奇特的故事（2013）

那么
and so
就无从
it was impossible
下手了
to do the work;
因为惹恼我的不是老头
for it was not the old man who vexed me,
而是他邪恶的白眼
but his Evil Eye.
我对老头毫不客气
I was never kinder to the old man than during
就在我准备杀他的前一周时间里
the whole week before I killed him.
这事儿我做了整整七个漫长的晚上
And this I did for seven long nights.
每天晚上，就在午夜
Every night, just at midnight.
但我发现那只眼总是闭着
But I found the eye always closed.
直到第八晚
Upon the eighth night
我比往日更小心地打开房♥门
I was more than usually cautious in opening the door.
我的动作比表上的分针走的还要慢
A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine.
我正要动手掀开灯上活门
When I was about to open the lantern,
大拇指在铁皮扣上打滑
my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening.
那老头嚯的坐起身
And the old man sprang up in bed
破口嚷道：撒宁啊？
crying out: Who's there?
他开始东猜西想
He had been trying to fancy them causeless.
他开始自言自语：
He had been saying to himself:
“那只是轻风吹过烟囱
"it is nothing but the wind in the chimney.
那只是耗子爬过地板”
It is only a mouse crossing the floor."
这全是枉费心机
But all in vain...
耳边传来声音
Then, there came to my ears
低声，沉闷，迅速
a low, dull, quick sound
恰似蒙在棉花里的手表声
such as the watch makes when enveloped in cotton.
那声音我倒也听惯了
I knew that sound well.
那正是
It was the beating
老头的心跳
of the old man's heart.
他心脏扑通扑通
Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased.
越跳越快
It grew quicker and quicker,
越跳越响，一秒比一秒响
louder and louder,every instant.
老头的死期到了！
The old man's hour had come!
他尖叫了一声，只此一声
He shrieked once, only once.
老头死了
The old man was dead.
他的眼睛再也不会烦我了
His eye would trouble me no more.
如果您还当我发疯的话
If still you think me mad,
容我交代
you will think so no longer
匿藏死尸
when I describe
的妙计，您就不会这么想了
the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body.
我先肢解尸首
First of all I dismembered the corpse,
我从地板上拆下三块木板
I then took up three planks from the flooring
把所有碎尸都埋进两根间柱当中
and deposited all between the scantlings.
我是如此利落，如此狡猾地重新装好地板
I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly,
相信任何人的眼睛都看不出有丝毫破绽
that no human eye could have detected anything wrong.
门外进来三个人，彬彬有礼地自称
There entered three men,who introduced themselves
是警官
as officers of the police.
有个街坊半夜听到了一声尖叫
A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night
于是他们奉命来调查情况
and they had been deputed to search the premises.
我欢迎三位先生的造访
I bid the gentleman welcome.
我说，那尖叫，是我梦中失声发出的
The shriek, I said,was my own in a dream.
那老头，我说道
The old man, I mentioned,
去乡下了
was absent in the country.
警官对我的口供并无疑问
The officers were satisfied,
我的举止让他们信服
my manner had convinced them.
但是，没多久
But, ere long,
我感到自己开始面色苍白
I felt myself getting pale
巴不得他们快走
and wished them gone.
我头痛欲裂
My head ached
还感到耳朵里嗡嗡的响
and I fancied a ringing in my ears.
我发觉原来不是耳朵里作怪
I found that the noise was not within my ears.
我直喘粗气
I gasped for breath,
心想警♥察♥
and yet the officers
是否也听到了
heard it not.
他们怎么还不滚？
Why would they not be gone?
哦，佛祖啊！
Oh God!
我该如何是好？
What could I do?
他们会不会也听到了？
Was it possible they heard not?
不！不！
No!... No!
他们听到了
They heard;
他们起疑心了
they suspected!
他们知道了！
THEY KNEW!
他们开始嘲讽
They were making mockery
我的恐慌
of my horror.
“坏银！”
"Villains!"
我尖叫着，“我招！我招！
I shrieked, "I admit the deed!
撬开木板！
"Tear up the planks!
这儿！
"Here!
在这儿！
"here!
是他那颗
"It is the beating
丑陋的心在跳！”
"of his hideous heart!"
金刚注：
阿尔伯托·布雷恰-----阿根廷漫画大♥师♥
贝拉·卢戈西-----匈牙利恐怖片影星
致敬
阿尔伯托·布雷恰
（1919-1993）
与
贝拉·卢戈西
（1882-1956）
所以你认为人人都有
So you presume everyone is guilty
难以理解的罪行？
of some unfathomable crime?
那罪行应该继续不受惩罚？
A crime that should remain unpunished?
我受宠若惊
I feel flattered.
你对死亡的迷恋在我耳里犹如一首简单的小情歌♥
Your obsession with death is to my ears like a sweet love song.
你什么意思？迷恋？
What do you mean, obsession?
伴我同行吧
Come with me,
不要拖延
don't delay for another second.
活在世上带给你无法忍♥受的痛苦
Being alive in this world brings you more unbearable pain
比那些长眠之人遭受更多
and suffering than those who wish to sleep forever
即便你希望活得更久
even as you try to extend life
逃离我温存的拥抱
beyond my sweet embrace.
我依稀记得，曾经写过一个医生的故事
I remember vaguely,once I wrote about a doctor.
那个故事的主人公要挑战你的理论
Someone who challenged you.
故事三：《瓦尔德马先生的病例之真♥相♥》
叙述者：朱利安·山德斯
过去三年间，我的注意力
My attention, for the last three years,
一再被催眠术这门学科吸引
had been repeatedly drawn to the subject of Mesmerism.
在波士顿，一个被催眠的13岁孩儿
In Boston, a 13-year-old child under hypnosis
可以自我诊断病情
could diagnose his own illness,
而他的医生都无法做到
one which his own doctors could not determine.
而在印度，一位瘫痪者
And in India, a paraplegic,
在类似的催眠下
placed in a similar hypnotic state,
竟能没病走两步！
managed to take some steps!
展望一下吧，瓦尔德马先生
Imagine, Mr. Valdemar,
催眠给科学带来的进步！
the progress that Mesmerism offers to science!
朋友，老夫尊重你的热情
My friend,I respect your enthusiasm,
但就个人而言，无法否认
but for my part, I can't disavow
老夫对催眠学未来持保留态度
my skepticism about the future of hypnosis.
在黑天鹅饭店订的包桌还等着咱们呢
Our table is waiting for us at the Black Swan.
顺便一提，好像尚未有人
In addition, it seems that no person
在濒死时被催眠
has as yet been mesmerized in articulo mortis.
那将是多么伟大的实验
What a great testimony will that be,
可以观察生与死的转变
witnessing the transition between life and death.
朋友，如果你答应变更实验对象
My friend, if you promise to change the subject,
老夫准备做好牺牲
I am ready to volunteer myself
在临死的时候成为实验品
to this experiment at the time of my death.
本当？
Really?
是的，但是放心吧
Yes, but rest assured,
老夫这把老骨头还挺得住！
I have no intention of dying anytime soon!
距离上次我和瓦尔德马先生的讨论
It is now rather more than seven months
已经过去七个月了
since last time I talked with M. Valdemar.
肺炎导致肺部感染
Phthisis has attacked my lungs.
他们说老夫最多只剩几个月了
They give me a few months at most.
瓦尔德马先生，您还记得您的承诺吗？
M. Valdemar,do you remember your promise?
你，说，神马？
I beg your pardon?
是的，那主意虽然荒唐