The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Translation Books for French A1 Students

The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Translation Books for French A1 Students

Unlock the potential of this modern translation approach, designed to enhance your language learning experience. By allowing you to choose your difficulty level, it guarantees a personalized challenge that's suited to your progress. This method promotes comprehension by encouraging you to infer the meaning of new words from context, rather than relying heavily on direct translations. Though some translations are obscured to stimulate guessing, it's perfectly fine to consult a dictionary when needed. This technique combines challenge and support, making language learning fun and effective. Explore these translated classics to enjoy literature while advancing your language skills.

THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tisa
peu
little
remarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
parler
talk
overmuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
et
and
tomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulse
devrait
should
twiceinmylife
avoir
have
takenpossessionofme,inaddressingthepublic.
The
première
first
timewasthreeor
quatre
four
yearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,
et
and
fornoearthlyreason,
que
that
eithertheindulgentreader
ou
or
theintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayof
vie
life
inthedeepquietudeofan
Vieux
Old
Manse.
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
heureux
happy
enoughtofindalistener
ou
or
twoontheformeroccasion—I
nouveau
again
seizethepublicby
le
the
button,andtalkofmy
trois
three
years’experienceinaCustom-House.
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
cette
this
Parish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
suivi
followed
.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
quand
when
hecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
nombreux
many
whowillflingasidehisvolume,
ou
or
nevertakeitup,
mais
but
thefewwhowill
comprendront
understand
him,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
ou
or
lifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,
font
do
farmorethanthis,
et
and
indulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationas
pourraient
could
fittinglybeaddressed,only
et
and
exclusively,totheone
cœur
heart
andmindofperfectsympathy;
as
si
if
theprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewide
monde
world
,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter’s
propre
own
nature,andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunion
avec
with
it.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
parlons
speak
all,evenwherewe
parlons
speak
impersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
et
and
utterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandinsometruerelation
avec
with
hisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethat
un
a
friend,akindandapprehensive,thoughnottheclosest
ami
friend
,islisteningtoourtalk;
et
and
then,anativereservebeingthawedby
cette
this
genialconsciousness,wemayprateof
le
the
circumstancesthatliearoundus,
et
and
evenofourself,but
toujours
still
keeptheinmostMe
derrière
behind
itsveil.
Tothisextent,
et
and
withintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,
peut
may
beautobiographical,withoutviolatingeither
les
the
reader’srightsorhisown.
Itwillbe
verra
seen
,likewise,thatthisCustom-Housesketchhas
une
a
certainpropriety,ofakind
toujours
always
recognizedinliterature,asexplaining
comment
how
alargeportionof
la
the
followingpagescameintomypossession,
et
and
asofferingproofsof
la
the
authenticityofanarrativethereincontained.
Cela
This
,infact,—adesireto
mettre
put
myselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
ou
or
verylittlemore,of
le
the
mostprolixamongthetales
qui
that
makeupmyvolume,—this,
et
and
noother,ismytruereasonforassuming
une
a
personalrelationwiththepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,ithasappearedallowable,byafewextratouches,to
donner
give
afaintrepresentationofamodeof
vie
life
notheretoforedescribed,together
avec
with
someofthecharacters
qui
that
moveinit,amongwhomtheauthor
arrivé
happened
tomakeone.
Inmynative
ville
town
ofSalem,atthe
tête
head
ofwhat,halfacenturyago,in
la
the
daysofoldKingDerby,was
un
a
bustlingwharf,—butwhichis
maintenant
now
burdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
et
and
exhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
vie
life
;
except,perhaps,abark
ou
or
brig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
ou
or
,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—atthe
tête
head
,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,whichthetideoftenoverflows,
et
and
alongwhich,atthebase
et
and
intherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackofmanylanguidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,
avec
with
aviewfromits
avant
front
windowsadownthisnot
très
very
enliveningprospect,andthenceacrosstheharbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
Fromtheloftiest
point
point
ofitsroof,duringprecisely
trois
three
andahalfhoursof
chaque
each
forenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
ou
or
calm,thebanneroftherepublic;
mais
but
withthethirteenstripesturnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,
et
and
thusindicatingthatacivil,
et
and
notamilitarypostofUncleSam’sgovernmentis
ici
here
established.
Itsfrontisornamentedwith
un
a
porticoofhalfadozenwoodenpillars,supporting
un
a
balcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowards
la
the
street.
OvertheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenoftheAmericaneagle,
avec
with
outspreadwings,ashield
devant
before
herbreast,and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
et
and
barbedarrowsineachclaw.
Avec
With
thecustomaryinfirmityoftemper
qui
that
characterizesthisunhappyfowl,sheappears,bythefiercenessofherbeak
et
and
eye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischieftotheinoffensivecommunity;
et
and
especiallytowarnallcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
contre
against
intrudingonthepremiseswhichsheovershadows
avec
with
herwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshe
cherchent
looks
,manypeopleareseeking,at
ce
this
verymoment,toshelterthemselves
sous
under
thewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,
que
that
herbosomhasallthesoftness
et
and
snugnessofaneider-downpillow.
Mais
But
shehasnogreattenderness,
même
even
inherbestofmoods,
et
and
,soonerorlater,—oftenersoonthanlate,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,
avec
with
ascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,
ou
or
aranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
pourrions
may
aswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrassenoughgrowinginitschinksto
montrer
show
thatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornbyanymultitudinousresortofbusiness.
In
certains
some
monthsoftheyear,however,thereoftenchances
un
a
forenoonwhenaffairsmoveonward
avec
with
aliveliertread.
Suchoccasions
pourraient
might
remindtheelderlycitizenofthatperiod
avant
before
thelastwarwithEngland,
quand
when
Salemwasaportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
maintenant
now
,byherownmerchants
et
and
ship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
tandis que
while
theirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
et
and
imperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
ou
or
Boston.
Onsomesuchmorning,
quand
when
threeorfourvessels
arrivés
happen
tohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
ou
or
SouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereis
un
a
soundoffrequentfeet,passingbrisklyup
et
and
downthegranitesteps.
Ici
Here
,beforehisownwifehasgreetedhim,you
pouvez
may
greetthesea-flushedshipmaster,
juste
just
inport,withhisvessel’spapers
sous
under
hisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Ici
Here
,too,comeshisowner,cheerful
ou
or
sombre,graciousorinthesulks,accordinglyashisschemeofthe
maintenant
now
accomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethat
été
will
readilybeturnedtogold,
ou
or
hasburiedhimunder
une
a
bulkofincommodities,suchasnobody
été
will
caretoridhimof.
Ici
Here
,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmart
jeune
young
clerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficas
un
a
wolf-cubdoesofblood,
et
and
alreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,whenhehad
mieux
better
besailingmimic-boatsupon
un
a
mill-pond.
Anotherfigureinthesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestof
une
a
protection;
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
et
and
feeble,seekingapassporttothehospital.
Nor
devons
must
weforgetthecaptainsof
les
the
rustylittleschoonersthat
apportent
bring
firewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
ensemble
set
oftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessof
la
the
Yankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemof
pas
no
slightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
tous
all
theseindividualstogether,asthey
parfois
sometimes
were,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
et
and
,forthetimebeing,it
fait
made
theCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Plus
More
frequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youwoulddiscern—intheentry,
si
if
itweresummertime,
ou
or
intheirappropriaterooms,
si
if
wintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,
assises
sitting
inold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegs
arrière
back
againstthewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
mais
but
occasionallymightbeheard
parler
talking
together,invoicesbetweenspeech
et
and
asnore,andwiththatlackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
et
and
allotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
ou
or
anythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.
Ces
These
oldgentlemen—seated,likeMatthew,at
la
the
receiptofcustoms,butnot
très
very
liabletobesummonedthence,
comme
like
him,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,on
la
the
lefthandasyouenter
la
the
frontdoor,isacertainroom
ou
or
office,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
et
and
ofaloftyheight;
avec
with
twoofitsarchedwindowscommanding
une
a
viewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,
et
and
thethirdlookingacross
une
a
narrowlane,andalong
une
a
portionofDerbyStreet.
All
trois
three
giveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
et
and
ship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsof
qui
which
aregenerallytobe
voit
seen
,laughingandgossiping,clustersof
vieux
old
salts,andsuchotherwharf-ratsashaunt
le
the
Wappingofaseaport.
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
et
and
dingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,inafashion
qui
that
haselsewherefalleninto
longtemps
long
disuse;
anditis
facile
easy
toconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessoftheplace,
que
that
thisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,
avec
with
hertoolsofmagic,thebroom
et
and
mop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
In
les
the
wayoffurniture,thereis
un
a
stovewithavoluminousfunnel;
an
vieux
old
pinedesk,withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
deux
two
orthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
et
and
infirm;
and—nottoforget
la
the
library—onsomeshelves,ascore
ou
or
twoofvolumesof
la
the
ActsofCongress,andabulkyDigestof
la
the
RevenueLaws.
Atinpipeascends
travers
through
theceiling,andforms
un
a
mediumofvocalcommunication
avec
with
otherpartsoftheedifice.
Et
And
here,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
ou
or
loungingonthelong-leggedstool,
avec
with
hiselbowonthedesk,
et
and
hiseyeswanderingup
et
and
downthecolumnsofthe
matin
morning
newspaper,—youmighthaverecognized,honoredreader,the
même
same
individualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
petit
little
study,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantly
travers
through
thewillowbranches,onthewestern
côté
side
oftheOldManse.
Mais
But
now,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,you
alliez
would
inquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreformhasswepthimoutofoffice;
et
and
aworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
et
and
pocketshisemoluments.
Thisold
ville
town
ofSalem—mynativeplace,thoughIhavedweltmuch
loin
away
fromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
ou
or
didpossess,aholdonmyaffections,
la
the
forceofwhichIhave
jamais
never
realizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
ici
here
.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,
avec
with
itsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchiefly
avec
with
woodenhouses,fewornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
mais
but
onlytame,—itslongandlazy
rue
street
,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,
avec
with
GallowsHillandNewGuineaatone
extrémité
end
,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynative
ville
town
,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Et
And
yet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,thereiswithinme
un
a
feelingforoldSalem,
qui
which
,inlackofa
meilleure
better
phrase,Imustbecontenttocallaffection.
Le
The
sentimentisprobablyassignableto
le
the
deepandagedrootswhichmy
famille
family
hasstruckintothesoil.
Itis
maintenant
now
nearlytwocenturiesandaquarter
depuis
since
theoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
nom
name
,madehisappearanceinthewild
et
and
forest-borderedsettlement,whichhas
depuis
since
becomeacity.
And
ici
here
hisdescendantshavebeenborn
et
and
died,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstance
avec
with
thesoil;
untilnosmallportionofitmustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
un
a
littlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
In
partie
part
,therefore,theattachmentwhichI
parle
speak
ofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Peu
Few
ofmycountrymencan
savent
know
whatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
peut-être
perhaps
betterforthestock,
doivent
need
theyconsideritdesirableto
savoir
know
.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
La
The
figureofthatfirstancestor,investedbyfamilytraditionwithadim
et
and
duskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,as
loin
far
backasIcanremember.
It
toujours
still
hauntsme,andinduces
une
a
sortofhome-feelingwiththe
passé
past
,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
ville
town
.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
ici
here
onaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
et
and
steeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,
avec
with
hisBibleandhissword,
et
and
trodetheunwornstreet
avec
with
suchastatelyport,
et
and
madesolargeafigure,asamanof
guerre
war
andpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whose
nom
name
isseldomheardandmy
visage
face
hardlyknown.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
un
a
rulerintheChurch;
hehad
tous
all
thePuritanictraits,both
bien
good
andevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitnesstheQuakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,
et
and
relateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsa
femme
woman
oftheirsect,which
été
will
lastlonger,itistobefeared,than
n'importe quel
any
recordofhisbetterdeeds,althoughthesewere
nombreux
many
.
Hisson,too,inheritedthepersecutingspirit,
et
and
madehimselfsoconspicuousinthemartyrdomofthewitches,
que
that
theirbloodmayfairlybe
dire
said
tohaveleftastainuponhim.
Sodeep
une
a
stain,indeed,thathis
vieux
old
drybones,intheCharter
Rue
Street
burial-ground,muststillretainit,
si
if
theyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
sais
know
notwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
et
and
askpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
ou
or
whethertheyarenowgroaning
sous
under
theheavyconsequencesofthem,in
autre
another
stateofbeing.
Atallevents,
Je
I
,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,hereby
prends
take
shameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
et
and
praythatanycurseincurredbythem—asIhave
entendu
heard
,andasthedreary
et
and
unprosperousconditionoftherace,formanyalongyearback,
être
would
arguetoexist—maybe
maintenant
now
andhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,eitherof
ces
these
sternandblack-browedPuritanswouldhave
pensé
thought
itquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,that,
après
after
solongalapseofyears,the
vieux
old
trunkofthefamilytree,
avec
with
somuchvenerablemossuponit,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Aucun
No
aim,thatIhaveevercherished,wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;
aucun
no
successofmine—ifmy
vie
life
,beyonditsdomesticscope,hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,
si
if
notpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
une
one
grayshadowofmyforefatherstotheother.
“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindofabusinessinlife—whatmodeofglorifying
Dieu
God
,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhisday
et
and
generation—maythatbe?
Why,thedegeneratefellow
pu
might
aswellhavebeen
un
a
fiddler!”
Sucharethecomplimentsbandied
entre
between
mygreat-grandsiresandmyself,acrossthegulfof
temps
time
!
Andyet,letthemscornmeasthey
veulent
will
,strongtraitsoftheirnaturehaveintertwinedthemselves
avec
with
mine.
Planteddeep,in
la
the
town’searliestinfancyandchildhood,by
ces
these
twoearnestandenergeticmen,
la
the
racehaseversincesubsisted
ici
here
;
always,too,inrespectability;
jamais
never
,sofarasIhave
sache
known
,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
mais
but
seldomornever,on
les
the
otherhand,afterthefirst
deux
two
generations,performinganymemorabledeed,
ou
or
somuchasputtingforward
une
a
claimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,they
ont
have
sunkalmostoutofsight;
asoldhouses,
ici
here
andthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-wayto
les
the
eavesbytheaccumulationof
nouveau
new
soil.
Fromfatherto
fils
son
,foraboveahundredyears,they
suivi
followed
thesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
chaque
each
generation,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,while
un
a
boyoffourteentookthehereditary
place
place
beforethemast,confrontingthesaltspray
et
and
thegale,whichhadblustered
contre
against
hissireandgrandsire.
The
garçon
boy
,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spent
une
a
tempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,
et
and
die,andminglehisdust
avec
with
thenatalearth.
This
longue
long
connectionofafamily
avec
with
onespot,asitsplaceofbirth
et
and
burial,createsakindred
entre
between
thehumanbeingandthelocality,
tout à fait
quite
independentofanycharminthescenery
ou
or
moralcircumstancesthatsurroundhim.
Itisnotlove,
mais
but
instinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
venu
came
himselffromaforeignland,
ou
or
whosefatherorgrandfathercame—has
peu
little
claimtobecalled
un
a
Salemite;
hehasnoconceptionof
la
the
oyster-liketenacitywithwhich
un
an
oldsettler,overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingsto
la
the
spotwherehissuccessivegenerations
ont
have
beenimbedded.
Itisno
importe
matter
thattheplaceisjoylessfor
lui
him
;
thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
et
and
dust,thedeadlevelofsite
et
and
sentiment,thechilleastwind,
et
and
thechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allthese,
et
and
whateverfaultsbesideshe
puisse
may
seeorimagine,are
rien
nothing
tothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
et
and
justaspowerfullyas
si
if
thenatalspotwere
un
an
earthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
cas
case
.
Ifeltitalmostas
un
a
destinytomakeSalemmy
maison
home
;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
et
and
castofcharacterwhichhadallalongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
un
one
representativeoftheracelaydowninhisgrave,
autre
another
assuming,asitwere,hissentry-marchalongthemainstreet,—might
toujours
still
inmylittledaybe
vu
seen
andrecognizedintheold
ville
town
.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
le
the
connection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,
devrait
should
atlastbesevered.
Humannaturewillnotflourish,any
plus
more
thanapotato,ifitbeplanted
et
and
replanted,fortoolong
une
a
seriesofgenerations,inthe
même
same
worn-outsoil.
Mychildren
ont
have
hadotherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunesmaybewithinmy
contrôle
control
,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
terre
earth
.
Onemergingfromthe
Vieux
Old
Manse,itwaschiefly
cet
this
strange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynative
ville
town
,thatbroughtmetofill
une
a
placeinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,whenI
pu
might
aswell,orbetter,have
aller
gone
somewhereelse.
Mydoomwason
moi
me
.
Itwasnotthe
première
first
time,northesecond,
que
that
Ihadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyetreturned,
comme
like
thebadhalf-penny;
oras
si
if
Salemwereforme
le
the
inevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
un
one
finemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,
avec
with
thePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
et
and
wasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemen
qui
who
weretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,I
ne
do
notdoubtatall—whether
tout
any
publicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,
soit
either
inthecivilormilitary
ligne
line
,haseverhadsuch
un
a
patriarchalbodyofveterans
sous
under
hisordersasmyself.
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
quand
when
Ilookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyears
avant
before
thisepoch,theindependentpositionoftheCollectorhad
gardé
kept
theSalemCustom-Houseoutofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,
qui
which
makesthetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.
Un
A
soldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—he
tenait
stood
firmlyonthepedestalofhisgallantservices;
et
and
,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrations
travers
through
whichhehadheldoffice,hehadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesinmanyanhourofdanger
et
and
heart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
a
manoverwhosekindlynaturehabithad
pas
no
slightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
et
and
withdifficultymovedto
changer
change
,evenwhenchangemighthave
apporter
brought
unquestionableimprovement.
Thus,on
prenant
taking
chargeofmydepartment,I
trouvai
found
fewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthemostpart,
qui
who
,afterbeingtostoneverysea,
et
and
standingupsturdilyagainstlife’stempestuousblasts,
avoir
had
finallydriftedintothis
tranquille
quiet
nook;
where,withlittletodisturbthem,excepttheperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyoneand
tous
all
acquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Thoughby
pas
no
meanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoage
et
and
infirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalisman
ou
or
otherthatkeptdeathatbay.
Deux
Two
orthreeoftheir
nombre
number
,asIwasassured,beinggouty
et
and
rheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,
jamais
never
dreamedofmakingtheirappearanceat
la
the
Custom-House,duringalarge
partie
part
oftheyear;
but,
après
after
atorpidwinter,wouldcreepoutinto
le
the
warmsunshineofMay
ou
or
June,golazilyaboutwhattheytermedduty,
et
and
,attheirownleisure
et
and
convenience,betakethemselvesto
lit
bed
again.
Imustpleadguiltytothechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
plus
more
thanoneofthesevenerableservantsoftherepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
reposer
rest
fromtheirarduouslabors,
et
and
soonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleof
vie
life
hadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
crois
believe
itwas—withdrewtoabetter
monde
world
.
Itisapiousconsolationto
moi
me
,that,throughmyinterference,asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceof
la
the
evilandcorruptpracticesintowhich,asamatterofcourse,
chaque
every
Custom-Houseofficermustbesupposedto
tomber
fall
.
Neitherthefrontnor
la
the
backentranceoftheCustom-Houseopenson
la
the
roadtoParadise.
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwas
bien
well
fortheirvenerablebrotherhood
que
that
thenewSurveyorwasnot
un
a
politician,andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednorheldhisoffice
avec
with
anyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
mis
put
intothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
facile
easy
taskofmakinghead
contre
against
aWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlya
homme
man
oftheoldcorps
été
would
havedrawnthebreathofofficial
vie
life
,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,it
été
would
havebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,tobringeveryoneofthosewhiteheads
sous
under
theaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplainenoughtodiscern,
que
that
theoldfellowsdreadedsomesuchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
et
and
atthesametimeamused
me
me
,tobeholdtheterrors
qui
that
attendedmyadvent;
to
voir
see
afurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
demi
half
acenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
ou
or
anotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,
qui
which
,inlong-pastdays,hadbeenwonttobellow
travers
through
aspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
savaient
knew
,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,byallestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
certains
some
ofthem,weighedbytheir
propre
own
lackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
have
givenplacetoyoungermen,
plus
more
orthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommon
Oncle
Uncle
.
Iknewittoo,
mais
but
couldneverquitefindinmy
cœur
heart
toactupontheknowledge.
Beaucoup
Much
anddeservedlytomy
propre
own
discredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreep
sur
about
thewharves,andloiterup
et
and
downtheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspentagooddealof
temps
time
,also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,
avec
with
theirchairstiltedback
contre
against
thewall;
awaking,however,
fois
once
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanother
avec
with
theseveralthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,
et
and
mouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswords
et
and
countersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
bientôt
soon
made,Iimagine,thatthenewSurveyorhad
pas
no
greatharminhim.
So,
avec
with
lightsomehearts,andthehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheir
propre
own
behalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegood
vieux
old
gentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
sous
under
theirspectacles,didtheypeepinto
les
the
holdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfuss
sur
about
littlematters,andmarvellous,
parfois
sometimes
,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
entre
between
theirfingers!
Wheneversuch
un
a
mischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandisehadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
peut-être
perhaps
,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothingcouldexceedthevigilance
et
and
alacritywithwhichtheyproceededtolock,
et
and
double-lock,andsecurewithtape
et
and
sealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,
le
the
caseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
après
after
themischiefhadhappened;
une
a
gratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,themomentthat
il
there
wasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
gens
people
aremorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
une
a
kindnessforthem.
The
meilleure
better
partofmycompanion’scharacter,ifithave
une
a
betterpart,isthatwhichusually
vient
comes
uppermostinmyregard,
et
and
formsthetypewherebyIrecognizetheman.
Asmostof
ces
these
oldCustom-Houseofficershadgoodtraits,
et
and
asmypositioninreferencetothem,beingpaternal
et
and
protective,wasfavorabletothegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
bientôt
soon
grewtolikethem
tous
all
.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,
qui
that
almostliquefiedtherestofthehuman
famille
family
,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasantto
entendre
hear
themchattinginthe
arrière
back
entry,arowofthem
tous
all
tippedagainstthewall,asusual;
tandis que
while
thefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
et
and
camebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,
la
the
jollityofagedmenhas
beaucoup
much
incommonwiththemirthof
enfants
children
;
theintellect,anymorethan
un
a
deepsenseofhumor,has
peu
little
todowiththe
question
matter
;
itis,withboth,agleam
qui
that
playsuponthesurface,
et
and
impartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
et
and
gray,moulderingtrunk.
In
un
one
case,however,itis
vrai
real
sunshine;
intheother,it
plus
more
resemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
Itwouldbesadinjustice,
le
the
readermustunderstand,torepresent
tous
all
myexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.
Inthe
premier
first
place,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariably
vieux
old
;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
et
and
prime,ofmarkedability
et
and
energy,andaltogethersuperiortothesluggish
et
and
dependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstarshadcastthem.
Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofagewere
parfois
sometimes
foundtobethethatchofanintellectualtenementin
bon
good
repair.
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,
il
there
willbenowrong
fait
done
,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
un
a
setofwearisomeoldsouls,
qui
who
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceof
vie
life
.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
tout
all
thegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,whichthey
avoir
had
enjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,
et
and
mostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemories
avec
with
thehusks.
Theyspoke
avec
with
farmoreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
ou
or
yesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’sdinner,thanof
les
the
shipwreckoffortyorfiftyyearsago,
et
and
alltheworld’swonders
dont
which
theyhadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
The
père
father
oftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,notonlyof
cette
this
littlesquadofofficials,
mais
but
,Iamboldto
dire
say
,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiters
tous
all
overtheUnitedStates—was
un
a
certainpermanentInspector.
He
pourrait
might
trulybetermedalegitimate
fils
son
oftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
ou
or
,rather,borninthepurple;
depuis
since
hissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
et
and
formerlycollectoroftheport,hadcreatedan
bureau
office
forhim,andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyageswhich
peu
few
livingmencannowremember.
Cet
This
Inspector,whenIfirst
connu
knew
him,wasamanoffourscoreyears,
ou
or
thereabouts,andcertainlyoneof
la
the
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-green
que
that
youwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Avec
With
hisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedin
une
a
bright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
et
and
vigorousstep,andhishale
et
and
heartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
jeune
young
,indeed—butakindofnewcontrivanceof
Mère
Mother
Natureintheshapeofman,whomage
et
and
infirmityhadnobusinessto
toucher
touch
.
Hisvoiceandlaugh,
qui
which
perpetuallyre-echoedthroughtheCustom-House,had
rien
nothing
ofthetremulousquaver
et
and
cackleofanoldman’sutterance;
theycamestruttingoutofhislungs,
comme
like
thecrowofacock,
ou
or
theblastofaclarion.
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewas
très
very
littleelsetolookat,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulness
et
and
wholesomenessofhissystem,
et
and
hiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
tous
all
,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhehadeveraimedat,
ou
or
conceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vie
life
intheCustom-House,on
un
a
regularincome,andwith
mais
but
slightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,hadnodoubtcontributedto
faire
make
timepasslightlyoverhim.
Theoriginal
et
and
morepotentcauses,however,layintherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,themoderateproportionofintellect,
et
and
theverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
et
and
spiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarelyenoughmeasuretokeep
le
the
oldgentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
aucun
no
powerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
aucun
no
troublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
mais
but
afewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedbythecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,
faisaient
did
dutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuofa
cœur
heart
.
Hehadbeenthe
mari
husband
ofthreewives,all
longtemps
long
sincedead;
thefatheroftwenty
enfants
children
,mostofwhom,at
tous
every
ageofchildhoodormaturity,hadlikewise
retournés
returned
todust.
Here,one
être
would
suppose,mighthavebeensorrowenoughtoimbue
la
the
sunniestdisposition,throughand
travers
through
,withasabletinge.
NotsowithouroldInspector!
Un
One
briefsighsufficedtocarryoff
le
the
entireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.
Le
The
nextmoment,hewasas
prêt
ready
forsportasanyunbreechedinfant;
farreadier
que
than
theCollector’sjuniorclerk,
qui
who
,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
et
and
gravermanofthe
deux
two
.
Iusedtowatch
et
and
studythispatriarchalpersonage
avec
with
,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,
que
than
anyotherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,in
vérité
truth
,ararephenomenon;
so
parfait
perfect
,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,such
une
an
absolutenonentity,inevery
autre
other
.
Myconclusionwasthathehad
pas
no
soul,noheart,nomind;