埃德加·爱伦·坡/Edgar Allan Poe
埃德加·爱伦·坡（1809—1849），美国浪漫主义文学大师，19世纪美国最著名、最具代表性的作家之一，尤其在短篇小说的发展历史中占有突出的地位。他是短篇小说最重要的开创者，为这一文学体裁提出了较全面的指导性理论。爱伦·坡的短篇小说大致分为三类：恐怖故事、谋杀疑案和科学难解之谜。他开创了侦探小说的先河，被称为“侦探小说之父”。本文被公认为是他最完美的一篇短篇小说，也是世界最佳短篇小说之一，充分体现了他的风格特征。
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.