在一个宁静的小镇上，一场充满戏剧性的事件正在上演。这不仅仅是一个关于婚姻的故事，更是一场关于信仰、宽恕以及人性救赎的深刻探讨。在这个故事中，我们看到了 John Rem 和他的新婚妻子面临着巨大的考验。他们站在众人面前，紧张得汗水直流（The perspiration streamed down his face.）。那小小的手中满是湿气（The little hand which crept into his grew moist.），仿佛连时间也因为他们的紧张而变得沉重起来，就像他手表的滴答声不断在他耳边回响（His watch continued to deafen him.）。
故事的发展
祈祷中的审判
当坐在前排的一位女士的裙子发出沙沙声时（a woman’s skirt rustled.），John Rem几乎要喊出“感谢上帝！”（Almost he had cried out, “Thank God!”）。紧接着，又有一个人抬起头来（Beyond this one another raised her head.），然后整个大厅里弥漫着一种轻微的骚动（Then a little rustle passed over the vast room.）。这种气氛并不是愤怒的指责（not with animadversion），而是人们在祈祷中将他们的事情呈现在上帝面前（In the prayer they had placed him—her—the whole matter before God.）。
调解者的宣判
调解者站起来，面对着他们平静地说（The moderator, facing them, rose and said quietly:）：“John Rem，你和你的妻子可以平平安安地走了。愿我们祖先的神祝福你们（go in peace. And the blessing of the God of our fathers go with ye.）。如果你们犯了罪，那就悔改吧（If ye have sinned, repent.）。”
此时的John Rem感到羞愧且颤抖着，带着他的新娘离开了这个地方（And, shamed and trembling, John Rem got himself and his bride out of that place.）。他的岳父脸上笼罩着更深的阴霾（On the face of the father of this sudden bride there was a deeper gloom than it bore that day we first saw it in this story.），而他身旁这位温柔的新教徒脸上却闪过一丝回忆的微笑（On the face of the gentle proselyte at his side, it must be confessed, there was a fleeting, reminiscent smile.）。
新娘的智慧
她对John说：“有些事情是我们无法避免的，你知道吗，John？我们有责任坚强地承受这些苦难（There are some things we cannot help, thee knows, John,” she was saying, “and it is our duty to bear these crosses with fortitude.）。她的笑容变得更加明显（The reminiscent smile grew broader.），接着说道：“你说得很对，关于欺骗的话（Thee was exactly right in what thee said about guile.）。但你也说对了，善良就像欺骗一样是可以传播的（But thee was also right in what thee said about goodness being as communicable as guile.）。这个年轻人虽然没有最好的温和名声（This young man has not the highest kind of a reputation for gentleness.），但大家都认为他是诚实的（But all agree that he is honest.）。我很不高兴（It displeases me very much）——”她的笑几乎变成了笑声（—and the smile was almost a laugh now），“他们在我这个年纪的时候，在没有得到我同意的情况下就让我做了婆婆（that they should make me a mother-in-law, at my age, without my consent.）。但是，如果我能原谅这一点，那么你也能原谅——嗯——无论你有什么问题（But if I can forgive that, thee can forgive—hem—whatever ails thee.）。亲爱的丈夫John，让我们把他们留在身边，试试你那个在我的身上很成功的理论（let us keep them with us and try that theory of thine which was so successful in my case.）。让我们看看是否不能把我们的善良传播给他们——就像他们互相传播欺骗一样（Let us see whether we cannot communicate our goodness to them—as they have communicated their guile to each other.）。”
情感的爆发
夫妻间的深情
John Estover突然扑向他的妻子，紧紧地拥抱她（John Estover sprang upon his wife and embraced her so strongly and so suddenly），以至于她说：“John，就好像你在重新追求我一样（Why, John, it is just as if thee was courting again!）。”
John回答道：“你说得对，Ann！你比我更像一个贵格会信徒（Thee is right, Ann! Thee is a better Quaker than I am.）。你遵守教义，并且不会在有用的时候忘记它们（Thee adheres to the precepts and does not forget them when they are of use.）。你所说的有很大的希望（There is much hope in what thee says.）。”
她又说：“还有啊，John，只是想想我们可爱的Marian——Mary Ann要离开我们了！这是不可想象的，不是吗？我知道你和我一样强烈地感受到这一点（And—and—John—just think of our lovely Marian—Mary Ann—leaving us! It is not to be thought of, is it? I know thee feels as strongly about that as I do.）。还有那个可怜的被误导的年轻人（And that poor, misguided young man—）。”
因为他们看到那些人带着恐惧的表情前来寻求原谅（For she had seen them coming, with fearful faces, for their forgiveness, and he had not.），他们几乎已经到了门口（They were almost at the door now.）。
她大声问道：“一切都达成一致了吗，John？”（Is it all agreed, John?” she cried.）
John回答：“是的，都达成一致了（Yes,” said John, “it is all agreed.）。你比我更像一个贵格会信徒（Thee is a better Quaker than I am.）。”
于是，他们收到了比预期更难接受的欢迎（And that is why they received a welcome which was more hard to bear than the one they expected.）。
宗教身份的确认
John Estover握着John Rem的双手，喜欢上了他那种大度的样子（Now if thee were only one of us,” sighed John Estover to John Rem, as he held his two hands, and liked him at once for a certain big way he had with him.）。
年轻的John Rem问道：“你是什么意思？我希望在原谅了我们之后，你们不要半途而废（What do you mean?” asked the younger man. “I hope that having forgiven us, you will not stop halfway.）。”
John Estover说：“啊，是的，那就是。看Ann怎么说吧！但是如果你是朋友，我们或许可以挽救你（Ah, yes, that. Look to Ann for that! But if thee was a Friend, we might reclaim thee—）。”
John Rem大声说：“我是朋友（I am a Friend,）。”他非常高兴及时记起了他已经多年没有记得的东西（tremendously happy to remember in time what he had not remembered much for years.）。
听到这句话，三个人同时惊呼（It came in three voices），并且六只手带着各种悲剧的表情放在他身上（—and six hands were laid with various expressions of tragedy upon him.）。
John Rem坦白道：“不太正统（Not very orthodox,），也许是一个确定无疑的堕落者。但我声称自己是我父亲所在教会的一员，并且我打算在未来比过去更好地保持这一身份——以我的——妻子的帮助！（perhaps a confirmed backslider. But I claim my place in the church of my fathers, and I mean to keep it better in the future than in the past—with—with—the help of my—wi—wife!）”他吞吞吐吐地说出了最后几个字（he got it out with a gulp），“而且还有你们的帮助。我是朋友，先生。我的父亲和母亲都是（I am a Friend, sir. My father and my mother were, God bless them!），我试图在会议上说出来，但他们开始为我们祈祷（I tried to tell it at the meeting. But they began to pray for us.）。”
John Estover对John Rem说：“我亲爱的儿子John——”（My dear son John—” said John Estover to John Rem.）
对Mrs. Estover观点的思考
现在，你注意到Mrs. Estover在管理丈夫、父亲、教堂以及其他事情方面的观点和做法是多么正确了吗？（Now, do you observe how right Mrs. Estover was in her views and practices concerning the “management” of husbands and fathers, and churches, and other things?）
相关书籍推荐
《游戏》
这本书由杰克·伦敦所著，类似于《野性的呼唤》，在行动的统一性、迅速性和单一目的性方面有着相似之处（“The Game” resembles “The Call of the Wild” very strongly in the unity and rapidity of its action, in its singleness of purpose,），并且传达出一种力量的印象（and in its conveyed impression of power.）。书中生动地描绘了拳击比赛的意义（included in the story is an intensely graphic portrayal of what the prize ring stands for and means to participants, spectators, and the general scheme of things.）。
《风暴中心》
查尔斯·埃格伯特·克拉多克创作的这部作品是一部战争故事，不过更多的是关于调情、爱情和求爱（A war story; but more of flirtation, love, and courtship, than of fighting or history.）。它讲述了一个受伤的联邦军官住在一个同情南方邦联的家庭里的故事（It is a simple and pleasing tale of a wounded Union officer in a household strongly in sympathy with the Confederate cause.），充满了幽默感且整体基调清新健康（It is full of highly diverting humor without a trace of satirical sting; on the contrary, its prevailing tone is refreshingly wholesome.）。
《纸牌屋》
约翰·海的作品中可以看到许多迷人的形象（Glimpses of many fascinating figures are seen in this chronicle.），主要是关于现代金融巨头的故事（The chief character is one of the modern kings of finance—），最终也是一个永恒的爱情故事（It has an altogether indescribable tone that is admirably in keeping with one’s mental picture of the veteran soldier and scholar who tells the tale to young “Waltham Eliot, late of Boston, who has come to settle in Philadelphia, live on law, and be honest!” But in the last analysis it is a love-story of yesterday, to-day, and forever.）。
《达雷尔夫人》
这本书是对华盛顿政治生活的社交面进行深入分析的好故事（“Mrs. Darrell” is a penetrating bit of analysis in the form of an exceptionally good story of the social side of high political life in the national capital.），人物刻画生动有趣（Its very genuine people are sketched with a light touch, a delicacy of expression, that make the book enjoyable reading.）。
《暗灯》
伊丽莎白·罗宾斯（C. E. RAIMOND）的这部小说一定会吸引那些喜欢社会深度剖析小说的人（✅This new book is one that must appeal very strongly to those who enjoy the novel of keen social analysis.），其中对英国和欧洲大陆社会的描绘非常逼真（Its pictures of English and continental society are as graphic, just, and authoritative as any that have appeared in fiction.）。
《一个美国公民的回忆录》
罗伯特·赫里克的这部作品通过45幅插图生动地展现了主人公的生活经历（With 45 Illustrations by F. B. Masters✅），在大众兴趣的把握上越来越熟练（In his grasp on the popular interest Mr. Herrick’s mastery grows with every n）。
引言
在一个宁静的小镇上，一场充满戏剧性的事件正在上演。这不仅仅是一个关于婚姻的故事，更是一场关于信仰、宽恕以及人性救赎的深刻探讨。在这个故事中，我们看到了 John Rem 和他的新婚妻子面临着巨大的考验。他们站在众人面前，紧张得汗水直流（The perspiration streamed down his face.）。那小小的手中满是湿气（The little hand which crept into his grew moist.），仿佛连时间也因为他们的紧张而变得沉重起来，就像他手表的滴答声不断在他耳边回响（His watch continued to deafen him.）。
故事的发展
祈祷中的审判
当坐在前排的一位女士的裙子发出沙沙声时（a woman’s skirt rustled.），John Rem几乎要喊出“感谢上帝！”（Almost he had cried out, “Thank God!”）。紧接着，又有一个人抬起头来（Beyond this one another raised her head.），然后整个大厅里弥漫着一种轻微的骚动（Then a little rustle passed over the vast room.）。这种气氛并不是愤怒的指责（not with animadversion），而是人们在祈祷中将他们的事情呈现在上帝面前（In the prayer they had placed him—her—the whole matter before God.）。
调解者的宣判
调解者站起来，面对着他们平静地说（The moderator, facing them, rose and said quietly:）：“John Rem，你和你的妻子可以平平安安地走了。愿我们祖先的神祝福你们（go in peace. And the blessing of the God of our fathers go with ye.）。如果你们犯了罪，那就悔改吧（If ye have sinned, repent.）。”
此时的John Rem感到羞愧且颤抖着，带着他的新娘离开了这个地方（And, shamed and trembling, John Rem got himself and his bride out of that place.）。他的岳父脸上笼罩着更深的阴霾（On the face of the father of this sudden bride there was a deeper gloom than it bore that day we first saw it in this story.），而他身旁这位温柔的新教徒脸上却闪过一丝回忆的微笑（On the face of the gentle proselyte at his side, it must be confessed, there was a fleeting, reminiscent smile.）。
新娘的智慧
她对John说：“有些事情是我们无法避免的，你知道吗，John？我们有责任坚强地承受这些苦难（There are some things we cannot help, thee knows, John,” she was saying, “and it is our duty to bear these crosses with fortitude.）。她的笑容变得更加明显（The reminiscent smile grew broader.），接着说道：“你说得很对，关于欺骗的话（Thee was exactly right in what thee said about guile.）。但你也说对了，善良就像欺骗一样是可以传播的（But thee was also right in what thee said about goodness being as communicable as guile.）。这个年轻人虽然没有最好的温和名声（This young man has not the highest kind of a reputation for gentleness.），但大家都认为他是诚实的（But all agree that he is honest.）。我很不高兴（It displeases me very much）——”她的笑几乎变成了笑声（—and the smile was almost a laugh now），“他们在我这个年纪的时候，在没有得到我同意的情况下就让我做了婆婆（that they should make me a mother-in-law, at my age, without my consent.）。但是，如果我能原谅这一点，那么你也能原谅——嗯——无论你有什么问题（But if I can forgive that, thee can forgive—hem—whatever ails thee.）。亲爱的丈夫John，让我们把他们留在身边，试试你那个在我的身上很成功的理论（let us keep them with us and try that theory of thine which was so successful in my case.）。让我们看看是否不能把我们的善良传播给他们——就像他们互相传播欺骗一样（Let us see whether we cannot communicate our goodness to them—as they have communicated their guile to each other.）。”
情感的爆发
夫妻间的深情
John Estover突然扑向他的妻子，紧紧地拥抱她（John Estover sprang upon his wife and embraced her so strongly and so suddenly），以至于她说：“John，就好像你在重新追求我一样（Why, John, it is just as if thee was courting again!）。”
John回答道：“你说得对，Ann！你比我更像一个贵格会信徒（Thee is right, Ann! Thee is a better Quaker than I am.）。你遵守教义，并且不会在有用的时候忘记它们（Thee adheres to the precepts and does not forget them when they are of use.）。你所说的有很大的希望（There is much hope in what thee says.）。”
她又说：“还有啊，John，只是想想我们可爱的Marian——Mary Ann要离开我们了！这是不可想象的，不是吗？我知道你和我一样强烈地感受到这一点（And—and—John—just think of our lovely Marian—Mary Ann—leaving us! It is not to be thought of, is it? I know thee feels as strongly about that as I do.）。还有那个可怜的被误导的年轻人（And that poor, misguided young man—）。”
因为他们看到那些人带着恐惧的表情前来寻求原谅（For she had seen them coming, with fearful faces, for their forgiveness, and he had not.），他们几乎已经到了门口（They were almost at the door now.）。
她大声问道：“一切都达成一致了吗，John？”（Is it all agreed, John?” she cried.）
John回答：“是的，都达成一致了（Yes,” said John, “it is all agreed.）。你比我更像一个贵格会信徒（Thee is a better Quaker than I am.）。”
于是，他们收到了比预期更难接受的欢迎（And that is why they received a welcome which was more hard to bear than the one they expected.）。
宗教身份的确认
John Estover握着John Rem的双手，喜欢上了他那种大度的样子（Now if thee were only one of us,” sighed John Estover to John Rem, as he held his two hands, and liked him at once for a certain big way he had with him.）。
年轻的John Rem问道：“你是什么意思？我希望在原谅了我们之后，你们不要半途而废（What do you mean?” asked the younger man. “I hope that having forgiven us, you will not stop halfway.）。”
John Estover说：“啊，是的，那就是。看Ann怎么说吧！但是如果你是朋友，我们或许可以挽救你（Ah, yes, that. Look to Ann for that! But if thee was a Friend, we might reclaim thee—）。”
John Rem大声说：“我是朋友（I am a Friend,）。”他非常高兴及时记起了他已经多年没有记得的东西（tremendously happy to remember in time what he had not remembered much for years.）。
听到这句话，三个人同时惊呼（It came in three voices），并且六只手带着各种悲剧的表情放在他身上（—and six hands were laid with various expressions of tragedy upon him.）。
John Rem坦白道：“不太正统（Not very orthodox,），也许是一个确定无疑的堕落者。但我声称自己是我父亲所在教会的一员，并且我打算在未来比过去更好地保持这一身份——以我的——妻子的帮助！（perhaps a confirmed backslider. But I claim my place in the church of my fathers, and I mean to keep it better in the future than in the past—with—with—the help of my—wi—wife!）”他吞吞吐吐地说出了最后几个字（he got it out with a gulp），“而且还有你们的帮助。我是朋友，先生。我的父亲和母亲都是（I am a Friend, sir. My father and my mother were, God bless them!），我试图在会议上说出来，但他们开始为我们祈祷（I tried to tell it at the meeting. But they began to pray for us.）。”
John Estover对John Rem说：“我亲爱的儿子John——”（My dear son John—” said John Estover to John Rem.）
对Mrs. Estover观点的思考
现在，你注意到Mrs. Estover在管理丈夫、父亲、教堂以及其他事情方面的观点和做法是多么正确了吗？（Now, do you observe how right Mrs. Estover was in her views and practices concerning the “management” of husbands and fathers, and churches, and other things?）
相关书籍推荐
《游戏》
这本书由杰克·伦敦所著，类似于《野性的呼唤》，在行动的统一性、迅速性和单一目的性方面有着相似之处（“The Game” resembles “The Call of the Wild” very strongly in the unity and rapidity of its action, in its singleness of purpose,），并且传达出一种力量的印象（and in its conveyed impression of power.）。书中生动地描绘了拳击比赛的意义（included in the story is an intensely graphic portrayal of what the prize ring stands for and means to participants, spectators, and the general scheme of things.）。
《风暴中心》
查尔斯·埃格伯特·克拉多克创作的这部作品是一部战争故事，不过更多的是关于调情、爱情和求爱（A war story; but more of flirtation, love, and courtship, than of fighting or history.）。它讲述了一个受伤的联邦军官住在一个同情南方邦联的家庭里的故事（It is a simple and pleasing tale of a wounded Union officer in a household strongly in sympathy with the Confederate cause.），充满了幽默感且整体基调清新健康（It is full of highly diverting humor without a trace of satirical sting; on the contrary, its prevailing tone is refreshingly wholesome.）。
《纸牌屋》
约翰·海的作品中可以看到许多迷人的形象（Glimpses of many fascinating figures are seen in this chronicle.），主要是关于现代金融巨头的故事（The chief character is one of the modern kings of finance—），最终也是一个永恒的爱情故事（It has an altogether indescribable tone that is admirably in keeping with one’s mental picture of the veteran soldier and scholar who tells the tale to young “Waltham Eliot, late of Boston, who has come to settle in Philadelphia, live on law, and be honest!” But in the last analysis it is a love-story of yesterday, to-day, and forever.）。
《达雷尔夫人》
这本书是对华盛顿政治生活的社交面进行深入分析的好故事（“Mrs. Darrell” is a penetrating bit of analysis in the form of an exceptionally good story of the social side of high political life in the national capital.），人物刻画生动有趣（Its very genuine people are sketched with a light touch, a delicacy of expression, that make the book enjoyable reading.）。
《暗灯》
伊丽莎白·罗宾斯（C. E. RAIMOND）的这部小说一定会吸引那些喜欢社会深度剖析小说的人（✅This new book is one that must appeal very strongly to those who enjoy the novel of keen social analysis.），其中对英国和欧洲大陆社会的描绘非常逼真（Its pictures of English and continental society are as graphic, just, and authoritative as any that have appeared in fiction.）。
《一个美国公民的回忆录》
罗伯特·赫里克的这部作品通过45幅插图生动地展现了主人公的生活经历（With 45 Illustrations by F. B. Masters✅），在大众兴趣的把握上越来越熟练（In his grasp on the popular interest Mr. Herrick’s mastery grows with every n）。
这篇文章通过对原作内容的扩展和解读，从多个角度深入探讨了故事中的情节、人物关系以及背后的思想内涵。同时也介绍了相关的几部文学作品，为读者提供了更多的阅读选择。