Although the forefathers of the Boston Colony strove to create a utopian society, two of the first things they built when they made their town were a cemetery and a prison. On this day, twenty years after the first Puritan settlers arrived in the New World colony, the townspeople gathered outside the prison.

"Good women," proclaimed one woman, "if we judged wicked women like Hester Prynne, she would not have the easy sentence that the town magistrates have handed her!"

"Yes!" agreed another woman. "They should at least brand the mark upon her forehead with a hot iron! By placing the mark on the front of her gown, she can cover it up anytime!"

"Yes!" cried another. "She may cover it as she likes, but the mark will always be on her heart!"

Then the prison door, covered in iron spikes, flew open. A large, frightening figure in black came out from the inner darkness. With his hand, he tried to usher out a young woman. But she pushed the hand away and stepped out into the open by her own free will, with an air of dignity.

In the woman's arms was a three-month-old baby. The baby winked because it was the first time it had ever felt sunlight on its face. The mother, standing fully revealed amid the townspeople, lowered the baby in her arm to show her gown. She was blushing, but she wore a proud smile. On the breast of her gown was a large letter A. The letter was made of fine, red cloth and embroidered with rich, gold thread. The design was artistic and fanciful.

Hester Prynne was a tall young woman, with an elegant figure and dark gleaming hair. Those who knew her were amazed at her beauty and ladylike comportment under these circumstances.

"She certainly has great skill with the sewing needle," remarked one of the women, "but what a shameful way to show it!"

"Make way in the King's name!" shouted the prison officer. "Everyone will have a chance to get a good view of this wicked woman from now until noon. Come along, Hester. Show your scarlet letter in the marketplace!"

A lane opened up between the spectators, and Hester Prynne walked toward the area appointed for public punishment. Calmly, she came to the scaffold at the western end of the marketplace, next to Boston's oldest church. The scaffold was a platform where punishments were carried out publicly so as to impress the citizenry into obeying the laws. There was a pillory there, designed to hold a human head tightly and keep it in the public gaze. But Hester Prynne was not sentenced to its confinement. Her sentence was just to stand on the platform for three hours.

She climbed the steps and began her sentence. The onlookers stared at her and the scarlet letter in solemn silence. Hester had prepared herself to face the assault of the public's scorn and insults, but she found their heavy silence almost more difficult to bear. When she stood there, her mind began to travel back into itself as memories began to surface. She could see and feel the days of her happy childhood. Then she saw her face, gazing in the mirror, and its glow of young beauty. Then she saw the face of a man who was much older. His eyes were dim, and his skin was pale from many years of cloistered study. His figure was slightly misshapen, his left shoulder a bit higher than his right.

Then Hester Prynne's memories ended, and she found herself back on the scaffolding, surrounded by the townspeople. They were still staring at her and the scarlet letter on her breast. She looked down at the letter on her chest and touched it to assure herself it was real. And it was, as were the infant and her burning shame.

After standing there for a little while, Hester saw a person on the edge of the crowd that she couldn't ignore. He was a white man standing next to a native. The white man, small, with a wrinkled face, was wearing a mix of a civilized and savage costume. Although he had tried to disguise his physical features, it was clear that his left shoulder was higher than his right. As she stared at him, her child cried in pain from the tightness of her grasp on it, but she did not seem to hear.

The man, who was a stranger in this town, stared back at Hester Prynne. At first his glance was careless, but as he began to understand the situation she was in, a look of horror came across his face.

"I ask you, kind sir," the man said to a townsman. "Who is this woman, and why must she suffer such public shame?"

"You must be a stranger to this town," answered the townsman. "Everyone who lives here knows about Hester Prynne and her wicked ways. She has created a huge scandal among the members of Reverend Dimmesdale's church."

"That's right," replied the man. "I am a stranger. I have been a captive of the savage heathens in the south for a long time. Please tell me of this woman Hester Prynne's crime."

"This woman is the wife of an English scholar. He decided to join our colony and sent his wife over ahead of him. But this man hasn't been heard from in two years, and his young wife was left to her own poor judgment."

"Ah, I see what you mean," said the stranger with a bitter smile. "So who is the father of the baby she's holding?"

"That fact is the puzzling question that remains for everyone," said the townsman. "Mrs. Prynne refuses to name the other sinner."

"Her husband should come and solve the mystery," said the stranger.

"Yes, he should if he's still alive," agreed the townsman. "The penalty for this crime is normally death, but the magistrates were merciful because her husband is probably at the bottom of the sea. But afterward she will bear the scarlet mark of an adulterer for the rest of her life."

"It is a wise punishment," said the stranger. "Her mark will serve as a living sermon against sin. But it angers me that her fellow sinner is not standing there next to her. But he will be discovered and known. He will!"

As the stranger walked away, Hester Prynne kept her eyes on him. She was relieved to be in the presence of the crowd so as not to meet the man alone.

Suddenly, she was awoken from her thoughts by a voice, "Hester Prynne, you must now listen to me!" Standing on the balcony of the nearby church, used by magistrates to pronounce sentences, was Governor Bellingham. There were other noblemen on the balcony with the governor and his men.

Hester Prynne faced the balcony. The voice she had heard belonged to Boston's oldest minister, Pastor John Wilson.

"Hester Prynne," continued the old pastor, "I have told your minister here, the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, that he should force you to tell us the name of the wicked man who had tempted you to this sad fall here and now."

Then Governor Bellingham spoke, "Good Reverend Dimmesdale, as her minister, you are responsible for this woman's soul. You must urge her to speak and therefore prove her repentance."

To respond, Reverend Dimmesdale rose to address the crowd. The reverend was a young clergyman who had graduated from one of the great English universities. His powerful voice and impressive intellect had already brought him great respect and admiration from the colonists he served.

"Speak to the woman, brother," urged Pastor Wilson. "You are the only one who can save her soul!"

Reverend Dimmesdale looked to the woman on the scaffolding. "Hester Prynne," he began. "You've heard what the good Pastor Wilson has said. I urge you to speak the name of your fellow sinner. It will give both of your hearts peace. Do not remain silent out of misplaced pity or tenderness for him!"

Even the baby in Hester Prynne's arms was affected by the reverend's powerful voice. It looked up at him with a half-happy, half-sad expression on its face. But to this entreaty, Hester just shook her head.

"Woman, do not test the limits of Heaven's mercy!" said Pastor Wilson with an angry voice. "Speak the name, and your repentance will be enough to take the scarlet letter off your breast!"

"Never!" shouted Hester Prynne. She looked deeply into Reverend Dimmesdale's eyes. "This letter is branded too deeply on my heart to remove it so easily. I hope to endure his agony as well as my own!"

"Speak!" cried the townspeople around the scaffolding. "Speak the name of your baby's father!"

She went pale as she seemed to recognize one of the stern, cold voices coming from the crowd. But she insisted, "I will not speak. My baby will never have an earthly father. She will have to know the heavenly one!"

"She won't confess his name," whispered Dimmesdale, as he leaned over the balcony with his hand over his heart. "She will not speak!" he announced to the crowd.

Once Hester had returned to the prison, she was in a state of nervous hysteria. And the baby kept crying wildly. Master Brackett, the jailer, kept a constant watch on her to make sure she did not hurt herself or her baby. Finally, he brought in a doctor to see her. The doctor was the same stranger who had taken an interest in her while she had been on the scaffolding. His name was Roger Chillingworth.

As the jailer led him into the room and Hester Prynne saw him, she became as still as death.

"Don't worry," the doctor told the jailer. "I'll take great care of Mrs. Prynne and her child. You will soon have peace and quiet in your prison."

The doctor mixed up an herbal remedy from local plants that he had learned from the natives.

"Here Mrs. Prynne, give this to your baby. She'll only accept it from your hands, and it will calm her."

Hester pushed his hand away. "Would you avenge yourself by poisoning this innocent baby?" she whispered.

"Woman, don't be foolish!" the doctor responded in a cold yet soothing manner. "I would not harm this poor, misbegotten baby."

Hesitantly, she gave the drink to her infant, and it dropped peacefully off to sleep.

Then the doctor offered Hester some medicine for herself. Looking warily into the cup, she said, "And how do I know you wouldn't kill me with poison for revenge?"

"Hester," responded the doctor, "do you know me so little that you think my purposes could be so shallow? Would not letting you live with this burning shame on your breast be the best revenge of all?"

At this, she smiled a little and took her medicine. The doctor continued speaking while her medicine took effect. "You know, I should have guessed this would have happened. I could have seen that scarlet letter blazing at the end of the church aisle we walked down on the day we got married."

"You know," she said to him, "I was always honest with you. I always told you I felt no love for you, nor would I ever pretend to. But I am sorry. I have greatly wronged you."

"No," he answered. "We have wronged each other. I should not have trapped your blossoming youth into this unnatural bond with my decay. The scales between us are balanced. But I will seek revenge against the cowardly man who has left you to suffer this shame alone. You might not tell me his name, but I will discover it. I will! Now all I ask you is that you keep my identity as your husband a secret in this town. And do not tell the man upon whom I'll seek revenge about me."

"I will keep your secret as I have his," said Hester.

KEY WORDS

forefather n. 祖先

colony n. 聚居地

strive v. 努力，奋斗

(strive-strove-striven)

utopian adj. 乌托邦（式）的

cemetery n. 墓地

Puritan adj. 清教徒的

settler n. 移居者

proclaim v. 宣告

judge v. 审判

wicked adj. 邪恶的

sentence n. 判决

magistrate n. 地方行政官

brand v. 在……上打上标记

spike n. 大钉

figure n. 隐约可见的人影

usher v. 引，领

step out 加快脚步

dignity n. 尊严

wink v. 眨眼

reveal v. 展现

lower v. 放低

blush v. 脸红

breast n. （衣服的）胸部

embroider v. 在……上刺绣

thread n. 线

artistic adj. 艺术性强的

fanciful adj. 奇异的

elegant adj. 优美的

gleam v. 发微光

comportment n. 举动

circumstances n. 环境

sewing needle 缝衣针

remark v. 评说

shameful adj. 可耻的

make way 让路

marketplace n. 市场

lane n. （人群里的）通路

spectator n. 旁观者

appointed adj. 布置好的

punishment n. 惩罚

scaffold n. 绞刑架

platform n. 平台

carry out 执行

impress v. 使铭记

citizenry n. 公民

obey v. 遵守

pillory n. 颈手枷

gaze n. 注视

confinement n. 禁锢

onlooker n. 旁观者

solemn adj. 严肃的

assault n. （武力或口头上的）攻击

scorn n. 嘲弄

insult n. 侮辱

surface v. 呈现

glow n. 兴高采烈

dim adj. 暗淡的

pale adj. 苍白的

cloistered adj. 与外界隔绝的

misshapen adj. 畸形的

surround v. 围住

assure v. 使确信

infant n. 婴儿

on the edge of 在……边上

ignore v. 忽视

native n. 当地人

wrinkled adj. 皱纹多的

civilized adj. 文明的

savage adj. 野蛮的

costume n. 服装

disguise v. 掩饰

physical adj. 身体的

feature n. 特征

grasp n. 抱

glance n. 一瞥

horror n. 恐惧

suffer v. 遭受

scandal n. 反感，愤慨

reverend n. 教士

captive n. 俘虏

heathen n. 野蛮的人

crime n. 罪行

scholar n. 有文化者

puzzling adj. 令人困惑的

remain v. 仍是

refuse v. 拒绝

name v. 提到

sinner n. （道德上的）罪人

penalty n. 刑罚

merciful adj. 仁慈的

at the bottom of 在……底

bear v. 佩带

(bear-bore-borne)

adulterer n. 通奸者

sermon n. 训诫

fellow adj. 同伴的

discover v. 找到

relieved adj. 宽慰的

in the presence of 当着……的面

awake v. 唤醒

(awake-awoke-awaken)

pronounce v. 宣判

governor n. 总督

minister n. 牧师

pastor n. 本堂牧师

force v. 迫使

tempt v. 引诱

here and now 此时此地，立刻

be responsible for 对……负责任

soul n. 灵魂

urge v. 力劝

repentance n. 悔悟

clergyman n. 牧师

graduate v. 毕业

intellect n. 非凡的才智

admiration n. 钦佩

colonist n. 殖民地开拓者

misplaced adj. 错置的

tenderness n. 温情

affect v. 影响

expression n. 表情

entreaty n. 恳求

shake one's head 摇头

limit n. 界限

Heaven n. 天国；上帝

remove v. 去掉

endure v. 忍受

agony n. （极度的）痛苦

recognize v. 认出

stern adj. 严峻的

insist v. 坚持

earthly adj. 尘世的

confess v. 供认，坦白

whisper v. 低语

lean v. 斜靠

state n. 状态

nervous adj. 神经质的

hysteria n. 歇斯底里

jailer n. 监狱看守

constant adj. 不断的

make sure 确保

mix up 拌和

herbal adj. 草本植物制的

remedy n. 药物

avenge v. 替……报仇

innocent adj. 无罪的

soothing adj. 安慰的

manner n. 方式

misbegotten adj. 私生的

hesitantly adv. 犹豫地

offer v. 提供

warily adv. 谨慎地

shallow adj. 浅薄的

take effect 产生效用

blaze v. 发（强）光

aisle n. 过道

pretend v. 装作

wrong v. 不公正地对待

trap v. 使陷于困境

blossoming adj. 成长的

unnatural adj. 不合常情的

bond n. 契约

decay n. 腐朽

scales n. 天平

cowardly adj. 胆小的

identity n. 身份

One Point Lesson

I hope to endure his agony as well as my own!

我愿意承受自己的痛苦，也愿意替他承受痛苦！

as well as : 除……之外（也）；和

e.g. I love you as well as your father.

我喜欢你，也喜欢你父亲。

You know, I should have guessed this would have happened.

你知道，我应该猜到会有这样的事情的。

should have＋过去分词 ：虚拟语气，表示本该发生却没有发生的事。

e.g. You should have gone to the party.

你应该去聚会的。 NNSOSCVDqveIxWhVS8j2wg7afUX9pEAZuNATRzkA3w5GdJnrtTswKXNRpB9Yk8U5