铜版画

•Thewriter•Characters•Plot•ThemezzotintThewriter•MontagueRhodesJames(1862–1936)whousedthepublicationnameM.R.James,wasanEnglishauthor,medievalscholarandprovostofCambridge.Heisbestrememberedforhisghoststories,whichareregardedasamongthebestinthegenre.•JamesredefinedtheghoststoryforthenewcenturybyabandoningmanyoftheformalGothicclichésofhispredecessorsandusingmorerealisticcontemporarysettings.However,James'sprotagonistsandplotstendtoreflecthisownantiquarianinterests.Accordingly,heisknownastheoriginatoroftheantiquarianghoststory.•英国作家，中世纪的学者，大学国王学院，剑桥和伊顿公学教务长。最被人熟知的是他的鬼故事。詹姆斯重新定义了新世纪的鬼故事，，摒弃许多哥特式的陈词滥调，更注重写实。然而，詹姆斯的主角和情节往往反映自己的古董兴趣。因此，他被称为“古董鬼故事”的鼻祖。Characters•MrWilliams---collectprintsanddrawingsforuniversity•MrBritnell---artdealersellprintstoMrWilliams•DrBinks---MrWilliams’sfriend•Nisbet---MrWilliams’sneighbour•Robert---MrWilliams’sservant•MrGreen---theoldestmemberofthecollegePlotMrWilliamsgotamezzotint,hethoughtitwasnotspeciallyexciting,butnext,somehorrifiedthingshappened.Atfirst,themezzotintjustshowaviewofthefrontofanotverylargeeighteenth-centurycountryhouse.Thehousehadthreerowsofplainwindowsandsomeinterestingfeatures.Therewasnomooninthemezzotint,alsonofigure.Then,inthemezzotint,appearedamoonandafigure.Thefigurejustshowedahead,ontheextremeedgeoftheprint.Itwaswellwrappedup,itsbackwasturnedanditwaslookingtowardsthehouse.Inthemidnight,inthemiddleofthegrassinfrontoftheunknownhousetherewasafigure.Itwaswrappedinstrange,blackclothingwithawhitecrossontheback.MrWilliams’sneighboursawtheprint,hefoundthatthefigurewasmissing.Oneofthewindowsonthegroundfloor—totheleftofthedoor—isopen.So,theythoughtthefiguremusthavegotin!Then,theprintbecamefrightened.Underthecloudsandthemoonthatwasnolongerfull.Thefigurewasoncemoreonthegrass.Itstoodupstraight,theblackclothinghungdownoveritsface,thewhiteforeheadandfewuntidyhairs.Thearmsweretightlyclosedoverachild.Itwasnotpossibletosaywhetheritwasdeadorliving.Onlythelegofthefigurecarryingitcouldbeseenclearly,andtheywereterriblythin.Atlast,MrGreenrecognizedthehouseintheprintasAnningleyHall.Andhesaidastoryaboutthehouse.ArthurFrancis,hewasveryseverewithanymanwhomhesuspectedofhuntingonthisland.AmancalledGawdy,Franciscouldneverproveanythingagainsthim.Untilonenightthekeepersfoundhimatitinawoodrightattheendoftheestate.InthefightGawdyshotoneofthekeepers.ThatwasFranciswanted.Gawdywashanged.ButthefamilyofFrancishasnowdiedout.Thelastsondisappearedmysteriouslyinchildhood.hisfather,wasknowasagoodartistinmezzotint.Afterhisson’sdisappearance,helivedcompletelyaloneattheHall.Hewasfounddeadexactlythreeyearslaterintheroomwherehehadjustcompletedthismezzotint.So,wecanguess,theghostofGawdyrevengetheFrancisfamily.TheghoststolethelastsonofFrancis.Atlast,themezzotintneverchangeagain.