The Scarlet Letter | Gradually Hardening Spanish A1 Translation Books

The Scarlet Letter | Gradually Hardening Spanish A1 Translation Books

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THECUSTOM-HOUSE.
INTRODUCTORYTO“THESCARLETLETTER.”
tis
un
a
littleremarkable,that—thoughdisinclinedto
hablar
talk
overmuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,
y
and
tomypersonalfriends—anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmy
vida
life
havetakenpossessionofme,inaddressingthepublic.
The
primera
first
timewasthreeor
cuatro
four
yearssince,whenIfavoredthereader—inexcusably,
y
and
fornoearthlyreason,thateithertheindulgentreader
o
or
theintrusiveauthorcouldimagine—withadescriptionofmywayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofanOldManse.
Y
And
now—because,beyondmydeserts,Iwas
feliz
happy
enoughtofindalistener
o
or
twoontheformeroccasion—Iagainseizethepublicbythebutton,
y
and
talkofmythreeyears’experienceinaCustom-House.
El
The
exampleofthefamous“P.P.,Clerkof
esta
this
Parish,”wasnevermorefaithfully
seguido
followed
.
Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,
cuando
when
hecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthe
muchos
many
whowillflingasidehisvolume,
o
or
nevertakeitup,
sino
but
thefewwhowill
entenderán
understand
him,betterthanmostofhisschoolmates
o
or
lifemates.
Someauthors,indeed,dofar
más
more
thanthis,andindulgethemselvesin
tan
such
confidentialdepthsofrevelationas
podrían
could
fittinglybeaddressed,only
y
and
exclusively,totheone
corazón
heart
andmindofperfectsympathy;
as
si
if
theprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewide
mundo
world
,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter’sownnature,
y
and
completehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunion
con
with
it.
Itisscarcelydecorous,however,to
hablar
speak
all,evenwherewe
hablar
speak
impersonally.
But,asthoughtsarefrozen
y
and
utterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandinsometruerelation
con
with
hisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethat
un
a
friend,akindandapprehensive,
aunque
though
nottheclosestfriend,is
escuchando
listening
toourtalk;
andthen,
una
a
nativereservebeingthawedby
esta
this
genialconsciousness,wemayprateofthecircumstancesthatlie
alrededor
around
us,andevenofourself,
pero
but
stillkeeptheinmostMebehinditsveil.
To
esta
this
extent,andwithintheselimits,
un
an
author,methinks,maybeautobiographical,
sin
without
violatingeitherthereader’srightsorhisown.
Itwillbe
verá
seen
,likewise,thatthisCustom-Housesketch
tiene
has
acertainpropriety,ofa
tipo
kind
alwaysrecognizedinliterature,asexplaining
cómo
how
alargeportionofthefollowingpages
llegaron
came
intomypossession,andasofferingproofsoftheauthenticityofanarrativethereincontained.
Este
This
,infact,—adesiretoputmyselfinmytruepositionaseditor,
o
or
verylittlemore,ofthemostprolixamongthetalesthat
hecho
make
upmyvolume,—this,and
ningún
no
other,ismytrue
razón
reason
forassumingapersonalrelation
con
with
thepublic.
Inaccomplishingthemainpurpose,it
ha
has
appearedallowable,byafewextratouches,to
dar
give
afaintrepresentationofamodeoflifenotheretoforedescribed,together
con
with
someofthecharactersthat
se mueven
move
init,amongwhomtheauthor
pasó
happened
tomakeone.
Inmynative
ciudad
town
ofSalem,atthe
cabeza
head
ofwhat,halfacentury
hace
ago
,inthedaysof
viejo
old
KingDerby,wasabustlingwharf,—butwhichis
ahora
now
burdenedwithdecayedwoodenwarehouses,
y
and
exhibitsfewornosymptomsofcommerciallife;
except,
tal vez
perhaps
,abarkorbrig,half-waydownitsmelancholylength,discharginghides;
o
or
,nearerathand,aNovaScotiaschooner,pitchingouthercargooffirewood,—at
la
the
head,Isay,ofthisdilapidatedwharf,
cual
which
thetideoftenoverflows,
y
and
alongwhich,atthebase
y
and
intherearof
la
the
rowofbuildings,thetrackof
muchos
many
languidyearsisseeninaborderofunthriftygrass,—here,
con
with
aviewfromitsfrontwindowsadownthisnot
muy
very
enliveningprospect,andthenceacross
la
the
harbor,standsaspaciousedificeofbrick.
Fromtheloftiest
punto
point
ofitsroof,duringprecisely
tres
three
andahalfhoursof
cada
each
forenoon,floatsordroops,inbreeze
o
or
calm,thebanneroftherepublic;
pero
but
withthethirteenstripesturnedvertically,insteadofhorizontally,
y
and
thusindicatingthatacivil,
y
and
notamilitarypostofUncleSam’sgovernmentis
aquí
here
established.
Itsfrontisornamented
con
with
aporticoofhalf
un
a
dozenwoodenpillars,supporting
un
a
balcony,beneathwhichaflightofwidegranitestepsdescendstowards
la
the
street.
OvertheentrancehoversanenormousspecimenoftheAmericaneagle,
con
with
outspreadwings,ashieldbeforeherbreast,
y
and
,ifIrecollectaright,abunchofintermingledthunderbolts
y
and
barbedarrowsineachclaw.
Con
With
thecustomaryinfirmityoftemperthatcharacterizes
esta
this
unhappyfowl,sheappears,by
la
the
fiercenessofherbeak
y
and
eye,andthegeneraltruculencyofherattitude,tothreatenmischiefto
la
the
inoffensivecommunity;
andespeciallytowarn
todos
all
citizens,carefuloftheirsafety,
contra
against
intrudingonthepremiseswhichsheovershadows
con
with
herwings.
Nevertheless,vixenlyasshelooks,many
personas
people
areseeking,atthis
mismo
very
moment,toshelterthemselves
bajo
under
thewingofthefederaleagle;
imagining,Ipresume,thatherbosom
tiene
has
allthesoftnessandsnugnessof
una
an
eider-downpillow.
Butshe
tiene
has
nogreattenderness,eveninher
mejor
best
ofmoods,and,sooner
o
or
later,—oftenersoonthanlate,—isapttoflingoffhernestlings,
con
with
ascratchofherclaw,adabofherbeak,
o
or
aranklingwoundfromherbarbedarrows.
Thepavementroundabouttheabove-describededifice—whichwe
podemos
may
aswellnameatonceastheCustom-Houseoftheport—hasgrass
suficiente
enough
growinginitschinksto
mostrar
show
thatithasnot,oflatedays,beenwornby
ningún
any
multitudinousresortofbusiness.
In
algunos
some
monthsoftheyear,however,
hay
there
oftenchancesaforenoon
cuando
when
affairsmoveonwardwithaliveliertread.
Suchoccasions
podrían
might
remindtheelderlycitizenof
ese
that
periodbeforethelast
guerra
war
withEngland,whenSalemwas
un
a
portbyitself;
notscorned,assheis
ahora
now
,byherownmerchants
y
and
ship-owners,whopermitherwharvestocrumbletoruin,
mientras
while
theirventuresgotoswell,needlessly
y
and
imperceptibly,themightyfloodofcommerceatNewYork
o
or
Boston.
Onsomesuchmorning,
cuando
when
threeorfourvessels
pasan
happen
tohavearrivedatonce,—usuallyfromAfrica
o
or
SouthAmerica,—ortobeonthevergeoftheirdeparturethitherward,thereis
un
a
soundoffrequentfeet,passingbriskly
arriba
up
anddownthegranitesteps.
Aquí
Here
,beforehisownwife
haya
has
greetedhim,youmaygreetthesea-flushedshipmaster,
justo
just
inport,withhisvessel’spapers
bajo
under
hisarm,inatarnishedtinbox.
Aquí
Here
,too,comeshisowner,cheerful
o
or
sombre,graciousorin
el
the
sulks,accordinglyashisschemeof
el
the
nowaccomplishedvoyagehasbeenrealizedinmerchandisethatwillreadilybe
convertirá
turned
togold,orhasburiedhim
bajo
under
abulkofincommodities,suchas
nadie
nobody
willcaretoridhimof.
Aquí
Here
,likewise,—thegermofthewrinkle-browed,grizzly-bearded,care-wornmerchant,—wehavethesmart
joven
young
clerk,whogetsthetasteoftrafficas
un
a
wolf-cubdoesofblood,
y
and
alreadysendsadventuresinhismaster’sships,
cuando
when
hehadbetterbesailingmimic-boatsupon
un
a
mill-pond.
Anotherfigureinthesceneistheoutward-boundsailorinquestofaprotection;
o
or
therecentlyarrivedone,pale
y
and
feeble,seekingapassportto
el
the
hospital.
Normustwe
olvidar
forget
thecaptainsoftherustylittleschoonersthat
traen
bring
firewoodfromtheBritishprovinces;
arough-looking
conjunto
set
oftarpaulins,withoutthealertnessof
la
the
Yankeeaspect,butcontributinganitemof
no
no
slightimportancetoourdecayingtrade.
Cluster
todos
all
theseindividualstogether,astheysometimeswere,
con
with
othermiscellaneousonestodiversifythegroup,
y
and
,forthetimebeing,it
hizo
made
theCustom-Houseastirringscene.
Más
More
frequently,however,onascendingthesteps,you
era
would
discern—intheentry,ifitweresummer
tiempo
time
,orintheirappropriaterooms,
si
if
wintryorinclementweather—arowofvenerablefigures,sittinginold-fashionedchairs,whichweretippedontheirhindlegsback
contra
against
thewall.
Oftentimestheywereasleep,butoccasionally
podía
might
beheardtalkingtogether,invoices
entre
between
speechandasnore,
y
and
withthatlackofenergy
esa
that
distinguishestheoccupantsofalmshouses,
y
and
allotherhumanbeingswhodependforsubsistenceoncharity,onmonopolizedlabor,
o
or
anythingelse,buttheirownindependentexertions.
Estos
These
oldgentlemen—seated,likeMatthew,at
la
the
receiptofcustoms,butnot
muy
very
liabletobesummonedthence,
como
like
him,forapostolicerrands—wereCustom-Houseofficers.
Furthermore,on
la
the
lefthandasyouenter
la
the
frontdoor,isacertain
habitación
room
oroffice,aboutfifteenfeetsquare,
y
and
ofaloftyheight;
con
with
twoofitsarchedwindowscommandingaviewof
la
the
aforesaiddilapidatedwharf,and
la
the
thirdlookingacrossanarrowlane,
y
and
alongaportionofDerbyStreet.
All
tres
three
giveglimpsesoftheshopsofgrocers,block-makers,slop-sellers,
y
and
ship-chandlers;
aroundthedoorsofwhicharegenerallytobe
visto
seen
,laughingandgossiping,clustersofoldsalts,
y
and
suchotherwharf-ratsashaunttheWappingof
un
a
seaport.
Theroomitselfiscobwebbed,
y
and
dingywitholdpaint;
itsfloorisstrewnwithgraysand,in
una
a
fashionthathaselsewhere
caído
fallen
intolongdisuse;
anditis
fácil
easy
toconclude,fromthegeneralslovenlinessofthe
lugar
place
,thatthisisasanctuaryintowhichwomankind,
con
with
hertoolsofmagic,thebroom
y
and
mop,hasveryinfrequentaccess.
Inthe
camino
way
offurniture,thereisastove
con
with
avoluminousfunnel;
an
viejo
old
pinedesk,withathree-leggedstoolbesideit;
dos
two
orthreewooden-bottomchairs,exceedinglydecrepit
y
and
infirm;
and—nottoforgetthelibrary—on
algunos
some
shelves,ascoreor
dos
two
ofvolumesoftheActsofCongress,
y
and
abulkyDigestoftheRevenueLaws.
Un
A
tinpipeascendsthroughtheceiling,
y
and
formsamediumofvocalcommunication
con
with
otherpartsoftheedifice.
Y
And
here,somesixmonthsago,—pacingfromcornertocorner,
o
or
loungingonthelong-leggedstool,
con
with
hiselbowonthedesk,
y
and
hiseyeswanderingup
y
and
downthecolumnsofthe
mañana
morning
newspaper,—youmighthaverecognized,honoredreader,the
mismo
same
individualwhowelcomedyouintohischeery
pequeño
little
study,wherethesunshineglimmeredsopleasantlythroughthewillowbranches,onthewestern
lado
side
oftheOldManse.
Pero
But
now,shouldyougothithertoseekhim,you
fueras
would
inquireinvainfor
el
the
LocofocoSurveyor.
Thebesomofreform
ha
has
swepthimoutofoffice;
y
and
aworthiersuccessorwearshisdignity,
y
and
pocketshisemoluments.
Thisold
ciudad
town
ofSalem—mynativeplace,
aunque
though
Ihavedweltmuch
lejos
away
fromit,bothinboyhoodandmatureryears—possesses,
o
or
didpossess,aholdonmyaffections,theforceof
cual
which
Ihaveneverrealizedduringmyseasonsofactualresidence
aquí
here
.
Indeed,sofarasitsphysicalaspectisconcerned,
con
with
itsflat,unvariedsurface,coveredchiefly
con
with
woodenhouses,fewornoneofwhichpretendtoarchitecturalbeauty,—itsirregularity,whichisneitherpicturesquenorquaint,
sino
but
onlytame,—itslongandlazy
calle
street
,loungingwearisomelythroughthewholeextentofthepeninsula,
con
with
GallowsHillandNewGuineaatone
extremo
end
,andaviewofthealmshouseattheother,—suchbeingthefeaturesofmynative
ciudad
town
,itwouldbequiteasreasonabletoformasentimentalattachmenttoadisarrangedchecker-board.
Y
And
yet,thoughinvariablyhappiestelsewhere,
hay
there
iswithinmeafeelingfor
viejo
old
Salem,which,inlackofa
mejor
better
phrase,Imustbecontentto
llamar
call
affection.
Thesentimentis
probablemente
probably
assignabletothedeep
y
and
agedrootswhichmy
familia
family
hasstruckintothesoil.
Itisnownearly
dos
two
centuriesandaquarter
desde
since
theoriginalBriton,theearliestemigrantofmy
nombre
name
,madehisappearancein
el
the
wildandforest-borderedsettlement,whichhas
desde
since
becomeacity.
And
aquí
here
hisdescendantshavebeenborn
y
and
died,andhavemingledtheirearthysubstance
con
with
thesoil;
untilnosmallportionofit
debe
must
necessarilybeakintothemortalframewherewith,for
un
a
littlewhile,Iwalkthestreets.
In
parte
part
,therefore,theattachmentwhichI
hablo
speak
ofisthemeresensuoussympathyofdustfordust.
Pocos
Few
ofmycountrymencan
saber
know
whatitis;
nor,asfrequenttransplantationis
tal vez
perhaps
betterforthestock,
necesitan
need
theyconsideritdesirableto
saber
know
.
Butthesentimenthaslikewiseitsmoralquality.
La
The
figureofthatfirstancestor,investedby
familiar
family
traditionwithadim
y
and
duskygrandeur,waspresenttomyboyishimagination,asfarbackasI
puedo
can
remember.
Itstillhauntsme,andinduces
una
a
sortofhome-feelingwiththepast,whichIscarcelyclaiminreferencetothepresentphaseofthe
ciudad
town
.
Iseemtohaveastrongerclaimtoaresidence
aquí
here
onaccountofthisgrave,bearded,sable-cloaked
y
and
steeple-crownedprogenitor,—whocamesoearly,
con
with
hisBibleandhissword,
y
and
trodetheunwornstreet
con
with
suchastatelyport,
y
and
madesolargeafigure,asa
hombre
man
ofwarandpeace,—astrongerclaimthanformyself,whose
nombre
name
isseldomheardandmy
rostro
face
hardlyknown.
Hewasasoldier,legislator,judge;
hewas
un
a
rulerintheChurch;
he
tenía
had
allthePuritanictraits,
tanto
both
goodandevil.
Hewaslikewiseabitterpersecutor,aswitness
los
the
Quakers,whohaverememberedhimintheirhistories,
y
and
relateanincidentofhishardseveritytowardsa
mujer
woman
oftheirsect,whichwilllastlonger,itistobefeared,than
cualquier
any
recordofhisbetterdeeds,although
estos
these
weremany.
Hisson,
también
too
,inheritedthepersecutingspirit,
y
and
madehimselfsoconspicuousinthemartyrdomofthewitches,thattheir
sangre
blood
mayfairlybesaidtohave
dejó
left
astainuponhim.
Sodeep
una
a
stain,indeed,thathisolddrybones,intheCharter
Calle
Street
burial-ground,muststillretainit,
si
if
theyhavenotcrumbledutterlytodust!
I
know
notwhethertheseancestorsofminebethoughtthemselvestorepent,
y
and
askpardonofHeavenfortheircruelties;
o
or
whethertheyarenowgroaning
bajo
under
theheavyconsequencesofthem,in
otro
another
stateofbeing.
At
todos
all
events,I,thepresentwriter,astheirrepresentative,hereby
tomo
take
shameuponmyselffortheirsakes,
y
and
praythatanycurseincurredbythem—asI
he
have
heard,andasthedreary
y
and
unprosperousconditionoftherace,for
muchos
many
alongyearback,
ser
would
arguetoexist—maybe
ahora
now
andhenceforthremoved.
Doubtless,however,
cualquiera
either
ofthesesternandblack-browedPuritans
era
would
havethoughtitquiteasufficientretributionforhissins,that,afterso
largo
long
alapseofyears,
el
the
oldtrunkofthefamilytree,
con
with
somuchvenerablemossuponit,shouldhaveborne,asitstopmostbough,anidlerlikemyself.
Ningún
No
aim,thatIhaveevercherished,
sería
would
theyrecognizeaslaudable;
nosuccessofmine—ifmy
vida
life
,beyonditsdomesticscope,
hubiera
had
everbeenbrightenedbysuccess—wouldtheydeemotherwisethanworthless,
si
if
notpositivelydisgraceful.
“Whatishe?”
murmurs
una
one
grayshadowofmyforefathersto
la
the
other.
“Awriterofstory-books!
Whatkindofa
negocio
business
inlife—whatmodeofglorifying
Dios
God
,orbeingserviceabletomankindinhis
día
day
andgeneration—maythatbe?
Por qué
Why
,thedegeneratefellowmightaswell
haber
have
beenafiddler!”
Suchare
los
the
complimentsbandiedbetweenmygreat-grandsires
y
and
myself,acrossthegulfof
tiempo
time
!
Andyet,letthemscornmeasthey
quieran
will
,strongtraitsoftheirnature
han
have
intertwinedthemselveswithmine.
Planteddeep,in
la
the
town’searliestinfancyandchildhood,by
estos
these
twoearnestandenergeticmen,
la
the
racehaseversincesubsisted
aquí
here
;
always,too,inrespectability;
nunca
never
,sofarasIhave
known
,disgracedbyasingleunworthymember;
pero
but
seldomornever,onthe
otro
other
hand,afterthefirst
dos
two
generations,performinganymemorabledeed,
o
or
somuchasputtingforward
una
a
claimtopublicnotice.
Gradually,they
han
have
sunkalmostoutofsight;
asoldhouses,
aquí
here
andthereaboutthestreets,getcoveredhalf-waytotheeavesbytheaccumulationofnewsoil.
From
padre
father
toson,foraboveahundredyears,they
siguieron
followed
thesea;
agray-headedshipmaster,in
cada
each
generation,retiringfromthequarter-decktothehomestead,while
un
a
boyoffourteentookthehereditary
lugar
place
beforethemast,confrontingthesaltspray
y
and
thegale,whichhadblustered
contra
against
hissireandgrandsire.
The
muchacho
boy
,also,induetime,passedfromtheforecastletothecabin,spent
una
a
tempestuousmanhood,andreturnedfromhisworld-wanderings,togrowold,
y
and
die,andminglehisdust
con
with
thenatalearth.
Thislongconnectionofa
familia
family
withonespot,asits
lugar
place
ofbirthandburial,createsakindred
entre
between
thehumanbeingandthelocality,
bastante
quite
independentofanycharminthescenery
o
or
moralcircumstancesthatsurround
lo
him
.
Itisnotlove,
sino
but
instinct.
Thenewinhabitant—who
vino
came
himselffromaforeignland,
o
or
whosefatherorgrandfathercame—has
poco
little
claimtobecalled
una
a
Salemite;
hehasnoconceptionoftheoyster-liketenacity
con
with
whichanoldsettler,
sobre
over
whomhisthirdcenturyiscreeping,clingstothespot
donde
where
hissuccessivegenerationshavebeenimbedded.
Itis
no
no
matterthattheplaceisjoylessfor
él
him
;
thatheiswearyoftheoldwoodenhouses,themud
y
and
dust,thedeadlevelofsite
y
and
sentiment,thechilleastwind,
y
and
thechillestofsocialatmospheres;—all
estos
these
,andwhateverfaultsbesideshe
pueda
may
seeorimagine,are
nada
nothing
tothepurpose.
Thespellsurvives,
y
and
justaspowerfullyas
si
if
thenatalspotwere
un
an
earthlyparadise.
Sohasitbeeninmy
caso
case
.
Ifeltitalmostasadestinyto
hacer
make
Salemmyhome;
sothatthemouldoffeatures
y
and
castofcharacterwhich
había
had
allalongbeenfamiliarhere,—ever,as
un
one
representativeoftherace
yacía
lay
downinhisgrave,
otro
another
assuming,asitwere,hissentry-marchalongthemainstreet,—might
todavía
still
inmylittledaybe
visto
seen
andrecognizedintheold
ciudad
town
.
Nevertheless,thisverysentimentisanevidencethat
la
the
connection,whichhasbecomeanunhealthyone,
debe
should
atlastbesevered.
Humannaturewillnotflourish,any
más
more
thanapotato,ifitbeplanted
y
and
replanted,fortoolong
una
a
seriesofgenerations,inthe
mismo
same
worn-outsoil.
Mychildrenhavehad
otros
other
birthplaces,and,sofarastheirfortunes
puedan
may
bewithinmycontrol,shallstriketheirrootsintounaccustomed
tierra
earth
.
OnemergingfromtheOldManse,itwaschiefly
este
this
strange,indolent,unjoyousattachmentformynative
ciudad
town
,thatbroughtmetofill
un
a
placeinUncleSam’sbrickedifice,
cuando
when
Imightaswell,
o
or
better,havegonesomewhereelse.
Mydoomwason
me
.
Itwasnotthe
primera
first
time,northesecond,thatI
había
had
goneaway,—asitseemed,permanently,—butyet
regresé
returned
,likethebadhalf-penny;
o
or
asifSalemwereforme
el
the
inevitablecentreoftheuniverse.
So,
una
one
finemorning,Iascendedtheflightofgranitesteps,
con
with
thePresident’scommissioninmypocket,
y
and
wasintroducedtothecorpsofgentlemenwhoweretoaidmeinmyweightyresponsibility,aschiefexecutiveofficeroftheCustom-House.
Idoubtgreatly—or,rather,Idonotdoubtatall—whether
alguna
any
publicfunctionaryoftheUnitedStates,eitherinthecivil
o
or
militaryline,haseverhad
tan
such
apatriarchalbodyofveterans
bajo
under
hisordersasmyself.
ThewhereaboutsoftheOldestInhabitantwasat
inmediato
once
settled,whenIlookedatthem.
Forupwardsoftwentyyearsbefore
esta
this
epoch,theindependentpositionof
la
the
CollectorhadkepttheSalemCustom-House
fuera
out
ofthewhirlpoolofpoliticalvicissitude,which
hace
makes
thetenureofofficegenerallysofragile.
Un
A
soldier,—NewEngland’smostdistinguishedsoldier,—hestoodfirmlyon
el
the
pedestalofhisgallantservices;
y
and
,himselfsecureinthewiseliberalityofthesuccessiveadministrations
a través de
through
whichhehadheldoffice,he
había
had
beenthesafetyofhissubordinatesinmanyanhourofdanger
y
and
heart-quake.
GeneralMillerwasradicallyconservative;
un
a
manoverwhosekindlynaturehabit
tenía
had
noslightinfluence;
attachinghimselfstronglytofamiliarfaces,
y
and
withdifficultymovedtochange,
incluso
even
whenchangemighthave
traído
brought
unquestionableimprovement.
Thus,ontakingchargeofmydepartment,I
encontré
found
fewbutagedmen.
Theywereancientsea-captains,forthemost
parte
part
,who,afterbeingtoston
todos
every
sea,andstandingupsturdily
contra
against
life’stempestuousblasts,hadfinallydriftedinto
este
this
quietnook;
where,with
poco
little
todisturbthem,except
los
the
periodicalterrorsofaPresidentialelection,theyone
y
and
allacquiredanewleaseofexistence.
Aunque
Though
bynomeanslessliablethantheirfellow-mentoage
y
and
infirmity,theyhadevidentlysometalismanor
otro
other
thatkeptdeathatbay.
Dos
Two
orthreeoftheir
número
number
,asIwasassured,beinggouty
y
and
rheumatic,orperhapsbedridden,
nunca
never
dreamedofmakingtheirappearanceat
la
the
Custom-House,duringalarge
parte
part
oftheyear;
but,after
un
a
torpidwinter,wouldcreepoutintothewarmsunshineofMay
o
or
June,golazilyaboutwhattheytermedduty,
y
and
,attheirownleisure
y
and
convenience,betakethemselvestobedagain.
I
debo
must
pleadguiltytothechargeofabbreviatingtheofficialbreathof
más
more
thanoneofthesevenerableservantsoftherepublic.
Theywereallowed,onmyrepresentation,to
descansar
rest
fromtheirarduouslabors,
y
and
soonafterwards—asiftheirsoleprincipleoflife
hubiera
had
beenzealfortheircountry’sservice,asIverily
creo
believe
itwas—withdrewtoa
mejor
better
world.
Itisapiousconsolationto
me
,that,throughmyinterference,
un
a
sufficientspacewasallowedthemforrepentanceoftheevil
y
and
corruptpracticesintowhich,as
un
a
matterofcourse,everyCustom-Houseofficer
debe
must
besupposedtofall.
NeitherthefrontnorthebackentranceoftheCustom-House
abren
opens
ontheroadtoParadise.
La
The
greaterpartofmyofficerswereWhigs.
Itwaswellfortheirvenerablebrotherhoodthatthe
nuevo
new
Surveyorwasnotapolitician,
y
and
thoughafaithfulDemocratinprinciple,neitherreceivednorheldhisoffice
con
with
anyreferencetopoliticalservices.
Haditbeenotherwise,—hadanactivepoliticianbeen
puesto
put
intothisinfluentialpost,toassumethe
fácil
easy
taskofmakingheadagainstaWhigCollector,whoseinfirmitieswithheldhimfromthepersonaladministrationofhisoffice,—hardlyamanoftheoldcorps
sido
would
havedrawnthebreathofofficial
vida
life
,withinamonthaftertheexterminatingangelhadcomeuptheCustom-Housesteps.
Accordingtothereceivedcodeinsuchmatters,it
sido
would
havebeennothingshortofduty,inapolitician,to
llevar
bring
everyoneofthosewhiteheads
bajo
under
theaxeoftheguillotine.
Itwasplain
bastante
enough
todiscern,thattheoldfellowsdreadedsome
tal
such
discourtesyatmyhands.
Itpained,
y
and
atthesametimeamused
me
me
,tobeholdtheterrorsthatattendedmyadvent;
to
ver
see
afurrowedcheek,weather-beatenby
medio
half
acenturyofstorm,turnashypaleattheglanceofsoharmlessanindividualasmyself;
todetect,asoneor
otro
another
addressedme,thetremorofavoice,which,inlong-pastdays,
había
had
beenwonttobellow
a través de
through
aspeaking-trumpet,hoarselyenoughtofrightenBoreashimselftosilence.
They
sabían
knew
,theseexcellentoldpersons,that,by
todas
all
establishedrule,—and,asregarded
algunos
some
ofthem,weighedbytheirownlackofefficiencyforbusiness,—theyoughtto
haber
have
givenplacetoyoungermen,
más
more
orthodoxinpolitics,andaltogetherfitterthanthemselvestoserveourcommonUncle.
I
sabía
knew
ittoo,butcould
nunca
never
quitefindinmy
corazón
heart
toactupontheknowledge.
Tanto
Much
anddeservedlytomy
propio
own
discredit,therefore,andconsiderablytothedetrimentofmyofficialconscience,theycontinued,duringmyincumbency,tocreepaboutthewharves,
y
and
loiterupanddowntheCustom-Housesteps.
Theyspent
una
a
gooddealoftime,
también
also
,asleepintheiraccustomedcorners,
con
with
theirchairstiltedback
contra
against
thewall;
awaking,however,once
o
or
twiceinaforenoon,toboreone
otro
another
withtheseveralthousandthrepetitionofoldsea-stories,
y
and
mouldyjokes,thathadgrowntobepasswords
y
and
countersignsamongthem.
Thediscoverywas
pronto
soon
made,Iimagine,that
el
the
newSurveyorhadno
gran
great
harminhim.
So,
con
with
lightsomehearts,andthe
feliz
happy
consciousnessofbeingusefullyemployed,—intheir
propio
own
behalf,atleast,ifnotforourbelovedcountry,—thesegoodoldgentlemenwentthroughthevariousformalitiesofoffice.
Sagaciously,
bajo
under
theirspectacles,didtheypeepintotheholdsofvessels!
Mightywastheirfussaboutlittlematters,
y
and
marvellous,sometimes,theobtusenessthatallowedgreateronestoslip
entre
between
theirfingers!
Wheneversuch
un
a
mischanceoccurred,—whenawagon-loadofvaluablemerchandise
había
had
beensmuggledashore,atnoonday,
tal vez
perhaps
,anddirectlybeneaththeirunsuspiciousnoses,—nothing
podía
could
exceedthevigilanceandalacrity
con
with
whichtheyproceededtolock,
y
and
double-lock,andsecurewithtape
y
and
sealing-wax,alltheavenuesofthedelinquentvessel.
Insteadofareprimandfortheirpreviousnegligence,
el
the
caseseemedrathertorequireaneulogiumontheirpraiseworthycaution,after
el
the
mischiefhadhappened;
agratefulrecognitionofthepromptitudeoftheirzeal,themomentthattherewasnolongeranyremedy.
Unless
gente
people
aremorethancommonlydisagreeable,itismyfoolishhabittocontract
una
a
kindnessforthem.
The
mejor
better
partofmycompanion’scharacter,
si
if
ithaveabetter
parte
part
,isthatwhichusually
viene
comes
uppermostinmyregard,
y
and
formsthetypewherebyIrecognizethe
hombre
man
.
AsmostoftheseoldCustom-Houseofficers
tenían
had
goodtraits,andasmypositioninreferenceto
ellos
them
,beingpaternalandprotective,wasfavorableto
la
the
growthoffriendlysentiments,I
pronto
soon
grewtolikethem
todos
all
.
Itwaspleasant,inthesummerforenoons,—whentheferventheat,that
casi
almost
liquefiedtherestofthehuman
familia
family
,merelycommunicatedagenialwarmthtotheirhalf-torpidsystems,—itwaspleasanttohearthemchattinginthebackentry,arowofthem
todos
all
tippedagainstthewall,asusual;
whilethefrozenwitticismsofpastgenerationswerethawedout,
y
and
camebubblingwithlaughterfromtheirlips.
Externally,thejollityofagedmen
tiene
has
muchincommonwiththemirthof
niños
children
;
theintellect,anymorethan
un
a
deepsenseofhumor,
tiene
has
littletodowith
el
the
matter;
itis,with
ambos
both
,agleamthatplaysuponthesurface,
y
and
impartsasunnyandcheeryaspectaliketothegreenbranch,
y
and
gray,moulderingtrunk.
In
un
one
case,however,itis
verdadero
real
sunshine;
intheother,it
más
more
resemblesthephosphorescentglowofdecayingwood.
It
sería
would
besadinjustice,thereader
debe
must
understand,torepresentallmyexcellentoldfriendsasintheirdotage.
Inthefirst
lugar
place
,mycoadjutorswerenotinvariablyold;
thereweremenamongthemintheirstrength
y
and
prime,ofmarkedability
y
and
energy,andaltogethersuperiortothesluggish
y
and
dependentmodeoflifeonwhichtheirevilstarshadcast
ellos
them
.
Then,moreover,thewhitelocksofageweresometimes
encontraban
found
tobethethatchof
una
an
intellectualtenementingoodrepair.
Pero
But
,asrespectsthemajorityofmycorpsofveterans,therewillbe
no
no
wrongdone,ifIcharacterizethemgenerallyas
un
a
setofwearisomeoldsouls,who
habían
had
gatherednothingworthpreservationfromtheirvariedexperienceof
vida
life
.
Theyseemedtohaveflungaway
todo
all
thegoldengrainofpracticalwisdom,whichtheyhadenjoyedsomanyopportunitiesofharvesting,
y
and
mostcarefullytohavestoredtheirmemories
con
with
thehusks.
Theyspoke
con
with
farmoreinterestandunctionoftheirmorning’sbreakfast,
o
or
yesterday’s,to-day’s,orto-morrow’s
cena
dinner
,thanoftheshipwreckofforty
o
or
fiftyyearsago,and
todas
all
theworld’swonderswhichthey
habían
had
witnessedwiththeiryouthfuleyes.
The
padre
father
oftheCustom-House—thepatriarch,not
sólo
only
ofthislittlesquadofofficials,
sino
but
,Iamboldto
decir
say
,oftherespectablebodyoftide-waiters
todos
all
overtheUnitedStates—was
un
a
certainpermanentInspector.
He
podría
might
trulybetermedalegitimate
hijo
son
oftherevenuesystem,dyedin
la
the
wool,or,rather,bornin
la
the
purple;
sincehissire,aRevolutionarycolonel,
y
and
formerlycollectoroftheport,
había
had
createdanofficeforhim,
y
and
appointedhimtofillit,ataperiodof
las
the
earlyageswhichfewlivingmen
pueden
can
nowremember.
ThisInspector,
cuando
when
Ifirstknewhim,wasa
hombre
man
offourscoreyears,orthereabouts,
y
and
certainlyoneofthe
más
most
wonderfulspecimensofwinter-greenthatyouwouldbelikelytodiscoverinalifetime’ssearch.
Con
With
hisfloridcheek,hiscompactfigure,smartlyarrayedinabright-buttonedbluecoat,hisbrisk
y
and
vigorousstep,andhishale
y
and
heartyaspect,altogetherheseemed—not
joven
young
,indeed—butakindof
nuevo
new
contrivanceofMotherNaturein
la
the
shapeofman,whomage
y
and
infirmityhadnobusinesstotouch.
Hisvoice
y
and
laugh,whichperpetuallyre-echoed
a través de
through
theCustom-House,hadnothingof
la
the
tremulousquaverandcackleof
un
an
oldman’sutterance;
theycamestruttingoutofhislungs,
como
like
thecrowofacock,
o
or
theblastofaclarion.
Mirar
Looking
athimmerelyasananimal,—andtherewas
muy
very
littleelsetolookat,—hewasa
más
most
satisfactoryobject,fromthethoroughhealthfulness
y
and
wholesomenessofhissystem,
y
and
hiscapacity,atthatextremeage,toenjoy
todos
all
,ornearlyall,thedelightswhichhe
había
had
everaimedat,orconceivedof.
Thecarelesssecurityofhis
vida
life
intheCustom-House,on
un
a
regularincome,andwithbutslight
y
and
infrequentapprehensionsofremoval,
había
had
nodoubtcontributedto
hacer
make
timepasslightlyover
él
him
.
Theoriginalandmorepotentcauses,however,layintherareperfectionofhisanimalnature,themoderateproportionofintellect,
y
and
theverytriflingadmixtureofmoral
y
and
spiritualingredients;
theselatterqualities,indeed,beinginbarely
suficiente
enough
measuretokeepthe
viejo
old
gentlemanfromwalkingonall-fours.
Hepossessed
no
no
powerofthought,nodepthoffeeling,
no
no
troublesomesensibilities;
nothing,inshort,
sino
but
afewcommonplaceinstincts,which,aidedbythecheerfultemperthatgrewinevitablyoutofhisphysicalwell-being,
hicieron
did
dutyveryrespectably,andtogeneralacceptance,inlieuof
un
a
heart.
Hehadbeen
el
the
husbandofthreewives,
todas
all
longsincedead;
the
padre
father
oftwentychildren,mostofwhom,at
todas las
every
ageofchildhoodormaturity,
habían
had
likewisereturnedtodust.
Aquí
Here
,onewouldsuppose,might
haber
have
beensorrowenoughtoimbue
la
the
sunniestdisposition,throughandthrough,
con
with
asabletinge.
Notso
con
with
ouroldInspector!
Onebriefsighsufficedtocarryoff
la
the
entireburdenofthesedismalreminiscences.
El
The
nextmoment,hewasas
listo
ready
forsportasanyunbreechedinfant;
farreadierthantheCollector’sjuniorclerk,who,atnineteenyears,wasmuchtheelder
y
and
gravermanofthe
dos
two
.
Iusedtowatch
y
and
studythispatriarchalpersonage
con
with
,Ithink,liveliercuriosity,than
cualquier
any
otherformofhumanitytherepresentedtomynotice.
Hewas,intruth,
un
a
rarephenomenon;
soperfect,in
un
one
pointofview;
soshallow,sodelusive,soimpalpable,
tan
such
anabsolutenonentity,in
todos
every
other.
Myconclusionwasthathe
tenía
had
nosoul,noheart,
no
no
mind;