The Scarlet Letter — Page 13

English → Chinese Full Text Level 8/10

I seem to have a stronger claim to a residence here on account of this grave, bearded, sable-cloaked and steeple-crowned progenitor,—who came so early, with his Bible and his sword, and trode the unworn street with such a stately port, and made so large a figure, as a man of war and peace,—a stronger claim than for myself, whose name is seldom heard and my face hardly known.

我似乎比我自己更有理由居住在这里，这要归功于这位庄严的、蓄着胡须的、身披黑色斗篷、头戴尖顶帽的先祖——他如此早地来到这里，手持圣经与宝剑，以如此威严的步态踏过尚未磨损的街道，作为一个文武兼备之人留下了如此巨大的身影——比起我自己，他更有理由让我声称在此居住，而我的名字鲜为人知，我的面孔几乎无人识得。

He was a soldier, legislator, judge; he was a ruler in the Church; he had all the Puritanic traits, both good and evil.

他是一名士兵、立法者、法官；他是教会中的统治者；他具备清教徒的一切特质，无论善恶。

He was likewise a bitter persecutor, as witness the Quakers, who have remembered him in their histories, and relate an incident of his hard severity towards a woman of their sect, which will last longer, it is to be feared, than any record of his better deeds, although these were many.

他同样是一个冷酷的迫害者，贵格会教徒便是见证，他们在自己的历史中记住了他，并讲述了一件他对其教派中一名女性残酷严苛的事件，令人担忧的是，这件事将比他的任何善行记录流传得更久，尽管那些善行也不少。

His son, too, inherited the persecuting spirit, and made himself so conspicuous in the martyrdom of the witches, that their blood may fairly be said to have left a stain upon him.

他的儿子也继承了这种迫害的精神，并在迫害巫女一事中表现得如此显眼，以至于可以公正地说，那些人的鲜血在他身上留下了污点。

So deep a stain, indeed, that his old dry bones, in the Charter Street burial-ground, must still retain it, if they have not crumbled utterly to dust!

这污点如此之深，以至于他那埋在宪章街墓地中的枯骨，若尚未彻底化为尘土，必定仍留存着它！

I know not whether these ancestors of mine bethought themselves to repent, and ask pardon of Heaven for their cruelties; or whether they are now groaning under the heavy consequences of them, in another state of being.

我不知道我的这些祖先是否曾想到悔过，向上天祈求宽恕他们的残酷行为；或者他们是否正在另一种存在状态中，在这些行为沉重的后果下呻吟。

Vocabulary

我: wǒ — I, me; first-person singular pronoun
似乎: sìhū — It seems; apparently; as if
比: bǐ — Compared to; more than; than
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; yourself; himself; herself
更: gèng — Even more; still more; further
有: yǒu — To have; to exist; there is
理由: lǐyóu — Reason; justification; grounds for something
居住: jūzhù — To reside; to live in a place
在: zài — At; in; on; to be located
这里: zhèlǐ — Here; this place; this location
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby
要: yào — To want; must; need to; will
归功: guīgōng — To attribute credit to; to owe thanks
于: yú — To; at; from; in; regarding
这位: zhèwèi — This person; polite reference to someone
庄严: zhuāngyán — Solemn; dignified; stately in appearance
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or description
蓄着: xùzhe — Wearing; growing; having grown a beard
胡须: húxū — Beard; facial hair; whiskers
身披: shēnpī — Wearing draped over body; cloaked with
黑色: hēisè — Black color; the color black
斗篷: dǒupeng — Cloak; cape; a long covering garment
头戴: tóudài — Wearing on the head; topped with hat
尖顶: jiāndǐng — Pointed top; sharp-peaked; spired
帽: mào — Hat; cap; headwear
先祖: xiānzǔ — Ancestor; forefather; progenitor of a family
他: tā — He; him; third-person masculine pronoun
如此: rúcǐ — So; thus; in this way; like this
早: zǎo — Early; long ago; in early times
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
来到: láidào — To arrive at; to come to a place
手持: shǒuchí — Holding in hand; carrying by hand
圣经: Shèngjīng — The Bible; Holy Scripture; sacred Christian text
与: yǔ — And; with; together with something
宝剑: bǎojiàn — Sword; precious sword; treasured blade
以: yǐ — With; by means of; using something
威严: wēiyán — Majestic; authoritative; imposing dignified manner
步态: bùtài — Gait; manner of walking; stride style
踏过: tàguò — To tread over; to walk across something
尚未: shàngwèi — Not yet; still not; has not yet
磨损: mósǔn — Worn down; eroded; abraded by use
街道: jiēdào — Street; road; urban thoroughfare
作为: zuòwéi — As; in the capacity of; acting as
一个: yīgè — One; a single; a measure word unit
文武: wénwǔ — Civil and military; scholarly and martial combined
兼备: jiānbèi — To possess both; to combine two qualities
之人: zhīrén — A person who; one who possesses qualities
留下: liúxià — To leave behind; to remain; to keep
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change
巨大: jùdà — Huge; enormous; very large in size
身影: shēnyǐng — Figure; silhouette; the shadow of a person
比起: bǐqǐ — Compared with; in comparison to something
让: ràng — To let; to allow; to make someone
声称: shēngchēng — To claim; to assert; to declare publicly
在此: zàicǐ — Here; at this place; at this point
而: ér — But; yet; and; while; however
名字: míngzi — Name; given name; person's name
鲜为人知: xiān wéi rén zhī — Little known; rarely known by people
面孔: miànkǒng — Face; facial appearance; countenance
几乎: jīhū — Almost; nearly; hardly; practically
无人: wúrén — Nobody; no one; no person at all
识得: shídé — To recognize; to know; to be able identify
是: shì — Is; am; are; to be; yes
一名: yīmíng — One person; a single individual with role
士兵: shìbīng — Soldier; military serviceman; enlisted fighter
立法者: lìfǎzhě — Lawmaker; legislator; one who makes laws
法官: fǎguān — Judge; magistrate; a court official
教会: jiàohuì — Church; Christian congregation; religious assembly
中: zhōng — In; within; among; middle
统治者: tǒngzhìzhě — Ruler; governor; one who holds authority
具备: jùbèi — To possess; to have; to be equipped with
清教徒: Qīngjiàotú — Puritan; member of strict Protestant sect
一切: yīqiè — Everything; all; every single thing
特质: tèzhì — Characteristic; trait; distinguishing quality
无论: wúlùn — Regardless of; no matter what; whether or not
善恶: shàn'è — Good and evil; virtue and vice combined
同样: tóngyàng — Equally; likewise; in the same way
冷酷: lěngkù — Cold; cruel; harsh; merciless in nature
迫害者: pòhàizhě — Persecutor; one who oppresses others cruelly
贵格会: Guìgéhuì — Quakers; Religious Society of Friends denomination
教徒: jiàotú — Believer; follower; member of a religion
便是: biàn shì — Is precisely; is exactly; that is
见证: jiànzhèng — To witness; testimony; evidence of events
他们: tāmen — They; them; third-person plural pronoun
历史: lìshǐ — History; historical record; past events
记住: jìzhù — To remember; to memorize; to keep in mind
并: bìng — And; also; moreover; furthermore
讲述: jiǎngshù — To narrate; to tell; to recount a story
一件: yījiàn — One item; one matter; one thing
对: duì — Toward; against; regarding; correct
其: qí — His; her; its; their; that
教派: jiàopài — Religious sect; denomination; faith group
女性: nǚxìng — Female; woman; the female gender
残酷: cánkù — Cruel; brutal; ruthless; extremely harsh
严苛: yánkē — Strict; harsh; extremely severe and demanding
事件: shìjiàn — Event; incident; occurrence; affair
令人担忧: lìng rén dānyōu — Worrying; causing concern; troubling to people
这件事: zhè jiàn shì — This matter; this thing; this particular event
将: jiāng — Will; shall; about to; going to
任何: rènhé — Any; whatever; no matter which one
善行: shànxíng — Good deed; virtuous act; benevolent action
记录: jìlù — Record; to document; written account
流传: liúchuán — To spread; to be passed down through time
得: de — Particle indicating result or degree achieved
更久: gèng jiǔ — Longer; for a greater amount of time
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Although; even though; despite the fact
那些: nàxiē — Those; those ones; referring to plural things
也: yě — Also; too; as well; either
不少: bùshǎo — Quite a few; not a small number; many
儿子: érzi — Son; male child
继承: jìchéng — To inherit; to succeed; to carry on legacy
这种: zhèzhǒng — This kind of; this type of; such
迫害: pòhài — Persecution; to persecute; oppressive mistreatment
精神: jīngshén — Spirit; mentality; attitude; psychological disposition
巫女: wūnǚ — Witch; sorceress; female practitioner of witchcraft
一事: yī shì — One matter; a certain affair; this incident
表现: biǎoxiàn — To show; to display; performance; manifestation
显眼: xiǎnyǎn — Conspicuous; prominent; easily noticeable; eye-catching
以至于: yǐzhìyú — So much so that; to the extent that
可以: kěyǐ — Can; may; be able to; permissible
公正: gōngzhèng — Fair; just; impartial; equitable judgment
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to tell; to state
那些人: nàxiē rén — Those people; those individuals; they
鲜血: xiānxuè — Fresh blood; blood; bloodshed
身上: shēnshang — On the body; on oneself; on one's person
污点: wūdiǎn — Stain; blemish; moral taint; mark of shame
之深: zhī shēn — So deep; the depth of; how profound
那: nà — That; those; referring to distant thing
埋在: mái zài — Buried in; interred at; hidden underground at
墓地: mùdì — Cemetery; graveyard; burial ground
枯骨: kūgǔ — Dry bones; skeletal remains; withered bones
若: ruò — If; supposing; in case; were to
彻底: chèdǐ — Completely; thoroughly; totally; absolutely
化为: huàwéi — To turn into; to become; to transform into
尘土: chéntǔ — Dust; earth; ash; powdery remains
必定: bìdìng — Certainly; surely; definitely; must be
仍: réng — Still; yet; as before; continuing to
留存: liúcún — To remain; to be preserved; to survive
着: zhe — Particle indicating ongoing state or action
它: tā — It; third-person pronoun for objects or animals
不知道: bù zhīdào — Do not know; to be unaware of something
这些: zhèxiē — These; these ones; referring to multiple things
祖先: zǔxiān — Ancestors; forebears; progenitors of a lineage
是否: shìfǒu — Whether or not; if; whether something is true
曾: céng — Once; ever; formerly; used to; at some point
想到: xiǎngdào — To think of; to occur to; to consider
悔过: huǐguò — To repent; to feel remorse for past wrongs
向: xiàng — Toward; to; facing; in the direction of
上天: shàngtiān — Heaven; God; the sky; divine providence
祈求: qíqiú — To pray for; to beseech; to implore earnestly
宽恕: kuānshù — Forgiveness; pardon; to forgive someone's wrongdoing
行为: xíngwéi — Behavior; conduct; action; deed
或者: huòzhě — Or; alternatively; either one option
正在: zhèngzài — Currently; right now; in the process of
另一种: lìng yī zhǒng — Another kind; a different type of existence
存在: cúnzài — Existence; to exist; to be present
状态: zhuàngtài — State; condition; mode; status of being
沉重: chénzhòng — Heavy; weighty; burdensome; oppressively serious
后果: hòuguǒ — Consequence; result; outcome of an action
下: xià — Under; below; beneath; under conditions of
呻吟: shēnyín — To groan; to moan; to cry out in pain

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