The vulgar, who, in those drearyold times, were always contributing a grotesquehorror to what interested their imaginations, had a story about the scarlet letter which we might readily work up into a terrific legend. They averred, that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth, tingedin an earthly dye-pot, but was red-hot with infernalfire, and could be seen glowing all alight, whenever Hester Prynne walked abroad in the night-time. And we must needs say, it seared Hester's bosom so deeply, that perhaps there was more truth in the rumour than our modern incredulitymay be inclined to admit.
在那个压抑人性的古老年月里,凡夫俗子们对他们感兴趣的事情,总要涂上一层荒诞恐怖的色彩,他们就此杜撰了一篇关于红字的故事,我们完全可以随手写成一个骇人的传说。他们曾经断言,那个象征不仅是人间的染缸中染出来的红布,而且还由炼狱之火烧得通红,每逢海丝待·白兰夜间外出,那红字便闪闪发光。而我们应该说,那红字深深烙进海丝特的胸膛,因此在那个传说中包含着比我们如今将信将疑的更多的真理。
①《旧约.创世记》中说,该隐是亚当及夏接之长于,固妒嫉而杀死弟弟亚伯。
【英文名著精选阅读:《红字》第五章(下)】相关文章:
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