Introduction：One Sunday the congregation of the Milford church are surprised tosee the Rev。Mr。Hooper ascend his pulpit with a black veil over his face and down to his mouth。When the sermon ends，people rush out of the church and begin to gossip about the veil。With the passage of time he becomes a respectable minister，winning many converts and sympathizing wonderfully with sinners。At last when he is dying he is asked again by a neighboring minister to put aside the ever-present black veil，but he refuses again。
1 The sexton stood in the porch of Milford meeting-house，pulling lustily at the bell-rope。The old people of the village came stooping along the street。Children，with bright faces，tripped merrily beside their parents，or mimicked a graver gait，in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes。Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens，and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on week days。When the throng had mostly streamed into the porch，the sexton began to toll the bell，keeping his eye on the Reverend Mr。Hooper’s door。The first glimpse of the clergyman’s figure was the signal for the bell to cease its summons。
2 “But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face？”cried the sexton in astonishment。
3 All within hearing immediately turned about，and beheld the semblance of Mr。Hooper，pacing slowly his meditative way towards the meeting-house。With one accord they started expressing more wonder than if some strange minister were coming to dust the cushions of Mr。Hooper’s pulpit。
sexton：n。教堂司事
meeting-house：n。禮拜堂
lustily：adv。拚命地，起勁地
spruce：adj。整潔的
Sabbath：n。安息日，主日
Reverend：n。對牧師的尊稱
behold：v。看，把……視為
semblance：n。外表
meditative：adj。沉思的
cushion：n。坐墊
pulpit：n。教堂裏的講道壇4“Are you sure it is our parson？”inquired Goodman Gray of the sexton。
5 “Of a certainty it is good Mr。Hooper，”replied the sexton。“He wasto have exchanged pulpits with Parson Shute，of Westburybut Parson Shute sent to excusehimself yesterday，being to preach a funeral sermon。”
6 The cause of so much amazement may appear sufficiently slight。Mr。Hooper，a gentlemanly person，of about thirty，though still a bachelor，was dressed with due clerical neatness，as if a careful wife had starched his band，and brushed the weekly dust from his Sunday’s garb。There was but one thing remarkable in hisappearance。Swathed about his forehead，and hanging down over his face，so low as to be shaken by his breath，Mr。Hooper had on a black veil。On a nearer view it seemed to consist of two folds of crape，which entirely concealed his features，except the mouth and chin，but probably did not intercept his sight，farther than to give a darkened aspect to all living and inanimate things。With this gloomy shade before him，good Mr。Hooper walked onward，at a slow and quiet pace，stooping somewhat，and looking on the ground，as is customary with abstracted men，yet nodding kindly to those of his parishioners who still waited on the meeting-house steps。But so wonderstruck were they，that his greeting hardly met with a return。
7 “I can’t really feel as if good Mr。Hooper’s face was behind thatpiece of crape，”said the sexton。
8 “I don’t like it，”muttered an old woman，as she hobbled into the meeting-house。“He has changed himself into something awful，only by hiding his face。”
9 “Our parson has gone mad！”cried Goodman Gray，following him acrossthe threshold。
10 A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr。Hooper into themeeting-house，and set all the congregation astir。Few could refrain from twistingtheir heads towards the doormany stood upright，and turned directly aboutwhile several little boys clambered upon the seats，and came down again with a terrible racket。There was a general bustle，a rustling of the women’s gowns and shuffling of the men’s feet，greatly at variance with that hushed repose which should attend the entrance of the minister。But Mr。Hooper appeared not to notice the perturbation of his people。He entered with an almost noiseless step，bent his head mildly to the pews on each side，and bowed as he passed his oldest parishioner，a white-haired great-grandsire，who occupied an arm-chair in the centre of the aisle。It was strange to observe how slowly this venerableman became conscious of something singular in the appearance of his pastor。He seemed not fullyto partake of the prevailing wonder，till Mr。Hooper had ascended the stairs，and showed himself in the pulpit，face to face with his congregation，except for the black veil。That mysterious emblem was never once withdrawn。It shook with his measured breath，as he gave out the psalmit threw its obscurity between himand the holy page，as he read the Scripturesand while heprayed，the veil layheavily on his uplifted countenance。Did he seek to hide it from the dread Being whom he was addressing？
starch：v。上漿，用澱粉漿硬
band：n。領帶，從衣領前麵垂下的兩條帶子，是牧師、學者或律師服裝的一部分
swathe：v。綁，裹，包圍
abstracted：adj。發呆的，出神的
astir：adj。活動的
bustle：n。奔忙，喧鬧
repose：n。休息
perturbation：n。混亂
parishioner：n。教區居民
great-grandsire：n。曾祖父一輩的老人
venerable：adj。值得尊敬的
partake：v。分擔，參加
psalm：n。詩篇
the Scriptures：《聖經》
the dread Being：上帝11Such was the effect of this simple piece of crape，that more than one woman of delicate nerves was forced to leave the meeting-house。Yet perhaps the pale-faced congregation was almost as fearful a sight to the minister，as his blackveil to them。
12 Mr。Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher，but not an energetic one：he strove to win his people heavenward，by mild persuasive influences，ratherthan to drive them thither，by the thunders of the Word。The sermon which he nowdelivered was marked by the same characteristics of style and manner as the general series of his pulpit oratory。But there was something，either in the sentiment of the discourse itself，or in the imagination of the auditors，which made it greatly the most powerful effort that they had ever heard from their pastor’slips。It was tinged，rather more darkly than usual，with the gentle gloom of Mr。Hooper’s temperament。The subject had reference to secret sin，and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest，and would fain conceal from our own consciousness，even forgetting that the Omniscient can detect them。A subtle power was breathed into his words。Each member of the congregation，the most innocent girl，and the man of hardened breast，felt as if the preacher had crept upon them，behind his awful veil，and discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or thought。Many spread their clasped hands on their bosoms。There was nothing terrible in what Mr。Hooper said，at least，no violenceand yet，with every tremor of his melancholy voice，the hearers quaked。And unsought pathos came handin hand with awe。So sensible were the audience of some unwonted attribute in their minister，that they longed for a breath of wind to blow aside the veil，almost believing that a stranger’s visage would be discovered，though the form，gesture，and voice were those of Mr。Hooper。
13 At the close of the services，the people hurried out with indecorous confusion，eager to communicate their pent-up amazement，and conscious of lighter spirits the moment they lost sight of the black veil。Some gathered in little circles，huddled closely together，with their mouths all whispering in the centresome went homeward alone，wrapt in silent meditationsome talked loudly，and profaned the Sabbath day with ostentatious laughter。A few shook their sagacious heads，intimating that they could penetrate the mysterywhile one or two affirmed that there was no mystery at all，but only that Mr。Hooper’s eyes were so weakened by the midnight lamp，as to require a shade。After a brief interval，forth came good Mr。Hooper also，in the rear of his flock。Turning his veiled face from one group to another，he paid due reverence to the hoary heads，saluted the middle aged with kind dignity as their friend and spiritual guide，greeted the youngwith mingled authority and love，and laid his hands on the little children’s heads to bless them。Such was always his custom on the Sabbath day。Strange and bewildered looks repaid him for his courtesy。None，as on former occasions，aspired to the honor of walking by their pastor’s side。
Old Squire Saunders，doubtlessby an accidental lapse of memory，neglected to invite Mr。Hooper to his table，where the good clergyman had been wont to bless the food，almostevery Sunday since his settlement。He returned，therefore，to the parsonage，and，at the momentof closing the door，was observed to look back upon the people，all of whom hadtheir eyes fixed upon the minister。A sad smile gleamed faintly from beneath the black veil，and flickered about his mouth，glimmering as he disappeared。
評注：一貫受村民愛戴的牧師，突然一天戴著塊黑麵紗出現在大庭廣眾麵前，各位虔誠的基督徒僅僅因為多出的這塊麵紗就對牧師的態度發生了一百八十度轉變。
thither：adv。到那邊，向那方
the Word：《聖經》
tinge：v。微染，使帶氣息
fain：adv。欣然，樂意地
the Omniscient：無所不知者，大寫時指God
hoarded：adj。儲藏的
iniquity：n。不公正
pathos：n。痛苦，感傷
unwonted：adj。不尋常的，異常的
visage：n。麵容，容貌
indecorous：adj。不合禮節的
pent-up：adj。幽閉的，被壓抑的
profane：v。褻瀆
ostentatious：adj。裝飾表麵的，賣弄的
sagacious：adj。精明的
hoary：adj。灰白的
Squire：n。鄉紳
wont：adj。習慣於
parsonage：n。牧師公館14“How strange，”said a lady，“that a simple black veil，such as any woman might wear on her bonnet，should become such a terrible thing on Mr。Hooper’s face！”
15 “Something must surely be amiss with Mr。Hooper’s intellects，”observedher husband，the physician of the village。“But the strangest part of the affairis the effect of this vagary，even on a sober-minded man like myself。The black veil，though it covers only our pastor’s face，throws its influence over his whole person，and makes him ghostlike from head to foot。Do you not feel it so？”
16 “Truly do I，”replied the lady“and I would not be alone with him for the world。I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself！”
17 “Men sometimes are so，”said her husband。
18 The afternoon service was attended with similar circumstances。At its conclusion，the bell tolled for the funeral of a young lady。The relatives and friends were assembled in the house，and the more distant acquaintances stood about the door，speaking of the good qualities of the deceased，when their talk was interrupted by the appearance of Mr。Hooper，still covered with his black veil。It was now an appropriate emblem。The clergyman stepped into the room where the corpse was laid，and bent over the coffin，to take a last farewell of his deceased parishioner。As he stooped，the veil hung straight down from his forehead，so that，if her eyelids had not been closed forever，the dead maiden might have seen his face。Could Mr。Hooper be fearful of her glance，that he so hastily caught back the black veil？A person who watched the interview between the dead and living，scrupled not to affirm，that，at the instantwhen the clergyman’s features were disclosed，the corpse had slightly shuddered，rustling the shroud and muslincap，though the countenance retained the composure of death。A superstitious old woman was the only witness of this prodigy。
From the coffin Mr。Hooper passed into the chambers of the mourners，and hence to the head of the staircase，to make the funeral prayer。It was a tender and heart-dissolving prayer，full of sorrow，yet so imbued with celestial hopes，that the music of a heavenly harp，sweptby the fingers of the dead，seemed faintly to be heard among the saddest accents of the minister。The people trembled，though they but darkly understood him when he prayed that they，and himself，and all of mortal race，might be ready，as he trusted this young maiden had been，for the dreadful hour that should snatch the veil from their faces。The bearers went heavily forth，and the mourners followed，saddening all the street，with the dead before them，and Mr。Hooper in hisblack veil behind。