The Cask of Amontillado
一桶阿蒙蒂亚度酒
Fortunato did and said a thousand things to hurt me. But when he insulted me, I knew that it was time to punish him. ‘But I must do it cleverly and secretly,’ I thought. ‘Only Fortunato himself must know that I am punishing him.’
福图纳托做过和说过成千上万件伤害我的事。但当他侮辱我时,我知道是时候惩罚他了。’但我必须聪明且秘密地做,’我想。’只有福图纳托本人必须知道我在惩罚他。’
I was as friendly to Fortunato as before, of course. I went on smiling at him, and he did not know that I was smiling at the thought of his death.
当然,我对福图纳托和以前一样友好。我继续对他微笑,而他不知道我是在想到他的死亡时对他微笑的。
Both he and I liked and bought fine wine. Fortunato knew very little about other things, but he did know about wine and sherry wine. And so did I.
他和我都喜欢并购买好酒。福图纳托对其他事情知之甚少,但他确实懂葡萄酒和雪利酒。我也一样。
One evening, during the city’s carnival, I met my friend in the street. He was dressed in carnival clothes and smelled strongly of wine.
一天晚上,在城市的狂欢节期间,我在街上遇到了我的朋友。他穿着狂欢节的衣服,身上有浓烈的酒味。
‘My dear Fortunao!’ I said. ‘What luck to meet you! I have bought a cask of Amontillado – but now, well, I’m not so sure that it is Amontillado.’
‘亲爱的福图纳托!’我说。’遇到你真幸运!我买了一桶阿蒙蒂亚度酒——但现在,嗯,我不太确定那是不是阿蒙蒂亚度酒。’
‘Amontillado?’ said Fortunato. ‘No, no! Nobody sells the best sherry in the middle of carnival. No, no, no!’
‘阿蒙蒂亚度酒?’福图纳托说。’不,不!没人会在狂欢节中间卖最好的雪利酒。不,不,不!’
‘I was stupid,’ I said. ‘I paid the full Amontillado price, and did not ask you to try it first. But I couldn’t find you, and I was afraid of losing it to another buyer. So, the cask is already in my vaults.’
‘我真蠢,’我说。’我付了阿蒙蒂亚度酒的全价,没有先请你尝尝。但我找不到你,又怕被别的买家买走。所以,那桶酒已经在我的地窖里了。’
‘Amontillado!’ he said.
‘阿蒙蒂亚度酒!’他说。
‘Perhaps,’ I said. ‘But I must be sure. I can see that you are on your way to a carnival party. I’ll go and see Luchresi. He will tell me—’
‘也许吧,’我说。’但我必须确定。我看得出你正要去参加狂欢节派对。我去见见卢克雷西。他会告诉我——’
‘I can see you are on your way to a carnival party.’
‘我看得出你正要去参加狂欢节派对。’
‘Luchresi does not know the difference between Amontillado and any other sherry wine,’ he said.
‘卢克雷西分不清阿蒙蒂亚度酒和其他雪利酒的区别,’他说。
‘Really? But some people say that he knows wine as well as you do.’
‘真的吗?但有人说他懂酒的程度和你一样。’
‘Come, let’s go,’ he said.
‘来吧,我们走,’他说。
‘Where to?’
‘去哪里?’
‘To your vaults,’ he said.
‘去你的地窖,’他说。
‘My friend, no,’ I said. ‘I can hear that you have a bad cough, and my vaults are terribly cold and wet.’
‘我的朋友,不,’我说。’我听得出你咳嗽得很厉害,我的地窖非常冷且潮湿。’
‘My cough is nothing,’ Fortunato said. ‘Let’s go. Amontillado! Never! Your wine-seller is stealing your money. And as for Luchresi – what does he know about Amontillado?’
‘我的咳嗽没什么,’福图纳托说。’我们走吧。阿蒙蒂亚度酒!绝不可能!你的卖酒人是在骗你的钱。至于卢克雷西——他懂什么阿蒙蒂亚度酒?’
He took my arm, and we walked quickly to my house.
他挽住我的胳膊,我们快步走向我家。
There was no one at home because my servants were out enjoying themselves at the carnival. I took Fortunato through the building and down the stairs into the vaults. Here were the tombs of the Montresors – my family.
家里没人,因为我的仆人们都出去参加狂欢节了。我带着福图纳托穿过大楼,走下楼梯进入地窖。这里是蒙特雷索家族——我的家族的坟墓。
‘The Amontillado?’ Fortunato said. He began to cough in the cold, damp air.
‘那阿蒙蒂亚度酒呢?’福图纳托说。他在寒冷潮湿的空气中开始咳嗽。
‘It’s further on,’ I said. ‘How long have you had that cough?’
‘还在前面,’我说。’你咳嗽多久了?’
He went on coughing for some time before he could answer me. ‘It is nothing,’ he said, at last.
他继续咳嗽了一段时间才回答我。’没什么,’他最后说。
My friend was full of wine, and found walking difficult. The little bells on his carnival suit made ringing noises when he moved. He began to cough again.
我的朋友喝得酩酊大醉,走路很困难。他狂欢节衣服上的小铃铛随着他的动作发出叮当声。他又开始咳嗽了。
‘We’ll go back,’ I said. ‘You must not get ill. You have family, friends, you are loved, needed – you must take care of yourself. We’ll go back. I can go to Luchresi—’
‘我们回去吧,’我说。’你不能生病。你有家人,有朋友,有人爱你,需要你——你必须照顾好自己。我们回去吧。我可以去找卢克雷西——’
‘Stop!’ he said. ‘The cough is nothing. It will not kill me. I shall not die from a cough.’
‘别说了!’他说。’咳嗽没什么。它不会杀死我。我不会因为咳嗽而死。’
‘That’s true,’ I said. ‘But you must be careful. Take a drink from this bottle of Medoc. It is a good wine and will warm you. Here you are, drink this!’
‘没错,’我说。’但你必须小心。喝一口这瓶玛歌酒。这是好酒,会让你暖和起来。给你,喝这个!’
I opened the bottle and gave it to him. ‘I drink,’ he said, ‘to all the dead Montresors sleeping around us.’ And he drank.
我打开瓶子递给他。’我喝酒,’他说,’为了周围安睡的所有死去的蒙特雷索家族成员。’然后他喝了下去。
‘And I drink to your long life,’ I said.
‘我也为你的长寿干杯,’我说。
Again he took my arm and we walked on.
他又挽住我的胳膊,我们继续往前走。
‘These vaults are very large,’ he said.
‘这些地窖非常大,’他说。
‘The Montresor family is a very old one. There have been a great many of us.’
‘蒙特雷索家族是一个非常古老的家族。我们家族的人很多。’
I was warmed by the Medoc, and the wine was making Fortunato’s eyes bright. We walked on, past casks and bottles of wine, deep into the vaults. I stopped again and held his arm.
玛歌酒让我感到暖和,酒也让福图纳托的眼睛变得明亮。我们继续往前走,经过一桶桶、一瓶瓶的酒,深入地窖。我又停了下来,抓住他的胳膊。
We walked on, deep into the vaults.
我们继续走,深入地窖。
‘We are under the river now,’ I said. ‘See how wet the walls are here. Come, we will go back before it is too late. Your cough—’
‘我们现在在河底下,’我说。’看墙壁多湿。来吧,趁还来得及我们回去吧。你的咳嗽——’
‘It is nothing,’ he said. ‘Let’s go on. But first, another drink to keep us warm.’
‘没什么,’他说。’我们继续走。但首先,再来一杯酒暖暖身子。’
I took another bottle of wine and gave it to him. He drank it all without stopping. His eyes were even brighter, and he laughed.
我又拿了一瓶酒给他。他不停地把它喝光了。他的眼睛更加明亮,笑了起来。
‘Now, let’s go on to the Amontillado,’ he said.
‘现在,我们继续去找阿蒙蒂亚度酒吧,’他说。
We went on, and down, and came into the deepest vault. Around three walls, from floor to ceiling, were the bones of the dead. Many more bones lay on the floor. Cut into the fourth wall was a smaller vault.
我们继续走,往下走,进入了最深的地窖。三面墙从地板到天花板都堆满了死人的骨头。更多的骨头散落在地板上。第四面墙上开凿了一个小隔间。
Fortunato held up his torch and looked into the blackness, but could see nothing.
福图纳托举起火把向黑暗中看去,但什么也看不见。
‘Go in,’ I told him. ‘You will find the Amontillado in there.’
‘进去吧,’我告诉他。’你会在那里找到阿蒙蒂亚度酒的。’
He went inside and I followed him. In three steps he was at the back wall of the vault, and he stood there, looking stupid. On the wall were two metal rings and a chain with a lock. Before he could do anything, I put the chain around him and locked it to the rings.
他走了进去,我跟着他。走了三步他就到了地窖的后墙,站在那里,看起来很傻。墙上挂着两个金属环和一条带锁的链条。在他还没来得及做什么之前,我把链条套在他身上,锁在了铁环上。
‘Put your hand on the wall, Fortunato,’ I said. ‘How wet it is! How very wet! Once more I ask, why don’t you go back? No? Then I must leave you. But first I must try to make you comfortable.’
‘把手放在墙上,福图纳托,’我说。’多湿啊!多湿啊!我再问一次,你为什么不回去?不?那我必须离开你了。但首先我必须试着让你舒服点。’
The – the Amontillado!’ my friend said. He did not understand.
‘那——那阿蒙蒂亚度酒!’我的朋友说。他不明白。
‘True,’ I said. ‘The Amontillado.’
‘没错,’我说。’阿蒙蒂亚度酒。’
Hidden under some of the bones on the floor were stones and other things for building a wall. I took them across to the small vault and began to work quickly.
藏在地板上一些骨头下面的是石头和筑墙用的其他东西。我把它们拿到小隔间前,开始快速工作。
Before the wall was half a metre high, Fortunato began to make soft crying noises. Then he was silent for some time. I worked on busily, building the wall higher and higher. Then I heard him again. He was pulling the chain and shaking it, but I knew the lock was strong.
墙还没砌到半米高,福图纳托就开始发出轻微的哭声。然后他沉默了一段时间。我忙着工作,把墙越砌越高。然后我又听到了他的声音。他在拉扯链条并摇晃它,但我知道锁很结实。
The wall was now as high as my neck. I held my torch higher, to see his face. He began to scream, long high screams, filled with terror. I listened, worrying. No, we were too deep under the ground. No sounds would escape from this vault. I screamed back at Fortunato, longer and louder. Then he stopped.
墙现在已经砌到我的脖子那么高了。我把火把举得更高,去看他的脸。他开始尖叫,长长的高亢尖叫,充满了恐惧。我听着,有点担心。不,我们太深了。没有任何声音能从这个地窖里逃出去。我对着福图纳托尖叫回去,更长、更响亮。然后他停了下来。
I held my torch higher, to see his face.
我把火把举得更高,去看他的脸。
By midnight the wall was nearly finished. There was one last heavy stone. I had it almost in place when I heard a soft but terrible laugh.
到午夜时,墙几乎砌好了。还剩下最后一块沉重的石头。我刚把它放到位时,听到了一声轻柔但可怕的笑声。
Then Fortunato’s sad voice said, ‘Ha! Ha! Ha! A very good joke. We will laugh about it often when we are drinking our wine.’
然后福图纳托悲伤的声音说,’哈!哈!哈!一个非常好的笑话。当我们喝酒时,我们会经常为此大笑。’
‘The Amontillado!’ I said.
‘阿蒙蒂亚度酒!’我说。
‘Ha! Ha! Yes, the Amontillado. But it is getting late. My wife and friends are waiting for me. Let’s go now, Montresor.’
‘哈!哈!是的,阿蒙蒂亚度酒。但天色不早了。我妻子和朋友们在等我。我们现在走吧,蒙特雷索。’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Let’s go.’
‘是的,’我说。’我们走吧。’
‘For the love of God, Montresor!’
‘看在上帝的份上,蒙特雷索!’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘For the love of God.’
‘是的,’我说。’看在上帝的份上。’
I waited for an answer. None came.
我等待回答。没有回答。
‘Fortunato!’ I called.
‘福图纳托!’我喊道。
No answer. I called again.
没有回答。我又喊了一声。
‘Fortunato!’
‘福图纳托!’
Still no answer. I pushed my torch through the gap in the wall and let it fall. Still nothing. I put the last stone in place, and then in front of the new wall I put the bones of the dead.
还是没有回答。我把火把穿过墙上的缝隙推了进去,让它掉了下去。依然什么都没有。我放好了最后一块石头,然后在新墙前面堆上了死人的骨头。
For fifty years, nobody has moved them.
五十年来,没有人动过它们。
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