Introduction：The story was originally published in 1890，and firstanthologized in Bierce’s 1891 collection，Tales of Soldiers and Civilians。The story is famous for its irregular time sequence and twist ending。Set during the American Civil War，“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”is the story of Peyton Farquhar，a Confederate sympathizer condemned to die by hanging upon the Owl Creek Bridge of the title。Themain character finds himself already bound at the bridge’s edge at the beginning of the story。It is later revealed that a disguised Union scout enlisted him to attempt to demolish the bridge，and subsequently he was caught in the act。
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1 Beyond one of the sentinels nobody was in sightthe railroad ran straight away into a forest for a hundred yards，then，curving，was lost to view。Doubtless there was an outpost farther along。The other bank of the stream was open ground—a gentle slope topped with a stockade of vertical tree trunks，loopholed for rifles，with a single embrasure through which protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon manding the bridge。Midway up the slope between the bridge and fort were the spectators—a single pany of infantry in line，at“parade rest，”the butts of their rifles on the ground，the barrels inclining slightly backward against the right shoulder，the hands crossed upon the stock。A lieutenant stood atthe right of the line，the point of his sword upon the ground，his left hand resting upon his right。Excepting the group of four at the center of the bridge，not a man moved。The pany faced the bridge，staring stonily，motionless。The sentinels，facing the banks of the stream，might have been statues to adorn the bridge。The captain stood with folded arms，silent，observing the work of hissubordinates，but making no sign。Death is a dignitary who when he es announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect，even by those most familiar with him。In the code of military etiquette silence and fixity are forms of deference。
2 The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age。He was a civilian，if one might judge from his habit，which was that of a planter。His features were good—a straight nose，firm mouth，broad forehead，from which his long，dark hair was bed straight back，falling behind his ears to the collar of his well fitting frock coat。He wore a moustache and pointed beard，but no whiskershis eyes were large and dark gray，and had a kindly expression which one would hardly have expected in one whose neck was in the hemp。Evidently this was no vulgar assassin。The liberal military code makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons，and gentlemen are not excluded。
評注：畢爾斯雖然曾經參加過北方軍隊，但是他眼裏的美國內戰卻完全不是現實主義文學的套路。他的這個短篇並不關注戰爭的場麵或正義性等宏大敘事，隻是聚焦於對某位南方戰俘的處死過程。在畢爾斯那裏，戰爭首先是對生命的謀殺。
sentinel：n。哨兵
outpost：n。前哨
stockade：n。圍欄，柵欄
loophole：v。留出做槍眼的縫隙
embrasure：n。炮眼，射擊孔
protrude：v。突出
muzzle：n。炮口
infantry：n。步兵
barrel：n。槍桶
adorn：v。裝飾
subordinate：n。下屬
dignitary：n。顯貴之人
deference：n。尊重
whisker：n。腮須
hemp：n。絞刑繩
vulgar：adj。粗俗的
make provision for：規定
exclude：v。排除在外
he preparations being plete，the two private soldiers stepped aside and each drew away the plank upon which he had been standing。The sergeant turned to the captain，saluted，and placed himself immediately behind that officer，who in turn moved apart one pace。These movements left the condemned man and the sergeant standing on the two ends of the same plank，which spanned three of the cross-ties of the bridge。The end upon which the civilian stood almost，but not quitereached a fourth。This plank had been held in place by the weight of the captainit was now held by that of the sergeant。At a signal from the former，the latter would step aside，the plank would tilt，and the condemned man go down between two ties。The arrangement mended itself to his judgement as simple and effective。His face had not been covered nor his eyes bandaged。He looked a moment at his“unsteadfast footing”，then let his gaze wander to the swirling water of thestream racing madly beneath his feet。A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current。How slowly it appeared to move！What a sluggish stream！
4 He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wifeand children。The water，touched to gold by the early sun，the brooding mists under the banks at some distance down the stream，the fort，the soldiers，the piece of drift—all had distracted him。And now he became conscious of a new disturbance。Striking through the thought of his dear ones was sound which he could neither ignore nor understand，a sharp，distinct，metallic percussion likethe stroke of ablacksmith’s hammer upon the anvilit had the same ringing quality。He wondered what it was，and whether immeasurably distant or near by—it seemed both。Its recurrence was regular，but as slow as the tolling of a death knell。He awaited each new stroke with impatience and—he knew not why—apprehension。The intervals of silence grew progressively longer the delays became maddening。With their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness。They hurt his ears like the thrust of a knifehe feared he would shriek。What he heard was the ticking of his watch。
5 He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him。“If I could free my hands，”he thought，“I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream。Bydiving I could evade the bullets，and，swimming vigorously，reach the bank，taketo the woods，and get away home。My home，thank God，is as yet outside their linesmy wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance。”
plank：n。厚木板
cross-ties：n。橋的枕木
tilt：v。傾斜
unsteadfast：adj。不穩固的
footing：n。立足處
sluggish：adj。緩慢的
percussion：n。敲擊
anvil：n。鐵砧
recurrence：n。反複
toll：v。鳴（鍾），敲（鍾）
knell：n。喪鍾
apprehension：n。憂慮
noose：n。套索
evade：v。躲開
sthese thoughts，which have here to be set down in words，were flashed intothe doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it，the captain nodded to the sergeant。The sergeant stepped aside。
評注：畢爾斯是一個超越他所處時代的作家，有人甚至認為他是後現代文學的先驅。至少在這個小說裏，他運用的文學技巧在當時是獨一無二的。畢爾斯將個人想象和外部現實糅雜在一起，讓心理時間居於小說文本的中心位置。
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7 Peyton Fahrquhar was a well-to-do planter of an old and highly respected Alabama family。Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician，he wasnaturally an original secessionist and ardentlydevoted to the Southern cause。Circumstances of an imperious nature，which it is unnecessary torelate here，had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army which had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth，and he chafed under the inglorious restraint，longing for the release of his energies，the larger life of the soldier，the opportunity for distinction。
That opportunity，he felt，would e，as it es to all in war time。Meanwhile he did what he could。No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South，no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier，and who in good faith and without too much qualification assented to at least a part of the frankly villainous dictum that all is fair inlove and war。
評注：佩頓在臨死前的豐富幻想自然是有悖於常理的，但畢爾斯在交代其身份背景時卻有意讓讀者了解到他性格中祟尚幻想的一麵，這對後文揭示真相是一個有效的伏筆。
secessionist：n。脫離論者，指美國內戰時支持脫離北部聯邦的人
ardently：adv。熱情地
imperious：adj。迫切的（文中指迫不得已）
Corinth：n。美國密西西比州的科林斯，1862年四月在北方聯邦軍的火力下淪陷
chafe under：v。為……憤怒
perilous：adj。危險的
assent to：同意，讚同
dictum：n。格言
ne evening while Fahrquhar and his wife were sitting on a rustic bench near the entrance to his grounds，a gray-clad soldier rode up to the gate and asked for a drink of water。Mrs。Fahrquhar was only too happy to serve him with her own white hands。While she was fetching the water，her husband approached the dusty horseman and inquired eagerly for news from the front。