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THERedDeathhadlongdevastatedthecountry.Nopestilencehadeverbeensofatal,orsohideous.BloodwasitsAvataranditsseal--therednessandthehorrorofblood.Thereweresharppains,andsuddendizziness,andthenprofusebleedingatthepores,withdissolution.Thescarletstainsuponthebodyandespeciallyuponthefaceofthevictim,werethepestbanwhichshuthimoutfromtheaidandfromthesympathyofhisfellow-men.Andthewholeseizure,progressandterminationofthedisease,weretheincidentsofhalfanhour.红死病蹂躏这个国度已有多时。从不曾有过如此致命或如此可怕的瘟疫。鲜血是其象征，是其标志--血之殷红与血之恐怖。有剧烈的疼痛，有突发的头晕，接着便是毛孔大量出血而来的死亡。患者身上，而尤其是脸上一旦出出现红斑，那便是隔离其亲友之救护和同情的禁令。这种瘟疫从感染，发病到死亡的整个过程，前后也就半个小时。ButthePrinceProsperowashappyanddauntlessandsagacious.Whenhisdominionswerehalfdepopulated,hesummonedtohispresenceathousandhaleandlight-heartedfriendsfromamongtheknightsanddamesofhiscourt,andwiththeseretiredtothedeepseclusionofoneofhiscastellatedabbeys.Thiswasanextensiveandmagnificentstructure,thecreationoftheprince'sowneccentricyetaugusttaste.Astrongandloftywallgirdleditin.Thiswallhadgatesofiron.Thecourtiers,havingentered,broughtfurnacesandmassyhammersandweldedthebolts.Theyresolvedtoleavemeansneitherofingressoregresstothesuddenimpulsesofdespairoroffrenzyfromwithin.Theabbeywasamplyprovisioned.Withsuchprecautionsthecourtiersmightbiddefiancetocontagion.Theexternalworldcouldtakecareofitself.Inthemeantimeitwasfollytogrieve,ortothink.Theprincehadprovidedalltheappliancesofpleasure.Therewerebuffoons,therewereimprovisatori,therewereballet-dancers,thereweremusicians,therewasBeauty,therewaswine.Alltheseandsecuritywerewithin.WithoutwastheRedDeath.但普洛斯佩罗亲王快活，无畏而精明。眼见其疆域内的人口锐减一半，他便从宫中召集了一千名健壮而乐观的骑士淑女，并带着他们退隐到一座非常偏远的城堡式宅院。那是一座宽敞而宏伟的建筑，是亲王那与众不同但令人敬畏的情趣之创造。宅院四周环绕着一道坚固的高墙。大门全用钢铁铸就。亲王的追随者们带来了熔炉和巨锤，进宅院之后便熔死了所有门闩。他们决心破釜沉舟，不留退路，以防因绝望或疯狂而产生的想出去的冲动。宅院内的各种必需品非常充裕。有了这样的防御措施，那些绅士淑女们便可以藐视瘟疫的蔓延。墙外的世界能够自己照料自己。在这种时候去忧心忡忡是庸人自扰。亲王早就做好了寻欢作乐的一切安排。宅内有插科打诨的小丑，有即席吟诵的诗人，有表演芭蕾的舞女，有演奏音乐的乐师，而且还有美女和酒浆。所有的欢乐和平安都在墙内。墙外则是红死病的天下。Itwastowardthecloseofthefifthorsixthmonthofhisseclusion,andwhilethepestilenceragedmostfuriouslyabroad,thatthePrinceProsperoentertainedhisthousandfriendsatamaskedballofthemostunusualmagnificence.就在这种隔离生活的第五个月或第六个月将近之时，也就是墙外的瘟疫最猖獗的时候，普洛斯佩罗亲王为他的一千名追随者举行了一场异常豪华的假面舞会。Itwasavoluptuousscene,thatmasquerade.Butfirstletmetelloftheroomsinwhichitwasheld.Therewereseven--animperialsuite.Inmanypalaces,however,suchsuitesformalongandstraightvista,whilethefoldingdoorsslidebacknearlytothewallsoneitherhand,sothattheviewofthewholeextentisscarcelyimpeded.Herethecasewasverydifferent;asmighthavebeenexpectedfromtheduke'sloveofthebizarre.Theapartmentsweresoirregularlydisposedthatthevisionembracedbutlittlemorethanoneatatime.Therewasasharpturnateverytwentyorthirtyyards,andateachturnanoveleffect.Totherightandleft,inthemiddleofeachwall,atallandnarrowGothicwindowlookedoutuponaclosedcorridorwhichpursuedthewindingsofthesuite.Thesewindowswereofstainedglasswhosecolorvariedinaccordancewiththeprevailinghueofthedecorationsofthechamberintowhichitopened.Thatattheeasternextremitywashung,forexample,inblue--andvividlybluewereitswindows.Thesecondchamberwaspurpleinitsornamentsandtapestries,andherethepaneswerepurple.Thethirdwasgreenthroughout,andsowerethecasements.Thefourthwasfurnishedandlightedwithorange--thefifthwithwhite--thesixthwithviolet.Theseventhapartmentwascloselyshroudedinblackvelvettapestriesthathungallovertheceilinganddownthewalls,fallinginheavyfoldsuponacarpetofthesamematerialandhue.Butinthischamberonly,thecolorofthewindowsfailedtocorrespondwiththedecorations.Thepanesherewerescarlet--adeepbloodcolor.Nowinnooneofthesevenapartmentswasthereanylamporcandelabrum,amidtheprofusionofgoldenornamentsthatlayscatteredtoandfroordependedfromtheroof.Therewasnolightofanykindemanatingfromlamporcandlewithinthesuiteofchambers.Butinthecorridorsthatfollowedthesuite,therestood,oppositetoeachwindow,aheavytripod,bearingabrazieroffirethatprotecteditsraysthroughthetintedglassandsoglaringlyilluminedtheroom.Andthuswereproducedamultitudeofgaudyandfantasticappearances.Butinthewesternorblackchambertheeffectofthefire-lightthatstreameduponthedarkhangingsthroughtheblood-tintedpanes,wasghastlyintheextreme,andproducedsowildalookuponthecountenancesofthosewhoentered,thattherewerefewofthecompanyboldenoughtosetfootwithinitsprecinctsatall.那假面舞会的场面真可谓骄奢淫逸。不过先容我讲讲举行舞会的场所。那一共是七个房间--一组富丽堂皇的套房。但在一半宫殿里这样的套房只须把各间的双扇门推开到墙边便能形成一条笔直的长廊，整个套房也就几乎一览无遗。可这组套房的情况却迥然不同，正如从亲王追奇逐异的嗜好中就可以料到一样。这七个房间的布局极不规则，所以一眼只能看到一个房间。套房中每隔二三十米便是一个转角，每拐过一个转角都有一种新的效果。每个房间左右两边墙上的正中都有一扇又高又窄的窗户，窗户面对一条封闭的回廊，回廊绕这组套房蜿蜒迂回。这些窗户都镶有染色玻璃，其色彩随各房间装饰物的主色调之不同而变化。譬如说最东边的那个房间悬挂的饰物均为蓝色，那它的窗户则晶蓝如碧。第二个房间的饰物壁毯皆为紫色，其窗格玻璃就紫如青莲。第三个房间整一片绿色，它有的便是两扇绿窗。第四个房间的家具装饰和映入的光线都是橘色。第五个是白色。第六个是紫罗兰色。第七个房间四壁从天花板到墙根都被黑丝绒帷幔遮得严严实实，帷幔的褶边沉甸甸地垂在同样是黑丝绒的地毯上。但只有这个房间窗户的颜色与饰物的色调不配。它窗玻璃的颜色是殷殷猩红--红得好像浓浓的鲜血。在散布于或悬垂于这七个房间的大量贵重装饰品中，却没有一盏灯或一个烛台。这组套房中没有任何日光，灯光或者烛光。但在环绕这组套房的回廊里，每一扇窗户跟前都立着一个三角支架，从而产生出绚丽斑斓，光怪陆离的效果。但是在西间或黑色房间里，火光透过红色玻璃照射在黑色帷幔上的效果却可怕到了极点，凡进入该房间的人无不吓得魂飞魄散，以致宅院中几乎无人有足够的胆量进入那个房间。Itwasinthisapartment,also,thattherestoodagainstthewesternwall,agiganticclockofebony.Itspendulumswungtoandfrowithadull,heavy,