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The Scarlet Letter | Gradually Hardening Danish A1

The Scarlet Letter | Gradually Hardening Danish A1

This progressive translation technique brings multiple benefits to language learners. It lets you choose the difficulty level that matches your abilities, making sure the material is challenging but not too difficult. By focusing on understanding words in context, this method boosts your comprehension skills. While direct translations are slightly hidden to promote guessing from context, you can always check unfamiliar words. This approach makes learning a new language both engaging and accessible, offering the right mix of difficulty and encouragement. Embark on a journey through translated classics and enjoy the process of learning through reading.

THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
en
alittleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
tale
talkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsat
det
thefireside,andtomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulse
skulle
shouldtwiceinmylife
have
havetakenpossessionofme,inaddressing
det
thepublic.
Thefirsttimewas
tre
threeorfouryearssince,whenIfavored
den
thereader—inexcusably,andfornoearthly
grund
reason,thateithertheindulgentreader
eller
ortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayoflifein
den
thedeepquietudeofan
Gammel
OldManse.
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
glad
happyenoughtofindalistener
eller
ortwoontheformeroccasion—I
igen
againseizethepublicby
den
thebutton,andtalkofmy
tre
threeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.
Den
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
denne
thisParish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
fulgt
followed.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
når
whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
mange
manywhowillflingasidehisvolume,
eller
ornevertakeitup,butthe
få
fewwhowillunderstandhim,
bedre
betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
eller
orlifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,
gør
dofarmorethanthis,
og
andindulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationascouldfittinglybeaddressed,
kun
onlyandexclusively,totheone
hjerte
heartandmindofperfectsympathy;
asiftheprinted
bog
book,thrownatlargeonthewide
verden
world,werecertaintofind
ud
outthedividedsegmentofthewriter’s
egen
ownnature,andcompletehiscircleofexistenceby
bringe
bringinghimintocommunionwithit.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
tale
speakall,evenwherewe
tale
speakimpersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
og
andutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeaker
står
standinsometruerelationwithhisaudience,it
kan
maybepardonabletoimaginethat
en
afriend,akindandapprehensive,thoughnottheclosest
ven
friend,islisteningtoour
snak
talk;
andthen,anativereservebeingthawedby
denne
thisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateofthecircumstances
der
thatliearoundus,andevenofourself,
men
butstillkeeptheinmostMe
bag
behinditsveil.
Tothisextent,
og
andwithintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,
kan
maybeautobiographical,withoutviolatingeitherthereader’srights
eller
orhisown.
Itwillbeseen,likewise,
at
thatthisCustom-Housesketchhas
en
acertainpropriety,ofa
slags
kindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaining
hvordan
howalargeportionofthefollowingpages
kom
cameintomypossession,andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityof
en
anarrativethereincontained.
This,infact,—adesireto
sætte
putmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
eller
orverylittlemore,of
de
themostprolixamongthetalesthatmakeupmyvolume,—this,
og
andnoother,ismy
sande
truereasonforassumingapersonalrelationwith
de
thepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,it
har
hasappearedallowable,bya
par
fewextratouches,togiveafaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,
sammen
togetherwithsomeofthecharactersthat
bevæger
moveinit,amongwhomtheauthorhappenedto
gøre
makeone.
InmynativetownofSalem,attheheadofwhat,halfacentury
siden
ago,inthedaysof
gamle
oldKingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—butwhichis
nu
nowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
og
andexhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
liv
life;
except,perhaps,abark
eller
orbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
eller
or,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitching
ud
outhercargooffirewood,—atthehead,I
siger
say,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,
som
whichthetideoftenoverflows,
og
andalongwhich,atthebase
og
andintherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackof
mange
manylanguidyearsisseenin
en
aborderofunthriftygrass,—here,
med
withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnot
meget
veryenliveningprospect,andthenceacrosstheharbor,
står
standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
From
det
theloftiestpointofitsroof,duringprecisely
tre
threeandahalfhoursof
hver
eachforenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
eller
orcalm,thebannerof
det
therepublic;
butwiththethirteenstripesturnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,
og
andthusindicatingthatacivil,
og
andnotamilitarypostof
Onkel
UncleSam’sgovernmentishereestablished.
Itsfrontisornamented
med
withaporticoofhalfadozenwoodenpillars,supportingabalcony,beneath
der
whichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsthe
gaden
street.
Overtheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenof
den
theAmericaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
og
and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
og
andbarbedarrowsineachclaw.
Med
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemperthatcharacterizes
denne
thisunhappyfowl,sheappears,by
den
thefiercenessofherbeak
og
andeye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischiefto
den
theinoffensivecommunity;
andespeciallytowarn
alle
allcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
mod
againstintrudingonthepremises
som
whichsheovershadowswithherwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshe
ser
looks,manypeopleareseeking,at
dette
thisverymoment,toshelterthemselves
under
underthewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,thatherbosom
har
hasallthesoftnessandsnugnessof
en
aneider-downpillow.
Butshe
har
hasnogreattenderness,eveninher
bedste
bestofmoods,and,sooner
eller
orlater,—oftenersoonthanlate,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,
med
withascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,
eller
oraranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementround
omkring
abouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
kan
mayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
nok
enoughgrowinginitschinksto
vise
showthatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornby
nogen
anymultitudinousresortofbusiness.
In
nogle
somemonthsoftheyear,however,
der
thereoftenchancesaforenoonwhenaffairs
bevæger
moveonwardwithaliveliertread.
Suchoccasions
kan
mightremindtheelderlycitizenofthatperiod
før
beforethelastwarwithEngland,
da
whenSalemwasaportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
nu
now,byherownmerchants
og
andship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
mens
whiletheirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
og
andimperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
eller
orBoston.
Onsomesuch
morgen
morning,whenthreeorfourvessels
tilfældigvis
happentohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
eller
orSouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,
der
thereisasoundoffrequentfeet,passingbriskly
op
upanddownthegranitesteps.
Her
Here,beforehisownwifehasgreeted
ham
him,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,
lige
justinport,withhisvessel’spapers
under
underhisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Her
Here,too,comeshisowner,cheerful
eller
orsombre,graciousorin
den
thesulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
den
thenowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethat
vil
willreadilybeturnedtogold,
eller
orhasburiedhimunder
en
abulkofincommodities,suchas
ingen
nobodywillcaretoridhim
af
of.
Here,likewise,—thegermof
den
thewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—we
har
havethesmartyoungclerk,whogets
den
thetasteoftrafficas
en
awolf-cubdoesofblood,
og
andalreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,whenhe
har
hadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsupon
en
amill-pond.
Anotherfigurein
den
thesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestof
en
aprotection;
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
og
andfeeble,seekingapassportto
den
thehospital.
Normustwe
glemme
forgetthecaptainsoftherusty
små
littleschoonersthatbringfirewoodfrom
de
theBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
sæt
setoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessoftheYankeeaspect,
men
butcontributinganitemof
ingen
noslightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
alle
alltheseindividualstogether,asthey
nogle gange
sometimeswere,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
og
and,forthetimebeing,it
gjorde
madetheCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youwoulddiscern—intheentry,
hvis
ifitweresummertime,
eller
orintheirappropriaterooms,
hvis
ifwintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,
sad
sittinginold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegs
tilbage
backagainstthewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
men
butoccasionallymightbeheard
tale
talkingtogether,invoicesbetweenspeech
og
andasnore,andwiththatlackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
og
andallotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
eller
oranythingelse,buttheir
egne
ownindependentexertions.
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,
som
likeMatthew,atthereceiptofcustoms,
men
butnotveryliabletobesummonedthence,
som
likehim,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,onthelefthandasyouenterthefrontdoor,is
et
acertainroomoroffice,
omkring
aboutfifteenfeetsquare,andof
et
aloftyheight;
withtwoofitsarchedwindowscommanding
en
aviewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,
og
andthethirdlookingacross
en
anarrowlane,andalong
en
aportionofDerbyStreet.
Alle
Allthreegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
og
andship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsofwhicharegenerallytobe
se
seen,laughingandgossiping,clustersof
gamle
oldsalts,andsuchotherwharf-ratsashaunttheWappingof
en
aseaport.
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
og
anddingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewn
med
withgraysand,inafashion
der
thathaselsewherefalleninto
lang
longdisuse;
anditis
let
easytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessoftheplace,that
dette
thisisasanctuaryinto
som
whichwomankind,withhertoolsofmagic,thebroom
og
andmop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
Inthewayoffurniture,
der
thereisastovewith
en
avoluminousfunnel;
anoldpinedesk,
med
withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
to
twoorthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
og
andinfirm;
and—nottoforgetthelibrary—on
nogle
someshelves,ascoreor
to
twoofvolumesoftheActsofCongress,
og
andabulkyDigestoftheRevenueLaws.
Et
Atinpipeascendsthroughtheceiling,
og
andformsamediumofvocalcommunication
med
withotherpartsoftheedifice.
Og
Andhere,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
eller
orloungingonthelong-leggedstool,
med
withhiselbowonthedesk,
og
andhiseyeswanderingup
og
anddownthecolumnsof
den
themorningnewspaper,—youmighthaverecognized,honoredreader,
den
thesameindividualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
lille
littlestudy,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantly
gennem
throughthewillowbranches,on
den
thewesternsideoftheOldManse.
Men
Butnow,shouldyougothithertoseek
ham
him,youwouldinquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreform
har
hasswepthimoutofoffice;
og
andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
og
andpocketshisemoluments.
This
gamle
oldtownofSalem—mynativeplace,
selv
thoughIhavedweltmuch
væk
awayfromit,bothinboyhood
og
andmatureryears—possesses,ordidpossess,
et
aholdonmyaffections,theforceof
som
whichIhaveneverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
her
here.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,
med
withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchiefly
med
withwoodenhouses,fewornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
men
butonlytame,—itslongandlazy
gade
street,loungingwearisomelythroughthe
hele
wholeextentofthepeninsula,
med
withGallowsHillandNewGuineaatone
ende
end,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynativetown,it
ville
wouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Og
Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,thereiswithinme
en
afeelingforoldSalem,which,inlackof
en
abetterphrase,Imustbecontentto
kalde
callaffection.
Thesentimentis
sandsynligvis
probablyassignabletothedeep
og
andagedrootswhichmy
familie
familyhasstruckintothesoil.
Itis
nu
nownearlytwocenturiesand
en
aquartersincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
navn
name,madehisappearanceinthewild
og
andforest-borderedsettlement,whichhas
siden
sincebecomeacity.
And
her
herehisdescendantshavebeenborn
og
anddied,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstance
med
withthesoil;
untilnosmallportionofit
skal
mustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
et
alittlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
Inpart,therefore,
den
theattachmentwhichIspeakofis
den
themeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Få
Fewofmycountrymencan
vide
knowwhatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
måske
perhapsbetterforthestock,
behøver
needtheyconsideritdesirableto
vide
know.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
Den
Thefigureofthatfirstancestor,investedby
familie
familytraditionwithadim
og
andduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,as
langt
farbackasIcan
huske
remember.
Itstillhauntsme,
og
andinducesasortofhome-feeling
med
withthepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
byen
town.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
her
hereonaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
og
andsteeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,
med
withhisBibleandhissword,
og
andtrodetheunwornstreet
med
withsuchastatelyport,
og
andmadesolargeafigure,asa
mand
manofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaim
end
thanformyself,whosenameisseldom
hørt
heardandmyfacehardly
kendt
known.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
en
arulerintheChurch;
he
havde
hadallthePuritanictraits,
både
bothgoodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitnesstheQuakers,who
har
haverememberedhimintheirhistories,
og
andrelateanincidentofhis
hårde
hardseveritytowardsawomanoftheirsect,which
vil
willlastlonger,itistobefeared,
end
thananyrecordofhis
bedre
betterdeeds,althoughthesewere
mange
many.
Hisson,too,inherited
den
thepersecutingspirit,andmadehimselfsoconspicuousin
den
themartyrdomofthewitches,thattheir
blod
bloodmayfairlybesaidto
have
haveleftastainupon
ham
him.
Sodeepastain,indeed,thathis
gamle
olddrybones,intheCharter
Street
Streetburial-ground,muststillretainit,
hvis
iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
ved
knownotwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
og
andaskpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
eller
orwhethertheyarenowgroaning
under
undertheheavyconsequencesof
dem
them,inanotherstateofbeing.
At
alle
allevents,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,hereby
tage
takeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
og
andpraythatanycurseincurredbythem—asI
har
haveheard,andasthedreary
og
andunprosperousconditionoftherace,for
mange
manyalongyearback,
ville
wouldarguetoexist—maybe
nu
nowandhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,eitherof
disse
thesesternandblack-browedPuritans
ville
wouldhavethoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,
at
that,aftersolongalapseofyears,the
gamle
oldtrunkofthefamilytree,
med
withsomuchvenerablemossuponit,
skulle
shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Noaim,thatI
har
haveevercherished,wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;
nosuccessofmine—ifmy
liv
life,beyonditsdomesticscope,hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwise
end
thanworthless,ifnotpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
ene
onegrayshadowofmyforefathersto
den
theother.
“Awriterofstory-books!
What
slags
kindofabusinessinlife—whatmodeofglorifying
Gud
God,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhis
dag
dayandgeneration—maythatbe?
Hvorfor
Why,thedegeneratefellowmightas
godt
wellhavebeenafiddler!”
Sådan
Sucharethecomplimentsbandied
mellem
betweenmygreat-grandsiresandmyself,acrossthegulfoftime!
Og
Andyet,letthemscornmeasthey
vil
will,strongtraitsoftheirnature
har
haveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,inthetown’searliestinfancy
og
andchildhood,bythesetwoearnest
og
andenergeticmen,therace
har
haseversincesubsistedhere;
altid
always,too,inrespectability;
never,so
vidt
farasIhaveknown,disgracedby
et
asingleunworthymember;
butseldom
eller
ornever,ontheother
side
hand,afterthefirsttwogenerations,performing
nogen
anymemorabledeed,orso
meget
muchasputtingforwardaclaimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,theyhavesunk
næsten
almostoutofsight;
as
gamle
oldhouses,hereandthere
om
aboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytotheeavesbytheaccumulationof
ny
newsoil.
Fromfatherto
søn
son,foraboveahundredyears,they
fulgte
followedthesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
hver
eachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-deckto
den
thehomestead,whileaboyoffourteen
tog
tookthehereditaryplacebefore
den
themast,confrontingthesaltspray
og
andthegale,whichhadblustered
mod
againsthissireandgrandsire.
Den
Theboy,also,indue
tid
time,passedfromtheforecastleto
den
thecabin,spentatempestuousmanhood,
og
andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrow
gammel
old,anddie,andminglehisdust
med
withthenatalearth.
Thislongconnectionofa
familie
familywithonespot,asitsplaceofbirth
og
andburial,createsakindred
mellem
betweenthehumanbeingandthelocality,
helt
quiteindependentofanycharminthescenery
eller
ormoralcircumstancesthatsurround
ham
him.
Itisnotlove,
men
butinstinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
kom
camehimselffromaforeignland,
eller
orwhosefatherorgrandfathercame—haslittleclaimtobe
kaldt
calledaSalemite;
hehas
ingen
noconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacity
med
withwhichanoldsettler,
over
overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespotwherehissuccessivegenerations
har
havebeenimbedded.
Itisnomatterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
ham
him;
thatheiswearyofthe
gamle
oldwoodenhouses,themud
og
anddust,thedeadlevelofsite
og
andsentiment,thechilleastwind,
og
andthechillestofsocialatmospheres;—all
disse
these,andwhateverfaultsbesideshe
kan
mayseeorimagine,are
intet
nothingtothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
og
andjustaspowerfullyasifthenatalspotwere
et
anearthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
tilfælde
case.
Ifeltitalmostas
en
adestinytomakeSalemmy
hjem
home;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
og
andcastofcharacterwhich
havde
hadallalongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
en
onerepresentativeoftherace
lå
laydowninhisgrave,anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-march
langs
alongthemainstreet,—mightstillinmy
lille
littledaybeseenandrecognizedinthe
gamle
oldtown.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethattheconnection,whichhas
blevet
becomeanunhealthyone,shouldatlastbesevered.
Menneskelige
Humannaturewillnotflourish,any
mere
morethanapotato,ifitbeplanted
og
andreplanted,fortoolong
en
aseriesofgenerations,inthe
samme
sameworn-outsoil.
Mychildren
har
havehadotherbirthplaces,and,so
vidt
farastheirfortunesmaybewithinmy
kontrol
control,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
jord
earth.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
denne
thisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynativetown,that
bragte
broughtmetofillaplacein
Onkel
UncleSam’sbrickedifice,whenI
kunne
mightaswell,orbetter,have
gået
gonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwasonme.
Itwasnotthe
første
firsttime,northesecond,
at
thatIhadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyetreturned,
som
likethebadhalf-penny;
orasifSalemwereforme
det
theinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
en
onefinemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,
med
withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
og
andwasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemenwhoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whether
nogen
anypublicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,
enten
eitherinthecivilormilitary
linje
line,haseverhadsuch
en
apatriarchalbodyofveterans
under
underhisordersasmyself.
Den
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
da
whenIlookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyears
før
beforethisepoch,theindependentpositionof
den
theCollectorhadkepttheSalemCustom-House
ude
outofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,
som
whichmakesthetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.
En
Asoldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—he
stod
stoodfirmlyonthepedestalofhisgallantservices;
og
and,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrationsthroughwhichhehadheldoffice,hehadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesin
mange
manyanhourofdanger
og
andheart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
en
amanoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
havde
hadnoslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
og
andwithdifficultymovedto
ændre
change,evenwhenchangemight
have
havebroughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,ontakingchargeofmydepartment,I
fandt
foundfewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthe
det meste
mostpart,who,afterbeingtoston
hvert
everysea,andstandingupsturdily
mod
againstlife’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
dette
thisquietnook;
where,with
lidt
littletodisturbthem,excepttheperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyone
og
andallacquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Selv
Thoughbynomeanslessliable
end
thantheirfellow-mentoage
og
andinfirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalisman
eller
orotherthatkeptdeathatbay.
To
Twoorthreeoftheir
antal
number,asIwasassured,beinggouty
og
andrheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,
aldrig
neverdreamedofmakingtheirappearanceattheCustom-House,during
en
alargepartofthe
året
year;
but,afteratorpidwinter,
ville
wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineof
Maj
MayorJune,golazily
om
aboutwhattheytermedduty,
og
and,attheirownleisure
og
andconvenience,betakethemselvesto
sengs
bedagain.
Imustpleadguiltyto
den
thechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
mere
morethanoneofthesevenerableservantsof
den
therepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
hvile
restfromtheirarduouslabors,
og
andsoonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleoflifehadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
tror
believeitwas—withdrewtoa
bedre
betterworld.
Itisapiousconsolationtome,that,
gennem
throughmyinterference,asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
og
andcorruptpracticesintowhich,as
en
amatterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficer
må
mustbesupposedtofall.
Neither
den
thefrontnorthebackentranceof
den
theCustom-HouseopensontheroadtoParadise.
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwas
godt
wellfortheirvenerablebrotherhoodthatthe
nye
newSurveyorwasnotapolitician,
og
andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednor
holdt
heldhisofficewithanyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
sat
putintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
nemme
easytaskofmakinghead
mod
againstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlya
mand
manoftheoldcorps
ville
wouldhavedrawnthebreathofofficial
liv
life,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcome
op
uptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,it
ville
wouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,to
bringe
bringeveryoneofthosewhiteheads
under
undertheaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
nok
enoughtodiscern,thatthe
gamle
oldfellowsdreadedsomesuchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
og
andatthesametimeamusedme,tobeholdtheterrorsthatattendedmyadvent;
to
se
seeafurrowedcheek,weather-beatenbyhalfacenturyofstorm,
slå
turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
eller
oranotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,which,inlong-pastdays,
havde
hadbeenwonttobellow
gennem
throughaspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
vidste
knew,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,by
alle
allestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
nogle
someofthem,weighedbytheir
egen
ownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
have
havegivenplacetoyoungermen,
mere
moreorthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitter
end
thanthemselvestoserveourcommon
Onkel
Uncle.
Iknewittoo,
men
butcouldneverquitefindinmy
hjerte
hearttoactupontheknowledge.
Meget
Muchanddeservedlytomy
egen
owndiscredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreep
om
aboutthewharves,andloiter
op
upanddowntheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
en
agooddealoftime,
også
also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,
med
withtheirchairstiltedback
mod
againstthewall;
awaking,however,once
eller
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanother
med
withtheseveralthousandthrepetitionof
gamle
oldsea-stories,andmouldyjokes,that
hav
hadgrowntobepasswords
og
andcountersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
snart
soonmade,Iimagine,that
den
thenewSurveyorhadno
stor
greatharminhim.
So,
med
withlightsomehearts,andthehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheir
eget
ownbehalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—these
gode
goodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
under
undertheirspectacles,didtheypeepintotheholdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfuss
om
aboutlittlematters,andmarvellous,
nogle gange
sometimes,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
mellem
betweentheirfingers!
Wheneversuch
en
amischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandisehadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
måske
perhaps,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothing
kunne
couldexceedthevigilanceandalacrity
med
withwhichtheyproceededtolock,
og
anddouble-lock,andsecurewithtape
og
andsealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
sagen
caseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
efter
afterthemischiefhadhappened;
en
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,
det
themomentthattherewas
ikke
nolongeranyremedy.
Unless
folk
peoplearemorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
en
akindnessforthem.
The
bedre
betterpartofmycompanion’scharacter,
hvis
ifithaveabetter
del
part,isthatwhichusually
kommer
comesuppermostinmyregard,
og
andformsthetypewherebyIrecognizethe
manden
man.
Asmostofthese
gamle
oldCustom-Houseofficershadgoodtraits,
og
andasmypositioninreferenceto
dem
them,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorableto
de
thegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
snart
soongrewtolikethem
alle
all.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,that
næsten
almostliquefiedtherestofthe
menneskelige
humanfamily,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasantto
høre
hearthemchattinginthebackentry,
en
arowofthemalltipped
mod
againstthewall,asusual;
mens
whilethefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
og
andcamebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,
de
thejollityofagedmen
har
hasmuchincommonwith
de
themirthofchildren;
theintellect,any
mere
morethanadeepsenseofhumor,
har
haslittletodowiththe
sagen
matter;
itis,withboth,
en
agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
og
andimpartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
og
andgray,moulderingtrunk.
Inone
tilfælde
case,however,itisrealsunshine;
inthe
anden
other,itmoreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
ville
wouldbesadinjustice,thereader
må
mustunderstand,torepresentallmyexcellent
gamle
oldfriendsasintheirdotage.
In
det
thefirstplace,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariably
gamle
old;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
og
andprime,ofmarkedability
og
andenergy,andaltogethersuperiorto
den
thesluggishanddependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstars
havde
hadcastthem.
Then,moreover,
de
thewhitelocksofagewere
undertiden
sometimesfoundtobethethatchof
en
anintellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Men
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,there
vil
willbenowrongdone,
hvis
ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
et
asetofwearisomeoldsouls,who
havde
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceoflife.
Theyseemedto
have
haveflungawayallthegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,
som
whichtheyhadenjoyedso
mange
manyopportunitiesofharvesting,and
mest
mostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemories
med
withthehusks.
Theyspoke
med
withfarmoreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
eller
oryesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
aftensmad
dinner,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
eller
orfiftyyearsago,and
alle
alltheworld’swonderswhichthey
havde
hadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
Den
ThefatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
kun
onlyofthislittlesquadofofficials,
men
but,Iamboldto
sige
say,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waitersall
over
overtheUnitedStates—wasacertainpermanentInspector.
He
kunne
mighttrulybetermedalegitimate
søn
sonoftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
eller
or,rather,borninthepurple;
siden
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
og
andformerlycollectoroftheport,hadcreatedan
kontor
officeforhim,andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyages
som
whichfewlivingmencan
nu
nowremember.
ThisInspector,whenI
først
firstknewhim,wasa
mand
manoffourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
og
andcertainlyoneofthe
mest
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-greenthatyou
ville
wouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Med
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedin
en
abright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
og
andvigorousstep,andhishale
og
andheartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
ung
young,indeed—butakindof
ny
newcontrivanceofMotherNatureintheshapeof
mand
man,whomageandinfirmity
havde
hadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
og
andlaugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
gennem
throughtheCustom-House,hadnothingof
den
thetremulousquaverandcackleof
en
anoldman’sutterance;
they
kom
camestruttingoutofhislungs,
som
likethecrowofacock,
eller
ortheblastofaclarion.
Se
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewas
meget
verylittleelsetolookat,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulness
og
andwholesomenessofhissystem,
og
andhiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
alle
all,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhehadeveraimed
på
at,orconceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
liv
lifeintheCustom-House,on
en
aregularincome,andwith
men
butslightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
havde
hadnodoubtcontributedto
gøre
maketimepasslightlyover
ham
him.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,
lå
layintherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,themoderateproportionofintellect,
og
andtheverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
og
andspiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
nok
enoughmeasuretokeepthe
gamle
oldgentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
ingen
nopowerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
ingen
notroublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
men
butafewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedby
den
thecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitably
ud
outofhisphysicalwell-being,
gjorde
diddutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
et
aheart.
Hehadbeenthe
mand
husbandofthreewives,all
længe
longsincedead;
thefatheroftwenty
børn
children,mostofwhom,ateveryageofchildhood
eller
ormaturity,hadlikewisereturnedtodust.
Her
Here,onewouldsuppose,might
have
havebeensorrowenoughtoimbue
den
thesunniestdisposition,throughand
gennem
through,withasabletinge.
Notso
med
withouroldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryofftheentireburdenof
disse
thesedismalreminiscences.
Thenext
øjeblik
moment,hewasasreadyforsportasanyunbreechedinfant;
farreadier
end
thantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,
som
who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
og
andgravermanofthe
to
two.
Iusedtowatch
og
andstudythispatriarchalpersonage
med
with,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,
end
thananyotherformofhumanity
der
therepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,in
sandhed
truth,ararephenomenon;
so
perfekt
perfect,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
sådan
suchanabsolutenonentity,in
alle
everyother.
Myconclusionwas
at
thathehadnosoul,
ikke
noheart,nomind;