“Gentlemen,” I said at last, as the party ascended the steps, “I delight to have allayed your suspicions. I wish you all health, and a little more courtesy. By the bye, gentlemen, this – this is a very well constructed house.” (In the rabid desire to say something easily, I scarcely knew what I uttered at all.) – “I may say an excellently well constructed house. These walls – are you going, gentlemen? – these walls are solidly put together;” and here, through the mere frenzy of bravado, I rapped heavily, with a cane which I held in my hand, upon that very portion of the brick-work behind which stood the corpse of the wife of my bosom.

      But may God shield and deliver me from the fangs of the Arch-Fiend (но да защитит и избавит меня Господь от клыков Первоврага = Сатаны)! No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence (не успел отзвук моих ударов погрузиться в тишину = затихнуть; sooner – раньше: «не раньше звук затих, чем…»; to sink – тонуть, погружаться), than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb (как мне ответил голос изнутри склепа: «мне было отвечено голосом…»; than – чем)! – by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child (криком, сперва приглушенным и прерывистым, как плач ребенка), and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream (а затем быстро разросшимся в один долгий, громкий и непрерывный ор), utterly anomalous and inhuman – a howl – a wailing shriek (совершенно ненормальный и нечеловеческий – вой – жалобный визг), half of horror and half of triumph (наполовину – ужаса и наполовину – торжества), such as might have arisen only out of hell (такой, какой мог вырваться лишь из ада; to arise – восстать), conjointly from the throats of the damned in their agony (сообща из глоток проклятых в их муках) and of the demons that exult in the damnation (и /из глоток/ бесов, которые буйно радуются проклятию).

But may God shield and deliver me from the fangs of the Arch-Fiend! No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence, than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb! – by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman – a howl – a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from the throats of the damned in their agony and of the demons that exult in the damnation.

      Of my own thoughts it is folly to speak (о моих собственных мыслях глупо говорить: «глупость – говорить»). Swooning, I staggered to the opposite wall (лишаясь чувств, я отшатнулся к противоположной стене). For one instant the party upon the stairs remained motionless (на одно мгновение люди на лестнице оставались неподвижны; party – отряд, компания, группа; stairs – ступеньки; лестница), through extremity of terror and of awe (из-за крайности ужаса и трепета; through – через, сквозь; посредством). In the next, a dozen stout arms were toiling at the wall (в следующее /мгновение/ дюжина крепких рук заколотила по стене; to toil – тяжело трудиться; пробиваться). It fell bodily (она рухнула целиком: «телесно»).

Of my own thoughts it is folly to speak. Swooning, I staggered to the opposite wall. For one instant the party upon the stairs remained motionless, through extremity of terror and of awe. In the next, a dozen stout arms were toiling at the wall. It fell bodily.

      The corpse, already greatly decayed and clotted with gore (труп, уже сильно разложившийся и заляпанный запекшейся кровью), stood erect before the eyes of the spectators (стоял прямо перед глазами зрителей). Upon its head, with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire (на его голове, с красной раззявленной пастью и единственным огненным глазом: «глазом огня»; to extend – расширять, растягивать), sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder (сидел отвратительный зверь, чье коварство привело меня к убийству: «соблазнило меня в убийство»; to sit – сидеть), and whose informing voice had consigned me to the hangman (и чей предательский: «сообщающий» голос предал меня палачу; to hang – висеть; вешать; hangman – палач). I had walled the monster up within the tomb (я замуровал это чудовище в склепе)!

The corpse, already greatly decayed and clotted with gore, stood erect before the eyes of the spectators. Upon its head, with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire, sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing voice had consigned me to the hangman. I had walled the monster up within the tomb!

      Metzengerstein

      (Метценгерштейн)

      Pestis eram vivus – moriens tua mors ero.

Martin Luther

      При жизни был для тебя чумой – умирая, буду твоей смертью.

Мартин Лютер

      Horror and fatality have been stalking abroad in all ages (ужас и пагуба рыскали повсюду во

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