厄舍古厦的倒塌（节选）
（同名电影图片，图源来自网络）
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades ofthe evening drew on,within view of the melancholy House of Usher.
Soundless. a. 无声的，寂静的。注意同根词
Oppressively adv. 压迫地；沉重地
Dreary a. 沉闷的，枯燥的，令人沮丧的。近义词：tedious, dreich
Tract n. 大片土地，地带。近义词：zone, terrain
At length 最后，终于。近义词：finally, eventually
As the shades of evening draw on 随着夜幕降临
Draw on 临近；利用；吸收；戴上
Melancholy a. 忧郁的，令人悲伤的； n. 忧郁，悲哀，愁思
扩展：Melancholic a, 抑郁的，患忧郁症的; n.忧郁症患者
Melancholia n. 忧郁症
参考翻译：那年秋天，在一个沉闷，昏暗，寂静的日子，乌云低垂笼罩着大地，我独自一人骑着马穿过乡间的一片荒凉地带。随着夜幕降临，我发现那座令人忧伤的厄舍古厦就在不远处。
I know not how it was--but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible.
Insufferable a. 难以忍受的，不可忍受的，令人厌恶的。近义词:unbearable
Pervade v. 遍及，弥漫
unrelieved a. 未受救济的，未减轻的
Half-pleasurable 勉强令人满意的
Sentiment n. 感情，情绪；情操；观点；多愁善感
Sentimental a. 感伤的；感情脆弱的
Sentient n. 有知觉的人
Sentimentality n. 多愁善感
Sentimentalize vi.感伤; vt 使感伤，为……而感伤.
Stern a. 严厉的，坚定的 –最高级 sternest
Desolate a. 荒凉的，无人烟的
Desolation n. 荒芜，忧伤，孤寂，废墟
参考翻译：我也不知道怎么回事，一看见那座建筑，心里就充满难以忍受的悲伤。我会说难以忍受，是因为即使是到了那种荒凉，孤寂，可怕的境地，或遇到严苛的景象，我都会有几分诗意，甚至是喜悦。现在，这种感觉却是一直存在。
I looked upon the scene before me--upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain--upon the bleak walls--upon the vacant eye-like windows--upon a few rank sedges--and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees--with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium--the bitter lapse into everyday life-the hideous dropping off of the reveller upon opium--the bitter lapse into everyday life--the hideous dropping off of the veil.
Domain n. 领域，域名，产业，地产
Vacant a. 空虚的；空缺的；空闲的；空的；茫然的
Sedge n. 莎草
Decayed a. 腐烂的，腐败的；衰退的
Decay v. 腐烂，衰退
Reveler n. 欢宴者，狂欢者，饮酒狂欢者，摆设酒宴者
Opium n. 麻醉剂，鸦片；a. 鸦片的
Hideous a. 可怕的，丑恶的
Hideously adv. 可怕地；荒谬可笑地；非常讨厌地
Drop off 减少，下降；让……下车；睡着
参考翻译：我望着眼前的景物，望着那座孤单的建筑和里面简单的景观，望着荒凉的墙壁和像空洞的眼睛一样的窗户，望着几棵莎草和干枯的白色的树。心中的苦闷在尘世中无法比较，只能和那些上瘾的狂欢者梦后的感觉比较才贴切，苦痛变成了日常，邪恶的面纱也被摘除了。
There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart--an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime.
Iciness n. 冰冷，如冰；冰冷的性质
Icy a. 冰冷的；冷淡的；结满冰的
Icily adv. 冷冰冰地
Sickening a. 令人厌恶的；患病的
Sicken v. 使患病；使恶心；使嫌恶
Unredeemed a. 未履行的；未赎回的；未补偿的
Dreariness n. 凄凉；沉寂；可怕
Dreary a. 沉闷的；枯燥的
Goad n. 刺激；激励（名词和及物动词）
Sublime n. 崇高；顶点； a. 庄严的；令人崇敬的；极端的；超群的； vi. 升华；纯化；变高尚
参考翻译：我的心在冷冰冰地下沉，凄凉且无法救赎，即使再大的想象力，也无法说这是崇高的境界。
What was it--I paused to think--what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher? It was a mystery all insoluble; nor could I grapple with the shadowy fancies that crowded upon me as I pondered.
Unnerved a. 气馁的；烦恼不安的
Unnerve v. 使失去勇气；使身心交疲；使焦躁；使失常
Unnerving a. 使人紧张不安的
Insoluble a. [化] 学不能解决的；不能溶解的；难以解释的
Insolubility n.不溶性，不能解决
Grapple v. 抓住；格斗（可作及物动词、不及物动词和名词）
Ponder v. 仔细考虑；衡量；沉思(可作及物动词和不及物动词，作名词时一般为人名)
参考翻译:这是怎么了？我思索起来，到底是什么原因让我在看着厄舍古厦时变成这样？这是个难以解释的谜，在我思考时，一些模糊的幻想涌上心头，却又难以捉摸。
I was forced to fall back upon the unsatisfactory conclusion, that while, beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the power of thus affecting us, still the analysis of this power lies among considerations beyond our depth.
Be forced to 被强迫做某事
Combination n. 组合；[数]组合；联合；[化学]化合
Combine v. 组合；化合；使化合；使结合（及物动词和不及物动词）
Consideration n. 考虑；原因；关心；报酬
Consider v. 考虑；认为
Considerable a. 重要的；值得考虑的
Considered a. 经过深思熟虑的；被尊重 的
参考翻译：我被迫接受那个并不令人满意的结论，简单的景物组合在一起有左右人情绪的能力，如果要细究这种力量，就要花费大力气，但也无法捉摸透。
It was possible, I reflected, that a mere different arrangement of the particulars of the scene, of the details of the picture, would be sufficient to modify, or perhaps to annihilate its capacity for sorrowful impression; and, acting upon this idea, I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled lustre by the dwelling,and gazed down--but with a shudder even more thrilling than before--upon the remodelled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree-stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows.
Annihilate v. 歼灭；战胜；废止；湮灭；湮没(可作及物动词和不及物动词)
Rein n. 缰绳；驾驭；统治；支配 vt. 控制；驾驭；勒住
rein in 控制；放慢；止住
Precipitous a. （山势）险峻的；急躁的；鲁莽的
Precipitation n. [化学]沉淀，沉积物；冰雹；坠落；鲁莽
Precipitancy n.急躁；轻率；鲁莽
Brink n. (峭壁的)[地理]边缘
On the brink of 濒于；濒临；在……的边缘
衍生词：brinkmanship 边缘政策；紧急政策；外交冒险政策
brinkman 边缘主义者
Lurid a. （指描述、故事等有性或暴力的内容）可怕的，耸人听闻的； 火烧似的；苍白的；血红的；华丽而庸俗的
Tarn n. [地理][水文]冰斗湖；山中小湖
Unruffled a. （含褒义）平静的；不骚动的；镇定的
unruffle v. 使平静；将弄平；安慰；使平整；变得安静
Lustre n. 光泽；光彩
Remodeled a. 改造的；改制的
Remodel v. 改造；重建
Inverted a. 倒转的；反转的
Invert v. 颠倒；使……反向
Ghastly a. 可怕的；惨白的；惊人的；极坏的 adv.恐怖地；惨白地
参考翻译：我想，这是有可能的，仅仅是对细节的不同安排，带给人的悲伤可能就会减少，由于这一想法,我骑马到湖的险岸边,这个湖傍着古厦，湖面有光泽却没有涟漪。黑压压的湖面倒映出莎草，白色的枯树和空洞的眼睛一样的窗户，当我俯视湖面时，我感觉到比刚才还要可怕。
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
Ashort story by Edgar Allan Poe
