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It was observed that Ho-ti's cottage was burnt down now more frequently than ever.
有人留意到，霍逖家窝棚隔三岔五便有祝融光顾，火灾似乎频繁起来；
Nothing but fires from this time forward.
从那以后，火灾似乎压根就没消停过，而且一烧就烧个精光。
Some would break out in broad day, others in the nighttime; and Ho-ti himself, which was the more remarkable,
有时青天白日莫名失火，有时夜半三更火灾光临，霍逖本人举止愈发让人狐疑，
instead of chastising his son, seemed to grow more indulgent to him than ever.
不仅不惩罚他的儿子，似乎愈发放任孩子屡屡纵火的恶行。
At length they were watched, the terrible mystery discovered,
最终，霍逖与波波受到严密监控，可怕的秘密终于真相大白，
and father and son summoned to take their trial at Pekin, then an inconsiderable assize town.
父子二人被传讯到北京严加审问，那时北京城规模要小得多，不过是个民间巡回审判的村落小镇。
Evidence was given, the obnoxious food itself produced in court, and verdict about to be pronounced,
戴罪之人被带上庭堂，弥天大罪的证据亦被提交法庭，
when the foreman of the jury begged that some of the burnt pig, of which the culprits stood accused, might be handed into the box.
判决即将宣判之际，突然，审判团长老要求指控罪犯犯罪证据的烤猪当庭呈上，以验明核实。
He handled it, and they all handled it; and burning their fingers, as Bo-bo and his father had done before them,
审判团长老伸手摸了摸烤乳猪，在座其他要员随之仿效，与波波与他老爸感受心同，
and nature prompting to each of them the same remedy, against the face of all the facts, and the clearest charge which the judge had ever given,
大家都烫得缩回了手，下意识用嘴吹了吹灼痛之处。接下来，无视所有的事实证据，甚至法官提交法庭的犯罪清晰指控，
to the surprise of the whole court, townsfolk, strangers, reporters, and all present,
包括聚众旁观的市井小民，过往路人，嚼舌之徒，以及所有在场者瞠目结舌的是，
without leaving the box, or any manner of consultation whatever, they brought in a simultaneous verdict of “Not Guilty.”
审判团成员没有离开法庭商讨，也未经任何磋商讨论，异口同声一致作出“无罪判决”。
The judge, who was a shrewd fellow, winked at the manifest iniquity of the decision;
那位法庭长老级人物，显然精明过人，对法庭明显违规操作的判决深谙于心；
and when the court was dismissed, went privily, and bought up all the pigs that could be had for love or money.
待到散庭后，他悄悄买光所有的烤猪，这场交易称得上连买带送。
