资源描述：
《The Scarlet Letter《红字》》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、THESCARLETLETTERbyNathanielHawthorneINTRODUCTORYTHECUSTOM-HOUSE.INTRODUCTORYTO"THESCARLETLETTER".ITisalittleremarkable,that-thoughdisinclinedtotalkovermuchofmyselfandmyaffairsatthefireside,andtomypersonalfriends-anautobiographicalimpulseshouldtwiceinmylifehavetakenpossessiono
2、fme,inaddressingthepublic.Thefirsttimewasthreeorfouryearssince,whenIfavouredthereader-inexcusably,andfornoearthlyreason,thateithertheindulgentreaderortheintrusiveauthorcouldimagine-withadescriptionofmywayoflifeinthedeepquietudeofanOldManse.Andnow-because,beyondmydeserts,Iwash
3、appyenoughtofindalistenerortwoontheformeroccasion-Iagainseizethepublicbythebutton,andtalkofmythreeyears'experienceinaCustom-House.Theexampleofthefamous"P.P.,ClerkofthisParish,"wasnevermorefaithfullyfollowed.Thetruthseemstobe,however,that,whenhecastshisleavesforthuponthewind,t
4、heauthoraddresses,notthemanywhowillflingasidehisvolume,ornevertakeitup,butthefewwhowillunderstandhim,betterthanmostofhisschoolmatesorlifemates.Someauthors,indeed,dofarmorethanthis,andindulgethemselvesinsuchconfidentialdepthsofrevelationascouldfittinglybeaddressed,onlyandexclu
5、sively,totheoneheartandmind,ofperfectsympathy;asiftheprintedbook,thrownatlargeonthewideworld,werecertaintofindoutthedividedsegmentofthewriter'sownnature,andcompletehiscircleofexistencebybringinghimintocommunionwithit.Itisscarcelydecorous,however,tospeakall,evenwherewespeakimp
6、ersonally.But,asthoughtsarefrozenandutterancebenumbed,unlessthespeakerstandinsometruerelationwithhisaudience,itmaybepardonabletoimaginethatafriend,akindandapprehensive,thoughnottheclosestfriend,islisteningtoourtalk;andthen,anativereservebeingthawedbythisgenialconsciousness,we
7、mayprateofthecircumstancesthatliearoundus,andevenofourself,butstillkeeptheinmostMebehinditsveil.Tothisextent,andwithintheselimits,anauthor,methinks,maybeautobiographical,withoutviolatingeitherthereader'srightsorhisown.Itwillbeseen,likewise,thatthisCustom-Housesketchhasacertai
8、npropriety,ofakindalwaysrecognisedinliterature,asexplaininghowalarge
