The minister had inquired of Hester, with no little interest, the precise time at which the vessel might be expected to depart. It would probably be on the fourth day from the present. "That is most fortunate!" he had then said to himself. Now, why the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale considered it so very fortunate, we hesitate to reveal. Nevertheless- to hold nothing back from the reader- it was because, on the third day from the present, he was to preachthe Election Sermon; and, as such an occasion formed an honourable epochin the life of a New England clergyman, he could not have chanced upon a more suitable mode and time of terminating his professional career. "At least, they shall say of me," thought this exemplaryman, "that I leave no public duty unperformed, nor ill performed!" Sad, indeed, that an introspectionso profoundand acute as this poor minister's should be so miserably deceived! We have had, and may still have, worse things to tell of him; but none, we apprehend, so pitiably weak; no evidence, at once so slight and irrefragable, of a subtle disease, that had long since begun to eat into the real substance of his character. No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.
牧师曾经兴致勃勃地向海丝特询问了那艘船可能启航的准确时间。大概是从那天算起的第四天。“那可太幸运了!他当时曾经这样自言自语。那么,为什么丁梅斯代尔牧师先生认为狠幸运呢?我们本不大想公之于众;然而,为了对读者无所隐瞒,我们不妨说说,因为在第三天,他要在庆祝选举的布道会上宣教;由于这样一个机缘构成了新英格兰牧师一生中的荣誉时期,因此也就成了他结束他的牧师生涯的难得的最恰当的方式和时机。“至少,他们在谈起我时,这位为人楷模的人自忖,“会认为裁并非未尽公职或草草了事!象这位可怜的牧师如此深刻和一丝不苟的自省,居然会遭到被人欺骗的悲惨下场,委实令人伤心!我们已经说过、也许还会说到他这个人的过失;但就我们所知,没有一件比这更软弱得可怜的了;眼下也没有任何证据比这更微不足道却无可辩驳地说明:一种微妙的疾病早巳开始蚕食他性格的实体了。在相当长的时期内,谁也无法对自己装扮出一副面孔,而对众人又装扮出另一副面孔,其结果必然是连他本人都会弄不清到底哪一副是真实的了。
【英文名著精选阅读:《红字》第二十章(上)】相关文章:
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