English Original
Hidden away within the grounds of the UK's premier tourist attraction lies a derelict Gothic mansion, the original Alton Towers. Few visitors are aware of its existence or the haunted folklore surrounding it.
Alton Towers was built on Bunbury Hill. The site originated as an Iron Age fort before 1000 BC and remained so until Saxon King Ceolred of Mercia established it as his fortress in AD 700. Through the 1100s, the fort had various uses and owners until it was granted to crusader Bertram de Verdan for his service in the Holy Land wars.
Eventually, the estate passed to the Talbot family. The first Earl of Shrewsbury, John Talbot, spent much of his life fighting alongside Henry V. The family maintained close ties with the nation's rulers.
Initially named Alveton or Alton Lodge, the house served as a summer residence for the earls. The 15th Earl, Charles, took great interest in the property. From 1800 to 1852, expansion work was continuously carried out or planned. By Charles's death in 1832, the mansion had become a prime example of Gothic architecture.
In 1821, Charles, Earl of Shrewsbury, was returning to the castle on a winter's night when his stagecoach was halted by an old woman. Angry, he demanded to know her purpose. The homeless, hungry woman begged for money, but the earl refused. She then cursed him: "For every branch that falls from the old oak tree, a member of your family shall die." Dismissing the curse, the earl continued his journey. That night, a violent storm broke out, and a branch fell from the tree. Later, a family member fell ill and died mysteriously. The earl ordered servants to chain the tree to prevent further branches from falling. The tree remains chained to this day.
中文翻译
在英国首屈一指的旅游景点内，隐藏着一座破败的哥特式宅邸——最初的奥尔顿塔。很少有游客知道它的存在，或是围绕着它的灵异传说。
奥尔顿塔建于邦伯里山。该地在公元前1000年之前最初是一个铁器时代的堡垒，这种状态一直持续到公元700年，撒克逊国王、麦西亚的切奥尔雷德将其建为自己的要塞。直到公元1100年代，这座堡垒几经易主，用途多样，最终被授予十字军战士伯特伦·德·维尔丹，以表彰他在圣地战争中的贡献。
最终，该庄园归入塔尔博特家族。第一代什鲁斯伯里伯爵约翰·塔尔博特一生大部分时间都与亨利五世并肩作战。该家族始终与国家的统治者关系密切。
这座宅邸最初名为阿尔弗顿或奥尔顿小屋，是伯爵及其家人的避暑居所。第十五代伯爵查尔斯对房产和土地产生了浓厚兴趣。从1800年到1852年，扩建工程每年都在进行或规划中。到1832年查尔斯去世时，这座宅邸已成为哥特式建筑的杰出典范之一。
1821年的一个冬夜，什鲁斯伯里伯爵查尔斯返回城堡时，他的马车被一位老妇人拦在路上。他愤怒地质问她想干什么。这位无家可归、饥肠辘辘的老妇人乞求施舍，但伯爵愤怒地拒绝了。老妇人于是诅咒他：“那棵老橡树上每掉下一根树枝，你的家族就会死一个人。”伯爵不以为意，继续赶路。当晚，一场猛烈的暴风雨袭来，一根树枝从树上折断落下。随后，家族中一名成员病倒并神秘死亡。伯爵命令仆人用铁链锁住那棵树，以防再有树枝掉落。这棵树至今仍被铁链锁着。