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Each man and woman was dressed like a terrible dream. And in and out of the rooms these dreams walked and danced, their clothes changing colour each time they entered a different room. But no one was brave enough now to enter the black room. As the night passed and the fires burned brighter, the colours and shapes in this room became more horrible than ever. The black carpet and walls seemed full of gloom, and the deep chimes of the black clock sounded even more frightening.
男男女女们装扮得好似一个个噩梦，这些噩梦在一间间屋子中进进出出，走动着，跳着舞，每走进一间色调不同的屋子，身上的衣服就变换一次颜色。但现在没有一个人胆敢走进那间黑色的屋子了。夜一点点过去，火焰燃烧得更亮了，映得这间屋子里的色彩与怪影比以往更为恐怖。黑黢黢的地毯和四壁看上去极为阴森，那黑色大钟深沉的报时声听起来更加令人毛骨悚然。
But the other six rooms were full of life and pleasure. People were dancing and singing, talking and laughing, and the wild noise of a thousand happy men and women rang through the castle. Then came the hour of midnight, and once again dancers and musicians became still and silent, as the clock slowly rang the twelve long chimes of midnight. And because the twelve chimes took a long time to ring, each person had more time to think, and feel uncomfortable. They also had time, before the last chime had sounded, to notice a masked figure who had not been there before. The first person who saw the stranger told the next person, who told another, and in a few minutes a cry of fear and horror rose up from the crowd.
不过另外六间屋子里面则是生机盎然，一片笑语欢声。人们唱啊跳啊，说啊笑啊，一千名快乐的男男女女纵情狂欢的嘈杂声在城堡中回荡着。然后午夜的时刻到来了，跳舞者与乐师们再一次变得安安静静、一语不发，听着大钟缓缓地发出午夜的十二声悠长的轰鸣。由于这十二下报时的钟声用了很久才打完，每一个人便有了更多的时间陷入沉思，感到不安。他们同样有时间在最后一下报时钟声鸣响之前注意到一个先前并不在场的戴面具的形象。第一个看到这陌生人的人告诉了第二个人，第二个又告诉了第三个，就这样，几分钟不到，人群中响起了一阵惊恐万状的叫声。
