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第22部分

红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第22部分

小说: 红字-the scarlet letter(英文版) 字数: 每页4000字

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t; if Mr。 Dimmesdale were reallygoing to die; it was cause enough; that the world was not worthy to beany longer trodden by his feet。 He himself; on the other hand; withcharacteristic humility; avowed his belief; that; if Providence shouldsee fit to remove him; it would be because of his own unworthinessto perform its humblest mission here on earth。 With all thisdifference of opinion as to the cause of his decline; there could beno question of the fact。 His form grew emaciated; his voice; thoughstill rich and sweet; had a certain melancholy prophecy of decay init; he was often observed; on any slight alarm or other suddenaccident; to put his hand over his heart; with first a flush andthen a paleness; indicative of pain。  Such was the young clergyman's condition; and so imminent theprospect that his dawning light would be extinguished; all untimely;when Roger Chillingworth made his advent to the town。 His firstentry on the scene; few people could tell whence; dropping down; itwere; out of the sky; or starting from the her earth; had an aspectof mystery; which was easily heightened to the miraculous。 He wasnow known to be a man of skill; it was observed that he gatheredherbs; and the blossoms of wild…flowers; and dug up roots; and pluckedoff twigs from the forest…trees like one acquainted with hiddenvirtues in what was valueless to mon eyes。 He was heard to speak ofSir Kenelm Digby; and other famous men… whose scientific attainmentswere esteemed hardly less than supernatural… as having been hiscorrespondents or associates。 Why; with such rank in the learnedworld; had he e hither? What could he; whose sphere was in greatcities; be seeking in the wilderness? In ansour gained ground… and; however absurd; was entertained by somevery sensible people… that Heaven had wrought an absolute miracle;by transporting an eminent Doctor of Physic; from a German university;bodily through the air; and setting him down at the door of Mr。Dimmesdale's study! Individuals of wiser faith; indeed; who knewthat Heaven promotes its purposes without aiming at the stage…effectof what is called miraculous interposition; were inclined to see aprovidential hand in Roger Chillingworth's so opportune arrival。  This idea was countenanced by the strong interest which thephysician ever manifested in the young clergyman; he attachedhimself to him as a parishioner; and sought to win a friendly regardand confidence from his naturally reserved sensibility。 He expressedgreat alarm at his pastor's state of health; but was anxious toattempt the cure; and; if early undertaken; seemed not despondent of afavourable result。 The elders; the deacons; the motherly dames; andthe young and fair maidens; of Mr。 Dimmesdale's flock; were alikeimportunate that he should make trial of the physician's franklyoffered skill。 Mr。 Dimmesdale gently repelled their entreaties。  〃I need no medicine;〃 said he。  But how could the young minister say so; when; with every successiveSabbath; his cheek was paler and thinner; and his voice more tremulousthan before… when it had now bee a constant habit; rather than acasual gesture; to press his hand over his heart? Was he weary ofhis labours? Did he nlypropounded to Mr。 Dimmesdale by the elder ministers of Boston andthe deacons of his church; who; to use their own phrase; 〃dealt withhim〃 on the sin of rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestlyheld out。 He listened in silence; and finally promised to conferwith the physician。  〃Were it God's will;〃 said the Reverend Mr。 Dimmesdale; when; infulfilment of this pledge; he requested old Roger Chillingworth'sprofessional advice; 〃I could be well content; that my labours andmy sorrows; and my sins and my pains; should shortly end with me;and what is earthly of them be buried in my grave; and the spiritualgo with me to my eternal state; rather than that you should put yourskill to the proof in my behalf。〃  〃Ah;〃 replied Roger Chillingworth; with that quietness which;whether imposed or natural; marked all his deportment; 〃it is thusthat a young clergyman is apt to speak。 Youthful men; not having takena deep root; give up their hold of life so easily! And saintly men;who walk with God on earth; would fain be away; to walk with Him onthe golden pavements of the New Jerusalem。〃  〃Nay;〃 rejoined the young minister; putting his hand to his heart;with a flush of pain flitting over his brow; 〃were I worthier towalk there; I could be better content to toil here。〃  〃Good men ever interpret themselves too meanly;〃 said the physician。  In this manner; the mysterious old Roger Chillingworth became themedical adviser of the Reverend Mr。 Dimmesdale。 As not only thedisease interested the physician; but he was strongly moved to lookinto the character and qualities of the patient; these two men; sodifferent in age; came gradually to spend much time together。 Forthe sake of the minister's health; and to enable the leech to gatherplants with healing balm in them; they took long walks on thesea…shore; or in the forest; mingling various talk with the plashand murmur of the waves; and the solemn wind…anthem among thetree…tops。 Often; likewise; one was the guest of the other; in hisplace of study and retirement。 There was a fascination for theminister in the pany of the man of science; in whom he recognisedan intellectual cultivation of no moderate depth or scope; togetherwith a range and freedom of ideas; that he would have vainly lookedfor among the members of his own profession。 In truth; he wasstartled; if not shocked; to find this attribute in the physician。 Mr。Dimmesdale was a true priest; a true religionist; with the reverentialsentiment largely developed; and an order of mind that impelled itselfpowerfully along the track of a creed; and wore its passagecontinually deeper with the lapse of time。 In no state of societywould he have been what is called a man of liberal views; it wouldalways be essential to his peace to feel the pressure of a faith abouthim; supporting; while it confined him within its iron framework。Not the less; however; though with a tremulous enjoyment; did hefeel the occasional relief of looking at the universe through themedium of another kind of intellect than those with which hehabitually held converse。 It was as if a window were thrown open;admitting a freer atmosphere into the close and stifled study; wherehis life was wasting itself away; amid lamplight; or obstructedday…beams; and the musty fragrance; be it sensual or moral; thatexhales from books。 But the air was too fresh and chill to be longbreathed with fort。 So the minister; and the physician with him;withdrew again within the limits of what their church defined asorthodox。  Thus Roger Chillingworth scrutinised his patient carefully; bothas he saw him in his ordinary life; keeping an accustomed pathway inthe range of thoughts familiar to him; and as he appeared whenthrown amidst other moral scenery; the novelty of which might call outsomething new to the surface of his character。 He deemed it essential;it would seem; to know the man; before attempting to do him good。Wherever there is a heart and an intellect; the diseases of thephysical frame are tinged with the peculiarities of these。 In ArthurDimmesdale; thought and imagination were so active; and sensibility sointense; that the bodily infirmity would be likely to have itsgroundwork there。 So Roger Chillingworth… the man of skill; the kindand friendly physician… strove to go deep into his patient's bosom;delving among his principles; prying into his recollections; andprobing everything with a cautious touch; like a treasure…seeker ina dark cavern。 Few secrets can escape an investigator; who hasopportunity and license to undertake such a quest; and skill to followit up。 A man burdened with a secret should especially avoid theintimacy of his physician。 If the latter possess native sagacity;and a nameless something more… let us call it intuition; if he show nointrusive egotism; nor disagreeably prominent characteristics of hisown; if he have the power; which must be born with him; to bring hismind into such affinity with his patient's; that this last shallunawares have spoken what he imagines himself only to have thought; ifsuch revelations be received without tumult; and acknowledged not sooften by an uttered sympathy as by silence; an inarticulate breath;and here and there a word; to indicate that all is understood; if tothese qualifications of a confidant be joined the advantagesafforded by his recognised character as a physician… then; at someinevitable moment; will the soul of the sufferer be dissolved; andflow forth in a dark; but transparent stream; bringing all itsmysteries into the daylight。  Roger Chillingworth possessed all; or most; of the attributesabove enumerated。 Nevertheless; time went on; a kind of intimacy; aswe have said; grew up between these two cultivated minds; which had aswide a field as the whole sphere of human thought and study; to meetupon; they discussed every topic of ethics and religion; of publicaffairs; and private character; they talked much; on both sides; ofmatters that seemed personal to themselves; and yet no secret; such asthe physician fancied must exist there; ever stole out of theminister's consciousness into his panion's ear。 The latter hadhis suspicions; indeed; that even the nature of Mr。 Dimmesdale'sbodily disease had never fairly been revealed to him。 It was a strangereserve!  After a time; at a hint from Roger Chillingworth; the friends of Mr。Dimmesdale effected an arrangement by which the two were lodged in thesame house; so that every ebb and flow of the minister's life…tidemight pass under the eye of his anxious and attached physician。There was much joy throughout the town; when this greatly desirableobject was attained。 It was held to be the best possible measure forthe young clergyman's welfare: unless; indeed; as often urged bysuch as felt authorised to do so; he had selected some one of the manyblooming damsels; spiritually devoted to him; to bee his devotedwife。 This latter step; however; there was no present prospect thatArthur Dimmesdale would be prevailed upon to take; he rejected allsuggestions of the kind; as if priestly celibacy were one of hisarticles of church…discipline。 Doomed by his own choice; therefore; asMr。 Dimmesdale so evidently wa

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