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第5章 The Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allen Poe

Introduction:The narrator tells the story of the night that he took his revengeon Fortunato,a fellow nobleman。Angry over some unspecified insult,he plots to murder his friend during the Carnival when the man is drunk anddizzy。He lured his friend Fortunato literally walking into his own grave。

1.The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne asI best could but when he ventured upon insult,I vowed revenge。You,who so well know the nature of my soul,will not suppose,however,that I gave utterance to a threat。At length I would be avenged this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved,precluded the idea of risk。I must not only punish,but punish with impunity。A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakesits redresser。It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himselffelt as such to him who has done the wrong。

2.It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will。I continued,as was my wont,to smile in his face,and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation。

Amontillado:n。白葡萄酒(一种非常稀少和昂贵的雪梨酒)

injury:n。伤害(情感等)。该句为宾语前置,以作强调。根据正常语序,“the thousand injuries”应该放在“borne”的后面。

venture upon:冒险从事

vow:v。发誓

revenge:v。复仇,与下文中的“avenge”同义。

give utterance to a threat:说出威胁

at length:最后

resolve:v。决定,决心,决定要

preclude:v。排除

impunity:n。免受惩罚

unredressed:adj。未补偿的,未纠正的,后面的“redresser”是“纠正者”的意思。

retribution:n。报偿

overtake:n。压倒,使受打击

wont:n。习惯

immolation:n。宰杀

3.He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared。He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine。Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit。For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity—to practice imposture upon theBritish and Austrian millionaires。In painting and gemmary,Fortunato,like hiscountrymen,was a quack—but in the matter of old wines he was sincere。In this respect I did not differ from him materially I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself,and bought largely whenever I could。

regard:n。方面

connoisseurship:n。鉴赏

virtuoso:adj。艺术品鉴赏家的

enthusiasm:n。狂热

adopt:v。采用

imposture:n。欺骗

gemmary:n。宝石学

quack:n。骗子

vintage:n。酒

4.It was about dusk,one evening during the supreme madness ofthe carnival season,that I encountered my friend。He accosted me with excessive warmth,for hehad been drinking much。The man wore motley。He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress,and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells。I was so pleased to see him,that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand。

5.I said to him—“My dear Fortunato,you are luckily met。How remarkably wellyou are looking to-day!But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado,and I have my doubts。”

6.“How?”said he。“Amontillado?A pipe?Impossible!And in themiddle of the carnival!”

7.“I have my doubts,”I replied,“and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter。You were not to be found,andI was fearful of losing a bargain。”

supreme:adj。极大的,极度的

carnival:n。狂欢节

encounter:v。遇到

accosted:v。对……说话(with)

excessive:adj。过分的

motley:n。小丑服

surmount:v。装在……顶上

pipe:n。一桶(酒)

pass for:v。被看做,被称做

consult:v。咨询8“Amontillado!”

9.“I have my doubts。”

10.“Amontillado!”

11.“And I must satisfy them。”

12.“Amontillado!”

13.“As you are engaged,I am on my way to Luchesi。If any one has a critical turn,it is he。He will tell me—”

14.“Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry。”

15.“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own。”

16.“Come,let us go。”

17.“Whither?”

18.“To your vaults。”

19.“My friend,no I will not impose upon your good nature。I perceive you have an engagement。Luchesi—”

20.“I have no engagement—come。”

21.“My friend,no。It is not the engagement,but the severe cold with which I perceive you are afflicted。The vaults are insufferably damp。They are encrustedwith nitre。”

22.“Let us go,nevertheless。The cold is merely nothing。Amontillado!You havebeen imposed upon。And as for Luchesi,he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado。”

23.Thus speaking,Fortunato possessed himself of my arm。Putting on a mask of black silk,and drawing a roquelaire closely about my person,I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo。

24.There were no attendants at home they had absconded to make merry in honor of the time。I had told them that I should not return until the morning,and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house。These orders were sufficient,I well knew,to insure their immediate disappearance,one and all,as soon as my back was turned。

25.I took from their sconces two flambeaux,and giving one to Fortunato,bowedhim through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults。I passed down a long and winding staircase,requesting him to be cautious as he followed。We came at length to the foot of the descent,and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors。

26.The gait of my friend was unsteady,and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode。

be engaged:忙碌

tell sth。from sth。:区分

whither:adv。到哪里

vault:n。地窖

impose upon:强加于

perceive:v。认识到

be afflicted with:受折磨

insufferably:adv。难以忍受地

encrust:v。涂上

nitre:n。硝石

impose upon:利用,欺骗

distinguish sth。from sth。:区分

roquelaire:n。男用齐膝外套

suffer:v。允许,容许

palazzo:n。邸宅

attendant:n。仆人,侍者

abscond:v。逃走

make merry:寻欢作乐

explicit:adj。清楚的,明确的

sufficient:adj。充足,充分

insure:v。确保

sconce:n。壁突式烛台

flambeaux:n。烛台

cautious:adj。小心的

catacomb:n。地下墓穴

Montresors:n。文中“我”的家族名称

gait:n。步态

unsteady:adj。不稳的

stride:v。大步行走27“The pipe,”said he。

28.“It is farther on,”said I“but observe the white web-work which gleams from these cavern walls。”

29.He turned towards me,and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum of intoxication。

30.“Nitre?”he asked,at length。

31.“Nitre,”I replied。“How long have you had that cough?”

32.“Ugh!ugh!ugh!—ugh!ugh!ugh!—ugh!ugh!ugh!—ugh!ugh!ugh!—ugh!ugh!ugh!”

33.My poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes。

34.“It is nothing,”he said,at last。

35.“Come,”I said,with decision,“we will go back your health is precious。You are rich,respected,admired,beloved you are happy,as once I was。You are a man to be missed。For me it is no matter。We will go back you will be ill,and I cannot be responsible。Besides,there is Luchesi—”

36.“Enough,”he said“the cough is a mere nothing it will not kill me。I shall not die of a cough。”

37.“True—true,”I replied“and,indeed,I had no intentionof alarming youunnecessarily—but you should use all proper caution。A draught of this Medoc will defend us from the damps。”

gleam:v。微微闪光

cavern:n。地窖

filmy:adj。蒙眬的

orb:n。眼球

intoxication:n。迷醉

precious:adj。宝贵的

intention:n。意图

a draught of……:一口……

defend sb。from:保护某人使不受……

38.Here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from along row of itsfellows that lay upon the mould。

39.“Drink,”I said,presenting him the wine。

40.He raised it to his lips with a leer。He paused and noddedto me familiarly,while his bells jingled。

41.“I drink,”he said,“to the buried that repose around us。”

42.“And I to your long life。”

43.He again took my arm,and we proceeded。

44.“These vaults,”he said,“are extensive。”

45.“The Montresors,”I replied,“were a great and numerous family。”

46.“I forget your arms。”

47.“A huge human foot d’or,in a field azure the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel。”

48.“And the motto?”

49.“Nemo me impune lacessit。”

评注:爱伦·坡在该小说中运用了很多象征主义的手法,比如上文提到的蒙特里梭家徽和座右铭就是对报仇者邪恶的报复心理的一种影射。

leer:n。媚眼,斜睨

drink to:为……干杯

repose:v。长眠,睡。文中指埋在地窖里的“我”的先辈们。

proceed:v。前行

extensive:adj。广阔的,宽大的

arms:n。家族的徽章

azure:n。蓝天,碧空

crush:v。踩碎,碾碎

serpent rampant:立起的大毒蛇

fang:n。(蛇的)毒牙

(be)imbedded in:埋入,嵌在

motto:n。座右铭

Nemo me impune lacessit:以牙还牙50“Good!”he said。

51.The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled。My ownfancy grew warmwith the Medoc。We had passed through walls of piled bones,with casks and puncheons intermingling,into the inmost recesses of the catacombs。I paused again,and this time I made bold to seize Fortunato by an arm above the elbow。

52.“The nitre!”I said“see,it increases。It hangs like mossupon the vaults。We are below the river’s bed。The drops of moisture trickle among the bones。Come,we will go back ere it is too late。Your cough—”

53.“It is nothing,”he said“let us go on。But first,anotherdraught of the Medoc。”

54.I broke and reached him a flacon of De Grave。He emptied itat a breath。His eyes flashed with a fierce light。He laughed and threw the bottle upwards witha gesticulation I did not understand。

55.I looked at him in surprise。He repeated the movement—a grotesque one。

56.“You do not comprehend?”he said。

57.“Not I,”I replied。

58.“Then you are not of the brotherhood。”

sparkle:v。闪烁

puncheon:n。大桶

intermingle:v。混合

inmost:adj。最里面的

recess:n。(墙壁等的)凹进处

moisture:n。潮湿,湿气

trickle:v。滴流

ere:conj。在……之前

flacon:n。有塞小瓶

De Grave:一种波多尔葡萄酒

flash:v。闪光

fierce:adj。强烈的

gesticulation:n。姿势

grotesque:adj。怪异的

comprehend:v。理解59“How?”

60.“You are not of the masons。”

61.“Yes,yes,”I said,“yes,yes。”

62.“You?Impossible!A mason?”

63.“A mason,”I replied。

64.“A sign,”he said。

65.“It is this,”I answered,producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire。

评注:mason,在英文中还有共济会会员的意思。共济会发源于中古时代,最初是泥瓦工工会的一种秘密团体,以互相帮助为宗旨,相遇时以暗号联系。文中福吐纳托是指蒙特里梭不懂暗号,所以不是共济会的成员,但是蒙特里梭则故意把mason理解为“泥瓦匠”,所以拿出了泥铲。蒙特里梭是言外有意。

66.“You jest,”he exclaimed,recoiling a few paces。“But let us proceed to theAmontillado。”

67.“Be it so,”I said,replacing the tool beneath the cloak,and again offering him my arm。He leaned upon it heavily。We continued our route in search of theAmontillado。We passed through a range of low arches,descended,passed on,anddescending again,arrived at a deep crypt,in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame。

68.At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared anotherless spacious。Its walls had been lined with human remains,piled to the vault overhead,in the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris。Three sides of this interior crypt werestill ornamented in this manner。From the fourth the bones had been thrown down,and lay promiscuously upon the earth,forming at one point a mound of some size。Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones,we perceived a still interior recess,in depth about four feet,in width three,in height six orseven。It seemed to have been constructed for no especial use in itself,but formed merely the interval between two of the colossal supports ofthe roof of thecatacombs,and was backed by one of their circumscribing walls of solid granite。

mason:n。泥瓦匠

trowel:n。泥铲

exclaim:v。呼喊,惊叫

recoil:v。后退

proceed to:向前进发

Be it so:就这样吧,好吧

in search of:寻找

descend:v。向下行

crypt:n。土窖

foulness:n。肮脏

remote:adj。远的

remains:n。遗体

fashion:n。方式,样子

interior:adj。内部的

ornament:v。装饰,美化

promiscuously:adv。杂乱地,混乱地

mound:n。土堆

construct:v。建造

colossal:adj。巨大的,庞大的

circumscribing:adj。围绕的

solid:adj。坚固的

granite:n。花岗岩

69.It was in vain that Fortunato,uplifting his dull torch,endeavored to pry into the depth of the recess。Its termination the feeble light did not enable us to see。

70.“Proceed,”I said“herein is the Amontillado。As for Luchesi—”

71.“He is an ignoramus,”interrupted my friend,as he stepped unsteadily forward,while I followed immediately at his heels。In an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche,and finding his progressarrested by the rock,stood stupidly bewildered。A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite。In its surface were two iron staples,distant from each other about two feet,horizontally。From one of these depended a short chain,from the other a padlock。Throwing the links about his waist,it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it。Hewas too much astounded to resist。Withdrawing the key I steppedback from the recess。

in vain:没有结果的

endeavor:v。努力

pry into:窥探

termination:n。终止处

feeble:adj。微弱的

herein:adv。在这里

ignoramus:n。无知的人,不学无术的人

extremity:n。尽头,末端

niche:n。壁龛,墙壁上凹进去的空间

bewildered:adj。困惑的

horizontally:adv。水平地

padlock:n。挂锁

astounded:adj。震惊的72“Pass your hand,”I said,“over the wall you cannot help feeling the nitre。Indeed it is very damp。Once more let me implore you to return。No?Then I must positively leave you。But I must first render you all the little attentions inmy power。”

73.“The Amontillado!”ejaculated my friend,not yet recovered from his astonishment。

74.“True,”I replied“the Amontillado。”

75.As I said these words I busied myself among the pile of bones of which I have before spoken。Throwing them aside,I soon uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar。With these materials and with the aid of my trowel,I began vigorously to wall up the entrance of the niche。

76.I had scarcely laid the first tier of my masonry when I discovered that theintoxication of Fortunato had in a great measure worn off。Theearliest indication I had of this was a low moaning cry from the depth of the recess。It was notthe cry of a drunken man。There was then a long and obstinate silence。I laid the second tier,and the third,and the fourth and then I heard the furious vibrations of the chain。The noise lasted for several minutes,during which,that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction,I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones。When at last the clanking subsided,I resumed the trowel,and finished without interruption the fifth,the sixth,and the seventh tier。The wallwas now nearly upon a level with my breast。I again paused,and holding the flambeaux over the mason-work,threw a few feeble rays upon the figure within。

implore:v。恳求,哀求

render:v。给予

ejaculate:v。突然说出

mortar:n。灰泥

vigorously:adv。精力充沛地

wall up:砌上

tier:n。层

masonry:n。砌筑

in a great measure:大部分

wear off:逐渐减弱

moaning:adj。呻吟的

obstinate:adj。顽固的

furious:adj。狂暴的

vibration:n。振动,颤抖

hearken:v。听

clanking:n。叮当声

subside:v。平息,减退

resume:v。再继续

77.A succession of loud and shrill screams,bursting suddenlyfrom the throat of the chained form,seemed to thrust me violently back。For a brief moment I hesitated—I trembled。Unsheathing my rapier,Ibegan to grope with it about therecess:but the thought of an instant reassured me。I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of the catacombs,and felt satisfied。I reapproached the wall。I replied to the yells of him who clamored。I re-echoed—I aided—I surpassed them in volume and in strength。I did this,and the clamorer grew still。

78.It was now midnight,and my task was drawing to a close。I had completed the eighth,the ninth,and the tenth tier。I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh there remained but a single stone to be fitted and plastered in。I struggled with its weight I placed it partially in its destined position。But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head。It was succeeded by a sad voice,which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the noble Fortunato。The voice said-“Ha!ha!ha!—he!he!—a very good joke indeed—an excellent jest。We will have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo—he!he!he!—Over our wine—he!he!he!”

a succession of:一连串

unsheathe:v。拔出

rapier:n。一种剑

grope:v。摸索

fabric:n。建筑材料

clamor:v。叫嚷

surpass:v。超过,压过

succeed:v。接着,继……之后79“The Amontillado!”I said。

80.“He!he!he!—he!he!he!—yes,the Amontillado。But is it not gettinglate?Will not they be awaiting us at the palazzo,the Lady Fortunato and the rest?Let us be gone。”

81.“Yes,”I said,“let us be gone。”

82.“For the love of God,Montresor!”

83.“Yes,”I said,“for the love of God!”

84.But to these words I hearkened in vain for a reply。I grew impatient。I called aloud—“Fortunato!”

85.No answer。I called again—“Fortunato!”

86.No answer still。I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let itfall within。There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells。My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs。I hastened to make an end of my labor。I forced the last stone into its position I plastered it up。Against the new masonry I re-erected the old rampart of bones。For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them。In pace requiescat!

aperture:n。穴

on account of:因为,由于

hasten:v。赶紧

rampart:n。壁垒

requiescat:n。愿死者灵魂安息的祈祷

评注:该小说的结尾非常巧妙。直到最后叙述者才告诉读者谋杀案是发生在五十年前,前面所讲故事只是他的回忆而已。叙述者到底为何要杀死福吐纳托是爱伦·坡给读者留下的一个谜。

Comprehension Exercises:

1.The narrator continues his psychological manipulation of Fortunato。How is the narrator manipulating Fortunato here?

2.Fortunato is referring to the narrator’s coat of arms,a symbolic depiction of ancestry and family distinctions。How does this coat of arms relate to other aspects of the story?

3.“Rest in Peace”(Latin)。Why do you think the narrator ends his story with this phrase?

埃德加·爱伦·坡(1809—1949):十九世纪美国诗人、小说家和文学评论家。坡在短篇小说创作上有突出的成就,曾留给后世许多经典之作,如《一桶白葡萄酒》、《黑猫》、《被窃的信》、《厄舍古屋的倒塌》、《丽姬娅》等等。其创作风格以悬疑、恐怖和象征为特色,因此坡被誉为侦探小说的鼻祖、科幻小说的先驱之一、恐怖小说大师、象征主义先驱之一。《一桶白葡萄酒》大约发表于1846年,小说延承了十九世纪对谋杀这一主题的迷恋,讲述了一个将人活埋的恐怖故事。坡在创作时采用了“哥特式”小说的一些手法,并融入了象征主义和唯美主义的因素,因此该小说当之无愧地成为坡的短篇小说代表作品之一。

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