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第4章

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

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