【名人家书】埃德加爱伦坡致继父

　　After my treatment on yesterday and what passed between us this morning，I can hardly think you will be surprised at the contents of this letter. My determination is at length taken——to leave your house and endeavor to find some place in this wide world， where I will be treated——not as you have treated me——This is not a hurried determination， but one on which I have long considered——and having so considered my resolution is unalterable——You may perhaps think that I have flown off in a passion，＆that I am already wishing to return；But not so——I will give you the reasons which have actuated me，and then judge——

　　Since I have been able to think on any subject，my thoughts have aspired¹， and they have been taught by you to aspire，to eminence² in public life——this cannot be attained³ without a good Education，such a one I cannot obtain at a Primary school—— A collegiate Education therefore was what I most ardently⁴ desired， and I had been led to expect that it would at some future time be granted——but in a moment of caprice——you have blasted my hope because forsooth I disagreed with you in an opinion，which opinion I was forced to express——Again， I have heard you say（when you little thought I was listening and therefore must have said it in earnest） that you had no affection for me——

　　You have moreover ordered me to quit your house， and are continually upbraiding⁵ me with eating the bread of Idleness，when you yourself were the only person to remedy the evil by placing me to some business——You take delight in exposing me before those whom you think likely to advance my interest in this world——

　　You suffer me to be subjected to the whims＆caprice not only of your white family， but the complete authority of the blacks——these grievances⁶ I could not submit to； and I am gone.I request that you will send me my trunk containing my clothes＆ books——and if you still have the least affection for me. As the last call I shall make on your bounty⁷， to prevent the fulfillment of the Prediction you this morning expressed，send me as much money as will defray the expenses of my passage to some of the Northern cities ＆ then support me for one month，by which time I shall be enabled to place myself in some situation where I may not only obtain a livelihood⁸， but lay by a sum which one day or another will support me at the University——Send my trunk＆ to the Courthouse Tavern⁹， send me I entreat¹⁰ you some money immediately——as I am in the greatest necessity——If you fail to comply with my request——I tremble for the consequence

　　It depends upon yourself if hereafter you see or hear from me.

　　Yours

　　Edgar A.Poe

　　先生：

　　在您昨天那样对待我以及今天早晨我们俩之间所发生的事情之后，我有理由认为您看到我这封信后不会感到惊讶。我终于下了决心——要离开您的家，要到这个大世界设法找一个地方，在那儿我会受到不同于您给我的待遇。——这不是一个草率的决定，而是一个考虑已久的决心——经过这样深思熟虑之后，我是不会改变的。——您或许会认为我是在盛怒之下离家的，现在正想着回家；但决不是这样——我会告诉您我出走的理由，尔后您去评判吧。

　　自从我能对任何事情进行思考起，我就有了追求，这均是您教导出来的，要有抱负，要在社会上出人头地——没有良好的教育我无法达到目的，而像这样的教育我又无法在小学获得——因而大学教育便是我最迫切渴望的。您使我以为在未来的某个时候我会得到这份教育，但天有不测风云——您打破了我的希望，因为的确在一个看法上我与您的意见有分歧，这个看法我被迫在此向您再一次说明，我听到您说（您根本没想到我在听，因此一定说得很认真）您根本不爱我。

　　而且您还要我离开您的家，不断地斥责我吃闲饭，而您是唯一能通过让我做点什么事以使我改正这个弊病的人。您还喜欢安插我于那些您认为可能提高我对这个世界的兴趣的人之中。

　　您要我不仅屈服你们白人家庭的恣意摆布，还要屈服整个黑人种族的权威。这些委屈我不能忍受，所以我出走了。假如您对我还有那么一丁点儿爱心的话，我请求您把我那装有衣服和书籍的箱子寄给我。我最后求您施舍给我一些钱，以供我支付到北方的一些城市所需的开支以及一个月的生活费，以免您今天早晨的预言应验。到那时，我将能够自己谋求一份工作得以生存，并能积攒一笔钱，总有一天可供我上大学。——请把箱子等寄到郡政府客栈，我恳求您立即给我寄一些钱来——我急需——如果您不答应我的请求，其后果会令我不寒而栗。

　　如果您想在以后见到我或收到我的信，这一切均取决于您自己。

　　您的

　　埃德加?埃?坡

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