03-01-07-神秘及幻想故事集 [1]
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When Usher saw me，he got up and welcomed me warmly．I thought he was just being polite，but as I looked into his face，I could see that he was pleased to see me．We sat down，but he did not speak at first，and for a few moments I watched him in surprise and fear．He had changed so much since our last meeting！He had the same pale thin face，the same eyes，large and clear，and the same thin lips and soft hair．But now his skin was too white，his eyes too large and bright，and he seemed a different man．He frightened me．And his long wild hair looked like a ghostly cloud around his head．
I noticed that my friend was very nervous and that his feelings changed very quickly．Sometimes he talked a lot，then he suddenly became silent and did not say a word for many hours．At other times he found it difficult to think，and his voice was heavy and slow，like the voice of a man who had drunk too much．
He told me why he had wanted to see me，and how he hoped to feel better now that I was with him．He had，he explained，a strange illness which had been in his family for a long time．It was a nervous illness which made him feel everything much more strongly than other people．He could only eat food that was almost tasteless．He had to choose his clothes very carefully because most of them hurt his skin．He could not have flowers in his room because their smell was too strong for him．Light hurt his eyes，and most sounds hurt his ears except the soft sound of guitars．
Worst of all，he was a prisoner of his own fear．‘I shall die，’he used to say，‘because of this fear，I'm not afraid of danger．What frightens me is fear itself．At the moment I am fighting against fear，but sooner or later I won't be able to fight any more．’
During long conversations with Usher I learnt more about his strange illness．He was sure that it came from the House of Usher itself．He had not left the house for many years and he had become，he thought，as sad as the house itself．The gloom of its grey walls and its dark silent lake had become his own．
He also believed that much of his sadness was because his dear sister was seriously ill．He had one sister，Madeleine，the only other person in his family who was still living，but each day she seemed a little nearer to death．
‘Her death，’Usher said blackly，‘will leave me alone in the world，the last of all the Ushers．’
While he was speaking，Madeleine passed slowly through the back of the long room and，without noticing me，disappeared．As I looked at her，my eyes felt heavy with．sleep，and I had a strange feeling of fear．I looked across at Usher．He had covered his face with his hands，but I could see that he had become even paler，and that he was crying silently．
Lady Madeleine's illness was a mysterious one which no doctor could understand．Every day she became weaker and thinner，and sometimes went into a sleep which was more like death than sleep．For years she had fought bravely against her illness，but on the night of my arrival she went to bed and did not get up from it again．‘You will probably not see her again alive，’Usher said to me，shaking his head sadly．
During the next few days Usher and I never spoke about his sister．We spent a lot of time painting and reading together，and sometimes he played on his guitar．I tried very hard to help my friend，but I realized that his sadness was too deep．It was a black gloom that covered everything that belonged to his world；sometimes，indeed，he seemed close to the edge of madness．
He painted strange pictures，and sang mysterious songs with wild words．His ideas，too，were strange，and he had one idea thst seemed more important to him than all the others．He was quite sure that all things，plants，trees，even stones，were able to feel．
‘The House of Usher itself，’he told me，‘is like a living thing．When the walls were first built，life went into the stones themselves and year after year it has grown stronger．Even the air around the walls and above the lake has its own life，and belongs to the house．Don't you see，’he cried，‘how the stones and the air have shaped the lives of the Usher family？’
These ideas were too fantastic for me
When Usher saw me，he got up and welcomed me warmly．I thought he was just being polite，but as I looked into his face，I could see that he was pleased to see me．We sat down，but he did not speak at first，and for a few moments I watched him in surprise and fear．He had changed so much since our last meeting！He had the same pale thin face，the same eyes，large and clear，and the same thin lips and soft hair．But now his skin was too white，his eyes too large and bright，and he seemed a different man．He frightened me．And his long wild hair looked like a ghostly cloud around his head．
I noticed that my friend was very nervous and that his feelings changed very quickly．Sometimes he talked a lot，then he suddenly became silent and did not say a word for many hours．At other times he found it difficult to think，and his voice was heavy and slow，like the voice of a man who had drunk too much．
He told me why he had wanted to see me，and how he hoped to feel better now that I was with him．He had，he explained，a strange illness which had been in his family for a long time．It was a nervous illness which made him feel everything much more strongly than other people．He could only eat food that was almost tasteless．He had to choose his clothes very carefully because most of them hurt his skin．He could not have flowers in his room because their smell was too strong for him．Light hurt his eyes，and most sounds hurt his ears except the soft sound of guitars．
Worst of all，he was a prisoner of his own fear．‘I shall die，’he used to say，‘because of this fear，I'm not afraid of danger．What frightens me is fear itself．At the moment I am fighting against fear，but sooner or later I won't be able to fight any more．’
During long conversations with Usher I learnt more about his strange illness．He was sure that it came from the House of Usher itself．He had not left the house for many years and he had become，he thought，as sad as the house itself．The gloom of its grey walls and its dark silent lake had become his own．
He also believed that much of his sadness was because his dear sister was seriously ill．He had one sister，Madeleine，the only other person in his family who was still living，but each day she seemed a little nearer to death．
‘Her death，’Usher said blackly，‘will leave me alone in the world，the last of all the Ushers．’
While he was speaking，Madeleine passed slowly through the back of the long room and，without noticing me，disappeared．As I looked at her，my eyes felt heavy with．sleep，and I had a strange feeling of fear．I looked across at Usher．He had covered his face with his hands，but I could see that he had become even paler，and that he was crying silently．
Lady Madeleine's illness was a mysterious one which no doctor could understand．Every day she became weaker and thinner，and sometimes went into a sleep which was more like death than sleep．For years she had fought bravely against her illness，but on the night of my arrival she went to bed and did not get up from it again．‘You will probably not see her again alive，’Usher said to me，shaking his head sadly．
During the next few days Usher and I never spoke about his sister．We spent a lot of time painting and reading together，and sometimes he played on his guitar．I tried very hard to help my friend，but I realized that his sadness was too deep．It was a black gloom that covered everything that belonged to his world；sometimes，indeed，he seemed close to the edge of madness．
He painted strange pictures，and sang mysterious songs with wild words．His ideas，too，were strange，and he had one idea thst seemed more important to him than all the others．He was quite sure that all things，plants，trees，even stones，were able to feel．
‘The House of Usher itself，’he told me，‘is like a living thing．When the walls were first built，life went into the stones themselves and year after year it has grown stronger．Even the air around the walls and above the lake has its own life，and belongs to the house．Don't you see，’he cried，‘how the stones and the air have shaped the lives of the Usher family？’
These ideas were too fantastic for me