The Masque of the Red Death

The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.

“红死病”已经在这个国度肆虐了许久。从来没有一种瘟疫如此致命，如此可怖。血便是它的化身，也是它的印记——那是鲜血的殷红与恐怖。病人先是感到剧痛，接着一阵突如其来的眩晕，随后毛孔大量出血，最终归于死亡。受害者身上，尤其是脸上那一片片猩红的斑痕，便是将他隔绝于同胞的援助与同情之外的瘟疫烙印。而这病症从发作、发展到终结，前后不过半个钟头。

But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince’s own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts.

然而普罗斯佩罗亲王却依然快乐、无畏而又睿智。当他治下的领地已有一半人口消亡时，他从宫廷的骑士与贵妇中召来了一千位健壮而无忧无虑的朋友，与他们一同隐退到自己一座设有城垛的修道院式宫邸中，深居简出。这是一座宏伟壮丽的建筑，出自亲王本人那既古怪又庄严的品味之手。一道高大坚固的围墙将它团团围住，墙上设有铁门。众廷臣进去之后，便搬来熔炉和沉重的铁锤，把门闩焊死。

They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think.

他们决心不给内心突如其来的绝望或疯狂留下任何进出的余地。这座宫邸储备极为充足。有了这样的防范，廷臣们便可对瘟疫的侵袭嗤之以鼻。至于外面的世界，那便由它自生自灭去吧。眼下再去哀伤，再去多想，都是愚蠢之举。

The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the “Red Death.”

亲王备下了一切享乐的器具。这里有弄臣，有即兴诗人，有芭蕾舞者，有乐师，有美人，也有美酒。这一切，连同安全，都在墙内；墙外，则是那“红死病”。

It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.

大约是他们隐居到第五、六个月将尽之时，正当外面的瘟疫肆虐得最为凶猛之际，普罗斯佩罗亲王为他那一千位朋友举办了一场极尽奢华、前所未见的化装舞会。

It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven—an imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was very different; as might have been expected from the duke’s love of the bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect.

那场化装舞会，是一幕极尽感官之乐的盛景。但让我先说说举办舞会的那几个房间。总共有七间——那是一套帝王般的居室。然而在许多宫殿里，这样一套房间往往形成一条笔直悠长的通道，折叠门几乎能一直推到两侧墙边，因此整条通道几乎可以一览无余。可这里的情形却大不相同，这正如人们从公爵对奇诡之物的偏爱中所能预料的那样。这些房间的布局极不规则，以至于目光每次几乎只能望见其中一间。每隔二十来码或三十来码，便有一个急转弯，每转一次弯，便是一番全新的景致。

To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue—and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple.

在每面墙的正中，左右两侧各开着一扇又高又窄的哥特式窗户，望出去是一条沿着套间弯曲延伸的封闭走廊。这些窗户都镶着彩色玻璃，颜色随着窗户所对应的那间房中占主导地位的装饰色调而各不相同。举例来说，位于东端的那间是蓝色的装饰——窗户也是一片鲜艳的蓝色。第二间的装饰和帷幔是紫色的，这里的窗玻璃便也是紫色。

The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange—the fifth with white—the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet—a deep blood color.

第三间从头到尾都是绿色的，窗扉也是如此。第四间以橙色布置照明——第五间是白色——第六间是紫罗兰色。第七间则被黑色天鹅绒帷幔严严实实地笼罩着，帷幔从天花板一直垂到墙壁，沉沉地垂落在同样材质、同样颜色的地毯上。可唯独这间房，窗户的颜色与装饰并不相配。这里的窗玻璃是猩红色的——一种深沉的血色。

Now in no one of the seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum, amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended from the roof. There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers. But in the corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire that projected its rays through the tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room. And thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances.

在这七间房里，虽然到处散落着或悬垂于屋顶的金饰琳琅满目，却没有一盏灯或一座枝形烛台。整套房间里，没有任何一盏灯或一支蜡烛发出光亮。可在沿着这套房间延伸的走廊里，每扇窗户对面都立着一只沉重的三脚架，架上盛着一盆炭火，火光透过染色的玻璃投射进屋，把房间照得光怪陆离。于是便造就出了无数光怪陆离、变幻莫测的景象。

But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes, was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all.

可是在西边那间黑色的房间里，那透过血色玻璃洒在深色帷幔上的火光所造成的效果，却是骇人到了极点，凡是踏进那里的人，脸上都会浮现出一种狂野的神色，因此宾客之中，敢于踏进那间房去的人寥寥无几。

It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony.

也正是在这间房里，靠着西墙立着一座硕大无比的乌木大钟。

Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation.

它的钟摆沉闷、笨重、单调地来回摆动着；每当分针绕完钟面走完一圈，正要报时，钟内那铜制的“肺”便会发出一声清脆、响亮、低沉而又极富乐感的声音，只是这音调与强调都极为特别，以至于每逢整点将至，乐队的乐师们都不得不暂时停下演奏，侧耳倾听那声响；于是跳华尔兹的人也不得不停下旋转的舞步；整个欢乐的宾客群中，便会出现短暂的骚动与不安；而当钟声尚未止息时，人们注意到，连最轻浮的人也会脸色发白，那些年长而沉稳的人则会用手抚过额头，仿佛陷入了纷乱的沉思或冥想。

But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies), there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before.

可是等回声完全消失之后，一阵轻快的笑声便会立刻传遍全场；乐师们相视一笑，仿佛在嘲笑自己方才的紧张与愚蠢，并低声互相立誓，说下一次钟响时绝不会再有同样的反应；然而，六十分钟过去之后（那是三千六百秒飞逝的光阴），钟声再度响起，于是又出现了同样的骚动、颤栗与冥想。

But, in spite of these things, it was a gay and magnificent revel. The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not.

尽管如此，这仍是一场欢乐而盛大的狂欢。公爵的品味十分特别。他对色彩与效果有着敏锐的眼光。他对单纯的时尚礼数不屑一顾。他的构想大胆而炽烈，他的设想散发着一种野性的光辉。有人或许会以为他疯了。可他的随从们却觉得他并没有疯。要确信他没有疯，就必须亲耳听他说话，亲眼看他行事，亲手触碰过他才行。

He had directed, in great part, the moveable embellishments of the seven chambers, upon occasion of this great fête; and it was his own guiding taste which had given character to the masqueraders. Be sure they were grotesque. There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm—much of what has been since seen in “Hernani.” There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There was much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust.

这场盛大庆典中，七间房内可移动的装饰，大多是由他亲自安排的；而化装舞者的装扮之所以有那样的风格，也全是出自他本人的品味指引。可以肯定，那些装扮都是光怪陆离的。舞会上充斥着炫目的光彩、闪烁的光影、辛辣的意趣，以及种种幻象——许多如同后来在《埃尔纳尼》中所见到的那般。还有阿拉伯式的怪异人形，四肢和衣着都不成体统。还有种种癫狂的幻想，如同疯子构思出来的一般。其中有许多是美的，许多是放荡不羁的，许多是光怪陆离的，还有一些是骇人的，也不乏一些足以引人生厌的东西。

To and fro in the seven chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these—the dreams—writhed in and about, taking hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet.

在这七间房里，说实话，来回游荡着无数个梦幻般的身影。这些“梦幻”蜿蜒游走，穿梭其间，随着房间的色调而变幻，使得乐队那狂乱的乐声，听来仿佛是它们脚步的回声。而不多时，摆在那黑丝绒大厅里的那座乌木大钟便又敲响了。

And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die away—they have endured but an instant—and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart. And now again the music swells, and the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from the many-tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods.

于是，霎时间，一切归于静止，一切归于寂静，唯有那钟声的声音。那些“梦幻”僵在原地，凝固不动。可钟声的回音很快便消散了——它们不过延续了一瞬——随着它们的散去，一阵轻微而克制的笑声随之飘散开来。此刻音乐再度响起，那些“梦幻”便又活了过来，比先前更加欢快地扭动、游走，随着从三脚架中射出、透过五彩窗户而来的光线而变幻着颜色。

But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; for the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes; and the blackness of the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments.

可是在七间房里最靠西边的那一间，此刻已没有任何化装者敢于涉足了；因为夜色渐深；透过那血色的窗玻璃流泻出来的光更显赤红；那乌黑帷幔的漆黑令人心生畏惧；凡是有人一脚踏上那黑色的地毯，便会听见近旁那座乌木大钟发出一声低沉的钟鸣，比传到那些沉溺于其他房间较远处欢乐中的人耳中的钟声，更显得庄重而有力。

But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life. And the revel went whirlingly on, until at length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon the clock. And then the music ceased, as I have told; and the evolutions of the waltzers were quieted; and there was an uneasy cessation of all things as before. But now there were twelve strokes to be sounded by the bell of the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps, that more of thought crept, with more of time, into the meditations of the thoughtful among those who revelled.

可其他那些房间却挤得密密麻麻，生命的心脏在其间热切地跳动着。狂欢便这样飞旋着继续下去，直到最终大钟开始敲响午夜。到了那时，音乐便如我先前所说的那样戛然而止；跳华尔兹的人也停下了旋转的舞步；一切又如先前那般，出现了一阵不安的停顿。可这一次钟要敲足十二下；也正因此，或许，随着更长的时间流逝，那些在场狂欢者中较为深思的人，心中便悄悄涌起了更多的思绪。

And thus, too, it happened, perhaps, that before the last echoes of the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise—then, finally, of terror, of horror, and of disgust.

于是，或许也正因此，就在最后一声钟鸣的最后一丝回音尚未完全归于沉寂之前，人群中已有不少人腾出了心思，注意到一个此前竟无一人留意到的、戴着面具的身影。这个新来者的传闻悄悄传开之后，全场终于爆发出一阵嗡嗡的低语声，那声音里带着不满与惊讶——最终，化作了恐惧、惊骇与厌恶。

In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation. In truth the masquerade license of the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod, and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince’s indefinite decorum. There are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be touched without emotion. Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made. The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed.

在我方才描绘的这样一群幻影般的宾客当中，人们大可以想见，一般的装扮是绝不可能激起这样的反应的。诚然，那一夜的化装尺度几乎是不设限的；可眼前这个身影，却比暴君还要暴虐，甚至超出了亲王那本就模糊不清的礼数底线。即便是最放浪不羁的人心中，也有一些心弦是碰不得的，一碰便会激起情绪。即便是那些彻底沉沦、视生死为儿戏的人，也总有些事情是不能拿来开玩笑的。此刻，全场宾客似乎都深切地感受到，这位陌生人的装扮与举止，既无半点机智，也毫无半点得体可言。

The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood—and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.

那身影又高又瘦，从头到脚都裹着裹尸布般的寿衣。那张遮住面容的面具，做得极像一具僵硬尸体的脸，即便是最仔细的端详，也难以看出破绽。可即便如此，若换作寻常的装扮，周围那些狂欢的疯子们或许尚能容忍，纵然并不赞许。然而这位化装者竟走得更远，扮成了“红死病”本身的模样。他的衣袍上沾满斑斑血迹——他那宽阔的额头，连同脸上的每一处，都溅满了那猩红的恐怖印记。

When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage.

当普罗斯佩罗亲王的目光落在这个幽灵般的身影上时（那身影正以一种缓慢而庄重的步伐，仿佛要更完满地扮演这个角色一般，在跳华尔兹的人群中来回游走），只见他先是浑身一阵剧烈的战栗，不知是出于恐惧还是厌恶；可紧接着，他的额头便因愤怒而涨红了。

“Who dares?” he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him—“who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him—that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!”

“谁敢如此放肆？”他声音嘶哑地质问站在身旁的廷臣们——“谁敢用这般亵渎神明的嘲弄来侮辱我们？把他抓起来，摘下他的面具——好让我们知道，日出时该把谁吊死在城垛上！”

It was in the eastern or blue chamber in which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words. They rang throughout the seven rooms loudly and clearly—for the prince was a bold and robust man, and the music had become hushed at the waving of his hand.

普罗斯佩罗亲王说出这番话时，正站在东边那间蓝色的房间里。他的声音响亮而清晰地传遍了这七间房——因为亲王本是个胆量过人、体格健壮的人，而当他一挥手，乐声也已然戛然而止。

It was in the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side. At first, as he spoke, there was a slight rushing movement of this group in the direction of the intruder, who at the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to the speaker.

亲王正站在那间蓝色的房间里，身边簇拥着一群脸色苍白的廷臣。起初，他一开口，这群人便微微涌动，朝那闯入者的方向冲去，而此时那闯入者也正近在眼前，正以从容而庄重的步伐，向说话的人步步逼近。

But from a certain nameless awe with which the mad assumptions of the mummer had inspired the whole party, there were found none who put forth hand to seize him; so that, unimpeded, he passed within a yard of the prince’s person; and, while the vast assembly, as if with one impulse, shrank from the centres of the rooms to the walls, he made his way uninterruptedly, but with the same solemn and measured step which had distinguished him from the first, through the blue chamber to the purple—through the purple to the green—through the green to the orange—through this again to the white—and even thence to the violet, ere a decided movement had been made to arrest him.

然而，那化装者疯狂扮相所激起的一种莫名的敬畏，笼罩了在场的所有人，以至于竟没有一个人伸手去抓他；于是他畅通无阻地从亲王身边一码之内走了过去；而当那庞大的人群仿佛出于同一冲动，纷纷从房间中央退向四壁之时，他仍旧迈着自始至终那种庄重而有节奏的步伐，一路畅行无阻，从蓝色的房间走到紫色的房间——从紫色走到绿色——从绿色走到橙色——再从橙色走到白色——甚至一直走到了紫罗兰色的房间，众人这才终于下定决心要拦住他。

It was then, however, that the Prince Prospero, maddening with rage and the shame of his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through the six chambers, while none followed him on account of a deadly terror that had seized upon all. He bore aloft a drawn dagger, and had approached, in rapid impetuosity, to within three or four feet of the retreating figure, when the latter, having attained the extremity of the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer.

然而，正是在这时，普罗斯佩罗亲王因愤怒以及自己一时怯懦而生出的羞耻感而近乎癫狂，急匆匆地穿过那六间房追了上去，而众人却因一种致命的恐惧攫住了心神，谁也不敢跟上。他高举着一把出鞘的匕首，正以迅猛之势逼近那退却的身影，眼看已相距不过三四英尺，那身影却已走到那间丝绒房间的尽头，突然转过身来，正面迎向了追逐他的人。

There was a sharp cry—and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero. Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revellers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer, whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within the shadow of the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave-cerements and corpse-like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form.

一声尖锐的叫喊——那把匕首闪着寒光跌落在乌黑的地毯上，紧接着，普罗斯佩罗亲王便扑倒在地，气绝身亡。随后，一群狂欢者鼓起绝望所激发的疯狂勇气，一齐冲进了那间黑色的房间，抓住了那位化装者——他那高大的身影正笔直而僵立地立在那乌木大钟的阴影之中——他们粗暴地一把揪住那寿衣与尸容面具，却骇然发现，那衣物之下，竟空无一物，没有任何可触可感的形体。

And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

于是，众人终于承认了“红死病”的降临。它来时，如同夜间的窃贼一般悄无声息。狂欢者们在那洒满鲜血的欢宴大厅里，一个接一个地倒下，各自以倒地时那绝望的姿态死去。那座乌木大钟的生命，也随着最后一位狂欢者的生命一同熄灭了。三脚架上的火焰也随之熄灭。而黑暗、腐朽与“红死病”，便这样对一切拥有了无边无际、永无止境的统治。