红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第4章

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ycollector　of　the　port；　had　created　an　office　for　him；　and　appointedhim　to　fill　it；　at　a　period　of　the　early　ages　which　few　living　men　cannow　remember。　This　Inspector；　when　I　first　knew　him；　was　a　man　offourscore　years；　or　thereabouts；　and　certainly　one　of　the　mostwonderful　specimens　of　winter…green　that　you　would　be　likely　todiscover　in　a　lifetime's　search。　With　his　florid　cheek；　his　pactfigure；　smartly　arrayed　in　a　bright…buttoned　blue　coat；　his　briskand　vigorous　step；　and　his　hale　and　hearty　aspect；　altogether　heseemed…　not　young；　indeed…　but　a　kind　of　new　contrivance　of　MotherNature　in　the　shape　of　man；　whom　age　and　infirmity　had　no　businessto　touch。　His　voice　and　laugh；　which　perpetually　reechoed　throughthe　Custom…House；　had　nothing　of　the　tremulous　quaver　and　cackle　of　anold　man's　utterance；　they　came　strutting　out　of　his　lungs；　like　thecrow　of　a　cock；　of　the　blast　of　a　clarion。　Looking　at　him　merely　as　ananimal…　and　there　was　very　little　else　to　look　at…　he　was　a　mostsatisfactory　object；　from　the　thorough　healthfulness　and　wholesomenessof　his　system；　and　his　capacity；　at　that　extreme　age；　to　enjoy　all；　ornearly　all；　the　delights　which　he　had　ever　aimed　at；　or　conceivedof。　The　careless　security　of　his　life　in　the　Custom…House；　on　aregular　ine；　and　with　but　slight　and　infrequent　apprehensions　ofremoval；　had　no　doubt　contributed　to　make　time　pass　lightly　overhim。　The　original　and　more　potent　causes；　however；　lay　in　the　rareperfection　of　his　animal　nature；　the　moderate　proportion　of　intellect；and　the　very　trifling　admixture　of　moral　and　spiritual　ingredients；these　latter　qualities；　indeed；　being　in　barely　enough　measure　to　keepthe　old　gentleman　from　walking　on　all…fours。　He　possessed　no　powerof　thought；　no　depth　of　feeling；　no　troublesome　sensibilities；nothing；　in　short；　but　a　few　monplace　instincts；　which；　aided　bythe　cheerful　temper　that　grew　inevitably　out　of　his　physicalwell…being；　did　duty　very　respectably；　and　to　general　acceptance；　inlieu　of　a　heart。　He　had　been　the　husband　of　three　wives；　all　longsince　dead；　the　father　of　twenty　children；　most　of　whom；　at　everyage　of　childhood　or　maturity；　had　likewise　returned　to　dust。　Here；　onewould　suppose；　might　have　been　sorrow　enough　to　imbue　the　sunniestdisposition；　through　and　through；　with　a　sable　tinge。　Not　so　withour　old　Inspector！　One　brief　sigh　sufficed　to　carry　off　the　entireburden　of　these　dismal　reminiscences。　The　next　moment；　he　was　as　readyfor　sport　as　any　unbreeched　infant；　far　readier　than　the　Collector'sjunior　clerk；　who；　at　nieen　years；　was　much　the　elder　and　graverman　of　the　two。　　I　used　to　watch　and　study　this　patriarchal　personage　with；　Ithink；　livelier　curiosity　than　any　other　form　of　humanity　therepresented　to　my　notice。　He　was；　in　truth；　a　rare　phenomenon；　soperfect　in　one　point　of　view；　so　shallow；　so　delusive；　soimpalpable；　such　an　absolute　nonentity；　in　every　other。　Myconclusion　was　that　he　had　no　soul；　no　heart；　no　mind；　nothing；　as　Ihave　already　said；　but　instincts：　and　yet；　withal；　so　cunningly　hadthe　few　materials　of　his　character　been　put　together；　that　there　wasno　painful　perception　of　deficiency；　but；　on　my　part；　an　entirecontentment　with　what　I　found　in　him。　It　might　be　difficult…　and　itwas　so…　to　conceive　how　he　should　exist　hereafter；　so　earthly　andsensuous　did　he　seem；　but　surely　his　existence　here；　admitting　that　itwas　to　terminate　with　his　last　breath；　had　been　not　unkindly　given；with　no　higher　moral　responsibilities　than　the　beasts　of　the　field；but　with　a　larger　scope　of　enjoyment　than　theirs；　and　with　all　theirblessed　immunity　from　the　dreariness　and　duskiness　of　age。　　One　point；　in　which　he　had　vastly　the　advantage　over　his　four…footedbrethren；　was　his　ability　to　recollect　the　good　dinners　which　it　hadmade　no　small　portion　of　the　happiness　of　his　life　to　eat。　Hisgourmandism　was　a　highly　agreeable　trait；　and　to　hear　him　talk　ofroast…meat　was　as　appetising　as　a　pickle　or　an　oyster。　As　he　possessedno　higher　attribute；　and　neither　sacrificed　nor　vitiated　any　spiritualendowment　by　devoting　all　his　energies　and　ingenuities　to　subserve　thedelight　and　profit　of　his　maw；　it　always　pleased　and　satisfied　me　tohear　him　expatiate　on　fish；　poultry；　and　butcher's　meat；　and　themost　eligible　methods　of　preparing　them　for　the　table。　Hisreminiscences　of　good　cheer；　however　ancient　the　date　of　the　actualbanquet；　seemed　to　bring　the　savour　of　pig　or　turkey　under　one'svery　nostrils。　There　were　flavours　on　his　palate；　that　had　lingeredthere　not　less　than　sixty　or　seventy　years；　and　were　stillapparently　as　fresh　as　that　of　the　mutton…chop　which　he　had　justdevoured　for　his　breakfast。　I　have　heard　him　smack　his　lips　overdinners；　every　guest　at　which；　except　himself；　had　long　been　foodfor　worms。　It　was　marvellous　to　observe　how　the　ghosts　of　bygone　mealswere　continually　rising　up　before　him；　not　in　anger　or　retribution；but　as　if　grateful　for　his　former　appreciation；　and　seeking　torepudiate　an　endless　series　of　enjoyment；　at　once　shadowy　and　sensual。A　tenderloin　of　beef；　a　hind…quarter　of　veal；　a　spare…rib　of　pork；　aparticular　chicken；　or　a　remarkably　praiseworthy　turkey；　which　hadperhaps　adorned　his　board　in　the　days　of　the　elder　Adams；　would　beremembered；　while　all　the　subsequent　experience　of　our　race；　and　allthe　events　that　brightened　or　darkened　his　individual　career；　had　goneover　him　with　as　little　permanent　effect　as　the　passing　breeze。　Thechief　tragic　event　of　the　old　man's　life；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　washis　mishap　with　a　certain　goose；　which　lived　and　died　some　twenty　orforty　years　ago；　a　goose　of　most　promising　figure；　but　which；　attable；　proved　so　inveterately　tough　that　the　carving…knife　wouldmake　no　impression　on　its　carcass；　and　it　could　only　be　divided　withan　axe　and　handsaw。　　But　it　is　time　to　quit　this　sketch；　on　which；　however；　I　should　beglad　to　dwell　at　considerably　more　length；　because；　of　all　men　whomI　have　ever　known；　this　individual　was　fittest　to　be　a　Custom…Houseofficer。　Most　persons；　owing　to　causes　which　I　may　not　have　space　tohint　at；　suffer　moral　detriment　from　this　peculiar　mode　of　life。　Theold　Inspector　was　incapable　of　it；　and；　were　he　to　continue　inoffice　to　the　end　of　time；　would　be　just　as　good　as　he　was　then；　andsit　down　to　dinner　with　just　as　good　an　appetite。　　There　is　one　likeness；　without　which　my　gallery　of　Custom…Houseportraits　would　be　strangely　inplete；　but　which　my　parativelyfew　opportunities　for　observation　enable　me　to　sketch　only　in　themerest　outline。　It　is　that　of　the　Collector；　our　gallant　oldGeneral；　who；　after　his　brilliant　military　service；　subsequently　towhich　he　had　ruled　over　a　wild　Western　territory；　had　e　hither；twenty　years　before；　to　spend　the　decline　of　his　varied　and　honourablelife。　The　brave　soldier　had　already　numbered；　nearly　or　quite；　histhreescore　years　and　ten；　and　was　pursuing　the　remainder　of　hisearthly　march；　burdened　with　infirmities　which　even　the　martialmusic　of　his　own　spirit…stirring　recollections　could　do　little　towardslightening。　The　step　was　palsied　now；　that　had　been　foremost　in　thecharge。　It　was　only　with　the　assistance　of　a　servant；　and　by　leaninghis　hand　heavily　on　the　iron　balustrade；　that　he　could　slowly　andpainfully　ascend　the　Custom…House　steps；　and；　with　a　toilsome　progressacross　the　floor；　attain　his　customary　chair　beside　the　fireplace。There　he　used　to　sit；　gazing　with　a　somewhat　dim　serenity　of　aspect　atthe　figures　that　came　and　went；　amid　the　rustle　of　papers；　theadministering　of　oaths；　the　discussion　of　business；　and　the　casualtalk　of　the　office；　all　which　sounds　and　circumstances　seemed　butindistinctly　to　impress　his　senses；　and　hardly　to　make　their　wayinto　his　inner　sphere　of　contemplation。　His　countenance；　in　thisrepose；　was　mild　and　kindly。　If　his　notice　was　sought；　an　expressionof　courtesy　and　interest　gleamed　out　upon　his　features；　proving　thatthere　was　light　within　him；　and　that　it　was　only　the　outward　medium　ofthe　intellectual　lamp　that　obstructed　the　rays　in　their　passage。　Thecloser　you　perated　to　the　substance　of　his　mind；　the　sounder　itappeared。　When　no　longer　called　upon　to　speak；　or　listen；　either　ofwhich　operations　cost　him　an　evident　effort；　his　face　would　brieflysubside　into　its　former　not　uncheerful　quietude。　It　was　not　painful　tobehold　this　look；　for　though　dim；　it　had　not　the　imbecility　ofdecaying　age。　The　framework　of　his　nature；　originally　strong　andmassive；　was　not　yet　crumbled　into　ruin。　　To　observe　and　define　his　character；　however；　under　suchdisadvantages；　was　as　difficult　a　task　as　to　trace　out　and　build　upanew；　in　imagination；　an　old　fortress；　like　Ticonderoga；　from　a　viewof　its　grey　and　broken　ruins。　Here　and　there；　perchance；　the　walls　mayremain　almost　plete；　but　elsewhere　may　be　only　a　shapeless　mound；cumbrous　with　its　very　strength；　and　overgrown；　through　long　yearsof　peace　and　neglect；　with　grass　and　alien　weeds。　　Nevertheless；　looking　at　the　old　warrior　with　affection…　for；　slightas　was　the　munication　between　us；　my　feeling　towards　him；　like　thatof　all　bipeds　and　quadrupeds　who　knew　him；　might　not　improperly　betermed　so…　I　could　discern　the　main　points　of　his　portrait。　It　wasmarked　with　the　noble　and　heroic　qualities　which　showed　it　to　be　notby　a　mere　accident；　but　of　good　right；　that　he　had　won　a　distinguishedname。　His　spirit　could　never；　I　concei