Mr Crowther seemed to hesitate, then to make up his mind.
克劳瑟先生看起来有些犹豫,然后他还是下定了决心:
"If I tell you, I trust you won't accuse me of any wish to surprise you.
“如果我告诉你,我相信你不会责怪我存心让你吃惊。
I've never had the slightest desire to surprise anybody.
我从未有过半点让别人惊讶的欲望。
Observe, please, that I haven't forced the information on you.
请注意,并不是我强迫你听我说这些。
If you hadn't spoken to me, we should have travelled in complete silence.
如果你不跟我说话,我们的旅程会相当安静。
I have a book here which interests me greatly and if you hadn't, if I may say so, dragged me into conversation..."
请原谅我这么说,如果你没有将我拉进这场谈话,我会在看这本我非常感兴趣的书……”
"Quite! Quite!" said Mr Harraby-Ribston, who, by now, was worked up to a dangerous pitch of excitement.
“当然!完全正确!”哈利比-里伯斯顿先生说,现在他的兴趣已被激发到了危险的边缘,
"I admit it; I admit it entirely.
“我承认,我完全承认。
And I promise you I'll do my best not to appear in the least surprised."
我向你保证,我将尽我最大的努力不表现出丝毫的惊奇。”
"Well," said Mr Crowther, "what I did was simply this.
“好吧! ”克劳瑟先生说道,“我所做的就是这么简单,
Forgive me if it seems to you a little sensational, and remember, please, that I shall deeply resent any appearance of astonishment on your part.
如果对你来说有点耸人听闻的话,请你原谅,但是请记住,我将会深深地厌恶你所表现出的任何吃惊的表情。
Well, as I was saying, I simply murdered my wife."
正如我所说的那样简单,我杀了我的妻子。”