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The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Norwegian A1 Translation Books

The Scarlet Letter | Progressive Norwegian A1 Translation Books

Discover the advantages of this innovative translation method, designed to cater to your learning needs. You can select your preferred difficulty level, ensuring a well-balanced challenge that isn't too overwhelming. This technique sharpens your comprehension skills by encouraging you to derive meaning from context, minimizing the need for direct translations. While some words are purposefully obscured to promote contextual guessing, looking up unclear terms is always an option. With this method, language learning becomes both accessible and enjoyable, blending challenge with support. Explore translated classics and experience the excitement of learning through literature.

THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
en
alittleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
snakke
talkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
og
andtomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulse
bør
shouldtwiceinmylife
ha
havetakenpossessionofme,inaddressingthepublic.
Den
Thefirsttimewasthree
eller
orfouryearssince,whenIfavored
den
thereader—inexcusably,andfornoearthly
grunn
reason,thateithertheindulgentreader
eller
ortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayoflifein
den
thedeepquietudeofanOldManse.
Og
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
glad
happyenoughtofindalistener
eller
ortwoontheformeroccasion—I
igjen
againseizethepublicby
den
thebutton,andtalkofmy
tre
threeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.
Den
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,ClerkofthisParish,”was
aldri
nevermorefaithfullyfollowed.
The
sannheten
truthseemstobe,however,that,
når
whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
mange
manywhowillflingasidehisvolume,
eller
ornevertakeitup,butthe
få
fewwhowillunderstandhim,
bedre
betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
eller
orlifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,
gjøre
dofarmorethanthis,
og
andindulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationas
kunne
couldfittinglybeaddressed,only
og
andexclusively,totheone
hjertet
heartandmindofperfectsympathy;
as
om
iftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewide
verden
world,werecertaintofind
ut
outthedividedsegmentofthewriter’s
egen
ownnature,andcompletehiscircleofexistenceby
bringe
bringinghimintocommunionwithit.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
snakke
speakall,evenwherewe
snakke
speakimpersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
og
andutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeaker
står
standinsometruerelation
med
withhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethat
en
afriend,akindandapprehensive,thoughnottheclosest
venn
friend,islisteningtoour
snakk
talk;
andthen,anativereservebeingthawedby
denne
thisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateof
den
thecircumstancesthatliearound
oss
us,andevenofourself,
men
butstillkeeptheinmostMe
bak
behinditsveil.
Tothisextent,
og
andwithintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,
kan
maybeautobiographical,withoutviolating
enten
eitherthereader’srightsorhis
egne
own.
Itwillbeseen,likewise,that
denne
thisCustom-Housesketchhasacertainpropriety,of
en
akindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaining
hvordan
howalargeportionofthefollowingpages
kom
cameintomypossession,andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityof
en
anarrativethereincontained.
This,infact,—adesireto
sette
putmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
eller
orverylittlemore,of
den
themostprolixamongthetalesthatmakeupmyvolume,—this,
og
andnoother,ismy
sanne
truereasonforassumingapersonalrelationwith
den
thepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,it
har
hasappearedallowable,byafewextratouches,to
gi
giveafaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,
sammen
togetherwithsomeofthecharactersthat
beveger
moveinit,amongwhomtheauthor
skjedde
happenedtomakeone.
InmynativetownofSalem,attheheadof
hva
what,halfacenturyago,inthedaysof
gamle
oldKingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—but
som
whichisnowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
og
andexhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommercial
liv
life;
except,perhaps,abark
eller
orbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
eller
or,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitching
ut
outhercargooffirewood,—atthe
hodet
head,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,
som
whichthetideoftenoverflows,
og
andalongwhich,atthebase
og
andintherearoftherowofbuildings,thetrackof
mange
manylanguidyearsisseenin
en
aborderofunthriftygrass,—here,
med
withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnot
veldig
veryenliveningprospect,andthenceacrosstheharbor,
står
standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
Fromtheloftiestpointofitsroof,duringprecisely
tre
threeandahalfhoursof
hver
eachforenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
eller
orcalm,thebanneroftherepublic;
men
butwiththethirteenstripesturnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,
og
andthusindicatingthatacivil,
og
andnotamilitarypostof
Onkel
UncleSam’sgovernmentishereestablished.
Itsfrontisornamented
med
withaporticoofhalfadozenwoodenpillars,supportingabalcony,beneath
som
whichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowardsthe
gaten
street.
Overtheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenof
den
theAmericaneagle,withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
og
and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
og
andbarbedarrowsineachclaw.
Med
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemper
som
thatcharacterizesthisunhappyfowl,sheappears,by
den
thefiercenessofherbeak
og
andeye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischiefto
den
theinoffensivecommunity;
andespeciallytowarn
alle
allcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
mot
againstintrudingonthepremises
som
whichsheovershadowswithherwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshe
ser
looks,manypeopleareseeking,at
dette
thisverymoment,toshelterthemselves
under
underthewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,
at
thatherbosomhasallthesoftness
og
andsnugnessofaneider-downpillow.
Men
Butshehasnogreattenderness,
selv
eveninherbestofmoods,
og
and,soonerorlater,—oftenersoon
enn
thanlate,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,
med
withascratchofherclaw,
en
adabofherbeak,
eller
oraranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
kan
mayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
nok
enoughgrowinginitschinksto
vise
showthatithasnot,of
sene
latedays,beenwornby
noen
anymultitudinousresortofbusiness.
In
noen
somemonthsoftheyear,however,
det
thereoftenchancesaforenoon
når
whenaffairsmoveonwardwith
en
aliveliertread.
Suchoccasions
kan
mightremindtheelderlycitizenofthatperiod
før
beforethelastwarwithEngland,
da
whenSalemwasaportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
nå
now,byherownmerchants
og
andship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
mens
whiletheirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
og
andimperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
eller
orBoston.
Onsomesuch
morgen
morning,whenthreeorfourvesselshappento
har
havearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
eller
orSouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,
det
thereisasoundoffrequentfeet,passingbriskly
opp
upanddownthegranitesteps.
Her
Here,beforehisownwife
har
hasgreetedhim,youmaygreet
den
thesea-flushedshipmaster,justinport,
med
withhisvessel’spapersunderhisarm,in
en
atarnishedtinbox.
Here,too,
kommer
comeshisowner,cheerfulorsombre,gracious
eller
orinthesulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
den
thenowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethat
vil
willreadilybeturnedtogold,
eller
orhasburiedhimunder
en
abulkofincommodities,suchas
ingen
nobodywillcaretoridhim
av
of.
Here,likewise,—thegermof
den
thewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—we
har
havethesmartyoungclerk,who
får
getsthetasteoftrafficas
en
awolf-cubdoesofblood,
og
andalreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,whenhehad
bedre
betterbesailingmimic-boatsupon
en
amill-pond.
Anotherfigurein
den
thesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestofaprotection;
eller
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
og
andfeeble,seekingapassportto
den
thehospital.
Normustwe
glemme
forgetthecaptainsoftherusty
små
littleschoonersthatbringfirewoodfrom
de
theBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
sett
setoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessoftheYankeeaspect,
men
butcontributinganitemof
ingen
noslightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
alle
alltheseindividualstogether,asthey
noen ganger
sometimeswere,withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
og
and,forthetimebeing,it
gjorde
madetheCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,you
ville
woulddiscern—intheentry,ifitweresummertime,
eller
orintheirappropriaterooms,
hvis
ifwintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,
som
whichweretippedontheirhindlegs
tilbake
backagainstthewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,
men
butoccasionallymightbeheard
snakke
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,ontheleft
hånd
handasyouenterthefrontdoor,is
en
acertainroomoroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
og
andofaloftyheight;
med
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
som
thathaselsewherefalleninto
lang
longdisuse;
anditis
lett
easytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthe
stedet
place,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,
med
withhertoolsofmagic,thebroom
og
andmop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
Inthe
veien
wayoffurniture,thereis
en
astovewithavoluminousfunnel;
anoldpinedesk,
med
withathree-leggedstoolbeside
det
it;
twoorthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
og
andinfirm;
and—nottoforgetthelibrary—on
noen
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
gjennom
throughthewillowbranches,on
den
thewesternsideoftheOldManse.
Men
Butnow,shouldyougothithertoseek
ham
him,youwouldinquireinvainfortheLocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreform
har
hasswepthimoutofoffice;
og
andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
og
andpocketshisemoluments.
This
gamle
oldtownofSalem—mynativeplace,
om
thoughIhavedweltmuch
borte
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
gate
street,loungingwearisomelythroughthe
hele
wholeextentofthepeninsula,
med
withGallowsHillandNewGuineaatone
enden
end,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynativetown,it
ville
wouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Og
Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,
det
thereiswithinmeafeelingfor
gamle
oldSalem,which,inlackof
en
abetterphrase,Imustbecontentto
kalle
callaffection.
Thesentimentis
trolig
probablyassignabletothedeep
og
andagedrootswhichmy
familie
familyhasstruckintothesoil.
Itis
nå
nownearlytwocenturiesandaquarter
siden
sincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
navn
name,madehisappearanceinthewild
og
andforest-borderedsettlement,whichhas
siden
sincebecomeacity.
And
her
herehisdescendantshavebeenborn
og
anddied,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstance
med
withthesoil;
untilnosmallportionofit
må
mustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
en
alittlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
In
delvis
part,therefore,theattachmentwhichI
snakker
speakofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Få
Fewofmycountrymencan
vite
knowwhatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
kanskje
perhapsbetterforthestock,
trenger
needtheyconsideritdesirableto
vite
know.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
Den
Thefigureofthatfirstancestor,investedbyfamilytradition
med
withadimandduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,as
langt
farbackasIcan
huske
remember.
Itstillhauntsme,
og
andinducesasortofhome-feeling
med
withthepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
byen
town.
Iseemtohave
en
astrongerclaimtoaresidence
her
hereonaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
og
andsteeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,
med
withhisBibleandhissword,
og
andtrodetheunwornstreet
med
withsuchastatelyport,
og
andmadesolargeafigure,as
en
amanofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaim
enn
thanformyself,whosenameisseldom
hørt
heardandmyfacehardly
kjent
known.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
en
arulerintheChurch;
he
hadde
hadallthePuritanictraits,
både
bothgoodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitnesstheQuakers,who
har
haverememberedhimintheirhistories,
og
andrelateanincidentofhis
harde
hardseveritytowardsawomanoftheirsect,which
vil
willlastlonger,itistobefeared,
enn
thananyrecordofhis
bedre
betterdeeds,althoughthesewere
mange
many.
Hisson,too,inherited
den
thepersecutingspirit,andmadehimselfsoconspicuousin
den
themartyrdomofthewitches,
at
thattheirbloodmayfairlybesaidto
ha
haveleftastainupon
ham
him.
Sodeepastain,indeed,thathis
gamle
olddrybones,intheCharter
Street
Streetburial-ground,muststillretainit,
hvis
iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
vet
knownotwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
og
andaskpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
eller
orwhethertheyarenowgroaning
under
undertheheavyconsequencesof
dem
them,inanotherstateofbeing.
Atallevents,
Jeg
I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,hereby
ta
takeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
og
andpraythatanycurseincurredbythem—asI
har
haveheard,andasthedreary
og
andunprosperousconditionoftherace,for
mange
manyalongyearback,
ville
wouldarguetoexist—maybe
nå
nowandhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,eitherof
disse
thesesternandblack-browedPuritans
ville
wouldhavethoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,that,
etter
aftersolongalapseofyears,the
gamle
oldtrunkofthefamilytree,
med
withsomuchvenerablemossuponit,
bør
shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Ingen
Noaim,thatIhaveevercherished,
ville
wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;
ingen
nosuccessofmine—ifmy
livet
life,beyonditsdomesticscope,
hadde
hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwise
enn
thanworthless,ifnotpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
en
onegrayshadowofmyforefathersto
den
theother.
“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindofa
virksomhet
businessinlife—whatmodeofglorifying
Gud
God,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhis
dag
dayandgeneration—maythatbe?
Hvorfor
Why,thedegeneratefellowmightas
godt
wellhavebeenafiddler!”
Slike
Sucharethecomplimentsbandied
mellom
betweenmygreat-grandsiresandmyself,acrossthegulfoftime!
Og
Andyet,letthemscornmeasthey
vil
will,strongtraitsoftheirnature
har
haveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,inthetown’searliestinfancy
og
andchildhood,bythesetwoearnest
og
andenergeticmen,therace
har
haseversincesubsistedhere;
alltid
always,too,inrespectability;
never,so
langt
farasIhaveknown,disgracedby
en
asingleunworthymember;
butseldom
eller
ornever,ontheother
side
hand,afterthefirsttwogenerations,performing
noen
anymemorabledeed,orso
mye
muchasputtingforwardaclaimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,they
har
havesunkalmostoutofsight;
as
gamle
oldhouses,hereandthere
om
aboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytotheeavesbytheaccumulationof
ny
newsoil.
Fromfatherto
sønn
son,foraboveahundredyears,they
fulgte
followedthesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
hver
eachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-deckto
de
thehomestead,whileaboyoffourteen
tok
tookthehereditaryplacebefore
de
themast,confrontingthesaltspray
og
andthegale,whichhadblustered
mot
againsthissireandgrandsire.
Den
Theboy,also,induetime,passedfrom
den
theforecastletothecabin,spent
en
atempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrow
gammel
old,anddie,andminglehisdust
med
withthenatalearth.
Thislongconnectionofa
familie
familywithonespot,asitsplaceofbirth
og
andburial,createsakindred
mellom
betweenthehumanbeingandthelocality,
helt
quiteindependentofanycharminthescenery
eller
ormoralcircumstancesthatsurround
ham
him.
Itisnotlove,
men
butinstinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
kom
camehimselffromaforeignland,
eller
orwhosefatherorgrandfathercame—has
lite
littleclaimtobecalledaSalemite;
he
har
hasnoconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacity
med
withwhichanoldsettler,
over
overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingsto
den
thespotwherehissuccessivegenerations
har
havebeenimbedded.
Itis
ingen
nomatterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
ham
him;
thatheiswearyofthe
gamle
oldwoodenhouses,themud
og
anddust,thedeadlevelofsite
og
andsentiment,thechilleastwind,
og
andthechillestofsocialatmospheres;—all
disse
these,andwhateverfaultsbesideshe
kan
mayseeorimagine,are
ingenting
nothingtothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
og
andjustaspowerfullyas
om
ifthenatalspotwere
et
anearthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
tilfelle
case.
Ifeltitalmostas
en
adestinytomakeSalemmy
hjem
home;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
og
andcastofcharacterwhich
hadde
hadallalongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,asonerepresentativeoftherace
lå
laydowninhisgrave,anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-march
langs
alongthemainstreet,—mightstillinmy
lille
littledaybeseenandrecognizedinthe
gamle
oldtown.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethattheconnection,which
har
hasbecomeanunhealthyone,
bør
shouldatlastbesevered.
Humannature
vil
willnotflourish,anymore
enn
thanapotato,ifitbeplanted
og
andreplanted,fortoolong
en
aseriesofgenerations,inthe
samme
sameworn-outsoil.
Mychildren
har
havehadotherbirthplaces,and,so
langt
farastheirfortunesmaybewithinmy
kontroll
control,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
jord
earth.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
denne
thisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynativetown,that
brakte
broughtmetofillaplacein
Onkel
UncleSam’sbrickedifice,whenI
kunne
mightaswell,orbetter,
ha
havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwasonme.
Itwasnotthe
første
firsttime,northesecond,thatI
hadde
hadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyet
returnerte
returned,likethebadhalf-penny;
eller
orasifSalemwereformetheinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
en
onefinemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,
med
withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
og
andwasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemenwhoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whether
noen
anypublicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,
enten
eitherinthecivilormilitary
linje
line,haseverhadsuch
en
apatriarchalbodyofveterans
under
underhisordersasmyself.
Den
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasatoncesettled,
da
whenIlookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyears
før
beforethisepoch,theindependentpositionof
den
theCollectorhadkepttheSalemCustom-House
ut
outofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,
som
whichmakesthetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.
En
Asoldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyonthepedestalofhisgallantservices;
og
and,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrations
gjennom
throughwhichhehadheld
kontor
office,hehadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesin
mange
manyanhourofdanger
og
andheart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
en
amanoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
hadde
hadnoslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
og
andwithdifficultymovedto
forandre
change,evenwhenchangemight
ha
havebroughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,on
ta
takingchargeofmydepartment,I
fant
foundfewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthe
det meste
mostpart,who,afterbeingtoston
hvert
everysea,andstandingupsturdily
mot
againstlife’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
dette
thisquietnook;
where,with
lite
littletodisturbthem,excepttheperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyone
og
andallacquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Om
Thoughbynomeanslessliable
enn
thantheirfellow-mentoage
og
andinfirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalisman
eller
orotherthatkeptdeathatbay.
To
Twoorthreeoftheirnumber,asIwasassured,beinggouty
og
andrheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,
aldri
neverdreamedofmakingtheirappearanceattheCustom-House,during
en
alargepartofthe
året
year;
but,afteratorpidwinter,
ville
wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineof
Mai
MayorJune,golazily
om
aboutwhattheytermedduty,
og
and,attheirownleisure
og
andconvenience,betakethemselvesto
sengs
bedagain.
Imustpleadguiltyto
den
thechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
mer
morethanoneofthesevenerableservantsof
den
therepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
hvile
restfromtheirarduouslabors,
og
andsoonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleof
livet
lifehadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
tror
believeitwas—withdrewtoa
bedre
betterworld.
Itisapiousconsolationtome,that,
gjennom
throughmyinterference,asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceof
de
theevilandcorruptpracticesintowhich,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
satt
putintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
enkle
easytaskofmakinghead
mot
againstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlya
mann
manoftheoldcorps
ville
wouldhavedrawnthebreathofofficial
liv
life,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcome
opp
uptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodein
slike
suchmatters,itwouldhavebeen
ingenting
nothingshortofduty,inapolitician,to
bringe
bringeveryoneofthosewhiteheads
under
undertheaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
nok
enoughtodiscern,thatthe
gamle
oldfellowsdreadedsomesuchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
og
andatthesametimeamusedme,tobehold
de
theterrorsthatattendedmyadvent;
to
se
seeafurrowedcheek,weather-beatenbyhalfacenturyofstorm,
slå
turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asone
eller
oranotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,which,inlong-pastdays,
hadde
hadbeenwonttobellow
gjennom
throughaspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
visste
knew,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,by
alle
allestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
noen
someofthem,weighedbytheir
egen
ownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
ha
havegivenplacetoyoungermen,
mer
moreorthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitter
enn
thanthemselvestoserveourcommon
Onkel
Uncle.
Iknewittoo,
men
butcouldneverquitefindinmy
hjerte
hearttoactupontheknowledge.
Mye
Muchanddeservedlytomy
egen
owndiscredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreep
om
aboutthewharves,andloiter
opp
upanddowntheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
en
agooddealoftime,
også
also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,
med
withtheirchairstiltedback
mot
againstthewall;
awaking,however,once
eller
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreoneanother
med
withtheseveralthousandthrepetitionof
gamle
oldsea-stories,andmouldyjokes,
som
thathadgrowntobepasswords
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,
noen ganger
sometimes,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
mellom
betweentheirfingers!
Wheneversuch
en
amischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandise
hadde
hadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
kanskje
perhaps,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothing
kunne
couldexceedthevigilanceandalacrity
med
withwhichtheyproceededtolock,
og
anddouble-lock,andsecurewithtape
og
andsealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,the
saken
caseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,
etter
afterthemischiefhadhappened;
en
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,the
øyeblikket
momentthattherewasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
folk
peoplearemorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
en
akindnessforthem.
The
bedre
betterpartofmycompanion’scharacter,
hvis
ifithaveabetterpart,isthatwhichusually
kommer
comesuppermostinmyregard,
og
andformsthetypewherebyIrecognizethe
mannen
man.
Asmostofthese
gamle
oldCustom-Houseofficershadgoodtraits,
og
andasmypositioninreferenceto
dem
them,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorableto
de
thegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
snart
soongrewtolikethem
alle
all.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,that
nesten
almostliquefiedtherestofthe
menneskelige
humanfamily,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasantto
høre
hearthemchattinginthebackentry,
en
arowofthemalltipped
mot
againstthewall,asusual;
mens
whilethefrozenwitticismsof
tidligere
pastgenerationswerethawedout,
og
andcamebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,thejollityofagedmen
har
hasmuchincommonwiththemirthof
barn
children;
theintellect,anymore
enn
thanadeepsenseofhumor,
har
haslittletodowiththe
saken
matter;
itis,withboth,
en
agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
og
andimpartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
og
andgray,moulderingtrunk.
In
ett
onecase,however,itis
ekte
realsunshine;
intheother,it
mer
moreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
ville
wouldbesadinjustice,thereader
må
mustunderstand,torepresentallmyexcellent
gamle
oldfriendsasintheirdotage.
Inthe
første
firstplace,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariably
gamle
old;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
og
andprime,ofmarkedability
og
andenergy,andaltogethersuperiorto
den
thesluggishanddependentmodeoflifeon
som
whichtheirevilstarshadcast
dem
them.
Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofagewere
noen ganger
sometimesfoundtobethethatchof
en
anintellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Men
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,
det
therewillbenowrong
gjort
done,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
et
asetofwearisomeoldsouls,who
hadde
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceof
livet
life.
Theyseemedtohaveflung
bort
awayallthegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,
som
whichtheyhadenjoyedso
mange
manyopportunitiesofharvesting,and
mest
mostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemories
med
withthehusks.
Theyspoke
med
withfarmoreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
eller
oryesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
middag
dinner,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
eller
orfiftyyearsago,and
alle
alltheworld’swonderswhichthey
hadde
hadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
Den
ThefatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
bare
onlyofthislittlesquadofofficials,
men
but,Iamboldto
si
say,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waitersall
over
overtheUnitedStates—wasacertainpermanentInspector.
He
kan
mighttrulybetermedalegitimate
sønn
sonoftherevenuesystem,dyedinthewool,
eller
or,rather,borninthepurple;
siden
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
og
andformerlycollectoroftheport,
hadde
hadcreatedanofficefor
ham
him,andappointedhimtofill
det
it,ataperiodof
de
theearlyageswhichfewlivingmen
kan
cannowremember.
ThisInspector,
da
whenIfirstknewhim,wasa
mann
manoffourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
og
andcertainlyoneofthe
mest
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-green
at
thatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Med
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedin
en
abright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
og
andvigorousstep,andhishale
og
andheartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
ung
young,indeed—butakindof
ny
newcontrivanceofMotherNatureintheshapeof
mennesket
man,whomageandinfirmity
hadde
hadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
og
andlaugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
gjennom
throughtheCustom-House,hadnothingof
den
thetremulousquaverandcackleof
en
anoldman’sutterance;
they
kom
camestruttingoutofhislungs,
som
likethecrowofacock,
eller
ortheblastofaclarion.
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewas
veldig
verylittleelsetolookat,—hewasa
mest
mostsatisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulness
og
andwholesomenessofhissystem,
og
andhiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
alle
all,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhe
hadde
hadeveraimedat,orconceived
av
of.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
liv
lifeintheCustom-House,on
en
aregularincome,andwith
men
butslightandinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
hadde
hadnodoubtcontributedto
gjøre
maketimepasslightlyover
ham
him.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,
lå
layintherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,
den
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
ut
outofhisphysicalwell-being,
gjorde
diddutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
et
aheart.
Hehadbeenthe
ektemann
husbandofthreewives,all
lenge
longsincedead;
thefatheroftwenty
barn
children,mostofwhom,at
hver
everyageofchildhoodormaturity,
hadde
hadlikewisereturnedtodust.
Her
Here,onewouldsuppose,might
ha
havebeensorrowenoughtoimbue
den
thesunniestdisposition,throughand
gjennom
through,withasabletinge.
Notso
med
withouroldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryofftheentireburdenof
disse
thesedismalreminiscences.
Thenext
øyeblikket
moment,hewasasreadyforsportas
noen
anyunbreechedinfant;
farreadier
enn
thantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,
som
who,atnineteenyears,was
mye
muchtheelderandgraver
mann
manofthetwo.
I
pleide
usedtowatchandstudy
denne
thispatriarchalpersonagewith,I
tror
think,liveliercuriosity,thanany
annen
otherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,in
sannhet
truth,ararephenomenon;
so
perfekt
perfect,inonepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,such
en
anabsolutenonentity,inevery
andre
other.
Myconclusionwasthathe
hadde
hadnosoul,noheart,no
sinn
mind;