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the works of edgar allan poe-5-第4部分

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below。 As this creature first came in sight; I doubted my own sanity  or
at least the evidence of my own eyes; and many minutes passed before I
succeeded in convincing myself that I was neither mad nor in a dream。 Yet
when I described the monster (which I distinctly saw; and calmly surveyed
through the whole period of its progress); my readers; I fear; will feel
more difficulty in being convinced of these points than even I did myself。

Estimating the size of the creature by comparison with the diameter of the
large trees near which it passed  the few giants of the forest which had
escaped the fury of the land…slide  I concluded it to be far larger than
any ship of the line in existence。 I say ship of the line; because the
shape of the monster suggested the idea… the hull of one of our
seventy…four might convey a very tolerable conception of the general
outline。 The mouth of the animal was situated at the extremity of a
proboscis some sixty or seventy feet in length; and about as thick as the
body of an ordinary elephant。 Near the root of this trunk was an immense
quantity of black shaggy hair… more than could have been supplied by the
coats of a score of buffaloes; and projecting from this hair downwardly
and laterally; sprang two gleaming tusks not unlike those of the wild
boar; but of infinitely greater dimensions。 Extending forward; parallel
with the proboscis; and on each side of it; was a gigantic staff; thirty
or forty feet in length; formed seemingly of pure crystal and in shape a
perfect prism;  it reflected in the most gorgeous manner the rays of the
declining sun。 The trunk was fashioned like a wedge with the apex to the
earth。 From it there were outspread two pairs of wings… each wing nearly
one hundred yards in length  one pair being placed above the other; and
all thickly covered with metal scales; each scale apparently some ten or
twelve feet in diameter。 I observed that the upper and lower tiers of
wings were connected by a strong chain。 But the chief peculiarity of this
horrible thing was the representation of a Death's Head; which covered
nearly the whole surface of its breast; and which was as accurately traced
in glaring white; upon the dark ground of the body; as if it had been
there carefully designed by an artist。 While I regarded the terrific
animal; and more especially the appearance on its breast; with a feeling
or horror and awe  with a sentiment of forthcoming evil; which I found
it impossible to quell by any effort of the reason; I perceived the huge
jaws at the extremity of the proboscis suddenly expand themselves; and
from them there proceeded a sound so loud and so expressive of wo; that it
struck upon my nerves like a knell and as the monster disappeared at the
foot of the hill; I fell at once; fainting; to the floor。

Upon recovering; my first impulse; of course; was to inform my friend of
what I had seen and heard  and I can scarcely explain what feeling of
repugnance it was which; in the end; operated to prevent me。

At length; one evening; some three or four days after the occurrence; we
were sitting together in the room in which I had seen the apparition  I
occupying the same seat at the same window; and he lounging on a sofa near
at hand。 The association of the place and time impelled me to give him an
account of the phenomenon。 He heard me to the end  at first laughed
heartily  and then lapsed into an excessively grave demeanor; as if my
insanity was a thing beyond suspicion。 At this instant I again had a
distinct view of the monster… to which; with a shout of absolute terror; I
now directed his attention。 He looked eagerly  but maintained that he
saw nothing… although I designated minutely the course of the creature; as
it made its way down the naked face of the hill。

I was now immeasurably alarmed; for I considered the vision either as an
omen of my death; or; worse; as the fore…runner of an attack of mania。 I
threw myself passionately back in my chair; and for some moments buried my
face in my hands。 When I uncovered my eyes; the apparition was no longer
apparent。

My host; however; had in some degree resumed the calmness of his demeanor;
and questioned me very rigorously in respect to the conformation of the
visionary creature。 When I had fully satisfied him on this head; he sighed
deeply; as if relieved of some intolerable burden; and went on to talk;
with what I thought a cruel calmness; of various points of speculative
philosophy; which had heretofore formed subject of discussion between us。
I remember his insisting very especially (among other things) upon the
idea that the principle source of error in all human investigations lay in
the liability of the understanding to under…rate or to over…value the
importance of an object; through mere mis…admeasurement of its
propinquity。 〃To estimate properly; for example;〃 he said; 〃the influence
to be exercised on mankind at large by the thorough diffusion of
Democracy; the distance of the epoch at which such diffusion may possibly
be accomplished should not fail to form an item in the estimate。 Yet can
you tell me one writer on the subject of government who has ever thought
this particular branch of the subject worthy of discussion at all?〃

He here paused for a moment; stepped to a book…case; and brought forth one
of the ordinary synopses of Natural History。 Requesting me then to
exchange seats with him; that he might the better distinguish the fine
print of the volume; he took my armchair at the window; and; opening the
book; resumed his discourse very much in the same tone as before。

〃But for your exceeding minuteness;〃 he said; 〃in describing the monster;
I might never have had it in my power to demonstrate to you what it was。
In the first place; let me read to you a schoolboy account of the genus
Sphinx; of the family Crepuscularia of the order Lepidoptera; of the class
of Insecta  or insects。 The account runs thus:

〃'Four membranous wings covered with little colored scales of metallic
appearance; mouth forming a rolled proboscis; produced by an elongation of
the jaws; upon the sides of which are found the rudiments of mandibles and
downy palpi; the inferior wings retained to the superior by a stiff hair;
antennae in the form of an elongated club; prismatic; abdomen pointed; The
Death's  headed Sphinx has occasioned much terror among the vulgar; at
times; by the melancholy kind of cry which it utters; and the insignia of
death which it wears upon its corslet。'〃

He here closed the book and leaned forward in the chair; placing himself
accurately in the position which I had occupied at the moment of beholding
〃the monster。〃

〃Ah; here it is;〃 he presently exclaimed  〃it is reascending the face of
the hill; and a very remarkable looking creature I admit it to be。 Still;
it is by no means so large or so distant as you imagined it;  for the
fact is that; as it wriggles its way up this thread; which some spider has
wrought along the window…sash; I find it to be about the sixteenth of an
inch in its extreme length; and also about the sixteenth of an inch
distant from the pupil of my eye。〃

~~~ End of Text ~~~



HOP…FROG

    I NEVER knew anyone so keenly alive to a joke as the king was。 He
seemed to live only for joking。 To tell a good story of the joke kind; and
to tell it well; was the surest road to his favor。 Thus it happened that
his seven ministers were all noted for their accomplishments as jokers。
They all took after the king; too; in being large; corpulent; oily men; as
well as inimitable jokers。 Whether people grow fat by joking; or whether
there is something in fat itself which predisposes to a joke; I have never
been quite able to determine; but certain it is that a lean joker is a
rara avis in terris。

About the refinements; or; as he called them; the 'ghost' of wit; the king
troubled himself very little。 He had an especial admiration for breadth in
a jest; and would often put up with length; for the sake of it。
Over…niceties wearied him。 He would have preferred Rabelais' 'Gargantua'
to the 'Zadig' of Voltaire: and; upon the whole; practical jokes suited
his taste far better than verbal ones。

At the date of my narrative; professing jesters had not altogether gone
out of fashion at court。 Several of the great continental 'powers' still
retain their 'fools;' who wore motley; with caps and bells; and who were
expected to be always ready with sharp witticisms; at a moment's notice;
in consideration of the crumbs that fell from the royal table。

Our king; as a matter of course; retained his 'fool。' The fact is; he
required something in the way of folly  if only to counterbalance the
heavy wisdom of the seven wise men who were his ministers  not to
mention himself。

His fool; or professional jester; was not only a fool; however。 His value
was trebled in the eyes of the king; by the fact of his being also a dwarf
and a cripple。 Dwarfs were as common at court; in those days; as fools;
and many monarchs would have found it difficult to get through their days
(days are rather longer at court than elsewhere) without both a jester to
laugh with; and a dwarf to laugh at。 But; as I have already obs
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