The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Translation Books for Italian A1 Learners

The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Translation Books for Italian A1 Learners

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.”
tis
un
a
littleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
parlare
talk
overmuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
e
and
tomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmy
vita
life
havetakenpossessionof
me
me
,inaddressingthepublic.
The
prima
first
timewasthreeor
quattro
four
yearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,
e
and
fornoearthlyreason,
che
that
eithertheindulgentreaderortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmy
modo
way
oflifeinthedeepquietudeofan
Vecchio
Old
Manse.
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
felice
happy
enoughtofindalistener
o
or
twoontheformeroccasion—I
di nuovo
again
seizethepublicby
il
the
button,andtalkofmy
tre
three
years’experienceinaCustom-House.
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
questa
this
Parish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
seguito
followed
.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
quando
when
hecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
molti
many
whowillflingasidehisvolume,
o
or
nevertakeitup,
ma
but
thefewwhowill
capiranno
understand
him,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
o
or
lifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,
fanno
do
farmorethanthis,
e
and
indulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationascouldfittinglybeaddressed,
solo
only
andexclusively,totheone
cuore
heart
andmindofperfectsympathy;
as
se
if
theprintedbook,thrownatlargeon
il
the
wideworld,werecertaintofindout
il
the
dividedsegmentofthewriter’sownnature,
e
and
completehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunionwith
esso
it
.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
parlare
speak
all,evenwherewe
parlare
speak
impersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
e
and
utterancebenumbed,unlessthespeaker
stia
stand
insometruerelationwithhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimagine
che
that
afriend,akind
e
and
apprehensive,thoughnottheclosest
amico
friend
,islisteningtoourtalk;
e
and
then,anativereservebeingthawedby
questa
this
genialconsciousness,wemayprateof
il
the
circumstancesthatliearoundus,
e
and
evenofourself,but
ancora
still
keeptheinmostMe
dietro
behind
itsveil.
Tothisextent,
e
and
withintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,
senza
without
violatingeitherthereader’srightsorhisown.
It
sia
will
beseen,likewise,that
questo
this
Custom-Housesketchhasacertainpropriety,ofa
tipo
kind
alwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaininghowalargeportionofthefollowingpagescameintomypossession,
e
and
asofferingproofsoftheauthenticityofanarrativethereincontained.
Questo
This
,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
o
or
verylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetales
che
that
makeupmyvolume,—this,
e
and
noother,ismytrue
ragione
reason
forassumingapersonalrelationwiththepublic.
Inaccomplishing
i
the
mainpurpose,ithasappearedallowable,byafewextra
tocco
touches
,togiveafaintrepresentationofamodeof
vita
life
notheretoforedescribed,togetherwithsomeof
i
the
charactersthatmoveinit,amongwhom
i
the
authorhappenedtomakeone.
Inmynative
città
town
ofSalem,atthe
testa
head
ofwhat,halfacentury
fa
ago
,inthedaysof
vecchio
old
KingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—but
che
which
isnowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
e
and
exhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
vita
life
;
except,perhaps,abark
o
or
brig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
o
or
,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—atthe
testa
head
,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,whichthetideoftenoverflows,
e
and
alongwhich,atthebase
e
and
intherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackof
molti
many
languidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnotveryenliveningprospect,
e
and
thenceacrosstheharbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
From
la
the
loftiestpointofitsroof,duringprecisely
tre
three
andahalfhoursof
ogni
each
forenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
o
or
calm,thebannerof
la
the
republic;
butwiththethirteenstripes
girate
turned
vertically,insteadofhorizontally,
e
and
thusindicatingthatacivil,
e
and
notamilitarypostof
Zio
Uncle
Sam’sgovernmentishereestablished.
Itsfrontisornamentedwithaporticoofhalfadozenwoodenpillars,supportingabalcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsthe
strada
street
.
Overtheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenof
le
the
Americaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
e
and
,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
e
and
barbedarrowsineachclaw.
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemper
che
that
characterizesthisunhappyfowl,sheappears,bythefiercenessofherbeak
e
and
eye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischieftotheinoffensivecommunity;
e
and
especiallytowarnallcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
contro
against
intrudingonthepremises
che
which
sheovershadowswithherwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshe
cercando
looks
,manypeopleareseeking,at
questo
this
verymoment,toshelterthemselves
sotto
under
thewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,
che
that
herbosomhasallthesoftness
e
and
snugnessofaneider-downpillow.
Ma
But
shehasnogreattenderness,eveninherbestofmoods,
e
and
,soonerorlater,—oftenersoon
che
than
late,—isapttofling
via
off
hernestlings,withascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,
o
or
aranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwemayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
abbastanza
enough
growinginitschinksto
mostrare
show
thatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornbyanymultitudinousresortof
affari
business
.
Insomemonthsof
la
the
year,however,thereoftenchances
un
a
forenoonwhenaffairsmoveonwardwith
un
a
liveliertread.
Suchoccasions
potrebbero
might
remindtheelderlycitizenofthatperiod
prima
before
thelastwarwithEngland,
quando
when
Salemwasaportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
ora
now
,byherownmerchants
e
and
ship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
mentre
while
theirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
e
and
imperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
o
or
Boston.
Onsomesuch
mattina
morning
,whenthreeorfourvesselshappentohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
o
or
SouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereis
una
a
soundoffrequentfeet,passingbrisklyup
e
and
downthegranitesteps.
Qui
Here
,beforehisownwife
abbia
has
greetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,
appena
just
inport,withhisvessel’spapers
sotto
under
hisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Qui
Here
,too,comeshisowner,cheerful
o
or
sombre,graciousorin
il
the
sulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
il
the
nowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandise
che
that
willreadilybeturnedtogold,
o
or
hasburiedhimunder
un
a
bulkofincommodities,suchas
nessuno
nobody
willcaretoridhimof.
Qui
Here
,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmart
giovane
young
clerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficas
un
a
wolf-cubdoesofblood,
e
and
alreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,
quando
when
hehadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsupon
un
a
mill-pond.
Anotherfigurein
il
the
sceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestof
un
a
protection;
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
e
and
feeble,seekingapassporttothehospital.
Nor
dobbiamo
must
weforgetthecaptainsof
i
the
rustylittleschoonersthat
portano
bring
firewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
set
set
oftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessof
la
the
Yankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemof
non
no
slightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
tutti
all
theseindividualstogether,asthey
a volte
sometimes
were,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
e
and
,forthetimebeing,it
fatto
made
theCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Più
More
frequently,however,onascendingthesteps,youwoulddiscern—intheentry,
se
if
itweresummertime,
o
or
intheirappropriaterooms,
se
if
wintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,
che
which
weretippedontheirhindlegsback
contro
against
thewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
ma
but
occasionallymightbeheardtalking
insieme
together
,invoicesbetweenspeech
e
and
asnore,andwiththatlackofenergythatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
e
and
allotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
o
or
anythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,
come
like
Matthew,atthereceiptofcustoms,
ma
but
notveryliabletobesummonedthence,
come
like
him,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,onthelefthandasyouenterthefront
porta
door
,isacertainroom
o
or
office,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
e
and
ofaloftyheight;
with
due
two
ofitsarchedwindowscommanding
una
a
viewoftheaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,
e
and
thethirdlookingacross
una
a
narrowlane,andalong
una
a
portionofDerbyStreet.
Tutti
All
threegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
e
and
ship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsof
cui
which
aregenerallytobe
vedere
seen
,laughingandgossiping,clustersofoldsalts,
e
and
suchotherwharf-ratsashaunt
il
the
Wappingofaseaport.
La
The
roomitselfiscobwebbed,
e
and
dingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,in
un
a
fashionthathaselsewhere
caduto
fallen
intolongdisuse;
anditis
facile
easy
toconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthe
luogo
place
,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,withhertoolsofmagic,thebroom
e
and
mop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
In
i
the
wayoffurniture,thereisastovewithavoluminousfunnel;
anoldpinedesk,
di
with
athree-leggedstoolbesideit;
due
two
orthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
e
and
infirm;
and—nottoforget
la
the
library—onsomeshelves,ascore
o
or
twoofvolumesof
la
the
ActsofCongress,andabulkyDigestof
la
the
RevenueLaws.
Atinpipeascends
attraverso
through
theceiling,andforms
un
a
mediumofvocalcommunicationwithotherpartsof
il
the
edifice.
Andhere,some
sei
six
monthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
o
or
loungingonthelong-leggedstool,withhiselbowonthedesk,
e
and
hiseyeswanderingup
e
and
downthecolumnsofthemorningnewspaper,—you
potuto
might
haverecognized,honoredreader,the
stesso
same
individualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
piccolo
little
study,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantly
attraverso
through
thewillowbranches,onthewestern
lato
side
oftheOldManse.
Ma
But
now,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,youwouldinquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.
La
The
besomofreformhasswepthim
fuori
out
ofoffice;
andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
e
and
pocketshisemoluments.
Thisold
città
town
ofSalem—mynativeplace,
anche se
though
Ihavedweltmuch
lontano
away
fromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
o
or
didpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceofwhichI
ho
have
neverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
qui
here
.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchieflywithwoodenhouses,few
o
or
noneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,
che
which
isneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
ma
but
onlytame,—itslongandlazy
strada
street
,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,withGallowsHill
e
and
NewGuineaatoneend,
e
and
aviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynative
città
town
,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,thereiswithinmeafeelingforoldSalem,
che
which
,inlackofa
migliore
better
phrase,Imustbecontentto
chiamare
call
affection.
Thesentimentis
probabilmente
probably
assignabletothedeep
e
and
agedrootswhichmy
famiglia
family
hasstruckintothesoil.
Itisnownearly
due
two
centuriesandaquartersincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
nome
name
,madehisappearanceinthewild
e
and
forest-borderedsettlement,whichhassince
diventato
become
acity.
Andherehisdescendants
hanno
have
beenbornanddied,
e
and
havemingledtheirearthysubstancewiththesoil;
finché
until
nosmallportionofit
deve
must
necessarilybeakinto
le
the
mortalframewherewith,for
un
a
littlewhile,Iwalk
le
the
streets.
Inpart,therefore,
la
the
attachmentwhichIspeakofis
la
the
meresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Pochi
Few
ofmycountrymencan
sanno
know
whatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
forse
perhaps
betterforthestock,needtheyconsideritdesirabletoknow.
Ma
But
thesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
La
The
figureofthatfirstancestor,investedbyfamilytraditionwith
una
a
dimandduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasIcan
ricordare
remember
.
Itstillhauntsme,
e
and
inducesasortofhome-feelingwith
il
the
past,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferenceto
il
the
presentphaseofthe
città
town
.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
qui
here
onaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
e
and
steeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,withhisBible
e
and
hissword,andtrodetheunworn
strada
street
withsuchastatelyport,
e
and
madesolargeafigure,asa
uomo
man
ofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whose
nome
name
isseldomheardandmy
viso
face
hardlyknown.
Hewas
un
a
soldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
un
a
rulerintheChurch;
he
aveva
had
allthePuritanictraits,bothgoodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitness
i
the
Quakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,
e
and
relateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsa
donna
woman
oftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,than
qualsiasi
any
recordofhisbetterdeeds,althoughthesewere
molte
many
.
Hisson,too,inherited
il
the
persecutingspirit,andmadehimselfsoconspicuousin
il
the
martyrdomofthewitches,
che
that
theirbloodmayfairlybe
dire
said
tohaveleftastainuponhim.
Sodeep
una
a
stain,indeed,thathisolddrybones,in
le
the
CharterStreetburial-ground,must
ancora
still
retainit,iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
so
know
notwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
e
and
askpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
o
or
whethertheyarenowgroaning
sotto
under
theheavyconsequencesofthem,inanotherstateofbeing.
Atallevents,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,herebytakeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
e
and
praythatanycurseincurredbythem—asIhave
sentito
heard
,andasthedreary
e
and
unprosperousconditionoftherace,for
molti
many
alongyearback,
essere
would
arguetoexist—maybe
ora
now
andhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,eitherofthesestern
e
and
black-browedPuritanswouldhave
pensato
thought
itquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,
che
that
,aftersolongalapseofyears,the
vecchio
old
trunkofthefamilytree,withsomuchvenerablemossupon
esso
it
,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Nessun
No
aim,thatIhaveevercherished,wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;
nosuccessofmine—ifmy
vita
life
,beyonditsdomesticscope,hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,
se
if
notpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
un
one
grayshadowofmyforefatherstotheother.
“Awriterofstory-books!
What
tipo
kind
ofabusinessinlife—whatmodeofglorifying
Dio
God
,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhisday
e
and
generation—maythatbe?
Why,
il
the
degeneratefellowmightaswellhavebeen
un
a
fiddler!”
Sucharethecomplimentsbandied
tra
between
mygreat-grandsiresandmyself,acrossthegulfof
tempo
time
!
Andyet,letthemscornmeastheywill,strongtraitsoftheirnaturehaveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,in
la
the
town’searliestinfancyandchildhood,bythese
due
two
earnestandenergeticmen,
la
the
racehaseversincesubsisted
qui
here
;
always,too,inrespectability;
mai
never
,sofarasIhave
so
known
,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
ma
but
seldomornever,on
le
the
otherhand,afterthefirst
due
two
generations,performinganymemorabledeed,
o
or
somuchasputtingforward
una
a
claimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,theyhavesunk
quasi
almost
outofsight;
asoldhouses,here
e
and
thereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-wayto
le
the
eavesbytheaccumulationof
nuovo
new
soil.
Fromfatherto
figlio
son
,foraboveahundredyears,they
seguito
followed
thesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
ogni
each
generation,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,
mentre
while
aboyoffourteen
prendeva
took
thehereditaryplacebeforethemast,confrontingthesaltspray
e
and
thegale,whichhadblustered
contro
against
hissireandgrandsire.
The
ragazzo
boy
,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spent
una
a
tempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,
e
and
die,andminglehisdustwiththenatal
terra
earth
.
Thislongconnectionofa
famiglia
family
withonespot,asits
luogo
place
ofbirthandburial,createsakindred
tra
between
thehumanbeingand
la
the
locality,quiteindependentof
qualsiasi
any
charminthescenery
o
or
moralcircumstancesthatsurround
lo
him
.
Itisnotlove,butinstinct.
Il
The
newinhabitant—whocamehimselffromaforeignland,
o
or
whosefatherorgrandfathercame—haslittleclaimtobe
chiamato
called
aSalemite;
hehas
non
no
conceptionoftheoyster-liketenacitywithwhich
un
an
oldsettler,overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespotwherehissuccessivegenerations
ha
have
beenimbedded.
Itis
non
no
matterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
lui
him
;
thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
e
and
dust,thedeadlevelofsite
e
and
sentiment,thechilleastwind,
e
and
thechillestofsocialatmospheres;—allthese,
e
and
whateverfaultsbesideshemay
vedere
see
orimagine,arenothingtothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
e
and
justaspowerfullyas
se
if
thenatalspotwere
un
an
earthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
caso
case
.
Ifeltitalmostas
un
a
destinytomakeSalemmy
casa
home
;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
e
and
castofcharacterwhichhadall
lungo
along
beenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
un
one
representativeoftheracelaydowninhisgrave,anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-march
lungo
along
themainstreet,—mightstillinmy
piccolo
little
daybeseenandrecognizedintheold
città
town
.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
il
the
connection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,
dovrebbe
should
atlastbesevered.
Humannature
viene
will
notflourish,anymorethan
una
a
potato,ifitbeplanted
e
and
replanted,fortoolong
una
a
seriesofgenerations,inthe
stesso
same
worn-outsoil.
Mychildrenhavehad
altri
other
birthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunesmaybewithinmy
controllo
control
,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
terra
earth
.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
questo
this
strange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynative
città
town
,thatbroughtmetofill
un
a
placeinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,
quando
when
Imightaswell,
o
or
better,havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwason
me
me
.
Itwasnotthe
prima
first
time,northesecond,
che
that
Ihadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyet
tornato
returned
,likethebadhalf-penny;
o
or
asifSalemwereformetheinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
una
one
finemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
e
and
wasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemen
che
who
weretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whetheranypublicfunctionaryof
i
the
UnitedStates,eitherin
i
the
civilormilitaryline,haseverhadsuch
un
a
patriarchalbodyofveterans
sotto
under
hisordersasmyself.
La
The
whereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
quando
when
Ilookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
questa
this
epoch,theindependentpositionoftheCollectorhad
tenuto
kept
theSalemCustom-Houseoutofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,
che
which
makesthetenureof
ufficio
office
generallysofragile.
Asoldier,—NewEngland’s
più
most
distinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyon
il
the
pedestalofhisgallantservices;
e
and
,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrations
attraverso
through
whichhehadheldoffice,he
aveva
had
beenthesafetyofhissubordinatesin
molte
many
anhourofdanger
e
and
heart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
a
manoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
aveva
had
noslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
e
and
withdifficultymovedto
cambiare
change
,evenwhenchangemight
avrebbe
have
broughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,on
presi
taking
chargeofmydepartment,I
trovai
found
fewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthe
maggior parte
most
part,who,afterbeingtoston
ogni
every
sea,andstandingupsturdily
contro
against
life’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
questo
this
quietnook;
where,with
poco
little
todisturbthem,except
i
the
periodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyone
e
and
allacquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Thoughby
non
no
meanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoage
e
and
infirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalisman
o
or
otherthatkeptdeathatbay.
Due
Two
orthreeoftheir
numero
number
,asIwasassured,beinggouty
e
and
rheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,neverdreamedof
fare
making
theirappearanceattheCustom-House,during
una
a
largepartoftheyear;
ma
but
,afteratorpidwinter,
sarebbe
would
creepoutintothewarmsunshineof
Maggio
May
orJune,golazily
su
about
whattheytermedduty,
e
and
,attheirownleisure
e
and
convenience,betakethemselvesto
letto
bed
again.
Imustpleadguiltyto
il
the
chargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
più
more
thanoneofthesevenerableservantsof
il
the
republic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
riposare
rest
fromtheirarduouslabors,
e
and
soonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleof
vita
life
hadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
credo
believe
itwas—withdrewtoa
migliore
better
world.
Itisapiousconsolationto
me
me
,that,throughmyinterference,
una
a
sufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
e
and
corruptpracticesintowhich,as
una
a
matterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficer
deve
must
besupposedtofall.
Neither
il
the
frontnorthebackentranceof
il
the
Custom-HouseopensontheroadtoParadise.
La
The
greaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwas
bene
well
fortheirvenerablebrotherhood
che
that
thenewSurveyorwasnot
un
a
politician,andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednor
tenne
held
hisofficewithanyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Avrebbe
Had
itbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
messo
put
intothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
facile
easy
taskofmakingheadagainstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlya
uomo
man
oftheoldcorpswould
avrebbe
have
drawnthebreathofofficial
vita
life
,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangel
avrebbe
had
comeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingto
il
the
receivedcodeinsuchmatters,itwouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,to
portare
bring
everyoneofthosewhiteheads
sotto
under
theaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
abbastanza
enough
todiscern,thattheoldfellowsdreadedsome
tale
such
discourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
e
and
atthesametimeamused
mi
me
,tobeholdtheterrors
che
that
attendedmyadvent;
to
vedere
see
afurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
mezzo
half
acenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
o
or
anotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,
che
which
,inlong-pastdays,hadbeenwonttobellow
attraverso
through
aspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
sapevano
knew
,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,byallestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
alcuni
some
ofthem,weighedbytheirownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
avrebbero
have
givenplacetoyoungermen,
più
more
orthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommon
Zio
Uncle
.
Iknewittoo,
ma
but
couldneverquitefindinmy
cuore
heart
toactupontheknowledge.
Much
e
and
deservedlytomyowndiscredit,therefore,
e
and
considerablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreep
su
about
thewharves,andloiterup
e
and
downtheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
una
a
gooddealoftime,also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,withtheirchairstiltedback
contro
against
thewall;
awaking,however,once
o
or
twiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanotherwith
la
the
severalthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,
e
and
mouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswords
e
and
countersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
presto
soon
made,Iimagine,thatthe
nuovo
new
Surveyorhadnogreatharmin
lui
him
.
So,withlightsomehearts,
e
and
thehappyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheirownbehalf,at
almeno
least
,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegoodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
sotto
under
theirspectacles,didtheypeepinto
i
the
holdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
e
and
marvellous,sometimes,theobtuseness
che
that
allowedgreateronestoslip
tra
between
theirfingers!
Wheneversuchamischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandise
hanno
had
beensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
forse
perhaps
,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothingcouldexceedthevigilance
e
and
alacritywithwhichtheyproceededtolock,
e
and
double-lock,andsecurewithtape
e
and
sealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
caso
case
seemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
dopo
after
themischiefhadhappened;
un
a
gratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,
il
the
momentthattherewas
non
no
longeranyremedy.
Unless
persone
people
aremorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
una
a
kindnessforthem.
The
migliore
better
partofmycompanion’scharacter,
se
if
ithaveabetter
parte
part
,isthatwhichusually
viene
comes
uppermostinmyregard,
e
and
formsthetypewherebyIrecognizetheman.
As
maggior parte
most
oftheseoldCustom-Houseofficers
avevano
had
goodtraits,andasmypositioninreferenceto
loro
them
,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorableto
la
the
growthoffriendlysentiments,I
presto
soon
grewtolikethem
tutti
all
.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,
che
that
almostliquefiedtherestofthehuman
famiglia
family
,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasanttohearthemchattinginthe
posteriore
back
entry,arowofthem
tutti
all
tippedagainstthewall,asusual;
mentre
while
thefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
e
and
camebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,
la
the
jollityofagedmen
ha
has
muchincommonwith
la
the
mirthofchildren;
theintellect,anymore
che
than
adeepsenseofhumor,
ha
has
littletodowith
la
the
matter;
itis,with
entrambi
both
,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
e
and
impartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
e
and
gray,moulderingtrunk.
In
un
one
case,however,itis
vero
real
sunshine;
intheother,itmoreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
sarebbe
would
besadinjustice,thereader
deve
must
understand,torepresentallmyexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.
In
i
the
firstplace,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
e
and
prime,ofmarkedability
e
and
energy,andaltogethersuperiorto
le
the
sluggishanddependentmodeof
vita
life
onwhichtheirevilstars
avevano
had
castthem.
Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofagewere
talvolta
sometimes
foundtobethethatchof
un
an
intellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Ma
But
,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,
ci
there
willbenowrong
fatto
done
,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
un
a
setofwearisomeoldsouls,
che
who
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceof
vita
life
.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
tutto
all
thegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,
che
which
theyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,
e
and
mostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemorieswiththehusks.
They
parlavano
spoke
withfarmoreinterest
e
and
unctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
o
or
yesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
cena
dinner
,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
o
or
fiftyyearsago,and
tutte
all
theworld’swonderswhichtheyhadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
Il
The
fatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
solo
only
ofthislittlesquadofofficials,
ma
but
,Iamboldto
dire
say
,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiters
tutti
all
overtheUnitedStates—was
un
a
certainpermanentInspector.
He
potrebbe
might
trulybetermedalegitimate
figlio
son
oftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
o
or
,rather,borninthepurple;
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
e
and
formerlycollectoroftheport,
aveva
had
createdanofficeforhim,
e
and
appointedhimtofillit,ataperiodoftheearlyages
che
which
fewlivingmencan
ora
now
remember.
ThisInspector,whenI
prima
first
knewhim,wasa
uomo
man
offourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
e
and
certainlyoneofthe
più
most
wonderfulspecimensofwinter-green
che
that
youwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
e
and
vigorousstep,andhishale
e
and
heartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
giovane
young
,indeed—butakindof
nuovo
new
contrivanceofMotherNatureintheshapeofman,whomage
e
and
infirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
e
and
laugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
attraverso
through
theCustom-House,hadnothingof
la
the
tremulousquaverandcackleof
un
an
oldman’sutterance;
theycamestrutting
uscivano
out
ofhislungs,like
il
the
crowofacock,
o
or
theblastofaclarion.
Guardare
Looking
athimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewasvery
poco
little
elsetolookat,—hewasamostsatisfactoryobject,from
le
the
thoroughhealthfulnessandwholesomenessofhissystem,
e
and
hiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
tutte
all
,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhe
aveva
had
everaimedat,orconceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vita
life
intheCustom-House,on
un
a
regularincome,andwith
ma
but
slightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
aveva
had
nodoubtcontributedto
fare
make
timepasslightlyover
lui
him
.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,layin
le
the
rareperfectionofhisanimalnature,
le
the
moderateproportionofintellect,
e
and
theverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
e
and
spiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
sufficiente
enough
measuretokeepthe
vecchio
old
gentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
non
no
powerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
non
no
troublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
ma
but
afewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedby
il
the
cheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,
facevano
did
dutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
un
a
heart.
Hehadbeen
il
the
husbandofthreewives,
tutte
all
longsincedead;
the
padre
father
oftwentychildren,mostofwhom,at
ogni
every
ageofchildhoodormaturity,hadlikewise
tornati
returned
todust.
Here,onewouldsuppose,
potrebbe
might
havebeensorrowenoughtoimbuethesunniestdisposition,
attraverso
through
andthrough,withasabletinge.
Notsowithour
vecchio
old
Inspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarry
via
off
theentireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.
Thenext
momento
moment
,hewasasreadyforsportas
qualsiasi
any
unbreechedinfant;
farreadierthantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
e
and
gravermanofthe
due
two
.
Iusedtowatch
e
and
studythispatriarchalpersonagewith,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,than
qualsiasi
any
otherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,in
verità
truth
,ararephenomenon;
so
perfetto
perfect
,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
tale
such
anabsolutenonentity,in
ogni
every
other.
Myconclusionwas
che
that
hehadnosoul,
non
no
heart,nomind;