"They wait to see the procession pass," said Hester. "For the Governor and the magistrates are to go by, and the ministers, and all the great people and good people, with the music and the soldiers marching before them."
“他們等著看游行隊伍經過，”海絲特說。“因為總督和官員們要從這里走過，還有牧師們，以及所有的大人物和好心人，前面要有樂隊和士兵開路呢。”

"And will the minister be there?" asked Pearl. "And will he hold out both his hands to me, as when thou ledst me to him from the brook-side?"
“牧師會在那兒嗎？”珠兒問。“他會朝我伸出雙手，就象你從小河邊領著我去見他的時候那樣嗎？”

"He will be there, child," answered her mother. "But he will not greet thee to-day; nor must thou greet him."
“他會在那兒的，孩子，”她母親回答。“但是他今天不會招呼你；你也不該招呼他。”

"What a strange, sad man is he!" said the child, as if speaking partly to herself. "In the dark night-time he calls us to him, and holds thy hand and mine, as when we stood with him on the scaffold yonder! And in the deep forest, where only the old trees can hear, and the strip of sky see it, he talks with thee, sitting on a heap of moss! And he kisses my forehead, too, so that the little brook would hardly wash it off! But here, in the sunny day, and among all the people, he knows us not; nor must we know him! A strange, sad man is he, with his hand always over his heart!"
“他是一個多么奇怪、多么傷心的人?。　焙⒆诱f，有點象是自言自語?！霸谀莻€黑夜里，他叫咱們到他跟前去，還握住你和我的手，陪他一起站在那邊那個刑臺上。而在深源的樹林里，只有那些老樹能夠聽見、只有那一線青天可以看見的地方，他跟你坐在一堆青苔上談話！他還親吻了我的額頭，連小河的流水都洗不掉啦！可是在這兒，天上晴晴的，又有這么些人，他卻不認識我們；我們也不該認識他！他真是個又奇怪又傷心的人，總是用手捂著心口！”

"Be quiet, Pearl! Thou understandest not these things," said her mother. "Think not now of the minister, but look about thee, and see how cheery is everybody's face to-day. The children have come from their schools, and the grown people from their workshops and their fields, on purpose to be happy. For, to-day, a new man is beginning to rule over them; and so- as has been the custom of mankind ever since a nation was first gathered- they make merry and rejoice; as if a good and golden year were at length to pass over the poor old world!"
“別作聲，珠兒！你不明白這些事情，”她母親說。“這會兒別想著牧師，往周圍看看吧，看看大伙今天臉上有多高興，孩子們都從學校出來了，大人也都從店鋪和農田里走來了，為的就是高興一下子。因為，今天要有一個新人來統治他們了；自從人類第一次湊成一個國家就有這種習慣了，所以嘛，他們就病痛快快地來歡慶一番；就象又老又窮的世界終于要過上一個黃金般的好年景了！”

It was as Hester said, in regard to the unwonted jollity that brightened the faces of the people. Into this festal season of the year- as it already was, and continued to be during the greater part of two centuries- the Puritans compressed whatever mirth and public joy they deemed allowable to human infirmity; thereby so far dispelling the customary cloud, that, for the space of a single holiday, they appeared scarcely more grave than most other communities at a period of general affliction.
海絲特說得不錯，人們的臉上確實閃耀著非同凡響的歡樂。過去已然這樣，在隨后兩個世紀的大部分年月里依然如此，清教徒們把自認為人類的弱點所能容忍的一切歡樂和公共喜慶，全都壓縮在一年中的這一節(jié)日中；因此，他們總算撥開積年的陰霾，就這獨一無二的節(jié)日而論，他們的神情才不致比大多數別處的居民倒霉時的面容要嚴峻些。