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威廉·威马克·雅克布斯（William Wymark Jacobs ），英国小说家，写过大量的幽默小說和恐怖小说，其中最著名的是短篇恐怖小说《猴爪》，在欧美读者中一直盛誉不衰，是英国惊悚小说中的典范之作，曾被多次改编为电影登上银幕。
《猴爪》讲述了怀特一家从怀特老先生的朋友莫里斯上校那里得到了从印度带回来的一个带有魔力的猴爪，据说这个猴爪可以帮人实现三个愿望，但也许会产生恐怖的后果，怀特老先生半信半疑地许下了第一个愿望，悲剧也由此拉开序幕……
“If the tale about the monkey paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us，” said Herbert， as the door closed behind their guest， just in time for him to catch the last train， “we shan’t make much out of it.”
“Did you give him anything for it？” inquired Mrs. White， regarding her husband closely. “A trifle，” said he， colouring slightly. “He didn’t want it， but I made him take it. And he pressed me again to throw it away.”
“Likely，” said Herbert， with pretend horror. “Why， we’re going to be rich， and famous， and happy. Wish to be an emperor， father， to begin with; then you can’t be henpecked.”
He darted round the table， pursued by the maligned Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar.
Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. “I don’t know what to wish for，” he said slowly. “It seems to me I’ve got all I want.”
“If you only cleared the house， you’d be quite happy， wouldn’t you？” said Herbert， with his hand on his shoulder.“Well， wish for two hundred pounds， then; that’ll just do it.”
His father， smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity， held up the talisman， as his son， with a solemn face somewhat marred by a wink at his mother， sat down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords.
“I wish for two hundred pounds，” said the old man distinctly.
A fine crash from the piano greeted the words， interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.
“It moved，” he cried， with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor. “As I wished， it twisted in my hands like a snake.”
“Well， I don’t see the money，” said his son， as he picked it up and placed it on the table， “and I bet I never shall.”
“It must have been your fancy，” said his wife， regarding him anxiously.
He shook his head. “Never mind， though; there’s no harm done， but it gave me a shock all the same.”
They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside， the wind was higher than ever， and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three， which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night. She brought the stranger， who seemed ill at ease， into the room. He gazed at her furtively， and listened in a preoccupied fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the room， and her husband’s coat， a garment which he usually reserved for the garden. She then waited patiently for him to broach his business， but he was at first strangely silent.
“I—was asked to call，” he said at last， and stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. “I come from Maw and Meggins.”
The old lady started. “Is anything the matter？” she asked breathlessly. “Has anything happened to Herbert？ What is it？ What is it？”
Her husband interposed. “There， there， mother，” he said hastily. “Sit down， and don’t jump to conclusions. You’ve not brought bad news， I’m sure， sir，” and he eyed the other wistfully.
“I’m sorry—” began the visitor.
“Is he hurt？” demanded the mother.
The visitor bowed in assent. “Badly hurt，” he said quietly， “but he is not in any pain.”
“Oh， thank God！” said the old woman， clasping her hands. “Thank God for that！ Thank—”
She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation of her fears in the other’s averted face. She caught her breath， and turning to her slower-witted husband， laid her trembling old hand upon his. There was a long silence.
“He was caught in the machinery，” said the visitor at length， in a low voice.
“Caught in the machinery，” repeated Mr. White， in a dazed fashion， “yes.”
He sat staring blankly out at the window， and taking his wife’s hand between his own.
“He was the only one left to us，” he said， turning gently to the visitor. “It is hard.”
The other coughed， and rising， walked slowly to the window. “The firm wished me to convey their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss，”he said， without looking round. “I beg that you will understand I am only their servant and merely obeying orders.”
“I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility，” continued the other. “They admit no liability at all， but in consideration of your son’s services they wish to present you with a certain sum as compensation.”
Mr. White dropped his wife’s hand， and rising to his feet， gazed with a look of horror at the visitor. His dry lips shaped the words， “How much？”
“Two hundred pounds，” was the answer.
大門关上了，送走了他们的客人，他刚好赶得上最后一班火车。这时，赫伯特说道：“如果这个猴爪的故事不比他平时讲的那些要可信的话，我们还是别太相信这玩意儿。”
《猴爪》讲述了怀特一家从怀特老先生的朋友莫里斯上校那里得到了从印度带回来的一个带有魔力的猴爪，据说这个猴爪可以帮人实现三个愿望，但也许会产生恐怖的后果，怀特老先生半信半疑地许下了第一个愿望，悲剧也由此拉开序幕……
“If the tale about the monkey paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us，” said Herbert， as the door closed behind their guest， just in time for him to catch the last train， “we shan’t make much out of it.”
“Did you give him anything for it？” inquired Mrs. White， regarding her husband closely. “A trifle，” said he， colouring slightly. “He didn’t want it， but I made him take it. And he pressed me again to throw it away.”
“Likely，” said Herbert， with pretend horror. “Why， we’re going to be rich， and famous， and happy. Wish to be an emperor， father， to begin with; then you can’t be henpecked.”
He darted round the table， pursued by the maligned Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar.
Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. “I don’t know what to wish for，” he said slowly. “It seems to me I’ve got all I want.”
“If you only cleared the house， you’d be quite happy， wouldn’t you？” said Herbert， with his hand on his shoulder.“Well， wish for two hundred pounds， then; that’ll just do it.”
His father， smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity， held up the talisman， as his son， with a solemn face somewhat marred by a wink at his mother， sat down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords.
“I wish for two hundred pounds，” said the old man distinctly.
A fine crash from the piano greeted the words， interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran toward him.
“It moved，” he cried， with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor. “As I wished， it twisted in my hands like a snake.”
“Well， I don’t see the money，” said his son， as he picked it up and placed it on the table， “and I bet I never shall.”
“It must have been your fancy，” said his wife， regarding him anxiously.
He shook his head. “Never mind， though; there’s no harm done， but it gave me a shock all the same.”
They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside， the wind was higher than ever， and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three， which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night. She brought the stranger， who seemed ill at ease， into the room. He gazed at her furtively， and listened in a preoccupied fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the room， and her husband’s coat， a garment which he usually reserved for the garden. She then waited patiently for him to broach his business， but he was at first strangely silent.
“I—was asked to call，” he said at last， and stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. “I come from Maw and Meggins.”
The old lady started. “Is anything the matter？” she asked breathlessly. “Has anything happened to Herbert？ What is it？ What is it？”
Her husband interposed. “There， there， mother，” he said hastily. “Sit down， and don’t jump to conclusions. You’ve not brought bad news， I’m sure， sir，” and he eyed the other wistfully.
“I’m sorry—” began the visitor.
“Is he hurt？” demanded the mother.
The visitor bowed in assent. “Badly hurt，” he said quietly， “but he is not in any pain.”
“Oh， thank God！” said the old woman， clasping her hands. “Thank God for that！ Thank—”
She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation of her fears in the other’s averted face. She caught her breath， and turning to her slower-witted husband， laid her trembling old hand upon his. There was a long silence.
“He was caught in the machinery，” said the visitor at length， in a low voice.
“Caught in the machinery，” repeated Mr. White， in a dazed fashion， “yes.”
He sat staring blankly out at the window， and taking his wife’s hand between his own.
“He was the only one left to us，” he said， turning gently to the visitor. “It is hard.”
The other coughed， and rising， walked slowly to the window. “The firm wished me to convey their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss，”he said， without looking round. “I beg that you will understand I am only their servant and merely obeying orders.”
“I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility，” continued the other. “They admit no liability at all， but in consideration of your son’s services they wish to present you with a certain sum as compensation.”
Mr. White dropped his wife’s hand， and rising to his feet， gazed with a look of horror at the visitor. His dry lips shaped the words， “How much？”
“Two hundred pounds，” was the answer.
大門关上了，送走了他们的客人，他刚好赶得上最后一班火车。这时，赫伯特说道：“如果这个猴爪的故事不比他平时讲的那些要可信的话，我们还是别太相信这玩意儿。”