评论
打印
Inspector MacDonald had sent up a note to the effect that he would wait upon Mrs. Douglas in her room; but she had replied that she would meet us in the dining room.
麦克唐纳警官派人给道格拉斯夫人送去一张纸条，大意是说，他将到她卧室去拜访，可是她回答说，她要在餐室中会见我们。
She entered now, a tall and beautiful woman of thirty, reserved and self-possessed to a remarkable degree, very different from the tragic and distracted figure I had pictured.
她现在走进来了，是个年方三十、身材颀长、容貌秀美的女子，沉默寡言，极为冷静沉着，我本以为她一定悲惨不安、心烦意乱，谁知却完全不是那样。
It is true that her face was pale and drawn, like that of one who has endured a great shock; but her manner was composed,
她确实面色苍白而瘦削，正像一个受过极大震惊的人一样，可是她的举止却镇静自若，
and the finely moulded hand which she rested upon the edge of the table was as steady as my own.
她那纤秀的手扶在桌上，和我的手一样，一点也没有颤抖。
Her sad, appealing eyes travelled from one to the other of us with a curiously inquisitive expression.
她那一双悲伤、哀怨的眼睛，带着异常探询的眼光扫视了我们大家一眼。
That questioning gaze transformed itself suddenly into abrupt speech. "Have you found anything out yet?" she asked.
她那探询的目光突然转化成出奇不意的话语，问道："你们可有什么发现么？"
Was it my imagination that there was an undertone of fear rather than of hope in the question?
这难道是我的想象么？为什么她发问的时候带着惊恐，而不是希望的口气呢？
"We have taken every possible step, Mrs. Douglas," said the inspector. "You may rest assured that nothing will be neglected."
"道格拉斯夫人，我们已经采取了一切可能的措施，"麦克唐纳说道，"你尽可放心，我们不会忽略什么的。"
"Spare no money," she said in a dead, even tone. "It is my desire that every possible effort should be made."
"请不要吝惜金钱，"她毫无表情、心平气和地说道，"我要求你们尽一切力量去查清。"
"Perhaps you can tell us something which may throw some light upon the matter."
"或许你能告诉我们有助于查清这件案子的事吧？"
"I fear not; but all I know is at your service."
"恐怕说不好，但我所知道的一切，都可以告诉你们。"
"We have heard from Mr. Cecil Barker that you did not actually see -- that you were never in the room where the tragedy occurred?"
"我们听塞西尔·巴克先生说你实际上没有看到，也就是说，你并没有到发生惨案的屋子里面去，对吗？"
"No, he turned me back upon the stairs. He begged me to return to my room."
"没有去，巴克让我回到楼上去了。他恳求我回到我的卧室去。"
"Quite so. You had heard the shot, and you had at once come down."
"确实是这样，你听到了枪声，而且马上就下楼了。"
"I put on my dressing gown and then came down."
"我穿上睡衣就下楼了。"
"How long was it after hearing the shot that you were stopped on the stair by Mr. Barker?"
"从你听到枪声，到巴克先生在楼下阻拦你，中间隔了多少时候？"
"It may have been a couple of minutes. It is so hard to reckon time at such a moment.
"大约有两分钟吧，在这样的时刻是很难计算时间的。
He implored me not to go on. He assured me that I could do nothing.
巴克先生恳求我不要前去。他说我是无能为力的。
Then Mrs. Allen, the housekeeper, led me upstairs again. It was all like some dreadful dream."
后来，女管家艾伦太太就把我扶回楼上了。这真象是一场可怕的恶梦。"
"Can you give us any idea how long your husband had been downstairs before you heard the shot?"
"你能不能大体上告诉我们，你丈夫下楼多久你就听到了枪声？"
"No, I cannot say. He went from his dressing room, and I did not hear him go.
"不，我说不清楚。因为他是从更衣室下楼的，我没有听到他走出去。
He did the round of the house every night, for he was nervous of fire. It is the only thing that I have ever known him nervous of."
因为他怕失火，所以每天晚上都要在庄园里绕一圈。我只知道他唯一害怕的东西就是火灾。"
"That is just the point which I want to come to, Mrs. Douglas. You have known your husband only in England, have you not?"
"道格拉斯夫人，这正是我想要谈到的问题。你和你丈夫是在英国才认识的，对不对？"
"Yes, we have been married five years."
"对，我们已经结婚五年了。"
"Have you heard him speak of anything which occurred in America and might bring some danger upon him?"
"你听到他讲过在美洲发生过什么危及到他的事吗？"
Mrs. Douglas thought earnestly before she answered. "Yes," she said at last, "I have always felt that there was a danger hanging over him.
道格拉斯夫人认真地思索了一会儿才答道，"对，我总觉得有一种危险在时刻威胁着他，
He refused to discuss it with me. It was not from want of confidence in me
但他不肯与我商量。这并不是因为他不信任我，
there was the most complete love and confidence between us -- but it was out of his desire to keep all alarm away from me.
顺便说一句，我们夫妻一向无比恩爱，推心置腹，而是因为他不想叫我担惊受怕。
He thought I should brood over it if I knew all, and so he was silent."
他认为如果我知道了一切，就会惊惶不安。所以他就不声不响了。"
"How did you know it, then?"
"那你是怎么知道的呢？"
Mrs. Douglas's face lit with a quick smile. "Can a husband ever carry about a secret all his life and a woman who loves him have no suspicion of it?
道格拉斯夫人脸上掠过一丝笑容，说道："做丈夫的一生保守着秘密，而热爱着他的女人却一点也觉察不出，这可能吗？
I knew it by his refusal to talk about some episodes in his American life. I knew it by certain precautions he took.
我是从许多方面知道的：从他避而不谈他在美洲生活的某些片段；从他采取的某些防范措施；
I knew it by certain words he let fall. I knew it by the way he looked at unexpected strangers.
从他偶尔流露出来的某些言语；从他注视某些不速之客的方式。
I was perfectly certain that he had some powerful enemies, that he believed they were on his track, and that he was always on his guard against them.
我可以完全肯定，他有一些有势力的仇人，他确知他们正在追踪他，所以他总是在防备着他们。
I was so sure of it that for years I have been terrified if ever he came home later than was expected."
因为我深信这点，所以这几年来，只要他回来得比预料得晚，我就非常惊恐。"
