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Cecil Barker succeeded Mrs. Allen as a witness.
艾伦太太说完，塞西尔·巴克先生作为目击者，接着讲述了当时的情况。
As to the occurrences of the night before, he had very little to add to what he had already told the police.
至于那晚发生的事情，除了他已经告诉警察的以外，补充的情况非常少。
Personally, he was convinced that the murderer had escaped by the window.
他个人确信，凶手是从窗户逃走的。
The bloodstain was conclusive, in his opinion, on that point.
他的意见是，窗台上的血迹就是这一论点的确凿证据。
Besides, as the bridge was up, there was no other possible way of escaping.
此外，因为吊桥已经拉起来，也没有其他方法可以逃走。
He could not explain what had become of the assassin or why he had not taken his bicycle, if it were indeed his.
但他却不能解释刺客的情况是怎样的，假如自行车确实是刺客的，为什么他不骑走呢？
He could not possibly have been drowned in the moat, which was at no place more than three feet deep.
刺客不可能淹死在护城河里，因为河水没有超过三英尺深的地方。
In his own mind he had a very definite theory about the murder.
巴克先生认为，关于凶手，他有一种非常明确的看法。
Douglas was a reticent man, and there were some chapters in his life of which he never spoke.
道格拉斯是一个沉默寡言的人，对他以前的生活，有些部分他从来不曾对人讲过。
He had emigrated to America when he was a very young man.
他还非常年轻时，就从爱尔兰移居到美洲了。
He had prospered well, and Barker had first met him in California, where they had become partners in a successful mining claim at a place called Benito Canon.
他的景况日渐富裕，巴克是在加利福尼亚州和他初次相识，他们便合伙在该州一个叫做贝尼托坎营的地方经营矿业。
They had done very well; but Douglas had suddenly sold out and started for England. He was a widower at that time.
事业很成功，不料道格拉斯突然把它变卖，动身到英国来了。那时他正在鳏居。
Barker had afterwards realized his money and come to live in London. Thus they had renewed their friendship.
巴克随后也把产业变卖了，迁到伦敦来住。于是他们的友谊又重新恢复起来。
Douglas had given him the impression that some danger was hanging over his head,
道格拉斯给他的印象是：总有一种迫在眉睫的危险在威胁着他，
and he had always looked upon his sudden departure from California, and also his renting a house in so quiet a place in England, as being connected with this peril.
道格拉斯突然离开加利福尼亚，在英国这么平静的地方租下房子，巴克先生一直认为都与这种危险有关。
He imagined that some secret society, some implacable organization, was on Douglas's track, which would never rest until it killed him.
巴克先生料想一定有个什么秘密团体，或是说一个决不饶人的组织，一直在追踪道格拉斯，不把他杀死誓不罢休。
Some remarks of his had given him this idea; though he had never told him what the society was, nor how he had come to offend it.
尽管道格拉斯从来没讲过那是一种什么团体，也没讲过怎样得罪了他们，但道格拉斯的只言片语使巴克产生了上述想法。
He could only suppose that the legend upon the placard had some reference to this secret society.
他仅能推测这张卡片上的字一定和那个秘密团体有些关系。
"How long were you with Douglas in California?" asked Inspector MacDonald.
"你在加利福尼亚和道格拉斯一起住了多长时间？"警官麦克唐纳问道。
"Five years altogether."
"一共五年。"
"He was a bachelor, you say?"
"你说，他是一个单身汉吗？"
"A widower."
"那时他是个鳏夫。"
"Have you ever heard where his first wife came from?"
"你可曾听说他前妻的来历吗？"
"No, I remember his saying that she was of German extraction, and I have seen her portrait. She was a very beautiful woman. She died of typhoid the year before I met him."
"没有，我只记得他说过她是德国血统，我也看到过她的相片，是一个很美丽的女子。就在我和道格拉斯结识的前一年，她得伤寒病死去了。"
"You don't associate his past with any particular part of America?"
"你知不知道道格拉斯过去和美国的某一地区有密切关系？"
"I have heard him talk of Chicago. He knew that city well and hadworked there.
"我听他讲过芝加哥。他对这个城市很热悉，并且在那里作过事。
I have heard him talk of the coal and iron districts. He had travelled a good deal in his time."
我听他讲过产煤和产铁的一些地区。他生前周游过很多地方。"
"Was he a politician? Had this secret society to do with politics?"
"他是政治家吗？这个秘密团体和政治有关系吗？"
"No, he cared nothing about politics."
"不，他根本不关心政治。"
"You have no reason to think it was criminal?"
"你可认为他做过犯罪的事么？"
"On the contrary, I never met a straighter man in my life."
"恰恰相反，在我一生里，从来没遇到过象他这样正直的人。"
"Was there anything curious about his life in California?"
"他在加利福尼亚州时，生活上有什么古怪的地方吗？"
"He liked best to stay and to work at our claim in the mountains. He would never go where other men were if he could help it.
"他最喜欢到山里来，来我们的矿区工作。他总是尽可能不到生人多的地方去。
That's why I first thought that someone was after him. Then when he left so suddenly for Europe I made sure that it was so.
所以我才首先想到有人在追踪他。后来，当他那么突然地离开那里到欧洲去，我愈发相信是这么回事了。
I believe that he had a warning of some sort. Within a week of his leaving half a dozen men were inquiring for him."
我相信他曾经接到某种警告。在他走后的一星期里，曾有五六个人向我打听过他的行踪。"
"What sort of men?"
"是些什么人呢？"
"Well, they were a mighty hard-looking crowd. They came up to the claim and wanted to know where he was.
"嗯，是一群看来非常冷酷无情的人。他们来到矿区，打听道格拉斯在什么地方。
I told them that he was gone to Europe and that I did not know where to find him. They meant him no good -- it was easy to see that."
我告诉他们说，他已经到欧洲去了，我也不知道他住在什么地方。不难看出，他们对他不怀好意。"
"Were these men Americans -- Californians?"
"这些人是美国人，也是加利福尼亚人吧？"
"Well, I don't know about Californians. They were Americans, all right. But they were not miners.
"这个，对于加利福尼亚人，我不太了解。但他们确实都是美国人，不过他们不是矿工。
I don't know what they were, and was very glad to see their backs."
我不知道他们是些什么人，只巴不得他们快点走开。"
"That was six years ago?"
"那是六年以前的事吧？"
"Nearer seven."
"将近七年了。"
"And then you were together five years in California, so that this business dates back not less than eleven years at the least?"
"这么说，你们在加利福尼亚一起住了五年，所以，这桩事不是至少有十一年了么？"
"That is so."
"是这样。"
"It must be a very serious feud that would be kept up with such earnestness for as long as that. It would be no light thing that would give rise to it."
"其中一定有不共戴天的冤仇，隔了这么长的时间，还不能忘怀。形成冤仇的原因看来决不是小事。"
"I think it shadowed his whole life. It was never quite out of his mind."
"我以为这就是道格拉斯一生中的隐患，使他永远难以忘怀。"
"But if a man had a danger hanging over him, and knew what it was, don't you think he would turn to the police for protection?"
"不过，一个人大难临头，而且知道是怎样的危难，你想，他哪有不求警察保护的道理呢？"
"Maybe it was some danger that he could not be protected against. There's one thing you should know.
"也许这种危险是别人无法保护他的。有一件事你们应当知道。
He always went about armed. His revolver was never out of his pocket.
他出门总是带着武器的。他的手枪从来不离开他的衣袋。
But, by bad luck, he was in his dressing gown and had left it in the bedroom last night. Once the bridge was up, I guess he thought he was safe."
但是，不幸的是，昨晚他只穿着睡衣，把手枪留在卧室里了。我猜想，他一定以为吊桥一拉起来，他就安全了。"
