3.證人的證詞
Dupin said nothing about these horrible murders that evening, but I knew he was interested, because the next day he opened the morning newspaper at once. There was a lot more about the mystery.
那晚杜邦對(duì)這樁可怕的案子沒有發(fā)表任何評(píng)論,可我知道他很感興趣,因?yàn)榈诙焖ⅠR打開早報(bào)看起來。報(bào)紙上對(duì)這樁迷案的報(bào)道更多了。
THE TRAGEDY IN THE RUE MORGUE
莫爾格街上的悲劇
The police have talked to many people about this terrible tragedy. This is what witnesses have said, but nothing so far can explain the mystery in any way.
警方已經(jīng)就這場(chǎng)慘劇詢問過很多人了。以下就是證人們的證詞,但是到目前為止這樁案子仍舊是個(gè)未解之謎。
Pauline Dubourg, washerwoman
波利娜·迪堡,洗衣女工
'I've known Madame and her daughter for three years. I do their washing for them and they pay very well. People say that the old lady was rich, but I don't know about that. I never saw anybody in the house when I went to get the washing or to take it back. I think they lived only on the fourth floor of the house.'
“我認(rèn)識(shí)這位夫人和她的女兒已經(jīng)三年了。我給她們洗衣服,她們付的工錢很高。人們都說這位老夫人非常有錢,可我不清楚。我取送衣服時(shí)從沒在房子里看見過別人,我想她們只住在房子的五樓上。”
Pierre Moreau, shopkeeper
皮埃爾·莫羅,店主
'I have lived all my life in this quarter. The house in the Rue Morgue belongs to Madame L'Espanaye, and she and her daughter have lived there for six years. Madame sometimes came into my shop, but I didn't see the daughter very often. The two of them lived very quietly. In six years I never saw anybody go into their house except the postman and the doctor.'
“我一直居住在這個(gè)區(qū)。莫爾格街那所房子的主人是埃斯巴耐夫人,她和她的女兒已經(jīng)在那里住了六年了。這位夫人偶爾來我的店里,可不常見她的女兒。她們倆過著非常平靜的生活。六年里,除了郵遞員和醫(yī)生,我從未見過其他人走進(jìn)她們的房子。”
Many other neighbours said the same thing. There were no visitors to the house, either friends or family. The shutters of the windows, front and back, were nearly always closed, except for the large back room on the fourth floor.
很多鄰居都這么說。這所房子從未有過客人,無論是朋友還是親戚。除了五樓那個(gè)大房間的窗板,這所房子前后窗的窗板幾乎是長(zhǎng)年累月地關(guān)著。
Isodore Muset, policeman
伊桑多爾·穆塞特,警察
'I was called to the house in the Rue Morgue at about three o'clock in the morning, and found twenty or thirty people at the front door. The screams from a person or people inside the house were very loud, but they stopped suddenly when we broke the front door down. I was the first up the stairs and when I reached the first floor, I could hear two angry voices, arguing loudly. One was a deep voice, the other high and shrill—a very strange voice. The deep voice was that of a Frenchman. I'm sure it wasn't a woman s voice. I could hear the words "diable" and "Mon Dieu". The shrill voice was a foreigner, perhaps a man or perhaps a woman. I couldn't hear any words, but the language was Spanish, I think.'
“大概凌晨3點(diǎn)的時(shí)候我被叫到了莫爾格街的那所房子,已經(jīng)有20到30個(gè)人聚集在房子的門前了。房子里傳來一個(gè)人或是幾個(gè)人很大的尖叫聲,可當(dāng)我們把前門撞開后尖叫聲突然停止了。我是第一個(gè)上樓的人,上到二樓時(shí),我聽見了兩個(gè)憤怒的聲音在激烈地爭(zhēng)吵。一個(gè)聲音很低沉,另外一個(gè)聲調(diào)很高,尖利刺耳——一種很奇怪的聲音。那個(gè)低沉的聲音是一個(gè)法國(guó)男人的。我確信那不是一個(gè)女人的聲音。我聽見了兩個(gè)詞,‘魔鬼’,還有‘天啊’。那個(gè)尖利的聲音是一個(gè)外國(guó)人的,可能是男的,也可能是女的。我一個(gè)字也沒聽清,可我想那應(yīng)該是西班牙語。”
Henri Duval, a neighbour
亨利·杜瓦爾,鄰居
'I agree with what Isodore Muset has said, except about the voices. The shrill voice was speaking in Italian—I'm sure it wasn't French. No, I don't know Italian myself, but I'm sure it sounded like Italian words. I knew Madame L. and her daughter, and it certainly wasn't either of their voices.'
“我同意伊桑多爾·穆塞特說的,除了關(guān)于聲音的問題。那個(gè)尖利的聲音說的是意大利語——我敢肯定那不是法語。不,我不懂意大利語,可我敢肯定那聽起來像是意大利語。我認(rèn)識(shí)埃斯巴耐夫人和她的女兒,那聲音絕不是她們其中任何一個(gè)的。”
Jan Odenheimer, kitchen worker
簡(jiǎn)·奧登海默,幫廚
'I was walking past the house when I heard those long, terrible screams, and I was one of the people who went into the building and heard the voices on the stairs. I am from Holland and don't speak French, but I'm sure the shrill voice was a man's voice—a Frenchman. I couldn't hear the words but the voice sounded angry and afraid. The deep voice said the word "diable" many times.'
“我路過那所房子時(shí)剛好聽見一陣長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的、凄厲的尖叫聲,我隨其他人沖進(jìn)了房子,上樓時(shí)聽見了那兩個(gè)聲音。我是荷蘭人,不懂法語,可我肯定那個(gè)尖利的聲音是一個(gè)男人的——一個(gè)法國(guó)男人。我聽不清說的是什么,可那聲音聽起來非常憤怒,并充滿恐懼。那個(gè)低沉的聲音說了很多遍‘魔鬼’”。
Jules Mignaud, banker, Mignaud & Son
朱爾斯·米紐,銀行家,米尼奧桑銀行
'Madame L'Espanaye opened an account at my bank eight years ago. She did not often take money out of her account, but three days before her death she took out four thousand francs. This money was paid in gold, and a clerk took it to her house in the Rue Morgue.'
“八年前埃斯巴耐夫人在我的銀行開了一個(gè)賬戶。她很少?gòu)馁~戶里取錢,可是就在她被害三天前她取走了4,000法郎。這筆錢是用黃金支付的,由一個(gè)職員帶到她位于莫爾格街的房子。”
Adolphe Le Bon, bank clerk at Mignaud & Son
阿道夫·勒邦,米尼奧桑銀行職員
'On Monday, at about 12 o'clock, I went with Madame L'Espanaye to her home, carrying the four thousand francs in two bags. When Mademoiselle L'Espanaye opened the front door, she took one of the bags, and then Madame took the other bag. I said goodbye and left. There was nobody in the street at that time.
“星期一大概中午12點(diǎn)的時(shí)候,我?guī)еb有4,000法郎的兩個(gè)袋子隨埃斯巴耐夫人回家。埃斯巴耐小姐開了前門,拿走了一個(gè)袋子,然后夫人接過了另一只。道別后我便離開了。當(dāng)時(shí)街上沒人。”
William Bird, musician
威廉·波德,音樂家
'I'm an Englishman and I've lived in Paris for two years. I went into the house with the others and heard the voices on the stairs. The deep voice was that of a Frenchman—I remember hearing the words "Mon Dieu". I also heard a sound like people fighting. The shrill voice was very loud—louder than the deep one. It wasn't an Englishman's voice. I think it was a German, possibly a woman. No, I don't understand German.'
“我是一個(gè)英國(guó)人,在巴黎已經(jīng)住了兩年了。我和其他人一起進(jìn)入了房子,上樓時(shí)聽見了那兩個(gè)聲音。那個(gè)低沉的聲音是一個(gè)法國(guó)男人的——我記得聽見他說‘天啊’。我還聽到了像是打斗的聲音。那個(gè)尖利的聲音特別大——比那個(gè)低沉的聲音大得多。那聲音不是英國(guó)人的。我覺得是德國(guó)人的,可能還是個(gè)女人。不,我不懂德語。”
Several witnesses said that the door of the room on the fourth floor was locked, with the key on the inside. Everything was silent when they got up there, and when they broke the door open, they saw nobody in the room. The two windows were closed and fastened on the inside. The police have looked through the house very carefully—every room, every chimney, every corner—but they have found nothing. The witnesses do not agree about the time between hearing the voices and breaking open the door—some say it was three minutes, others say five minutes.
幾名證人說五樓那個(gè)房間的門是鎖著的,并且是從里面上的鎖。他們趕到樓上時(shí)周圍靜悄悄的,撞開房門后發(fā)現(xiàn)房間里空無一人。兩扇窗戶緊閉,并且都是從里面扣住的。警方仔細(xì)地搜查了房子——每一個(gè)房間、煙囪和角落——卻一無所獲。證人們?cè)诼犚娬f話聲和撞開房門之間相隔多久這個(gè)問題上也說法不一——有人說是三分鐘,有人則說是五分鐘。
Alfonzo Garcia, cook
阿方索·加西亞,廚師
'I live in the Rue Morgue, but I come from Spain. I was too afraid to go upstairs, but I heard the voices arguing. The deep voice spoke in French, and the shrill voice was that of an Englishman. Yes, I'm sure. No, I can't speak English, but I know what it sounds like.'
“我住在莫爾格街,不過我是西班牙人。因?yàn)樘ε挛覜]敢上樓,可我聽見了爭(zhēng)吵的聲音。那個(gè)低沉的聲音說的是法語,而那個(gè)尖利的聲音是一個(gè)英國(guó)人的。是的,我敢肯定。不,我不會(huì)說英語,可我知道英語聽起來是什么樣子。”
Alberto Montani, fruit-seller
阿爾貝托·蒙塔尼,水果商販
'I was one of the first up the stairs, and heard the voices—a Frenchman with a deep voice, saying something angry, and a shrill voice, which spoke quickly and unclearly. I think it was the voice of a Russian. Yes, I'm Italian. I've never spoken to a Russian person.'
“我也是最先上樓的一個(gè),聽見了說話聲——一個(gè)聲音低沉的法國(guó)人生氣地說著什么,還有一個(gè)尖利的聲音,語速很快,含糊不清。我覺得是一個(gè)俄國(guó)人的聲音。是,我是意大利人。我從未和俄國(guó)人說過話。”
Paul Dumas, doctor
保羅·迪馬,醫(yī)生
'I was called to see the bodies at daybreak. Both of them were then lying in the room on the fourth floor. The young lady's body was bruised and cut all over when it was pushed up the chimney. The face was blue-black, the eyes were half out, and the neck was badly bruised, with deep red marks made by very strong fingers. These marks show how she died. The mother's body was also horribly bruised, and all the bones of the right leg and arm were broken. How was this done? I don't know—perhaps by a heavy piece of wood like a table leg. A razor was used to cut the neck, and the head was no longer joined to the body. All this was done by a very strong person—a man, and a very strong one.'
“黎明時(shí)分我被叫去驗(yàn)尸。兩具尸體當(dāng)時(shí)都放在五樓的房間里。那位年輕小姐的尸體由于被塞進(jìn)煙囪而青一塊紫一塊,傷痕累累。她臉色鐵青,眼球外凸,頸部有很嚴(yán)重的淤青,還有強(qiáng)有力的手指留下的深紅色指痕。從這些指痕可以看出她是如何被害的。母親的尸體也是嚴(yán)重挫傷,并且右腿和右胳膊全部骨折。這是怎么回事呢?我不清楚——可能是被一根像桌腿一樣沉重的木頭打的。脖子是被剃刀切斷的,頭已經(jīng)與身體分離。這都是一個(gè)非常強(qiáng)壯的人干的——一個(gè)男人,而且非常強(qiáng)壯。”
There has never been a crime in Paris as mysterious as this one. How did the murderer or murderers escape from the house? The door to the room was locked, the windows were fastened. All the chimneys in the house are too narrow for a person to get through, there are no back stairs, and the door to the roof is very old and impossible to open. Whose voices did the witnesses hear? Why was the money left in the room? The police have no answers to these questions.
在巴黎從未發(fā)生過如此神秘的案子。這個(gè)或這些兇手是如何逃出房子的呢?房間的門窗都鎖著。房子所有的煙囪都極其窄小,人根本無法鉆出去,沒有后樓梯,通向屋頂?shù)奶齑耙惨呀?jīng)破舊得難以打開了。證人們聽見的聲音是誰的?房間里的錢為何沒有被拿走?警方找不到這些問題的答案。