×

Select Store

Dowload from Google Play Dowload from the App Store

Scan with Camera

Dowload via QR Code
The Scarlet Letter | Gradually Hardening Spanish A1 Translation Books

The Scarlet Letter | Gradually Hardening Spanish A1 Translation Books

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
alittleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
hablar
talkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
y
andtomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmy
vida
lifehavetakenpossessionofme,inaddressingthepublic.
The
primera
firsttimewasthreeor
cuatro
fouryearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,
y
andfornoearthlyreason,thateithertheindulgentreader
o
ortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofanOldManse.
Y
Andnow—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
feliz
happyenoughtofindalistener
o
ortwoontheformeroccasion—Iagainseizethepublicbythebutton,
y
andtalkofmythreeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.
El
Theexampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
esta
thisParish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
seguido
followed.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
cuando
whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
muchos
manywhowillflingasidehisvolume,
o
ornevertakeitup,
sino
butthefewwhowill
entenderán
understandhim,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
o
orlifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,dofar
más
morethanthis,andindulgethemselvesin
tan
suchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationas
podrían
couldfittinglybeaddressed,only
y
andexclusively,totheone
corazón
heartandmindofperfectsympathy;
as
si
iftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewide
mundo
world,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter’sownnature,
y
andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunion
con
withit.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
hablar
speakall,evenwherewe
hablar
speakimpersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
y
andutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandinsometruerelation
con
withhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethat
un
afriend,akindandapprehensive,
aunque
thoughnottheclosestfriend,is
escuchando
listeningtoourtalk;
andthen,
una
anativereservebeingthawedby
esta
thisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateofthecircumstancesthatlie
alrededor
aroundus,andevenofourself,
pero
butstillkeeptheinmostMebehinditsveil.
To
esta
thisextent,andwithintheselimits,
un
anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,
sin
withoutviolatingeitherthereader’srightsorhisown.
Itwillbe
verá
seen,likewise,thatthisCustom-Housesketch
tiene
hasacertainpropriety,ofa
tipo
kindalwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaining
cómo
howalargeportionofthefollowingpages
llegaron
cameintomypossession,andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityofanarrativethereincontained.
Este
This,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
o
orverylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetalesthat
hecho
makeupmyvolume,—this,and
ningún
noother,ismytrue
razón
reasonforassumingapersonalrelation
con
withthepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,it
ha
hasappearedallowable,byafewextratouches,to
dar
giveafaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,together
con
withsomeofthecharactersthat
se mueven
moveinit,amongwhomtheauthor
pasó
happenedtomakeone.
Inmynative
ciudad
townofSalem,atthe
cabeza
headofwhat,halfacentury
hace
ago,inthedaysof
viejo
oldKingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—butwhichis
ahora
nowburdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
y
andexhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommerciallife;
except,
tal vez
perhaps,abarkorbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
o
or,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—at
la
thehead,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,
cual
whichthetideoftenoverflows,
y
andalongwhich,atthebase
y
andintherearof
la
therowofbuildings,thetrackof
muchos
manylanguidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,
con
withaviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnot
muy
veryenliveningprospect,andthenceacross
la
theharbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
Fromtheloftiest
punto
pointofitsroof,duringprecisely
tres
threeandahalfhoursof
cada
eachforenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
o
orcalm,thebanneroftherepublic;
pero
butwiththethirteenstripesturnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,
y
andthusindicatingthatacivil,
y
andnotamilitarypostofUncleSam’sgovernmentis
aquí
hereestablished.
Itsfrontisornamented
con
withaporticoofhalf
un
adozenwoodenpillars,supporting
un
abalcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowards
la
thestreet.
OvertheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenoftheAmericaneagle,
con
withoutspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
y
and,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
y
andbarbedarrowsineachclaw.
Con
Withthecustomaryinfirmityoftemperthatcharacterizes
esta
thisunhappyfowl,sheappears,by
la
thefiercenessofherbeak
y
andeye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischiefto
la
theinoffensivecommunity;
andespeciallytowarn
todos
allcitizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
contra
againstintrudingonthepremiseswhichsheovershadows
con
withherwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshelooks,many
personas
peopleareseeking,atthis
mismo
verymoment,toshelterthemselves
bajo
underthewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,thatherbosom
tiene
hasallthesoftnessandsnugnessof
una
aneider-downpillow.
Butshe
tiene
hasnogreattenderness,eveninher
mejor
bestofmoods,and,sooner
o
orlater,—oftenersoonthanlate,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,
con
withascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,
o
oraranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
podemos
mayaswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
suficiente
enoughgrowinginitschinksto
mostrar
showthatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornby
ningún
anymultitudinousresortofbusiness.
In
algunos
somemonthsoftheyear,however,
hay
thereoftenchancesaforenoon
cuando
whenaffairsmoveonwardwithaliveliertread.
Suchoccasions
podrían
mightremindtheelderlycitizenof
ese
thatperiodbeforethelast
guerra
warwithEngland,whenSalemwas
un
aportbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
ahora
now,byherownmerchants
y
andship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
mientras
whiletheirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
y
andimperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
o
orBoston.
Onsomesuchmorning,
cuando
whenthreeorfourvessels
pasan
happentohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
o
orSouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereis
un
asoundoffrequentfeet,passingbriskly
arriba
upanddownthegranitesteps.
Aquí
Here,beforehisownwife
haya
hasgreetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,
justo
justinport,withhisvessel’spapers
bajo
underhisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Aquí
Here,too,comeshisowner,cheerful
o
orsombre,graciousorin
el
thesulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
el
thenowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethatwillreadilybe
convertirá
turnedtogold,orhasburiedhim
bajo
underabulkofincommodities,suchas
nadie
nobodywillcaretoridhimof.
Aquí
Here,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmart
joven
youngclerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficas
un
awolf-cubdoesofblood,
y
andalreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,
cuando
whenhehadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsupon
un
amill-pond.
Anotherfigureinthesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestofaprotection;
o
ortherecentlyarrivedone,pale
y
andfeeble,seekingapassportto
el
thehospital.
Normustwe
olvidar
forgetthecaptainsoftherustylittleschoonersthat
traen
bringfirewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
conjunto
setoftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessof
la
theYankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemof
no
noslightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
todos
alltheseindividualstogether,astheysometimeswere,
con
withothermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
y
and,forthetimebeing,it
hizo
madetheCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Más
Morefrequently,however,onascendingthesteps,you
era
woulddiscern—intheentry,ifitweresummer
tiempo
time,orintheirappropriaterooms,
si
ifwintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegsback
contra
againstthewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,butoccasionally
podía
mightbeheardtalkingtogether,invoices
entre
betweenspeechandasnore,
y
andwiththatlackofenergy
esa
thatdistinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
y
andallotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
o
oranythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.
Estos
Theseoldgentlemen—seated,likeMatthew,at
la
thereceiptofcustoms,butnot
muy
veryliabletobesummonedthence,
como
likehim,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,on
la
thelefthandasyouenter
la
thefrontdoor,isacertain
habitación
roomoroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
y
andofaloftyheight;
con
withtwoofitsarchedwindowscommandingaviewof
la
theaforesaiddilapidatedwharf,and
la
thethirdlookingacrossanarrowlane,
y
andalongaportionofDerbyStreet.
All
tres
threegiveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
y
andship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsofwhicharegenerallytobe
visto
seen,laughingandgossiping,clustersofoldsalts,
y
andsuchotherwharf-ratsashaunttheWappingof
un
aseaport.
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
y
anddingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,in
una
afashionthathaselsewhere
caído
fallenintolongdisuse;
anditis
fácil
easytoconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthe
lugar
place,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,
con
withhertoolsofmagic,thebroom
y
andmop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
Inthe
camino
wayoffurniture,thereisastove
con
withavoluminousfunnel;
an
viejo
oldpinedesk,withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
dos
twoorthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
y
andinfirm;
and—nottoforgetthelibrary—on
algunos
someshelves,ascoreor
dos
twoofvolumesoftheActsofCongress,
y
andabulkyDigestoftheRevenueLaws.
Un
Atinpipeascendsthroughtheceiling,
y
andformsamediumofvocalcommunication
con
withotherpartsoftheedifice.
Y
Andhere,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
o
orloungingonthelong-leggedstool,
con
withhiselbowonthedesk,
y
andhiseyeswanderingup
y
anddownthecolumnsofthe
mañana
morningnewspaper,—youmighthaverecognized,honoredreader,the
mismo
sameindividualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
pequeño
littlestudy,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantlythroughthewillowbranches,onthewestern
lado
sideoftheOldManse.
Pero
Butnow,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,you
fueras
wouldinquireinvainfor
el
theLocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreform
ha
hasswepthimoutofoffice;
y
andaworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
y
andpocketshisemoluments.
Thisold
ciudad
townofSalem—mynativeplace,
aunque
thoughIhavedweltmuch
lejos
awayfromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
o
ordidpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceof
cual
whichIhaveneverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
aquí
here.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,
con
withitsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchiefly
con
withwoodenhouses,fewornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
sino
butonlytame,—itslongandlazy
calle
street,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,
con
withGallowsHillandNewGuineaatone
extremo
end,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynative
ciudad
town,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Y
Andyet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,
hay
thereiswithinmeafeelingfor
viejo
oldSalem,which,inlackofa
mejor
betterphrase,Imustbecontentto
llamar
callaffection.
Thesentimentis
probablemente
probablyassignabletothedeep
y
andagedrootswhichmy
familia
familyhasstruckintothesoil.
Itisnownearly
dos
twocenturiesandaquarter
desde
sincetheoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
nombre
name,madehisappearancein
el
thewildandforest-borderedsettlement,whichhas
desde
sincebecomeacity.
And
aquí
herehisdescendantshavebeenborn
y
anddied,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstance
con
withthesoil;
untilnosmallportionofit
debe
mustnecessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
un
alittlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
In
parte
part,therefore,theattachmentwhichI
hablo
speakofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Pocos
Fewofmycountrymencan
saber
knowwhatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
tal vez
perhapsbetterforthestock,
necesitan
needtheyconsideritdesirableto
saber
know.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
La
Thefigureofthatfirstancestor,investedby
familiar
familytraditionwithadim
y
andduskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasI
puedo
canremember.
Itstillhauntsme,andinduces
una
asortofhome-feelingwiththepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
ciudad
town.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
aquí
hereonaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
y
andsteeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,
con
withhisBibleandhissword,
y
andtrodetheunwornstreet
con
withsuchastatelyport,
y
andmadesolargeafigure,asa
hombre
manofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whose
nombre
nameisseldomheardandmy
rostro
facehardlyknown.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
un
arulerintheChurch;
he
tenía
hadallthePuritanictraits,
tanto
bothgoodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitness
los
theQuakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,
y
andrelateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsa
mujer
womanoftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,than
cualquier
anyrecordofhisbetterdeeds,although
estos
theseweremany.
Hisson,
también
too,inheritedthepersecutingspirit,
y
andmadehimselfsoconspicuousinthemartyrdomofthewitches,thattheir
sangre
bloodmayfairlybesaidtohave
dejó
leftastainuponhim.
Sodeep
una
astain,indeed,thathisolddrybones,intheCharter
Calle
Streetburial-ground,muststillretainit,
si
iftheyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
sé
knownotwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
y
andaskpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
o
orwhethertheyarenowgroaning
bajo
undertheheavyconsequencesofthem,in
otro
anotherstateofbeing.
At
todos
allevents,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,hereby
tomo
takeshameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
y
andpraythatanycurseincurredbythem—asI
he
haveheard,andasthedreary
y
andunprosperousconditionoftherace,for
muchos
manyalongyearback,
ser
wouldarguetoexist—maybe
ahora
nowandhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,
cualquiera
eitherofthesesternandblack-browedPuritans
era
wouldhavethoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,that,afterso
largo
longalapseofyears,
el
theoldtrunkofthefamilytree,
con
withsomuchvenerablemossuponit,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Ningún
Noaim,thatIhaveevercherished,
sería
wouldtheyrecognizeaslaudable;
nosuccessofmine—ifmy
vida
life,beyonditsdomesticscope,
hubiera
hadeverbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,
si
ifnotpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
una
onegrayshadowofmyforefathersto
la
theother.
“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindofa
negocio
businessinlife—whatmodeofglorifying
Dios
God,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhis
día
dayandgeneration—maythatbe?
Por qué
Why,thedegeneratefellowmightaswell
haber
havebeenafiddler!”
Suchare
los
thecomplimentsbandiedbetweenmygreat-grandsires
y
andmyself,acrossthegulfof
tiempo
time!
Andyet,letthemscornmeasthey
quieran
will,strongtraitsoftheirnature
han
haveintertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,in
la
thetown’searliestinfancyandchildhood,by
estos
thesetwoearnestandenergeticmen,
la
theracehaseversincesubsisted
aquí
here;
always,too,inrespectability;
nunca
never,sofarasIhave
sé
known,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
pero
butseldomornever,onthe
otro
otherhand,afterthefirst
dos
twogenerations,performinganymemorabledeed,
o
orsomuchasputtingforward
una
aclaimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,they
han
havesunkalmostoutofsight;
asoldhouses,
aquí
hereandthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytotheeavesbytheaccumulationofnewsoil.
From
padre
fathertoson,foraboveahundredyears,they
siguieron
followedthesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
cada
eachgeneration,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,while
un
aboyoffourteentookthehereditary
lugar
placebeforethemast,confrontingthesaltspray
y
andthegale,whichhadblustered
contra
againsthissireandgrandsire.
The
muchacho
boy,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spent
una
atempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,
y
anddie,andminglehisdust
con
withthenatalearth.
Thislongconnectionofa
familia
familywithonespot,asits
lugar
placeofbirthandburial,createsakindred
entre
betweenthehumanbeingandthelocality,
bastante
quiteindependentofanycharminthescenery
o
ormoralcircumstancesthatsurround
lo
him.
Itisnotlove,
sino
butinstinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
vino
camehimselffromaforeignland,
o
orwhosefatherorgrandfathercame—has
poco
littleclaimtobecalled
una
aSalemite;
hehasnoconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacity
con
withwhichanoldsettler,
sobre
overwhomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespot
donde
wherehissuccessivegenerationshavebeenimbedded.
Itis
no
nomatterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
él
him;
thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
y
anddust,thedeadlevelofsite
y
andsentiment,thechilleastwind,
y
andthechillestofsocialatmospheres;—all
estos
these,andwhateverfaultsbesideshe
pueda
mayseeorimagine,are
nada
nothingtothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
y
andjustaspowerfullyas
si
ifthenatalspotwere
un
anearthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
caso
case.
Ifeltitalmostasadestinyto
hacer
makeSalemmyhome;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
y
andcastofcharacterwhich
había
hadallalongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
un
onerepresentativeoftherace
yacía
laydowninhisgrave,
otro
anotherassuming,asitwere,hissentry-marchalongthemainstreet,—might
todavía
stillinmylittledaybe
visto
seenandrecognizedintheold
ciudad
town.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
la
theconnection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,
debe
shouldatlastbesevered.
Humannaturewillnotflourish,any
más
morethanapotato,ifitbeplanted
y
andreplanted,fortoolong
una
aseriesofgenerations,inthe
mismo
sameworn-outsoil.
Mychildrenhavehad
otros
otherbirthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunes
puedan
maybewithinmycontrol,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
tierra
earth.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
este
thisstrange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynative
ciudad
town,thatbroughtmetofill
un
aplaceinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,
cuando
whenImightaswell,
o
orbetter,havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwason
mí
me.
Itwasnotthe
primera
firsttime,northesecond,thatI
había
hadgoneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyet
regresé
returned,likethebadhalf-penny;
o
orasifSalemwereforme
el
theinevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
una
onefinemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,
con
withthePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
y
andwasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemenwhoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whether
alguna
anypublicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,eitherinthecivil
o
ormilitaryline,haseverhad
tan
suchapatriarchalbodyofveterans
bajo
underhisordersasmyself.
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasat
inmediato
oncesettled,whenIlookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
esta
thisepoch,theindependentpositionof
la
theCollectorhadkepttheSalemCustom-House
fuera
outofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,which
hace
makesthetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.
Un
Asoldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyon
el
thepedestalofhisgallantservices;
y
and,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrations
a través de
throughwhichhehadheldoffice,he
había
hadbeenthesafetyofhissubordinatesinmanyanhourofdanger
y
andheart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
amanoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
tenía
hadnoslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
y
andwithdifficultymovedtochange,
incluso
evenwhenchangemighthave
traído
broughtunquestionableimprovement.
Thus,ontakingchargeofmydepartment,I
encontré
foundfewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthemost
parte
part,who,afterbeingtoston
todos
everysea,andstandingupsturdily
contra
againstlife’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
este
thisquietnook;
where,with
poco
littletodisturbthem,except
los
theperiodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyone
y
andallacquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Aunque
Thoughbynomeanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoage
y
andinfirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalismanor
otro
otherthatkeptdeathatbay.
Dos
Twoorthreeoftheir
número
number,asIwasassured,beinggouty
y
andrheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,
nunca
neverdreamedofmakingtheirappearanceat
la
theCustom-House,duringalarge
parte
partoftheyear;
but,after
un
atorpidwinter,wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineofMay
o
orJune,golazilyaboutwhattheytermedduty,
y
and,attheirownleisure
y
andconvenience,betakethemselvestobedagain.
I
debo
mustpleadguiltytothechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
más
morethanoneofthesevenerableservantsoftherepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
descansar
restfromtheirarduouslabors,
y
andsoonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleoflife
hubiera
hadbeenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
creo
believeitwas—withdrewtoa
mejor
betterworld.
Itisapiousconsolationto
mí
me,that,throughmyinterference,
un
asufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
y
andcorruptpracticesintowhich,as
un
amatterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficer
debe
mustbesupposedtofall.
NeitherthefrontnorthebackentranceoftheCustom-House
abren
opensontheroadtoParadise.
La
ThegreaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwaswellfortheirvenerablebrotherhoodthatthe
nuevo
newSurveyorwasnotapolitician,
y
andthoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednorheldhisoffice
con
withanyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
puesto
putintothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
fácil
easytaskofmakingheadagainstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlyamanoftheoldcorps
sido
wouldhavedrawnthebreathofofficial
vida
life,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,it
sido
wouldhavebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,to
llevar
bringeveryoneofthosewhiteheads
bajo
undertheaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
bastante
enoughtodiscern,thattheoldfellowsdreadedsome
tal
suchdiscourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
y
andatthesametimeamused
me
me,tobeholdtheterrorsthatattendedmyadvent;
to
ver
seeafurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
medio
halfacenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asoneor
otro
anotheraddressedme,thetremorofavoice,which,inlong-pastdays,
había
hadbeenwonttobellow
a través de
throughaspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
sabían
knew,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,by
todas
allestablishedrule,—and,asregarded
algunos
someofthem,weighedbytheirownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
haber
havegivenplacetoyoungermen,
más
moreorthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommonUncle.
I
sabía
knewittoo,butcould
nunca
neverquitefindinmy
corazón
hearttoactupontheknowledge.
Tanto
Muchanddeservedlytomy
propio
owndiscredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreepaboutthewharves,
y
andloiterupanddowntheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
una
agooddealoftime,
también
also,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,
con
withtheirchairstiltedback
contra
againstthewall;
awaking,however,once
o
ortwiceinaforenoon,toboreone
otro
anotherwiththeseveralthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,
y
andmouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswords
y
andcountersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
pronto
soonmade,Iimagine,that
el
thenewSurveyorhadno
gran
greatharminhim.
So,
con
withlightsomehearts,andthe
feliz
happyconsciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheir
propio
ownbehalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegoodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
bajo
undertheirspectacles,didtheypeepintotheholdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
y
andmarvellous,sometimes,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
entre
betweentheirfingers!
Wheneversuch
un
amischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandise
había
hadbeensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
tal vez
perhaps,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothing
podía
couldexceedthevigilanceandalacrity
con
withwhichtheyproceededtolock,
y
anddouble-lock,andsecurewithtape
y
andsealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,
el
thecaseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,after
el
themischiefhadhappened;
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,themomentthattherewasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
gente
peoplearemorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
una
akindnessforthem.
The
mejor
betterpartofmycompanion’scharacter,
si
ifithaveabetter
parte
part,isthatwhichusually
viene
comesuppermostinmyregard,
y
andformsthetypewherebyIrecognizethe
hombre
man.
AsmostoftheseoldCustom-Houseofficers
tenían
hadgoodtraits,andasmypositioninreferenceto
ellos
them,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorableto
la
thegrowthoffriendlysentiments,I
pronto
soongrewtolikethem
todos
all.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,that
casi
almostliquefiedtherestofthehuman
familia
family,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasanttohearthemchattinginthebackentry,arowofthem
todos
alltippedagainstthewall,asusual;
whilethefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
y
andcamebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,thejollityofagedmen
tiene
hasmuchincommonwiththemirthof
niños
children;
theintellect,anymorethan
un
adeepsenseofhumor,
tiene
haslittletodowith
el
thematter;
itis,with
ambos
both,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
y
andimpartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
y
andgray,moulderingtrunk.
In
un
onecase,however,itis
verdadero
realsunshine;
intheother,it
más
moreresemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
sería
wouldbesadinjustice,thereader
debe
mustunderstand,torepresentallmyexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.
Inthefirst
lugar
place,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
y
andprime,ofmarkedability
y
andenergy,andaltogethersuperiortothesluggish
y
anddependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstarshadcast
ellos
them.
Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofageweresometimes
encontraban
foundtobethethatchof
una
anintellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Pero
But,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,therewillbe
no
nowrongdone,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
un
asetofwearisomeoldsouls,who
habían
hadgatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceof
vida
life.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
todo
allthegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,whichtheyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,
y
andmostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemories
con
withthehusks.
Theyspoke
con
withfarmoreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
o
oryesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
cena
dinner,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
o
orfiftyyearsago,and
todas
alltheworld’swonderswhichthey
habían
hadwitnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
The
padre
fatheroftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
sólo
onlyofthislittlesquadofofficials,
sino
but,Iamboldto
decir
say,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiters
todos
allovertheUnitedStates—was
un
acertainpermanentInspector.
He
podría
mighttrulybetermedalegitimate
hijo
sonoftherevenuesystem,dyedin
la
thewool,or,rather,bornin
la
thepurple;
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
y
andformerlycollectoroftheport,
había
hadcreatedanofficeforhim,
y
andappointedhimtofillit,ataperiodof
las
theearlyageswhichfewlivingmen
pueden
cannowremember.
ThisInspector,
cuando
whenIfirstknewhim,wasa
hombre
manoffourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
y
andcertainlyoneofthe
más
mostwonderfulspecimensofwinter-greenthatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Con
Withhisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
y
andvigorousstep,andhishale
y
andheartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
joven
young,indeed—butakindof
nuevo
newcontrivanceofMotherNaturein
la
theshapeofman,whomage
y
andinfirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
y
andlaugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
a través de
throughtheCustom-House,hadnothingof
la
thetremulousquaverandcackleof
un
anoldman’sutterance;
theycamestruttingoutofhislungs,
como
likethecrowofacock,
o
ortheblastofaclarion.
Mirar
Lookingathimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewas
muy
verylittleelsetolookat,—hewasa
más
mostsatisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulness
y
andwholesomenessofhissystem,
y
andhiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
todos
all,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhe
había
hadeveraimedat,orconceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vida
lifeintheCustom-House,on
un
aregularincome,andwithbutslight
y
andinfrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
había
hadnodoubtcontributedto
hacer
maketimepasslightlyover
él
him.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,layintherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,themoderateproportionofintellect,
y
andtheverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
y
andspiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
suficiente
enoughmeasuretokeepthe
viejo
oldgentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
no
nopowerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
no
notroublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
sino
butafewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedbythecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,
hicieron
diddutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
un
aheart.
Hehadbeen
el
thehusbandofthreewives,
todas
alllongsincedead;
the
padre
fatheroftwentychildren,mostofwhom,at
todas las
everyageofchildhoodormaturity,
habían
hadlikewisereturnedtodust.
Aquí
Here,onewouldsuppose,might
haber
havebeensorrowenoughtoimbue
la
thesunniestdisposition,throughandthrough,
con
withasabletinge.
Notso
con
withouroldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryoff
la
theentireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.
El
Thenextmoment,hewasas
listo
readyforsportasanyunbreechedinfant;
farreadierthantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
y
andgravermanofthe
dos
two.
Iusedtowatch
y
andstudythispatriarchalpersonage
con
with,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,than
cualquier
anyotherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,intruth,
un
ararephenomenon;
soperfect,in
un
onepointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
tan
suchanabsolutenonentity,in
todos
everyother.
Myconclusionwasthathe
tenía
hadnosoul,noheart,
no
nomind;