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She relished the novelty and thrill of having been summoned to this prestigious man's home. The sheer beauty of the place far surpassed her expectations.
她喜欢这种被召唤到声望很高的人的家里来的新奇和刺激感觉。这个地方魅力十足，远远超出了她的想象。
However, she was becoming suspicious about the reason for this visit.
然而，她开始对这次被邀访问的理由感到疑惑。
Now that she had received an orientation to his home, and notwithstanding her first impressions of the man, she was anxious to learn why she was here.
既然她熟悉了他的家，还有她对这个大人物的第一印象，她就急切地想知道她为什么会在这里。
What could a mere reporter do for this rich, influential man?
一个普通的记者能够为这个富有的颇有影响的人做些什么呢？
He began to speak soberly, contradicting his earlier spontaneity.
与他刚才表情的自然流露不同，他开始严肃起来。
"I will tell you a story you may have difficulty believing," he said, softly.
“我要给你讲一个故事。你可能难以相信。”他轻声说道。
"I was not born into this lifestyle. It is ironic that there is such a discrepancy between what I was and what I am.
“我不是生来就有这种生活。相反，以前的我和现在的我截然不同。
My father left the United States when I was about two years old. He ran a junk store in the slums of Winnipeg when I was a kid.
在我两岁时，我父亲离开了美国。在我还是个小孩的时候，他在温尼伯的贫民窟经营一家旧货店。
He was a vulgar man but he knew how to fool people into thinking they were buying something rare or valuable. It was under his tutelage that I learned to be a fraud.
他人很普通，但他知道怎样愚弄人们，让他们认为所买到的东西是稀罕的、值钱的，正是在他的教育之下。我学会了做一个骗子。
I decided at an early age that if there was a shortcut to success, I could bypass the complications of getting there by the conventional methods.
在我年轻的时候我就想，如果有成功的捷径，我要绕过那些通过传统方法取得成功的艰辛。
I was like a hurricane, rushing forward without consideration for the rules.
我要像飓风一样呼啸前进，不管什么规则。
If it's any consolation, I didn't intentionally harm anyone in the process. I was able to stay within the parameters of the law, but just barely.
而能聊以自慰的是，我在取得成功的过程中没有故意地伤害任何人。我遵守法律，但仅此而已。
I bought and sold used furniture before going into the antique business.
在进入古董业以前我买卖旧家具。
When I bought, I always paid a fraction of the potential worth of the goods. When I sold, I always made a profit.
买的时候，我总是只付一件物品的实际价值的一小部分。而卖的时候，我总能赚钱。
I was able to upgrade my stock with almost every transaction. In time, I had a warehouse full of merchandise.
在每一次交易中我都能够将我的东西升级改进。最终，我有了一个装满货物的仓库。
I didn't flatter myself by thinking I hadn't muddied the waters a bit. I knew I had probably stepped on a few toes, but I was on a roll.
我不是自夸，我一点都没趟过浑水。我知道也许我有几个脚趾进去过，但我总是有好运没有被发现。
I had the momentum and rejoiced in my success. As long as the money kept coming in, anything was permissible.
我有动力，我为我的成功感到欣喜。只要不断地赚钱，怎么样都行。
One day, I received a visit from a rather important patron of the arts. He had an interesting proposition for me.
一天，一个相当重要的艺术赞助人来访。向我提出了一个有趣的建议。
He held the patent and trademark for the prototype of an innovative way to determine the age of a painting using ultraviolet light.
他有一种利用紫外线鉴定油画年龄的新方法的规范的专利和商标。
He would sell them to me for the nominal fee of a nickel if I would reciprocate by doing him a favor.
如果我能答应帮他一个忙，他将以五分镍币的绝对低价把它们卖给我。
I was to include one of his personal paintings in my next shipment of antiques going to New York.
我要把他个人的一幅油画装进在我运到纽约的下一船古董里。
At first, I thought he was mocking me, but he gave me his oath that he just wanted to ensure the painting would arrive at its destination safely, and, because it would be a part of an antique shipment, it would be exempt from import duty.
起初，我认为他是在嘲弄我，但他发誓说他只是想保证那幅画能够安全地到达目的地，而且，因为它是一船古董的一部分，可以免进口税。
It was a provocative offer, and even though I remained skeptical, I agreed.
这是一个有诱惑力的建议，尽管还是有些怀疑，但我同意了。
A few days later, a crated painting arrived and was added to my goods ready for delivery to New York.
几天后，用板条箱装好的画送来了，加入到了我准备运往纽约的货物当中。
I had always subscribed to the theory that if something appeared to be too good to be true, it probably was. However, my greed prevailed and the painting was on its way.
我总是赞成这样的说法，表面看起来太好的事情未必是好的，常常如此。然而，我的贪欲占了上风，那幅画运走了。
I was unaware at the time that my fortunes were about to go into a downward spiral. My benefactor, it turned out, was a man with a grudge against me.
那时，我不知道我的运气急转直下。我的委托人原来是一个嫉恨我的家伙。
Irrespective of the fact that I felt a deal we had made years before had been fair, he felt I had cheated him. I was about to be the recipient of his wrath.
尽管我觉得我们多年前做过的一次交易是公平的，可他觉得我欺骗了他，我就要成为他怒气的牺牲品。
When my agent in New York went to customs to retrieve the shipment, he was greeted by a squad of police waiting to detain him on charges of smuggling cocaine.
当我在纽约的代理人到海关去提这船货时，迎接他的是几个等着拘留他的警察，指控他走私可卡因。
It appeared there was a bit of a discrepancy between what I was told was in the crate and the actual contents. The drugs were in a hidden compartment in the crate.
显然，我被告知的板箱里的东西与其实际的内容是完全不一样的。箱子里的一个隐藏的隔间里藏着毒品。
I admit it was naive of me to believe I had no enemies, but I didn't know anyone would go to this degree to prove how much he despised me.
我承认我认为自己没有敌人的想法太天真了，但我不知道有人会这样做来证明他对我是多么的厌恶。
Hitherto, I had gone through life thinking that when two people agreed to a deal, if one of them got the better of the other, it was fair, because they did agree.
迄今为止，在我一生的经历中，我认为当两个人同意一桩交易时，如果一方比另一方得到了更多的好处，这也是公平的，因为他们都同意了。
Now I was learning that if you take advantage of some people, even with their permission, you aggravate them to seek revenge. I can't refute my recklessness.
现在，我认识到如果你占了某些人的便宜，就算他们同意了，他们也会伺机报复。我不能为我的粗心辩驳。
Almost seven years have elapsed since that time. My agent took responsibility for the crime and went to jail for five years.
从那次出事以后，差不多过了七年了。我的代理人承担了那次罪责，被判入狱五年。
I felt guilty as hell, but I continued to pay him by sending the money to his family.
我非常内疚，但我一直通过向他家寄钱来补偿他。
I even withheld extra in a bonus account to give to him when he was released.
在他被放出来以后，我甚至还另外给了他一个红利账户。
I also gave up my business and began to help others start their businesses. In time, the guilt I felt subsided.
我也放弃了我的事业，开始帮助其他人创业，慢慢地我的负罪感平息了。
I put my energies into stepping into the breach to help those less fortunate than I.
我把自己的精力用于挺身相助那些没有我幸运的人。
To my amazement, my luck started to fluctuate upward and I flourished. All you see here today, I have accumulated since that time.
让我感到吃惊的是，我的运气变得更好，我也发达起来。今天，你在这里看到的一切，就是我从那时开始积累起来的。
Now, it seems, my enemy has decided to reclaim his power over me. He has reported the crime and the erroneous imprisonment of my agent and named me as the person responsible for the offence.
如今，我的仇人已经决定要再次摆布我。他已经告发这个犯罪行为和我的代理人的错误监禁，并声称我应为这桩罪行负责。
I had never changed my citizenship, so the FBI wants me deported so they can prosecute me in New York.
我从没有改变我的公民身份，所以联邦调查局希望我被驱逐以便他们能在纽约起诉我。
I hope I can induce you, through your column, to tell my story.
我希望我能够让你通过你的专栏发表我的故事。
Next week I have to appear before a magistrate for the preliminary hearing.
下个星期，我要在地方政府官员那里接受预审。
If I'm not mistaken, public pressure might enable me to avoid deportation at least. I am more likely to get a fair trial here than there.
如果我没有错，公众舆论压力至少可以让我免于被驱逐。在这里比在纽约更可能受到公平的审判。
My record as a good citizen may offset the perception that I may be a criminal. What do you think? Will you help?"
我作为一个好公民的良好记录可能会抵消我可能是个罪犯的印象。你说呢？你能帮助我吗？”
Kate had listened to this synopsis in silence but her outrage was building.
凯特静静地听完了这段故事梗概，她的怒火升了起来。
While his story seemed plausible, this plea for her assistance didn't quite fit. With his financial resources, he could hire the best legal team in the country.
他的故事似乎是可信的，但他要她帮助的恳求却不太在理。以他的财力，他雇得起这个国家最好的律师。
She realized she had to detach herself from her first impressions and extract fact from fiction.
她意识到她应该走出她对他的第一印象，把事实从这个故事中提取出来。
Why didn't she believe him? Suddenly, it came to her.
她为什么不相信他呢？突然，她全明白了。
Exposition of this version of Victor's tale would not only gain him public sympathy, it would invalidate any testimony against him.
发表了维克多的这个故事，不仅会使公众对他同情，还会使任何对他不利的证词失效。
Nothing could constrain her when she realized she had literally been taken in by his story.
当她发现自己完全被他的故事所欺骗时，她再也控制不住了。
"If you were innocent, why weren't you the defendant? If you were innocent all those years ago, why did your agent go to prison for you?
“如果你是清白的，为什么你不辩护？如果几年前你是清白的，你的代理人为什么会为你去坐牢？
Why did it take so long for your enemy to turn you in? The statute of limitations for that offence has expired.
你的仇人为什么等了这么长的时间才告发你？那桩罪行的法律时限已经过了。
I believe this has been a pathetic attempt to get me to mediate your case in the press.
我认为你想让我在媒体上报道你的案子不过是企图求得怜悯。
I think you have always been an integral player in the criminal world and your past has caught up with you.
我认为你一直是这个罪恶事件里的老手，你的过去注定你有今天的下场。
My cardinal sin was allowing myself to be reeled in by your tales of what a model citizen you are."
我最大的错误就是让我跟着你在这个所谓的模范公民的故事里转悠了这么久。”
Kate could feel herself getting dizzy and light-headed, surprised by the audacity she had, talking to anyone in that manner.
凯特感觉到自己已经有点头晕眼花，她对自己有胆量以那样一种方式对别人说话感到吃惊。
Before she lost complete control, she would have to get out of there. She stood, turned, and marched toward the door.
在她完全失控之前，她得赶快离开这里。她站起来，转身向着门口大步走去。
As she began to open the front door, she looked back. Victor stood beside his chair, pale and shaken.
就在她去开前门的时候，她回头看了一眼。维克多站在他的椅子旁边，脸色苍白，浑身颤抖。
"You admitted you were a fraud in your youth. You are still a fraud! I will write your story... my version! My guess is that the eventual verdict will be 'guilty'!"
“你说你年轻的时候就是一个骗子。你现在仍然是个骗子！我会把你的故事写出来，不过，是以我的版本！我认为最后的裁决将会是‘有罪’！”
