"When we last spake together," said Hester, "now seven years ago, it was your pleasure to extorta promise of secrecy, as touching the former relation betwixtyourself and me. As the life and good fame of yonder man were in your hands, there seemed no choice to me, save to be silent, in accordance with your behest. Yet it was not without heavy misgivings that I thus bound myself; for, having cast off all duty towards other human beings, there remained a duty towards him; and something whispered me that I was betraying it, in pledgingmyself to keep your counsel. Since that day, no man is so near to him as you. You tread behind his every footstep. You are beside him, sleeping and waking. You search his thoughts. You burrow and ranklein his heart! Your clutch is on his life, and you cause him to die daily a living death; and still he knows you not. In permitting this, I have surely acted a false part by the only man to whom the power was left me to be true!"
“我们上次在一起交谈的时候,海丝特说,“是在七年以前,当时你迫使我答应为你我之间原先的关系保密。由于那个人的生命和名声全都在你的把握之中,我除去遵从你的意志保持沉默之外,似乎已别无出路。’然而我受到这一承诺的约束,不能不疑虑重重;因为我虽然抛弃了对其他人的一切责任,却还保有对他的责任;而有一个声音在悄悄对我说,在我发誓为你保密之时,就背叛了这一职责。从那一天起,谁都没有象你这么接近他。你跟踪着他的沉重的脚步。你无论睡着醒着都守在他的身旁。你搜寻着他的思想。你挖掘并折磨他的心灵!你玩弄他于你的股掌之上,让他镇日里备受死去活来之苦;然而他对你竟依旧毫不了解。他是上天留给我保持忠诚的唯一的一个人,我却允许你对他这般肆虐,我确实扮演了一个虚伪的角色!
【英文名著精选阅读:《红字》第十四章(上)】相关文章:
★ 英文名著精选阅读:《小妇人》第三章:劳伦斯家的男孩 第7节
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