The Scarlet Letter — Page 5

English → Chinese Full Text Level 8/10

But, as thoughts are frozen and utterance benumbed, unless the speaker stand in some true relation with his audience, it may be pardonable to imagine that a friend, a kind and apprehensive, though not the closest friend, is listening to our talk;

但是，除非说话者与听众之间存在某种真实的关系，否则思想便会凝滞，言辞也会麻木，因此或许可以原谅这样一种想象：有一位朋友——一位善解人意、心存体贴却未必是至交的朋友——正在倾听我们的谈话；

and then, a native reserve being thawed by this genial consciousness, we may prate of the circumstances that lie around us, and even of ourself, but still keep the inmost Me behind its veil.

于是，天生的矜持在这种亲切的意识中消融，我们便可以闲谈围绕着我们的种种情形，乃至谈论我们自身，却仍将最内里的自我隐匿于其面纱之后。

To this extent, and within these limits, an author, methinks, may be autobiographical, without violating either the reader's rights or his own.

在此程度之内，于此限度之中，我以为，一位作者可以进行自传式的书写，而不致侵犯读者的权利，亦不致有损自身的权利。

It will be seen, likewise, that this Custom-House sketch has a certain propriety, of a kind always recognized in literature, as explaining how a large portion of the following pages came into my possession, and as offering proofs of the authenticity of a narrative therein contained.

同样可以看出，这篇海关素描具有某种得体之处——一种文学中历来公认的得体——因为它说明了以下篇章中的大部分内容如何为我所得，并为其中所载叙事的真实性提供了佐证。

This, in fact,—a desire to put myself in my true position as editor, or very little more, of the most prolix among the tales that make up my volume,—this, and no other, is my true reason for assuming a personal relation with the public.

事实上，这——即希望将自己置于编者的真实位置，或仅略多于此，以面对构成本书诸篇故事中最为冗长的那一篇——这，而非其他，才是我与公众建立个人关系的真正缘由。

In accomplishing the main purpose, it has appeared allowable, by a few extra touches, to give a faint representation of a mode of life not heretofore described, together with some of the characters that move in it, among whom the author happened to make one.

在实现这一主要目的的过程中，似乎亦可藉几笔额外的点染，对一种迄今尚未描绘过的生活方式作出淡淡的呈现，连同其中活动着的若干人物，而作者本人恰好也是其中之一。

Vocabulary

但是: dànshì — However; used to introduce a contrasting clause.
除非: chúfēi — Unless; only if a condition is met.
说话者: shuōhuàzhě — The speaker; person who is speaking.
与: yǔ — And; together with; between two parties.
听众: tīngzhòng — Audience; listeners; people who listen.
之间: zhījiān — Between; among two or more things.
存在: cúnzài — To exist; existence of something real.
某种: mǒu zhǒng — Some kind of; a certain type of.
真实: zhēnshí — Real; genuine; true and authentic.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
关系: guānxi — Relationship; connection between people or things.
否则: fǒuzé — Otherwise; or else; if not so.
思想: sīxiǎng — Thought; ideas; way of thinking.
便会: biàn huì — Then will; as a result would happen.
言辞: yáncí — Words; verbal expression; spoken language.
也会: yě huì — Will also; likewise will happen.
麻木: mámù — Numb; insensitive; lacking feeling or vitality.
因此: yīncǐ — Therefore; consequently; for this reason.
或许: huòxǔ — Perhaps; maybe; possibly true.
可以: kěyǐ — Can; may; be allowed to do.
原谅: yuánliàng — To forgive; excuse someone's fault.
这样: zhèyàng — This way; like this; in such manner.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; one type of something.
想象: xiǎngxiàng — Imagination; to imagine or envision something.
有: yǒu — To have; there is/are; existence.
一位: yī wèi — One person; polite measure word for people.
朋友: péngyou — Friend; a person one knows and trusts.
善解人意: shàn jiě rén yì — Understanding and considerate; perceptive of others' feelings.
体贴: tǐtiē — Considerate; attentive to others' needs and feelings.
却: què — Yet; but; however indicating contrast.
未必: wèibì — Not necessarily; may not be so.
是: shì — To be; is; am; are.
正在: zhèngzài — Currently; in the process of doing now.
倾听: qīngtīng — To listen attentively; lend an ear.
我们: wǒmen — We; us; first-person plural pronoun.
谈话: tánhuà — To converse; conversation; spoken dialogue.
于是: yúshì — Thus; thereupon; as a result then.
天生: tiānshēng — Innate; natural; born with a trait.
在: zài — At; in; on; indicating location or presence.
这种: zhè zhǒng — This kind of; this type of thing.
亲切: qīnqiè — Warm; friendly; intimate and cordial feeling.
意识: yìshí — Consciousness; awareness; to be aware of.
中: zhōng — In; within; middle; among something.
便: biàn — Then; thereupon; consequently as a result.
闲谈: xiántán — Casual chat; idle talk; informal conversation.
围绕: wéirào — To revolve around; center on a topic.
着: zhe — Particle indicating ongoing state or action.
种种: zhǒngzhǒng — Various; all sorts of; many kinds.
情形: qíngxíng — Situation; circumstances; state of affairs.
乃至: nǎizhì — Even; going so far as; and even.
谈论: tánlùn — To discuss; talk about a topic.
自身: zìshēn — Oneself; one's own self or person.
最: zuì — Most; the superlative degree of adjectives.
自我: zìwǒ — Self; ego; one's own inner identity.
于: yú — In; at; from; literary preposition of location.
其: qí — Its; his; her; their — literary possessive pronoun.
面纱: miànshā — Veil; a covering that conceals the face.
之后: zhīhòu — After; afterwards; behind in time.
此: cǐ — This; these; referring to something nearby.
程度: chéngdù — Degree; extent; level of something.
之内: zhī nèi — Within; inside the scope of something.
限度: xiàndù — Limit; boundary; maximum allowable extent.
之中: zhī zhōng — Within; in the midst of something.
我: wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun.
以为: yǐwéi — To think; believe; consider something to be.
作者: zuòzhě — Author; writer; creator of a work.
进行: jìnxíng — To carry out; conduct; engage in activity.
自传: zìzhuàn — Autobiography; account of one's own life.
式: shì — Style; type; manner; mode of something.
书写: shūxiě — To write; the act of writing text.
而: ér — And; yet; but; connecting contrasting clauses.
侵犯: qīnfàn — To infringe upon; violate someone's rights.
读者: dúzhě — Reader; person who reads a text.
权利: quánlì — Right; entitlement; legal or moral claim.
亦: yì — Also; too; likewise — literary equivalent of 也.
同样: tóngyàng — Equally; likewise; in the same way.
看出: kànchū — To discern; perceive; see and understand.
这篇: zhè piān — This piece; this article or essay.
海关: hǎiguān — Customs; government border inspection agency.
素描: sùmiáo — Sketch; brief descriptive portrait in writing.
具有: jùyǒu — To possess; have; be endowed with quality.
得体: détǐ — Appropriate; proper; fitting to the occasion.
文学: wénxué — Literature; written artistic works of culture.
历来: lìlái — Always; throughout history; traditionally.
公认: gōngrèn — Universally acknowledged; commonly accepted by all.
因为: yīnwèi — Because; since; the reason being.
它: tā — It; third-person singular pronoun for objects.
说明: shuōmíng — To explain; illustrate; clarify something clearly.
了: le — Particle indicating completion or change of state.
以下: yǐxià — The following; below; what comes next.
大部分: dà bùfen — Most; the greater part of something.
内容: nèiróng — Content; substance; what something contains.
如何: rúhé — How; in what way; by what means.
为: wéi — For; as; to be — literary preposition/verb.
所得: suǒ dé — What is obtained; income; gains acquired.
并: bìng — And; moreover; simultaneously; literary conjunction.
其中: qízhōng — Among them; within it; therein.
叙事: xùshì — Narrative; storytelling; recounting of events.
真实性: zhēnshíxìng — Authenticity; truthfulness; quality of being real.
提供: tígōng — To provide; supply; offer something needed.
事实上: shìshí shang — In fact; actually; in reality.
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned.
即: jí — Namely; that is; immediately — literary connective.
希望: xīwàng — Hope; to wish for; desire something happen.
将: jiāng — Will; about to; future marker in literary Chinese.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; self; referring back to the subject.
编者: biānzhě — Editor; compiler; person who edits a work.
位置: wèizhi — Position; place; role or location occupied.
或: huò — Or; either; alternatively.
仅: jǐn — Only; merely; just — literary adverb.
以: yǐ — With; by means of; in order to.
面对: miànduì — To face; confront; deal with directly.
构成: gòuchéng — To constitute; make up; form a whole.
本书: běn shū — This book; the present volume being discussed.
故事: gùshi — Story; tale; narrative account of events.
最为: zuì wéi — The most; especially; above all others.
那: nà — That; referring to something distant or mentioned.
一篇: yī piān — One piece; one article or essay.
而非: ér fēi — Rather than; instead of; not the other.
其他: qítā — Other; the rest; other things or people.
才是: cái shì — Only then is; truly is; the real reason.
公众: gōngzhòng — The public; general public; society at large.
建立: jiànlì — To establish; build; create a connection.
个人: gèrén — Individual; personal; relating to one person.
真正: zhēnzhèng — True; genuine; real and not pretended.
实现: shíxiàn — To achieve; realize; make something happen.
这一: zhè yī — This one; this particular item or goal.
主要: zhǔyào — Main; primary; most important.
目的: mùdì — Purpose; goal; intended aim.
过程: guòchéng — Process; course; stages of development.
似乎: sìhū — Seemingly; apparently; it seems that.
额外: éwài — Extra; additional; beyond what is required.
对: duì — Toward; regarding; directed at something.
尚未: shàngwèi — Not yet; still has not happened.
描绘: miáohuì — To depict; portray; describe vividly in detail.
过: guò — Particle indicating past experience of an action.
生活: shēnghuó — Life; daily living; way of existence.
方式: fāngshì — Way; method; manner of doing something.
作出: zuòchū — To make; produce; give a presentation.
淡淡: dàndàn — Faint; light; subtle and understated tone.
呈现: chéngxiàn — To present; display; show something visually.
连同: liántóng — Together with; along with; including as well.
活动: huódòng — Activity; event; movement or action.
若干: ruògān — Several; a number of; some quantity.
人物: rénwù — Character; figure; notable person in a story.
本人: běnrén — Oneself; the person in question; I myself.
恰好: qiàhǎo — Exactly; just right; happens to be so.
也是: yě shì — Also is; likewise; is one of them too.
之一: zhī yī — One of; among; a member of a group.

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