physician, in his dark way, creep frightfully near the secret.
在這段時間里，羅杰·齊靈渥斯始終用醫(yī)生審視病人的那種嚴肅而專注的目光盯著牧師。他雖然表面上不動聲色，但幾乎確信，那老人已經(jīng)知道了，或者至少暗中猜測到了他同海絲特·白蘭已經(jīng)會過面。那么，醫(yī)生也就知道了，在牧師的心目中，他已不再是一個可信賴的朋友，而是一個最惡毒的敵人了。事情既然已經(jīng)昭然若揭，自然要有所流露。然而，奇妙的是，往往要經(jīng)過好長一段時間才能一語道破事實；而二人為了避免某一話題，又要何等小心翼翼地剛剛觸到邊緣，便又馬上退縮回去，才不致點破。因此，牧師不必擔心羅杰·齊靈渥斯會公然說出他們彼此維持的真正地位。不過，醫(yī)生以他那不為人知的手段，已經(jīng)可怕地爬近了秘密。