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'The Fall of the House of Usher,' by Edgar Allan Poe, Part Two

时间:2017-02-26 15:59来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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We present the second of three parts of the short story "The Fall of the House of Usher1," by Edgar Allan Poe. The story was originally2 adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State.

Roderick Usher, whom I had known3 as a boy, was now ill and had asked me to come to help him. When I arrived I felt something strange and fearful4 about the great old stone house, about the lake in front of it, and about Usher himself. He appeared not like a human being, but like a spirit that had come back from beyond the grave5. It was an illness, he said, from which he would surely6 die. He called his sickness fear. “I have,” he said, “no fear of pain, but only the fear of its result — of terror7. I feel that the time will soon arrive when I must lose my life, and my mind, and my soul, together, in some last battle with that horrible8 enemy: fear!”

I learned9 also, but slowly, and through broken words with doubtful10 meaning, another strange fact about the condition of Usher’s mind. He had certain sick fears about the house in which he lived, and he had not stepped out of it for many years. He felt that the house, with its gray walls and the quiet lake around it, had somehow through the long years gotten a strong hold on his spirit.

He said, however, that much of the gloom which lay so heavily on him was probably caused by something more plainly to be seen — by the long-continued illness — indeed, the coming death — of a dearly loved sister — his only company for many years. Except for himself, she was the last member of his family on earth. “When she dies,” he said, with a sadness which I can never forget, “when she dies, I will be the last of the old, old family — the House of Usher.”

While he spoke11, the lady Madeline (for so she was called) passed slowly through a distant part of the room, and without seeing that I was there, went on. I looked at her with a complete and wondering surprise and with some fear — and yet I found I could not explain to myself such feelings. My eyes followed her. When she came to a door and it closed behind her, my eyes turned to the face of her brother — but he had put his face in his hands, and I could see only that the thin fingers through which his tears were flowing were whiter than ever before.

The illness of the lady Madeline had long been beyond the help of her doctors. She seemed to care about nothing. Slowly her body had grown thin and weak, and often for a short period she would fall into a sleep like the sleep of the dead. So far she had not been forced to stay in bed; but by the evening of the day I arrived at the house, the power of her destroyer (as her brother told me that night) was too strong for her. I learned that my one sight of her would probably be the last I would have — that the lady, at least while living, would be seen by me no more.

For several days following, her name was not spoken by either Usher or myself; and during this period I was busy with efforts to lift my friend out of his sadness and gloom. We painted and read together; or listened, as if in a dream, to the wild music he played. And so, as a warmer and more loving friendship grew between us, I saw more clearly the uselessness of all attempts to bring happiness to a mind from which only darkness came, spreading upon all objects in the world its never-ending gloom.

I shall always remember the hours I spent with the master of the House of Usher. Yet I would fail in any attempt to give an idea of the true character of the things we did together. There was a strange light over everything. The paintings which he made me tremble12, though I know not why. To tell of them is beyond the power of written words. If ever a man painted an idea, that man was Roderick Usher. For me at least there came out of his pictures a sense of fear and wonder.

One of these pictures may be told, although weakly, in words. It showed the inside of a room where the dead might be placed, with low walls, white and plain. It seemed to be very deep under the earth. There was no door, no window; and no light or fire burned; yet a river of light flowed through it, filling it with a horrible, ghastly brightness13.

I have spoken of that sickly condition of the senses, which made most music painful for Usher to hear. The notes he could listen to with pleasure were very few. It was this fact, perhaps, that made the music he played so different from most music. But the wild beauty of his playing could not be explained.

The words of one of his songs, called “The Haunted14 Palace,” I have easily remembered. In it I thought I saw, and for the first time, that Usher knew very well that his mind was weakening15. This song told of a great house where a king lived — a palace — in a green valley, where all was light and color and beauty, and the air was sweet. In the palace were two bright windows through which people in that happy valley could hear music and could see smiling ghosts — spirits — moving around the king. The palace door was of the richest materials, in red and white; through it came other spirits whose only duty was to sing in their beautiful voices about how wise their king was.

But a dark change came, the song continued, and now those who enter the valley see through the windows, in a red light, shapes that move to broken music; while through the door, now colorless, a ghastly river of ghosts, laughing but no longer smiling, rushes out forever.

Our talk of this song led to another strange idea in Usher’s mind. He believed that plants could feel and think, and not only plants, but rocks and water as well. He believed that the gray stones of his house, and the small plants growing on the stones, and the decaying16 trees, had a power over him that made him what he was.

Our books — the books which, for years, had fed the sick man’s mind — were, as might be supposed, of this same wild character. Some of these books Usher sat and studied for hours. His chief delight17 was found in reading one very old book, written for some forgotten church, telling of the Watch over the Dead.

At last, one evening he told me that the lady Madeline was alive no more. He said he was going to keep her body for a time in one of the many vaults19 inside the walls of the building. The worldly reason he gave for this was one with which I felt I had to agree. He had decided20 to do this because of the nature of her illness, because of the strange interest and questions of her doctors, and because of the great distance to the graveyard21 where members of his family were placed in the earth.

We two carried her body to its resting place. The vault18 in which we placed it was small and dark, and in ages past it must have seen strange and bloody22 scenes. It lay deep below that part of the building where I myself slept. The thick door was of iron23, and because of its great weight made a loud, hard sound when it was opened and closed. As we placed the lady Madeline in this room of horror24 I saw for the first time the great likeness25 between brother and sister, and Usher told me then that they were twins — they had been born on the same day. For that reason the understanding between them had always been great, and the tie that held them together very strong.

We looked down at the dead face one last time, and I was filled with wonder. As she lay there, the lady Madeline looked not dead but asleep — still soft and warm — though to the touch cold as the stones around us.

Words in This Story

grave – n. a hole in the ground for burying a dead body

doubtful – adj. uncertain or unsure about something

tremble – v. to shake slightly because you are afraid, nervous, or excited

ghastly – adj. very shocking26 or horrible

palace – n. the official home of a king, queen, president, or other official

ghost – n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people

church – n. a building that is used for Christian27 religious28 services

vault – n. a locked room where money or valuable things are kept

graveyard – n. a place where people are buried; cemetery29

horror – n. a very strong feeling of fear, dread, and shock


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 usher sK2zJ     
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员
参考例句:
  • The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
  • They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。
2 originally dJCxl     
adv.本来,原来,最初,就起源而论,独创地
参考例句:
  • Originally I didn't want to go.我本意不想去。
  • After much discussion they settled on the plan originally proposed.他们讨论了很久,然后确定了原来提出的那个计划。
3 known hpKzdc     
adj.大家知道的;知名的,已知的
参考例句:
  • He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
  • He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。
4 fearful tksxs     
adj.惧怕的,担心的;可怕的,吓人的
参考例句:
  • What a fearful waste of time!简直太浪费时间了!
  • They are fearful of another business depression.他们担心会再次发生商业萧条。
5 grave EeCz3     
n.墓穴,坟墓,雕刻工,抑音;adj.庄重的,严肃的,重大的,低沉的;vt.雕刻
参考例句:
  • Marriage is the grave of love.婚姻是爱情的坟墓。
  • This is a very grave matter indeed.这问题的确非常严重。
6 surely yrRwj     
adv.确实地,无疑地;必定地,一定地
参考例句:
  • It'should surely be possible for them to reach an agreement.想必他们可以达成协议。
  • Surely we'll profit from your work.我们肯定会从你的工作中得到益处。
7 terror dI9z3     
n.恐怖;可怖的人(事)
参考例句:
  • We were in mortal terror of being found out. 我们非常害怕被发现。
  • That guy is a proper terror. 那家伙真是讨厌。
8 horrible drazZt     
adj.可怕的,极可憎的,极可厌的
参考例句:
  • This is a horrible monster.这是一个可怕的怪物。
  • That is a horrible accident.那是一次可怕的事故。
9 learned m1oxn     
adj.有学问的,博学的;learn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
  • In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里,他被视为有学问的人。
10 doubtful Mkkzh     
adj.难以预测的,未定的;怀疑的,可疑的
参考例句:
  • Let's try to clear up our difficult and doubtful points.让我们设法把难处和疑点解决一下。
  • Everyone was doubtful at first,but his statement in detail held up.起初大家都怀疑,但他的详细叙述证明情况属实。
11 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
12 tremble rJ0zP     
n.战栗,颤抖;vi.战栗,忧虑,微动
参考例句:
  • There was a tremble in her voice.她声音颤抖。
  • I tremble for your safety.我担忧你的安全。
13 brightness 6xxz6I     
n.明亮,亮度,聪颖,光泽度,灯火通明
参考例句:
  • The brightness of the paint has worn off a little.油漆的光泽有些磨损了。
  • Her eyes squinted against the brightness.亮光刺得她眯起眼睛。
14 haunted 5rEz4M     
adj.闹鬼的;受到折磨的;令人烦恼的v.“haunt”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • There was a haunted look in his eyes. 他眼中透露出忧虑的神色。
  • The country is haunted by the spectre of civil war. 内战仿佛一触即发,举国上下一片恐慌。
15 weakening 74e9048f4d2d23267e1953929ec82094     
v.(使)削弱, (使)变弱( weaken的现在分词 );消震
参考例句:
  • The currency of that country is weakening on foreign exchanges. 那个国家的货币在外汇市场上疲软。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Bad and irregular eating was weakening every function of his body. 吃得又差又没有规律,使他身体的每一个官能都在衰退。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
16 decaying c3ddf7fc8d16dc3605d45b3e7cfc31eb     
v.(使)腐烂,腐朽( decay的现在分词 );衰败,衰退,衰落
参考例句:
  • The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云,同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
17 delight uxixT     
n.高兴,愉快;vt.给(某人)乐趣;使愉快;vi.喜爱
参考例句:
  • Your new book is a real delight!你的新书真讨人喜欢!
  • He takes delight in annoying me.他以惹我生气为乐。
18 vault 3K3zW     
n.拱形圆顶,地窖,地下室
参考例句:
  • The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
  • The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。
19 vaults fe73e05e3f986ae1bbd4c517620ea8e6     
n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 );地下室;撑物跳高;墓穴
参考例句:
  • It was deposited in the vaults of a bank. 它存在一家银行的保险库里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒,他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
21 graveyard 9rFztV     
n.坟场
参考例句:
  • All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
  • Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。
22 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
23 iron raHzm     
n.铁,熨斗,坚强,烙铁,镣铐;vt.烫平,熨,用铁包;vi. 烫衣服
参考例句:
  • The iron has lost its magnetic force.这块铁已失去了磁力。
  • We need an electrician to mend the iron.我们要请电工修理熨斗。
24 horror DdUzN     
n.惊骇,恐怖,惨事,极端厌恶
参考例句:
  • The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation.公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。
  • The thought of working nights fills me with abject horror.一想到要夜间工作我就觉得惨兮兮的。
25 likeness P1txX     
n.相像,相似(之处)
参考例句:
  • I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
  • She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。
26 shocking Vitzd5     
adj.令人气愤的;令人震惊的
参考例句:
  • His attitude was shocking to her.他的态度令她感到震惊。
  • Such behaviour is really shocking.这种行为真不像话。
27 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
28 religious RVsxb     
adj.宗教性的,虔诚的,宗教上的;n.修道士,出家人
参考例句:
  • She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚,每个星期天都上教堂。
  • It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。
29 cemetery ur9z7     
n.坟墓,墓地,坟场
参考例句:
  • He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
  • His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。
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