The chef de train left the carriage.
列车长离开了车厢。
“Thank you, Michel. It would be best now, I think, if you were to go back to your post. We will take your evidence formally later.”
“谢谢你，米歇尔。我想，你最好还是回自己的岗位上去吧。稍后我们会正式听取你的证词。”
“After we have seen young MacQueen,” said Poirot, “perhaps M. le docteur will come with me to the dead man’s carriage.”
“见过年轻的麦奎因之后，”波洛说，“也许得请医生和我去一趟死者的房间。”
The conductor returned with a bundle of passports and tickets. M. Bouc took them from him.
列车员带着一沓护照和车票回到房间。布克先生接了过去。
“Very good, Monsieur.”
“好的，先生。”
Michel in his turn left the carriage.
米歇尔也离开了车厢。
M. Bouc rose.
布克先生站起身。
“We are a little cramped here,” he said pleasantly. “Take my seat, M. MacQueen. M. Poirot will sit opposite you — so.”
“这里有点挤，”他愉快地说，“坐我这儿吧，麦奎因先生。波洛先生坐你对面——就是这样。”
“Clear all the people out of the restaurant car,” he said, “and let it be left free for M. Poirot. You will conduct your interviews there, mon cher?”
“把餐车里的人全部都请出去。”他说，“空出来给波洛先生用。你在那里跟旅客谈话可以吧，亲爱的？”
“After we have finished there –“
“我们看完那里之后——”
But at this moment the chef de train returned with Hector MacQueen.
就在这时，列车长带着赫克托·麦奎因回来了。
“Certainly,” said M. Bouc. He turned to the chef de train. “Get M. MacQueen to come here.”
“当然。”布克先生说着，转向列车长，“请麦奎因先生过来一下。”
“Certainly.”
“当然。”
He turned to the chef de train.
他转向列车长。
First of all,” said Poirot, “I should like a word or two with young M. MacQueen. He may be able to give us valuable information.”
“首先，”波洛说，“我得和那位年轻的麦奎因先生谈谈。他也许能给我们提供有价值的信息。”
“Qu’est ce qu’il y a?” he began laboriously. “Pourquoi –?”
“出什么事了？”他吃力地用法语说道，“为什么——”
“Exactly. Something has happened. Prepare yourself for a shock. Your employer, M. Ratchett, is dead!”
“没错，出事了。你对这个打击要做好思想准备。你的主人，雷切特先生，死了。”
“You are assuming,” said Poirot, “that M. Ratchett was murdered?”
“你是在假定雷切特先生是被谋杀的吗？”
“Pourquoi –?” then, checking himself and relapsing into his own tongue, “What’s up on the train? Has anything happened?”
“为什么——”然后他停住了，换成了自己的语言，“车上发生什么事了？出什么事了吗？”
MacQueen hesitated.
麦奎因犹豫着。
“So they got him after all,” he said.
“这么说他们还是干掉他了。”他说。
Poirot nodded.
波洛点了点头。
MacQueen had stood looking from one to the other, not quite following the rapid flow of French.
麦奎因站在那儿，瞧瞧这个，看看那个，他听不太懂连珠炮似的法语。
MacQueen’s mouth pursed itself in a whistle. Except that his eyes grew a shade brighter, he showed no signs of shock or distress.
麦奎因撅着嘴吹了声口哨。他眼睛一亮，除此以外，他脸上没有任何震惊和痛苦的表情。
“What exactly do you mean by that phrase, M. MacQueen?”
“你这话究竟是什么意思，麦奎因先生？”
“Wasn’t he?” This time MacQueen did show surprise. “Why, yes,” he said slowly. “That’s just what I did think. Do you mean he just died in his sleep? Why, the old man was as tough as — as tough –“
“不是吗？”这次麦奎因倒是惊讶了，“啊，是的，”他缓缓地说，“我是这么认为的。你是说他只是死在睡梦中吗？啊，这老头很强壮啊——很强壮——”
With a vigorous gesture Poirot motioned him to the seat in the corner. He took it and began once more.
波洛做了一个有力的手势，示意他坐在角落那儿。他坐了下来，再次问道：
He looked from one man to another.
他又看了一圈房间里的人。
“It would be the most convenient, yes,” agreed Poirot.
“好的，那里再合适不过了。”波洛同意道。
“Why, it does seem kind of familiar — only I always thought it was a woman’s dressmaker.”
“呃，好像有点儿印象，不过我一直以为是个做女装的裁缝。”
“For how long have you held that post?”
“这份工作你做了多久？”
If he expected an effect he did not get one. MacQueen said merely, “Oh, yes?” and waited for him to go on.
他并未得到自己预期的效果。麦奎因只说了句“哦，是吗”，然后就等波洛的下文了。
He stopped, at a loss for a simile.
他停住了，为自己的直言不讳而茫然无措。
“You know the name, perhaps.”
“你也许听过这个名字。”
“No, no,” said Poirot. “Your assumption was quite right. Mr. Ratchett was murdered. Stabbed. But I should like to know why you were so sure it was murder, and not just — death.”
“不，不，”波洛说，“你的假设非常正确。雷切特先生是被谋杀的，被刺死的。但我想知道你为什么这么肯定这是一起谋杀，而不是——正常死亡。”
“No. I am — was — his secretary.”
“不，我——以前是——他的秘书。”
“Nothing. Let us advance with the matter in hand. I want you to tell me, M. MacQueen, all that you know about the dead man. You were not related to him?”
“没什么。我们先说说眼前这件事吧。我要你告诉我，麦奎因先生，你知道的关于死者的一切。你是他的亲戚吗？”
“It is incredible!” he said.
“太不可思议了！”他说。
“Just over a year.”
“只有一年多。”
“I must get this clear,” he said. “Who exactly are you? And where do you come in?”
“我得搞清楚，”他说，“你到底是谁？从哪儿来的？”
“What’s incredible?”
“什么不可思议？”
“I represent the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits.” He paused, then added, “I am a detective. My name is Hercule Poirot.”
“我是受国际客车公司委托，”波洛顿了顿，然后补充道，“我是个侦探，叫赫尔克里·波洛。”
Hercule Poirot looked at him with distaste.
赫尔克里·波洛嫌恶地瞅着他。
MacQueen hesitated.
麦奎因又犹豫了。
“Now tell me as much as you can about your employer.”
“现在跟我详细说说你老板的情况。”
Poirot interrupted.
波洛打断了他。
“What was his full name?”
“他全名叫什么？”
“That’s not so easy.”
“这可不容易说。”
The young man shrugged his shoulders. A perplexed expression passed over his face.
年轻人耸耸肩，面露难色。
“We’ve travelled about. Mr. Ratchett wanted to see the world. He was hampered by knowing no languages. I acted more as a courier than as a secretary. It was a pleasant life.”
“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。生活倒是很愉快。”
“Please give me all the information you can.”
“请告诉我你知道的所有事情。”
“What were you doing there?”
“你在那儿做什么？”
“Well, I met Mr. Ratchett just over a year ago when I was in Persia –“
“呃，一年多以前我在波斯遇到了雷切特先生——”
“And since then?”
“从那以后呢？”
“I had come over from New York to look into an oil concession. I don’t suppose you want to hear all about that. My friends and I had been let in rather badly over it. Mr. Ratchett was in the same hotel. He had just had a row with his secretary. He offered me the job and I took it. I was at a loose end, and glad to find a well-paid job ready made, as it were.”
“我从纽约到那儿调查石油特许权。我想你也不愿意听我说这方面的详情吧。我和我的朋友们处境很糟。雷切特先生也在同一家旅馆，刚刚跟他的秘书吵了一架，于是他请我做这份工作，我答应了。当时我无所事事，很愿意接受这份现成的高薪工作。”
“Samuel Edward Ratchett.”
“塞缪尔·爱德华·雷切特。”
“He was an American citizen?”
“他是美国公民吗？”
“What part of America did he come from?”
“他是美国哪里人？”
“Yes.”
“是。”
“He never mentioned any.”
“他从没提起过。”
“Yes. It was my business to attend to his correspondence. The first letter came a fortnight ago.”
“是的。我负责处理他的信件，第一封信是两个星期前收到的。”
“Well, yes, I did. For one thing, I don’t believe Ratchett was his real name. I think he left America definitely in order to escape someone or something. I think he was successful — until a few weeks ago.”
“嗯，是的，确实。首先，我认为雷切特不是他的真名。我觉得他离开美国肯定是为了逃避某些人或事。直到几星期前，我都一直认为他是个成功人士呢。”
“The actual truth is, Mr. Poirot, that I know nothing at all! Mr. Ratchett never spoke of himself, or of his life in America.”
“真实的情况是，波洛先生，我什么也不知道！雷切特先生从不谈论自己或者在美国的生活。”
“Did you see them?”
“你见过这些信吗？”
“Has he any relations?”
“他有什么亲人吗？”
“Frankly, it doesn’t.”
“坦白说，不能。”
Poirot pressed the point. “You must have formed some theory, M. MacQueen.”
波洛接着问道：“你总得有一些自己的看法吧，麦奎因先生。”
“I don’t know.”
“我不知道。”
“And then?”
“后来呢？”
“Well, tell me what you do know.”
“好吧，告诉我你知道的。”
“Does that strike you as a satisfactory solution?”
“你觉得这个结论能令人满意吗？”
“He began to get letters — threatening letters.”
“他开始收到一些信件——恐吓信。”
“I don’t know. I imagined that he might have been ashamed of his beginnings. Some men are.”
“我不知道。我猜他是羞于谈论自己的出身吧。有些人是这样的。”
“Why do you think that was?”
“你觉得他为什么不说？”
“Were these letters destroyed?”
“这些信都销毁了吗？”
“No, I think I’ve got a couple still in my files — one I know Ratchett tore up in a rage. Shall I get them for you?”
“没有，我的文件夹里还有两封——还有一封被雷切特先生愤怒地撕掉了。我要拿来给你吗？”
“If you would be so good.”
“那太好了。”
“You would not observe,” said Poirot pleasantly. “It requires the eye of one used to such things. This letter was not written by one person, M. MacQueen. Two or more persons wrote it — each writing a letter of a word at a time. Also, the letters are printed. That makes the task of identifying the handwriting much more difficult.”
“你看不出来，”波洛愉快地说，“对这种事得有眼力的人才行。这些信不是一个人写的，麦奎因先生，是两个或者更多的人写的——每次各写一个单词的一个字母。而且用的还是印刷体，这样鉴别起来就更难了。”
There was no signature.
没有署名。
“We’re going to take you for a ride, Ratchett. Some time soon. We’re going to GET you, see?”
我们会带着你去兜兜风，雷切特，用不了多久，我们就会干掉你——明白吗？
MacQueen left the compartment. He returned a few minutes later and laid down two sheets of rather dirty notepaper before Poirot.
麦奎因离开了房间。几分钟后，他回来了，在波洛面前放了两张极脏的信纸。
With no comment beyond raised eyebrows, Poirot picked up the second letter.
波洛只是扬了扬眉毛，未加评论。他拿起了第二封信。
Poirot laid the letter down.
波洛放下了信。
He paused, then said: “Did you know that M. Ratchett had applied for help to me?”
他顿了顿，又说，“你知不知道，雷切特先生曾经请我帮助他？”
“The style is monotonous!” he said. “More so than the handwriting.”
“风格单调！”他说，“比笔迹还差。”
MacQueen stared at him.
麦奎因盯着他。
The first letter ran as follows: “Thought you’d doublecross us and get away with it, did you? Not on your life. We’re out to GET you, Ratchett, and we WILL get you!”
第一封内容如下：你以为你骗了我们能逍遥法外是吗？绝不可能。我们要干掉你，雷切特，我们一定会干掉你！
“To you?”
“请你？”
“I can’t exactly say. He was always quite pleasant in his manner.” He paused, then said, “I’ll tell you the truth, Mr. Poirot. I disliked and distrusted him. He was, I am sure, a cruel and a dangerous man. I must admit, though, that I have no reasons to advance for my opinion.”
“我说不清，虽然他一直对人很和气，”他顿了顿又说，“但是说实话，波洛先生，我既不喜欢也不信任他。我敢肯定，他是个残忍而危险的人。虽然我得承认我并没有任何理由能证明这个观点。”
MacQueen hesitated.
麦奎因迟疑了。
“Yes. He was alarmed. Tell me, how did he act when he received the first letter?”
侦探点点头。“是的，他很惶恐。告诉我，他收到第一封信时有什么反应？”
“Why?”
“为什么？”
MacQueen’s astonished tone told Poirot quite certainly that the young man had not known of it. He nodded.
麦奎因那惊讶的语气明确地告诉波洛，这个年轻人对此事一无所知。
Hector MacQueen took a moment or two before replying.
赫克托·麦奎因想了一会儿。
“No,” he said at last. “I did not.”
“不，”他终于回答道，“我不喜欢他。”
“Mr. MacQueen, will you tell me, quite honestly, exactly how you regarded your employer? Did you like him?”
“麦奎因先生，你可否诚实地告诉我，你对你的老板有何评价？你喜欢他吗？”
Poirot nodded. Then he asked an unexpected question.
波洛点点头，接着问了一个令人意外的问题。
“It’s difficult to say. He — he — passed it off with a laugh in that quiet way of his. But somehow”– he gave a slight shiver –“I felt that there was a good deal going on underneath the quietness.”
“很难说。他——他——笑着把信放在了一边，很镇静。但，不知怎么，”他微微颤抖了一下，“我总觉得他在这平静之下隐藏了很多情绪。”
“Thank you, M. MacQueen. One further question — when did you last see M. Ratchett alive?”
“谢谢你，麦奎因先生。还有个问题：你最后见到活着的雷切特先生是什么时候？”
“On what subject?”
“关于什么的？”
“Perhaps, M. MacQueen, you will give me your full name and your address in America.”
“麦奎因先生，可否告诉我你的全名和你在美国的住址？”
“On the morning of the day we left Constantinople.”
“我们离开君士坦丁堡的那天早上。”
“And that was the last time M. Ratchett was seen alive?”
“那是你最后一次见雷切特先生活着的时间吗？”
MacQueen gave his name — Hector Willard MacQueen, and an address in New York.
麦奎因说了自己的全名，赫克托·威拉德·麦奎因，并给了他纽约的地址。
“This is where I’m supposed to go all goosefleshy down the back. In the words of a best seller, ‘You’ve nothing on me.’ Ratchett and I were on perfectly good terms.”
“这下我肯定要起鸡皮疙瘩了。借用一本畅销书上的话，‘你抓不住我的把柄’。雷切特和我相处得不错。”
The young man’s eyes twinkled suddenly.
年轻人忽然神情一肃。
“Last evening about”– he thought for a minute –“ten o’clock, I should say. I went into his compartment to take down some memoranda from him.”
“大概是昨天晚上…”他考虑了一下，“应该说是十点钟。我去他房间记一些备忘的事情。”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“是，应该是。”
“There is one more question I must ask you, M. MacQueen: were you on good terms with your employer?”
“我还要问你个问题，麦奎因先生。你跟你的老板相处得好吗？”
“Some tiles and antique pottery that he bought in Persia. What was delivered was not what he had purchased. There has been a long, vexatious correspondence on the subject.”
“他在波斯买的一些瓷砖和古式陶器。收到时发现货不对版。双方已经通信纠缠很久了。”
“Do you know when M. Ratchett received the last threatening letter?”
“你知道雷切特先生收到最后一封恐吓信是什么时候吗？”
Poirot leaned back against the cushions.
波洛靠回靠垫上。
“His valet, Masterman, will have to know.”
“他的仆人，马斯特曼，肯定会知道的。”
“That oughtn’t to be difficult. He’s a Britisher, and does what he calls ‘Keeps himself to himself.’ He’s a low opinion of Americans and no opinion at all of any other nationality.”
“那应该不难，他是个英国人，宣称自己‘不与人交往’。他看不上美国人，更看不上其他国家的人。”
“That is all for the present, M. MacQueen,” he said. “I should be obliged if you would keep the matter of M. Ratchett’s death to yourself for a little time.”
“先谈到这儿吧，麦奎因先生，”他说，“如果你能对雷切特先生的死讯暂时保密，我将不胜感激。”
“Well?” demanded M. Bouc. “You believe what he says, this young man?”
“怎么样？”布克先生问，“你相信他说的吗，那个年轻人？”
The American left the carriage.
美国人离开了车厢。
“Thank you, M. MacQueen.”
“谢谢你，麦奎因先生。”
“He seems honest and straightforward. He did not pretend to any affection for his employer as he probably would have done had he been involved in any way. It is true M. Ratchett did not tell him that he had tried to enlist my services and failed, but I do not think that is really a suspicious circumstance. I fancy M. Ratchett was a gentleman who kept his own counsel on every possible occasion.”
“他看起来倒是诚实坦率，并没有因为自己可能会有重大嫌疑而假装对自己的老板有好感。他说雷切特先生并没有将曾经找过我但是请求被拒的事告诉他，这应该是真的，不过我不认为这情况有什么可疑。我认为雷切特先生是那种在任何场合都守口如瓶的人。”
“He probably knows already,” said Poirot dryly. “If so try to get him to hold his tongue.”
“没准他已经知道了，”波洛冷冷地说，“如果是这样，请他管住自己的舌头吧。”
“So you pronounce one person at least innocent of the crime,” said M. Bouc jovially.
“那么你认为在这场谋杀中，至少有一个人是清白的了。”布克先生快活地说。
“Me, I suspect everybody till the last minute,” he said. “All the same, I must admit that I cannot see this sober, long-headed MacQueen losing his head and stabbing his victim twelve or fourteen times. It is not in accord with his psychology — not at all.”
“我嘛，不到最后一分钟，每个人都有嫌疑。”他说，“不过我得承认，我并不觉得这个清醒而冷静的麦奎因会失去理智，朝受害人刺上十二或十四刀。这不符合他的心理——完全不符。”
“No,” said Mr. Bouc thoughtfully. “That is the act of a man driven almost crazy with a frenzied hate — it suggests more the Latin temperament. Or else it suggests, as our friend the chef de train insisted, a woman.”
“没错，”布克先生沉思着说，“只有怀着近乎疯狂的仇恨的人才干得出来——具有那种拉丁风格的人。否则，就像我们列车长所说——是个女人。”
Poirot cast on him a look of reproach.
波洛责备地看了他一眼。
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