M. Bouc and Dr. Constantine were talking together when Poirot entered the dining car. M. Bouc was looking depressed.

波洛走进餐车时,布克先生和康斯坦汀医生正在说话。布克先生看上去有些沮丧。

“Naturally it worries me. I cannot make head or tail of it.”

“当然让我担心了,完全摸不着头脑。”

“Le voilà,” said the latter when he saw Poirot. Then he added as his friend sat down: “If you solve this case, mon cher, I shall indeed believe in miracles!”

“来啦。”后者看见波洛时说。他的朋友坐下之后,他又补充道:“要是你破了这个案子,我亲爱的,我真的会相信奇迹了!”

“It worries you, this case?”

“让你担心了吗,这个案子?”

“No?” said Poirot thoughtfully.

“看不出!”波洛若有所思地说。

“I told you just now. We have the evidence of the passengers and the evidence of our own eyes.”

“刚才我告诉过你了,我们有旅客的证词,还有自己看到的证据。”

“That, to me, is the interest of this case,” he said. “We are cut off from all the normal routes of procedure. Are these people whose evidence we have taken speaking the truth or lying? We have no means of finding out — except such means as we can devise ourselves. It is an exercise, this, of the brain.”

“对我而言,这正是本案的吸引人之处。”他说,“所有正常的破案程序都被切断了,我们听到的这些人的证词,是真的还是假的,我们无法找到答案——除非我们自己想出来。这是对大脑的一个锻炼。”

“I agree,” said the doctor. He looked at Poirot with interest. “To be frank,” he said, “I cannot see what you are going to do next.”

“我同意。”医生说,他饶有兴致地看着波洛,“坦白说,”他说,“我看不出来你接下去要做什么。”

He took out his cigarette case and lit one of his tiny cigarettes. His eyes were dreamy.

他掏出烟盒,点了一支细长的烟,眼神迷离。

“That is all very fine,” said M. Bouc. “But what have you to go upon?”

“非常好,”布克先生说,“但是你有何依据呢?”

“I do not agree, my friend. The evidence of the passengers gave us several points of interest.”

“我可不同意,我的朋友。旅客的证词给我们提供了几个有意思的要点。”

“Indeed,” said M. Bouc sceptically. “I did not observe it.”

“真的吗?”布克先生怀疑地说,“我没看出来。”

“Pretty evidence — that of the passengers! It told us just nothing at all.”

“旅客的证词很棒!但等于什么也没告诉我们!”

“Well, tell me — what did I miss?”

“那么,告诉我,我漏掉了什么?”

“Ah, it is that you want it given to you in words of one syllable. Well, here it is! M. Ratchett spoke no French. Yet, when the conductor came in answer to his bell last night, it was a voice speaking in French that told him that it was a mistake and that he was not wanted. It was, moreover, a perfectly idiomatic phrase that was used, not one that a man knowing only a few words of French would have selected. ‘Ce n’est rien. Je me suis trompé.'”

“啊,你想让我逐字逐字地说给你听。好吧,我说了。雷切特不会说法语。可是列车员昨天晚上去应铃的时候,房间里传出来一个声音,是用法语告诉他弄错了,不需要什么了。而且用的还是一句惯用短语,只知道几个法语单词的人可不会选这么一句话来说:‘没事,我按错铃了。’”

“That is because you did not listen.”

“因为你没有听。”

“About the letters?”

“关于那些信的?”

“No, not about the letters. As far as I can remember, his words were: ‘We travelled about. Mr. Ratchett wanted to see the world. He was hampered by knowing no languages. I acted more as a courier than a secretary.'”

“不,不是信。我现在还记得,他是这么说的:‘我们到处旅行。雷切特先生想环游世界,可语言不通,于是我更像是个旅游团的导游而不是秘书。’”

“You mean –?” M. Bouc still looked puzzled.

“你是说——”布克先生仍旧一脸迷茫。

He looked from the doctor’s face to that of M. Bouc.

他看看医生,又看看布克先生。

Poirot shook his head.

波洛摇了摇头。

“What? You still do not see? That is inexcusable — for you had a second chance again just now when he said, ‘You’re apt to be done down if you speak nothing but good American.'”

“怎么,还没明白吗?这就不能原谅了,因为你刚才还有第二个机会,他说:‘只会说一口流利的美国话而不会别的语言,不一定能走运。’”

“I will just take one instance — the first evidence we heard — that of the young MacQueen. He uttered, to my mind, one very significant phrase.”

“只需要举个例子——我们听到的第一份证词,年轻的麦奎因说的。在我看来,他说了一句非常重要的话。”

“And it was his murderer speaking!” finished M. Bouc impressively.

“那是凶手在说话。”布克先生感触地说。

“It is true,” cried Constantine excitedly. “We should have seen that! I remember your laying stress on the words when you repeated them to us. Now I understand your reluctance to rely upon the evidence of the dented watch. Already, at twenty-three minutes to one, Ratchett was dead –“

“就是这样,”康斯坦汀医生兴奋地大声说道,“我们应该注意到这一点!我记得你对我们重复这句话时加重了语气,现在我明白你为什么不肯接受那块瘪了的表上的证据。一点差二十三分时,雷切特已经死了。”

“There is the cry that awakened you.”

“有个叫喊声惊醒了你。”

Poirot raised a deprecating hand.

波洛不赞成地抬抬手。

“Let us not go too fast. And do not let us assume more than we actually know. It is safe, I think, to say that at that time, twenty-three minutes to one, some other person was in Ratchett’s compartment and that that person was either French, or could speak the French language fluently.”

“不要进行得太快。我们所做的假设不能多于实际知道的。我认为,完全可以这么说,在那个时间——一点差二十三分——有另外的人在雷切特的房间里,而且那个人要么是法国人,要么能说一口流利的法语。”

“You are very cautious, mon vieux.”

“你真是谨慎小心,我的朋友。”

“Yes, that is true.”

“对,是这样。”

“One should advance only a step at a time. We have no actual evidence that Ratchett was dead at that time.”

“我们只能一次向前推进一步。我们没有确凿的证据证明雷切特死于那个时间。”

“In one way,” said M. Bouc thoughtfully, “this discovery does not affect things very much. You heard someone moving about next door. That someone was not Ratchett, but the other man. Doubtless he is washing blood from his hands, clearing up after the crime, burning the incriminating letter. Then he waits till all is still, and when he thinks it is safe and the coast is clear he locks and chains Ratchett’s door on the inside, unlocks the communicating door through into Mrs. Hubbard’s compartment and slips out that way. In fact it is exactly as we thought — with the difference that Ratchett was killed about half an hour earlier, and the watch put on to a quarter past one to create an alibi.”

“在某种程度上,”布克先生若有所思地说,“这一发现并没有对案情产生太大的影响。你听到隔壁有人在走动,那不是雷切特,而是另外的人。无疑,他正在冲洗手上的血,清理案发现场,烧掉能成为罪证的信件。之后他一直等到周围静下来,他认为安全了,过道上没有人了,就从里面锁上雷切特房间的门,搭上链条,打开通向哈巴特太太房间的那扇连通门,然后溜走。事实上,这也正是我们所想的——不同之处在于雷切特被杀的时间早了大概半小时,而且手表被拨到一点一刻,这是为了制造不在场证据。”

“True,” said M. Bouc, a little confused. “What, then, does the watch convey to you?”

“没错,”布克先生有点糊涂,“那么手表给你提供了什么信息?”

“Not such a famous alibi,” said Poirot. “The hands of the watch pointed to 1:15– the exact time when the intruder actually left the scene of the crime.”

“这个不在场证据做得可不太高明,”波洛说,“手表的指针指向一点一刻——也就是这个闯入者离开现场的确切时间。”

“If the hands were altered — I say if — then the time at which they were set must have a significance. The natural reaction would be to suspect anyone who had a reliable alibi for the time indicated — in this case 1:15.”

“如果指针被人拨过了——我是说如果——那么所指的时间一定有某种意义。正常的推测应该是:凡是在这个特定时间,一点一刻,有可靠的不在场证明的人都有嫌疑。”

“We must also pay a little attention to the time the intruder entered the compartment. When had he an opportunity of doing so? Unless we are to assume the complicity of the real conductor, there was only one time when he could have done so — during the time the train stopped at Vincovci. After the train left Vincovci the conductor was sitting facing the corridor and whereas any one of the passengers would pay little attention to a Wagon Lit attendant, the one person who would notice an imposter would be the real conductor. But during the halt at Vincovci the conductor is out on the platform. The coast is clear.”

“我们还得稍稍注意一下凶手进入房间的时间。他什么时间才有机会进去呢?除非我们假设那个真正的列车员是同谋,否则,他只有一个时间点可以进去——火车停在温科夫齐站的时候。火车离开温科夫齐之后,列车员始终面向过道而坐,而且旅客很少会留意列车员,唯一能发现假冒者的是真正的列车员。但是火车在温科夫齐停下来时,列车员都到站台上去了。所以,这个阻碍没有了。”

“Yes, Yes,” said the doctor. “That reasoning is good.”

“是的,是的,”医生说,“推理得不错。”

Suspicious Circumstances: The Wagon Lit uniform found is a point in his favour since it seems to have been intended to throw suspicion on him.

疑点情况——列车员制服的发现对他有利,因为似乎是有人想要栽赃给他。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Motive: Possibly arising out of association with dead man?

动机——可能跟死者有交往而引起的。

Hector MacQueen — American subject. Berth No. 6. Second Class.

赫克托·麦奎因,美国人,六号卧铺,二等厢

Alibi: From midnight to 2 a. m. (Seen by H. P. in corridor at same time as voice spoke from Ratchett’s compartment at 12:37. From 1 a. m. to 1:16 vouched for by other two conductors.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(十二点三十七分,有声音从雷切特房里传出来时,波洛在过道里见过他。一点至一点十六分,其他两个列车员作证。)

Poirot smiled.

波洛笑了。

Conductor — Pierre Michel — French subject.

列车员皮埃尔·米歇尔,法国人

Evidence Against Him: None.

不利证据——无。

The doctor and M. Bouc pored over the list together. It was written out neatly in a methodical manner in the order in which the passengers had been interviewed.

医生和布克先生一起仔细地看着这张名单。上面按照询问旅客的次序,写得有条不紊,非常整齐。

Suspicious Circumstances: None.

疑点情况——无。

“I have made a list,” he said, “If you like to see it, it will, perhaps, refresh your memory.”

“我列了个名单,”他说,“如果你们想看看,也许能恢复一些记忆。”

Evidence Against Him: None.

不利证据——无。

“And, by our former reasoning, it must be one of the passengers,” said M. Bouc. “We come back to where we were. Which of them?”

“而且根据我们之前的推断,肯定是其中一个旅客。”布克先生说,“我们又回到原点了。他们中的哪一个呢?”

Alibi: From midnight to 2 a. m. (Midnight to 1:30 vouched for by Col. Arbuthnot and 1:15 to 2 vouched for by conductor.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(午夜至一点半,阿巴思诺特上校作证;一点一刻至两点,列车员作证。)

Alibi: From midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by Antonio Foscarelli.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(安东尼奥·福斯卡雷利作证。)

Princess Dragomiroff — Naturalized French subject. Berth No. 14. First Class.

德拉戈米罗夫公主,法国籍,十四号铺,头等厢

Alibi: From midnight to 2 a. m.– None.

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点——无。

Greta Ohlsson — Swedish subject. Berth No. 10. Second Class.

格丽塔·奥尔松,瑞典人,十号铺,二等厢

Motive: Possibly arising out of connection with deceased, whose valet he was.

动机——可能因为是死者的男仆所以有所关联。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Edward Masterman — English subject. Berth No. 4. Second Class

爱德华·马斯特曼,英国人,四号卧铺,二等厢

Motive: Was intimately acquainted with Armstrong family, and godmother to Sonia Armstrong.

动机——与阿姆斯特朗一家关系密切,还是索妮亚·阿姆斯特朗的教母。

Evidence Against Her or Suspicious Circumstances: Story of man in her compartment is substantiated by the evidence of Hardman and that of the woman Schmidt.

不利证据或可疑情况——哈德曼和施密特的证词可以证明她的话,即有个男人在她房间。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Mrs. Hubbard — American subject. Berth No. 3. First Class.

哈巴特太太,美国人,三号铺,头等厢

Evidence Against Him or Suspicious Circumstances: None, except that he is the only man the right height or size to have worn the Wagon Lit uniform. On the other hand, it is unlikely that he speaks French well.

不利证据或可疑情况——无。除了根据身高体形,他是唯一能穿得下列车员制服的人。另一方面,他不太可能会说法语。

Alibi: From midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by Mary Debenham.) Note.– Was last to see Ratchett alive.

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(玛丽·德贝纳姆作证。)注:她是最后一个看见雷切特活着的人。

Colonel Arbuthnot — British subject. Berth No. 15. First Class

阿巴思诺特上校,英国人,十五号铺,头等厢

Countess Andrenyi — As above. Berth No. 12.

安德雷尼伯爵夫人,同上,十二号铺,头等厢

Count Andrenyi — Hungarian subject. Diplomatic passport. Berth No. 13. First Class.

安德雷尼伯爵,匈牙利人,外交护照,十三号铺,头等厢

Evidence Against Him or Suspicious Circumstances: Pipe cleaner.

不利证据或可疑情况——烟斗通条。

Motive: None known.

动机——未知。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Alibi: From midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by conductor and maid.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(列车员和女仆作证。)

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. Talked with MacQueen till 1:30. Went to own compartment and did not leave it. (Substantiated by MacQueen and conductor.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点,和麦奎因谈到一点半,回房后没有离开过。(麦奎因和列车员作证。)

Cyrus Hardman — American subject. Berth No. 16. Second Class

赛勒斯·哈德曼,美国人,十六号铺,二等厢

Evidence Against Her or Suspicious Circumstances: None.

不利证据或可疑情况——无。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Evidence Against Him or Suspicious Circumstances: None.

不利证据或可疑情况——无。

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by conductor — this does not cover period from 1 to 1:15.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(列车员作证,不包括一点至一点十五分这段时间)。

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. Did not leave compartment. (Substantiated by MacQueen and conductor.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点从未离开过包房。(列车员作证,除了一点到一点十五这段时间。)

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. Took trional and slept. (Vouched for by husband. Trional bottle in her cupboard.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点服台俄那,睡觉。(她丈夫作证。台俄那药瓶在她的橱柜里。)

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by Greta Ohlsson.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(格丽塔·奥尔松作证。)

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by Edward Masterman.)

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点。(爱德华·马斯特曼作证。)

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Motive: None.

动机——无。

Mary Debenham — British subject. Berth No. 11. Second Class

玛丽·德贝纳姆,英国人,十一号铺,二等厢

Evidence Against Him or Suspicious Circumstances: None, except that weapon used might be said to suit his temperament. (Vide M. Bouc.)

不利证据或可疑情况——无,除了使用的凶器符合他的性格。(参考布克先生的意见。)

Antonio Foscarelli — American subject. (Italian birth.) Berth No. 5. Second Class

安东尼奥·福斯卡雷利,美籍意大利人,五号铺,二等厢

Motive: None known.

动机——无。

With a grimace M. Bouc handed it back. “It is not illuminating,” he said.

布克先生做了个鬼脸,把它还给了波洛。“没什么启发性。”他说。

Note: The evidence of the passengers is supported by the statement of the conductor that no one entered or left Mr. Ratchett’s compartment between the hours of midnight to 1 o’clock (when he himself went into the next coach) and from 1:15 to 2 o’clock.

注:旅客的证词由列车员的供词证实,就是,午夜至一点(他去隔壁车厢的时候),以及一点一刻至两点,没有人进出过雷切特的房间。

Evidence Against Her or Suspicious Circumstances: and her refusal to explain same.

不利证据或可疑情况——波洛无意听到的对话,而且她拒绝解释。

Alibi: Midnight to 2 a. m. (Vouched for by conductor and her mistress.) Went to bed. Was aroused by conductor at 12:38 approx. and went to mistress.

不在场证明——午夜至凌晨两点睡觉。大约十二点三十八分被列车员唤醒,去女主人那里。(列车员和她女主人作证。)

Hildegarde Schmidt — German subject. Berth No. 8. Second Class.

希尔德嘉德·施密特,德国人,八号铺,二等厢

“Perhaps you may find this more to your taste,” said Poirot with a slight smile as he handed him a second sheet of paper.

“也许你会觉得这个更合你的口味,”波洛说着,微微一笑,又递给他第二张纸。

“That document, you understand,” said Poirot, “is a mere précis of the evidence we heard, arranged that way for convenience.”

“这些资料,”波洛说,“只不过是我们听到的证词的摘要,这么排列是为了方便起见。”


yewandou

一个人要有坚强的毅力,否则他将一事无成

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