4 A CRY IN THE NIGHT

4 黑夜里的一声惨叫

The Simplon Orient Express arrived at Belgrade at a quarter to nine that evening. Itwas not due to depart again until 9.15, so Poirot descended to the platform. He didnot, however, remain there long. The cold was bitter, and though the platform itselfwas protected, heavy snow was falling outside. He returned to his compartment.The conductor, who was on the platform stamping his feet and waving his arms tokeep warm, spoke to him.

辛浦伦东方号特快车于当晚八点三刻抵达贝尔格莱德。预定九点一刻继续前行，因此白罗就下车在月台上透透气。然而，他却不曾久停，因为寒风的确太刺骨了，月台上虽盖了遮篷，外面雪可下得极猛。他只好折返车厢里去了。在月台上跺脚挥臂取暖的列车长，看见白罗就告诉他说：

“Your valises have been moved, Monsieur. To the compartment No. 1, thecompartment of M. Bouc.”

“您的行李已经搬到第一号卧铺房去了，先生。就是波克先生的卧铺。”

“But where is Monsieur Bouc, then?”

“那波克先生搬到哪儿去了呢？”

“He has moved into the coach from Athens which has just been put on.”

“他搬到刚挂上的、自雅典来的车厢去了。”

Poirot went in search of his friend. M. Bouc waved his protestations aside.

白罗立即去找他的朋友。波克先生并不接受他的婉谢。

“It is nothing. It is nothing. It is more convenient like this. You are goingthrough to England, so it is better that you should stay in the through coach toCalais. Me, I am very well here. It is most peaceful. This coach is empty save formyself and one little Greek doctor. Ah! my friend, what a night! They say there hasnot been so much snow for years. Let us hope we shall not be held up. I am not toohappy about it, I can tell you.”

“这点小事算不了什么，这样更方便。反正你是去英国的，最好留在原车厢一直到卡莱。我在这里也很好，很安静的。车上几乎空的，除了我，就只有一位希腊医生了。啊呀！老朋友，今天晚上可真够受的！他们说多年没下过这么大的雪了，但愿这场风雪别耽搁了咱们的行程。那滋味可是不好受的，我告诉你说。”

At 9.15 punctually the train pulled out of the station, and shortly afterwardsPoirot got up, said good night to his friend, and made his way along the corridorback into his own coach which was in front next to the dining-car.

九点一刻，列车准时驶出了月台。白罗不久也起身向老友道过晚安，径自沿车厢过道朝自己新迁入的卧车房踱了过去，就在列车前端紧靠餐车的一间。

On this, the second day of the journey, barriers were breaking down. ColonelArbuthnot was standing at the door of his compartment talking to MacQueen.

旅程中的第二天，旅客间都混得熟多了。何伯斯诺正站在自己卧铺房门口与麦昆聊天。

When MacQueen saw Poirot he broke off something he was saying. He looked very much surprised.

麦昆见了白罗，停下谈话，一脸的惊讶。

“Why,” he cried, “I thought you’d left us. You said you were getting off atBelgrade.”

“怎么？”他大声说道：“我还以为你下车了呢。你不是说你在贝尔格莱德下车吗？”

“You misunderstood me,” said Poirot, smiling. “I remember now, the trainstarted from Stamboul just as we were talking about it.”

“那是你听错了，”白罗笑着说：“我记起来了，我们正谈的时候，那时火车刚自伊斯坦堡开出车站。”

“But, man, your baggage. It’s gone.”

“可是，老兄，你的行李不见了。”

“It has been moved into another compartment, that is all.”

“喔，那早有人替我搬到另外一间卧铺房去了。”

“Oh! I see.”

“喔！这样呵。”

He resumed his conversation with Arbuthnot, and Poirot passed on down the corridor.

他转头与阿伯斯诺上校继续谈话，白罗继续在过道上往前走。

Two doors from his own compartment, the elderly American, Mrs. Hubbard,was standing talking to the sheep-like lady, who was a Swede. Mrs. Hubbard waspressing a magazine on the other.

在离自己卧铺房隔两个门的地方，那名美国老妇人侯伯太太正与那羊一般的瑞典妇人谈话。她正往那名瑞典妇人身上硬推一本杂志。

“No, do take it, my dear,” she said. “I’ve got plenty of other things to read. My,isn’t the cold something frightful?” She nodded amicably to Poirot.

“没关系，拿去看嘛，亲爱的，”她说：“我还有好多别的可看呢。老天，真冷得吓人。”她朝白罗和气地点了个头。

“You are most kind,” said the Swedish lady.

“你太客气了。”那名瑞典妇人说。

“Not at all. I hope you’ll sleep well and that your head will be better in themorning.”

“哪儿的话！好好睡一晚上，明天早上头就不痛了。”

“It is the cold only. I make now myself a cup of tea.”

“也只是天气太冷了。我自己去泡杯热茶。”

“Have you got some aspirin? Are you sure now? I’ve got plenty. Well, goodnight, my dear.”

“你有阿司匹林吗？”真的有？我这里很多呢。好了，晚安了，亲爱的。”

She turned to Poirot conversationally as the other woman departed.

一待那妇人离去，她就缠起白罗来了。

“Poor creature, she’s a Swede. As far as I can make out she’s a kind ofmissionary. A teaching one. A nice creature, but doesn’t talk much English. Shewas most interested in what I told her about my daughter.”

“蛮可怜的，是个瑞典人。就我看来，大概是个传教士，教书的那种。人很好，就是英文不会说。他很喜欢听我谈我女儿的事呢。”

Poirot, by now, knew all about Mrs. Hubbard’s daughter. Everyone on the trainwho could understand English did! How she and her husband were on the staff of abig American college in Smyrna, and how this was Mrs. Hubbard’s first journey tothe East, and what she thought of the Turks and their slipshod ways and thecondition of their roads.

白罗到这时候对侯伯太太的女儿早已了如指掌。这车上凡是懂得英文的都晓得她女儿的事了，什么她先生在斯密尔纳的一所好大的美国大学做事，这又是她第一次来东方旅行了，她对土耳其人懒散的习气与糟透了的道路又是什么样的看法了。

The door next to them opened and the thin pale manservant stepped out. Inside,Poirot caught a glimpse of Mr. Ratchett sitting up in bed. He saw Poirot and hisface changed, darkening with anger. Then the door was shut.

他们邻室的房门启处，走出那个瘦弱、苍白的男仆。白罗自打开的门缝间，瞥见了罗嘉德先生靠坐在卧铺床上。他看见白罗，脸色一下子泛起怒色地沉了下来，随着，门关上了。

Mrs. Hubbard drew Poirot a little wide.

侯伯太太把白罗拉到一旁说：“

“You know, I’m dead scared of that man. Oh! not the valet—the other. Hismaster. Master, indeed! There’s something wrong about that man. My daughteralways says I’m very intuitive. ‘When Mamma gets a hunch, she’s dead right,’that’s what my daughter says. And I’ve got a hunch about that man. He’s next doorto me and I don’t like it. I put my grips against the communicating door last night.I thought I heard him trying the handle. Duo you know, I shouldn’t be a bitsurprised if that man turned out to be a murderer—one of these train robbers youread about. I daresay I’m foolish, but there it is. I’m absolutely scared to death ofthe man! My daughter said I’d have an easy journey, but somehow I don’t feelhappy about it. It may be foolish, but I feel as if anything might happen—anythingat all. And how that nice young fellow can bear to be his secretary, I can’t think.”

我跟你讲，我怕死了那个人。呃！不是那个男佣人——是另外一个。他的主人。哼，好一个大老板！那个家伙总让人觉得有些不对劲。我女儿常说我很能预感。‘妈妈预感一来，绝对灵验。’我女儿就是这么说的。我对这家伙就有一种预感。他就在我的隔壁，我怕死了。我把我的旅行袋挂在两边相通的那扇门上了。我好像听见他扳了扳门把手。不瞒你说，这个人果真是个杀人凶手，我也一点不会感到意外的，就像报上登的那种劫火车连抢带杀的歹徒。我这话虽嫌傻气，可是我的确有这种感觉，我实在怕死这个人了。我女儿说我这次一定玩得很开心，但不知怎的，我心里总是很怕的。也许我很傻，介是我总觉得会出事的，什么事都可能发生。而那个蛮好的年轻人怎么会当了他的秘书？怎么受得了？我真是想不通。”

Colonel Arbuthnot and MacQueen were coming towards them down thecorridor.

这时，阿伯斯诺上校与麦昆自过道上朝他们走了过来。

“Come into my carriage,” MacQueen was saying. “It isn’t made up for the nightyet. Now what I want to get right about your policy in India is this—”

“到我房里来坐，床铺还没铺呢。我对你的印度政策的看法是——”

The two men passed and went on down the corridor to MacQueen’s carriage.

两人挤过他们身边，朝车厢另端麦昆的卧铺房走去。

Mrs. Hubbard said good night to Poirot. “I guess I’ll go right to bed and read,”she said. “Good night.”

侯伯太太向白罗道了晚安。“我想，我要上床看书就寝了，晚安。”

“Good night, Madame.”

Poirot passed into his own compartment, which was the next one beyondRatchett’s. He undressed and got into bed, read for about half an hour and thenturned out the light.

白罗进入自己的卧铺房间，就在罗嘉德前头的一间。脱衣上床之后，看了大约半小时的书，就熄灯入睡了。

He awoke some hours later, awoke with a start. He knew what it was that hadwakened him—a loud groan, almost a cry, somewhere close at hand. At the samemoment the ting of a bell sounded sharply.

数小时之后，他惊醒了过来。他知道是什么惊醒了他——一声很大的呻吟，几乎可说是惨叫，就在他近边。同一刻间，他也听见了刺耳的铃声。

Poirot sat up and switched on the light. He noticed that the train was at astandstill—presumably at a station.

白罗坐起身来，扭亮了灯。他发觉列车是静止的，大概是靠了站。

That cry had startled him. He remembered that it was Ratchett who had the nextcompartment. He got out of bed and opened the door just as the Wagon Litconductor came hurrying along the corridor and knocked on Ratchett’s door. Poirotkept his door open a crack and watched. The conductor tapped a second time. Abell rang and a light showed over another door farther down. The conductorglanced over his shoulder. At the same moment a voice from within the next compartment called out:

这声惨叫，令他好生惊愕。他记起罗嘉德就睡在他隔壁的房里。跳下床铺，打开门，却见卧铺列车长自过道上跑来轻敲罗嘉德的房门。白罗轻轻将房门虚掩得只剩一条缝，向外窥看。列车长又敲了一下门。铃声又响，自指示灯看来，这次铃响是来自列车另一端的房间。列车长转头看了看。这时，隔室却有人大声说话了：

“Ce n’est rien. Je me suis trompé.”

“没什么事，我按错了铃。”

“Bien, Monsieur.” The conductor scurried off again, to knock at the door wherethe light was showing.

“喔，好的，先生。”列车长说着又匆匆奔到另端亮起灯的房间去了。

Poirot returned to bed, his mind relieved, and switched off the light. He glancedat his watch. It was just twenty-three minutes to one.

白罗回到床上，略微放下了心，扭亮了灯。一看手表，正是差廿三分一点。