By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Giovanni still found no better occupation（消遣）than to look down into the garden beneath his window. From its appearance， he judged it to be one of those botanic（植物學(xué)的）gardens which were of earlier date in Padua（帕多瓦，意大利地名）than elsewhere in Italy or in the world. Or， not improbably， it might once have been the pleasure-place of an opulent（富裕的）family； for there was the ruin of a marble fountain in the center， sculptured（雕刻裝飾的）with rare art， but so wofully（同woefully，嚴(yán)重地）shattered that it was impossible to trace the original design from the chaos of remaining fragments. The water， however， continued to gush and sparkle into the sunbeams as cheerfully as ever. A little gurgling sound（汩汩的流水聲）ascended（上升）to the young mans window and made him feel as if the fountain were an immortal（不朽的）spirit， that sung its song unceasingly（不斷地）and without heeding the vicissitudes（變遷）around it， while one century embodied（體現(xiàn)）it in marble and another scattered the perishable（易腐壞的）garniture（裝飾品）on the soil. All about the pool into which the water subsided（平靜）grew various plants， that seemed to require a plentiful supply of moisture for the nourishment of gigantic（巨大的）leaves， and， in some instances， flowers gorgeously magnificent. There was one shrub（灌木叢）in particular， set in a marble vase in the midst of the pool， that bore a profusion（充沛）of purple blossoms， each of which had the lustre（光澤）and richness of a gem； and the whole together made a show so resplendent（華麗的）， that it seemed enough to illuminate the garden， even had there been no sunshine. Every portion of the soil was peopled with（種滿）plants and herbs， which， if less beautiful， still bore tokens of assiduous（勤勉的）care， as if all had their individual virtues， known to the scientific mind that fostered them. Some were placed in urns（壇，缸）， rich with old carving， and others in common garden-pots； some crept serpent-like along the ground or climbed on high， using whatever means of ascent was offered them. One plant had wreathed（環(huán)繞盤旋）itself round a statue of Vertumnus*， which was thus quite veiled and shrouded（覆蓋）in a drapery（簾子）of hanging foliage（葉子）， so happily arranged that it might have served a sculptor（雕刻家）for a study.

While Giovanni stood at the window he heard a rustling behind a screen of leaves， and became aware that a person was at work in the garden. His figure soon emerged into view， and showed itself to be that of no common laborer， but a tall， emaciated（瘦弱的）， sallow（氣色不好的）， and sickly looking man， dressed in a scholars garb（服裝）of black. He was beyond the middle term of life， with gray hair， a thin， gray beard， and a face singularly（異常地）marked with intellect and cultivation（文雅）， but which could never， even in his more youthful days， have expressed much warmth of heart.

Nothing could exceed the intentness with which this scientific gardener examined every shrub which grew in his path： it seemed as if he was looking into their inmos（t內(nèi)心深處的）nature， making observations in regard to their creative essence（精華）， and discovering why one leaf grew in this shape and another in that， and wherefore such and such flowers differed among themselves in hue（色彩，色調(diào)）and perfume. Nevertheless， in spite of this deep intelligence on his part， there was no approach to intimacy between himself and these vegetable existences. On the contrary， he avoided their actual touch or the direct inhaling（吸入）of their odors（氣味）with a caution that impressed Giovanni most disagreeably； for the mans demeanor was that of one walking among malignant（惡性的）influences， such as savage beasts， or deadly snakes， or evil spirits， which， should he allow them one moment of license（許可）， would wreak upon（給……引來禍害）him some terrible fatality（災(zāi)禍）. It was strangely frightful to the young mans imagination to see this air of insecurity in a person cultivating a garden， that most simple and innocent of human toils（辛勤勞動(dòng)）， and which had been alike the joy and labor of the unfallen（清白的）parents of the race. Was this garden， then， the Eden of the present world？ And this man， with such a perception（洞察力） of harm in what his own hands caused to grow， —was he the Adam？

The distrustful（可疑的）gardener， while plucking（拔掉，摘除）away the dead leaves or pruning（修剪）the too luxuriant growth of the shrubs， defended his hands with a pair of thick gloves. Nor were these his only armor. When， in his walk through the garden， he came to the magnificent plant that hung its purple gems beside the marble fountain， he placed a kind of mask over his mouth and nostrils， as if all this beauty did but conceal a deadlier malice（惡意）； but， finding his task still too dangerous， he drew back， removed the mask， and called loudly， but in the infirm（衰弱的）voice of a person affected with inward disease， —

“Beatrice！ Beatrice！”

“Here am I， my father. What would you？” cried a rich and youthful voice from the window of the opposite house， — a voice as rich as a tropical（熱帶的）sunset， and which made Giovanni， though he knew not why， think of deep hues of purple or crimson and of perfumes heavily delectable（美味的）. “Are you in the garden？”

“Yes， Beatrice，” answered the gardener； “and I need your help.”

Soon there emerged from under a sculptured portal（壯觀的大門）the figure of a young girl， arrayed（盛裝）with as much richness of taste as the most splendid of the flowers， beautiful as the day， and with a bloom so deep and vivid（鮮明的）that one shade more would have been too much. She looked redundant（過剩的）with life， health， and energy； all of which attributes（屬性）were bound down and compressed（壓縮）， as it were， and girdled（圍繞）tensely， in their luxuriance， by her virgin zone. Yet Giovannis fancy must have grown morbid（病態(tài)的）while he looked down into the garden； for the impression which the fair stranger made upon him was as if here were another flower， the human sister of those vegetable ones， as beautiful as they， more beautiful than the richest of them， but still to be touched only with a glove， nor to be approached without a mask. As Beatrice came down the gardenpath， it was observable（顯著的）that she handled and inhaled the odor of several of the plants which her father had most sedulously（刻意地）avoided.

“Here， Beatrice，” said the latter， “see how many needful offices（幫助）require to be done to our chief treasure. Yet， shattered as I am， my life might pay the penalty of approaching it so closely as circumstances demand. Henceforth， I fear， this plant must be consigned（委托）to your sole charge.”

“And gladly will I undertake it，” cried again the rich tones of the young lady， as she bent towards the magnificent plant and opened her arms as if to embrace it. “Yes， my sister， my splendor， it shall be Beatrices task to nurse and serve thee； and thou shalt reward her with thy kisses and perfumed breath， which to her is as the breath of life.”

Then， with all the tenderness in her manner that was so strikingly expressed in her words， she busied herself with such attentions as the plant seemed to require； and Giovanni， at his lofty window， rubbed his eyes， and almost doubted whether it were a girl tending her favorite flower， or one sister performing the duties of affection to another. The scene soon terminated. Whether Dr. Rappaccini had finished his labors in the garden， or that his watchful eye had caught the strangers face， he now took his daughters arm and retired. Night was already closing in； oppressive exhalations（呼氣）seemed to proceed（發(fā)出）from the plants and steal upward past the open window； and Giovanni， closing the lattice（格子窗）， went to his couch and dreamed of a rich flower and beautiful girl. Flower and maiden were different， and yet the same， and fraught with（帶有，充滿）some strange peril in either shape.

* Vertumnus： 威耳廷努斯，羅馬神話中掌管庭園、果樹和四季變化的神。