動人的故事可以使孩子停止遊戲，使老人們離開暖和的爐邊。

菲力普 薛特尼爵士

有一天，一組動人的統計數字引起了我的注意，要我相信，在短短的一年中，就有四千萬張醫生的處方，開的竟都是鎮靜劑，使病人在緊張的生活中，得到一點解脫。我對任何藥物都不想有什麼爭辯。可是我相信我有更好的妙方，那就是：讀一篇懸疑故事，讓你緊張的身心在戰慄中得到鬆懈！

自從中世紀的吟遊詩人歌頌傳奇故事中的英雄事蹟和黑死病開始，懸疑故事就緊緊扣住了聽眾和讀者的心弦，他們暫時忘卻自己生活中的諸多問題。讓一個人在小說中，沉醉一個小時，可以使他精神清爽地面對明天的生活。

當然，懸疑故事的情節都是虛構的，正是評論家所說的「逃避現實」，但這難道是壞事嗎？它們只是一種娛樂，使你身歷其境於你所閱讀的故事或銀幕的表演上。當故事讀完，戲演完，罪犯疏而不漏地被捕之後，你又回到了自己的煩惱之中，那時候你會發覺這種時間、金錢花費不多的消遣，可以使你的精神清明，消除緊張，也使你的問題更易於解決些。

我毫無疑問地相信那些真有煩惱的人，求治於心理治療醫生是必要的，不過還有那些因為生活緊張而心情困擾的人，我的這帖妙方確有藥到病除的奇效。

我的這篇說教文字，只是期望你從嗜好純粹娛樂性的懸疑故事中，解脫你所有良心上的犯罪感覺。

你可以藉著一陣戰慄的刺激，使自己鬆懈和自娛。消除心情方面的緊張情緒，正是醫師們所主張的。如果那些懸疑故事幫助你變成一個更冷靜、更正常、更快樂的人，我就會感到我在犯罪小說的領域中所花下的心血總算沒有白費了。

希區考克（緊張大師）

On Chills and Thrills

“A tale which holdeth children from playand old men from the chimney-corner.”

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY

The other day a fascinating statistic wasbrought to my notice. I was asked to believe that in a single year some40,000,000 prescriptions will have been written for tranquilizers to relievethe tensions of the world Americans live in. Now, I have no quarrel with anysort of medication. But I believe I have a more pleasing prescription:

Take a suspense story…quake well…and keepquaking!

From the days when legends of bold deedsand sudden death were sung by minstrels, the suspense story has enrapturedaudiences and made them forget for a little while the problems of their ownlives. To hold a man spellbound for an hour is to return him refreshed to facetomorrow.

Of course the world of the suspense storyis a world of make believe. Of course it is what the critics call “escape.” Butis that bed? These are entertainments, designed to take you out of yourself, tomake you believe while you read, or look at a screen, in the reality of what isthere. When it is over, when the criminal is properly trapped and you arereturned to your private worries, you find that your little excursion has madeyour mind clearer, your nerves calmer, your problems somehow easier to attack.

For some troubled persons I have no doubtthat the siesta on the psychiatrist’s couch is a necessity. But for a good manyothers who are disturbed by tension, my magic potion can have healing effect.

This little homily is designed to free youof any quality conscience from indulging in the pure entertainment of asuspense story. You may relax and enjoy the chills and thrills. As a tensionreliever, they are just what the doctor ordered. And if they help you to be acalmer, better, happier person, then I shall feel that my labors in the fieldof crime have not altogether been in vain.

BY ALFRED HITCHCOCK

HOLLYWOOD ABD TV MASTER OF SUSPENSE