The Fall of the House of Usher

TheFalloftheHouseofUsherByEdgarAllanPoe(1809-1849)EdgarAllanPoe（1809～1849）侦探小说(detectivestory)鼻祖、科幻小说(sciencefiction)先驱之一、恐怖小说(horrorfiction)大师、短篇哥特小说巅峰、象征主义(symbolism)先驱之一，唯美主义(aestheticism)者。受到过爱伦·坡影响的主要人物有：柯南·道尔、波德莱尔、斯特芳·马拉美、儒勒·凡尔纳、罗伯特·路易斯·斯蒂文森、希区柯克、蒂姆·伯顿、江户川乱步等。最著名的文艺理论是“效果论”爱伦·坡、安布鲁斯·布尔斯（1842～1914？）和H.P洛夫克拉夫特（1890～1937）并称为美国三大恐怖小说家爱伦·坡在《怪异故事集》序中称“自己的作品绝大部分都是深思熟虑的苦心经营”。MainWorksPoetryO,Tempora!O,Mores!ToMargaretToOctaviaTamerlaneSongDreamsSpiritsoftheDeadImitationStanzasADreamTheHappiestDayTheLake—To——ToScienceAlAaraafFairy-LandAloneToIsaacLeaElizabethAnAcrosticLinesonJoeLockeToHelenIsrafelTheSleeperTheValleyofUnrestTheCityintheSeaLenoreToOneinParadiseEnigmaSerenadeGothicTerrorNovelsTheDucDeL'Omelette《德洛梅勒特公爵》KingPest《瘟疫王》TheFalloftheHouseofUsher《厄舍府的倒塌》TheAssignation《幽会》TheDevilintheBelfry《钟楼魔影》TheAngeloftheOdd《奇怪天使》TheManThatWasUsedUp《被用光的人》DetectiveStoryThouArttheMan《你就是凶手》ThePurloinedLetter《被窃之信》TheMysteryofMarieRoget《玛丽·罗热疑案》TheMurdersintheRueMorgue《莫格街谋杀》TheGold-Bug《金甲虫》TheSystemofDoctorTarrandProfessorFether《塔尔博士和费瑟尔教授的疗法》TheOblongBox《长方形箱子》TheFalloftheHouseofUsher厄舍古屋的倒塌•TheFalloftheHouseofUsherisashortstoryofGothichorrorwritteninfirst-personpointofview.ItwasfirstpublishedinSeptember1839inBurton’sGentleman’sMagazine.In1840and1845,PoepublisheditwithotherstoriesinTalesoftheGrotesqueandoftheArabesque.•《厄舍古屋的倒塌》是爱伦坡最着名的心理恐怖小说之一。主人公罗得瑞克的性格，他与妹妹玛德琳的关系，以及他活埋妹妹的动机一直是人们关注的焦点。小说全篇贯穿了大量的意识流描写，堪称心理小说中的精品。Background•Thestorybeginsatduskonanautumndayinanearliertime,probablythe19thCentury.Theplaceisaforbiddingmansioninaforlorncountryside.Themansion,coveredbyafungus,isencircledbyasmalllake,calledatarn,thatresemblesamoat.Abridgeacrossthetarnprovidesaccesstothemansion.Plot•Thetaleopenswiththeunnamednarratorarrivingatthehouseofhisboyhoodfriend,RoderickUsher,havingreceivedaletterfromhiminadistantpartofthecountrycomplainingofanillnessandaskingforhishelp.Althoughstrong-willedPoewrotethisshortstorybeforetheinventionofmodernpsychologicalscience,Roderick'ssymptomscanbedescribedaccordingtoitsterminology.Theyincludeaformofsensoryoverloadknownashyperesthesia(hypersensitivitytolight,sounds,smells,andtastes),hypochondria(anexcessivepreoccupationorworryabouthavingaseriousillness),andacuteanxiety.ItisrevealedthatRoderick'stwinsister,Madeline,isalsoillandfallsintocataleptic,death-liketrances.ThenarratorisimpressedwithRoderick'spaintings,andattemptstocheerhimbyreadingwithhimandlisteningtohisimprovisedmusicalcompositionsontheguitar.RodericksingsTheHauntedPalace,thentellsthenarratorthathebelievesthehousehelivesintobesentient,andthatthissentiencearisesfromthearrangementofthemasonryandvegetationsurroundingit.Rodericklaterinformsthenarratorthathissisterhasdiedandinsiststhatshebeentombedfortwoweeksinavault(familytomb)inthehousebeforebeingpermanentlyburied.ThenarratorhelpsRoderickputthebodyinthetomb,andhenotesthatMadelinehasrosycheeks,assomedoafterdeath.Theyinterher,butoverthenextweekbothRoderickandthenarratorfindthemselvesbecomingincreasinglyagitatedfornoapparentreason.Astormbegins.Roderickcomestothenarrator'sbedroom,whichissituateddirectlyabovethevault,andthrowsopenhiswindowtothestorm.Henoticesthatthetarnsurroundingthehouseseemstoglowinthedark,asitglowedinRoderickUsher'spaintings,althoughthereisnolightning.ThenarratorattemptstocalmRoderickbyreadingaloudTheMadTrist,anovelinvolvingaknightnamedEthelredwhobreaksintoahermit'sdwellinginanattempttoescapeanapproachingstorm,onlytofindapalaceofgoldguardedbyadragon.Healsofindshangingonthewallashieldofshiningbrassofwhichiswrittenalegend:thattheonewhoslaysthedragonwinstheshield.Withastrokeofhismace,Ethelredkillsthedragon,whodieswithapiercingshriek,andproceedstotaketheshield,whichfallstothefloorwithanunnervingclatter.•Asthenarratorreadsoftheknight'sforcibleentryintothedwelling,crackingandrippingsoundsareheardsomewhereinthehouse.Whenthedragonisdescribedasshriekingasitdies,ashriekisheard,againwithinthehouse.Asherelatestheshieldfallingfromoffthewall,areverberation,metallicandhollow,canbeheard.Roderickbecomesincreasinglyhysterical,andeventuallyexclaimsthatthesesoundsarebeingmadebyhissister,whowasinfactalivewhenshewasentombedandthatRoderickknewthatshewasalive.ThebedroomdooristhenblownopentorevealMadelinestandingthere.Shefallsonherbrother,andbothlandonthefloorascorpses.Thenarratorthenfleesthehouse,and,ashedoesso,noticesaflashoflightcausinghimtolookbackupontheHouseofUsher,intimetowatchitbreakintwo,thefragmentssinkingintothetarn.中文MainThemeThecentralthemeofTheFalloftheHouseofUsheristerrorthatarisesfromthecomplexityandmultiplicityofforcesthatshapehumandestiny.Dreadful,horrifyingeventsresultnotfromasingle,uncomplicatedcircumstancebutfromacollisionandinterminglingofmanifold,complexcircumstances.InPoe’sstory,theHouseofUsherfallstoruinforthereasonslistedunderOtherThemes(below).OtherThemes•Evil•EvilhasbeenatworkintheHouseofUsherforgenerations,befoulingtheresidentsofthemansion.RoderickUsher'sillnessisaconstitutionalandfamilyevil...oneforwhichhedespairedtofinda