The Doctor, His Wife and the Clock (Excerpt I)医生、妻子与时钟（节选一）

文/安娜·凯瑟琳·格林 译/闻春国

By Anna Katharine Green2

【导读】一个心地善良的盲人医生会走进别人家里，而且将对方一枪毙命？妻子不信，警方也难以置信。为了证明自己精神正常，医生要求警方安排一场测试。在试验靶场，妻子应声倒下……留下了一段可歌可泣的爱情佳话。

The Doctor, His Wife and the Clock (Excerpt I)医生、妻子与时钟（节选一）

文/安娜·凯瑟琳·格林 译/闻春国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.

有些事情深深地触动人的心灵，让人在经历之后永志不忘。维奥莱特在侦探生涯中所遇到的悲惨事件，她常常会尽快地把它们忘掉，可有一幕场景却让她挥之不去，难以忘怀。

[2]这是她从那小船的船头看到的一幕。这天下午，哈里医生和他的妻子乘坐的小船驶向泽西岛。在这里，人们将会见证一场笼罩在心头最忧郁的戏剧性事件的最终结局。虽然不是傍晚，可太阳已经西下。西边的天空红霞满天，照在她面前的那六个人的脸上，给这个场面增添了不少悲剧色彩。

[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单调乏味的。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猩红的，鲜红的。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]医生和他的妻子坐在船尾，维奥莱特的目光锁定在他们脸上。耀眼的霞光照着他那已经失明的眼球。看着他那一眨不眨的眼睑，她第一次意识到什么是阳光下的睁眼瞎；他的妻子则低垂着眼睛，她那毫无血色的脸上流露出一种绝望而痛苦的神情，让人看了不免心生怜悯。

[4]在他们前面坐着一位巡官，从某一个地方传出了时钟那单调的滴答声，这座时钟将作为哈里医生射击时瞄准的靶子。尽管这条河流交通繁忙，大小船只在他们两边川流不息，可这座钟的滴答声维奥莱特完全听到了，相信这也是哈里夫人听到的唯一声音。只见她的手紧紧地按在胸前，眼睛紧紧盯着河流的对岸。

[5]当太阳将其最后一抹余晖洒在水面上，船已经靠岸了。按照规定，维奥莱特可以跟哈里夫人进行简短交流。可眼下，除了对这个美丽却又备受折磨的女人多了一份怜悯之外，维奥莱特什么也没说。因为他们已经到达了为这次射击试验选定的场地，而这次行动的各方成员已经就位。

[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树桩。,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]哈里站在那儿，面对着西天的晚霞。对他来说，光明与黑暗并没什么两样。他的身边站着一位巡官和两名医生。当他准备展示射击技能时，哈里夫人就站在空地那一头，靠近一根高大的树桩。根据安排，一只座钟将由她亲自摆放到树桩上。维奥莱特看到那座钟在她的手中闪亮。这时候，她停顿了一下，回头朝一群等待她行动的先生们看了一眼。那座钟的指针已经指向四点五十五分。不过，维奥莱特并没有注意上面的时间，因为哈里夫人这时朝她走了过来，并停下了脚步：

“如果他有什么反常，他的话就不足为信。好好观察他，看他是不是在搞什么恶作剧。你叫一个巡官站在他的右边，要是他的枪握得不对劲就上前阻止他。”

[7]维奥莱特答应了。哈里夫人走了过去，将钟放在了树桩上，随后退到右边一个合适的距离，身上裹着一条黑色长披风站在那儿。她的脸色煞白，即使在白雪覆盖的树枝映衬下也显得苍白。看到这些，维奥莱特真的希望五点这一时刻早儿点到来。

[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大树枝。, 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默许，默认。.

[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]“哈里医生，”巡官说道，“我们努力让这次试验公正而合理。你就朝一个放置在一定距离的小座钟开枪，而引导你的是那座钟在五点时的报时声。你对这安排是否满意？”

“很满意。我妻子在哪儿？”

“站在距离放置时钟的树桩大约十步远的空地边。”哈里医生深深鞠了一躬。从他的脸上看出，他很满意。

“那座钟什么时候响啊？”

“要不了五分钟就响了。”巡官答道。

“那就把手枪给我吧。我想熟悉一下。”

[9]我们彼此看了对方一眼，然后看着对面的哈里夫人。她做了个手势，表示默许。

[10]巡官马上把手枪放到盲人医生手中。显然，他了解这种武器。看到他那自信的样子，维奥莱特此前不断升腾的希望开始消退。

[11]“感谢上帝，我是个瞎子，这时看不见她。”说着，他又提高了嗓音，“大家都别动。我得让耳朵在不受干扰的情况下听到那座钟的第一次报时。”他将手枪举到胸前。

[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]随后是一段令人折磨的悬念和死一般的寂静。维奥莱特的目光落在他的身上，没去观察那座钟，可她的心中突然有一种难以抑制的冲动，她想观察哈里夫人在这关键时刻的一举一动，便朝那边匆匆瞥了一眼。只见她那高挑的身材偏向了一边，像是处于一种难以忍受的紧张状态。她的眼睛死死盯着那座钟，而时钟指针却像蜗牛一样沿着表盘慢慢蠕动。就在分针达到五点报时还有足足一分钟之际，维奥莱特突然看见她动了一下，黑色披风的咉衬下，一个又圆又白的东西闪了一下。她正要发出尖叫提醒哈里医生时，只听见时钟那急促刺耳的铃声在寒冷的旷野中响起，随后是砰的一声枪响，还伴随着耀眼的闪光。

[13]一阵玻璃破碎的声音，紧接着是一阵积郁已久的尖叫声，告诉在一旁观看的人们，那颗子弹击中了目标。可是还没等人们挪动脚步，又一阵钟声响了起来！这让人们顿时毛骨悚然。另一座钟发出了报时声！这时，他们发现哈里夫人放置于树桩上的那座钟依然完好地立在那儿。

（未完待续）

1西南科技大学外国语学院外聘教授。

2（1846—1935），美国侦探小说的先行者，其风格直接影响了后来的著名推理小说作家范·达因（S. S. Van Dine）、埃勒里·奎因（Ellery Queen）等，被誉为“侦探小说的教母”。本文选自小说集《金色的拖鞋》（The Golden Slipper and Other Problems for Violet Strange）。