马龙探案卷五 之 盛怒的审判 六
约翰?J?马龙乘坐公共汽车于 9 点 23 分抵达威斯康星州的杰克逊，他是一个疲惫、炎热、衣衫不整且非常恼怒的人。结果发现每天只有一趟火车开往威斯康星州的杰克逊，而且那趟火车早上 6 点 10 分到达，途中需要换乘三次，换乘期间等待的时间从 10 分钟到 1 个小时不等。去威斯康星州的杰克逊并不比去南极夫人小美国难多少。
JOHN J. MALONE arrived by bus in Jackson, Wisconsin, at nine twenty-three, a tired, hot, rumpled, and very irritated man. It had developed that only one train a day went to Jackson, Wisconsin, and that arrived at six-ten in the morning, and involved three changes, with waits of from ten minutes to an hour on the way. Jackson, Wisconsin, was not much harder to get to than Little America.
一路上，他一直幻想着一个宁静、平和的小镇来支撑自己，月光下，有宽阔、幽暗的草坪，弥漫着一种宁静祥和的氛围。他在戈利特药店前下了公共汽车，却发现自己仿佛置身于一个马戏团之中。
All the way he had sustained himself by dreaming of a quiet, peaceful little town, moonlit, with wide, shadowy lawns, and a general air of serenity and calm. He stepped off the bus in front of Gollett’s drugstore to find himself in what appeared to be the middle of a circus.
杰克逊的主要街道有三个街区长，几乎有半个街区宽。此刻，商店门面和路灯闪耀着耀眼的灯光，每一寸可用的空间都挤满了停放的汽车。
Jackson’s main street was three blocks long and almost half a block wide. At the moment it was a blaze of lights that shone from store fronts and street lamps, and every available inch of space was jammed with parked cars.
下午的暴风雨对气温没有产生持久的影响，只是让空气更加潮湿闷热。耀眼的灯光似乎吸引了杰克逊县范围内的每一只飞虫。
The afternoon’s storm had had no permanent effect on the temperature, but only added a sticky dampness to the air. The blazing lights seemed to have attracted every flying insect within the limits of Jackson County.
有一小群人站在人行道上，看着公共汽车进站。马龙在人群中央看到了海伦，她身材高挑苗条，穿着一件白色亚麻连衣裙。当他走近她时，觉得她的脸色比平时苍白了一些。他烦躁而不准确地拍打着一只蚊子，说道：“监狱到底在哪儿？” 蚊子又飞回来了，在马龙的脖子后面悲惨地结束了生命。“就算非得开枪打治安官我也要把杰克弄出来。”
There was a little crowd standing on the sidewalk, watching the bus e in. Malone spotted Helene in the center of it, a tall, slender figure in a white linen dress. As he drew closer to her, it seemed to him that her face was a shade more pale than normal. He slapped irritably and inaccurately at a mosquito and said, “Where the hell is the jail?” The mosquito returned and came to a miserable end on the back of Malone’s neck. “I’ll get Jake out if I have to shoot the sheriff.”
“这不是个坏主意。” 海伦说。“你带大炮了吗？要打那个治安官，没什么比大炮更管用了。” 她深吸了一口气，说道：“我以前从没像现在这样高兴看到海军陆战队登陆。再晚一分钟，英雄就要被锯成两半了。杰克现在可能正在和治安法官理论呢。”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Helene said. “Did you bring along a cannon? It wouldn’t take anything less to shoot that sheriff.” She caught her breath and said, “I never was so glad to see the marines land before. Another minute, and the hero would be sawed in two. Jake is probably having it out with the justice of the peace right now.”
她抓住他的胳膊，以惊人的速度拉着他沿着主街走。马龙紧紧抓住他的手提包，气喘吁吁地跟在她旁边，穿过一片由灯光、面孔和窗户组成的万花筒。
She grabbed his arm and dragged him up Main Street at a breakneck speed. Malone took a firm grip on his handbag and panted along beside her through a kaleidoscope of lights, faces, and windows.
“慢点。” 他最后吼道。“记住我不是那种运动型的海军陆战队员。”
“Slow down,” he growled at last. “Remember I’m not the athletic-type marine.”
她放慢速度，几乎恢复到正常的步行速度，立刻人行道上的人群就开始围住他们。马龙把一个穿着印花连衣裙的胖女人从他肚子上推开，说道：“这里似乎并不比正午时分的州街和麦迪逊街更拥挤。这些人到底都是从哪儿冒出来的？”
She slowed down to almost an average walking speed, and immediately the sidewalk crowd began to engulf them. Malone pushed a plump woman in a print dress off his stomach and said, “It doesn’t seem to be any more crowded than State and Madison Streets at high noon. Where in blazes do all these people e from?”
“从四面八方来到这里。” 海伦调皮地说。
“Out of the everywhere into the here,” Helene said coyly.
马龙放下手提包，差点踩到两个小男孩，说道：“下一趟回芝加哥的公共汽车什么时候？”
Malone put down his handbag, nearly trampling a couple of small boys as he did so, and said, “When is the next bus back to Chicago?”
“早上七点才有公共汽车。” 海伦说。她的手紧紧抓住他的胳膊。“而且，我们需要你。”
“There isn’t a bus until seven in the morning,” Helene said. Her hand tightened on his arm. “Besides, we need you.”
他任由她带着自己沿着街道走了半条街。“别告诉我所有这些人都住在威斯康星州的杰克逊。” 他生气地说。“镇边上的路标写着人口三千。”
He allowed himself to be led half a block up the street. “Don’t tell me all these people live in Jackson, Wisconsin,” he said crossly. “The signboard at the edge of town said population three thousand.”
“这里发生了一起谋杀案。” 她提醒他。“从今天下午四点开始就有人陆续来到这里。大多数人都带了野餐午餐。他们整个晚上都在街上走来走去，谈论已故的参议员佩维利和他的死亡方式，或者更确切地说，是被谋杀的方式。” 她补充道，“一半的人在盯着查理?豪森殡仪馆的正面，另一半的人在盯着我。”
“There’s been a murder here,” she reminded him. “People have been arriving since four o’clock this afternoon. Most of them brought a picnic lunch. They’ve been spending the evening walking up and down the street, talking about the late Senator Peveley and his manner of taking off, or rather, being took off.” She added, “Half of them have been looking at the front of Charlie Hausen’s Undertaking Parlor and the other half have been looking at me.”
“这里有个有趣的区别。” 马龙说，“但我就是说不清楚区别在哪里。”
“There’s an interesting distinction there,” Malone said, “but I can’t just put my finger on what it is.”
他的神经还因为坐公共汽车而震颤着。有那么一两次，他模糊地觉得自己站着没动，而街道在他面前移动。他刚想问海伦另一个问题，就在主街和第二街的拐角处，一个超重的农民家庭撞到了他们。等他们摆脱出来的时候，他已经放弃了那个问题。
His nerves were still tingling from the bus ride. Once or twice he had a vague notion that he was standing motionless, and the street was moving past him. He thought of another question to put to Helene, just as an overweight farm family crashed into them at the corner of Main and Second Streets. By the time they were disentangled he had given it up.
有树，在黑暗中几乎难以分辨，一片宽阔的草坪，亮着灯的窗户，还有一段台阶。马龙满足于自己还能呼吸，因为海伦拽着他进了门。
There were trees, almost indistinguishable from the darkness, a broad lawn, lighted windows, and a flight of steps. Malone contented himself with still being able to breathe, as Helene hauled him through the door.
他突然停了下来。在他面前有一条长长的走廊，两边是巨大的紧闭着的门。
He stopped suddenly. There was a long corridor ahead of him, lined with immense, closed doors.
“你要带我去哪儿？”
“Where are you taking me?”
“治安法官那儿。” 海伦说。“他是菲尔?史密斯。”
“The justice of the peace,” Helene said. “He’s Phil Smith.”
“很高兴听到这个。” 马龙说，“别那么着急。”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Malone said, “and don’t be in such a hurry.”
海伦以能想象到的最悠闲的方式点了一支烟。“菲尔?史密斯说他九点半会在这里，到时候把杰克带来。我知道你九点半之前到不了，所以就定了这个时间。” 她吸了一口烟，又把烟踩灭，说道：“这都是汤姆?伯罗斯安排好的。”
Helene lit a cigarette in the most leisurely fashion imaginable. “Phil Smith said he’d be here at nine-thirty and have Jake brought up then. I knew you wouldn’t get here before nine-thirty so that was the time set.” She took one puff on the cigarette, stamped it out, and said, “Tom Burrows fixed it all up.”
马龙叹了口气，说：“他真好。不，别费心告诉我他是谁。你继续的时候我会努力跟上旋律。”
Malone sighed, said, “Very nice of him. No, don’t bother telling me who he is. I’ll try to catch up with the melody as you go along.”
她在他走到门前之前猛地拉开了一扇沉重的门，然后领着他走进了县书记员的办公室。一道强光让他眨了眨眼。他听到海伦小声说：“那是菲尔?史密斯。” 然后他设法把疲惫的眼睛聚焦在坐在办公桌后面那个英俊的白发男人身上。
She pulled open a heavy door before he could get to it, and led the way into the county clerk’s office. A sudden blaze of light made him blink. He heard Helene murmuring, “That’s Phil Smith,” and managed to focus his tired eyes on the handsome, white-haired man sitting behind his desk.
马龙觉得这不是他想象中的法庭。县书记员和治安法官的办公室合二为一，使得房间的布局有点混乱。但他没花太多时间去想这个问题。长途旅行让他还有点晕头转向，在主街上匆匆忙忙地走让他上气不接下气，而且他对已经发生的和将要发生的事情完全摸不着头脑。他只知道杰克在监狱里，而他应该把他弄出来。
It was not his idea of a courtroom, Malone thought. Combining the offices of county clerk and justice of the peace had led to a little confusion in the layout of the room. But he didn’t take much time to think about it. He was still a bit dazed from the long ride, breathless from the hurried walk up Main Street, and pletely in the dark about what had happened and was going to happen. All he knew was that Jake was in jail, and he was supposed to get him out.
海伦指认的那个白发男人菲尔?史密斯站起来迎接他，亲切地伸出手。“你一定是贾斯特先生的律师。很高兴见到你。希望你旅途愉快。”
The white-haired man Helene had identified as Phil Smith rose to greet him, a cordial hand outstretched. “You must be Mr. Justus’ lawyer. I’m delighted to meet you. I hope you had a pleasant trip.”
“这是汤姆?伯罗斯。” 海伦说。“还有马龙先生。”
“And this is Tom Burrows,” Helene said. “And Mr. Malone.”
马龙和那个蹦蹦跳跳、戴着眼镜的小个子男人握了握手，嘟囔着：“很高兴见到你。” 心里希望自己回到了芝加哥，而杰克和海伦在桑给巴尔，或者可能是堪察加半岛。
Malone shook hands with the bouncing, spectacled, little man, murmured, “I’m pleased to meet you,” wished he were back in Chicago and that Jake and Helene were in Zanzibar, or possibly Kamchatka.
他身后的门突然打开了。马龙转过身，看到了杰克，他的红头发乱糟糟的，他有雀斑的脸因为强压着的怒火而显得苍白。马龙猜站在他两边的人是副治安官，一个是小个子，上嘴唇有一道疤，另一个又高又邋遢，看起来很困的样子。
A door opened suddenly behind him. Malone wheeled around and saw Jake, his red hair mussed, his freckled face pale with not-too-well-repressed fury. The men on either side of him, Malone guessed, were the deputy sheriffs, one a small man with a scar on his upper lip, the other a large, slovenly, and sleepy-looking individual.
“我看到你到了。” 杰克说。“来得正是时候。”
“I see you got here,” Jake said. “It’s about time.”
菲尔?史密斯看着他。“忍耐是医治一切苦恼的良药。” 他温和地引用道。“普劳图斯说的。” 他补充道。
Phil Smith looked at him. “Patience is the best remedy for every trouble,” he quoted gently. “Plautus,” he added.
杰克怒目而视，张开嘴想说什么，又闭上了，最后深吸一口气，说道：“‘当心忍耐之人的怒火。’德莱顿说的。该死，我甚至都不知道指控是什么。这个混蛋没告诉我。”
Jake glared back, opened his mouth to speak, shut it again, finally drew a long breath, and said ” ‘Beware the fury of a patient man.’ Dryden. Hell, I don’t even know what the charge is. This son of a bitch didn’t tell me.”
“好了，好了，好了。” 马龙安慰道。他不确定德莱顿是谁，但他对治安法官的一切都了如指掌。
“Now, now, now,” Malone said, placatingly. He wasn’t sure who Dryden was, but he knew all there was to know about justices of the peace.
“这家伙把我打倒了，菲尔。” 胖副警长说。
“The guy knocked me down, Phil,” the fat deputy said.
“他踢了我。” 杰克宣称。“并且你想想有一分钟 ——”
“He kicked me,” Jake declared. “And if you think for one minute -”
“保持冷静。” 菲尔?史密斯和蔼地对杰克说。他责备地看着胖副警长，说道：“我没问你任何事。” 然后他低头看了看桌上的一张纸。“我不想费事去取证。一个诚实的人会求助于理解，或者谦逊地相信自己良心的内在证据。尤尼乌斯说的。” 他清了清嗓子。“根据这些指控，贾斯特先生，在试图从法院的西门出去时，被副警长哈里?富特拦住，因此骂了他一句难听的话。”
“Keep your temper,” Phil Smith said amiably to Jake. He looked reproachfully at the fat deputy and said, “I didn’t ask you anything.” Then he looked down at a paper on his desk. “I don’t want to bother with taking evidence. An honest man appeals to the understanding, or modestly confides in the internal evidence of his conscience. Junius.” He cleared his throat. “According to these charges, Mr. Justus, attempting to exit through the west door of the courthouse, was intercepted by Deputy Sheriff Harry Foote, and thereby called him an objectionable name.”
“我也告诉你那是什么。” 副警长哈里?富特宣布道。“他说 ——”
“And I’ll tell you what it was, too,” Deputy Harry Foote announced. “He said -”
菲尔?史密斯严肃地看了他一眼，让他闭嘴。“在这一点上，副警长为了履行职责，打了贾斯特先生的身体 ——”
Phil Smith silenced him with a grave look. “At this point the deputy, in the defense of his duty, struck Mr. Justus about his person -”
“打在肚子上。” 杰克纠正道。
“In the belly,” Jake corrected.
“—— 于是贾斯特先生全力击打副警长的下巴，造成了严重伤害 ——” 他停顿了一下，抬头看着副警长，说道，“你看起来没那么糟，哈里。” 还没等有人回答，他又低头看起了文件。“指控是扰乱治安以及在警察执行公务时进行反抗。”
“-whereupon Mr. Justus struck the deputy full on the point of the jaw, causing great damage -” He paused, looked up at the deputy sheriff, and said, “You don’t look so bad, Harry.” Before anyone could answer he’d looked back at the paper. “The charge is disturbing the peace and resisting an officer in the attempt to do his duty.”
“尽你的职责，其余的交给上天。” 海伦轻声说道。
“Do your duty and leave the rest to heaven,” Helene murmured.
菲尔?史密斯微笑着看着她。“高乃依说的。” 他赞许地说道。
Phil Smith smiled at her. “Corneille,” he said approvingly.
马龙打断了这场友好的交流。他大步走到菲尔?史密斯的办公桌前。“我的当事人认罪。” 他说。“罚款是多少？”
Malone interrupted the love feast. He strode up to Phil Smith’s desk. “My client pleads guilty,” he said. “How much is the fine?”
这位英俊的白发治安法官考虑了一分钟。“两美元以及诉讼费。” 他决定道。“总共是三美元五十美分。”
The handsome, white-haired justice of the peace thought it over for a minute. “Two dollars and costs,” he decided. “That es to three dollars and a half.”
“很划算。” 杰克说着，伸手去拿钱包。“我能再花三美元五十美分打他一次吗？”
“A bargain,” Jake said, reaching for his wallet. “Can I hit him again for three dollars and a half?”
菲尔?史密斯接过四张一美元的钞票。“不轻易发怒的人胜过勇士。” 他轻声说道。他递回两个二十五美分的硬币作为找零。“犯罪之人的道路是艰难的。《箴言》第十六章和第十三章。下次罚款就是二十五美元以及诉讼费。” 他站起来，公平地对他们所有人微笑着，说道，“希望你们在威斯康星州的杰克逊过得愉快。” 然后走出了门。
Phil Smith took the four one-dollar bills. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty,” he said softly. He handed back two quarters in change. “And the way of the transgressor is hard. Proverbs Sixteen, and Proverbs Thirteen. The next time, the fine will be twenty-five dollars and costs.” He rose, beamed impartially at all of them, said, “I hope you have a pleasant stay in Jackson, Wisconsin,” and went out the door.
马龙擦了擦额头。“我向上帝祈祷针对你的其他指控都不严重。如果我要在这里为你打一场谋杀官司，我就得好好温习一下《巴特利特常用引语集》。” 他停顿了一下，看到杰克和海伦正在交换他们对这个案子的看法，然后转向受伤的副警长。“我确定没有造成什么严重的伤害。” 他和蔼地说。他伸手去拿钱包。“我请你喝几杯。”
Malone mopped his brow. “I hope to heaven the rest of the charges against you are nothing serious. If I had to see you through a murder trial up here, I’d have to bone up on Bartlett’s Quotations.” He paused, saw that Jake and Helene were exchanging their own ments on the case, and turned to the injured deputy. “I’m sure there wasn’t any serious damage,” he said amiably. He reached for his wallet. “Have a couple of drinks on me.”
片刻之后，杰克和海伦在他身边，他在法院的台阶上停了下来，嗅了嗅户外的空气。“我只知道一句引语。” 他说。“金钱是万恶之源。我甚至不在乎它出自哪里，但是副警长和城市警察没什么两样，你欠我十美元。” 他擦了擦额头。
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