2023學(xué)年完整公開(kāi)課版AmericanStories-ShortStoryTheTell-Tale

Now,theVOASpecialEnglishprogram,AMERICANSTORIES.

(MUSIC)

Todaywepresenttheshortstory"TheTell-TaleHeart"byEdgarAllanPoe.

HereisShepO'Nealwiththestory.

(MUSIC)

STORYTELLER:

True!Nervous--very,verynervousIhadbeenandam!ButwhywillyousaythatIammad?Thediseasehadsharpenedmysenses--notdestroyedthem.

Aboveallwasthesenseofhearing.

Iheardallthingsintheheavenandintheearth.

Iheardmanythingsintheunderworld.How,then,amImad?

Observehowhealthily--howcalmlyIcantellyouthewholestory.

Itisimpossibletosayhowfirsttheideaenteredmybrain.

Ilovedtheoldman.

Hehadneverwrongedme.

Hehadnevergivenmeinsult.

ForhisgoldIhadnodesire.

Ithinkitwashiseye!

Yes,itwasthis!

Hehadtheeyeofabird,avulture--apaleblueeye,withafilmoverit.

Wheneveritfellonme,mybloodrancold;andso--veryslowly--Imadeupmymindtotakethelifeoftheoldman,andfreemyselfoftheeyeforever.

Nowthisisthepoint.

YouthinkthatIammad.

Madmenknownothing.

Butyoushouldhaveseenme.

YoushouldhaveseenhowwiselyandcarefullyIwenttowork!

(MUSIC)

IwasneverkindertotheoldmanthanduringthewholeweekbeforeIkilledhim.

Andeverynight,lateatnight,Iturnedthelockofhisdoorandopenedit–oh,sogently!

Andthen,whenIhadmadeanopeningbigenoughformyhead,Iputinadarklantern,allclosedthatnolightshoneout,andthenIstuckinmyhead.

Imoveditslowly,veryslowly,sothatImightnotinterferewiththeoldman'ssleep.Andthen,whenmyheadwaswellintheroom,Iundidthelanternjustsomuchthatasinglethinrayoflightfelluponthevultureeye.

AndthisIdidforsevenlongnights--butIfoundtheeyealwaysclosed;andsoitwasimpossibletodothework;foritwasnottheoldmanwhowasaproblemforme,buthisEvilEye.

Ontheeighthnight,Iwasmorethanusuallycarefulinopeningthedoor.

Ihadmyheadinandwasabouttoopenthelantern,whenmyfingerslidonapieceofmetalandmadeanoise.Theoldmansatupinbed,cryingout"Who'sthere?"

Ikeptstillandsaidnothing.

Ididnotmoveamuscleforawholehour.

Duringthattime,Ididnothearhimliedown.

Hewasstillsittingupinthebedlistening--justasIhavedone,nightafternight.

ThenIheardanoise,andIknewitwasthesoundofhumanterror.

Itwasthelowsoundthatarisesfromthebottomofthesoul.

Iknewthesoundwell.

Manyanight,lateatnight,whenalltheworldslept,ithaswelledupfromdeepwithinmyownchest.IsayIknewitwell.

Iknewwhattheoldmanfelt,andfeltsorryforhim,althoughIlaughedtomyself.

Iknewthathehadbeenlyingawakeeversincethefirstnoise,whenhehadturnedinthebed.

Hisfearshadbeeneversincegrowinguponhim.

WhenIhadwaitedalongtime,withouthearinghimliedown,Idecidedtoopenalittle--avery,verylittle--crackinthelantern.SoIopenedit.Youcannotimaginehowcarefully,carefully.

Finally,asinglerayoflightshotfromoutandfellfulluponthevultureeye.

Itwasopen--wide,wideopen--andIgrewangryasIlookedatit.

Isawitclearly--alladullblue,withahorribleveiloveritthatchilledmybones;butIcouldseenothingelseoftheoldman'sfaceorperson.

ForIhaddirectedthelightexactlyuponthedamnedspot.

(MUSIC)

AndhaveInottoldyouthatwhatyoumistakeformadnessisbutakindofover-sensitivity?Now,therecametomyearsalow,dull,quicksound,suchasawatchmakeswheninsideapieceofcotton.

Iknewthatsoundwell,too.

Itwasthebeatingoftheoldman'sheart.

Itincreasedmyanger.

ButevenyetIkeptstill.

Ihardlybreathed.

Iheldthelanternmotionless.

Iattemptedtokeeptherayoflightupontheeye.

Butthebeatingoftheheartincreased.

Itgrewquickerandquicker,andlouderandloudereverysecond.

Theoldman'sterrormusthavebeenextreme!

Thebeatinggrewlouder,Isay,loudereverymoment!

Andnowatthedeadhourofthenight,inthehorriblesilenceofthatoldhouse,sostrangeanoiseasthisexcitedmetouncontrollableterror.

Yet,forsomeminuteslongerIstoodstill.Butthebeatinggrewlouder,louder!

Ithoughttheheartmustburst.

Andnowanewfearseizedme--thesoundwouldbeheardbyaneighbor!

Theoldman'shourhadcome!

Withaloudshout,Ithrewopenthelanternandburstintotheroom.

Hecriedonce--onceonly.

Withoutdelay,Iforcedhimtothefloor,andpulledtheheavybedoverhim.

Ithensmiled,tofindtheactionsofardone.

But,formanyminutes,theheartbeatonwithaquietsound.

This,however,didnotconcernme;itwouldnotbeheardthroughthewall.

Atlength,itstopped.

Theoldmanwasdead.

Iremovedthebedandexaminedthebody.

Iplacedmyhandoverhisheartandheldittheremanyminutes.

Therewasnomovement.

Hewasstonedead.

Hiseyewouldtroublemenomore.

(MUSIC)

Ifstillyouthinkmemad,youwillthinksonolongerwhenIdescribethewisestepsItookforhidingthebody.

Iworkedquickly,butinsilence.

Firstofall,Itookapartthebody.

Icutofftheheadandthearmsandthelegs.

Ithentookupthreepiecesofwoodfromtheflooring,andplacedhisbodypartsundertheroom.Ithenreplacedthewoodenboardssowellthatnohumaneye--notevenhis--couldhaveseenanythingwrong.

Therewasnothingtowashout--nomarkofanykind--nobloodwhatever.

Ihadbeentoosmartforthat.

Atubhadcaughtall--ha!ha!

WhenIhadmadeanendoftheselabors,itwasfouro'clockinthemorning.

Asaclocksoundedthehour,therecameanoiseatthestreetdoor.

Iwentdowntoopenitwithalightheart--forwhathadInowtofear?

Thereenteredthreemen,whosaidtheywereofficersofthepolice.

Acryhadbeenheardbyaneighborduringthenight;suspicionofacrimehadbeenaroused;informationhadbeengivenatthepoliceoffice,andtheofficershadbeensenttosearchthebuilding.

Ismiled--forwhathadItofear?

Thecry,Isaid,wasmyowninadream.

Theoldman,Isaid,wasnotinthecountry.

Itookmyvisitorsalloverthehouse.

Itoldthemtosearch--searchwell.

Iledthem,atlength,tohisroom.

Ibroughtchairsthere,andtoldthemtorest.Iplacedmyownseatupontheveryplaceunderwhichlaythebodyofthevictim.

Theofficersweresatisfied.

Iwascompletelyatease.

Theysat,andwhileIansweredhappily,theytalkedofcommonthings.

But,afterawhile,Ifeltmyselfgettingweakandwishedthemgone.

Myheadhurt,andIhadaringinginmyears;butstilltheysatandtalked.

Theringingbecamemoresevere.

Italkedmorefreelytodoawaywiththefeeling.Butitcontinueduntil,atlength,Ifoundthatthenoisewasnotwithinmyears.

Italkedmoreandwithaheightenedvoice.

Yetthesoundincreased--andwhatcouldIdo?Itwasalow,dull,quicksoundlikeawatchmakeswheninsideapieceofcotton.

Ihadtroublebreathing--andyettheofficershearditnot.

Italkedmorequickly--moreloudly;butthenoiseincreased.

Istoodupandarguedaboutsillythings,inahighvoiceandwithviolenthandmovements.Butthenoisekeptincreasing.

Whywouldtheynotbegone?

Iwalkedacrossthefloorwithheavysteps,asifexcitedtoangerbytheobservationsofthemen--butthenoiseincreased.

WhatcouldIdo?

Iswungmychairandmovedituponthefloor,butthenoisecontinuallyincreased.