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1、ScarletLetterNathanielHawthorne114PrefacetoSecondEdition Muchtotheauthor'ssurpriseand(ifhemaysaysowithoutadditionaloffence)considerablytohisamusement,hefindsthathissketchofofficiallife,introductorytoTheScarletLetter,hascreatedanunprecedentedexcitementintherespectabl
2、ecommunityimmediatelyaroundhim.Itcouldhardlyhavebeenmoreviolent,indeed,hadheburneddowntheCustom-House,andquencheditslastsmokeinthebloodofacertainvenerablepersonageagainstwhomheissupposedtocherishapeculiarmalevolence.Asthepublicdisapprobationwouldweighveryheavilyonhim
3、,wereheconsciousofdeservingit,theauthorbegsleavetosaythathehascarefullyreadovertheintroductorypages,withapurposetoalterorexpungewhatevermightbefoundamiss,andtomakethebestreparationinhispowerfortheatrocitiesofwhichhehasbeenadjudgedguilty.Butitappearstohimthattheonlyre
4、markablefeaturesofthesketchareitsfrankandgenuinegood-humour,andthegeneralaccuracywithwhichhehasconveyedhissincereimpressionsofthecharactersthereindescribed.Astoenmityorill-feelingofanykind,personalorpolitical,heutterlydisclaimssuchmotives.Thesketchmight,perhaps,haveb
5、eenwhollyomitted,withoutlosstothepublic,ordetrimenttothebook;buthavingundertakentowriteit,heconceivesthatitcouldnothavebeendoneinabetterorakindlierspirit,nor,sofarashisabilitiesavailed,withaliveliereffectoftruth. Theauthorisconstrained,therefore,torepublishhisintrod
6、uctorysketchwithoutthechangeofaword.Salem,March30,1850Chapter1ThePrison-door Athrongofbeardedmen,insad-colouredgarmentsandgraysteeple-crownedhats,intermixedwithwomen,somewearinghoods,andothersbareheaded,wasassembledinfrontofawoodenedifice,thedoorofwhichwasheavilytim
7、beredwithoak,andstuddedwithironspikes. Thefoundersofanewcolony,whateverUtopiaofhumanvirtueandhappinesstheymightoriginallyproject,haveinvariablyrecogniseditamongtheirearliestpracticalnecessitiestoallotaportionofthevirginsoilasacemetery,andanotherportionasthesiteofapr
8、ison.Inaccordancewiththisrule,itmaysafelybeassumedthattheforefathersofBostonhadbuiltthefirstprison-housesomewhereinthevicinityofCor
