评论
打印
Conrad Lange, collector of the revenues of the city of Berlin, had long been known as a man whom nothing could divert from the paths of honesty.
康拉德.兰格曾是柏林市的税务官，多年来，他为人正派，极富声望。
Scrupulously exact in an his dealings, and assiduous in the discharge of all his duties,
历年税务征收中，他总是力求一丝不苟的精确，勤勉地履行职责。
he had acquired the good will and esteem of all who knew him, and the confidence of the minister of finance, whose duty it is to inspect the accounts of all officers connected with the revenue.
熟捻他的人，无不对他赞誉有加。作为柏林市财政长官，负责稽查所有官员账户，厘清该市税收众多的资金往来，为他的职责所在。
On casting up his accounts at the close of a particular year, he found a deficit of ten thousand ducats.
一个不同寻常的年末，康拉德清理完他的所有账目后，
Alarmed at this discovery, he went to the minister, presented his accounts,
突然发现账面竟然出现一万元的亏空。他大为惊愕，面见部长后，他提交了自己的账务报告，
and informed him that he did not know how it had arisen, and that he had been robbed by some person bent on his ruin.
并向部长陈述有人对他实施了抢劫，至于具体原因，尚一无所知，肯定有人想蓄意谋害他。
The minister received his accounts, but thinking it a duty to secure a person who might probably be a defaulter,
部长接管了税务官账目，不过，他认为，这位税务官极可能涉嫌犯罪，
he caused him to be arrested, and put his accounts into the hands of one of his secretaries for inspection,
应该即刻予以关押。在部长授意下，康拉德随后遭到逮捕。
who returned them the day after with the information that the deficiency arose from a miscalculation;
部长将康拉德的账目交与他的下属稽查，那位下属最终查明了亏空原因，
that in multiplying, Mr. Lange had said, once one is two, instead of once one is one.
原来，康拉德计算出现失误，他的乘法口诀背错了，正是故事开头他那句话，“一一得二，而不是一一得一”。
