03-01-07-神秘及幻想故事集 [13]
，but when I spoke in a whisper，his whisper was just like mine．All these things troubled me deeply．I could see that Wilson enjoyed making me angry，and he used to laugh at me secretly．Strangely， the other boys never noticed how he made fun of me，and copied me in every way．I was the only one who noticed it.
Very often he used to give me advice，telling me quietly what I should do or what I should say．I hated him even more when he did this．Today，of course， I realize that his advice was always very good and sensible．What a pity that I never followed it！
As time went by，I became more and more angry with him．Why should he，or anyone， give me advice？My feelings towards him changed and I actually began to hate him．He noticed this and tried not to come near me so much．
One day，towards the end of my fifth year at school we had a violent argument．While we were arguing， he showed his feelings more openly than usual，and a very strange idea came into my mind．I thought-how can I describe it？-I thought just for a second or two that I had known him before，a long，long time ago，when we were very young children．It was，as I say，a strange and very stupid idea，and I forgot it as quickly as I could.
But that night，when every one was asleep，I got out of bed．Then I walked through the dark building，with a small lantern in my hands，until I reached Wilson's room．I left the lantern outside and went near to his bed．Yes，he was a sleep．I returned to get my lantern and went back to his bed．I had planned to do something cruel to him while he slept．But as I looked at the sleeping boy，my heart beat faster and I was filled with fear．Was this really what William Wilson looked like？ Did he look just the same when he was awake？I knew that he was as tall as I was．I knew，too，that he walked like me and talked like me，and copied me in every way that he could．But was it possible that the person in that bed looked so like me in every way？I began to shake with fear，and my body turned ice-cold．Surely he couldn't look like this！Was I really looking at a boy who was not just a copy of me，but…
I was more frightened than I had ever been in my life．I went silently out of his room，left the school building and never returned there again． After several lazy months at home，I was sent to Eton，one of the most famous English bys' schools．There，I soon forgot William Wilson and the strange fears I had felt．If I thought about them at all， I used to laugh at myself． My life at Eton lasted for three wild and evil years．I learnt to be clever and secret，and was interested only in new ways of amusing myself．I chose the worst kind of students for my friends，and spent all my time in evil enjoyment．One night，when I was in my third year，I invited some students to a party in my rooms．We drank and played cards all through the night．As well as the wine， we had other， perhaps more dangerous，Pleasures．As the first morning light started to appear，I suggested a new evil amusement． Then I noticed that somebody was opening my door and I heard a servant's voice， ‘There's somebody outside who wants to speak to you，sir．He seems to be in a hurry．’
I walked， with difficulty， to the hall， as I was feeling very drunk with the wine．It was still too dark to see clearly，but I could just see the shape of a young man．He was as tall as I was， and was wearing the same clothes as myself． I could not see his face．
He came up to me and whispered the words‘William Wilson！’ in my ear．I knew the voice at once．It was impossible to mistake it．Those two words were enough to fill me with fear．Before I could look into his face， he had disappeared． The meeting only lasted a few seconds， but for some weeks I could not forget it．I thought of it all the time．Who and what was this william Wilson？ Where did he come from？ What did he want from me？My questions stayed unanswered， but I did discover one thing．I learnt that William Wilson had left my last school on the same day that I myself had run away from it． Soon I forgot about him again，and not long afterwards I went up to Oxford University．My parents were not sensible people and they always gave me a lot of money
Very often he used to give me advice，telling me quietly what I should do or what I should say．I hated him even more when he did this．Today，of course， I realize that his advice was always very good and sensible．What a pity that I never followed it！
As time went by，I became more and more angry with him．Why should he，or anyone， give me advice？My feelings towards him changed and I actually began to hate him．He noticed this and tried not to come near me so much．
One day，towards the end of my fifth year at school we had a violent argument．While we were arguing， he showed his feelings more openly than usual，and a very strange idea came into my mind．I thought-how can I describe it？-I thought just for a second or two that I had known him before，a long，long time ago，when we were very young children．It was，as I say，a strange and very stupid idea，and I forgot it as quickly as I could.
But that night，when every one was asleep，I got out of bed．Then I walked through the dark building，with a small lantern in my hands，until I reached Wilson's room．I left the lantern outside and went near to his bed．Yes，he was a sleep．I returned to get my lantern and went back to his bed．I had planned to do something cruel to him while he slept．But as I looked at the sleeping boy，my heart beat faster and I was filled with fear．Was this really what William Wilson looked like？ Did he look just the same when he was awake？I knew that he was as tall as I was．I knew，too，that he walked like me and talked like me，and copied me in every way that he could．But was it possible that the person in that bed looked so like me in every way？I began to shake with fear，and my body turned ice-cold．Surely he couldn't look like this！Was I really looking at a boy who was not just a copy of me，but…
I was more frightened than I had ever been in my life．I went silently out of his room，left the school building and never returned there again． After several lazy months at home，I was sent to Eton，one of the most famous English bys' schools．There，I soon forgot William Wilson and the strange fears I had felt．If I thought about them at all， I used to laugh at myself． My life at Eton lasted for three wild and evil years．I learnt to be clever and secret，and was interested only in new ways of amusing myself．I chose the worst kind of students for my friends，and spent all my time in evil enjoyment．One night，when I was in my third year，I invited some students to a party in my rooms．We drank and played cards all through the night．As well as the wine， we had other， perhaps more dangerous，Pleasures．As the first morning light started to appear，I suggested a new evil amusement． Then I noticed that somebody was opening my door and I heard a servant's voice， ‘There's somebody outside who wants to speak to you，sir．He seems to be in a hurry．’
I walked， with difficulty， to the hall， as I was feeling very drunk with the wine．It was still too dark to see clearly，but I could just see the shape of a young man．He was as tall as I was， and was wearing the same clothes as myself． I could not see his face．
He came up to me and whispered the words‘William Wilson！’ in my ear．I knew the voice at once．It was impossible to mistake it．Those two words were enough to fill me with fear．Before I could look into his face， he had disappeared． The meeting only lasted a few seconds， but for some weeks I could not forget it．I thought of it all the time．Who and what was this william Wilson？ Where did he come from？ What did he want from me？My questions stayed unanswered， but I did discover one thing．I learnt that William Wilson had left my last school on the same day that I myself had run away from it． Soon I forgot about him again，and not long afterwards I went up to Oxford University．My parents were not sensible people and they always gave me a lot of money