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In the first place, we may start with a strong presumption that Colonel Openshaw had some very strong reason for leaving America.
首先，我们可以从一个有充分根据的假定开始--奥彭肖上校是由于某种有力的原因而离开美国的。
Men at his time of life do not change all their habits
到了他那样年纪的人是不会改变他全部的习惯的，
and exchange willingly the charming climate of Florida for the lonely life of an English provincial town.
他也不会心甘情愿地放弃佛罗里达的宜人的气候而回到英国来过乡镇的寂寥生活的。
His extreme love of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of someone or something,
他对英国的孤独生活那样极为罕见的喜爱暗示着他心中惧怕某人、某事，
so we may assume as a working hypothesis that it was fear of someone or something which drove him from America.
因此我们不妨作出一个可用的假设，认为他是出于对某人、某事的恐惧被迫离开美国的。
As to what it was he feared, we can only deduce that by considering the formidable letters which were received by himself and his successors.
至于他所怕的是什么，我们只能其他和他的几个继承人所接到的那几次可怕的信件来推断。
Did you remark the postmarks of those letters?"
你注意到那几封信的邮戳了没有？"
"The first was from Pondicherry, the second from Dundee, and the third from London."
"第一封是从本地治里寄出的，第二封是敦提，第三封是伦敦。"
"From East London. What do you deduce from that?"
"从伦敦东区寄出。你据此能推断出什么来呢？"
"They are all seaports. That the writer was on board of a ship."
"那些地方都是海港。写信的人是在船上。"
"Excellent. We have already a clue.
"好极了，我们有了一条线索了。
There can be no doubt that the probability -- the strong probability -- is that the writer was on board of a ship.
毫无疑问，很可能--极其可能--写信的人当时一定是在一条船上。
And now let us consider another point.
现在我们再考虑第二点。
In the case of Pondicherry, seven weeks elapsed between the threat and its fulfillment,
就本地治里来说，从收到恐吓信起到出事时止，前后经过七个星期。
in Dundee it was only some three or four days. Does that suggest anything?"
至于敦提，仅仅经过大约三、四天。这说明什么问题呢？"
"A greater distance to travel." "But the letter had also a greater distance to come." "Then I do not see the point."
"前者路程较远。""可是信件也要经过较远的路程呀？""那我就不懂了。"
