Unit20NewFrontiers【导读】《红字》是美国浪漫主义小说家纳撒尼尔·霍桑的代表作品。女主人公海丝特跟丈夫从英国移居到美国的波士顿，途中丈夫被印第安人俘虏。只身来到美国后，海丝特被青年牧师丁梅斯代尔诱骗怀孕。虚伪的清教徒社会视此事为大逆不道，为此州长亲自主持了对海丝特的审讯。作为惩罚，她要终生佩带象征耻辱的红色的A字并游街示众。在受尽屈辱的处境中，海丝特孤苦顽强地生活着，她唯一的支柱是女儿珠儿……ThePrisonDoor(Excerpt)Athrongofbeardedmen,insadcolouredgarments,andgrey,steeplecrownedhats,intermixedwithwomen,somewearinghoods,andothersbareheaded,wasassembledinfrontofawoodenedifice,thedoorofwhichwasheavilytimberedwithoak,andstuddedwithironspikes.Thefoundersofanewcolony,whateverUtopiaofhumanvirtueandhappinesstheymightoriginallyproject,haveinvariablyrecogniseditamongtheirearliestpracticalnecessitiestoallotaportionofthevirginsoilasacemetery,andanotherportionasthesiteofaprison.Inaccordancewiththisrule,itmaysafelybeassumedthattheforefathersofBostonhadbuiltthefirstprisonhousesomewhereinthevicinityofCornhill,almostasseasonablyastheymarkedoutthefirstburialground,onIsaacJohnson'slot,androundabouthisgrave,whichsubsequentlybecamethenucleusofallthecongregatedsepulchresintheoldchurchyardofKing'sChapel.Certainitisthat,somefifteenortwentyyearsafterthesettlementofthetown,thewoodenjailwasalreadymarkedwithweatherstainsandotherindicationsofage,whichgaveayetdarkeraspecttoitsbeetlebrowedandgloomyfront.TherustontheponderousironworkofitsoakendoorlookedmoreantiquethananythingelseintheNewWorld.Likeallthatpertainstocrime,itseemednevertohaveknownayouthfulera.Beforethisuglyedifice,andbetweenitandthewheeltrackofthestreet,wasagrassplot,muchovergrownwithburdock,pigweed,appleperu,andsuchunsightlyvegetation,whichevidentlyfoundsomethingcongenialinthesoilthathadsoearlybornetheblackflowerofcivilisedsociety,aprison.But,ononesideoftheportal,androotedalmostatthethreshold,wasawildrosebush,covered,inthismonthofJune,withitsdelicategems,whichmightbeimaginedtooffertheirfragranceandfragilebeautytotheprisonerashewentin,andtothecondemnedcriminalashecameforthtohisdoom,intokenthatthedeepheartofNaturecouldpityandbekindtohim.Thisrosebush,byastrangechance,hasbeenkeptaliveinhistory;butwhetherithadmerelysurvivedoutofthesternoldwilderness,solongafterthefallofthegiganticpinesandoaksthatoriginallyovershadowedit—orwhether,asthereisfairauthorityforbelieving,ithadsprungupunderthefootstepsofthesaintedAnnHutchinson,assheenteredtheprisondoor—weshallnottakeuponustodetermine.Findingitsodirectlyonthethresholdofournarrative,whichisnowabouttoissuefromthatinauspiciousportal,wecouldhardlydootherwisethanpluckoneofitsflowers,andpresentittothereader.Itmayserve,letushope,tosymbolisesomesweetmoralblossom,thatmaybefoundalongthetrack,orrelievethedarkeningcloseofataleofhumanfrailtyandsorrow.狱门(节选)一群身穿黯色长袍、头戴灰色尖顶高帽、蓄着胡须的男人，混杂着一些蒙着兜头帽或光着脑袋的女人，聚在一所木头大扇子前面。房门是用厚实的橡木做的，上面密密麻麻地钉满大铁钉。新殖民地的开拓者们，不管他们的头脑中起初有什么关于人类品德和幸福的美妙理想，总要在各种实际需要的草创之中，忘不了划出一片未开垦的处女地充当墓地，再泽出另一片土地来修建监狱。根据这一惯例，我们可以有把握地推断：波士顿的先民们在谷山一带的某处地方修建第一座监狱，同在艾萨克·约翰逊地段标出头一块垄地几乎是在同一时期。后来便以他的坟茔为核心，扩展成王家教堂的那一片累累墓群的古老墓地。可以确定无疑地说，早在镇...
