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As I stood by the lake，my feeling of gloom grew and grew．I knew also that underneath my gloom lay fear，and fear does strange things to the mind．I began to imagine that the gloom was not in my mind，but was something real．It was like a mysterious cloud，which seemed to come straight from the dark lake and the dying trees and the old walls of the house．A heavy grey cloud，which carried with it disease and fear．
我站在湖边，心头阴悒的感觉一刻强似一刻。我同样清楚，这阴悒之情的下面暗伏着恐惧，而恐惧又以古怪的方式作用于我的头脑。我开始猜测这阴悒并不在我头脑中，而是某种真实的东西。它宛如一团神秘的云气，似乎是从幽暗的湖水、垂死的树和宅子破旧的墙垣中间径直升腾而起的。那是团沉重的铅云，饱含着疾病与恐怖。
This was a dream，I told myself，and I looked more carefully at the building in front of me．It was，indeed，very old and I noticed that every stone had cracks and holes in it．But there was nothing really wrong with the building．No stones were missing．The only thing that I noticed was a very small crack which started at the top of the building and continued all the way down into the dark waters of the lake．
我告诉自己这是个梦，又更加仔细地打量眼前的这栋建筑。的确，它已经非常破旧了，我注意到每一块石头上都有裂隙和孔洞。但是建筑本身又没有真正的残损，它一块石头也不缺。惟一引起我注意的是一道非常细小的裂缝，它从房子的顶部开始出现，然后一路向下延伸，直插入幽暗的湖水之中。
I went up to the front of the house．A servant took my horse and I stepped into the large hall．Another servant led me silently upstairs．On the walls there were many strange，dark pictures which made me feel nervous．I remembered these pictures from my earlier visits to the house when I was a child．But the feelings that the pictures gave me on this visit were new to me．
我来到宅子的正面。一个仆人牵走了我的坐骑，我跨进了大厅。另一个仆人默默地领着我上了楼。墙壁上挂着许多幅怪异、晦暗的画，让我十分紧张。我记得当年我还是个孩子、来这座府第里做客时就见过这些画，但是这次来访，它们给我的感觉却是前所未有的。
On the stairs we met the family doctor．He had a strange look on his face，a look that I did not like ．I hurried on，and finally the servant opened a door and took me into the study．
在楼梯上我遇见了家庭医生，他脸上现出一副刁钻古怪的神情，这神情我很不喜欢。我急忙走了上去；终于，仆人打开门，引我走进了书房。
The room was large and long，with high narrow windows，which let in only a little light Shadows lay in all the corners of the room and around the dark pieces of furniture．There were-many books and a few guitars，but there was no life，no happiness in the room．Deep gloom filled the air．
房间又大又长，窗户又高又窄，只能容许一点点天光射入，屋子的所有角落以及一件件深色的家具四周都是阴影。屋里摆放着好多书籍和几把吉他，但是毫无生气，毫无快乐可言。空气中满是浓重的阴悒氛围。
