文/安娜·凱瑟琳·格林 譯/聞春國

By Anna Katharine Green2

【導讀】一個心地善良的盲人醫(yī)生會走進別人家里，而且將對方一槍斃命？妻子不信，警方也難以置信。為了證明自己精神正常，醫(yī)生要求警方安排一場測試。在試驗靶場，妻子應(yīng)聲倒下……留下了一段可歌可泣的愛情佳話。

The Doctor, His Wife and the Clock (Excerpt I)醫(yī)生、妻子與時鐘（節(jié)選一）

文/安娜·凱瑟琳·格林 譯/聞春國1

ByAnna Katharine Green2

There are some events which impress the human mind so deeply that their memory mingles with all afterexperiences. Though Violet had made it a rule to forget as soon as possible the tragic episodes incident to the career upon which she had embarked, there was destined to be one scene, if not more, which she has never been able to dismiss at will.

[2] This was the sight which met her eyes from the bow of the small boat in which Dr. Harry and his wife were rowed over to Jersey on the afternoon which saw the end of this most sombre drama. Though it was by no means late in the day, the sun was already sinking,and the bright red glare which filled the west and shone full upon the faces of the half dozen people before her added much to the tragic nature of the scene.

有些事情深深地觸動人的心靈，讓人在經(jīng)歷之后永志不忘。維奧萊特在偵探生涯中所遇到的悲慘事件，她常常會盡快地把它們忘掉，可有一幕場景卻讓她揮之不去，難以忘懷。

[2]這是她從那小船的船頭看到的一幕。這天下午，哈里醫(yī)生和他的妻子乘坐的小船駛向澤西島。在這里，人們將會見證一場籠罩在心頭最憂郁的戲劇性事件的最終結(jié)局。雖然不是傍晚，可太陽已經(jīng)西下。西邊的天空紅霞滿天，照在她面前的那六個人的臉上，給這個場面增添了不少悲劇色彩。

[3] The doctor sat with his wife in the stern3stern船尾。and it was upon their faces Violet’s glance was fixed. The glare shone luridly on his sightless eyeballs, and as she noticed his unwinking lids, she realized as never before what it was to be blind in the midst of sunshine. His wife’s eyes, on the contrary, were lowered,but there was a look of hopeless misery in her colorless face which made her appearance infinitely pathetic.

[4] On the seat in front of them sat an inspector and from some quarter, there came the monotonous4monotonous單調(diào)乏味的。ticking of the small clock, which was to serve as a target for the blind man’s aim. This ticking was all Violet heard, though the river was alive with traffic and large and small boats were steaming by them on every side. And I am sure it was all that Mrs. Harry heard also,as with hand pressed to her heart, and eyes fixed on the opposite shore.

[5] As the sun cast its last scarlet5scarlet猩紅的，鮮紅的。gleam over the water, the boat grounded, and Violet was enabled to have one passing word with Mrs. Harry. But beyond an added pang of pity for this beautiful but afflicted woman, Violet let the moment pass without giving any words, as they had already reached the ground which had been selected for this trial at arms, and the various members of the party were being placed in their several positions.

[3]醫(yī)生和他的妻子坐在船尾，維奧萊特的目光鎖定在他們臉上。耀眼的霞光照著他那已經(jīng)失明的眼球?？粗且徽２徽５难鄄€，她第一次意識到什么是陽光下的睜眼瞎；他的妻子則低垂著眼睛，她那毫無血色的臉上流露出一種絕望而痛苦的神情，讓人看了不免心生憐憫。

[4]在他們前面坐著一位巡官，從某一個地方傳出了時鐘那單調(diào)的滴答聲，這座時鐘將作為哈里醫(yī)生射擊時瞄準的靶子。盡管這條河流交通繁忙，大小船只在他們兩邊川流不息，可這座鐘的滴答聲維奧萊特完全聽到了，相信這也是哈里夫人聽到的唯一聲音。只見她的手緊緊地按在胸前，眼睛緊緊盯著河流的對岸。

[5]當太陽將其最后一抹余暉灑在水面上，船已經(jīng)靠岸了。按照規(guī)定，維奧萊特可以跟哈里夫人進行簡短交流?？裳巯?，除了對這個美麗卻又備受折磨的女人多了一份憐憫之外，維奧萊特什么也沒說。因為他們已經(jīng)到達了為這次射擊試驗選定的場地，而這次行動的各方成員已經(jīng)就位。

[6] The doctor, to whom light and darkness were alike, stood with his face towards the western glow, and at his side were grouped the inspector and the two physicians. Mrs. Harry stood at the other end of the opening near a tall stump6stump樹樁。,upon which it had been decided that the clock should be placed when the moment came for the doctor to show his skill. She had been accorded the privilege of setting the clock on this stump, and Violet saw it shining in her hand as she paused for a moment to glance back at the circle of gentlemen who were awaiting her movements. The hands of the clock stood at five minutes to five, though Violet scarcely noted it at the time, for Mrs. Harry was passing her and had stopped to say:

“If he is not himself, he cannot be trusted. Watch him carefully and see that he does no mischief. Ask one of the inspectors to stand at his right hand, and stop him if he does not handle his pistol properly.”

[6]哈里站在那兒，面對著西天的晚霞。對他來說，光明與黑暗并沒什么兩樣。他的身邊站著一位巡官和兩名醫(yī)生。當他準備展示射擊技能時，哈里夫人就站在空地那一頭，靠近一根高大的樹樁。根據(jù)安排，一只座鐘將由她親自擺放到樹樁上。維奧萊特看到那座鐘在她的手中閃亮。這時候，她停頓了一下，回頭朝一群等待她行動的先生們看了一眼。那座鐘的指針已經(jīng)指向四點五十五分。不過，維奧萊特并沒有注意上面的時間，因為哈里夫人這時朝她走了過來，并停下了腳步：

“如果他有什么反常，他的話就不足為信。好好觀察他，看他是不是在搞什么惡作劇。你叫一個巡官站在他的右邊，要是他的槍握得不對勁就上前阻止他?！?/p>

[7]維奧萊特答應(yīng)了。哈里夫人走了過去，將鐘放在了樹樁上，隨后退到右邊一個合適的距離，身上裹著一條黑色長披風站在那兒。她的臉色煞白，即使在白雪覆蓋的樹枝映襯下也顯得蒼白。看到這些，維奧萊特真的希望五點這一時刻早兒點到來。

[7] Violet promised, and she passed on, setting the clock upon the stump and immediately drawing back to a suitable distance at the right, where she stood, wrapped in her long dark cloak.Her face shone ghastly white, even in its environment of snow-covered boughs7bough大樹枝。, and noting this, Violet wished the moment come soon.

[8] “Dr. Harry,” quoth the inspector,“we have endeavored to make this trial a perfectly fair one. You are to have a shot at a small clock which has been placed within a suitable distance, and which you are expected to hit, guided only by the sound which it will make in striking the hour of five. Are you satisfied with the arrangement?”

“Perfectly. Where is my wife?”

“On the other side of the field some ten paces from the stump upon which the clock is fixed.” He bowed, and his face showed satisfaction.

“May I expect the clock to strike soon?”

“In less than five minutes.” He answered.

“Then let me have the pistol; I wish to become acquainted with it.”

[9] We glanced at each other, then across at her. She made a gesture; it was one of acquiescence8acquiescence默許，默認。.

[10] Immediately the inspector placed the weapon in the blind man’s hand. It was at once apparent that he understood the instrument, and Violet’s hopes which had been strong up to this moment, sank at his air of confidence.

[11] “Thank God I am blind this hour and cannot see her.” fell from his lips,then, he raised his voice. “Let no one move. I must have my ears free for catching the first stroke of the clock.”And he raised the pistol before him.

[8]“哈里醫(yī)生，”巡官說道，“我們努力讓這次試驗公正而合理。你就朝一個放置在一定距離的小座鐘開槍，而引導你的是那座鐘在五點時的報時聲。你對這安排是否滿意？”

“很滿意。我妻子在哪兒？”

“站在距離放置時鐘的樹樁大約十步遠的空地邊?！惫镝t(yī)生深深鞠了一躬。從他的臉上看出，他很滿意。

“那座鐘什么時候響啊？”

“要不了五分鐘就響了?！毖补俅鸬?。

“那就把手槍給我吧。我想熟悉一下?！?/p>

[9]我們彼此看了對方一眼，然后看著對面的哈里夫人。她做了個手勢，表示默許。

[10]巡官馬上把手槍放到盲人醫(yī)生手中。顯然，他了解這種武器?？吹剿亲孕诺臉幼?，維奧萊特此前不斷升騰的希望開始消退。

[11]“感謝上帝，我是個瞎子，這時看不見她?！闭f著，他又提高了嗓音，“大家都別動。我得讓耳朵在不受干擾的情況下聽到那座鐘的第一次報時?！彼麑⑹謽屌e到胸前。

[12] There was a moment of torturing suspense and deep, unbroken silence.Violet’s eyes were on him so she did not watch the clock, but she was suddenly moved by some irresistible impulse to note how Mrs. Harry was bearing herself at this critical moment, and casting a hurried glance in her direction she perceived her tall figure swaying from side to side, as if under an intolerable strain of feeling.Her eyes were on the clock, the hands of which seemed to creep with snail-like pace along the dial, when unexpectedly, and a full minute before the minute hand had reached the stroke of five, Violet caught a movement on her part, saw the flash of something round and white show for an instant against the darkness of her cloak,and was about to shriek warning to the doctor, when the shrill, quick stroke of a clock rang out on the frosty air, followed by the ping and flash of a pistol.

[13] A sound of shattered glass,followed by a suppressed cry, told the bystanders that the bullet had struck the mark, but before anyone could move,there came another sound which made their hair stand on end and sent the blood back in terror to their hearts. Another clock was striking, which they now perceived was still standing upright on the stump where Mrs. Harry had placed it.

(To be continued)

[12]隨后是一段令人折磨的懸念和死一般的寂靜。維奧萊特的目光落在他的身上，沒去觀察那座鐘，可她的心中突然有一種難以抑制的沖動，她想觀察哈里夫人在這關(guān)鍵時刻的一舉一動，便朝那邊匆匆瞥了一眼。只見她那高挑的身材偏向了一邊，像是處于一種難以忍受的緊張狀態(tài)。她的眼睛死死盯著那座鐘，而時鐘指針卻像蝸牛一樣沿著表盤慢慢蠕動。就在分針達到五點報時還有足足一分鐘之際，維奧萊特突然看見她動了一下，黑色披風的咉襯下，一個又圓又白的東西閃了一下。她正要發(fā)出尖叫提醒哈里醫(yī)生時，只聽見時鐘那急促刺耳的鈴聲在寒冷的曠野中響起，隨后是砰的一聲槍響，還伴隨著耀眼的閃光。

[13]一陣玻璃破碎的聲音，緊接著是一陣積郁已久的尖叫聲，告訴在一旁觀看的人們，那顆子彈擊中了目標?？墒沁€沒等人們挪動腳步，又一陣鐘聲響了起來！這讓人們頓時毛骨悚然。另一座鐘發(fā)出了報時聲！這時，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)哈里夫人放置于樹樁上的那座鐘依然完好地立在那兒。

（未完待續(xù)）

1西南科技大學外國語學院外聘教授。

2（1846—1935），美國偵探小說的先行者，其風格直接影響了后來的著名推理小說作家范·達因（S. S. Van Dine）、埃勒里·奎因（Ellery Queen）等，被譽為“偵探小說的教母”。本文選自小說集《金色的拖鞋》（The Golden Slipper and Other Problems for Violet Strange）。