歌劇魅影The phantom of the opera
譯者：示子萬金 20020113
章一
吾咒己瓜蒂之日，其時家母視之，以驚恐而尖叫不已！吾奇醜無比，面如骷髏；鼻陷深沉，視之若無。目黃且小，瘦骨如柴，徒具其皮矣！然此時吾心深處，尚非為怪物，乃十足之孩童也！母實未曾吻之！以其心有所不忍，故未能凝視於吾；因吾異常恐怖，其乃命之配戴面具，父甚未曾謀吾面矣!
吾具姓名否乎？未憶也！徒憶母嚴厲之斥責與父皮帶之傷痛，唯一者為恐懼與痛楚矣！終竟足大時，速逃，逃離法西斯出生之小鎮。白晝躲藏，夜晚流浪，至此尚無人可視吾面。未知何處以往？亦不意周遭之境，隨地而安。於暗處，則自唱自娛，非若體之醜陋，吾音甜美無比，歌聲清晰，響徹夜空。某時民眾聞其歌聲，即互問：”似若天籟之音何處來？其聲宛如天使之音”，民眾大叫：”美麗歌者，請現身使視之，汝為何者？”。現何身？一枯瘦如柴之軀？或抑徒面具之骷髏？吾乃續藏於暗處中。尋垃圾桶內之剩飯殘羹，以止其饑；提一麻袋於街道中，習以為生。
某夜吾視遠處帳篷，近其周邊，原為市集展場。燈火輝煌明亮其內；民眾談笑穿梭其中。扶正面具，前往會場。入口守員叫嚷：”觀看其一便知全悉，此為畸形（珍奇）展之方向！觀汝前所未視之事(物)！淑女蓄鬚！具三隻法眼之人！速此入！”。觀看淑女蓄鬚？楊戩再生？此人又喧：”觀美人魚軀之女！，世界最胖之人！”，吾依標示購票前至。驚視於面具之下，未信己之所見！竟有女蓄鬚！隔處為其額首具莞爾之斑點，故望似第三隻眼之人。此二男女，吾前所未見。續前而見，為舉世最胖者與具美人魚軀之女，其如此之怪醜與吾同矣！
吾語胖者：”吾欲待此會場”，其曰：”本場不容孩童，回汝母處”。吾對曰：”吾無家可歸，無母可依”。吾卻除面具，胖者凝視吾狀，猶如觀眾視其樣，后頓首曰：”吾明矣！汝確屬此也！”。胖者領吾見經理，其凝視骷髏之面與瘦骨之驅后，微笑以對：”諾！同留於此！為汝計劃展示！”。次夜，吾勿須購票入場，以其一分子也！民眾付費觀吾。守員叫道：”此道進！勿行錯！觀其一便知全悉！觀舉世最恐怖之臉面！觀「活之死男孩」！” 。其為吾矣！具舉世最恐怖之臉面----活之死男孩。夜晚民眾驅前駐足凝視，小而黃之眼於黑暗中微微閃爍。待吾卻除面具之時，民眾尖叫狂奔離吾席！然以其再之次造訪，隨之而來更多之票源。吾為會場帶來錢財，亦為自身積蓄財富。生平中，首感內心之平靜。吾已尋獲與己同病相憐者，活之死男孩至此，並屬此處。
章二
白晝停展，同與團員進餐、聊天，然吾面具乃不離首。某日卜師問曰：”汝為何名何氏？”，吾對曰：”無姓無名”，其和善以對：”汝須具姓名，速此！吾尋出汝名”。其背吾而席，雙手揮舞案頭之水晶球后曰：”汝之姓名現於此，其喚為「艾立克」”。艾立克、吾愛其讀音，愛其名甚之他友。卜師授與之，除姓名外，甚多之事物，諸如，以撲克牌與錢幣變化魔術。迅即，吾已青出於藍勝於藍。其良人為脫逃專家，喚名為「羅伯面」，其可綑綁雙手與足至膝，使之曲捲成一小圓球。他人綑綁其身，加以鏈鎖，然其總可脫逃無恙，其亦授吾此秘訣。
此其間，吾毫無不悅貌，白晝習各類魔術之技巧，有勝學堂之生員！夜晚嚇唬觀眾，吾漸喜法力以此嚇唬民眾。然同時，吾亦深陷孤獨，卜師與良人互戀之，如今尚無人喜艾立克。其時，若陷孤獨無依之境，則吟唱自娛，此天籟之音與己平和慰藉。某日一更具規模展場負責人，承諾更高酬勞，故吾跳槽至此。於此，吾新名喚為艾立克──「活之僵屍！」。觀眾付更高門票，一觀骷髏之面。於此亦交一新魔術師，其授吾如何使事物消失無蹤，而后又變回如故。吾亦協助其建造「活動門」。
吾最喜愛新團員，名喚為「瑪丹黛立安」者，與其「說話之洋娃娃」。瑪丹黛立安戴一具飛邊紫色之圓帽，其膝立一大洋娃娃，當對其說話，此娃娃竟可答話以應！某日吾道：”瑪丹黛立安、何如使之發言？”，其應曰：”艾立克、問之佳！然吾未曾訴此秘於人”。因吾一再追問，其終竟投降，而示此技，如何以己之聲而為娃娃之音。亦授如何腹語，妙哉！吾音可迅及各處，使狗吠似唱歌！人言如狂哮！未逮，吾之功力更勝之，故其悔授此術與吾！私下報復、排斥於吾。告之他團員，言吾專偷他人之祕法，吾頓失所有友人。深感疑惑！難道”學與偷”係同義之詞？果真，則吾偷矣！
趁夜黑時，離開此團，並至他團，故吾不致失業。總游走於各團之間，偷取各色人種之魔術大法，吾已非昔日之艾立克與「活之殭屍」矣！吾具各式魔術大法，使事物消失無蹤、令女子歌唱如驢之音，吾亦為脫逃專家。更堅信自己，非再為一「空中之童」。以此之道，名聲逐漸遠播，吾為展覽團之星，該團以吾為象徵之誌。遠地觀光客，特此停駐，因觀吾之眾，逐日成長，吾之名聲，亦隨之遠播世界各地。
某夜散場后，一自稱為波斯人者，向吾道：”吾者於遠地之波斯，深聞大名，吾王特遣在下，邀汝至宮，欲以皇帝之尊禮遇之！”吾！艾立克，欲享王尊之生活，何所不為哉？
章三
波斯王生性殘酷，然以其好吾之法術，故仁慈以待。某日，吾稟王曰：”臣可為更勝魔術大法者，許臣為王計劃築宮殿！”。王問曰：”為何型式宮殿？”，對曰：”具秘道與活動門之魔法宮殿！如此吾王可來去自如也！無人可察；亦可於宮殿四處，竊聽他人之言論，故可監視各宮室也！”。波斯王因之沾沾自喜而放聲大笑，並賜最佳工匠以為遣用。於數月工期中，如波斯人前所承諾，吾享王尊生活。吾已非艾立克，非一畸形者，吾艾立克為一建築師也！且波斯王為吾之至友，其時，吾當是思之。
於魔法落成時，波期王極其喜歡，令其驚奇者為：吾增設一刑求室，以供其娛樂之用。此一秘室為波斯王與吾得知而已。某夜漫步於密道中，聽波斯王於皇室內，告知侍衛長曰：”挖其黃色雙眼，如此，其無法為他者另建魔殿，無他國之王，可與吾擁同類魔殿”。吾心跳動不已！聽錯否乎？波斯王欲盲吾眼，波斯王繼言：”否！此不足矣！艾立克極其精明，即盲亦可助他者築殿，其須死！”，侍衛長對曰：”領旨！”。
吾心已碎！雙眼泛淚，吾當波斯王為友，然錯矣！吾唯樹敵矣！連滾帶跑，為波斯人所撞見，其細聲言曰：”速！吾攜汝至此，必助逃離此劫！「羅伯面」之絕技恰為所用，吾曲捲成一小圓球，因而擠入一具有滑板蓋之扁木箱內，波斯人提此，交付托運至土耳其邊境之火車。
波斯人隨后，躲藏之，事后吾亦獲悉其展況。波斯王盤問：”艾立克身藏何處？”波斯人對曰：”未知也！”，波斯王咆叫曰：”汝未能尋出，吾將挖除汝目”。波斯人漫步於海邊而慮，於海濱處，發現一隨波沖激於岸邊之屍體，飛鳥已啄其雙目，並食泰半之膚。波斯人為屍體著吾衣，運之見王，並言：”稟報吾王，艾立克屍體在此！”，王曰：”善！今者吾宮殿之秘，得以保全也！”，然其言差矣！
至土耳其之時，吾溜出木箱，毛遂自薦於蘇丹王，蘇丹王遂成新友。吾計劃為蘇丹築一其內具恐怖之刑求室，精采絕侖之魔殿。並為其創製機械人，使其著王服而看似蘇丹，其可行走與發蘇丹之音調。眾臣工以為與蘇丹談話，實則其被愚矣！此時，蘇丹尚於龍寢養眠也！某夜王曰：”機械人功能奇佳無比！吾欲獨擁，他人休得之！艾立克，汝須知，無人可得之！”。蘇丹之言，令吾憶起波斯王之語，其必如波斯王，欲致吾於死地，為時不遠矣！
章四
再次逃難，吾已倦離，倦波斯與蘇丹王，眼前所思，為一介平民生活。吾旅回法西斯，以房屋基礎工程建築師為生。一新劇院將築於市中心，吾已取該基礎工程合約，此后全巴黎，因該工程之吵雜、熱鬧不已。該劇院將全以細緻大理石材料，巍峨聳立之形式建造之！然吾不意此美輪美奐之劇院，而屬意地下之工程。該地柢共計五層：第一層為劇院表演馬之馬廄，第二層為十四座蒸汽暖爐，第三層為超過五百名歌手與舞者之更衣室，第四層為百間之樂器室，第五層之柢為一湖泊，其可泵至舞台，以為道具瀑布用。地柢之層，全為吾完美悠遊之地也！
某日，吾於地下一層工作，驚瞥得見波斯人，吾和顏悅色招呼之曰：”汝至巴黎所何為事？”，對曰：”尋汝”。吾為時短暫之喜悅，其續言：”吾曾救汝，此成吾之責任”，其指之曰：”吾知汝正為危害之事，吾須監督於汝”。吾咆叫曰：”監視於吾？否！吾擁己生，他人休介入！”，其搖首，悻然離去。吾將示之，艾立克為來無影去無蹤之「仙角」，其無能為之矣！。為此，吾日以繼夜工作，即至過年后，該劇院已完工，仍續工作。
巴黎劇院地柢之下，全為吾之世界！廣建密道、活動門、假牆、於各更衣室建造魔術鏡台。依湖畔建己之住處，起居室寬大無比，桓壁皆墨，並以最佳管風琴構造其中。另築有臥房與餐室，屋外四壁皆以岩石掩飭此舒適之窩，無人可於外觀辨視之。此屋若吾，配戴面具矣！吾添增一特別機關於此屋，一刑求室也！其令最邪惡之波斯王或蘇丹有所瞋視（嫉妒）。首先，其似濃密森林，然此林只株一樹，且為鐵製之樹。鏡面映射使其望似森林，火炬使其成為死林！地板之下，吾藏火藥，其威力，足以轟貫巴黎一大洞也！，擁此，令吾深感威力無比，或終不用，然亦未必然矣！
章五
終竟，吾喜居劇院之柢下，於暗處，猶如王者生活，吾可連續數周，於管風琴前創作音樂。然后，於地下各層樓面，局部加強改進各機關設施；新設活動門、或雙向鏡面。逐年而逝，生命之增加亦如它物隨之成長。某日外出購物，吾購一具假鼻之面具，與一套緻之劇服！當夜試戴之，自覺臉面異於往常，較可減少他人之驚嚇（感覺）。著新裝並購票入劇院，苟今吾乃看似瘦骨之軀又如何？吾已盡力(為他人)掩飾之。哦！吾極其愛此劇院！如此之樂章，似足以除卻吾之楚痛矣！
是此，每夜必入劇院，大廳內小芭蕾女孩，遇吾即行遠離；所經之道，民眾退避三舍。民眾迅即編造關於一向躲藏於劇院內，瘦弱之陌生者之流言。某夜聞情侶竊竊私語，女子道：”其必非人類！吾以為一鬼魅！”，男人答道：”是也！其必為劇院之鬼魅！”。吾暗自嘲笑，可笑至極！吾瞬成劇院之鬼魅－－劇院之幽靈！甚至精明之生意人－－劇院各部經理，亦懼怕三分，吾之欣喜可想而知！取血紅色墨水，書與各部經理。
各部經理先生：
吾為一極其酷愛，貴劇院音樂之鬼魅！請每夜惠賜貴院第五號包廂與吾，以為聆聽之用。
劇院之鬼魅敬上
各部經理未敢不從，如吾所求，如今已擁此包廂！據此何其容易，是此，尚有劇院之鬼魅未求者？造次提筆，此為錢財而求。告之各部經，將錢放入信封，而后置於五號包廂內，其再次遵從吾之所求。如今每日生活，聽遍全巴黎最佳歌者之歌，其中以「卡蘿塔」，為眾星之首，其音色公認最佳，其本人亦自以為是！然吾則不敢苟同，其高度音調傷痛吾耳，故吾(曾)心存小夢，欲更改其(音)色！
章六
某夜，一如往昔前往劇院，一名為「克莉絲汀」之年青女孩，正主演一小演唱會。驅前聆聽，音色極佳，但略嫌憂傷。竊思，茍有良師，即可正其音。吾無法忘懷克莉絲汀，某夜，藏於其更衣室牆后，用腹語對牆后之牆面歌唱，使音傳入房內。於牆一小洞窺視之，其正微笑而大叫曰：”美麗之音！汝於何方？”，吾答曰：”與汝同此！吾曾聆聽之，汝音色極為可愛，然汝內心深處，存帶憂愁”，其頓首道曰：”吾是哀愁”。問何以致之，告之曰：”孩提六歲，母撒手人間，父演奏小提琴並授吾歌唱，於各市集間走唱，某日有人，帶吾父女至巴黎，此地演奏與歌唱，而后父得重病”，述言至此，克莉絲汀已雙眼泛淚。吾答道：”吾深感遺憾”，其又言：”父逝前，告之有關音樂天使之事，父稱該天使將訪所有技藝超群之樂師，父言其至天堂將送一音樂天使與吾，今則父承其諾言矣！”。拭其淚水后言：”哦！天籟之音者！其為汝否乎？汝為音樂天使乎？”。約莫數分，無言以對，然后方定心告之曰：”然！吾為音樂天使！”，克莉絲汀喜極而泣，后言：”余備妥！請教授歌唱！”，吾承諾之。
每日公演后，是夜，躲於更衣室牆后，吾演奏小提琴，並同歌唱，吾倆合唱何其協和！克莉絲汀開懷唱吟。其之音色力道深遠，更勝卡蘿塔，然吾警告之曰：”只准於此地，以此法同吾演唱！”。克莉絲汀反問曰：”何故？天籟之音”，吾答曰：”拭目以待！吾倆將以驚奇之姿，向全巴黎宣告！”。哦！吾飄飄然矣！何其樂哉！吾撒小謊，然未足以害矣！
前三月萬事順遂，然於某夜克莉絲汀一如往常演完小場，當其返室時興奮異常，雙目閃亮，后告之曰：”今夜吾遇「羅爾！」”，其至此聆聽吾之演唱！”，吾問曰：”羅爾為何人”。吾深感危殆矣！其臉紅以對曰：”孩提時期即識之，今已成人且如此英俊瀟灑之青人！”。一英俊瀟灑之青人，令其雙目閃亮！懼失克莉絲汀之恐慌，凍結言語，以致無以開口。克莉絲汀喚吾曰：”天籟之音！汝倘停於此否乎？”，吾無言以對。
隔日，吾乃回原藏身處，克莉絲汀於室內，吾言：”克莉絲汀，音樂天使至此”。其大叫曰：”哦！天籟之音！汝之返回，令吾喜悅，思汝至極！”，吾應曰：”汝於世界之中，已有所愛否乎？若是，吾將返回天堂，吾須永離人間矣！”，其嘆息言：”永離！哦！否！天籟之音不可矣！”，吾告之曰：”否則，汝須愛吾”。其頓時安靜，隨后答曰："羅爾為吾如手足之友人”。其之答案，令吾喜悅，吾信其言，其為一小愛也！而后如昔練唱，克莉絲汀幾至向全巴黎民眾獻唱之泰勢。
章七
某日報載，該院各部經理將行離職，於公演后，行大型晚會，歡迎新任經理，卡蘿塔為主唱，全巴黎之名流將至捧場，一等歌手於此獻唱，吾臨具他策，舉紅筆書道：
卡籮塔小姐：
汝須稱生病，切勿參與晚會演唱，甚至休想踏至劇院一步，謹此注意！
劇院之鬼魅上
夜幕來臨，戲簾幾至同時捲起，卡籮塔未至院內，舞台經理嗺促克莉絲汀：”速著卡蘿塔之戲服，汝代之演唱！”。此刻，克莉絲汀唱似天使！聽眾起而欣然喝采，”極佳！極佳！”喝呼之聲群起彼落，不絕於耳，克莉絲汀嚴然為一新巨星！散場后，吾直衝更衣室牆后。克莉絲汀跑入，尾隨其后而入，竟然為羅爾，羅其試牽其手，克莉絲汀央求其離去，無法確知其意為何？待其離去，吾言曰：”克莉絲汀汝依然愛羅爾？是否？”，其哽咽曰：”吾只愛音樂天使！”，吾冀信其言！終竟信之。
是夜，則諸事不順，吾之可憐克莉絲汀！當卡籮塔聞其演唱極為成功，其忌妒之心油然而生！其確知克莉絲汀非再有更佳之演唱會，僅此一次矣！更糟之事為，新任各部經理不信鬼魅之存在，故不再付吾津貼，以致膽敢佔用第五包廂！罷矣！以其不離該包廂，吾則重提紅筆再書之。
新任各部經理先生：
一、還吾第五號包廂。
二、予吾之津貼！放入信封中，置於該包廂內。
三、卡籮塔今夜將稱病，克莉絲汀將取而代之演唱。
苟敢違令，吾將下咀咒於此劇院！
劇院之鬼魅上
吾又沾筆書道。
卡蘿塔小姐：
汝須稱病重感冒，茍今夜演唱，汝將後悔，比死更槽！
劇院之鬼魅上
苟吾信中警言不足以嚇唬之，此劇院之魅將施其法術，－－眾多之法術！是夜，吾著戲服藏於后台，無人注意時，小心翼翼爬上舞台之椽木，設上詭計。完成后，入第五包廂，然眾新任經理，早已據此－－吾之包廂！是故改衝進后台，幾撞卡籮塔！善矣！其敢未從吾信中之警言，其須整肅訓之，整套之教訓，劇院之鬼魅將替眾人上一教訓課程！
章八
戲已開鑼，克莉絲汀唱小場，卡蘿塔已至於舞台，聽眾聲嘶力竭，用力喝采，卡籮塔待掌聲停止，方始演唱。其唱：”【哦！何其怪哉…像似誘惑…蛙蛙！】”，卡籮塔潤其咽喉！聽眾屏息，其聲像似巨蛙之音！卡籮塔再試發音而唱：”【吾深感…蛙蛙！吾肺腑之心…蛙蛙！】”。吾匍匐而行至密道，藏於第五包廂后，吾低聲語各部經理：”卡籮塔今夜之演唱，將致大型吊燈下墬！”。各部經理環顧四周，以探何處發言？而后眾齊仰望劇院上方，大型吊燈前后傾斜，搖晃劇烈，然后轟然巨響快速墜落而下！吾怒吼曰：”一小劇院之鬼魅在此！”。聽眾因驚惶而尖叫、疑感、吃驚，從座位落荒而逃，或因死亡或致創傷。
同時克莉絲汀已虛弱，臥倒於舞台，吾跳至其處，帶之穿越密道。吾已留置一從第一層馬廄之白馬於此，抱之置於馬背，往下行走。行湖泊處，抱其下馬，並放馬走，抱之至小船，划向住處。背之入屋，使之於躺於搖椅上。克莉絲汀始蘇醒，於驚醒中問曰：”汝為何者？”，吾答曰：”無懼矣！克莉絲汀，汝非於劇院之險境”。其大叫曰：”天籟之音，音樂天使為….一男人！”。於無助憤怒情境下衝向吾，以其雙拳歐打之，而后泣。吾告之曰：”否矣？吾非天使，名為艾立克－－一願為汝服務任何事者”。吾鞠躬至膝而后言曰：”吾求汝諒解之！”，其哽咽曰：”吾恨汝吾至極，欺人至甚，放吾走！”。吾感傷以應曰：”汝可自由離去，吾將示汝往上離開之路，然而，首為汝歌唱”，唱最甜美之歌。當唱時，其已沈睡矣！抱至早已為其周遭布滿花朵之第二臥房。
於次日，趁其未醒時，吾置張紙條書言，吾外出購物，而后門上鎖。當吾返回，順帶極佳之禮物；圓帽、鑲花邊之裙、手套！然其全部掃除退回，其以幾近命令之口吻曰：”卻下面具，善人勿須戴之”，吾答曰：”汝休想視吾之盧山真目！吾將行備午餐”，吾回首鞠躬致意離臥房，其砰然關門，碰撞吾面。
當其出來，並無不悅，克莉絲汀坐於餐桌對邊。吾言曰：”吾愛汝克利絲汀，同待此數日，汝將習之，勿庸在意面具，亦將習慣於吾，然后即可離去，然冀汝常回探視吾－－艾立克”，吾倆閑聊多時。吾邀其曰：”可願汝參觀居家？，然后牽其手，克莉絲汀尖叫！摔開其手，反感大叫曰：”哦！汝令人感似──”，吾終其言曰：”感似一死者？”。其無意之舉動令吾呻吟！未逮，幾乎已忘，吾為艾立克、「活之死男孩！」、「活之疆屍！」。歷此事件后，吾異常小心，莫再碰及之。
雙方冷靜后，方領其參觀居室，於臥室之中，置一開放之靈柩，吾曰：”此為吾睡處”，其迅速轉首，改望漂亮之管風琴，趨前拾起樂譜。並問：”汝創作歌劇？”，吾答曰：”諾！其為巨大工作，數年前，即著手為之，吾可連續二周不眠不休創作歌劇，然后休憩數月之久！”。其求曰：”請為吾演奏之？”，吾搖首曰：”此非適汝之所聽，以其充滿太多苦痛與憐愛，苟聽之，將碎汝多愁善感之心”。吾坐於管風琴前，改奏其他樂章，未逮，吾倆同合唱，至半途，克莉絲汀突然伸其手，扯掉面具后尖叫！
章九
當其凝視吾之死面！凝視深暗洞內小而黃之雙目！凝視替代鼻子之凹洞！凝視陷沉之嘴巴！吾之哀傷與憤怒可想而知。吾氣噓其聲曰：”諾！汝欲再視何者？續之！凝視艾立克之臉！吾異常英俊瀟灑，非其然乎？”。吾擸取其雙手撫觸雙頰，使其指尖深觸吾皮！曰：”汝思此其為另一面具乎？試撕其下！”。其大叫曰：”止之！止之！”，吾亦尖叫曰：”吾為死者所塑！其為愛汝之活屍！今須永留汝於此，永終日視吾，休想歸去！”。
推其入房，而任己於浸淫音樂之中，吾之歌劇乃唯一所慰藉之事物！狂行演奏而無視其可聽否乎？未久，其出房而后曰：”艾立克，汝面無恙，吾聆聽樂章，汝何其哀傷矣！然亦聽出，汝為一大天才也！足思此樂章，完美於他者，以汝之特色，汝為音樂天使也！”。吾耳被蠱？不然，何視吾面后，竟如說辭？奔前吻其裙角，其無尖叫與逃跑！至今終遇伯樂矣！
克莉絲汀自在同吾待於此，其丟棄面具於妒中，與之同在，吾可自己矣！吾信任之。吾倆非終日待地下！如他男女，外出同乘馬車。某次，吾見羅爾！其向克莉絲汀招呼之，然其刻意視而不聽。某日午后，克莉絲汀指其房內，一鎖之門而問曰：”此門可往何處？未見汝開啟”。吾應曰：”汝切勿任意開啟”，其問之曰：”何哉？”，吾對曰：”此門可往吾發明之奇特刑求室，茍他日遭敵則可用之”。吾微笑以對曰：”諾！不再談此，讓吾倆同唱歌劇！”。吾倆如同天堂中之天使歌唱，如似遙離地柢之下。
數日後，當吾至第一層樓，乍然間感知有手搭肩，其為波斯人之手。其言曰：”一年輕歌手失蹤，其名為克莉絲汀，汝知其身藏何處？”，吾應曰：”其於吾處”，波斯人又言：”汝須放之！”，吾應曰：”其非為犯人，其願與吾同待”。自覺波斯人全無信吾之貌，吾大叫曰：”其為事實！其愛吾，然也！吾！艾立克！吾已被愛！吾可證明之！”。波斯人反問曰：”如何之？”，吾對曰：”明晚吾倆將與劇院大禮堂內之化妝舞會，汝亦可與，如此得見一切。散場后，克莉絲汀與吾歸，其可來去自如”，波斯人頓首而后離。
次夜，吾倆著舞會妝，克莉絲汀著襲黑色頭罩之大斗蓬，並戴小黑面罩，無人可思其為失蹤之歌手。至於吾則身著紅衣，全為紅色，吾欲扮一『紅色死者』，且具完美之面具──完全無面具！波斯人捷足先登會場，其知吾讓克莉絲汀單獨行動，其與著白裝之男人閒聊。其為羅爾化妝之？散會后，克莉絲汀逕至更衣室，因其房門開放，故波斯人可於外視之。吾於藏身處，對其言語(歌唱)示意，波斯人聽克莉絲汀言曰：”艾立克！吾已備妥，可歸之”。故此吾知波斯人將不再煩吾。
隨后其為著白衣者，亦即羅爾衝入室內，其大喊曰：”克莉絲汀！”，然為時已晚，克莉絲汀已入吾之聲音魔力──芝麻開門！吾乃藏於鏡后，其立於鏡前，並言曰：”吾已備妥”。克莉絲汀似消失於魔鏡中，其立於吾牆之背，羅爾孤獨留於室中。當克莉絲汀消失后，孤獨疑惑與驚奇困擾其中，此英俊瀟灑之青年百思不解，無可想像克莉絲汀已與劇院之魅同會矣！
章十
然！克莉絲汀回至身旁，吾全心全意愛之，亦確信其亦愛吾。當其與吾待約二周后，其深感須歸去，當其離前，吾為其手指套一金戒指，吾告之曰：”永戴此戒指，並常思汝之艾立克，勿失矣！克莉絲汀謹慎別遺之，否則后果難測矣！”。克莉絲汀凝視此戒，當吾領其離室時，其生小顫抖。
克莉絲汀曰：”吾將再回汝處，艾立克，吾必信守諾言”。頓時深感充滿愛意，后曰：”另一事，其為羅爾，吾知汝依然愛之，然過月餘，其即行遠離巴黎，至北極探險”。其頓首曰：”吾知矣！”，吾告知曰：”汝令吾生充滿愉悅，亦可與勞爾同之感受，去！，本月時光與之其同享，知汝愛吾，吾信吾愛，然須信守承諾造訪於吾”。其微笑發亮雙眼以示，后曰：”諾！吾必然也！吾亦令勞爾如沐浴春風！”，后領其離去。此夜克莉絲汀演歌劇！何美之歌劇！何美之夜晚！每一聽眾皆沉入克莉絲汀之愛意(戀愛)中！
吾略有醋意，延密道行至羅爾包廂，吾輕聲細語曰：”細瞧克莉絲汀之戒指，汝無法贈與之！”。羅爾曰：”何者語吾?”，其雙眼欲覓發音之源，吾唯大笑而消失之。克莉絲汀信守諾言，暫離羅爾，多次訪吾。吾前凝視之而喜悅萬分，一同合唱而暢懷萬分！而后其須上離其之世界。即便如此，克莉絲汀仍無離吾之視線，吾可跟蹤監視之。
另一之造訪，克莉絲汀拾一樂章，歌劇已全重寫，前版奏亦更新，其以甜美之音問曰：”汝之歌劇進行如何？”。吾搭其肩，低聲哼吟最后少許之前奏，而后言：”幾近完成，汝今幾時歸，吾須繼成之”。然待其歸，無心繼創，眼前所思為伊人矣！故此離屋，如影隨行跟蹤之，監視於更衣室外，會見羅爾。其告之曰：”有話相告！速至屋頂相談！”。至屋頂？所為何事，吾驚訝萬分？羅爾尾隨其后，吾亦跟蹤之。穿越門之近頭與狹窄之密道，爬上階梯，橫越架橋。吾隨其足后，然其未察覺，終至房頂並且席地而坐。
羅爾問曰：”何事相告於此”，其答曰：”艾立克從未上此屋頂，此外，其正忙歌劇創作，吾倆萬無一慮”。無慮？其意為何？與艾立克不安全？然后轉身向羅爾大叫曰：”汝須帶吾離此！”，其應曰：”諾！此為吾最大願望，將放棄北極之探險，吾倆離至他方！”。羅爾伸牽其手后曰：”然艾立克如何？其總欲汝回探視之”，其甩開手后曰：”未盡然也！艾立克屬天使之靈，哀愁與黑暗天使。其樂章似特為吾所量身訂作而成，吾必遠離，吾不忍刺傷其心，且吾為其所懼！”。羅爾凝視之曰：”吾將帶汝遠離，吾倆結婚，今夜行動”，對曰：”今夜不行，吾將為艾立克獻唱一次，明晚方備充裕”。
哦！吾心已碎！如此確信其愛！吾無法再嚐次嚎啕大哭之苦痛！羅爾大叫曰：”其為何物？為艾立克乎？”，克莉絲汀應曰：”必非也！其──其言正創作中！”。克莉絲汀起身挽其手曰：”速！”，二人速跑，克莉絲汀之戒指滑落於地，吾拾起之，喃喃自語曰：”汝今已遺落此戒，慎之！慎之！厄運將至矣！”。
章十一
吾於屋頂爬出，淚流雙頰，苦痛之淚矣！克莉絲汀並不愛吾，更劣者，為憐憫吾矣！敬畏吾矣！吾逕奔至管風琴處，瘋狂組合排練，完成歌劇樂章。吾知棋步如何行，吾製安眠藥，爬向所有通往維修燈具工人之工作處，於其茶中放入安眠藥。而后，確定通住處之小徑為光滑，於黑暗中，其易沿此小徑滑入刑求室！
是夜聽眾蜂擁而入劇院，燈光調暗幕簾升起，克莉絲汀以震撼之音演劇，其面更顯蒼白。羅爾待於廂內，克莉絲汀抬頭仰望之，然后始之，挺胸全力唱吟，其以較重低音演唱，專為羅爾獻唱，而非為吾也！
時候已至！吾爬至燈光主控室，雇工正打鼾，天賜良機。吾關所有燈光！頓時劇院一片黑暗。其欲查知狀況為何之時，燈光已大放光明，舞台看似依舊不變，除一件事外──克莉絲汀失去蹤影。聽眾急忙找尋，其於何處，並跑入后台大喊曰：”克莉絲汀！克莉絲汀！”，其無回應，無法回應，因其與我同在也！此時克莉絲汀並不願入吾處，吾亦須令其服安眠藥。
當其於房內甦醒時，吾正立於其前，吾曰：”已為汝設定之，吾該演奏結婚進行曲？或抑喪禮哀悼曲？其答曰：”吾….吾不明白”，吾應曰：”其如此之難矣？吾偉大歌劇樂章已完成，無法再過如老鼠般之地柢生活！吾欲如他人般有一妻子！吾欲於假日中攜妻郊外散步！嫁與吾，克莉絲汀！”。其嘆息哉！吾曰：”以一新之面具，吾可看似與他人無兩樣，無人再敢凝視吾倆，汝將快樂生活，日夜歡唱！”。其正泣，吾又言曰：”無須如此懼吾，吾似一怪物乎？吾欲全部被愛，汝可使吾成溫馴羔羊”，克莉絲汀唯搖其首與流其淚。
吾告之曰：”汝決定之！視此二小盒，一盒裝蚱蜢，另一裝毒蠍”，吾遞盒於其前曰：”答是，則按毒蠍，如此吾倆將快樂似神仙！”。吾微笑之，然快速退卻，后曰：”然！若否！則按蚱蜢，其將爆散！蹦！蹦！整劇院將隨其爆散矣！”。吾瘋狂大笑，其哭泣曰：”汝意為何？”。吾應曰：”地板之下藏有火藥，足以引發一小型戰爭！一旦觸按蚱蜢，則可引爆！明晚十一時前，汝須決定之。茍汝應否！則吾倆將死，且多數眾人隨同炸死，永葬於此劇院之下矣！”。
吾須單獨安靜，故綁其雙手，留置房內，吾脆弱之心病又犯矣！茍其言為是，吾知吾將使之快樂！其必將羅爾忘卻乾淨。當吾返回，克莉絲汀輕聲細語告之曰：”解開吾手，艾立克，綁得痛”。吾應曰：”當然！吾愛，不欲傷汝”，其求曰：”請為吾演奏？”，吾坐於管風琴前，迅即沉醉於音樂中，克莉絲汀突伸其手搶去，置於管風琴座上之鑰匙！而后跑入室內，吾追趕其后，其欲開刑求室之門。吾強回鑰匙后曰：”汝如此之動作，所為何事？”，其微笑以示，並無它意，愚弄吾而已，后曰：”為好玩而已也！”。從刑求室傳出細小之哭泣聲，克莉絲汀跳起，吾曰：”其為何事？”，其快速言之曰：”吾無聽何音！”，吾言曰：”吾確聽一哭聲”，其答曰：”哭聲？艾立克汝為愚蠢之至？他人如何可入此屋？”。吾不喜此光景，因當其言中伴顫抖之狀，然后吾知其為撒謊！吾言曰：”哦！吾現明矣！有客困於刑求室矣！汝欲視之乎？”。
章十二
吾啟壁內之密窗，點燃刑求室之火炬(煤燈)，吾語之曰：”汝瞧內”，其往窗行，並言曰：”室內無人”。冀愚吾，然吾知羅爾試尋克莉絲汀，吾知何人困於刑求室也！吾問曰：”無人？”，其應曰：”是無人，總之裡面，看似森林”。吾語曰：”然也，然也，鏡之森林，汝可思刑求之程度，超越任何事物，然乃始倦之，吾欲如他人有妻子！”。克莉絲汀無法不視窗內，此時森林已明亮異常，其言曰：”煩請熄滅燈火！”，吾應曰：”為何？無人於此，何妨之？”，其望似蒼白與憂心。
吾曰：”吾將耍詭計，聽之佳賓，如此讓汝者死心也！”。吾以腹語傳入，吾聲傳遍室內，蛙蛙！吾製造一隻似卡蘿塔之歌唱之青蛙。克莉絲汀曰：”室之牆始發熱，煩請熄火炬，牆壁已始發燙”。吾氣言之曰：”諾！此火炬使森林發熱，足以活烤犯人，克莉絲汀乏力而曰：”艾立克！艾立克！”。吾視窗內之羅爾與波斯人，哈！火熱正伺候二人！二人大叫曰：”救吾倆，吾倆正發燙，水，請給予水喝”，吾狂笑以回應之曰：”吾將賜予汝二者水喝”。吾按鈕，雨聲傳入室內，羅爾與波斯人爬向發音處，其腫大之舌已懸於口外，以歪斜之嘴巴舐雨水，哈！並無雨水。全無！以浮腫之舌舐此發燙之鏡，哦！何其痛苦而尖叫！此尖叫喚醒克莉絲汀，其大叫曰：”艾立克！吾之回答為是！吾將成汝妻”。其按毒蠍之盒，吾倆聽見傾洩而來之水聲，其問吾曰：”吾之聽為何物？”，吾告之曰：”其為洪澇氾濫之聲。大澇將浸濕火藥，現劇院安全矣！吾無法點燃矣！”，大澇灌升刑求室，羅爾與波斯人試游出，水位愈高空間愈窄，已無空氣矣！，克莉絲汀轉首面吾曰：”吾央求汝救此二者，吾求汝──當汝之妻！”。吾凝視其無知憂鬱之眼神，克莉絲汀亦凝視吾曰：”艾立克，吾將嫁汝，求救此二者，諾！其已從實招來，吾告之曰：”吾將救之，為汝──吾妻”。
章十三
吾按鈕后，水止注入，吾於室內拉出二人，免浸水中，使其躺於地板之上，終究二人又可呼吸。吾招馬車載波斯人歸，羅爾則鎖於地牢，尚未決如何處置之。然后返回克莉絲汀旁，其如新娘等待於吾！吾屈吻其額，其並未退卻。吾親吻之，此乃平生第一次親吻於人！現得知快樂為何物，吾喜極而泣，其牽吾手言曰：”可憐毫無愉悅之艾立克！”。
吾心曾充滿恨意，曾為怪物，曾欲炸貫整座巴黎劇院，使全民同埋於下！如今於內心深處，存一美好願景而改變之，吾得思者實為與克莉絲汀真實之快樂。再度為克莉絲汀戴戒指，吾言曰：”吾望汝戴之”，其答曰：”諾！艾立克，吾心永屬於汝”，吾知其意，其欲與吾同居，且試行愛之。吾搖首，吾心正溢滿愛情，告之曰：”此戒系贈汝與羅爾，其為汝二者結婚之禮”，其搖其首曰：”吾不解矣！”，吾言曰：”克莉絲汀，吾知汝愛羅爾，勿再哭泣！汝已示吾之真愛！”，其應曰：”諾！艾立克，吾真誠愛汝”。吾繼言曰：”因汝已愛過，吾將放汝離開，汝可自由與羅爾結婚”，其抓握吾手，淚水流氾甜美之臉頰。吾下地牢放羅爾，使其一起，其二者互擁而吻，其吻如刀割吾心，吾知此后，吾將死矣！愛情將死矣！
吾曰：”克莉絲汀，永遠戴戒指於手中”，其細聲應曰：”永遠”。吾曰：”承諾吾一事”，其應曰：”凡事皆可，艾立克”，告之曰：”於吾臨終前，將捎信與汝，回來，並將戒指替吾戴上，克莉絲汀，並將吾密葬之”。其反問曰：”葬汝？”吾應曰：”諾！吾近臨終矣！吾知汝定回（望吾）”，其頓首。后雙手撫吾首，拉近吻吾額，一吻！其為自由之身之贈禮！后吾禮視二者離吾處，搖向其出生之國度，此次並無尾隨其后。
數周而逝，克莉絲汀與羅爾已起離，二者遠赴北方之國度，其曾為克莉絲汀孩提活動之地。當其傾聽吾之呼喚，吾知其必回歸探吾，吾來日不多矣！已感知如此渺小之愛情。如此奇妙，吾將因之而亡，吾深知一向死多於生者。吾活之乎？不多矣！哦！吾得能創作如此之音樂！音樂得以永生！以替代火燒劇院，無人可再傾聽！如此神奇之樂章！此巴黎劇院之柢──吾之居家，亦為葬身之窟！艾立克──活死男孩，艾立克──活之僵屍，艾立克──劇院之鬼魅！
譯者：示子萬金 20020113
The phantom of the opera
By Gaston Leroux；Adapted by Kate McMullan ；Translator by Stephen Swanking
Chapter 1
I curse the day I was born. When my mother saw me, she screamed in horror! I was ugly. Worse than ugly. My face was like a skull. My nose was sunk in. It looked as if I had no nose at all. My eyes were small and yellow. My body was a skeleton with skin. But inside, I was a child, not a monster. Not yet. My mother never kissed me. Never! She could not bear to look at me. I was so horrible that she made me wear a mask. My father never even saw my face.
Did I have a name? I do not remember one. I remember only harsh words from my mother. And the sting of my father's belt. I remember only fear and pain. As soon as I was old enough, I ran away. I ran from the little town in France where I was born. By day, I hid. By night, I wandered. No one saw my face .I did not know where I was going. And I did not care. In the dark, I sang to myself. Unlike my body, my voice was very beautiful. My songs rang out clear and fine in the night air.
Sometimes people heard me sing. "Where is that lovely voice coming from?" they would ask. "It sounds like an angel!" "Beautiful singer!" they would call. "Come out! Show us who you are! "Show them what? The body of a skeleton? A skull with a mask? I stayed hidden in the dark. When I got hungry, I looked in garbage cans for scraps of food. I picked pockets and learned the ways of the street.
One night I saw tents far off. As I came closer, I saw that it was a fair. Lights shone. People walked from ten to tent, talking and laughing. I straightened my mask and walked to the fair. A man inside the gate called, "Come one! Come all! This way to the Freak Show! See things you have never seen! See the lady with a beard! See the man with three eyes! Come! This way!" A lady with a beard? A man with three eyes? "See the lady with fish scales!" the man called. "See the fattest man in the world!" I followed the signs to the Freak Show and bought a ticket. I blinked beneath my mask. I could not believe my eyes! There she was-a lady with a beard! Next to her was a man with a funny spot on his forehead. It looked like a third eye! The lady and the man were like no one I had ever seen before. I walked on. I saw the fattest man in the world. And the lady with fish scales. They were strange and ugly. They were… Like me!
I spoke to the Fat Man. "I want to stay with the fair," I told him. "This is no place for a boy," he said. "Go home to your mama." I have no home," I said. "And I never had a mother." I pulled off my mask. The Fat Man stared at me just the way people stared at him. Then he nodded. "I see," he said. "You do belong here." The Fat Man took me to the manager. The manager looked at my skull face and my bony, white body. He smiled. "Yes," he said. "Stay with us! I have an idea for you!"
The next night, I did not need a ticket for the Freak Show. I was in it. People paid money to see me. "Come one! Come all! Right this way!" the man called. "See the most horrible face in the world! See the Living-Dead Boy!" That was me. The most horrible face in the world. The Living--Dead Boy.
At night, people came to look at me. My little yellow eyes gleamed in the dark. I took off my mask. People screamed and ran from my tent! But they bought more tickets. They came back to look again. I made money for the fair. And for myself. For the first time in my life, I felt at peace. I had found others like myself. The Living-Dead Boy was where he belonged.
Chapter 2
During the day, the show was closed. I talked with the other freaks. I ate with them. But I always wore my mask. "What is your name?" the Fortune Teller asked me one day." I have no name," I told her." You must have a name," she said kindly. "Come. We will find out what it is." She sat down at a table opposite me. She waved her hands over a crystal ball. "Your name is here," she said "It is Erik." Erik. I liked the sound of it. I liked having a name. And even better, I liked having a friend.
The Fortune Teller taught me more than my name. She taught me how to do tricks with cards and coins. Soon I was better than she was. The Fortune Teller's husband was an escape artist called the Rubber Man. He could tie his arms and legs into knots. He could curl into a tiny ball. In his act, a man tied him with ropes. Another man locked him in chains. But the Rubber Man always escaped. He showed me how to do it too.
I was not unhappy. No. By day, I learned tricks. I wanted to learn everything! I learned more than any boy in school. By night, I scared people. I began to like my power to frighten. Yet at times I was lonely. The Fortune Teller loved the Rubber Man. And he loved her. But no one loved Erik. No one.
At those times I would go off alone and sing to myself. My beautiful voice gave me peace. One day a man from a bigger fair promised me more money. So I went with him. At the new fair I had a new name. Erik, the Living Skeleton! People paid high prices to see my skull face. And I had a new friend--the Magician. He taught me how to make things disappear. And how to bring them back again. I helped him build his trapdoors.
My favorite act at the new fair was Madam Delia and her Talking Doll. Madam Delia wore a hat with purple feathers. She held a big doll on her lap. When she spoke to it, the doll answered. It could really talk! “Madam Delia,” I said to her one day. “How do you make your doll talk?” “What a thing to ask, Erik!” she said. “I never tell my secrets to anyone.” But I kept asking and asking. At last Madam Delia gave in. She showed me how she used her own voice to make the doll talk. She taught me how to throw my voice too. Such fun! Soon my voice could go anywhere. Dogs seemed to sing! Men seemed to bark!
Before long, I was better than Madam Delia. How Madam Delia wished she had not shown me her magic! She whispered against me. She told the other fair people that I would steal their tricks. She was right. Soon I had no friends. I felt confused. Was learning the same as stealing? Then I would steal! In the dark of night, I left that fair. There were other fairs. I could always get a job. I traveled from fair to fair, stealing tricks from everyone I met. I was not just Erik, the Living Skeleton. I had a magic act. 1 made thing disappears. I made women sing in donkey voices. I was an escape artist, too. No longer a shy boy, I felt sure of myself. I grew famous in my way. The star of the Freak Show. A fair would have a big sign for me. People from faraway lands stopped at the fairs. Their eyes grew wide at what they saw me do. And so my fame spread across the world. One night a man called the Persian spoke to me after the show. “We have heard of you in faraway Persia,” he said. “The Shah has sent me to find you. He invites you to stay in his palace. You will live like a king! Me, Erik, live like a king? Why not?
Chapter 3
The Shah of Persia could be cruel, but he was kind to me. He liked my magic. “I can do more than these tricks,” I told him one day. “Let me plan a palace for you!” “What kind of palace?” asked the Shah. “A magic palace!” I said. “With secret passages and trapdoors! You could come and go unseen. You could hear all that is said in the palace. You could spy into any room!” The Shah laughed with delight. He put me in charge of his best workers. During the many months it took to build the new palace, I lived like a king. It was just as the Persian had promised. No longer was I Erik, the freak. I was Erik the builder. And the Shah was my friend. Or so I thought.
At last the magic palace was done. The Shah loved it! As a surprise, I added a torture chamber to amuse him. Only the Shah and I knew the dark secrets of the palace. One night I was roaming through a hidden passage. I heard the Shah talking to his special guard in the throne room. “Put his yellow eyes out,” the Shah said. “Then he will never build another magic palace. No other king will have what I have!” My heart jumped! Had I heard right? Did the Shah want to blind me? “No,” the Shah went on. “That is not enough. Erik is too clever. Even blind, he could plan another palace. He must be killed!” “As you wish,” the guard said. Tears filled my eyes. My heart was breaking! I had thought I had a friend. But I was wrong. I had only another enemy.
As I stumbled away, I bumped into the Persian. “Hurry!” he whispered. “I brought you here. Now I will help you run for your life!” The Rubber Man's lessons were useful. I curled into a tiny ball. I squeezed into a wooden box with a sliding lid. The Persian put the box on a train bound for Turkey. The Persian stayed behind. Later, I learned what had happened. “Where is Erik?” the Shah demanded. “I do not know,” the Persian said. “I will put out your eyes if you do not find him!” cried the Shah. The Persian took a walk by the sea to think. On the beach, he saw a corpse washed up by the waves. Birds bad eaten its eyes out and had pecked away much of its skin. The Persian dressed the body in my clothes and brought it to the Shah. “Here is Erik,” the Persian said. “Good!” said the Shah “Now the secrets of my palace are safe!” But how wrong he was!
In Turkey, I slid out of the box. I presented myself to the Sultan. He became my new friend. I planned an even better palace for him with a more terrible torture chamber. And for him, I made robots. I dressed them just like the Sultan. They could walk and they could speak in his voice. People were fooled. They thought they were talking to the Sultan. But the Sultan was really home in bed! “These robots are grand!” the Sultan told me one night. “And they are all mine. No one else has such robots, Erik. No one!” His words made me remember other words. The Shah's words. How long would it be before the Sultan would want me dead?
Chapter 4
Once more, I ran. Yet I was tired of running, tired of Shahs and Sultans. All I wanted to do was live like other people. I traveled back to France and worked as a builder of ordinary houses. Then all Paris began to buzz with excitement. A new opera house was to be built in the heart of the city. I was given the contract to build the foundation. What an opera house it was going to be! Huge. Made of the finest marble. Yet the beauty of the Opera House did not interest me. My work was what lay below the Opera House.
There were five cellars going deep into the earth. Stables for the horses used in the operas. Fourteen furnaces. Dressing rooms for over five hundred singers and dancers. On hundred closets for musical instruments. At the bottom of the fifth cellar was a lake. Its water could b pumped up to the stage to make Waterfalls. It was all a perfect playground for me!
One day, I was working in the first cellar. I glanced up and saw the Persian. I greeted him warmly. “What are you doing in Paris?” “Looking for you,” he said. For a moment I was pleased. “I saved your life,” he continued. “That makes me responsible for you.” The Persian sighed. “I know what dangerous things you can do. I must keep an eye on you.” “Spy on me?” I cried. “No! My life is my own!” The Persian shook his head and walked away. I would show him! He would never know what Erik was up to. Never!
So it was that I began to work after hours. For years after the Opera House was completed, I continued working. Below the Paris Opera House was a whole world! My world! I built secret passages and trapdoors, false walls and trick mirrors in the dressing rooms. I built a house for myself by the lake. My bedroom was large, with black walls and the best organ ever made. There was another bedroom and a dining room. Outside, walls of rock hid my cozy little house. No one could see it was there. Like me, my house wore a mask.
I added a special touch to my house. A torture chamber to make the most wicked Shah or Sultan sigh with envy. At first, it looked like a harmless forest. But it was a forest with only one tree. An iron tree. Mirrors turned that tree into a forest. Lights could make it a forest of death! Under the floor, I stored gunpowder. Enough to blow a big hole in Paris! It made me feel powerful to know I had it. Maybe I would never use it. But maybe I would!
Chapter 5
At first, I liked living under the Opera. I had made a kingdom for myself in the dark. I spent weeks at a time sitting at my organ, writing music. And then there was always some little improvement to add to the cellars. A new trapdoor, maybe, or a two-way mirror. Yet as the years passed, the longing to live like others grew.
One day when I was out shopping, I bought a mask with a false nose. And---a fine suit of opera clothes! That night, I tried on my new face. I looked different, but not too frightening. I put on my new clothes and bought a ticket for the opera. So what if I still looked like a skeleton? I was doing what other people did. Oh, how I loved the opera! The music seemed to take away my pain.
I began going to the opera each night. The little ballet girls scurried away from me in the halls. Men and women drew back as I passed. Soon people began telling stories about a thin stranger who was always lurking about the Opera. One night I heard a couple whispering. “That cannot be a man!” said the woman. “I think it is a ghost!” “Yes!” said the man. “He must be the Phantom of the Opera!” I laughed to myself. What fun! From that moment on I was the Opera Ghost--the Phantom of the Opera! Imagine my delight! Even the managers-those smart businessmen--feared me! I bought a bottle of ink the color of blood and wrote to them:
Dear Managers,
A ghost who loves music haunts your Opera House! I ask you to let me have Box Five each night.
Sincerely,
The Opera Ghost
The managers were afraid to say no. They did as I asked. Now I had my own box at the opera! Getting the box had been easy. What else could the phantom of the Opera get? I took out my red ink again. This time I asked for money. I told the managers to put it in an envelope and leave it in Box Five. Again they obeyed. Now I was living! I heard all the great singers of Paris. The biggest star of all was Carlotta. Everyone thought her voice was wonderful. Carlotta thought so too! I did not agree. Her high notes hurt my ears. But little did I dream then how I would change Carlotta’s voice!
Chapter 6
One night, I went to the opera as usual. A young girl, Christine, had a small part. I listened as she sang. Her voice was beautiful, but sad. So sad. I knew the right teacher could make her voice perfect. I could not stop thinking about Christine. One night I hid behind the wall of her dressing room. Throwing my voice into the room, I began to sing. I peeked through a hole in the wall and saw her smile. “Beautiful voice!” she called. “Where are you?” “With you!” I answered. “I heard you sing. Your voice is lovely. But your heart is sad.” She nodded. “It is true.” “Why are you sad?” I asked. “My mother died when I was six,” she told me. “My father and I went from fair to fair. Papa played the violin and taught me to sing. One day a man heard us. He brought us to Paris to play and sing here. Then my father became very ill.” Tears filled her eyes. “I am sorry,” I told her. “Before Father died,” said Christine, “he told me about the Angel of Music. Papa said that the Angel visits all great musicians. He said he would send the Angel of Music to me from heaven. He has kept his promise.” Christine wiped her tears. “Oh, Voice!” she cried. “Is it you? Are you the Angel of Music?” For a minute, I said nothing. Then I made up my mind. “Yes,” I told her. “I am the Angel of Music!” Christine wept with joy. “I am ready, Angel! Teach me to sing!”
And so I did. Each night after the performance, I went behind her dressing-room wall. I played the violin and we sang. How we sang! Christine put her heart into her singing. Her voice was far better than Carlotta's. But I warned her. “Sing this way only here with me!” “Why, Voice?” she asked. “Wait and see!” I said. “We will take all of Paris by surprise!” Oh, how happy I was! I had told a little lie, yes. But I meant no harm.
Everything went well for three months. Then one night Christine sang a small part as usual. When she came to her dressing room, she was very excited. Her eyes shone. “I saw Raoul tonight!” she told me. “He was here! He heard me sing!” “Who is Raoul?” I asked. I sensed danger. “I knew him as a child.” She blushed. “Now he is a man. And so handsome!” A handsome young man made Christine's eyes shine! I could not speak. Fear of losing her froze my words. “Voice!” she called to me. “Are you still there?” I could not answer. Yet the next night, I returned to my place behind the wall. Christine was in her dressing room. “Christine,” I said, “The Angel of Music is here.” “Oh, Voice!” she cried. “How happy I am that you came back. I missed you so!” "Christine," I said, “do you love someone here on earth? If you do, I must return to heaven. I must go away forever.” “Go away?” Christine gasped. “Forever? Oh no, Voice! No!” “Then you must love only me, Christine,” I told her. Christine was quiet. At last she said, “Raoul is no more than a brother to me--a friend.” Her words made me happy. I knew so little of love, I believed her. Our lessons went on as before. Christine was almost ready to sing for the people of Paris.
Chapter 7
One day the newspaper said the Opera House managers were leaving. There would be a big party for the new managers after the performance. Carlotta had the leading role. All the important people of Paris would come. All the great singers would be there. I had other ideas. I got out my red ink.
Dear Carlotta,
You will not sing tonight. Say you are ill. Do not even think of coming to the Opera House.
Beware!
The Opera Ghost
Night fell. It was almost time for the curtain to go up. Carlotta was not at the Opera House. “Quick!” the stage manager called to Christine. “Put on Carlotta’s costume. You will have to sing her part!” Christine sang like an angel! People rose from their seats a clapped. They shouted, “Bravo! Bravo!” Christine was a new star!
After the opera, I rushed to the wall behind her dressing room. Christine ran in. Then someone ran in after her--Raoul! He tried to take her hand. Christine begged him to leave. I was not sure she meant it. “Christine,” I said after he had gone. “You love him, don’t you?” Christine sobbed. “I love only the Angel of Music!” How I wanted to believe her! At last I did. After that night, things did not go well. My poor Christine! When Carlotta heard about her great success, she was jealous! She made sure Christine did not get any more good parts to sing.
Even worse, the new managers did not believe in the Opera Ghost. They did not give me my money! They dared to take Box Five for themselves! Well, they could not get away with it. I got out my red ink.
Dear New Managers,
1. Give me back Box Five!
2. Give me my allowance! Put it in an envelope and leave it in Box Five.
3. Carlotta will be ill tonight and Christine will sing in her place.
Disobey me, and I will curse this Opera House!
The Opera Ghost
I dipped my pen into the ink again.
Dear Carlotta,
You have a bad cold. If you sing tonight, you will be sorry. It will be worse than death!
The Opera Ghost
If my letters were not enough, the Opera Ghost had other tricks. Many tricks! That night, I dressed for the opera and hid backstage. When no one was looking, I climbed up to the rafters. I worked carefully. When I had finished, I went to Box Five. But the new managers were sitting there--in my box! Rushing backstage, I nearly bumped into Carlotta! So, she had not obeyed my letter either! Well, she would learn. They would all learn. The Opera Ghost would teach them a lesson!
Chapter 8
The opera began. Christine sang a small part. Then Carlotta came on stage. Everyone clapped. She waited until they stopped before she began. “Oh, how strange!” she sang. “Like a spell. . . CROAK!” Carlotta grabbed her throat! The audience gasped! Carlotta sounded like a bullfrog! She tried again. “I feel. . . CROAK! All my heart. . . CROAK!”
I crept up a secret passage behind Box Five. I whispered to the managers. “Carlotta is singing tonight to bring down the lights!” The managers looked around. Who had spoken? Then they looked up. The huge chandelier that hung over the hall was swaying back and forth. Back and forth. Faster and faster. And then . . . Crash! It fell! “A little present from the Opera Ghost!” I howled. The audience screamed in terror. People jumped from their seats, confused and frightened. There were dead and wounded among them.
Meanwhile, Christine had fainted on the stage. I leaped to where she lay and carried her through a secret passage. I had left a white horse from the stable in the first cellar. I put Christine on his back and I took her down, down, down. When we reached the lake, I lifted Christine off and freed the horse. I put Christine into a boat and rowed her to my house. I carried her inside and helped her into a chair. She began to wake up. “Who… who are you?” she asked in horror. “Don’t be afraid, Christine,” I said. “You are in no danger.” “The Voice!” she cried. “The Angel of Music is… is a man!” In a helpless rage, she rushed toward me, striking out with her fists. Then she began to weep. “No, I am not an angel,” I told her. “I am only Erik, a man who would do anything for you.” I fell on my knees. “I beg you to forgive me!” “I can only hate you for tricking me!” she sobbed. “Let me go!” “You are free to go,” I said sadly. “I will show you the way back up, Christine. But first let me sing to you.” I sang my sweetest song. And as I sang, Christine fell asleep. I carried her into the second bedroom. I had filled it with flowers for her. The next morning before she awoke, I wrote her a note. It said I was going out to buy some things. Then I locked the door.
When I came back, I had wonderful gifts for Christine. Hats, scarves, gloves! She brushed them all away. Take off your mask!” she demanded. “A good man does not need a mask.” You shall never see my face!” I told her. “Now get ready for lunch.” left her room, turning to bow to her. Christine slammed the door in my face. She was not so angry when she came out. She sat across from me at my table. “I love you, Christine,” I said. “Stay here with me for a few days. You will learn not to notice my mask. You will learn to know me. Then you may go. But I hope you will come back to see your Erik from time to time.”
We talked for a while. “May I show you my home?” I asked. I reached for her hand. Christine screamed! She drew her hand away. Oh!” she cried in disgust. “You feel like…” Like death?” I finished the thought for her. Without meaning to, I moaned! For a few minutes, I had forgotten that I was Erik. Erik, the Living-Dead Boy! Erik, the Living Skeleton!
After that, I was careful not to touch Christine again. When we both had calmed down, I showed her my house. In the middle of my bedroom was an open coffin. “This is where I sleep,” I said. Christine turned her head away quickly and saw the beautiful organ. She walked over to it and picked up some sheets of my music. “Are you writing an opera?” she asked. “Yes,” I said. “It is my great work. I began it many years ago. I work on it for two weeks at a time, never stopping to eat or sleep. Then I rest. Sometimes for months!” “Will you play it for me?” she asked. I shook my head. “It is not for your ears. It is filled with so much pain and so much love. Hearing it would break your tender heart.” I sat down at the organ and played other songs for her. Soon we were singing together. And then, in the middle of a song, Christine reached out. She ripped away my mask and screamed!
Chapter 9
Imagine my sorrow and rage as she stared at my death's head! At the two dark circles that ring my little yellow eyes! At the hole that serves as my nose! At my sunken mouth! “So, you wanted to see?” I hissed. “Go ahead! Look at Erik's face! I am very handsome, am I not?” I grabbed her hands and pressed them to my face. I made her nails dig into my skin! “You think this face is another mask? Try to tear it off!” “Stop!” she cried. “Stop!” “I am made of death!” I screamed. “It is the Living Corpse who loves you! Now I must keep you here forever. Now that you have seen me, you would never come back!” I pushed her into her room and flung myself into my music. My opera--the only thing I had left! I played, not caring if she heard.
After a while, Christine came out of her room. “Erik,” she said. “Your face does not matter. I hear in your music how unhappy you are. But I also hear your great gifts. This music is more wonderful than any music I could imagine. In your own way, you are the Angel of Music!” Were my ears playing tricks? Could she talk to me this way after she has seen my face? I ran to her and kissed the hem of her dress. At last! Someone knew me for myself and did not scream or run away!
Christine stayed with me of her own free will. She threw my mask into the fire. With her, I could be myself! I trusted her. We did not stay underground all the time. No! We went for carriage rides like other men and women. Once, I saw him. Raoul! He called to Christine, but she did not seem to hear him.
One afternoon Christine pointed to a locked door in her room. “Where does this door go?” she asked. “I have never seen you open it.” “You must never open it either,” I said. “Why?” she asked. “It leads to a strange torture chamber I invented,” I said. “I have enemies. I may need to use it someday.” I smiled at Christine. “Now, let us talk of other things. Better yet, let us sing!”
We sang like two angels in heaven. Yet we were far, far underground. A few days later, I was in the first cellar. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder--it belonged to the Persian. “A young singer is missing,” he said. “Her name is Christine. Do you know where she is?” “She is in my house,” I said. “You must let her go!” said the Persian. “She is not my prisoner,” I answered. “She wants to be with me. I saw that the Persian did not believe me. Not at all. “It is true!” I cried. “She loves me. Yes, me! Erik! I am loved for myself! And I can prove it!” “How?” asked the Persian. “We are going to a masked ball tomorrow night,” I said. “It will be in the grand hall of the Opera House. You must go too. When it is over, Christine will come home with me. She will come of her own free will.” The Persian nodded and walked away.
The next night we dressed for the ball. Christine wore a black cloak with a hood and a little black mask. No one would guess she was the missing singer. As for myself, I wore red. All red. I went as Red Death. And I had the perfect mask--no mask at all! The Persian was there when we arrived. He saw that I let Christine go off. She talked with a man dressed in white. Was Raoul behind the mask? After the ball, Christine went to her dressing room. Since her door was open, the Persian could see her. From behind the wall, I sang to Christine. The Persian heard her say, “I am ready, Erik! Let us go home.” I knew he would bother me no more. Then, who should rush into her dressing room? The man in white--Raoul! “Christine!” he called. But he was too late. Christine was in my power. The power of my voice! I stood behind the mirror. Christine stood in front of it. “I am ready,” she said. Christine seemed to fade into the trick mirror. She was carried behind the wall to me. Raoul was left alone in her dressing room. Alone and confused, wondering where Christine had gone! How could that handsome young man guess she had gone to meet the Opera Ghost!
Chapter 10
Yes, Christine came back to me. 1 loved her with all my heart. And I was sure that she loved me. When Christine had been with me two weeks, she felt it was time for her to go. Before she left, I slipped a gold ring on her finger. “Wear this ring always and think of your Erik. Do not lose it, Christine. If you do, beware!” Christine looked at the ring. She shuddered a little bit as I led her up to her dressing room. “I will come back to you, Erik,” Christine said. “You have my word.” I was full of love. “One more thing,” I said. “This Raoul--I know he loves you. In a month, he is leaving Paris to explore the North Pole.” Christine nodded. “I know,” she said. “You have made me so happy, Christine,” I told her. “You can make him just as happy. Go ahead. Spend time with him this month. I trust you, Christine, because I know you love me! Just promise to visit me. Christine smiled at me. Her eyes shone. “Yes!” she said. “I will! I will make him happy too!” And then I let her go. That night, Christine sang. What an opera! What a night! Everyone in the audience fell in love with Christine!
I felt a little bit jealous. Taking a secret passage, I made my way to Rail’s box. I whispered, “See the ring Christine is wearing? You did not give it to her!” “Who speaks to me?” Raoul asked. His eyes searched for the owner of the voice. I just laughed and disappeared. Christine kept her word. She left Raoul to visit me many times. How I looked forward to seeing her. What music we made together! Then she would go back up to her world. Even so, Christine was never far out of my sight. I could not keep myself from following her.
On one visit, Christine picked up a sheet of music. The notes had been written. Crossed out. Written again. “How is your opera coming?” she asked in her sweet voice. “It is almost finished,” I said. I looked over her shoulder. I hummed the last few notes. “When you leave today, I will work on it.” But when she left, I could not work. All I could think of was Christine. So I left my house and followed her like a shadow. I watched Christine meet Raoul outside her dressing room. “I must speak to you!” she said to him. “Come! Let us go to the rooftop!” The rooftop? Why, I wondered? Raoul followed her. And I followed them. Through endless doors and narrow passages. Up ladders. Across bridges. I was at their heels, but they never saw me. At last they came out on the roof and sat down. “Why must we talk here?” asked Raoul. “Erik never comes up here,” said. “Besides, he’s working on opera. We are safe.” Safe? What did my Christine mean? Was she not safe with Erik? Then she turned to Raoul. “You must take me away!” she cried. “Yes!” he answered. “That is my dearest wish. I will forget about the North Pole. We will go away together!” He reached out and took her hands. “But what about Erik? You always want to go to him. “Christine shook her head. “Never completely,” she said. “Erik is a sort of angel. A sad, dark angel. His music seems to cast a spell on me. And I go because I cannot bear to hurt him. Yet I am also afraid of him!"Raoul looked at Christine. “I will take you away. We shall be married. I shall come for you tonight.” “Not tonight,” said Christine. “I will sing for Erik one more time. Tomorrow night is soon enough.”
Oh! My heart was breaking! I had been so sure Christine loved me! I could not hold back a cry of pain! “What was that?” cried Raoul. “Was itErik?” “It could not be!” said Christine. “He… he said he would be working!” She stood up and took Rail's hand. “Hurry!” she said. As they ran, the ring fell from Christine's finger. I picked it up. “Now you have lost the ring, Christine!” I whispered. “Beware! Beware!”
Chapter 11
Tears ran down my cheeks as I climbed from the roof. Bitter tears. Christine did not love me. Worse--she pitied me! Feared me! I ran to my organ. In a fit of madness, I finished my opera. I knew what Ihad to do next. I made some sleeping powder. I crept all the way up to where a crew of men would work the opera lights. I put the powder into their tea. Then I made sure the path to my house was very slippery. In the dark, itwould be easy to slide off the path into my torture chamber! At night, a huge crowd came to the Opera House. The lights were lowered. The curtain went up. Christine looked pale as she started to sing in a shaky voice. Raoul stood in his box. Christine looked up at him. Then she began to sing her heart out. She sang in a heavenly voice. She was singing for him alone. Not for me!
Now was the time! I crept to the main light box. The man in charge ofit was snoring. Good! I turned off the lights--all of them! The Paris Opera House was dark! Before anyone could do anything, the lights came back on the stage looked the same. Except for one thing. Christine was gone! People rushed to where she had stood. They ran behind the stage. Calling, “Christine! Christine!” She did not answer. She could not answer. She was with me! His time, she did not want to come to my house. I had to give her some sleeping powder too. Then she woke up in her room, I was standing over her. It is up to you, Christine,” I said. “Shall I play the Wedding March or the Funeral March?” I… I do not understand, she said. Is it so hard?” I asked. “My great opera is finished. I can't go on living like this. Under the ground like a mole! I want a wife like everyone else! I want to take her out on Sundays! Marry me, Christine!” he groaned. With a new mask," I said, “I can look like anybody else. No one will stare at us. You will be happy. Day and night, we will sing!” Christine was crying. There is no need to be afraid of me," I said. “Am I such a monster? All I want is to be loved for myself. You can make me gentle as a lamb.” Christine only shook her head and wept. You decide!” I told her. “Look at these two little boxes. In this one is a grasshopper. In this one, a scorpion.”
I held the boxes before her. “If your answer is yes, press the scorpion. How happy we will be!” I smiled. Then my smile faded. “However, if your answer is no, press the grasshopper. How he will hop! Ka-bam! The whole Opera House will hop with him!” I laughed a crazy laugh. What do you mean?” cried Christine. There is gunpowder beneath the floor. Enough for a small war! One push on the grasshopper can start it! You have until eleven－tomorrow night to decide. We will die if you say no! And many others will die with us--buried under the Opera House forever!” I tied her hands and left the house I needed to be alone. How my Poor heart ached! If only she would say yes I knew I could make her happy! She would forget all about Raoul.
When I came back, Christine spoke to me gently. “Untie me, Erik,” she said. “I am in pain.” Of course, my love," I said. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Will you play for me?” she asked. I sat down at the organ. Soon, I was lost in the music. Suddenly Christine's hand shot out and grabbed the keys that lay on the organ! Then she raced to her room. I ran after her She was trying to unlock the door to the torture chamber! I grabbed back my keys. “What do you think you are doing?” Her smile didn't fool me. “Just playing,” she said. Then a low cry came from the torture chamber. Christine jumped. What was that?” I asked. I heard nothing!” Christine said quickly. I thought I heard a cry," I said. A cry?” said Christine. “Are you going mad, Erik? How could anyone get into this house?” I didn't like the way she said that she was shaking. Then I knew--she was lying! Aha!” I said. “I understand now! I have a guest in my torture chamber! Would you like to see?”
Chapter 12
I opened up the hidden window in the wall. I turned on the lights in the torture chamber. You look, Christine," I said. She went to the window “No one is there,” she said, hoping to fool me. But I knew that Raoul would tryto find her. I knew who was in my torture chamber! “No one?” I asked. “ No one,” she said. “And it only looks like a forest anyway.” Yes, yes," I said. “A forest of mirrors and torture beyond anything you could imagine. But I am growing tired of it. I want a wife like everybody else!” Christine could not stop looking through the window. The forest was now very bright. “Put out the lights,” she said. “Please!” Why?” I asked. “If no one is there?” Christine looked pale and worried. “I will do some tricks,” I said. “They will take your mind off our guest. Listen!” throw my voice. I threw my voice all over the room. Croak! I made a frog sing like Carlotta! The wall of my room is getting hot!” said Christine. “Please! Put out the lights! The wall is burning hot!” Yes!” I said angrily. “The lights make the forest hot enough to roast a person alive!” Christine fainted. Erik! Erik!” I looked through the window and saw Raoul. And the Persian! Ha! It served both of them right! Help us!” they cried. “We are burning alive! Water! Please! Give us water!” I will give you water," I called back with a wild laugh.
I pressed a button. The sound of rain came into the torture chamber Raoul and the Persian crawled toward the sound. Their swollen tongues were hanging out. They bent to lap up therain. Ha! There was no rain. None at all! Their fat tongues licked theburning mirror. Oh, how they screamed in pain! She screams woke Christine. “Erik!” she cried. “The answer is yes! I will be your wife.” he pressed the scorpion box. We heard the sound of water rushing below us. What do I hear?” she asked me. It is a flood," I told her. “Water will soak the gunpowder. Now the Opera House is safe. I cannot blow it up.” he water rose into the torture chamber. Raoul and the Persian tried to swim. The water rose higher. There was no air left!
Christine turned to me. “I beg you to save them,” she said. “I beg you…as your wife!” Looked into her innocent blue eyes. Christine looked back at me. I will marry you, Erik," she said “Only save them. Yes, she was telling the truth. “I will do it.” I told her. “For you, my wife.”
Chapter 13
I pressed a button and the water stopped. I pulled Raoul and the Persian out of the torture chamber. I laid them on the floor to push the water out of them. At last they began to breathe again. I called a carriage to take the Persian to his home. I locked Raoul in a dungeon. I did not know what I would do with him. Not yet.
Then I came back to Christine. She was waiting for me like a bride! I bent to kiss her forehead. She did not step back. I kissed her. It was the first time I had ever kissed a human in my life! Now I knew happiness. I wept for joy. Christine took my hand. “Poor unhappy Erik!” she said. My heart had been full of hate. I was a monster. I had been ready to blow up the Paris Opera House and everyone in it! Now a change took place inside me. All I could think of was giving real happiness to Christine.
“I want you to have this.” I slipped the gold ring on Christine's finger again. “Yes, Erik,” said Christine. “I am yours forever.” I know she meant it. She would stay with me. And she would try to love me. I shook my head. My heart was spilling over with love. “The ring is for you. And for Raoul," I told her. “It is my wedding present to you both.” Christine shook her head. “I do not understand!” “I know you love him, Chris tine,” I said. “Do not cry anymore! You have shown me love. Real love!” “Yes, Erik,” said Christine, “I do love you.” “Because you have loved me,” I went on, “I can let you go. You are free to marry Raoul.” Christine grabbed my hand. Tears ran down her sweet face.
I went to the dungeon and led Raoul back to Christine. They put their arms around each other and they kissed. That kiss was like a knife in my heart. I knew then that I was dying. Dying of love. “Wear the ring always, Christine,” I said. “Always,” she whispered. “And promise me one thing,” I said. “Anything, Erik,” she said. “I will send word just before I die,” I told her. “Come back and put the ring on my finger, Christine. And bury me in secret.” “Bury you?” Christine asked. “Yes,” I said. “For I am dying now. I know you will come.” Christine nodded. And then she took my head in her hands. She drew me to her and kissed my forehead. A kiss! Given of her own free will! Then I watched Christine and Raoul leave my house. Up, up they went into the world of the living. This time, I did not follow them.
Weeks have passed. Christine and Raoul have gone away together. They have gone to the northern country where Christine lived when she was a girl. She will come back when she hears from me. I know she will. It will not be long now. I have known so little love. How strange that I am dying of it. I know more of death than of life anyway.
Did I live? Not much. Oh, I could have written such music! Music that would live forever! Instead, I have burned my opera. No one shall ever listen to its magical notes. Here in my home under the Paris Opera House, I shall die. Erik, the Living Dead Boy. Erik, the Living Skeleton. Erik--the Phantom of the Opera.
THE END
Kate McMullan is not an opera fan. But she has been interested in special effects and in ghosts for many years. She also wrote the adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the Step-Up Classic Chiller series. She and her husband live in New York City with their daughter, who loves scary stories.
Paul Jenniesloves opera and everything about the theater--costumes, scenery, dramatic lighting. And like the phantom of the opera, he plays keyboard instruments. Unlike the phantorn, however, he also plays basketball and golf. 1-we outside interests serve his work well. Mr. Jennies did the cover illustration for The Vampire, another Classic Chiller. His work often appears in sports magazines. He lives in Matawan, New Jersey.
示子萬金 譯於台南新豐高中20020113
