The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Hungarian A1 Translation Books

The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Hungarian A1 Translation Books

Embrace the benefits of this cutting-edge translation method, offering a tailored learning experience by letting you select the difficulty level that fits you best. It improves your comprehension by urging you to deduce meanings from context, reducing the need for constant translation. While some translations are intentionally masked to encourage guessing, it's always acceptable to check unfamiliar words. This method strikes the perfect balance between challenge and accessibility, making language learning both effective and enjoyable. Immerse yourself in these translated classics and uncover the pleasure of learning through literary exploration.

THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
egy
a
littleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
beszélni
talk
overmuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
és
and
tomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmylifehavetakenpossessionof
engem
me
,inaddressingthepublic.
The
első
first
timewasthreeor
négy
four
yearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,
és
and
fornoearthlyreason,
amit
that
eithertheindulgentreaderortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofan
Régi
Old
Manse.
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
boldog
happy
enoughtofindalisteneror
két
two
ontheformeroccasion—I
ismét
again
seizethepublicbythebutton,
és
and
talkofmythreeyears’experiencein
egy
a
Custom-House.
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,ClerkofthisParish,”wasnevermorefaithfullyfollowed.
The
igazság
truth
seemstobe,however,that,
amikor
when
hecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthemany
akik
who
willflingasidehisvolume,
vagy
or
nevertakeitup,
hanem
but
thefewwhowillunderstand
őt
him
,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
vagy
or
lifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,do
sokkal
far
morethanthis,andindulgethemselvesin
olyan
such
confidentialdepthsofrevelationascouldfittinglybeaddressed,only
és
and
exclusively,totheone
szív
heart
andmindofperfectsympathy;
asiftheprinted
könyv
book
,thrownatlargeonthewideworld,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter’s
saját
own
nature,andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunionwithit.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,tospeakall,evenwherewespeakimpersonally.
De
But
,asthoughtsarefrozen
és
and
utterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandin
valamilyen
some
truerelationwithhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethat
egy
a
friend,akindandapprehensive,
bár
though
nottheclosestfriend,islisteningtoourtalk;
és
and
then,anativereservebeingthawedby
ezt
this
genialconsciousness,wemayprateofthecircumstancesthatliearoundus,
és
and
evenofourself,butstillkeeptheinmostMe
mögött
behind
itsveil.
Tothisextent,
és
and
withintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,withoutviolatingeitherthereader’srightsorhis
saját
own
.
Itwillbeseen,likewise,
hogy
that
thisCustom-Housesketchhas
egy
a
certainpropriety,ofakind
mindig
always
recognizedinliterature,asexplaining
hogyan
how
alargeportionofthefollowingpagescameintomypossession,
és
and
asofferingproofsoftheauthenticityof
egy
a
narrativethereincontained.
This,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmy
valódi
true
positionaseditor,orverylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetalesthatmakeupmyvolume,—this,
és
and
noother,ismy
valódi
true
reasonforassumingapersonalrelationwiththepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,ithasappearedallowable,byafewextratouches,to
adjuk
give
afaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,togetherwithsomeofthecharactersthat
mozognak
move
init,amongwhomtheauthor
véletlenül
happened
tomakeone.
InmynativetownofSalem,attheheadofwhat,
fél
half
acenturyago,inthedaysofold
Király
King
Derby,wasabustlingwharf,—butwhichis
most
now
burdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
és
and
exhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
élet
life
;
except,perhaps,abark
vagy
or
brig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
vagy
or
,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitching
ki
out
hercargooffirewood,—atthehead,I
mondom
say
,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,
amely
which
thetideoftenoverflows,
és
and
alongwhich,atthebase
és
and
intherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackof
sok
many
languidyearsisseenin
egy
a
borderofunthriftygrass,—here,with
egy
a
viewfromitsfrontwindowsadown
ez
this
notveryenliveningprospect,
és
and
thenceacrosstheharbor,stands
egy
a
spaciousedificeofbrick.
Fromtheloftiestpointofitsroof,duringprecisely
három
three
andahalfhoursof
minden
each
forenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
vagy
or
calm,thebanneroftherepublic;
de
but
withthethirteenstripes
fordították
turned
vertically,insteadofhorizontally,
és
and
thusindicatingthatacivil,
és
and
notamilitarypostof
Bácsi
Uncle
Sam’sgovernmentishereestablished.
Its
elülső
front
isornamentedwithaporticoof
fél
half
adozenwoodenpillars,supporting
egy
a
balcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsthe
utca
street
.
OvertheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenoftheAmericaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
és
and
,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
és
and
barbedarrowsineachclaw.
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemperthatcharacterizes
ezt
this
unhappyfowl,sheappears,bythefiercenessofherbeak
és
and
eye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischieftotheinoffensivecommunity;
és
and
especiallytowarnallcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
ellen
against
intrudingonthepremiseswhichsheovershadowswithherwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshelooks,
sokan
many
peopleareseeking,atthisvery
pillanatban
moment
,toshelterthemselvesunderthewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,
hogy
that
herbosomhasallthesoftness
és
and
snugnessofaneider-downpillow.
De
But
shehasnogreattenderness,
még
even
inherbestofmoods,
és
and
,soonerorlater,—oftenersoon
mint
than
late,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,with
egy
a
scratchofherclaw,
egy
a
dabofherbeak,
vagy
or
aranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwemayas
is
well
nameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
elég
enough
growinginitschinkstoshowthatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornbyanymultitudinousresortof
üzleti
business
.
Insomemonthsof
az
the
year,however,thereoftenchances
egy
a
forenoonwhenaffairsmoveonwardwith
egy
a
liveliertread.
Suchoccasionsmightremind
az
the
elderlycitizenofthatperiodbefore
az
the
lastwarwithEngland,
amikor
when
Salemwasaportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
most
now
,byherownmerchants
és
and
ship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
míg
while
theirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
és
and
imperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
vagy
or
Boston.
Onsomesuchmorning,
amikor
when
threeorfourvesselshappento
vagy
have
arrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
vagy
or
SouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereis
egy
a
soundoffrequentfeet,passingbriskly
fel
up
anddownthegranitesteps.
Here,
mielőtt
before
hisownwifehasgreetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,justinport,withhisvessel’spapers
alatt
under
hisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Here,
is
too
,comeshisowner,cheerful
vagy
or
sombre,graciousorinthesulks,accordinglyashisschemeofthe
most
now
accomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethatwillreadilybeturnedtogold,
vagy
or
hasburiedhimunder
egy
a
bulkofincommodities,suchas
senki sem
nobody
willcaretoridhimof.
Here,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmart
fiatal
young
clerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficas
egy
a
wolf-cubdoesofblood,
és
and
alreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,whenhehad
jobb
better
besailingmimic-boatsupon
egy
a
mill-pond.
Anotherfigureinthesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestof
egy
a
protection;
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
és
and
feeble,seekingapassporttothehospital.
Normustweforgetthecaptainsoftherusty
kis
little
schoonersthatbringfirewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;
arough-lookingsetoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessoftheYankeeaspect,
de
but
contributinganitemof
nem
no
slightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Clusteralltheseindividuals
együtt
together
,astheysometimeswere,with
más
other
miscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
és
and
,forthetimebeing,it
hogy
made
theCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youwoulddiscern—intheentry,
ha
if
itweresummertime,
vagy
or
intheirappropriaterooms,
ha
if
wintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,
ültek
sitting
inold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegsbackagainstthewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
de
but
occasionallymightbeheardtalking
együtt
together
,invoicesbetweenspeech
és
and
asnore,andwith
amely
that
lackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
és
and
allotherhumanbeings
akik
who
dependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
vagy
or
anythingelse,buttheir
saját
own
independentexertions.
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,
mint
like
Matthew,atthereceiptofcustoms,
de
but
notveryliabletobesummonedthence,
mint
like
him,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,onthelefthandasyouenterthe
bejárati
front
door,isacertain
szoba
room
oroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
és
and
ofaloftyheight;
with
két
two
ofitsarchedwindowscommanding
egy
a
viewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,
és
and
thethirdlookingacross
egy
a
narrowlane,andalong
egy
a
portionofDerbyStreet.
Allthreegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
és
and
ship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsofwhicharegenerallytobeseen,laughing
és
and
gossiping,clustersofoldsalts,
és
and
suchotherwharf-ratsashaunttheWappingofaseaport.
The
szoba
room
itselfiscobwebbed,anddingywith
régi
old
paint;
itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,inafashion
amely
that
haselsewherefallenintolongdisuse;
és
and
itiseasytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessoftheplace,thatthisis
egy
a
sanctuaryintowhichwomankind,withhertoolsofmagic,thebroom
és
and
mop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
Inthewayoffurniture,thereis
egy
a
stovewithavoluminousfunnel;
an
régi
old
pinedesk,withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
két
two
orthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
és
and
infirm;
and—nottoforgetthelibrary—on
néhány
some
shelves,ascoreor
két
two
ofvolumesoftheActsofCongress,
és
and
abulkyDigestoftheRevenueLaws.
Egy
A
tinpipeascendsthroughtheceiling,
és
and
formsamediumofvocalcommunicationwith
más
other
partsoftheedifice.
És
And
here,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
vagy
or
loungingonthelong-leggedstool,withhiselbowonthedesk,
és
and
hiseyeswanderingup
és
and
downthecolumnsofthemorningnewspaper,—youmight
vagy
have
recognized,honoredreader,thesameindividual
aki
who
welcomedyouintohischeery
kis
little
study,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantlythroughthewillowbranches,onthewesternsideoftheOldManse.
De
But
now,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,youwouldinquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreformhasswepthimoutofoffice;
és
and
aworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
és
and
pocketshisemoluments.
This
régi
old
townofSalem—mynativeplace,
bár
though
Ihavedweltmuchawayfromit,
mind
both
inboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
vagy
or
didpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceofwhichI
vagy
have
neverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidencehere.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchieflywithwoodenhouses,few
vagy
or
noneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
hanem
but
onlytame,—itslongandlazystreet,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,withGallowsHill
és
and
NewGuineaatone
végén
end
,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynativetown,it
lenne
would
bequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
És
And
yet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,thereiswithinme
egy
a
feelingforoldSalem,which,inlackof
egy
a
betterphrase,Imustbecontenttocallaffection.
Thesentimentis
valószínűleg
probably
assignabletothedeep
és
and
agedrootswhichmyfamilyhasstruckintothesoil.
Itisnownearly
két
two
centuriesandaquartersincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmyname,
hogy
made
hisappearanceinthewild
és
and
forest-borderedsettlement,whichhassince
lett
become
acity.
Andherehisdescendantshavebeenborn
és
and
died,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstancewiththesoil;
amíg
until
nosmallportionofitmustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
egy
a
littlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
In
részben
part
,therefore,theattachmentwhichIspeakofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Kevés
Few
ofmycountrymencan
tudja
know
whatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
talán
perhaps
betterforthestock,needtheyconsideritdesirableto
tudni
know
.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
Thefigureofthat
első
first
ancestor,investedbyfamilytraditionwithadim
és
and
duskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasIcan
emlékszem
remember
.
Itstillhauntsme,
és
and
inducesasortofhome-feelingwiththe
múltban
past
,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
város
town
.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
itt
here
onaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
és
and
steeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,withhisBible
és
and
hissword,andtrodetheunworn
utcán
street
withsuchastatelyport,
és
and
madesolargeafigure,asamanof
háború
war
andpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whose
nevét
name
isseldomheardandmyfacehardlyknown.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewasarulerin
az
the
Church;
hehadallthePuritanictraits,
egyaránt
both
goodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitnesstheQuakers,
akik
who
haverememberedhimintheirhistories,
és
and
relateanincidentofhis
kemény
hard
severitytowardsawomanoftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,thananyrecordofhis
jobb
better
deeds,althoughtheseweremany.
His
fia
son
,too,inheritedthepersecutingspirit,
és
and
madehimselfsoconspicuousinthemartyrdomofthewitches,thattheirbloodmayfairlybesaidtohave
hagyott
left
astainuponhim.
Sodeep
egy
a
stain,indeed,thathis
régi
old
drybones,intheCharter
Street
Street
burial-ground,muststillretainit,
ha
if
theyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
tudom
know
notwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
és
and
askpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
vagy
or
whethertheyarenowgroaningundertheheavyconsequencesofthem,inanotherstateofbeing.
Atallevents,
Én
I
,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,herebytakeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
és
and
praythatanycurseincurredbythem—asIhaveheard,
és
and
asthedrearyandunprosperousconditionoftherace,for
sok
many
alongyearback,wouldarguetoexist—maybe
most
now
andhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,
sem
either
ofthesesternandblack-browedPuritanswould
volna
have
thoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,
hogy
that
,aftersolongalapseofyears,the
régi
old
trunkofthefamilytree,withsomuchvenerablemossupon
ez
it
,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Nincs
No
aim,thatIhaveevercherished,wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;
nem
no
successofmine—ifmylife,beyonditsdomesticscope,
volna
had
everbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,
ha
if
notpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
egyik
one
grayshadowofmyforefatherstotheother.
“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindofabusinessinlife—whatmodeofglorifyingGod,
vagy
or
beingserviceabletomankindinhisday
és
and
generation—maythatbe?
Why,thedegeneratefellowmightas
is
well
havebeenafiddler!”
Sucharethecomplimentsbandiedbetweenmygreat-grandsires
és
and
myself,acrossthegulfof
idő
time
!
Andyet,letthemscornmeastheywill,strongtraitsoftheirnaturehaveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,inthetown’searliestinfancy
és
and
childhood,bythesetwoearnest
és
and
energeticmen,theracehaseversincesubsistedhere;
mindig
always
,too,inrespectability;
never,sofarasIhave
tudom
known
,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
de
but
seldomornever,on
az
the
otherhand,afterthe
első
first
twogenerations,performinganymemorabledeed,
vagy
or
somuchasputtingforward
egy
a
claimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,theyhavesunk
szinte
almost
outofsight;
as
régi
old
houses,hereandthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytotheeavesbytheaccumulationof
új
new
soil.
Fromfathertoson,foraboveahundredyears,theyfollowedthesea;
egy
a
gray-headedshipmaster,ineachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,
míg
while
aboyoffourteentookthehereditaryplace
előtt
before
themast,confrontingthesaltspray
és
and
thegale,whichhadblusteredagainsthissire
és
and
grandsire.
Theboy,also,indue
időben
time
,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spent
egy
a
tempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,
és
and
die,andminglehisdustwiththenatal
föld
earth
.
Thislongconnectionofafamilywithonespot,asits
hely
place
ofbirthandburial,createsakindred
között
between
thehumanbeingandthelocality,quiteindependentofanycharminthescenery
vagy
or
moralcircumstancesthatsurroundhim.
Itisnot
szerelem
love
,butinstinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
jött
came
himselffromaforeignland,
vagy
or
whosefatherorgrandfathercame—has
kevés
little
claimtobecalled
egy
a
Salemite;
hehasnoconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacitywithwhich
egy
an
oldsettler,overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespot
ahol
where
hissuccessivegenerationshavebeenimbedded.
Itis
nem
no
matterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
neki
him
;
thatheiswearyofthe
régi
old
woodenhouses,themud
és
and
dust,thedeadlevelofsite
és
and
sentiment,thechilleastwind,
és
and
thechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allthese,
és
and
whateverfaultsbesideshemaysee
vagy
or
imagine,arenothingtothepurpose.
A
The
spellsurvives,andjustaspowerfullyasif
a
the
natalspotwereanearthlyparadise.
So
volt
has
itbeeninmycase.
Ifeltit
majdnem
almost
asadestinytomakeSalemmyhome;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
és
and
castofcharacterwhichhadall
végig
along
beenfamiliarhere,—ever,asonerepresentativeoftheracelaydowninhisgrave,
másik
another
assuming,asitwere,hissentry-march
végig
along
themainstreet,—mightstillinmy
kis
little
daybeseenandrecognizedinthe
régi
old
town.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidence
amely
that
theconnection,whichhas
vált
become
anunhealthyone,shouldatlastbesevered.
Emberi
Human
naturewillnotflourish,anymore
mint
than
apotato,ifitbeplanted
és
and
replanted,fortoolong
egy
a
seriesofgenerations,inthesameworn-outsoil.
Mychildren
voltak
have
hadotherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunesmaybewithinmycontrol,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomedearth.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschieflythisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynativetown,that
hogy
brought
metofillaplacein
Bácsi
Uncle
Sam’sbrickedifice,whenImightas
is
well
,orbetter,havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwasonme.
Itwasnotthe
első
first
time,northesecond,
hogy
that
Ihadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyetreturned,
mint
like
thebadhalf-penny;
orasifSalemwereforme
az
the
inevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
egy
one
finemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
és
and
wasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemen
akik
who
weretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whetheranypublicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,eitherinthecivilormilitaryline,haseverhad
olyan
such
apatriarchalbodyofveterans
alatt
under
hisordersasmyself.
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
amikor
when
Ilookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyears
előtt
before
thisepoch,theindependentpositionoftheCollectorhadkepttheSalemCustom-Houseoutofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,
ami
which
makesthetenureof
hivatal
office
generallysofragile.
Asoldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyonthepedestalofhisgallantservices;
és
and
,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityof
az
the
successiveadministrationsthroughwhichhe
volt
had
heldoffice,hehadbeen
az
the
safetyofhissubordinatesin
sok
many
anhourofdanger
és
and
heart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
egy
a
manoverwhosekindlynaturehabithad
nem
no
slightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
és
and
withdifficultymovedto
változás
change
,evenwhenchangemight
volna
have
broughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,ontakingchargeofmydepartment,I
találtam
found
fewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthemostpart,
akik
who
,afterbeingtoston
minden
every
sea,andstandingupsturdily
ellen
against
life’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedintothis
csendes
quiet
nook;
where,withlittletodisturbthem,except
az
the
periodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyoneandallacquireda
új
new
leaseofexistence.
Thoughbynomeanslessliable
mint
than
theirfellow-mentoage
és
and
infirmity,theyhadevidently
valamilyen
some
talismanorotherthatkeptdeathatbay.
Két
Two
orthreeoftheirnumber,asIwasassured,beinggouty
és
and
rheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,neverdreamedof
hogy
making
theirappearanceattheCustom-House,duringalargepartofthe
év
year
;
but,afteratorpidwinter,wouldcreep
ki
out
intothewarmsunshineofMay
vagy
or
June,golazilyaboutwhattheytermedduty,
és
and
,attheirownleisure
és
and
convenience,betakethemselvestobed
újra
again
.
Imustpleadguiltytothechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
több
more
thanoneofthesevenerableservantsoftherepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,torestfromtheirarduouslabors,
és
and
soonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleoflifehadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverilybelieveitwas—withdrewto
egy
a
betterworld.
Itisapiousconsolationtome,that,
révén
through
myinterference,asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
és
and
corruptpracticesintowhich,asamatterof
természetesen
course
,everyCustom-Houseofficermustbesupposedto
esnie
fall
.
Neitherthefrontnorthe
hátsó
back
entranceoftheCustom-HouseopensontheroadtoParadise.
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwaswellfortheirvenerablebrotherhoodthatthe
új
new
Surveyorwasnotapolitician,
és
and
thoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednorheldhisofficewithanyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeenputintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
könnyű
easy
taskofmakinghead
ellen
against
aWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlyamanofthe
régi
old
corpswouldhavedrawnthebreathofofficial
élet
life
,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodein
ilyen
such
matters,itwouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,tobringeveryoneofthose
fehér
white
headsundertheaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
elég
enough
todiscern,thatthe
öreg
old
fellowsdreadedsomesuchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
és
and
atthesametimeamusedme,tobeholdtheterrorsthatattendedmyadvent;
to
látni
see
afurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
fél
half
acenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
vagy
or
anotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,
amely
which
,inlong-pastdays,hadbeenwonttobellow
keresztül
through
aspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
tudták
knew
,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,by
minden
all
establishedrule,—and,asregardedsomeofthem,weighedbytheir
saját
own
lackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
volna
have
givenplacetoyoungermen,moreorthodoxinpolitics,
és
and
altogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommonUncle.
I
tudtam
knew
ittoo,butcouldneverquite
találtam
find
inmyhearttoactupontheknowledge.
Sok
Much
anddeservedlytomy
saját
own
discredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreepaboutthewharves,
és
and
loiterupanddowntheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspentagooddealof
időt
time
,also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,withtheirchairstilted
vissza
back
againstthewall;
awaking,however,
egyszer
once
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanotherwiththeseveralthousandthrepetitionof
régi
old
sea-stories,andmouldyjokes,that
vagy
had
growntobepasswords
és
and
countersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
hamarosan
soon
made,Iimagine,thatthe
új
new
Surveyorhadnogreatharminhim.
So,withlightsomehearts,
és
and
thehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheir
saját
own
behalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—these
good
oldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
alatt
under
theirspectacles,didtheypeepintotheholdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
és
and
marvellous,sometimes,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
között
between
theirfingers!
Wheneversuch
egy
a
mischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandisehadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
talán
perhaps
,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothing
tudta
could
exceedthevigilanceandalacritywithwhichtheyproceededtolock,
és
and
double-lock,andsecurewithtape
és
and
sealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
ügy
case
seemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
miután
after
themischiefhadhappened;
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,the
pillanatban
moment
thattherewasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
emberek
people
aremorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontractakindnessforthem.
The
jobb
better
partofmycompanion’scharacter,
ha
if
ithaveabetter
része
part
,isthatwhichusuallycomesuppermostinmyregard,
és
and
formsthetypewherebyIrecognizetheman.
Asmostofthese
régi
old
Custom-Houseofficershadgoodtraits,
és
and
asmypositioninreferencetothem,beingpaternal
és
and
protective,wasfavorabletothegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
hamarosan
soon
grewtolikethemall.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,
amely
that
almostliquefiedtherestofthe
emberi
human
family,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasantto
hallani
hear
themchattinginthe
hátsó
back
entry,arowofthemalltippedagainstthewall,asusual;
míg
while
thefrozenwitticismsof
múlt
past
generationswerethawedout,
és
and
camebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,thejollityofagedmen
van
has
muchincommonwiththemirthof
gyerekek
children
;
theintellect,anymore
mint
than
adeepsenseofhumor,
van
has
littletodowiththematter;
itis,with
egyaránt
both
,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
és
and
impartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
és
and
gray,moulderingtrunk.
In
egy
one
case,however,itis
igazi
real
sunshine;
intheother,itmoreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
lenne
would
besadinjustice,thereader
kell
must
understand,torepresentallmyexcellent
régi
old
friendsasintheirdotage.
Inthe
először
first
place,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
és
and
prime,ofmarkedability
és
and
energy,andaltogethersuperiortothesluggish
és
and
dependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstars
voltak
had
castthem.
Then,moreover,the
fehér
white
locksofagewere
néha
sometimes
foundtobethethatchof
egy
an
intellectualtenementingoodrepair.
De
But
,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,there
lenne
will
benowrongdone,
ha
if
Icharacterizethemgenerallyas
egy
a
setofwearisomeoldsouls,
akik
who
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceoflife.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
összes
all
thegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,whichtheyhadenjoyedso
sok
many
opportunitiesofharvesting,andmostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemorieswiththehusks.
Theyspokewith
sokkal
far
moreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
vagy
or
yesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’sdinner,
mint
than
oftheshipwreckofforty
vagy
or
fiftyyearsago,and
minden
all
theworld’swonderswhichtheyhadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
The
apja
father
oftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,notonlyofthis
kis
little
squadofofficials,but,Iamboldto
mondani
say
,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waitersallovertheUnitedStates—was
egy
a
certainpermanentInspector.
Hemighttrulybetermedalegitimatesonoftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
vagy
or
,rather,borninthepurple;
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
és
and
formerlycollectoroftheport,hadcreatedanofficefor
neki
him
,andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyageswhich
kevés
few
livingmencannow
emlékezni
remember
.
ThisInspector,whenI
először
first
knewhim,wasa
ember
man
offourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
és
and
certainlyoneofthemostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-greenthatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
és
and
vigorousstep,andhishale
és
and
heartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
fiatal
young
,indeed—butakindof
új
new
contrivanceofMotherNatureintheshapeofman,whomage
és
and
infirmityhadnobusinessto
érint
touch
.
Hisvoiceandlaugh,
amely
which
perpetuallyre-echoedthroughtheCustom-House,
volt
had
nothingofthetremulousquaver
és
and
cackleofanoldman’sutterance;
theycamestruttingoutofhislungs,
mint
like
thecrowofacock,
vagy
or
theblastofaclarion.
Nézni
Looking
athimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewas
nagyon
very
littleelsetolookat,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulness
és
and
wholesomenessofhissystem,
és
and
hiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
összes
all
,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhehadeveraimedat,
vagy
or
conceivedof.
ThecarelesssecurityofhislifeintheCustom-House,on
egy
a
regularincome,andwithbutslight
és
and
infrequentapprehensionsofremoval,hadnodoubtcontributedtomake
idő
time
passlightlyoverhim.
Az
The
originalandmorepotentcauses,however,layin
az
the
rareperfectionofhisanimalnature,
az
the
moderateproportionofintellect,
és
and
theverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
és
and
spiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
elég
enough
measuretokeepthe
öreg
old
gentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
nem
no
powerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
nem
no
troublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,buta
néhány
few
commonplaceinstincts,which,aidedbythecheerfultemper
amely
that
grewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,didduty
nagyon
very
respectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuofa
szív
heart
.
Hehadbeenthe
férje
husband
ofthreewives,alllongsincedead;
the
apja
father
oftwentychildren,mostofwhom,at
minden
every
ageofchildhoodormaturity,
vagy
had
likewisereturnedtodust.
Itt
Here
,onewouldsuppose,might
volt
have
beensorrowenoughtoimbuethesunniestdisposition,through
és
and
through,withasabletinge.
Notso
a
with
ouroldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryofftheentireburdenof
ezek
these
dismalreminiscences.
Thenext
pillanatban
moment
,hewasasreadyforsportasanyunbreechedinfant;
farreadier
mint
than
theCollector’sjuniorclerk,
aki
who
,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
és
and
gravermanofthe
kettő
two
.
Iusedtowatch
és
and
studythispatriarchalpersonagewith,I
szerintem
think
,liveliercuriosity,thanany
más
other
formofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,in
igazság
truth
,ararephenomenon;
so
tökéletes
perfect
,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
olyan
such
anabsolutenonentity,in
minden
every
other.
Myconclusionwas
hogy
that
hehadnosoul,
nincs
no
heart,nomind;