经典短篇小说:牧师的黑面纱---霍桑

牧师的黑面纱---霍桑
作家简介：纳撒尼尔·霍桑:19世纪前半期美国最伟大的小说家。 其代表作品有：短篇小说集《古宅青苔》、《重讲一遍的故事》等，长篇小说《红字》、《带七个尖顶的阁楼》、《福谷传奇》、《玉石人像》等。这些都是世界文学史上不可多得的经典名著。
小说剖析：霍桑的《牧师的黑面纱》就是一个寓言，牧师自始至终戴着一个黑面纱，尽管面纱背后是一张普通的脸，但是每个看到黑面纱的人还是感到害怕。那张面纱就是一面罪恶的镜子，照出了每个不敢审视邪恶自我的灵魂。对自己最亲近的妻子，牧师也没揭开那个面纱，他把自己和世人隔绝起来，最终走向了孤独的死亡。（文章末尾可选择页码，还可点击译文和中英对照方便在阅读中学习哟！）
The sexton stood in the porch of Milford meeting-house， pulling busily at the bell-rope. The old people of the village came stooping along the street. Children， with bright faces， tripped merrily beside their parents， or mimicked a graver gait， in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens， and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on week days. When the throng had mostly streamed into the porch， the sexton began to toll the bell， keeping his eye on the Reverend Mr. Hooper's door. The first glimpse of the clergyman's figure was the signal for the bell to cease its summons.

“But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face？” Cried the sexton in astonishment.

All within hearing immediately turned about， and beheld the semblance of Mr. Hooper， pacing slowly his meditative way towards the meetinghouse. With one accord they started， expressing more wonder than if some strange minister were coming to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper's pulpit.

“Are you sure it is our parson？” inquired Goodman Gray of the sexton.

“Of a certainty it is good Mr. Hooper，” replied the sexton. “He was to have exchanged pulpits with Parson Shute， of Westbury； but Parson Shute sent to excuse himself yesterday， being to preach a funeral sermon.”

The cause of so much amazement may appear sufficiently slight. Mr. Hooper， a gentlemanly person， of about thirty， though still a bachelor， was dressed with due clerical neatness， as if a careful wife had starched his band， and brushed the weekly dust from his Sunday's garb. There was but one thing remarkable in his appearance. Swathed about his forehead， and hanging down over his face， so low as to be shaken by his breath， Mr. Hooper had on a black veil. On a nearer view it seemed to consist of two folds of crape， which entirely concealed his features， except the mouth and chin， but probably did not intercept his sight， further than to give a darkened aspect to all living and inanimate things. With this gloomy shade before him， good Mr. Hooper walked onward， at a slow and quiet pace， stooping somewhat， and looking on the ground， as is customary with abstracted men， yet nodding kindly to those of his parishioners who still waited on the meeting-house steps. But so wonder-struck were they that his greeting hardly met with a return.

“I can't really feel as if good Mr. Hooper's face was behind that piece of crape，” said the sexton.

“I don't like it，” muttered an old woman， as she hobbled into the meeting-house. “He has changed himself into something awful， only by hiding his face.”

“Our parson has gone mad！” cried Goodman Gray， following him across the threshold.

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