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Literature, The Cask of Amontillado

The Cask of Amontillado

Our story today is called "The Cask of Amontillado." It was written by Edgar Allan Poe. Here is Larry West with the story.

Fortunato and I both were members of very old and important Italian families. We used to play together when we were children. Fortunato was bigger, richer and more handsome than I was. And he enjoyed making me look like a fool. He hurt my feelings a thousand times during the years of my childhood. I never showed my anger, however. So, he thought we were good friends. But I promised myself that one day I would punish Fortunato for his insults to me.

Many years passed. Fortunato married a rich and beautiful woman who gave him sons. Deep in my heart I hated him, but I never said or did anything that showed him how I really felt. When I smiled at him, he thought it was because we were friends. He did not know it was the thought of his death that made me smile.

Everyone in our town respected Fortunato. Some men were afraid of him because he was so rich and powerful. He had a weak spot, however. He thought he was an excellent judge of wine. I also was an expert on wine. I spent a lot of money buying rare and costly wines. I stored the wines in the dark rooms under my family's palace. Our palace was one of the oldest buildings in the town. The Montresor family had lived in it for hundreds of years. We had buried our dead in the rooms under the palace. These tombs were quiet, dark places that no one but myself ever visited.

Late one evening during carnival season, I happened to meet Fortunato on the street. He was going home alone from a party. Fortunato was beautiful in his silk suit made of many colors: yellow, green, purple and red. On his head he wore an orange cap, covered with little silver bells. I could see he had been drinking too much wine. He threw his arms around me. He said he was glad to see me. I said I was glad to see him, too because I had a little problem. "What is it?" he asked, putting his large hand on my shoulder. "My dear Fortunato," I said, "I'm afraid I have been very stupid. The man who sells me wine said he had a rare barrel of Amontillado wine. I believed him and I bought it from him. But now, I am not so sure that the wine is really Amontillado." "What!" he said, "A cask of Amontillado at this time of year. An entire barrel? Impossible!" "Yes, I was very stupid. I paid the wine man the full price he wanted without asking you to taste the wine first. But I couldn't find you and I was afraid he would sell the cask of Amontillado to someone else. So I bought it." "A cask of Amontillado!" Fortunato repeated. "Where is it?" I pretended I didn't hear his question. Instead I told him I was going to visit our friend Lucresi. "He will be able to tell me if the wine is really Amontillado," I said. Fortunato laughed in my face. "Lucresi cannot tell Amontillado from vinegar." I smiled to myself and said "But some people say that he is as good a judge of wine as you are." Fortunato grabbed my arm. "Take me to it," he said. "I'll taste the Amontillado for you." "But my friend," I protested, "it is late. The wine is in my wine cellar, underneath the palace. Those rooms are very damp and cold and the walls drip with water." "I don't care," he said. "I am the only person who can tell you if your wine man has cheated you. Lucresi cannot!" Fortunato turned, and still holding me by the arm, pulled me down the street to my home. The building was empty. My servants were enjoying carnival. I knew they would be gone all night. I took two large candles, lit them and gave one to Fortunato. I started down the dark, twisting stairway with Fortunato close behind me. At the bottom of the stairs, the damp air wrapped itself around our bodies. "Where are we?" Fortunato asked. "I thought you said the cask of Amontillado was in your wine cellar." "It is," I said. "The wine cellar is just beyond these tombs where the dead of my family are kept. Surely, you are not afraid of walking through the tombs. He turned and looked into my eyes. "Tombs?" he said. He began to cough. The silver bells on his cap jingled. "My poor friend," I said, "how long have you had that cough?" "It's nothing," he said, but he couldn't stop coughing. "Come," I said firmly, "we will go back upstairs. Your health is important. You are rich, respected, admired, and loved. You have a wife and children. Many people would miss you if you died. We will go back before you get seriously ill. I can go to Lucresi for help with the wine." "No!" he cried. "This cough is nothing. It will not kill me. I won't die from a cough." "That is true," I said, "but you must be careful." He took my arm and we began to walk through the cold, dark rooms. We went deeper and deeper into the cellar. Finally, we arrived in a small room. Bones were pushed high against one wall. A doorway in another wall opened to an even smaller room, about one meter wide and two meters high. Its walls were solid rock. "Here we are," I said. "I hid the cask of Amontillado in there." I pointed to the smaller room. Fortunato lifted his candle and stepped into the tiny room. I immediately followed him. He stood stupidly staring at two iron handcuffs chained to a wall of the tiny room. I grabbed his arms and locked them into the metal handcuffs. It took only a moment. He was too surprised to fight me. I stepped outside the small room. "Where is the Amontillado?" he cried. "Ah yes," I said, "the cask of Amontillado." I leaned over and began pushing aside the pile of bones against the wall. Under the bones was a basket of stone blocks, some cement and a small shovel. I had hidden the materials there earlier. I began to fill the doorway of the tiny room with stones and cement. By the time I laid the first row of stones Fortunato was no longer drunk. I heard him moaning inside the tiny room for ten minutes. Then there was a long silence. I finished the second and third rows of stone blocks. As I began the fourth row, I heard Fortunato begin to shake the chains that held him to the wall. He was trying to pull them out of the granite wall. I smiled to myself and stopped working so that I could better enjoy listening to the noise. After a few minutes, he stopped. I finished the fifth, the sixth and the seventh rows of stones. The wall I was building in the doorway was now almost up to my shoulders. Suddenly, loud screams burst from the throat of the chained man. For a moment I worried. What if someone heard him? Then I placed my hand on the solid rock of the walls and felt safe. I looked into the tiny room, where he was still screaming. And I began to scream, too. My screams grew louder than his and he stopped. It was now almost midnight. I finished the eighth, the ninth and the tenth rows. All that was left was a stone for the last hole in the wall. I was about to push it in when I heard a low laugh from behind the stones. The laugh made the hair on my head stand up. Then Fortunato spoke, in a sad voice that no longer sounded like him. He said, "Well, you have played a good joke on me. We will laugh about it soon over a glass of that Amontillado. But isn't it getting late. My wife and my friends will be waiting for us. Let us go." "Yes," I replied, "let us go. "I waited for him to say something else. I heard only my own breathing. "Fortunato!" I called. No answer. I called again. "Fortunato!" Still no answer. I hurried to put the last stone into the wall and put the cement around it. Then I pushed the pile of bones in front of the new wall I had built. That was fifty years ago. For half a century now, no one has touched those bones. "May he rest in peace!" You have just heard the story "The Cask of Amontillado.” It was written by Edgar Allan Poe and adapted for Special English by Dona de Sanctis. Your storyteller was Larry West. For VOA Special English, this is Shep O'Neal. Transcript of radio broadcast: 7 February 2009

The Cask of Amontillado Das Fass von Amontillado El Barril de Amontillado Le Masque de l'Amontillado アモンティリャードの樽 O Barril de Amontillado Бочонок Амонтильядо Amontillado Fıçısı 阿蒙蒂亚多桶

Our story today is called "The Cask of Amontillado." Наша сегодняшняя история называется "Бочонок Амонтильядо". It was written by Edgar Allan Poe. Его написал Эдгар Аллан По. Here is Larry West with the story. Вот Ларри Вест с этой историей.

Fortunato and I both were members of very old and important Italian families. Мы с Фортунато оба были членами очень старых и важных итальянских семей. We used to play together when we were children. В детстве мы играли вместе. Fortunato was bigger, richer and more handsome than I was. Фортунато был больше, богаче и красивее меня. And he enjoyed making me look like a fool. И ему нравилось выставлять меня дураком. He hurt my feelings a thousand times during the years of my childhood. Он тысячу раз ранил мои чувства в годы моего детства. I never showed my anger, however. Однако я никогда не показывал своего гнева. So, he thought we were good friends. Он думал, что мы хорошие друзья. But I promised myself that one day I would punish Fortunato for his insults to me. Но я пообещал себе, что однажды я накажу Фортунато за его оскорбления в мой адрес.

Many years passed. Прошло много лет. Fortunato married a rich and beautiful woman who gave him sons. Фортунато женился на богатой и красивой женщине, которая родила ему сыновей. Deep in my heart I hated him, but I never said or did anything that showed him how I really felt. В глубине души я ненавидела его, но я никогда не говорила и не делала ничего, что показало бы ему, что я действительно чувствую. When I smiled at him, he thought it was because we were friends. Когда я улыбалась ему, он думал, что это потому, что мы друзья. He did not know it was the thought of his death that made me smile. Он не знал, что мысль о его смерти заставила меня улыбнуться.

Everyone in our town respected Fortunato. Все в нашем городе уважали Фортунато. Some men were afraid of him because he was so rich and powerful. Некоторые мужчины боялись его, потому что он был очень богат и влиятелен. He had a weak spot, however. Однако у него было слабое место. He thought he was an excellent judge of wine. Он считал себя превосходным знатоком вин. I also was an expert on wine. Я также был экспертом по вину. I spent a lot of money buying rare and costly wines. Я потратил много денег, покупая редкие и дорогие вина. I stored the wines in the dark rooms under my family's palace. Я хранил вина в темных комнатах под дворцом моей семьи. Our palace was one of the oldest buildings in the town. Наш дворец был одним из самых старых зданий в городе. The Montresor family had lived in it for hundreds of years. Семья Монтрезор жила в нем сотни лет. We had buried our dead in the rooms under the palace. Мы хоронили наших мертвых в комнатах под дворцом. These tombs were quiet, dark places that no one but myself ever visited. Эти гробницы были тихими, темными местами, которые никто, кроме меня, никогда не посещал.

Late one evening during carnival season, I happened to meet Fortunato on the street. Однажды поздно вечером во время карнавала я случайно встретил Фортунато на улице. He was going home alone from a party. Он возвращался домой один с вечеринки. Fortunato was beautiful in his silk suit made of many colors: yellow, green, purple and red. Фортунато был прекрасен в своем шелковом костюме из множества цветов: желтого, зеленого, фиолетового и красного. On his head he wore an orange cap, covered with little silver bells. На голове у него была оранжевая шапочка, усыпанная маленькими серебряными колокольчиками. I could see he had been drinking too much wine. Было видно, что он выпил слишком много вина. He threw his arms around me. Он обнял меня. He said he was glad to see me. Он сказал, что рад меня видеть. I said I was glad to see him, too because I had a little problem. Я сказал, что тоже рад его видеть, потому что у меня есть небольшая проблема. "What is it?" "Что это?" he asked, putting his large hand on my shoulder. спросил он, положив свою большую руку мне на плечо. "My dear Fortunato," I said, "I'm afraid I have been very stupid. "Мой дорогой Фортунато, - сказал я, - боюсь, я поступил очень глупо. The man who sells me wine said he had a rare barrel of Amontillado wine. Человек, который продает мне вино, сказал, что у него есть редкая бочка вина Амонтильядо. I believed him and I bought it from him. Я поверил ему и купил у него. But now, I am not so sure that the wine is really Amontillado." Но теперь я не уверен, что это вино действительно Амонтильядо". "What!" he said, "A cask of Amontillado at this time of year. он сказал: "Бочонок Амонтильядо в это время года. An entire barrel? Целую бочку? Impossible!" Невозможно!" "Yes, I was very stupid. "Да, я был очень глуп. I paid the wine man the full price he wanted without asking you to taste the wine first. Я заплатил виночерпию полную цену, которую он хотел, не попросив сначала попробовать вино. But I couldn't find you and I was afraid he would sell the cask of Amontillado to someone else. Но я не мог найти вас и боялся, что он продаст бочонок "Амонтильядо" кому-нибудь другому. So I bought it." И я купил его". "A cask of Amontillado!" "Бочонок Амонтильядо!" Fortunato repeated. повторил Фортунато. "Where is it?" "Где это?" I pretended I didn't hear his question. Я сделала вид, что не услышала его вопроса. Instead I told him I was going to visit our friend Lucresi. Вместо этого я сказал ему, что собираюсь навестить нашего друга Лукреси. "He will be able to tell me if the wine is really Amontillado," I said. "Он сможет сказать мне, действительно ли это вино Амонтильядо", - сказал я. Fortunato laughed in my face. Фортунато рассмеялся мне в лицо. "Lucresi cannot tell Amontillado from vinegar." "Лукреси не может отличить амонтильядо от уксуса". I smiled to myself and said "But some people say that he is as good a judge of wine as you are." Я улыбнулся про себя и сказал: "Но некоторые люди говорят, что он разбирается в вине так же хорошо, как и вы". Fortunato grabbed my arm. "Take me to it," he said. "Отведи меня к ней", - сказал он. "I'll taste the Amontillado for you." "Я попробую для вас Амонтильядо". "But my friend," I protested, "it is late. "Но, друг мой, - запротестовал я, - уже поздно. The wine is in my wine cellar, underneath the palace. Вино находится в моем винном погребе, под дворцом. Those rooms are very damp and cold and the walls drip with water." В этих комнатах очень сыро и холодно, а со стен капает вода". "I don't care," he said. "Мне все равно", - сказал он. "I am the only person who can tell you if your wine man has cheated you. "Я - единственный человек, который может сказать вам, обманул ли вас ваш виночерпий. Lucresi cannot!" Fortunato turned, and still holding me by the arm, pulled me down the street to my home. Фортунато повернулся и, по-прежнему держа меня за руку, потащил меня по улице к моему дому. The building was empty. Здание было пустым. My servants were enjoying carnival. Мои слуги наслаждались карнавалом. I knew they would be gone all night. Я знал, что их не будет всю ночь. I took two large candles, lit them and gave one to Fortunato. Я взял две большие свечи, зажег их и дал одну Фортунато. I started down the dark, twisting stairway with Fortunato close behind me. Я начал спускаться по темной, извилистой лестнице, Фортунато шел позади меня. At the bottom of the stairs, the damp air wrapped itself around our bodies. Внизу лестницы влажный воздух обволакивал наши тела. "Where are we?" "Где мы?" Fortunato asked. "I thought you said the cask of Amontillado was in your wine cellar." "Мне казалось, вы говорили, что бочонок Амонтильядо находится в вашем винном погребе". "It is," I said. "Да", - сказал я. "The wine cellar is just beyond these tombs where the dead of my family are kept. "Винный погреб находится сразу за этими гробницами, где хранятся умершие члены моей семьи. Surely, you are not afraid of walking through the tombs. Конечно, вы не боитесь ходить по гробницам. He turned and looked into my eyes. Он повернулся и посмотрел мне в глаза. "Tombs?" "Гробницы?" he said. He began to cough. Он начал кашлять. The silver bells on his cap jingled. Серебряные колокольчики на его шапке зазвенели. "My poor friend," I said, "how long have you had that cough?" "Мой бедный друг, - сказал я, - как давно у тебя этот кашель?" "It's nothing," he said, but he couldn't stop coughing. "Ничего страшного", - сказал он, не переставая кашлять. "Come," I said firmly, "we will go back upstairs. "Пойдемте, - сказал я твердо, - мы вернемся наверх. Your health is important. Ваше здоровье очень важно. You are rich, respected, admired, and loved. Вы богаты, уважаемы, восхищаемы и любимы. You have a wife and children. У вас есть жена и дети. Many people would miss you if you died. Многие люди будут скучать по вам, если вы умрете. We will go back before you get seriously ill. Мы вернемся, пока вы не заболели серьезно. I can go to Lucresi for help with the wine." Я могу обратиться к Лукреси за помощью с вином". "No!" he cried. воскликнул он. "This cough is nothing. "Этот кашель - ерунда. It will not kill me. Это не убьет меня. I won't die from a cough." Я не умру от кашля". "That is true," I said, "but you must be careful." "Это правда, - сказал я, - но ты должен быть осторожен". He took my arm and we began to walk through the cold, dark rooms. Он взял меня за руку, и мы стали ходить по холодным, темным комнатам. We went deeper and deeper into the cellar. Мы заходили все глубже и глубже в подвал. Finally, we arrived in a small room. Наконец, мы попали в небольшую комнату. Bones were pushed high against one wall. Кости были высоко придвинуты к одной стене. A doorway in another wall opened to an even smaller room, about one meter wide and two meters high. Дверной проем в другой стене открывался в еще более маленькую комнату, около метра в ширину и двух метров в высоту. Its walls were solid rock. Его стены были из твердого камня. "Here we are," I said. "Вот мы и пришли", - сказал я. "I hid the cask of Amontillado in there." "Я спрятал там бочонок Амонтильядо". I pointed to the smaller room. Я указал на меньшую комнату. Fortunato lifted his candle and stepped into the tiny room. Фортунато поднял свечу и шагнул в крошечную комнату. I immediately followed him. Я сразу же последовал за ним. He stood stupidly staring at two iron handcuffs chained to a wall of the tiny room. Он стоял, тупо уставившись на два железных наручника, прикованных к стене крошечной комнаты. I grabbed his arms and locked them into the metal handcuffs. Я схватил его за руки и закрепил их в металлических наручниках. It took only a moment. Это заняло всего мгновение. He was too surprised to fight me. Он был слишком удивлен, чтобы бороться со мной. I stepped outside the small room. Я вышел из маленькой комнаты. "Where is the Amontillado?" "Где Амонтильядо?". he cried. воскликнул он. "Ah yes," I said, "the cask of Amontillado." "Ах да", - сказал я, - "бочонок Амонтильядо". I leaned over and began pushing aside the pile of bones against the wall. Я наклонился и начал отодвигать груду костей к стене. Under the bones was a basket of stone blocks, some cement and a small shovel. Под костями лежала корзина с каменными блоками, немного цемента и небольшая лопата. I had hidden the materials there earlier. Я спрятал там материалы раньше. I began to fill the doorway of the tiny room with stones and cement. Я начал заполнять дверной проем крошечной комнаты камнями и цементом. By the time I laid the first row of stones Fortunato was no longer drunk. К тому времени, когда я уложил первый ряд камней, Фортунато уже не был пьян. I heard him moaning inside the tiny room for ten minutes. Я слышала его стоны внутри крошечной комнаты в течение десяти минут. Then there was a long silence. Затем наступило долгое молчание. I finished the second and third rows of stone blocks. Я закончил второй и третий ряды каменных блоков. As I began the fourth row, I heard Fortunato begin to shake the chains that held him to the wall. Когда я начал четвертый ряд, я услышал, как Фортунато начал трясти цепи, которые приковывали его к стене. He was trying to pull them out of the granite wall. Он пытался вытащить их из гранитной стены. I smiled to myself and stopped working so that I could better enjoy listening to the noise. Я улыбнулся про себя и прекратил работу, чтобы лучше насладиться прослушиванием шума. After a few minutes, he stopped. Через несколько минут он остановился. I finished the fifth, the sixth and the seventh rows of stones. Я закончил пятый, шестой и седьмой ряды камней. The wall I was building in the doorway was now almost up to my shoulders. Стена, которую я возводил в дверном проеме, теперь почти достигала моих плеч. Suddenly, loud screams burst from the throat of the chained man. Внезапно из горла прикованного человека вырвался громкий крик. For a moment I worried. На мгновение я забеспокоилась. What if someone heard him? Что, если кто-то его услышит? Then I placed my hand on the solid rock of the walls and felt safe. Затем я положил руку на твердый камень стен и почувствовал себя в безопасности. I looked into the tiny room, where he was still screaming. Я заглянула в крошечную комнату, где он все еще кричал. And I began to scream, too. И я тоже начала кричать. My screams grew louder than his and he stopped. Мои крики стали громче его, и он остановился. It was now almost midnight. Была уже почти полночь. I finished the eighth, the ninth and the tenth rows. Я закончила восьмой, девятый и десятый ряды. All that was left was a stone for the last hole in the wall. Оставался только камень для последнего отверстия в стене. I was about to push it in when I heard a low laugh from behind the stones. Я уже собирался вдвинуть его внутрь, когда услышал низкий смех из-за камней. The laugh made the hair on my head stand up. От этого смеха у меня волосы на голове встали дыбом. Then Fortunato spoke, in a sad voice that no longer sounded like him. Затем Фортунато заговорил печальным голосом, который больше не был похож на его голос. He said, "Well, you have played a good joke on me. Он сказал: "Ну, ты сыграл со мной хорошую шутку. We will laugh about it soon over a glass of that Amontillado. Скоро мы будем смеяться над этим за бокалом этого "Амонтильядо". But isn't it getting late. Но разве не поздно. My wife and my friends will be waiting for us. Моя жена и мои друзья будут ждать нас. Let us go." Отпустите нас". "Yes," I replied, "let us go. "Да, - ответил я, - пойдемте. "I waited for him to say something else. Я ждала, что он скажет что-то еще". I heard only my own breathing. Я слышал только собственное дыхание. "Fortunato!" "Фортунато!" I called. Я позвонил. No answer. I called again. "Fortunato!" Still no answer. По-прежнему нет ответа. I hurried to put the last stone into the wall and put the cement around it. Я поспешил положить последний камень в стену и замазать его цементом. Then I pushed the pile of bones in front of the new wall I had built. Затем я толкнул груду костей перед новой стеной, которую я построил. That was fifty years ago. Это было пятьдесят лет назад. For half a century now, no one has touched those bones. Вот уже полвека никто не прикасался к этим костям. "May he rest in peace!" "Пусть он покоится с миром!" You have just heard the story "The Cask of Amontillado.” It was written by Edgar Allan Poe and adapted for Special English by Dona de Sanctis. Вы только что прослушали рассказ "Бочонок Амонтильядо". Он был написан Эдгаром Алланом По и адаптирован для специального английского языка Доной де Санктис. Your storyteller was Larry West. Вашим рассказчиком был Ларри Уэст. For VOA Special English, this is Shep O'Neal. Для VOA Special English это Шеп О'Нил. Transcript of radio broadcast: 7 February 2009 Стенограмма радиопередачи: 7 февраля 2009 года