埃德加·愛倫·坡/Edgar Allan Poe
埃德加·愛倫·坡（1809—1849），美國浪漫主義文學大師，19世紀美國最著名、最具代表性的作家之一，尤其在短篇小說的發展曆史中占有突出的地位。他是短篇小說最重要的開創者，為這一文學體裁提出了較全麵的指導性理論。愛倫·坡的短篇小說大致分為三類：恐怖故事、謀殺疑案和科學難解之謎。他開創了偵探小說的先河，被稱為“偵探小說之父”。本文被公認為是他最完美的一篇短篇小說，也是世界最佳短篇小說之一，充分體現了他的風格特征。
The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.
He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseur-ship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; —I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.