红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第4章

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reviousnegligence；　the　case　seemed　rather　to　require　an　eulogium　on　theirpraiseworthy　caution；　after　the　mischief　had　happened；　a　gratefulrecognition　of　the　promptitude　of　their　zeal；　the　moment　that　therewas　no　longer　any　remedy。　　Unless　people　are　more　than　monly　disagreeable；　it　is　myfoolish　habit　to　contract　a　kindness　for　them。　The　better　part　of　mypanion's　character；　if　it　have　a　better　part；　is　that　which　usuallyes　uppermost　in　my　regard；　and　forms　the　type　whereby　I　recognisethe　man。　As　most　of　these　old　Custom…House　officers　had　good　traits；and　as　my　position　in　reference　to　them；　being　paternal　andprotective；　was　favourable　to　the　growth　of　friendly　sentiments；　Isoon　grew　to　like　them　all。　It　was　pleasant；　in　the　summerforenoons…　when　the　fervent　heat；　that　almost　liquefied　the　rest　ofthe　human　family；　merely　municated　a　genial　warmth　to　theirhalf…torpid　systems…　it　was　pleasant　to　hear　them　chatting　in　the　backentry；　a　row　of　them　all　tipped　against　the　wall；　as　usual；　whilethe　frozen　witticisms　of　past　generations　were　thawed　out；　and　camebubbling　with　laughter　from　their　lips。　Externally；　the　jollity　ofaged　men　has　much　in　mon　with　the　mirth　of　children；　the　intellect；any　more　than　a　deep　sense　of　humour；　has　little　to　do　with　thematter；　it　is；　with　both；　a　gleam　that　plays　upon　the　surface；　andimparts　a　sunny　and　cheery　aspect　alike　to　the　green　branch；　and　grey；mouldering　trunk。　In　one　case；　however；　it　is　real　sunshine；　in　theother；　it　more　resembles　the　phosphorescent　glow　of　decaying　wood。　　It　would　be　sad　injustice；　the　reader　must　understand；　torepresent　all　my　excellent　old　friends　as　in　their　dotage。　In　thefirst　place；　my　coadjutors　were　not　invariably　old；　there　were　menamong　them　in　their　strength　and　prime；　of　marked　ability　andenergy；　and　altogether　superior　to　the　sluggish　and　dependent　modeof　life　on　which　their　evil　stars　had　cast　them。　Then；　moreover；　thewhite　locks　of　age　were　sometimes　found　to　be　the　thatch　of　anintellectual　tenement　in　good　repair。　But；　as　respects　the　majority　ofmy　corps　of　veterans；　there　will　be　no　wrong　done；　if　I　characterisethem　generally　as　a　set　of　wearisome　old　souls；　who　had　gatherednothing　worth　preservation　from　their　varied　experience　of　life。They　seemed　to　have　flung　away　all　the　golden　grain　of　practicalwisdom；　which　they　had　enjoyed　so　many　opportunities　of　harvesting；and　most　carefully　to　have　stored　their　memories　with　the　husks。They　spoke　with　far　more　interest　and　unction　of　their　morning'sbreakfast；　or　yesterday's；　to…day's；　or　to…morrow's　dinner；　than　ofthe　shipwreck　of　forty　or　fifty　years　ago；　and　all　the　world's　wonderswhich　they　had　witnessed　with　their　youthful　eyes。　　The　father　of　the　Custom…House…　the　patriarch；　not　only　of　thislittle　squad　of　officials；　but；　I　am　bold　to　say；　of　the　respectablebody　of　tide…waiters　all　over　the　United　States…　was　a　certainpermanent　Inspector。　He　might　truly　be　termed　a　legitimate　son　ofthe　revenue　system；　dyed　in　the　wool；　or；　rather；　born　in　thepurple；　since　his　sire；　a　Revolutionary　colonel；　and　formerlycollector　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；　wh