The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

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True! — nervous — very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The 疾病 - jíbìng had sharpened my 感官 - gǎnguān — not destroyed — not dulled them. Above all was the 感觉 - gǎnjué of 听觉 - tīngjué acute. I heard all 事物 - shìwù in the 天堂 - tiāntáng and in the 地球 - dìqiú. I heard many 事物 - shìwù in 地狱 - dìyù. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole 故事 - gùshì.

It is impossible to say how first the 想法 - xiǎngfǎ entered my 大脑 - dànǎo; but once conceived, it haunted me day and 夜 - yè. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the 老人 - lǎorén. He had never wronged me. He had never given me 侮辱 - wǔrǔ. For his 金子 - jīnzi I had no 欲望 - yùwàng. I think it was his 眼睛 - yǎnjīng! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a 秃鹰 - tūyīng — a pale blue 眼睛 - yǎnjīng, with a 薄膜 - bómó over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my 血液 - xuèyè ran cold; and so by 程度 - chéngdù — very gradually — I made up my 心 - xīn to take the 生命 - shēngmìng of the 老人 - lǎorén, and thus rid myself of the 眼睛 - yǎnjīng forever.

Now this is the 重点 - zhòngdiǎn. You fancy me mad. Madmen know 知识 - zhīshi. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded — with what 谨慎 - jǐnshèn — with what 远见 - yuǎnjiàn — with what 伪装 - wěizhuāng I went to 工作 - gōngzuò! I was never kinder to the 老人 - lǎorén than during the whole 星期 - xīngqī before I killed him. And every 夜 - yè, about 半夜 - bànyè, I turned the latch of his 门 - mén and opened it — oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my 头 - tóu, I put in a dark 灯笼 - dēnglong, all closed, closed, so that no 光 - guāng shone out, and then I thrust in my 头 - tóu. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly — very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the 老人 - lǎorén’s 睡眠 - shuìmián. It took me an 小时 - xiǎoshí to place my whole 头 - tóu within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his 床 - chuáng. Ha! — would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when my 头 - tóu was well in the 房间 - fángjiān, I undid the 灯笼 - dēnglong cautiously — oh, so cautiously — cautiously (for the hinges creaked) — I undid it just so much that a single thin 光线 - guāngxiàn fell upon the 秃鹰 - tūyīng 眼睛 - yǎnjīng. And this I did for seven long nights — every 夜 - yè just at 半夜 - bànyè — but I found the 眼睛 - yǎnjīng always closed; and so it was impossible to do the 工作 - gōngzuò; for it was not the 老人 - lǎorén who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every 清晨 - qīngchén, when the day broke, I went boldly into the 房间 - fángjiān, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by 名字 - míngzi in a hearty 语调 - yǔdiào, and inquiring how he had passed the 夜 - yè. So you see he would have been a very profound 老人 - lǎorén, indeed, to suspect that every 夜 - yè, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

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Upon the eighth 夜 - yè I was more than usually cautious in opening the 门 - mén. A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that 夜 - yè had I felt the extent of my own powers — of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my 感觉 - gǎnjué of 胜利 - shènglì. To think that there I was, opening the 门 - mén, little by little, and he not even to dream of my 秘密 - mìmì deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the 想法 - xiǎngfǎ; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the 床 - chuáng suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back — but no. His 房间 - fángjiān was as black as pitch with the thick 黑暗 - hēi'àn, (for the 百叶窗 - bǎiyèchuāng were close fastened, through 恐惧 - kǒngjù of 强盗 - qiángdào,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the 门 - mén, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my 头 - tóu in, and was about to open the 灯笼 - dēnglong, when my 拇指 - mǔzhǐ slipped upon the tin 扣件 - kòujiàn, and the 老人 - lǎorén sprang up in the 床 - chuáng, crying out — “Who’s there?”

I kept quite still and said 知识 - zhīshi. For a whole 小时 - xiǎoshí I did not move a 肌肉 - jīròu, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the 床 - chuáng listening; — just as I have done, 夜 - yè after 夜 - yè, hearkening to the 死亡 - sǐwáng watches in the 墙壁 - qiángbì.

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Presently I heard a slight 呻吟 - shēnyín, and I knew it was the 呻吟 - shēnyín of mortal 恐怖 - kǒngbù. It was not a 呻吟 - shēnyín of 痛苦 - tòngkǔ or of 悲伤 - bēishāng — oh, no! — it was the low stifled 声音 - shēngyīn that arises from the bottom of the 灵魂 - línghún when overcharged with awe. I knew the 声音 - shēngyīn well. Many a 夜 - yè, just at 半夜 - bànyè, when all the 世界 - shìjiè slept, it has welled up from my own 胸膛 - xiōngtáng, deepening, with its dreadful 回声 - huíshēng, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the 老人 - lǎorén felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at 心脏 - xīnzàng. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the 床 - chuáng. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself — “It is 知识 - zhīshi but the wind in the chimney — it is only a 老鼠 - lǎoshǔ crossing the 地板 - dìbǎn,” or “it is merely a 蟋蟀 - xīshuài which has made a single chirp.” Yes, he has been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black 阴影 - yīnyǐng before him, and enveloped the 受害者 - shòuhàizhě. And it was the mournful 影响 - yǐngxiǎng of the unperceived 阴影 - yīnyǐng that caused him to feel — although he neither saw nor heard — to feel the 存在 - cúnzài of my 头 - tóu within the 房间 - fángjiān.

When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without 听觉 - tīngjué him lie down, I resolved to open a little — a very, very little 裂缝 - lièfèng in the 灯笼 - dēnglong. So I opened it — you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily — until, at length a single dim 光线 - guāngxiàn, like the thread of the 蜘蛛 - zhīzhū, shot from out the 裂缝 - lièfèng and fell upon the 秃鹰 - tūyīng 眼睛 - yǎnjīng.

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It was open — wide, wide open — and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness — all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very 骨髓 - gǔsuǐ in my 骨头 - gǔtou; but I could see 知识 - zhīshi else of the 老人 - lǎorén’s face or person: for I had directed the 光线 - guāngxiàn as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.

And now have I not told you that what you mistake for 疯狂 - fēngkuáng is but over acuteness of the 感官 - gǎnguān? — now, I say, there came to my 耳朵 - ěrduo a low, dull, quick 声音 - shēngyīn, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that 声音 - shēngyīn well, too. It was the beating of the 老人 - lǎorén’s 心脏 - xīnzàng. It increased my fury, as the beating of a 鼓声 - gǔshēng stimulates the 士兵 - shìbīng into 勇气 - yǒngqì.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the 灯笼 - dēnglong motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the 光线 - guāngxiàn upon the 眼睛 - yǎnjīng. Meantime the hellish 纹身 - wénshēn of the 心脏 - xīnzàng increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The 老人 - lǎorén’s 恐怖 - kǒngbù must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! — do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead 小时 - xiǎoshí of the 夜 - yè, amid the dreadful 寂静 - jìjìng of that old 房子 - fángzi, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable 恐怖 - kǒngbù. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the 心脏 - xīnzàng must burst. And now a new 焦虑 - jiāolǜ seized me — the 声音 - shēngyīn would be heard by a 邻居 - línjū! The 老人 - lǎorén’s 小时 - xiǎoshí had come! With a loud 尖叫 - jiānjiào, I threw open the 灯笼 - dēnglong and leaped into the 房间 - fángjiān. He shrieked once — once only. In an instant I dragged him to the 地板 - dìbǎn, and pulled the heavy 床 - chuáng over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the 心脏 - xīnzàng beat on with a muffled 声音 - shēngyīn. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the 墙壁 - qiángbì. At length it ceased. The 老人 - lǎorén was dead. I removed the 床 - chuáng and examined the 尸体 - shītǐ. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the 心脏 - xīnzàng and held it there many minutes. There was no 脉搏 - màibó. He was stone dead. His 眼睛 - yǎnjīng would trouble me no more.

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If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise 预防措施 - yùfáng-cuòshī I took for the concealment of the 身体 - shēntǐ. The 夜 - yè waned, and I worked hastily, but in 寂静 - jìjìng. First of all I dismembered the 尸体 - shītǐ. I cut off the 头 - tóu and the 手臂 - shǒubì and the 腿 - tuǐ.

I then took up three 木板 - mùbǎn from the flooring of the 房间 - fángjiān, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human 眼睛 - yǎnjīng — not even his — could have detected any thing wrong. There was 知识 - zhīshi to wash out — no stain of any kind — no 血液 - xuèyè-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A 水桶 - shuǐtǒng had caught all — ha! ha!

When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o ‘clock — still dark as 半夜 - bànyè. As the 钟声 - zhōngshēng sounded the 小时 - xiǎoshí, there came a 敲门声 - qiāo-mén-shēng at the 街道 - jiēdào 门 - mén. I went down to open it with a 光 - guāng 心脏 - xīnzàng, — for what had I now to 恐惧 - kǒngjù? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as 警察 - jǐngchá of the police. A shriek had been heard by a 邻居 - línjū during the 夜 - yè; 怀疑 - huáiyí of foul play had been aroused; 信息 - xìnxī had been lodged at the police office, and they (the 警察 - jǐngchá) had been deputed to search the premises.

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I smiled, — for what had I to 恐惧 - kǒngjù? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The 老人 - lǎorén, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the 房子 - fángzi. I bade them search — search well. I led them, at length, to his 房间 - fángjiān. I showed them his 宝藏 - bǎozàng, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the 房间 - fángjiān, and desired them here to rest from their 疲劳 - píláo, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect 胜利 - shènglì, placed my own 座位 - zuòwèi upon the very spot beneath which reposed the 尸体 - shītǐ of the 受害者 - shòuhàizhě.

The 警察 - jǐngchá were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar 事物 - shìwù. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My 头 - tóu ached, and I fancied a 铃声 - língshēng in my 耳朵 - ěrduo: but still they sat and still chatted. The 铃声 - língshēng became more distinct: — it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness — until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my 耳朵 - ěrduo.

No doubt I now grew very pale; — but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the 声音 - shēngyīn increased — and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick 声音 - shēngyīn — much such a 声音 - shēngyīn as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath — and yet the 警察 - jǐngchá heard it not. I talked more quickly — more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the 地板 - dìbǎn to and fro with heavy 步伐 - bùfá, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men — but the noise steadily increased. Oh 上帝 - shàngdì! what could I do? I foamed — I raved — I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder — louder — louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty 上帝 - shàngdì! — no, no! They heard! — they suspected! — they knew! — they were making a mockery of my 恐惧 - kǒngjù! — this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this 痛苦 - tòngkǔ! Anything was more tolerable than this 嘲笑 - cháoxiào! I could bear those hypocritical 微笑 - wéixiào no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! — and now — again! — hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! —

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“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed! — tear up the 木板 - mùbǎn! — here, here! — it is the beating of his hideous 心脏 - xīnzàng!”