Chapter 14 HESTER AND THE PHYSICIAN
第十四章　海絲特和醫(yī)生

HESTER bade little Pearl run down to the margin of the water, and play with the shells and tangled seaweed, until she should have talked awhile with yonder gatherer of herbs. So the child flew away like a bird, and, making bare her small white feet, went pattering along the moist margin of the sea. Here and there she came to a full stop, and peeped curiously into a pool, left by the retiring tide as a mirror for Pearl to see her face in. Forth peeped at her, out of the pool, with dark, glistening curls around her head, and an elf-smile in her eyes, the image of a little maid, whom Pearl, having no other playmate, invited to take her hand, and run a race with her. But the visionary little maid, on her part, beckoned likewise, as if to say, "This is a better place! Come thou into the pool!" And Pearl, stepping in, mid-leg deep, beheld her own white feet at the bottom; while, out of a still lower depth, came the gleam of a kind of fragmentary smile, floating to and fro in the agitated water.Meanwhile, her mother had accosted the physician.
海絲特打發(fā)小珠兒跑到水邊去玩貝殼和纏結(jié)的海藻，好讓她同那邊那采藥人談一會兒話。那孩子便象鳥兒般地飛了開去，她那雙赤裸著的白白的小腳丫，一路拍著水在潮濕的海邊跑著。她不時停下身來，把退潮留下的水洼當作鏡子，好奇地朝里面照著她自己的面孔。水洼里，一個滿頭長著烏黑閃亮的鬃發(fā)、眼中露著小精靈般微笑的小姑娘，在朝她窺視，珠兒由于沒有別的玩伴，便伸手邀她同自己進行一場賽跑。但那映象的小鼓娘，也同樣和她伸手招呼，仿佛在說：“這地方更好些！你到水洼里來吧！”珠兒一腳踏進去，水沒到了膝蓋，她看見的只是水底的自己的白腳丫；同時，從更深的一層水下，映出了一種支離破碎的微笑，在動蕩的水中上下漂浮閃動。與此同時，她母親已和那醫(yī)生搭話了。?

"I would speak a word with you," said she- "a word that concerns us much."
“我想跟你談一談，”她說，“談?wù)勍覀冎陵P(guān)緊要的事。”

"Aha! and is it Mistress Hester that has a word for old Roger Chillingworth?" answered he, raising himself from his stooping posture. "With all my heart! Why, mistress, I hear good tidings of you, on all hands! No longer ago than yester-eve, a magistrate, a wise and godly man, was discoursing of your affairs, Mistress Hester, and whispered me that there had been question concerning you in the council. It was debated whether or no, with safety to the common weal, yonder scarlet letter might be taken off your bosom. On my life, Hester, I made my entreaty to the worshipful magistrate that it might be done forthwith!"
“啊哈！原來是海絲特太太有話要和老羅杰·齊靈渥斯說么？”他直起腰來回答說?！案吲d之極！噢，太太，我從各處都聽到有關(guān)你的好消息！就在昨天晚上，一位長官，一位圣明的人，還談起了你的事，海絲特太太，他悄悄告訴我，在議會中曾經(jīng)提及有關(guān)你的問題：大家議論起，要是把你胸前的紅字取下來，會不會對公眾的好運有妨礙。我敢發(fā)誓，海絲特，我當即懇求那可敬的長官，這事應(yīng)予立即施行！”

"It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge." calmly replied Hester. "Were I worthy to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into something that should speak a different purport."
“那些長官們可不樂于取下這徽記，”海絲特平靜地應(yīng)道?！耙俏矣匈Y格把這玩藝兒取下來，它就會自然而然地落下去，或是變成表示別的意思的東西了?！?/div>

"Nay, then, wear it, if it suit you better," rejoined he. "A woman must needs follow her own fancy touching the adornment of her person. The letter is gaily embroidered, and shows right bravely on your bosom!"
“那就別取下來啦，既然你覺得合適，就繼續(xù)戴下去吧，”他接著說?！坝|及女人的裝飾一事，那可得隨著她自己的心氣兒。那字母繡得那么鮮艷，戴在你胸前，恰到好處地顯示了你的勇敢！”