“海斯特·白兰，你和你的一切都是我的。”一位消失了两年的丈夫对他的妻子说出了这句冷酷的话。但是她紧紧抱住的孩子却不是他的，海斯特因而必须把红色的“A”字穿在胸口，让所有人知道她犯了通奸罪。无畏而骄傲的海斯特从此见证了两个不同的男人逐渐堕落，道德和法律的激烈碰撞制造了无穷的痛苦。 'Thou and thine, Hester Prynne, belong to me.' With these chilling words a husband claims his wife after a twoyear absence. But the child she clutches is not his, and Hester must wear a scarlet 'A' upon her breast, the sin of adultery visible to all. Defiant and proud, Hester witnesses the degradation of two very different men, as moral codes and legal imper

Contents Abbreviations Introduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Nathaniel Hawthorne THE SCARLET LETTER PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION THE CUSTOMHOUSE—INTRODUCTORY I THE PRISONDOOR II THE MARKETPLACE III THE RECOGNITION IV THE INTERVIEW V HESTER AT HER NEEDLE VI PEARL VII THE GOVERNOR'S HALL VIII THE ELFCHILD AND THE MINISTER IX THE LEECH X THE LEECH AND HIS PATIENT XI THE INTERIOR OF A HEART XII THE MINISTER'S VIGIL XIII ANOTHER VIEW OF HESTER XIV HESTER AND THE PHYSICIAN XV HESTER AND PEARL XVI A FOREST WALK XVII THE PASTOR AND HIS PARISHIONER XVIII A FLOOD OF SUNSHINE XIX THE CHILD AT THE BROOKSIDE XX THE MINISTER IN A MAZE XXI THE NEW ENGLAND HOLIDAY XXII THE PROCESSION XXIII THE REVELATION OF THE SCARLET LETTER XXIV CONCLUSION EXPLANATORY NOTES