The directness of this appeal drew the eyes of the whole crowd upon the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale; a young clergyman, who had come from one of the great English universities, bringing all the learning of the age into our wild forest-land. His eloquence and religious fervour had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession. He was a person of very striking aspect, with a white, lofty, and impending brow, large, brown, melancholy eyes, and a mouth which, unless when he forcibly compressed it, was apt to be tremulous, expressing both nervous sensibility and a vast power of self-restraint. Notwithstanding his high native gifts and scholar-like attainments, there was an air about this young minister- an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look- as of a being who felt himself quite astray and at a loss in the pathway of human existence, and could only be at ease in some seclusion of his own. Therefore, so far as his duties would permit, he trod in the shadowy bypaths, and thus kept himself simple and childlike; coming forth, when occasion was, with a freshness, and fragrance, and dewy purity of thought, which, as many people said, affected them like the speech of an angel.
這番直截了當?shù)囊蟀颜麄€人群的目光都吸引到了丁徹斯代爾牧師的身上；他是畢業(yè)于英國—所名牌大學的年輕牧師，把當時的全部學識都梢到我們這片荒野密林曲地帶來了。他那雄辯的口才和宗教的熱情早已預示了他在自己的職業(yè)中將要飛黃騰達。他的外貌頗員艙力，有著高箕、白哲的額頭和一雙憂郁的褐色大眼，至于他的嘴唇，如果不是緊緊閉著，就會易于顫抖，表明了他既有神經(jīng)質(zhì)的敏感又有極大的自制力。盡管他有極高的天賦和學者般的造詣，這位年輕的牧師身上卻流露出一種憂心仲仲和驚慌失措的神色，恰似一個人在人生道路上偏離了方向，頗有迷惘之感，只有把自己封閉起來才覺得安然。因此，只要他的職責允許，他就在濃蔭密布的小徑上漫步，借以保持他自己的純真和稚氣；必要時，便會帶著清新馥郁和露水般晶瑩純潔的思想邁步走出來，正如許多人所說，使他們感受到天使般的言辭。

Such was the young man whom the Reverend Mr. Wilson and the Governor had introduced so openly to the public notice, bidding him speak, in the hearing of all men, to that mystery of a woman's soul, so sacred even in its pollution. The trying nature of his position drove the blood from his cheek, and made his lips tremulous.
威爾遜牧師先生和總督大人作了公開介紹并引起大家注意的，正是這樣一個年輕人。他們要他在眾人當場路聽的情況下，來盤詰那個女人靈魂中的秘密——而她的靈魂雖然受到玷污，依然神圣不可侵犯。他被置于隨她的境地，直通得他面頰上失去血色，雙唇不停地顫抖。

"Speak to the woman, my brother," said Mr. Wilson. "It is of moment to her soul, and therefore, as the worshipful Governor says, momentous to thine own, in whose charge hers is. Exhort her to confess the truth!"
“跟這個女人談談吧，我的兄弟，”威爾遜先生說?！斑@是她靈魂的關(guān)鍵時刻，而正如令人崇敬的總督大人所說，由于你對她的靈魂負有職責，因此，這對你自己的靈魂也同樣是關(guān)鍵時刻。勸誡她招認真情吧！”
?

The Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale bent his head, in silent prayer, as it seemed, and then came forward.
丁梅斯代爾牧師先生低下頭去，象是在默默祈禱，然后便邁步向前。

"Hester Prynne," said he, leaning over the balcony, and looking down steadfastly into her eyes, "thou hearest what this good man says, and seest the accountability under which I labour. If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life. What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him- yea, compel him, as it were- to add hypocrisy to sin? Heaven hath granted thee an open ignominy, that thereby thou mayest work out an open triumph over the evil within thee, and the sorrow without. Take heed how thou deniest to him-who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself- the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips!"
“海絲特·白蘭，”他俯身探出陽臺，堅定地朝下凝視著她的眼睛說著，“你已經(jīng)聽到了這位好心的先生所講的話，也已經(jīng)看到了我所肩負的重任。如果你感到這樣做了可以使你的靈魂得以平靜，使你現(xiàn)世所受的懲罰可以更有效地拯救你的靈魂，那么我就責令你說出同你一起犯罪的同伙和同你一起遭罪的難友！不要由于對他抱有錯誤的憐憫和溫情而保持沉默吧；因為，請你相信我的話，海絲特，雖然那樣一來，他就要從高位上走下來，站到你的身邊，和你同受示眾之辱，但總比終生埋藏著一顆罪惡的心靈要好受得多。你的沉默對他能有何用？無非是誘引他——事實上是迫使他——在罪孽上再蒙以虛偽！上天已經(jīng)賜給你一個當眾受辱的機會，你就該借以光明磊落地戰(zhàn)勝你內(nèi)心的邪惡和外表的悲傷?，F(xiàn)在呈獻到你唇邊的那杯辛辣而有益的苦酒，那人或許缺乏勇氣去接過來端給自己，可我要提請你注意，不要阻止他去接受吧！”