作者：Edgar Allan Poe (published 1845) 譯者：CaptainSnafu 未經(jīng)允許，請(qǐng)勿轉(zhuǎn)載 FOR the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence. Yet, mad am I not -- and very surely do I not dream. But to-morrow I die, and to-day I would unburthen my soul. My immediate purpose is to place before the world, plainly, succinctly, and without comment, a series of mere household events. In their consequences, these events have terrified -- have tortured -- have destroyed me. Yet I will not attempt to expound them. To me, they have presented little but Horror -- to many they will seem less terrible than barroques. Hereafter, perhaps, some intellect may be found which will reduce my phantasm to the common-place -- some intellect more calm, more logical, and far less excitable than my own, which will perceive, in the circumstances I detail with awe, nothing more than an ordinary succession of very natural causes and effects. 對(duì)于我即將撰寫的這個(gè)最為奇詭但也最為樸實(shí)的敘述，我既不期望也不祈求他人相信。在一個(gè)連我的理智都在排斥著自己得到的證據(jù)之情況下，我若是指望他人的信任，那才是真正的瘋狂。然而，我并沒(méi)有在發(fā)瘋，也十分肯定我沒(méi)有在做夢(mèng)。但明日我將身死，今天便卸下我靈魂的負(fù)荷吧。我當(dāng)前的目的是要將這一系列家常事件簡(jiǎn)明扼要、不加評(píng)判地展現(xiàn)于世人面前。作為結(jié)果，它們恐嚇、折磨著并摧毀了我。但我不會(huì)試圖去闡釋它們。于我而言，這些事件給我?guī)?lái)的只有恐懼，但對(duì)許多人來(lái)說(shuō)，它們似乎還不如巴洛克藝術(shù)令人害怕?；蛟S在今后，某些智慧會(huì)被揭示，將我的幻想化為平常。這些智慧將比我的心智更為冷靜、合理與從容，它們會(huì)在我心懷敬畏的詳述之中，察覺(jué)到一切不過(guò)只是一連串非常自然的因果關(guān)系。 From my infancy I was noted for the docility and humanity of my disposition. My tenderness of heart was even so conspicuous as to make me the jest of my companions. I was especially fond of animals, and was indulged by my parents with a great variety of pets. With these I spent most of my time, and never was so happy as when feeding and caressing them. This peculiarity of character grew with my growth, and, in my manhood, I derived from it one of my principal sources of pleasure. To those who have cherished an affection for a faithful and sagacious dog, I need hardly be at the trouble of explaining the nature or the intensity of the gratification thus derivable. There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of mere Man. 從襁褓中起，我便被認(rèn)定是性情溫順而仁慈的。我昭顯的溫柔之心甚至使我成為同伴們的笑柄。我尤其喜愛(ài)動(dòng)物，而我的父母也放任我眷養(yǎng)大量的寵物。我在它們身上花費(fèi)了大部分的時(shí)光，也從未有其它時(shí)刻能比我在喂養(yǎng)和照料它們時(shí)更讓我快活。這種性格特征也隨著我的成長(zhǎng)而逐漸成型，在我成年后，還從中衍生出了我首要的快樂(lè)源泉。對(duì)于那些珍愛(ài)忠誠(chéng)而聰慧的狗的人而言，必自可推導(dǎo)，我也毋需麻煩去解釋那種滿足的本質(zhì)及其之強(qiáng)烈了。牲畜懷有著某種無(wú)私且舍己為人的愛(ài)，能直達(dá)一個(gè)飽經(jīng)微薄的友誼與脆弱的忠貞所考驗(yàn)的人類的心靈。 I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a disposition not uncongenial with my own. Observing my partiality for domestic pets, she lost no opportunity of procuring those of the most agreeable kind. We had birds, gold-fish, a fine dog, rabbits, a small monkey, and a cat. 我早早成婚，也很慶幸我的妻子并不與我志趣相左。她注意到我對(duì)家養(yǎng)寵物的偏愛(ài)，從不錯(cuò)過(guò)能獲得這些討人喜歡的家伙們的機(jī)會(huì)。我們養(yǎng)了鳥(niǎo)兒、金魚、兔子、一只小猴和一條狗，還有一只貓。 This latter was a remarkably large and beautiful animal, entirely black, and sagacious to an astonishing degree. In speaking of his intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition, made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise. Not that she was ever serious upon this point -- and I mention the matter at all for no better reason than that it happens, just now, to be remembered. 這只貓不同尋常地碩大和漂亮，全身烏黑，聰慧驚人。說(shuō)到他的聰明，我那不乏迷信的妻子時(shí)常會(huì)影射起那些認(rèn)為黑貓都由女巫偽裝而成的古老民俗觀念。在這一點(diǎn)上她倒也不是非常地認(rèn)真——我提起這事也沒(méi)什么特別的緣由，只是突然地想起罷了。 Pluto -- this was the cat's name -- was my favorite pet and playmate. I alone fed him, and he attended me wherever I went about the house. It was even with difficulty that I could prevent him from following me through the streets. 普魯托（Pluto）——這就是貓的名字，它是我最喜愛(ài)的寵物和玩伴。我獨(dú)自喂養(yǎng)著他。在家宅附近時(shí)，無(wú)論我去哪，它都會(huì)伴隨我。我甚至很難阻止它跟著我穿過(guò)街道。 Our friendship lasted, in this manner, for several years, during which my general temperament and character -- through the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance -- had (I blush to confess it) experienced a radical alteration for the worse. I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence. My pets, of course, were made to feel the change in my disposition. I not only neglected, but ill-used them. For Pluto, however, I still retained sufficient regard to restrain me from maltreating him, as I made no scruple of maltreating the rabbits, the monkey, or even the dog, when by accident, or through affection, they came in my way. But my disease grew upon me -- for what disease is like Alcohol ! -- and at length even Pluto, who was now becoming old, and consequently somewhat peevish -- even Pluto began to experience the effects of my ill temper. 我們的友誼就以這種方式持續(xù)了好幾年，也是在這段期間，即使我羞于懺悔，我的脾氣和性情因?yàn)閻耗У氖侄巍锞贫?jīng)歷了一次徹底的劣變。日復(fù)一日，我成長(zhǎng)著，也愈發(fā)喜怒無(wú)常和暴躁，越來(lái)越不顧及他人的感受。我放縱了自己對(duì)妻子的惡言相向，而最終，我甚至對(duì)她施暴。當(dāng)然，我的寵物們也被迫去體會(huì)我的性格轉(zhuǎn)變。我不僅疏于照顧，甚至還虐待它們。無(wú)論如何，我對(duì)普魯托仍保留了足夠的尊重，克制著不去粗暴對(duì)待。但至于兔子、小猴、甚至是那條狗，我都毫不猶豫地虐待，尤其是當(dāng)它們出于意外或?qū)ξ业挠H近而擋住我的道路時(shí)。我那名為酗酒的惡疾逐漸深重，最終，連日已年邁而變得易怒的普魯托也開(kāi)始嘗到了我那壞脾氣的惡果。 One night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, I fancied that the cat avoided my presence. I seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame. I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket ! I blush, I burn, I shudder, while I pen the damnable atrocity. 一個(gè)晚上，我酩酊大醉地從鎮(zhèn)子附近一個(gè)常顧之地回到家里，我懷疑那只貓?jiān)诙惚苤?。于是我抓住了他，他在我暴力之下大為驚恐，用牙齒在我的手上留下一道輕淺的傷口。來(lái)自惡魔一般的狂怒立即支配了我。我再也不認(rèn)識(shí)這個(gè)自己了。我原本的靈魂似乎在頃刻間就出竅逃離。一種由酒精驅(qū)動(dòng)的殘忍惡意，使我這副軀殼中的每一根肌纖激動(dòng)得顫抖。我從馬甲口袋掏出一把折刀并將其展開(kāi)，緊緊扼住那只可憐野獸的喉嚨，從容專注地將他一只眼睛從眼窩中剜出！在我寫下這筆可憎的罪行時(shí)，我羞愧難當(dāng)，臉紅得發(fā)燙，同時(shí)又不寒而栗。 When reason returned with the morning -- when I had slept off the fumes of the night's debauch -- I experienced a sentiment half of horror, half of remorse, for the crime of which I had been guilty; but it was, at best, a feeble and equivocal feeling, and the soul remained untouched. I again plunged into excess, and soon drowned in wine all memory of the deed. 當(dāng)睡眠消散了昨夜放肆的怒氣，理智便在早晨回歸。我對(duì)那犯下的罪行感到一種參半的恐懼與懊悔，但這種情緒充其量也只是微弱且含糊的，仍未能觸動(dòng)我的靈魂。我再次陷入了無(wú)度的酗酒，將對(duì)此事的所有記憶淹沒(méi)在酒精之下。 In the meantime the cat slowly recovered. The socket of the lost eye presented, it is true, a frightful appearance, but he no longer appeared to suffer any pain. He went about the house as usual, but, as might be expected, fled in extreme terror at my approach. I had so much of my old heart left, as to be at first grieved by this evident dislike on the part of a creature which had once so loved me. But this feeling soon gave place to irritation. And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of PERVERSENESS. Of this spirit philosophy takes no account. Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart -- one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of Man. Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merely because we understand it to be such? This spirit of perverseness, I say, came to my final overthrow. It was this unfathomable longing of the soul to vex itself -- to offer violence to its own nature -- to do wrong for the wrong's sake only -- that urged me to continue and finally to consummate the injury I had inflicted upon the unoffending brute. One morning, in cool blood, I slipped a noose about its neck and hung it to the limb of a tree; -- hung it with the tears streaming from my eyes, and with the bitterest remorse at my heart; -- hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offence; -- hung it because I knew that in so doing I was committing a sin -- a deadly sin that would so jeopardize my immortal soul as to place it -- if such a thing were possible -- even beyond the reach of the infinite mercy of the Most Merciful and Most Terrible God. 在此期間，那只貓也漸漸恢復(fù)過(guò)來(lái)。他那失去了眼球的眼窩呈現(xiàn)著一種切實(shí)的可怕，但他似乎也不再經(jīng)受痛苦的折磨了。他像往常一樣游蕩在家宅各處，但也意料之中地，會(huì)在我靠近時(shí)極度惶恐地逃開(kāi)。我以往的那副好心腸已被遺失得太多，最初我還會(huì)為此感到悲傷——一只曾經(jīng)親愛(ài)我的動(dòng)物如今卻如此顯然地厭惡著我，但這種感覺(jué)很快便被惱怒所取代。隨后，有一種連哲學(xué)都未予思慮的乖謬意志降臨在我身上，仿佛將我引向那無(wú)可換回的最后的背棄。比起確信我的靈魂尚存，我更確信那種乖謬是人類內(nèi)心的原始沖動(dòng)之一，它是一種不可分離的基礎(chǔ)機(jī)能或情緒，引導(dǎo)著人的秉性。誰(shuí)又何嘗沒(méi)試過(guò)上百次地發(fā)現(xiàn)自己正做出著低劣或愚蠢的行徑——正是因?yàn)橹洳辉摓?，而又為之呢？我們不都擁有著一種永恒的意向，想去對(duì)抗我們最好的判斷、去違反法律與守則，僅僅只是因?yàn)橐庾R(shí)到了它逆反的本身嗎？我認(rèn)為，這種乖謬的意志，帶來(lái)了我最終的背棄。正是這種靈魂內(nèi)深不可測(cè)的渴望，這種對(duì)煩擾自我、蹂躪本性、只為錯(cuò)而錯(cuò)的渴望，慫恿著我繼續(xù)并最終完成對(duì)一頭無(wú)害牲畜的創(chuàng)傷。在一個(gè)早晨，我冷血地在他的脖頸套上繩索，并將他吊掛在樹(shù)枝上，伴隨著我眼中涌出的淚水和心中最痛苦的懊悔。吊死他，是因?yàn)槲抑浪鴲?ài)我，也因?yàn)槲腋械剿⑽唇o予我去冒犯他的理由；吊死他，是因?yàn)槲抑来税闩e動(dòng)即是犯下罪行，而這條無(wú)恕之罪將危及我那不朽的靈魂——如果它真的存在，我這么做只為了將它安置到就連最仁慈也最可怕的上帝的無(wú)限慈悲也不能挽救之境地。 On the night of the day on which this cruel deed was done, I was aroused from sleep by the cry of fire. The curtains of my bed were in flames. The whole house was blazing. It was with great difficulty that my wife, a servant, and myself, made our escape from the conflagration. The destruction was complete. My entire worldly wealth was swallowed up, and I resigned myself thenceforward to despair. 在我犯下這殘忍惡行的當(dāng)天晚上，我被火災(zāi)中的呼喊聲從夢(mèng)中驚醒。我床上的帷幔已經(jīng)著火，整座房屋都在熊熊燃燒。我的妻子、一名仆從和我自己十分艱難地從大火中逃脫。毀滅是徹底的，我在世上的所有財(cái)產(chǎn)都被火焰吞噬，我從此服從于絕望。 I am above the weakness of seeking to establish a sequence of cause and effect, between the disaster and the atrocity. But I am detailing a chain of facts -- and wish not to leave even a possible link imperfect. On the day succeeding the fire, I visited the ruins. The walls, with one exception, had fallen in. This exception was found in a compartment wall, not very thick, which stood about the middle of the house, and against which had rested the head of my bed. The plastering had here, in great measure, resisted the action of the fire -- a fact which I attributed to its having been recently spread. About this wall a dense crowd were collected, and many persons seemed to be examining a particular portion of it with very minute and eager attention. The words "strange!" "singular!" and other similar expressions, excited my curiosity. I approached and saw, as if graven in bas relief upon the white surface, the figure of a gigantic cat. The impression was given with an accuracy truly marvellous. There was a rope about the animal's neck. 我并沒(méi)有那種試圖在災(zāi)難和暴行之間建立因果關(guān)系的癖好。但我是在詳述一連串的事實(shí)，我不希望會(huì)留有哪怕一個(gè)的環(huán)節(jié)不完整。火災(zāi)后的第二天，我到廢墟視察。除了一處例外，所有墻壁都已坍塌。這個(gè)例外出現(xiàn)在一堵不厚的隔墻上，它立于房屋的中間，緊靠著我的床頭。墻體的灰泥層在很大程度上抵擋住了火焰的灼燒——我認(rèn)為這是它最近才被涂上灰泥的緣故。這堵墻周圍簇?fù)碇奂娜巳?，而很多人似乎都在?xì)致入微、求知若渴地檢查著墻的某一部分。一聲聲“奇怪！”“奇特！”以及其他近義的言辭激起了我的好奇心。我靠近，看見(jiàn)白色的表面上仿佛浮雕著一只巨大的貓，惟妙惟肖，精細(xì)絕倫。而貓的脖頸上還套著一根繩子。 When I first beheld this apparition -- for I could scarcely regard it as less -- my wonder and my terror were extreme. But at length reflection came to my aid. The cat, I remembered, had been hung in a garden adjacent to the house. Upon the alarm of fire, this garden had been immediately filled by the crowd -- by some one of whom the animal must have been cut from the tree and thrown, through an open window, into my chamber. This had probably been done with the view of arousing me from sleep. The falling of other walls had compressed the victim of my cruelty into the substance of the freshly-spread plaster; the lime of which, with the flames, and the ammonia from the carcass, had then accomplished the portraiture as I saw it. 當(dāng)我初次目睹這個(gè)離奇的形象時(shí)，我的驚訝和恐懼達(dá)到了極限，幾乎不敢注視它。但最后，我的思緒拯救了局勢(shì)。我記得，那只貓被掛在了毗連房屋的花園里。在火災(zāi)警報(bào)響起之際，花園里就立刻擠滿了人群，一定是其中某人把那只動(dòng)物從樹(shù)上割下，從敞開(kāi)的窗戶扔進(jìn)了我的房間。這大概是為了把我從睡夢(mèng)中驚醒。其余墻壁的倒塌將我殘暴之下的犧牲品壓進(jìn)了新近涂抹的灰泥里，其中的石灰遇上火焰和尸體的氨氣，成就了我眼前的這幅肖像雕繪。 Although I thus readily accounted to my reason, if not altogether to my conscience, for the startling fact just detailed, it did not the less fail to make a deep impression upon my fancy. For months I could not rid myself of the phantasm of the cat; and, during this period, there came back into my spirit a half-sentiment that seemed, but was not, remorse. I went so far as to regret the loss of the animal, and to look about me, among the vile haunts which I now habitually frequented, for another pet of the same species, and of somewhat similar appearance, with which to supply its place. 盡管我迅速地用理智而非全憑良知地去作出了正當(dāng)?shù)慕忉?，但剛才詳述的驚人事實(shí)還是在我的想象中留下了深刻的印象。長(zhǎng)連數(shù)月，我都無(wú)法擺脫那只貓的幽影。與其同時(shí)，一種隱約的傷感在我的神識(shí)深處復(fù)蘇，它似是懊悔，卻不然。我為失去了那只動(dòng)物而深深惋惜，為此我在那些日常流連的卑劣之所中環(huán)顧四周，去尋找另一只同種的寵物以取替它的位置。 One night as I sat, half stupified, in a den of more than infamy, my attention was suddenly drawn to some black object, reposing upon the head of one of the immense hogsheads of Gin, or of Rum, which constituted the chief furniture of the apartment. I had been looking steadily at the top of this hogshead for some minutes, and what now caused me surprise was the fact that I had not sooner perceived the object thereupon. I approached it, and touched it with my hand. It was a black cat -- a very large one -- fully as large as Pluto, and closely resembling him in every respect but one. Pluto had not a white hair upon any portion of his body; but this cat had a large, although indefinite splotch of white, covering nearly the whole region of the breast. 一個(gè)晚上，我?guī)捉衾愕刈谝粋€(gè)聲名狼藉的窩點(diǎn)里，突然間，我的注意力被某個(gè)黑色的物件所吸引，它靜息在組成了房間中首要裝置的其中一個(gè)琴酒或朗姆酒大桶上。這幾分鐘里我一直都在目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地看著這個(gè)酒桶，而如今我為自己未能更早地察覺(jué)到其上的物件而驚訝。我靠近，伸手撫摸它。那是一只貓，一只和普魯托的體型完全相等的大貓，幾乎在任何方面都與它精密地相似。除了一點(diǎn)，普魯托的軀體上沒(méi)有絲毫白毛，而這只貓則懷著一大片不甚分明的白色斑塊，將近覆蓋了整片胸膛。 Upon my touching him, he immediately arose, purred loudly, rubbed against my hand, and appeared delighted with my notice. This, then, was the very creature of which I was in search. I at once offered to purchase it of the landlord; but this person made no claim to it -- knew nothing of it -- had never seen it before. 當(dāng)我觸碰到他，他就頓時(shí)站起，大聲嗚叫，抵拭著我的手，我對(duì)他的關(guān)注似乎令他甚是欣喜。這便正是我所尋求之物。我立刻向房東發(fā)起購(gòu)買的提議，可對(duì)方卻否認(rèn)了對(duì)其的所有權(quán)，并聲稱對(duì)其一無(wú)所知、從所未見(jiàn)。 I continued my caresses, and, when I prepared to go home, the animal evinced a disposition to accompany me. I permitted it to do so; occasionally stooping and patting it as I proceeded. When it reached the house it domesticated itself at once, and became immediately a great favorite with my wife. 我繼續(xù)愛(ài)撫了他。當(dāng)我準(zhǔn)備回家時(shí)，這只動(dòng)物表現(xiàn)出了陪伴我的意愿，我也對(duì)之默許，在行走的過(guò)程中偶爾彎腰輕拍他幾下。到達(dá)屋宅后，他便隨即安家，很快就成為了我妻子的摯愛(ài)。 For my own part, I soon found a dislike to it arising within me. This was just the reverse of what I had anticipated; but -- I know not how or why it was -- its evident fondness for myself rather disgusted and annoyed. By slow degrees, these feelings of disgust and annoyance rose into the bitterness of hatred. I avoided the creature; a certain sense of shame, and the remembrance of my former deed of cruelty, preventing me from physically abusing it. I did not, for some weeks, strike, or otherwise violently ill use it; but gradually -- very gradually -- I came to look upon it with unutterable loathing, and to flee silently from its odious presence, as from the breath of a pestilence. 至于我，我很快就察覺(jué)到一種源自內(nèi)心的反感。這恰與我所期望的相反，不知怎的，他對(duì)我那不言而喻的喜愛(ài)令我有幾分厭煩和氣惱。而這些厭惡和惱怒的感覺(jué)逐步升級(jí)成苦澀的憎恨。我躲避著這只畜生，某種羞愧感和以往殘忍惡行的記憶阻止著我去虐待它。持續(xù)了數(shù)周，我都沒(méi)有擊打或以別的方式虐待它。但漸漸地——十分緩進(jìn)地——我開(kāi)始以一種說(shuō)不出的嫌惡鄙夷著它，像是逃避瘟疫一般悄無(wú)聲息地從它那可憎的所在之處逃開(kāi)。 What added, no doubt, to my hatred of the beast, was the discovery, on the morning after I brought it home, that, like Pluto, it also had been deprived of one of its eyes. This circumstance, however, only endeared it to my wife, who, as I have already said, possessed, in a high degree, that humanity of feeling which had once been my distinguishing trait, and the source of many of my simplest and purest pleasures. 令我更添恨意的是，在帶它回家的次日早晨，我發(fā)現(xiàn)它也和普魯托一樣被剝?nèi)チ艘恢谎劬?。無(wú)論如何，它的此等際遇也只令我的妻子對(duì)它更加憐愛(ài)。我也已提到過(guò)，她懷有一顆充滿同情的仁心，那也曾一度是我顯著的特征，也是我許多簡(jiǎn)單且純粹的快樂(lè)之來(lái)源。 With my aversion to this cat, however, its partiality for myself seemed to increase. It followed my footsteps with a pertinacity which it would be difficult to make the reader comprehend. Whenever I sat, it would crouch beneath my chair, or spring upon my knees, covering me with its loathsome caresses. If I arose to walk it would get between my feet and thus nearly throw me down, or, fastening its long and sharp claws in my dress, clamber, in this manner, to my breast. At such times, although I longed to destroy it with a blow, I was yet withheld from so doing, partly by a memory of my former crime, but chiefly -- let me confess it at once -- by absolute dread of the beast. 然而，隨著我對(duì)這只貓的憎惡，它對(duì)我的偏愛(ài)似乎反而增加。它會(huì)以一種讓人難以理解的執(zhí)拗跟著我的腳步。而每當(dāng)我坐下，它便蹲伏在我的椅子下，或跳上我的膝蓋，可憎地摩挲著覆蓋在我肢體上。我若起身行走，它就會(huì)擋在我兩腿之間，幾乎要將我絆倒。又或者，用它那長(zhǎng)而鋒利的爪子緊緊扣入我的衣裳，以此攀上我的胸膛。有那么好幾次，盡管我很想將它一擊滅殺，但都被抑制住了，一部分是因?yàn)槲覍?duì)以往罪行的回憶，但我現(xiàn)在就坦白吧，最主要的，是因?yàn)槲覍?duì)這頭野獸絕對(duì)地畏懼。 This dread was not exactly a dread of physical evil -- and yet I should be at a loss how otherwise to define it. I am almost ashamed to own -- yes, even in this felon's cell, I am almost ashamed to own -- that the terror and horror with which the animal inspired me, had been heightened by one of the merest chim?ras it would be possible to conceive. My wife had called my attention, more than once, to the character of the mark of white hair, of which I have spoken, and which constituted the sole visible difference between the strange beast and the one I had destroyed. The reader will remember that this mark, although large, had been originally very indefinite; but, by slow degrees -- degrees nearly imperceptible, and which for a long time my Reason struggled to reject as fanciful -- it had, at length, assumed a rigorous distinctness of outline. It was now the representation of an object that I shudder to name -- and for this, above all, I loathed, and dreaded, and would have rid myself of the monster had I dared -- it was now, I say, the image of a hideous -- of a ghastly thing -- of the GALLOWS ! -- oh, mournful and terrible engine of Horror and of Crime -- of Agony and of Death ! 這種恐懼并非完全是一種對(duì)有形邪惡的恐懼，而我仍惘惑著該如何去闡明。我?guī)缀跻獮樽约罕荒侵粍?dòng)物所激發(fā)的驚恐和畏懼而羞恥，是的，即使被困在這重罪的牢籠里，我仍為懷有那種被人類所能構(gòu)思出的最為虛緲的妄想之一所增幅的恐懼而感到羞恥。我的妻子不止一次地引起了我對(duì)曾提及的那塊白毛印記的注意，它構(gòu)成了這只陌生的野獸與我滅殺的那只之間唯一的視覺(jué)差異。讀者們應(yīng)該記得，這塊印記盡管很大，但原本十分模糊。它以一種微不可察的緩慢變化著，并且在很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間里，我的理智都在掙扎著抗拒這個(gè)變化，視之為臆想。終于，它呈現(xiàn)出了明晰的輪廓。現(xiàn)在，它成為了一件光是說(shuō)出其名就讓我戰(zhàn)栗之物的象征。因此，我最首要的感受便是厭惡和恐懼，想要擺脫那個(gè)如今呈現(xiàn)出來(lái)可憎而陰森的絞架之形，擺脫那只承載著恐懼與罪惡、痛苦與死亡之刑具的怪物，悲哀而可怕的怪物！ And now was I indeed wretched beyond the wretchedness of mere Humanity. And a brute beast -- whose fellow I had contemptuously destroyed -- a brute beast to work out for me -- for me a man, fashioned in the image of the High God -- so much of insufferable wo! Alas! neither by day nor by night knew I the blessing of Rest any more! During the former the creature left me no moment alone; and, in the latter, I started, hourly, from dreams of unutterable fear, to find the hot breath of the thing upon my face, and its vast weight -- an incarnate Night-Mare that I had no power to shake off -- incumbent eternally upon my heart ! 現(xiàn)在，我的悲慘超越了人類所能承受的不幸。還有一只野獸般的畜生，我曾輕蔑地屠戮過(guò)它的同胞，而令人難以忍受的它，也正待著我——一個(gè)人類、以至高天神的形象塑造的人類去解決。吁！唉！無(wú)論日夜，我都再不可安憩！在白天，那只生物不留我片刻獨(dú)處時(shí)光，而在夜晚，在不可言說(shuō)的噩夢(mèng)中，我開(kāi)始察覺(jué)到臉龐上拂過(guò)一陣溽熱的吐息，還感受到一股巨大的重量，它們來(lái)自一個(gè)我無(wú)力擺脫的夢(mèng)魘化身——正永恒地盤踞在我的心臟之上！ Beneath the pressure of torments such as these, the feeble remnant of the good within me succumbed. Evil thoughts became my sole intimates -- the darkest and most evil of thoughts. The moodiness of my usual temper increased to hatred of all things and of all mankind; while, from the sudden, frequent, and ungovernable outbursts of a fury to which I now blindly abandoned myself, my uncomplaining wife, alas! was the most usual and the most patient of sufferers. 在諸如此般的折磨壓迫之下，我內(nèi)心殘余那脆弱的善良也隨即垮塌。那些邪惡的思緒——最黑暗最惡毒的思緒，成為了我唯一的密友。我平時(shí)喜怒無(wú)常的脾性惡化成了對(duì)萬(wàn)物以及全人類的憎恨，與此同時(shí)，我會(huì)頻繁地在突然間放縱自己，毫無(wú)緣由地對(duì)我那從無(wú)怨言的妻子爆發(fā)出不可抑制的狂怒。唉！她便是我最尋常、也是最為忍耐的受害者。 One day she accompanied me, upon some household errand, into the cellar of the old building which our poverty compelled us to inhabit. The cat followed me down the steep stairs, and, nearly throwing me headlong, exasperated me to madness. Uplifting an axe, and forgetting, in my wrath, the childish dread which had hitherto stayed my hand, I aimed a blow at the animal which, of course, would have proved instantly fatal had it descended as I wished. But this blow was arrested by the hand of my wife. Goaded, by the interference, into a rage more than demoniacal, I withdrew my arm from her grasp and buried the axe in her brain. She fell dead upon the spot, without a groan. 有一天，她陪同我去處理一些家庭事務(wù)，進(jìn)入了一幢我們因貧困而被迫入住的老房子的地窖里。那只貓跟隨我走下陡峭的樓梯，差點(diǎn)把我頭朝前地摔下去，我頓時(shí)惱怒若癲。我舉起斧頭，在憤怒中忘掉了至今仍留駐在我手上的微弱的恐懼，瞄準(zhǔn)了那只動(dòng)物。當(dāng)然，如果斧頭像我希望那般揮動(dòng)下去，那它將會(huì)是當(dāng)場(chǎng)斃命。這一擊卻被我妻子的手所阻擋。我被她的干涉激怒，在一陣遠(yuǎn)甚于著魔的暴怒之中，我把手臂從她的緊握里抽出并將斧頭嵌入了她的大腦。她倒地身亡，沒(méi)有一聲呻吟。 This hideous murder accomplished, I set myself forthwith, and with entire deliberation, to the task of concealing the body. I knew that I could not remove it from the house, either by day or by night, without the risk of being observed by the neighbors. Many projects entered my mind. At one period I thought of cutting the corpse into minute fragments, and destroying them by fire. At another, I resolved to dig a grave for it in the floor of the cellar. Again, I deliberated about casting it in the well in the yard -- about packing it in a box, as if merchandize, with the usual arrangements, and so getting a porter to take it from the house. Finally I hit upon what I considered a far better expedient than either of these. I determined to wall it up in the cellar -- as the monks of the middle ages are recorded to have walled up their victims. 完成這樁可惡的謀殺后，我毫不猶豫并深思熟慮地著手隱藏尸體。我知道，不管是在白天還是黑夜，我都無(wú)法在不承擔(dān)被鄰居目擊的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)下將它移出房屋。繁多的計(jì)劃涌上心頭。有一段時(shí)間里，我思考著要把尸體剁成極小的碎片，并用火焰焚毀。在另一會(huì)兒，我下定決心要在地窖的地板下挖掘一座墓穴。再然后，我又考慮拋尸于后院的水井。又或者，把它打包進(jìn)一個(gè)箱子里，偽裝成商品，普普通通地安排來(lái)一個(gè)搬運(yùn)工，將它運(yùn)出房舍。終于，我突然想到一個(gè)遠(yuǎn)妙于其它方案的權(quán)宜之計(jì)。我決定將它封在地窖的墻里，正如紀(jì)錄里的中世紀(jì)僧侶將他們的受害者藏入墻內(nèi)。 For a purpose such as this the cellar was well adapted. Its walls were loosely constructed, and had lately been plastered throughout with a rough plaster, which the dampness of the atmosphere had prevented from hardening. Moreover, in one of the walls was a projection, caused by a false chimney, or fireplace, that had been filled up, and made to resemble the rest of the cellar. I made no doubt that I could readily displace the bricks at this point, insert the corpse, and wall the whole up as before, so that no eye could detect any thing suspicious. 地窖跟這樣的計(jì)劃可謂十分適配。它的墻體筑構(gòu)疏松，最近也被涂遍了粗糙的灰泥，而潮濕的空氣阻止著灰泥硬化。此外，其中一堵墻中有一塊是凸出的，大概由假煙囪或者壁爐造成，它被填平以看起來(lái)與其它部分的墻體相似。我毫不懷疑我此時(shí)此刻便能輕而易舉地卸下磚塊，把尸體嵌進(jìn)去，再像之前一樣把墻封上。這樣一來(lái)，就不會(huì)有任何一只眼睛可以探查到絲毫可疑之處。 And in this calculation I was not deceived. By means of a crow-bar I easily dislodged the bricks, and, having carefully deposited the body against the inner wall, I propped it in that position, while, with little trouble, I re-laid the whole structure as it originally stood. Having procured mortar, sand, and hair, with every possible precaution, I prepared a plaster which could not be distinguished from the old, and with this I very carefully went over the new brick-work. When I had finished, I felt satisfied that all was right. The wall did not present the slightest appearance of having been disturbed. The rubbish on the floor was picked up with the minutest care. I looked around triumphantly, and said to myself -- "Here at least, then, my labor has not been in vain." 我的估算并未出錯(cuò)。憑借一根撬棍，我輕易地移除了那些磚塊，小心翼翼地將尸體抵著內(nèi)墻放置。我一邊支撐著它，讓它倚靠在那個(gè)位置上，一邊不費(fèi)勞煩地就將整個(gè)墻體結(jié)構(gòu)重新鋪砌回原本的模樣。我買來(lái)了灰漿、沙子、動(dòng)物毛發(fā)，在做好了所有能做的預(yù)防措施后，我制備了一些與先前的那種別無(wú)二致的灰泥，并一絲不茍地把它們覆抹在新砌的磚塊上。當(dāng)我完工后，我感到了一種萬(wàn)無(wú)一失般的心滿意足。這堵墻沒(méi)有展露出哪怕最細(xì)微的被移改過(guò)的痕跡。地板上的廢料也都被我無(wú)微不及地拾起。我凱旋般地環(huán)顧四周，并對(duì)自己說(shuō)道：“既然如此了，至少我的努力并沒(méi)有白費(fèi)?！?My next step was to look for the beast which had been the cause of so much wretchedness; for I had, at length, firmly resolved to put it to death. Had I been able to meet with it, at the moment, there could have been no doubt of its fate; but it appeared that the crafty animal had been alarmed at the violence of my previous anger, and forbore to present itself in my present mood. It is impossible to describe, or to imagine, the deep, the blissful sense of relief which the absence of the detested creature occasioned in my bosom. It did not make its appearance during the night -- and thus for one night at least, since its introduction into the house, I soundly and tranquilly slept; aye, slept even with the burden of murder upon my soul! 我的下一步便是去尋找那只野獸——它一直就是諸多不幸的因由，而我終于堅(jiān)定決心要置之死地。如果我當(dāng)時(shí)能碰見(jiàn)它，它的命運(yùn)就會(huì)毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)地終結(jié)。但顯然這只狡猾的動(dòng)物一直在警惕著我先前那怒火噴薄的暴行，避免了在我當(dāng)前的心境下現(xiàn)身。無(wú)法去描述或想象由于那只可憎生物的離場(chǎng)而在內(nèi)心煥發(fā)的寬慰，那種深徹靈魂的極樂(lè)快感。在整個(gè)夜間，它也并未出現(xiàn)。也正因如此，從它進(jìn)入家門算起，我至少能有一晚可以酣暢寧和地安睡了。哎，是的，我安睡著，即使謀殺的重荷仍壓在我的靈魂上！ The second and the third day passed, and still my tormentor came not. Once again I breathed as a freeman. The monster, in terror, had fled the premises forever! I should behold it no more! My happiness was supreme! The guilt of my dark deed disturbed me but little. Some few inquiries had been made, but these had been readily answered. Even a search had been instituted -- but of course nothing was to be discovered. I looked upon my future felicity as secured. 第二和第三天過(guò)去了，而我的那只折磨者仍未到來(lái)。再一次地，我像一個(gè)自由民一般呼吸。那只怪物已在驚慌中永遠(yuǎn)地逃離了這幢房屋！我再也不用目視它！我的愉悅到達(dá)了無(wú)上之巔！對(duì)那些黑暗行徑的罪惡感仍煩擾著我，但也只是微不足道。人們對(duì)我進(jìn)行了幾次訊問(wèn)，但都被我輕易地答上了。他們甚至還發(fā)起一次搜查，不過(guò)當(dāng)然也未能發(fā)現(xiàn)些什么。我展望未來(lái)，幸福已是既定。 Upon the fourth day of the assassination, a party of the police came, very unexpectedly, into the house, and proceeded again to make rigorous investigation of the premises. Secure, however, in the inscrutability of my place of concealment, I felt no embarrassment whatever. The officers bade me accompany them in their search. They left no nook or corner unexplored. At length, for the third or fourth time, they descended into the cellar. I quivered not in a muscle. My heart beat calmly as that of one who slumbers in innocence. I walked the cellar from end to end. I folded my arms upon my bosom, and roamed easily to and fro. The police were thoroughly satisfied and prepared to depart. The glee at my heart was too strong to be restrained. I burned to say if but one word, by way of triumph, and to render doubly sure their assurance of my guiltlessness. 在這起暗中謀殺的第四天，一隊(duì)警察出乎意料地來(lái)到屋舍內(nèi)，繼續(xù)進(jìn)行著縝密的調(diào)查。然而，在那藏密之處隱秘莫測(cè)的保護(hù)下，無(wú)論如何我都未覺(jué)窘迫。警員們要求我陪同搜索，他們沒(méi)有落下一個(gè)角落和隱蔽點(diǎn)。最后，在第三或第四次地，他們下了地窖。我如同沉睡中的無(wú)辜者一般，心臟平穩(wěn)地跳動(dòng)著，也沒(méi)有任何一絲肌肉在顫抖。我從地窖的一端走向另一端，雙臂交疊在胸前，閑適地徘徊、漫步著。警察算是徹底地滿意了，并準(zhǔn)備離開(kāi)。我心中的喜悅強(qiáng)烈得難以抑制。我熱切地想要吐那么一個(gè)單詞，能以勝利的姿態(tài)表達(dá)出我十足的把握——他們確信了我的無(wú)辜。 "Gentlemen," I said at last, as the party ascended the steps, "I delight to have allayed your suspicions. I wish you all health, and a little more courtesy. By the bye, gentlemen, this -- this is a very well constructed house." (In the rabid desire to say something easily, I scarcely knew what I uttered at all.) -- "I may say an excellently well constructed house. These walls -- are you going, gentlemen? -- these walls are solidly put together;" and here, through the mere phrenzy of bravado, I rapped heavily, with a cane which I held in my hand, upon that very portion of the brick-work behind which stood the corpse of the wife of my bosom. “先生們，”在最后，當(dāng)警隊(duì)登上階梯的時(shí)候，我說(shuō)道，“我很高興能夠減輕你們的懷疑。我希望你們?nèi)忌眢w健康，并再獻(xiàn)上我微薄的恭維。順帶一提，這… 這可是一幢構(gòu)筑優(yōu)良的房子?！痹诩鼻械叵胍S意說(shuō)些什么的渴望之下，我也不知道自己到底在說(shuō)什么?！拔疑踔恋谜f(shuō)是一幢構(gòu)筑絕佳的房子。你們看這些墻… 你們要走了嗎，先生們？這些墻是可是堅(jiān)實(shí)相契的?！币苍诖藭r(shí)，通過(guò)一種純粹是瘋狂的逞強(qiáng)與冒險(xiǎn)的沖動(dòng)，我用把握著的手杖重重地敲擊在我胸前的那片墻磚上，而我妻子的尸體正恰恰地立于其后。 But may God shield and deliver me from the fangs of the Arch-Fiend ! No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence, than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb! -- by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman -- a howl -- a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from the throats of the damned in their agony and of the demons that exult in the damnation. 但愿上帝會(huì)從魔王的毒牙中保護(hù)和拯救我！我敲擊的回響剛一沉寂，一道從墳?zāi)估飩鞒龅穆曇舯慊貞?yīng)了我！是一聲哭號(hào)，它最初沉悶而破碎，就像孩童的啜泣，隨即很快就高漲成一聲悠長(zhǎng)、響亮并連續(xù)不斷的尖嘯，怪異反常，絕非人類所能發(fā)出。那是一聲嗥叫，一聲刺耳的哀鳴，一半是恐懼，一半是狂喜，如同只可能源自地獄的聲音，從痛苦的受難者與在詛咒中歡舞的惡魔的喉嚨齊聲飆響。 Of my own thoughts it is folly to speak. Swooning, I staggered to the opposite wall. For one instant the party upon the stairs remained motionless, through extremity of terror and of awe. In the next, a dozen stout arms were toiling at the wall. It fell bodily. The corpse, already greatly decayed and clotted with gore, stood erect before the eyes of the spectators. Upon its head, with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire, sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing voice had consigned me to the hangman. I had walled the monster up within the tomb! 談?wù)撟约旱南敕ㄊ怯薮赖?。在暈眩中，我蹣跚地走向?qū)γ娴膲w。一時(shí)間，樓梯上那伙人出于極度的恐懼和敬畏而動(dòng)彈不得。而接下來(lái)，十幾只壯實(shí)的手臂就已在墻邊勞苦地工作著。整面墻倒塌了下來(lái)。尸體已經(jīng)重度腐爛，覆滿凝結(jié)的血，僵直地立在眾人眼前。在它的頭上，蹲坐著那只可憎的野獸，正張著血紅的大嘴和充滿怒火的獨(dú)眼。是它的詭計(jì)誘使我淪為兇手，是它的呼號(hào)告發(fā)了我，把我送到絞刑者的手中。我把那怪物封進(jìn)了墳?zāi)估铮?