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1、TheScarletLetterByNathanielHawthorneIntroductory:TheCustom-HouseItisalittleremarkable,that--thoughdisinclinedtotalkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,andtomypersonalfriends--anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmylifehavetakenpossessionofme,inaddress
2、ingthepublic.Thefirsttimewasthreeorfouryearssince,whenIfavouredthereader--inexcusably,andfornoearthlyreasonthateithertheindulgentreaderortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine--withadescriptionofmywayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofanOldManse.Andnow--because,beyondmydesert
3、s,Iwashappyenoughtofindalistenerortwoontheformeroccasion--Iagainseizethepublicbythebutton,andtalkofmythreeyears'experienceinaCustom-House.Theexampleofthefamous"P.P.,ClerkofthisParish,"wasnevermorefaithfullyfollowed.Thetruthseemstobe,however,thatwhenhecastshi
4、sleavesforthuponthewind,theauthoraddresses,notthemanywhowillflingasidehisvolume,ornevertakeitup,butthefewwhowillunderstandhimbetterthanmostofhisschoolmatesorlifemates.Someauthors,indeed,dofarmorethanthis,andindulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelati
5、onascouldfittinglybeaddressedonlyandexclusivelytotheoneheartandmindofperfectsympathy;asiftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewideworld,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter'sownnature,andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunionwithit.It
6、isscarcelydecorous,however,tospeakall,evenwherewespeakimpersonally.But,asthoughtsarefrozenandutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandinsometruerelationwithhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethatafriend,akindandapprehensive,thoughnottheclosestfriend,isliste
7、ningtoourtalk;andthen,anativereservebeingthawedbythisgenialconsciousness,wemayprateofthecircumstancesthatliearoundus,andevenofourself,butstillkeeptheinmostMebehinditsveil.Tothisextent,andwithintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,withoutviolat
8、ingeitherthereader'srightsorhisown.Itwillbeseen,likewise,thatthisCustom-Housesketchhasacertainpropriety,ofakindalwaysrecognisedinliterature,asexplaininghowalargeportionofthefollowingpagescameint
