Pearl was decked out with airy gaiety. It would have been impossible to guess that this bright and sunny apparition owed its existence to the shape of gloomy grey; or that a fancy, at once so gorgeous and so delicate as must have been requisite to contrive the child's apparel, was the same that had achieved a task perhaps more difficult, in imparting so distinct a peculiarity to Hester's simple robe. The dress, so proper was it to little Pearl, seemed an effluence, or inevitable development and outward manifestation of her character, no more to be separated from her than the many-hued brilliancy from a butterfly's wing, or the painted glory from the leaf of a bright flower. As with these, so with the child; her garb was all of one idea with her nature. On this eventful day, moreover, there was a certain singular inquietude and excitement in her mood, resembling nothing so much as the shimmer of a diamond, that sparkles and flashes with the varied throbbings of the breast on which it is displayed. Children have always a sympathy in the agitations of those connected with them; always, especially, a sense of any trouble or impending revolution, of whatever kind, in domestic circumstances; and therefore Pearl, who was the gem on her mother's unquiet bosom, betrayed, by the very dance of her spirits, the emotions which none could detect in the marble passiveness of Hester's brow.
她把珠兒打扮得花枝招展。人們簡直難以猜測，這個如陽光般明媚的精靈竟然來自那灰暗的母體；或者說，人們簡直難以想象，設計那孩子服飾所需的華麗與精巧，與賦予海絲特那件簡樸長袍以明顯特色的——這任務或許更困難，竟然同時出自一人之手。那身衣裙穿在小珠兒身上恰到好處，儼如她個性的一種流露，或是其必然發(fā)展和外部表現(xiàn)，就象蝴蝶翅膀上的絢麗多彩或燦爛花朵上的鮮艷光輝一樣無法與本體分割開來。衣裙之于孩子，也是同一道理，完全與她的本性渾自天成。更何況，在這事關(guān)重大的一天，她情緒上有一種特殊的不安和興奮，極象佩在胸前的鉆石，會隨著心口的種種悸動而閃光生輝。孩子們與同他們相關(guān)的人們的激動總是息息相通；在家庭環(huán)境中出現(xiàn)了什么麻煩或迫在眉睫的變動時，尤其如此；因此，作為懸在母親不安的心口上的一顆寶石，珠兒以她那跳動的精神，暴露了從海絲特眉間磐石般的平靜中誰都發(fā)現(xiàn)不了的內(nèi)心感情。

This effervescence made her flit with a birdlike movement, rather than walk by her mother's side. She broke continually into shouts of a wild, inarticulate, and sometimes piercing music. When they reached the market-place, she became still more restless, on perceiving the stir and bustle that enlivened the spot; for it was usually more like the broad and lonesome green before a village meetinghouse, than the centre of a town's business.
她興高采烈得不肯安分地走在她母親身邊，而且象鳥兒一樣地蹦跳著。她不停地狂呼亂叫，也不知喊些什么，有時還尖著嗓子高唱。后來，她們來到了市場，看到那里活躍喧鬧的氣氛，她就益發(fā)不得安寧了；因為那地方平時與其說是鎮(zhèn)上的商業(yè)中心，不如說象是村會所前的寬闊而孤寂的綠草地。

"Why, what is this, mother?" cried she. "Wherefore have all the people left their work to-day? Is it a play-day for the whole world? See, there is the blacksmith! He has washed his sooty face, and put on his Sabbath-day clothes, and looks as if he would gladly be merry, if any kind body would only teach him how! And there is Master Brackett, the old jailer, nodding and smiling at me. Why does he do so, mother?"
“咦，這是什么啊，媽媽？”她叫道?！按蠡飪焊陕锝裉於疾桓苫顑豪?？今天全世界都休息嗎？瞧啊，鐵匠就在那兒！他洗掉了滿臉煤煙，穿上了過星期日的衣服，象是只要有個好心人教教他，就要痛痛快快地玩玩哪！那位老獄吏布萊基特先生，還在那兒朝我點頭微笑呢。他干嘛要這樣呢，媽媽？”

"He remembers thee a little babe, my child," answered Hester.
他還記得你是個小小的嬰兒的樣子呢，我的孩子，”海絲特回答說。

"He should not nod and smile at me for all that- the black, grim, ugly-eyed old man!" said Pearl. "He may nod at thee, if he will; for thou art clad in grey, and wearest the scarlet letter. But see, mother, how many faces of strange people, and Indians among them, and sailors! What have they all come to do, here in the market-place?"
“那個長得又黑又嚇人、眼睛很丑的老頭兒，才不會因為這個對我點頭微笑呢！”珠兒說?！八窃敢?，倒會向你點頭的；因為你穿一身灰，還戴著紅字?？墒乔瓢?，媽媽，這兒有多少生人的面孔啊，里邊還有印第安人和水手呢！他們都到這市場上來干嘛呢？”