Halloween Is a Good Time to Celebrate the Stories of Edgar Allan Poe
Today, we tell about Edgar Allan Poe, a nineteenth century American writer. His stories and poems were some of the most frightening （令人恐懼的） and strange ever written.
Americans celebrate Halloween （萬圣節(jié)） on October thirty-first. It is mostly a holiday （假日） for children, who like to be frightened. Yet many grown people observe Halloween, too. Those who love the writings of Edgar Allan Poe think Poe is most famous for his stories and poems of strangeness, mystery （神秘） and terror （恐怖）.
Edgar Allan Poe died in the city of Baltimore （巴爾的摩, 美國馬里蘭州的一城市）, Maryland in eighteen forty-nine. Now, in that city, an unusual party takes place every Halloween. In the dark of night, visitors go to the grounds of Westminster Presbyterian （長老制的） Church where Poe is buried. Everything is quiet. Then a voice calls out. It is Poe！ No, it is just an actor, reading Poe's work.
Reading stories was one of the most important forms of enjoyment （享受） in Edgar Allan Poe's time. Poe created many of these “short stories.” They appeared in different publications （出版物）.
Horror stories already were popular when Poe began writing. Critics say he wrote the perfect horror （恐怖） story. Poe also wrote detective （偵探的） stories. These were mysteries about crimes, such as murder. An investigator called a detective solves the mysteries. The detective is able to find important, hidden meanings in facts. The horror and detective stories Poe created remain popular in books and movies.
Edgar Allan Poe's work is not easy to read. His language is difficult to understand today. And most of his writing describes very unpleasant situations （情況） and events. His story “The Pit and the Pendulum,” for example, is about the mental torture of a prisoner. Each time the prisoner saves himself from death, a new and more horrible form of death threatens （威脅） him.
Another story is “The Masque （假面舞會） of the Red Death.” In it, a terrible disease —— the Red Death —— has killed half the population of a country. The ruler of the country shuts his castle against the disease. He and his wealthy friends are inside. They pass the time by having parties. They believe the Red Death will not find them. But it does.
Edgar Poe was born in eighteen-oh-nine in Boston, Massachusetts （馬薩諸塞州）. His parents were actors. At that time, actors were not accepted by the best society. Edgar was a baby when his father left the family. He was two years old when his mother died. He was taken into the home of a wealthy businessman （商人）, John Allan. He then received his new name —— Edgar Allan Poe. John Allan never officially （正式） made Edgar his son. In fact, he came to dislike him strongly.
Edgar attended schools in England and in Richmond, Virginia （維吉尼亞）. As a young man, he attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was a good student. He was a member of the Jefferson Literary Society. But he liked to drink alcohol （酒） and play card games for money. Edgar was not a good player. He lost money he did not have.
John Allan refused to pay Edgar's gambling losses. He also refused to let Edgar continue at the university. So, Edgar went to Boston and began working as a writer and editor for monthly magazines. He also served in the army for two years.
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Today, we tell about Edgar Allan Poe, a nineteenth century American writer. His stories and poems were some of the most frightening （令人恐懼的） and strange ever written.
Americans celebrate Halloween （萬圣節(jié)） on October thirty-first. It is mostly a holiday （假日） for children, who like to be frightened. Yet many grown people observe Halloween, too. Those who love the writings of Edgar Allan Poe think Poe is most famous for his stories and poems of strangeness, mystery （神秘） and terror （恐怖）.
Edgar Allan Poe died in the city of Baltimore （巴爾的摩, 美國馬里蘭州的一城市）, Maryland in eighteen forty-nine. Now, in that city, an unusual party takes place every Halloween. In the dark of night, visitors go to the grounds of Westminster Presbyterian （長老制的） Church where Poe is buried. Everything is quiet. Then a voice calls out. It is Poe！ No, it is just an actor, reading Poe's work.
Reading stories was one of the most important forms of enjoyment （享受） in Edgar Allan Poe's time. Poe created many of these “short stories.” They appeared in different publications （出版物）.
Horror stories already were popular when Poe began writing. Critics say he wrote the perfect horror （恐怖） story. Poe also wrote detective （偵探的） stories. These were mysteries about crimes, such as murder. An investigator called a detective solves the mysteries. The detective is able to find important, hidden meanings in facts. The horror and detective stories Poe created remain popular in books and movies.
Edgar Allan Poe's work is not easy to read. His language is difficult to understand today. And most of his writing describes very unpleasant situations （情況） and events. His story “The Pit and the Pendulum,” for example, is about the mental torture of a prisoner. Each time the prisoner saves himself from death, a new and more horrible form of death threatens （威脅） him.
Another story is “The Masque （假面舞會） of the Red Death.” In it, a terrible disease —— the Red Death —— has killed half the population of a country. The ruler of the country shuts his castle against the disease. He and his wealthy friends are inside. They pass the time by having parties. They believe the Red Death will not find them. But it does.
Edgar Poe was born in eighteen-oh-nine in Boston, Massachusetts （馬薩諸塞州）. His parents were actors. At that time, actors were not accepted by the best society. Edgar was a baby when his father left the family. He was two years old when his mother died. He was taken into the home of a wealthy businessman （商人）, John Allan. He then received his new name —— Edgar Allan Poe. John Allan never officially （正式） made Edgar his son. In fact, he came to dislike him strongly.
Edgar attended schools in England and in Richmond, Virginia （維吉尼亞）. As a young man, he attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was a good student. He was a member of the Jefferson Literary Society. But he liked to drink alcohol （酒） and play card games for money. Edgar was not a good player. He lost money he did not have.
John Allan refused to pay Edgar's gambling losses. He also refused to let Edgar continue at the university. So, Edgar went to Boston and began working as a writer and editor for monthly magazines. He also served in the army for two years.
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