5 THE EVIDENCE OF THE SWEDISH LADY
5 瑞典妇人的证词
M. Bouc was handling the button that Mrs. Hubbard had left behind her.
波克先生手中玩着侯伯太太留下的那枚钮扣。
“This button. I cannot understand it. Does it mean that after all, Pierre Michel is involved in some way?” he asked.
“这格钮扣，我真不懂。难道说皮耶·麦寇也有什么嫌疑吗？”他问道。
He paused, then continued, as Poirot did not reply. “What have you to say, my friend?”
因为白罗并没有答话，他顿了一下又问：“老兄，你的看法如何？”
“That button, it suggests possibilities,” said Poirot thoughtfully. “Let us interview next the Swedish lady before we discuss the evidence that we have heard.”
“那枚钮扣总会提供给我们某种可能性的。”白罗深思地说：“让我们先问问那位瑞典妇人，再讨论我们已经听过的证词。”
He sorted through the pile of passports in front of him. “Ah! here we are. Greta Ohlsson, age forty-nine.”
他翻了翻面前的护照。“呵！在这儿。葛丽泰·奥尔森，年龄四十岁。”
M. Bouc gave directions to the restaurant attendant, and presently the lady with the yellowish grey bun of hair and the long, mild, sheep-like face was ushered in. She peered short-sightedly at Poirot through her glasses, but was quite calm.
波克先生指示餐车服务人员去请她。不一会，这名脑后梳着一个灰黄色大发髻，脸长得像个温驯绵羊般的妇人就被带了进来。她透过近视眼镜看了白罗一眼，但神情却是很镇定的。
It transpired that she understood and spoke French, so the conversation took place in that language. Poirot first asked her the questions to which he already knew the answers—her name, age, and address. He then asked her her occupation.
知道她能说法语，白罗就用法语向她问话。先问了一些她的姓名、住址之类早已知道的问题，白罗就开始问她的职业。
She was, she told him, matron in a missionary school near Stamboul. She was a trained nurse.
她告诉他：她在伊斯坦堡一家教会学校担任舍监。她也是一名受过专业训练的护士。
“You know, of course, of what took place last night, Mademoiselle?”
“小姐，你当然已经知道昨晚车上出了事了？”
“Naturally. It is very dreadful. And the American lady tells me that the murderer was actually in her compartment.”
“当然，真可怕。那位美国太太还告诉我凶手进过她的房间呢。”
“I hear, Mademoiselle, that you were the last person to see the murdered man alive?”
“我听说，你是最后见到死者健在的一名旅客？”
“I do not know. It may be so. I opened the door of his compartment by mistake. I was much ashamed. It was a most awkward mistake.”
“我不清楚，也许是的。我错开了他的房间。我真难为情，太不好意思了。”
“You actually saw him?”
“你看清楚他了吗？”
“Yes. He was reading a book. I apologised quickly and withdrew.”
“是的，他在看书。我道歉之后，立刻退了出来。”他跟你说了什么吗？“
“Did he say anything to you?”
这名腼腆的妇人脸上泛起一阵红晕。
A slight flush showed on the worthy lady’s cheek.
“他笑了起来，说了几句话。我——我不太懂。”
“He laughed and said a few words. I—I did not quite catch them.”
“之后，你做什么了？”
“And what did you do after that, Mademoiselle?” asked Poirot, passing from the
白罗很技巧地将窘况掠过之后又问她。
subject tactfully. “I went in to the American lady, Mrs. Hubbard. I asked her for some aspirin and she gave it to me.”
“我去那位美国太太侯伯太太的房里，问她有没有阿司匹灵，她给了我几片。”
“Did she ask you whether the communicating door between her compartment and that of Mr. Ratchett was bolted?”
“她有没有问你与她房间隔壁互通的那扇门是否拴着的？”
“Yes.”
“问了。”
“And was it?”
“是否拴着？”
“Yes.”
“拴着的。”
“And after that?”
“后来呢？”
“After that I went back to my compartment, took the aspirin, and lay down.”
“后来，我回自己房里，吃了阿司匹灵就躺下了。”
“What time was all this?”
“这都是什么时候的事？”
“When I got into bed it was five minutes to eleven. I know because I looked at my watch before I wound it up.”
“我回到床上时，是十一点差五分。因为我在上表弦的时候看过时刻的。”
“Did you go to sleep quickly?”
“你很快就入睡了吗？”
“Not very quickly. My head got better, but I lay awake some time.”
“不很快。我头疼虽然好些了，但我仍好一会儿无法入睡。”
“Had the train come to a stop before you went to sleep?”
“车是在你入睡之前停下的吗？”
“I do not think so. We stopped, I think, at a station just as I was getting drowsy.”
“我想不是。我想列车在一个站上停下的时候，我已有点昏昏欲睡。”
“That would be Vincovci. Now your compartment, Mademoiselle, is this one?” He indicated it on the plan.
“那是温可齐站。呃，你的卧铺房是这间吗，小姐？”他指了指卧车平面图问道。
“That is so, yes.”
“是的，就是那间。”
“You had the upper or the lower berth?”
“你睡上铺还是下铺？”
“The lower berth, No. 10.”
“下铺。号码是十号。”
“And you had a companion?’
“有人与你同屋吗？”
“Yes, a young English lady. Very nice, very amiable. She had travelled from Baghdad.”
“有的，是一位年轻的英国小姐。人很好，很和气。她是从巴格达上车的。”
“After the train left Vincovci, did she leave the compartment?”
“车离开温可齐之后，她离开过房间吗？”
“No, I am sure she did not.”
“没有，我知道她一定没有。”
“Why are you sure if you were asleep?”
“如果你睡着了，怎么能说一定呢？”
“I sleep very lightly. I am used to waking at a sound. I am sure that if she had come down from the berth above I should have awakened.”
“我一向睡觉不稳。一点声响，我都会醒来。所以我敢说如果她从上铺下来，我应该会醒过来的。”
“Did you yourself leave the compartment?”
“你自己离开过房间吗？”
“Not until this morning.”
“一直到今天早上都没离开。”
“Have you a scarlet silk kimono, Mademoiselle?”
“你有没有一件丝制的红色睡袍，小姐？”
“No, indeed. I have a good comfortable dressing-gown of Jaeger material.”
“我没有。我有一件很舒服的纯毛的晨褛。”
“And the lady with you, Miss Debenham? What colour is her dressing-gown?’
“跟你同房间的那位戴本瀚小姐，她的袍子是什么颜色的？”
“A pale mauve aba such as you buy in the East.”
“她穿的是淡紫色的，在东方买得到的那种骆驼绒做的。”
Poirot nodded. Then he asked in a friendly tone: “Why are you taking this journey? A holiday?”
白罗点了点头，然后很和善地问她：“你这次远行有什么目的？度假？”
“Yes, I am going home for a holiday. But first I am going to Lausanne to stay with a sister for a week or so.”
“是的，我回家度假。不过我先去洛桑跟我姊姊聚一个礼拜。”
“Perhaps you will be so amiable as to write me down the name and address of your sister?’
“麻烦你把你姊姊的姓名与住址写下来，好不好？”
“With pleasure.”
“当然可以。”
She took the paper and pencil he gave her and wrote down the name and address as requested.
她接过白罗递给她的纸、笔写了下来。
“Have you ever been in America, Mademoiselle?”
“小姐，你去过美国没有？”
“No. I very nearly went once. I was to go with an invalid lady, but the plan was cancelled at the last moment. I much regretted this. They are very good, the Americans. They give much money to found schools and hospitals. And they are very practical.”
“没有。有一次几乎可以成行的。我本来要陪一位残疾的太太去的，后来临时取消了行程，真遗憾。美国人真好，他们捐了很多钱给学校和医院。他们也很实际。”
“Do you remember hearing of the Armstrong kidnapping case?”
“你听说过阿姆斯壮绑票案吗？“
“No, what was that?”
“没有。那是怎么回事？”
Poirot explained.
白罗为她解释了一番。
Greta Ohlsson was indignant. Her yellow bun of hair quivered with her emotion.
葛丽泰·奥尔森听了，十分激动。她气愤得连那撮黄色的发髻都颤动了起来。
“That there are in the world such evil men! It tries one’s faith. The poor mother—my heart aches for her.”
“世界上竟有这等恶人，真叫人寒心。那可怜的母亲——我真替她心疼。”
The amiable Swede departed, her kindly face flushed, her eyes suffused with tears.
这名可亲的瑞典夫人红着和善的面孔，眼眶里含着泪水起身离去了。
Poirot was writing busily on a sheet of paper.
白罗在一张纸上振笔疾挥。
“What is it you write there, my friend?” asked M. Bouc.
“你在写什么呢，老兄？”波克先生问。
“Mon cher, it is my habit to be neat and orderly. I make here a little chronological table of events.”
“亲爱的朋友，我有整齐有离习惯。我在按时间记下一份要事表。”
He finished writing and passed the paper to M. Bouc.
他写完之后，递给了波克先生。
9.15 Train leaves Belgrade.
九点一刻火车驶离贝尔格莱德。
about 9.40 Valet leaves Ratchett with sleeping draught beside him.
大约九点四十男仆将安眠药准备好之后，离开罗嘉德的房间。
about 10.00 MacQueen leaves Ratchett.
大约十点麦昆离开罗嘉德房间。
about 10.40 Greta Ohlsson sees Ratchett (last seen alive). N.B. He was awake reading a book.
大约十点四十葛丽泰·奥尔森看见罗嘉德（最后看见他还活着）。注意：他仍在看书。
0.10 Train leaves Vincovci (late).
十二点十分火车驶离温可齐（误点）。
0.30 Train runs into a snowdrift.
十二点卅分火车被风雪阻住。
0.37 Ratchett’s bell rings. Conductor answers it. Ratchett says: “Ce n’est rien. Je me suis trompé.”
十二点卅七分罗嘉德按铃。列车长去招呼。罗嘉德说：“没什么事，我按错了。”
about 1.17 Mrs. Hubbard thinks man is in her carriage. Rings for conductor.
大约一点十七分侯伯太太认为有人在她房里，按铃叫列车长。
M. Bouc nodded approval.
波克很表满意地点了点头。
“That is very clear,” he said.
“很清楚。”他说。
“There is nothing there that strikes you as at all odd?”
“你没看出来有什么可疑的地方吗？”
“No, it seems all quite clear and aboveboard. It seems quite plain that the crimewas committed at 1.15. The evidence of the watch shows us that, and Mrs.Hubbard’s story fits in. For my mind, I will make a guess at the identity of themurderer. I say, my friend, that it is the big Italian. He comes from America—fromChicago—and remember an Italian’s weapon is the knife, and he stabs not oncebut several times.”
“没有，好像一切都很清晰、真实。很明显案子发生的时间是在一点一刻钟，表上的时间可以证实。侯伯太太的证词也正好配合。依我心中的揣摩，我看我已经可以猜出凶手是谁。我看呵，老兄，一定是那名意大利大汉。他是从美国来的——还是芝加哥来的——。别忘了，意大利人杀人是用刀的，而且绝不止一刀。”
“That is true.”
“不错。”
“Without a doubt, that is the solution of the mystery. Doubtless he and this Ratchett were in this kidnapping business together. Cassetti is an Italian name. In some way Ratchett did on him what they call the double-cross. The Italian tracks him down, sends him warning letters first, and finally revenges himself upon him in a brutal way. It is all quite simple.”
“没有疑问，这案子只有这么破。绝没问题，他与罗嘉德在绑票案中是一伙的。卡赛提也是意大利姓氏，大概是罗嘉德把他给出卖了。这意大利人找上他了，先寄警告信，最后凶残地采取了报复手段。很简单。”
Poirot shook his head doubtfully.
白罗表示怀疑地摇了摇头。
“It is hardly so simple as that, I fear,” he murmured.
“我怕没有那么简单吧。”他低声说了一句。
“Me, I am convinced it is the truth,” said M. Bouc, becoming more and more enamoured of his theory.
“我可认为毫无问题。”波克先生说，他对自己的理论愈来愈入迷了。
“And what about the valet with the toothache who swears that the Italian never left the compartment?”
“那么那个牙疼的男仆所说的，那意大利大汉从来没离开过房间的事，又如何解释呢？”
“That is the difficulty.”
“这的确很困难”
Poirot twinkled.
白罗眨了眨眼睛。
“Yes, it is annoying, that. Unlucky for your theory, and extremely lucky for our Italian friend that M. Ratchett’s valet should have had the toothache.”
“的确，很烦人的。对你的理论说来，实在遗憾，但是罗嘉德先生的男仆患了牙疼，对我们那位意大利朋友却是不幸中之万幸啊。”
“It will be explained,” said M. Bouc with magnificent certainty.
“总会搞清楚的。”波克先生无比笃定地说。白罗又摇了摇头。
Poirot shook his head again.
他又低声说了一句。
“No, it is hardly so simple as that,” he murmured again.
“不见得。我看未必如此简单。”