5附带单词表17元爱伦坡恐怖故事American Horror.docx
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5附带单词表17元爱伦坡恐怖故事AmericanHorror
AmericanHorror
(ThreeTerrifyingTales)
byEdgarAllanPoe
Contents
TheBlackCat3
ChapterOne3
ChapterTwo4
ChapterThree6
TheOvalPortrait7
ChapterOne8
ChapterTwo8
TheTell-taleHeart9
ChapterOne9
ChapterTwo10
ChapterThree15
TheBlackCat
ChapterOne
Idonotthinkpeoplewillbelievemystory.ButIamnotmad,andIamnotdreaming.TomorrowIwilldieandIwanttomakeaconfession.TheeventswhichIamgoingtodescribeherehaveterrifiedme,havetorturedme,havedestroyedme.Tometheyseemedhorribleandsupernatural,butperhapssomebodywhoiscalmerandmorerationalwillfindalogicalexplanation.Thisismystory.
Iwasaverykindandgentlechildwholovedanimals.AsIgrewupthisloveforanimalsbecamegreater.Thisiseasytounderstand:
itisdifficulttotrustpeople,butyoucanalwaystrustafaithfuldog.
ImarriedwhenIwasyoungandmywifelikedanimalstoo.Wehadbirds,gold-fish,adog,rabbits,asmallmonkey,andacat.Thiscatwasquitelarge,beautiful,completelyblackandextremelyintelligent.Infact,mywifesometimessaidthatourcatwasprobablyawitchindisguise.Shewasnotreallyseriousaboutthis,andImentionitnowonlybecausebychanceIrememberit.Pluto—thiswasthecat'sname—wasmyfavoritepetandplaymate.Hefollowedmeeverywhere.
Unfortunately,Ibecameavictimofalcohol.Idrankmoreandmore.Ofcourse,mypersonalitychanged.Ibecamemoodyandirritablewithmywifeandpets.Atthebeginning,though,IrespectedPlutoandneverhurthim.ButonenightIreturnedhomeveryintoxicated.IthoughtthatPlutowasavoidingme.Iheldhimviolentlyandinhisfrightthecatbitmyhand.Ibecamefurious.Iwaspossessedbyademon.Icaughtthecatagain.ThenItookapocket-knifefrommypocket,openeditandcutouthiseye!
Iblush,IburnwhileInowwritethesefacts.ThenextdayIfelthorrorformyaction,butIcontinuedtodrink,andwinemademeforgetthehorriblethingIhaddone.
Thecatgotbetter.TheemptyeyesocketIwasfrightening,butthecatwasnolongerinpain.Hewentaboutthehouseasusual,but,obviously,heranawayfrommeinterror.AtfirstIwassorryaboutthis,butsoonitmademeangry.AndthencamethespiritofPERVERSENESS.Philosophydoesnottalkaboutthisspirit,butitisafundamentalpartofthehumanheart.Wehavealldonestupidorterriblethingssimplybecauseweknowthatweshouldnotdothem.This,then,isPERVERSENESS.
Thisspiritofperverseness,Isay,destroyedmebecauseonedayIdecidedtokillpoorPluto.WithtearsinmyeyesandsadnessinmyheartIputanoosearoundhisneckandhangedhimfromatree.IhangedPlutoonlybecauseIknewhelovedme,onlybecausehehadneverhurtme,onlybecauseIknewthatGodwouldneverpardonmeforthecrime.
ChapterTwo
Thenightofthiscrimetherewasafireinmyhouse.Mywife,myservantandIjustmanagedtoescape.MyentirewealthwasdestroyedinthefireandIlostallhope.Idonotwanttosaythatthereisaconnectionbetweenmycrimeandthefire.Ionlywanttorecordthefactsofmystory.
ThedayafterthefireIwenttovisittheruinsofmyhouse.Onlyonewallremained,andaroundthiswallwasagroupofpeople.Theyweresayingthingslike"strange!
","singular!
".Iwentcloserandsawastrangebas-reliefonthewall,thefigureofagiganticcat.Theimagewasextremelyaccurate.Therewasaropeabouttheanimal'sneck.
WhenIfirstsawtheimageofthecatIwasterrified,butIthoughtaboutitandfoundagoodexplanation.Ihadhungthecatinthegardennexttomyhouse.Whenthefirebegan,thisgardenwasfilledupwithpeople.Somebodyprobablythrewthecatintomybedroomwindowinordertowakeme.Theotherwallsofthehousefellinandpressedthebodyofthecatagainstthiswall.Thegreatheatofthefireandachemicalreactionthenmadetheimage.
AlthoughIhadalogicalexplanation,thatbas-reliefmadeagreatimpressiononmyimagination.FormonthsIcouldnotescapethephantasmofthecat.Ieventriedtofindanothercattosubstituteit.Then,onenightinabar,Isawablackobjectontopofsomehogsheadsofrum.Ilookedcloser.Itwasalargeblackcat.ItwasalmostidenticaltoPlutoexceptithadanindistinctwhiteareaonitsbreast.Icaressedthecatanditimmediatelygotupandpurred.Itwashappy.ThiswastheanimalIwaslookingfor.IaskedthebartenderifIcouldbuyit.Hesaidthatitwasnothis.IcontinuedtocaressthecatandwhenIleftthebar,thecatfollowedmehome.
Mywifelikedthiscatverymuch.ButIbegantodislikeit.IhadthoughtthatIwouldbehappierwithanewcat.Instead,theaffectionofthecatonlydisgustedme.Andslowlythisdisgustbecamehatred.IavoideditbecauseIfeltsomeshameforkillingPlutoandIdidnotwanttohurtittoo.Inaddition,thiscat,justlikePluto,hadonlyoneeye.
However,themoreIhatedthiscat,themoreitfollowedme.Itisdifficulttoexplainhowterriblethiswas.WhenIsatdownitwouldjumponmylegsandcovermewithhorriblecaresses.WhenIgotuptowalkitwasbetweenmylegsandIwouldalmostfall.ThismademesoangrythatIwantedtokillit,butIwasstopped-notbythememoryofmyfirstcrime-butbyabsolutedreadofthebeast.
Thisdreadwasnotexactlyadreadofphysicalevil,butIdonotknowhowtodefineit.Iamalmostashamedtoadmit—asIwaithereinmyprisoncell—thatmyterrorwascausedbysomethingincrediblyinsubstantial.Mywifehadoftentalkedabouttheindistinctwhitepatchonthecat’sbreast,theonlydifferencebetweenhimandPluto.Butthisindistinctwhitepatchgraduallybecamedistinct.ItriedtoignorewhatIsaw.Isaidtomyselfthatitwasjustmyimagination.ButthisdistinctimagewastherealreasonwhyIdidnotdarehurtthebeast.ItwasanimagethatIfeared.ItwastheimageoftheGALLOWS!
ThatterribleinstrumentofHorrorandofCrime—ofAgonyandofdeath!
ChapterThree
OhhowIsuffered!
Youcannotimagine.Ihadkilledabrutebeast,andnowanotherbrutebeastwasdestroyingme.DayornightIcouldnotrest.Duringthedaythecreatureneverleftmealone,andatnightIwokeuphourlyfromterribledreamswiththatthingonmyface.Itwasalivingnightmarealwaysthereinmyheart.
Allmygoodthoughtshadgone.Evilthoughtsfilledmybrain.Ibegantohateallthingsandallmankind.Mywife,Iamsorrytosay,sufferedthemost.
Onedaywehadtogodownintothecellar.Thecatwentbetweenmylegs.Ialmostfell.Ibecamefurious.Igrabbedanaxeandtriedtokilltheanimal,butmywifeblockedmyarm.
ThismademeevenmorefuriousandIliftedtheaxeagainandburieditinherbrain.Shefelldeadimmediately,withoutagroan.
Ihadmurderedher.NowIhadtoeliminatethebody.Thereweremanypossibilities.Icouldcutthebodyintolittlepiecesandthenburnthem,orIcouldburyit.
Finally,Idecidedtoputitinsidethewallofthecellar.Therewasaprojectioninthewall.Ipulledoutthebrickswithacrowbar.IputthebodyinthereandthenIcarefullyputbackthebricks.Nobodycouldseethedifference.Itwasperfect.
ThenIwenttolookforthecattokillittoo.Butthebeasthadescaped.Ididnotseeitthatnight.IwasfinallyfreeofitstormentandthatnightIslepttranquilly,evenifIhadjustkilledmywife.
Thesecondandthethirddaypassed.Themonsterdidnotreturn.Myhappinesswassupreme.Thepolicecameandsearchedthehouse,but,ofcourse,theyfoundnothing.Iwouldbehappyforever!
Thenonthefourthdaythepolicecameagain.Theytoldmetocomewiththemwhiletheysearchedthehouse.Theywentdownintothecellaragainandfoundnothing.IwassohappythatIwantedtosaysomething.IwantedtoshowthatIwasreallynotguilty.
"Gentlemen,"Ifinallysaid,"Iamgladthatyouhavenomoresuspicions.Oh,bythebye,isn'tthisawellconstructedhouse.(NowIcan'treallyrememberwhatIsaid.)Infact,Ithinkit'sanexcellentlywellconstructedhouse.Thesewalls—areyougoing,gentlemen?
—arereallysolid."TheninthatmomentIhitthewallswithmycane.
MayGodprotectme!
Thenoiseofmycanewasansweredbyavoicefromthetomb!
Atfirst,thevoicewasdifficulttohear.Itwaslikeachildcrying.Thenitbecamelouderandlouder.Onelong,loud,andcontinuousscream,completelyinhumanthatcamedirectlyfromhell!
ForamomentthepoliceandIdidnotmove.Butthentheyeasilyopenedthewall.Thereinsidewasthestandingcorpse,alreadygreatlydecayedandcoveredwithblood.Onthecorpse'shead,withitsredmouthopenandoneeye,wasthebeast,thebeastthathadmadememurdermywife.Andnowthatmonsterhadgivenmetothehangman.Ihadwalledthemonsterupwithinthetomb!
TheOvalPortrait
ChapterOne
MyvaletPedroandIweretravelingthroughtheApennineMountainsinItaly.Iwasbadlyhurtandhadahighfever.Wefinallysawaverystrangeandgloomycastlethathadbeenrecentlyabandoned.Itwasthekindofcastlethatyoucanreadaboutincertainoldnovelsaboutghosts.PedroknewthatIcouldn'tremainoutsideinmycondition,sohedecidedtobreakintothecastle.
Whenhehadbrokenin,hetookmetoasmallroominaturretofthecastle.Thisroomhadmanyveryoldpaintings,tapestriesandarms.Therewerealsomanyspiritedmodernpaintings.Ilookedcloselyatthemall.Theyfascinatedmegreatly,perhapsbecauseIwasdeliriousfromthefever.Ialsofoundabookthattoldthestoryofeachofthepaintingsintheroom.
PedrolitthecandlesofalargecandelabrumandIbegantocontemplateeachpieceofartinthisbizarreroom.Ilayinmyb