irreclaimable：adj。不可恢複的
solace：n。安慰
constitutional：adj。生來的
remedy：n。補救方法
pass off：終止
bewilder：v。使迷惑
morbid：adj。病態的
acuteness：n。敏銳
insipid：adj。沒有味道的
11 To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bounden slave。“I shall perish，”said he，“I must perish in this deplorable folly。Thus，thus，and not otherwise，shall I be lost。I dread the events of the future，not in themselves，butin their results。I shudder at the thought of any，even the most trivial incident，which may operate upon this intolerable agitation of soul。Ihave，indeed，no abhorrence of danger，except in its absolute effect—in terror。In this unnerved—in this pitiable condition—I feel that the period will sooner or laterarrive when I must abandon life and reason together，in some struggle with the grim phantasm，FEAR。”
12 I learned，moreover，at intervals，and through broken and equivocal hints，another singular feature of his mental condition。He was enchained by certain superstitious impressions in regard to the dwelling which he tenanted，and whence，for many years，he had never ventured forth—in regard to an influence whose supposititious force was conveyed in terms too shadowy here to be restated—an influence which some peculiarities in the mere form and substance of his family mansion，had，by dint of long sufferance，he said，obtained over his spirit—an effect which the physique of the gray walls and turrets，and of the dim tarn into which they all looked down，had，at length，brought about upon the morale of his existence。
anomalous：adj。反常的
species：n。種類
perish：n。死亡，毀滅
deplorable：adj。可歎的
folly：n。荒唐事
intolerable：adj。難耐的
abhorrence：n。憎惡
unnerved：adj。使心力憔悴的
grim：adj。嚴酷的
phantasm：n。幻覺
at intervals：不時地
equivocal：adj。模棱兩可的
hint：n。暗示
enchain：v。束縛
superstitious：adj。迷信的
in regard to：意為“關於……”
tenant：v。出租
venture：v。冒險
by dint of：由於……憑借於……
physique：n。體形
turret：n。小塔
morale：n。士氣
13 He admitted，however，although with hesitation，that much of thepeculiar gloom which thus afflicted him could be traced to a more natural and far more palpable origin—to the severe and long-continued illness—indeed to the evidently approaching dissolution—of a tenderly beloved sister—his sole panionfor long years—his last and only relative on earth。“Her decease，”he said，with a bitterness which I can never forget，“would leave him（him the hopeless and the frail）the last of the ancient race of the Ushers。”While he spoke，the lady Madeline（for so was she called）passed slowly through a remote portion of the apartment，and，without having noticed my presence，disappeared。I regarded her with an utter astonishment not unmingled with dread—and yet I found it impossible to account for such feelings。A sensation of stupor oppressed me，as my eyes followed her retreating steps。When a door，at length，closed upon her，my glance sought instinctively and eagerly the countenance of the brother—but hehad buried his face in his hands，and I could only perceive that a far more than ordinary wanness had overspread the emaciated fingers through which trickled many passionate tears。
評注：由上文可以看出，主人公厄舍認為陰森的古屋的特征和自己的性情有著必然的聯係。由於一種說不清的原因，他的妹妹瑪德琳小姐的存在對於他來說是一種精神上的折磨。他既希望她能好起來與他相依為命，但對她又有一種抗拒和排斥。
14 The disease of the lady Madeline had long baffled the skill of her physicians。A settled apathy，a gradual wasting away of the person，and frequent although transient affections of a partially catalepticcharacter，were the unusual diagnosis。Hitherto she had steadily borne up against the pressure of her malady，and had not betaken herself finally to bedbut，on the closing in of the evening of my arrival at the house，she succumbed（as her brother toldme at night with inexpressible agitation）to the prostrating power of the destroyerand I learned that the glimpse I had obtained of her person would thus probably be the last I should obtain—that the lady，at least while living，would be seen by me no more。
palpable：adj。明顯的
dissolution：n。死亡
decease：n。死亡
unmingled：adj。不摻雜的
stupor：n。恍惚
retreat：v。退卻
instinctively：adv。本能地
emaciated：adj。瘦弱的
trickle：v。滴流
passionate：adj。充滿感情的
baffle：v。使困惑
apathy：n。冷漠
transient：adj。短暫的
cataleptic：adj。[醫]全身僵硬症的
hitherto：adv。迄今
bear up against：鼓起勇氣與……抗爭
malady：n。疾病
betake：v。使致力於
succumb：v。屈服
prostrate：v。降伏15For several days ensuing，her name was unmentioned by either Usher or myself：and during this period I was busied in earnest endeavors to alleviate the melancholy of my friend。We painted and read togetheror I listened，as if in a dream，to the wild improvisations of his speaking guitar。And thus，as a closer and still closer intimacy admitted me more unreservedly into the recesses of his spirit，the more bitterly did I perceive the futility of all attempt at cheering a mind from which darkness，as if an inherent positive quality，poured forth upon all objects of the moral and physical universe，in one unceasing radiation of gloom。
16 I shall ever bear about me a memory of the many solemn hours I thus spent alone with the master of the House of Usher。Yet I should fail in any attempt to convey an idea of the exact character of the studies，or of the occupations，in which he involved me，or led me the way。An excited and highly distempered ideality threw a sulphureous lustre over all。His long improvised dirges will ring forever in my ears。Among other things，I hold painfully in mind a certain singular perversion and amplification of the wild air of the last waltz of Von Weber。From the paintings over which his elaborate fancy brooded，and which grew，touch by touch，into vaguenesses at which I shuddered the more thrillingly，because I shuddered knowing not why—from these paintings（vivid as their images now are before me）I would in vain endeavor to educe more than a small portion which should lie within the pass of merely written words。By the utter simplicity，by the nakedness of his designs，he arrested and overawed attention。If ever mortal painted an idea，that mortal was Roderick Usher。For me at least—in the circumstances then surrounding me—there arose out of the pure abstractions whichthe hypochondriac contrived to throw upon his canvass，an intensity of intolerable awe，no shadow of which felt I ever yet in the contemplation of the certainly glowing yet too concrete reveries of Fuseli。
ensue：v。跟著發生
alleviate：v。減輕
improvisation：n。即席創作
unreservedly：adv。不客氣地，草率地
recess：n。深奧之處
futility：n。無益
distempered：adj。不健全的
ideality：n。理想
dirge：n。挽歌
perversion：n。誤解
amplification：n。擴大
elaborate：adj。精心製作的
brood：v。沉思
within the pass of written words：在……文字能表達的範圍內
overawe：v。威懾
hypochondriac：n。憂鬱症患者
contrive：v。發明
canvass：n。細查
revery：n。幻想17One of the phantasmagoric conceptions of my friend，partaking not so rigidly of the spirit of abstraction，may be shadowed forth，although feebly，in words。A small picture presented the interior of an immensely long and rectangular vault or tunnel，with low walls，smooth，white，and without interruption or device。Certain accessory points of the design served well to convey the idea that this excavation lay at an exceeding depth below thesurface of the earth。No outletwas observed in any portion of its vast extent，and no torch，or other artificial source of light was discernibleyet a flood of intense rays rolled throughout，and bathed the whole in a ghastly and inappropriate splendor。
18 I have just spoken of that morbid condition of the auditory nerve which rendered all music intolerable to the sufferer，with the exception of certain effects of stringed instruments。It was，perhaps，the narrow limits to which he thus confined himself upon the guitar，which gave birth，in great measure，to the fantastic character of his performances。But the fervid facility ofhis impromptus could not be so accounted for。They must have been，and were，in the notes，as well as in the words of his wild fantasias（for he not unfrequently acpanied himself with rhymed verbal improvisations），the result of that intense mental collectedness and concentration to which I have previously alluded as observable only in particular moments of the highest artificial excitement。The words of one of these rhapsodies I have easily remembered。I was，perhaps，the more forcibly impressed with it，as he gave it，because in the under or mystic current of itsmeaning，I fancied that I perceived，and for the first time，a full consciousness on the part of Usher，of the tottering of his lofty reason upon her throne。The verses，which were entitled“The Haunted Palace，”ran very nearly，if not accurately，thus：
partake：v。分擔
rectangular：adj。矩形的
vault：n。拱頂
accessory：adj。附屬的
excavation：n。挖掘
exceeding：adj。極度的
discernible：adj。可辨別的
splendor：n。光彩
auditory：adj。聽覺的
fervid：adj。熱的，熱心的
impromptus：n。即興演出
collectedness：n。鎮定
allude：v。暗指
rhapsody：n。狂想曲
throne：n。王座，君主
Ⅰ
In the greenest of our valleys，
By good angels tenanted，
Once a fair and stately palace—
Radiant palace—reared its head。
In the monarch Thought’s dominion—
It stood there！
Never seraph spread a pinion
Over fabric half so fair。
Ⅱ
Banners yellow，glorious，golden，
On its roof did float and flow
（This—all this—was in the olden
Time long ago）
And every gentle air that dallied，
In that sweet day，
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid，
A winged odor went away。
Ⅲ
Wanderers in that happy valley。
Through two luminous windows saw
Spirits moving musically
To a lute’s well-tunéd law，
Round about a throne，where sitting
（Porphyrogene！）
In state his glory well befitting，
The ruler of the realm was seen。
Ⅳ
And all with pearl and ruby glowing
Was the fair palace door，
Through which came flowing，flowing，flowing
And sparkling evermore，
A troop of Echoes whose sweet duty
Was but to sing，
In voices of surpassing beauty，
The wit and wisdom of their king。
Ⅴ
But evil things，in robes of sorrow，
Assailed the monarch’s high estate
（Ah，let us mourn，for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him，desolate！）
And，round about his home，the glory
That blushed and bloomed
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed。
Ⅵ
And travellers now within that valley，
Through the red-litten windows，see
Vast forms that move fantastically
To a discordant melody
While，like a rapid ghastly river，
Through the pale door，
A hideous throng rush out forever，
And laugh—but smile no more。
評注：第18段中的這首詩叫《鬧鬼的宮殿》，也是愛倫·坡的作品，在《厄》之前曾單獨發表過。這首詩講述了一個國王害怕威脅王位的說不清的邪惡力量，這種力量預示著即將到來的滅亡。這首詩成了厄舍悲劇命運的隱喻。
19 I well remember that suggestions arising from this ballad，led us into a train of thought wherein there became manifest an opinion of Usher’s which I mention not so much on account of its novelty，（for other men have thought thus，）as on account of the pertinacity with which he maintained it。This opinion，in its general form，was that of the sentience of all vegetable things。But，in his disordered fancy，the idea had assumed a more daring character，and trespassed，under certain conditions，upon the kingdom of inorganization。I lack words to express the full extent，or the earnest abandon of his persuasion。The belief，however，was connected（as I have previously hinted）with the gray stones of the home of his forefathers。The conditions of the sentience had been here，he imagined，fulfilled in the method of collocation of these stones—in the order of their arrangement，as well as in that of the many fungi which overspread them，and of the decayed trees which stood around—above all，in the long undisturbed endurance of this arrangement，and in its reduplication in thestill waters of the tarn。Its evidence—the evidence of the sentience—was to be seen，he said，（andI here started as he spoke，）in the gradual yet certain condensation of an atmosphere of their own about the waters and the walls。The result was discoverable，he added，in that silent，yet importunate and terrible influence which for centuries had moulded the destinies of his family，and which made himwhat I now saw him—what he was。Such opinions need no ment，and I will make none。
radiant：adj。發光的
monarch：n。君主
seraph：n。[聖經]六翼天使
pinion：n。小齒輪
dally：v。玩弄
rampart：n。壘
plume：v。飾……羽毛
ballad：n。歌謠
novelty：n。新穎
pertinacity：n。頑固
trespass：v。侵入
forefather：n。祖先
endurance：n。忍耐（力）
reduplication：n。複本
condensation：n。濃縮
20O ur books—the books which，for years，had formed no small portion of themental existence of the invalid—were，as might be supposed，instrict keeping with this character of phantasm。We pored together over such works as the Ververt et Chartreuse of Gressetthe Belphegor of Machiavellithe Heaven and Hell of Swedenborgthe Subterranean Voyage of Nicholas Klimm by Holbergthe Chiromancy of Robert Flud，of Jean D’Indaginé，and of De la Chambrethe Journey into the Blue Distance of Tieckand the City of the Sun of Campanella。One favorite volume was a small octavo edition of the Directorium Inquisitorium，by the Dominican Eymeric de Gironneand there were passages in Pomponius Mela，about theold African Satyrs and Oegipans，over which Usher would sit dreaming for hours。His chief delight，however，was found in the perusal of an exceedingly rare andcurious book in quarto Gothic—the manual of a forgotten church—the Vigiliae Mortuorum Secundum Chorum Ecclesiae Maguntinae。
評注：主人公厄舍對古書和哥特小說的癡迷說明他過著一種與世隔絕，墨守成規的生活。
21 I could not help thinking of the wild ritual of this work，and of its probable influence upon the hypochondriac，when，one evening，having informed me abruptly that the lady Madeline was no more，he stated his intention of preserving her corpse for a fortnight，（previously to its final interment）in one of the numerous vaults within the main walls of the building。The worldly reason，however，assigned for this singular proceeding，was one which I did not feel at liberty to dispute。The brother had been led to his resolution（so he told me）by consideration of the unusual character of the malady of the deceased，of certain obtrusive and eager inquiries on the part of her medical men，and of the remote and exposed situation of the burial-ground of the family。I will not deny that when Icalled to mind the sinister countenance of the person whom I met upon the staircase，on the day of my arrival at the house，I had no desire to oppose what I regarded as at best but a harmless，and by no means an unnatural，precaution。
評注：第21段說明厄舍的古怪已經到了變態的地步。他認為自己的妹妹死了，但是並不打算掩埋她，而是要把她的屍體放到一個巨大的拱頂保留兩個星期。
invalid：n。病人
pore：v。細想
octavo：n。八開紙
ritual：n。（宗教）儀式
interment：n。埋葬
liberty：n。冒失
dispute：v。爭辯，反駁
resolution：n。決心
obtrusive：adj。突出的
sinister：adj。險惡的22At the request of Usher，I personally aided him in the arrangements for thetemporary entombment。The body having been encoffined，we two alone bore it to its rest。The vault in which we placed it（and which had been so long unopened that our torches，half smothered in its oppressive atmosphere，gave us little opportunity for investigation）was small，damp，and entirely without means of admission for lightlying，at great depth，immediately beneath that portion of the building in which was my own sleeping apartment。It had been used，apparently，in remote feudal times，for the worst purposes of a donjon-keep，and，in later days，as a place of deposit for powder，or some other highly bustible substance，as a portion of its floor，and the whole interior of a long archway through which we reached it，were carefully sheathed with copper。The door，of massive iron，had been，also，similarly protected。Its immense weight caused an unusually sharp grating sound，as it moved upon its hinges。
23 Having deposited our mournful burden upon tressels within this region of horror，we partially turned aside the yet unscrewed lid ofthe coffin，and looked upon the face of the tenant。A striking similitude between the brother and sister now first arrested my attentionand Usher，divining，perhaps，my thoughts，murmured out some few words from which I learned that the deceased and himself hadbeen twins，and that sympathies of a scarcely intelligible nature had always existed between them。Our glances，however，rested not long upon the dead—for wecould not regard her unawed。The disease which had thus entombed the lady in the maturity of youth，had left，as usual in all maladies of a strictly cataleptical character，the mockery of a faint blush upon the bosom and the face，and thatsuspiciously lingering smile upon the lip which is so terrible in death。We replaced and screwed down the lid，and，having secured the door of iron，made our way，with toil，into the scarcely less gloomy apartments of the upper portion of the house。