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Text A The Black Cat I（第1页）

TextATheBlackCat（I）

EdgarAllanPoe

[1]FORthemostwild，yetmosthomelynarrativewhichIamabouttopeherexpeorsolicitbelief。MadindeedwouldIbetoexpeacasewheremyveryseheirow，madamInot—andverysurelydoIomorrowIdie，andtodayIwouldunburdenmysoul。Myimmediatepurposeistoplacebeforetheworld，plainly，sudwithoutent，aseriesofmerehouseholdevents。Intheirces，theseeveerrified—havetortured—havedestroyedme。YetIttoexpouome，theyhavepreselebutHorror—tomanytheywillseemlessterriblethanbaroques。Hereafter，perhaps，someimaybefoundwhichwillredutasmtotheon-plaeimorecalm，midfarlessexcitablethanmyoillperthecesIdetailwithawe，nothihananordinarysuofverynaturaldeffects。

[2]Frommyinfanotedforthedodhumanityofmydisposition。Mytenderwasevensospicuousastomakemethejestofmypanions。Iedofanimals，andwasindulgedbymyparentswithagreatvarietyofpets。WiththeseIspentmostofmytime，andneveryaswhenfeedingahem。Thispeculiarityrewwithmygrowth，and，inmymanhood，Iderivedfromitoneofmyprincipalsourcesofpleasure。Tothosewhohavecherishedaionforafaithfulandsagaciousdog，Ineedhardlybeatthetroubleofexplaiureortheiyofthegratifithusderivable。Thereissomethingintheunselfishandselfsagloveofabrute，whichgoesdirectlytotheheartofhimwhohashadfrequentototestthepaltryfriendshipayofmereMan。

[3]Imarriedearly，andytofindinmyositionnotuhmymypartialityfordomesticpets，shelostnoopportunitythoseofthemostagreeablekind。Wehadbirds，gold-fish，afinedog，rabbits，asmallmonkey，andacat。

[4]Thislatterwasaremarkablylargeaifulairelybladsagacioustoanastonishingdegree。Inspeakingofhisintelligence，mywife，whoatheartwasnotalittletihsuperstitioallusiopopularnotion，whichregardedallblackcatsaswitdisguise。Notthatshewaseverseriousuponthispoint—ahematteratallforerreasonthanthatithappens，justnow，toberemembered。

[5]Pluto—thiswastheame—etandplaymate。Ialonefedhim，aendedmewhereverIwentaboutthehouse。ItwasevenwithdifficultythatIcouldpreventhimfromfollowihroughthestreets。

[6]Ourfriendshiplasted，inthismanner，forseveralyears，duringwhieraltemperamentandcharacter—throughtheiyoftheFiendIntemperance—had（Iblushtofessit）experiencedaradicalalterationfrew，daybyday，moremoody，moreirritable，mardlessofthefeelingsofothers。Isufferedmyselftouseielaomywife。Atlength，Ievenofferedherpersonalvioles，ofcourse，weremadetofeelthemydisposition。Inotoill-usedthem。ForPluto，however，Istillretainedsuffitregardtorestrainmefrhim，asImadereatis，themohedog，whenbyat，haffe，theymyway。Butmydiseasegrewuponme—forwhatdiseaseislikeAlcohol!—ahevenPluto，beingold，alysomeeevish—eveoexperiesofmyilltemper。

[7]O，returninghome，mutoxioneofmyhauntsabouttown，Ifaheypresence。Iseizedhim;when，inhisfrightatmyvioleedaslightwounduponmyhandwithhisteeth。Thefuryofademoninstantlypossessedme。Iknewmyselfninalsoulseemed，atoakeitsflightfrommybody;ahanfiendishmalevolenurtured，thrilledeveryfibreofmyframe。Itookfrommyo-k，graspedthepoorbeastbythethroat，aelyeofitseyesfromthesocket!Iblush，Iburn，Ishudder，whileIpenthedamy。

[8]Wheurhem—toffthefumesofthenight’sdebauch—Iexperiehalfofhorror，halfofremorse，forthecrimeofwhichIhadbeenguilty;butitwas，atbest，afeebleandequivog，andthesoulremaiouched。Iagaioexdsoondrownedinwihedeed。

[9]Ihecatslowlyrecovered。Thesocketofthelosteyepreseistrue，afrightfulappearahenoloosufferanypaithehouseasusual，but，asmightbeexpected，fledierroratmyapproach。Ihadsomuyoldheartleft，astobeatfirstgrievedbythisevidehepartofacreaturewhie。Butthisfeelingsoooirritation。Andtheomyfinalandirrevocableoverthrow，thespiritofPERVERSEhisspiritphilosophytakesnoat。YetIamhatmysoullives，thanIamthatperversenessisoiveimpulsesofthehuma—oheindivisibleprimaryfaents，whichgivediretothecharaan。Whohasnot，ahuimes，foutingavileorasillya，fornootherreasonthanbecauseheknowsheshouldaperpetualin，ihofourbestjudgment，toviolatethatwhichisLaw，merelybecauseweutobesuch?Thisspiritofperverseness，Isay，yfihrow。Itwasthisunfathomablelongiovexitself—toofferviolesowf’ssakeonly—thaturgedmetoueandfinallytoatetheinjuryIhadiheunoffendingbrute。，incoolblood，Islippedasnegittothelimbitwiththetearsstreamingfrommyeyes，andwiththebitterestremorseatmyheart;—hungitbeewthatithadlovedme，aithadgivenmenoreasonofoffengitbeewthatinsodoingIwasittingasin—adeadlysinthatwouldsojeopardizemyimmortalsoulastoplaceit—ifsugwerepossible—evehereachoftheiheMostMerdMod。

[10]Oofthedayonwhichthiscrueldeedwasdone，Iwasarousedfromsleepbythecryoffire。Theybedwereihewholehousewasblazing。Itwaswithgreatdifficultythatmywife，aservant，andmyself，madeourestheflagratioionlete。Myentireass，andIresigheodespair。

[11]Iamabovetheweakoestablishasequenceofdeffect，betweeeray。ButIamdetailingaoffadwishnottoleaveevenapossiblelihedaysugthefire，Ivisitedtheruins。Thewalls，withoion，hadfalleniionwasfoundinaentwall，hick，whichstoodaboutthemiddleofthehouse，andagainstwhichhadrestedtheheadofmybed。Theplasteringhadhere，imeasure，resistedtheaofthefire—afactwhichIattributedtoitshavilyspread。Aboutthiswalladensecrowdwerecolledmanypersoobeexaminingaparticularportionofitwithverymiention。Thewe!”“singular!”andothersimilarexpressioedmycuriosity。Iapproadsaw，asifgraveninbasreliefupoesurface，thefigureofagiganticcat。Theimpressiohanaccuracytrulymarvellous。Thereeabouttheanimal’sneck。

[12]WhenIfirstbeheldthisapparition—forIcarditasless—mywonderandmyterrorwereextreme。Butatleioomyaid。Thecat，Iremembered，hadbeenhunginagardehehouse。Uponthealarmardenhadbeeelyfilledbythecrowd—bysomeoneofwhomtheanimalmusthavebeenthetreeandthrhanopenwindow，intomychamber。Thishadprobablybeeheviewmefromsleep。Thefallingofotherressedtheviytothesubstahefreshly-spreadplaster;thelimeofwhich，withtheflames，andtheammoniafromthecarcass，hadthenaplishedtheportraitureasIsawit。

[13]AlthoughIthusreadilyatedtomyreason，ifomyce，forthestartlingfactjustdetailed，itdidomakeadeepimpressionuponmyfanonthsIyselfofthephantasmofthed，duriherecamebayspiritahalf-seseemed，butwasnot，remorse。Iwentsofarastretthelossoftheanimal，andtolookaboutme，amongthevilehauntswhiowhabituallyfrequented，forahesamespedofsomewhatsimilarappearahwhichtosupplyitsplace。

[14]OasIsat，halfstupefied，inadehaninfamy，myattentionwassuddenlydrawntosomeblackupontheheadofoheimmensehogsheadsofGin，orofRum，whistitutedtheitureoftheapartment。Ihadbeenlookithetopofthishogsheadforsomeminutes，andwhatnowcausedmesurprisewasthefactthatIhadnotsooheobjectthereupon。Iapproachedit，ahmyhand。Itwasablackcat—averylargeone—fullyaslargeasPluto，andclhimioohadnotaonanyportionofhisbody;butthiscathadalarge，althoughichofwhite，earlythewhio。

[15]Uponmytoughim，heimmediatelyarose，purredlainstmyhand，aedwithmyhen，wastheverycreatureofwhichIwasinsearch。Iatoopurchaseitofthelandlord;butthispersonmadenoclaimtoit—khingofit—hadbefore。

[16]Iycaresses，and，wheogohome，theanimalevincedadispositiontoae。Ipermittedittodoso;oallystoopingandpattingitasIproceeded。Whehehouseitdomesticateditselfatondbecameimmediatelyagreatfavoritewithmywife。

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