马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 十五
“我看你找到了。” 杰克不恰当地说道。伊迪莎?文宁没有回答。他看了她一会儿，她站在那里，脸色苍白，深陷的大眼睛又黑又暗。
“I see you’ve found it,” Jake said inadequately. Editha Venning didn’t answer. he watched her for a moment as she stood there, her face pale, her immense, deep-set eyes dark and shadowy.
这是真的。这肯定是真的。安迪?阿赫恩的杜松子酒没那么厉害。他坚定地对自己说：“我是杰克?贾斯特。” 这听起来相当有说服力，但也不是完全如此。他用手指捏起一小撮雪。感觉很冷。也让人安心。
It was real. It had to be real. Andy Ahearn’s gin wasn’t that potent. he said to himself firmly, “I am Jake Justus.” It sounded rather convincing, but not entirely. he picked up a pinch of snow in his fingers. It felt cold. And reassuring.
他更仔细地看了看坟墓。挖这个坟墓肯定很费劲。有人不得不在那冻硬的地上用镐头挖。坟墓周围有一堆堆被雨点溅污的雪，但坟墓里面只有薄薄的一层雪。
he took a closer look at the grave. It must have been a tough job to dig it. Someone had had to use a pickax on that frozen ground. there were piles of rain-spotted snow around it, but only a faint sprinkling of snow in the grave itself.
杰克努力回想最后一场雪是什么时候下的。自从他回到芝加哥后就没下过。马龙提到过新年夜下过雪。从那以后下过几场雨，但没再下雪。那么这个坟墓是新年以后的某个时候挖的。
Jake tried to remember when the last snow had fallen. Not since he had been back in chicago. malone had mentioned that it had snowed on New Year’s Eve. Since then there had been a few rains, but no snow. then the grave had been dug sometime since New Year’s.
会是谁挖的呢？肯定不是伊迪莎?文宁自己。她是个高挑、健壮的女人，但还没强壮到能做那样的工作。而且，她之前都不知道坟墓在哪里；她得去找。或者她是为了那个意外的目击者而装出来的？
who could have dug it? certainly not Editha Venning herself. She was a tall, muscular woman, but not strong enough for that job. besides, she hadn’t known where the grave was; she’d had to look for it. or had she put on an act for the unexpected witness?
突然，她转身开始往回走，一句话也没说。杰克跟着她，想着自己敢问哪些问题。在路变宽的地方，他走到她旁边，挽起她的胳膊帮她走过崎岖的地方，偶尔偷看她的脸。
Suddenly she turned and began retracing her steps, without a word. Jake followed, wondering what questions he dared ask. where the path widened, he stepped up beside her taking her arm to help her over the rough patches, and stealing occasional glances at her face.
她脸色非常苍白，显然在沉思，但她的表情既不是悲伤，也不是懊悔。只有一种不快的无奈和困惑。
She was very pale, and apparently deep in thought, but her expression was not one of sorrow, nor of regret. there was only a kind of unhappy resignation and perplexity.
如果那个坟墓不在那儿，杰克告诉自己，他会回到自己原来的想法；就是伊迪莎?文宁精神失常了。但坟墓在那儿。他自己亲眼看到了。他有点后悔它在那儿。如果不是这样，事情会容易理解得多。
If the grave had not been there, Jake told himself, he would have gone back to his original theory; that Editha Venning had blown her top. but the grave was there. he’d seen it himself. he was rather sorry that it was. It would have been a lot easier to understand the other way.
他陪她一直走到通向街道的大门。在那儿她停了下来，带着一种打发人的神情。
he walked with her as far as the gate leading to the street. there she paused, with an air of dismissal.
“我给你叫辆出租车好吗？” 杰克问。
“can I get you a taxi?” Jake asked.
她摇了摇头。“到北岸车站只有几步路。我宁愿走着去。”
She shook her head. “It’s only a few steps to the North Shore station. I’d rather walk.”
他觉得她不想让他陪她。
he had an idea she didn’t want him to acpany her.
她站了一会儿，犹豫着。“谢谢你陪我来。我不喜欢一个人穿过那些树林。但我确实想自己去看看。”
She stood for a moment, hesitating. “thank you for ing with me. I didn’t like going through those woods alone. but I did want to see it, for myself.”
“听着，” 杰克说。他迅速吸了口气。“你不想喝一杯吗？也许来杯茶？这里非常冷，寒气逼人。我想找个机会谈谈……”
“Look here,” Jake said. he drew a quick breath. “wouldn’t you like a drink? maybe a cup of tea? It’s beastly cold and raw out here. I’d like a chance to talk—”
“不，谢谢。” 她对他微笑着，她那双深色的大眼睛像两扇空白的窗帘。“我很想喝，但……”—— 她看了看手表 ——“现在是三点差一刻，我四点要在卢普区和我丈夫碰面。” 她优雅地向他点点头，然后沿着街道走了。
“No, thank you.” She smiled at him, her great dark eyes two blank curtains. “I’d like it very much, but”—she consulted her wrist watch—“it’s quarter of three now, and I’m meeting my husband down in the Loop at four.” She nodded to him graciously and went down the street.
杰克点了一支烟，站在那里看着她离去。
Jake lit a cigarette and stood looking after her.
“我是杰克?贾斯特。” 他又大声说了一遍。“你感觉怎么样？” 他深吸了一口气，回答道，“我感觉很好。” 这听起来并不让人信服。
“I’m Jake Justus,” he said again, out loud this time. “how do you feel?” he drew a long breath and answered, “I feel fine.” It didn’t sound convincing.
“我在找我丈夫的坟墓。”“我四点要在卢普区和我丈夫碰面。”
“I’m looking for my husband’s grave.” “I’m meeting my husband down in the Loop at four.”
坟墓就在那里，而伊迪莎?文宁看起来很理智，比杰克此刻感觉的还要理智。
the grave had been there, and Editha Venning appeared sane, more sane than Jake felt at the moment.
他想知道自己是否应该回去把这件事告诉安迪?阿赫恩。这在他的管辖范围内。但那也没什么用。在地上挖个洞并不违法，即使那个洞是个坟墓的形状。
he wondered if he ought to go back and tell Andy Ahearn about it. this was in his jurisdiction. but that wouldn’t do any good. there was no law against digging a hole in the ground, even if that hole was in the shape of a grave.
也许应该告诉的人是迈克尔?文宁本人。不过，这将是一个相当微妙的话题。“听着，老兄，你知道你的坟墓被挖了吗？” 不管怎样，那又有什么用呢？除非文宁可能想出去再把土铲回去。没错，这个人应该得到警告，但是要警告他什么，又该怎么警告呢？有那么一瞬间，杰克疯狂地考虑寄一封匿名信，署名 “你的朋友” 或者 “好心人”。内容可以是：“亲爱的文宁先生。你的坟墓正在等着你……” 文宁无疑会认为这是一封怪信。也难怪，杰克想。像文宁这么有钱的人总是会收到警告信。
perhaps the person to tell would be michael Venning himself. Still, it would be a rather delicate subject to broach. “Look here, old man, did you know your grave had been dug?” Anyway, what good would that do? Unless Venning might want to go out and shovel the dirt back again. true, the man ought to be warned, but of what, and how? For a mad moment Jake considered sending an anonymous note, signed “Your Friend,” or “well-wisher.” Something like: “dear mr. Venning. Your grave is waiting for you—” Venning would undoubtedly think it was a crank letter. And no wonder, Jake decided. men as wealthy as Venning were always getting warning notes.
杰克决定在和马龙商量之前什么也不做。
Jake decided to do nothing until he had talked it over with malone.
然而，在离开枫树公园之前，有一件事他想做。他想再看一眼树林里的那些脚印。
before he left maple park, however, there was one thing he wanted to do. he wanted to take one more look at those footprints in the woods.
杰克把香烟扔在雪地上，再次绕着文宁家的老房子走，然后穿过草坪向树林走去。一阵冷风从湖面吹来，开始下起几滴雨来。有那么一会儿，他考虑放弃然后回去。哦，好吧，要弄清楚这些脚印通向哪里也花不了多长时间。
Jake dropped his cigarette in the snow, again walked around the old Venning house, and crossed the lawn leading to the woods. A cold wind had e up from the lake, and a few drops of rain were beginning to fall. For a moment he considered giving it up and turning back. oh well, it wouldn’t take long to find out where those footprints led.
他沿着小路走到脚印第一次出现的地方。从这里开始，脚印通向隐藏在灌木丛中的那个敞开的坟墓。这些脚印是在雪后留下的，但至少已经有好几天了，而且经历了几场断断续续的雨。
he followed the path to the point where the footprints first appeared. From this point on, they led to the open grave that was hidden in the bushes. they had been made since the snowfall, but they had been there several days at least, and through several of the intermittent rains.
他弯下腰仔细查看那些脚印。是男人的脚印，很大，是某种厚重的鞋子留下的，可能是运动鞋。杰克想，一条猎犬能从这些脚印中看出更多东西，但他还是仔细地观察着。这些脚印很深，显然是个很重的人留下的。如果从脚的大小来判断，这个人也很高。
he bent down and examined them. they were a man’s prints, large ones, made by some kind of heavy shoe, probably a sports shoe. A bloodhound could make a lot more out of them than he could, Jake thought, but he looked at them closely. they were deep prints, evidently a heavy man. tall, too, if the size of his feet were any indication.
现在，要找出它们通向哪里。他站起来，拍掉膝盖上的雪，环顾四周。在这时候在树林里迷路可就糟了。有条小路通向草坪，还有那些脚印，加上伊迪莎?文宁和他自己的脚印，通向那个敞开的坟墓。从这里开始，那些神秘的脚印沿着另一条小路走，这条小路沿着把这里和麦克莱恩庄园隔开的墙延伸。
Now, to find out where they led. he stood up, brushing the snow from his knees, anl looked around him. this would be a hell of a time to get lost in the woods. there was the path, leading back toward the lawn, and there were the footprints, plus Editha Venning’s and his own, leading toward the open grave. From this point on the mysterious footprints had traveled on another path, leading along the wall that separated this from the mcclane estate.
杰克生气地问自己，他到底指望从这些脚印中发现什么呢。很可能它们通向大路，或者一扇门，或者其他什么地方，但这些都不会告诉他任何事情。如果它们通向一所房子、一个车库，或者某个停过车的地方，他还是一无所知。此外，他的鞋子里不舒服地塞满了雪，他冷得要命。他厌倦了自己玩这种游戏。
Jake asked himself crossly just what the devil he expected to find out from those footprints anyway. probably they led to the main road, or to a gate, or to some other place that wouldn’t tell him a thing. If they did lead to a house, or a garage, or some spot where a car had been parked, he would still be in the dark. besides, his shoes were unfortably full of snow, and he was getting damnably cold. he was sick of playing games by himself.
不，他已经走了这么远，不妨继续走下去。他讨厌以这样一个没有结论的结果放弃。
No, he’d e this far, he might as well go on. he hated to quit on such an inconclusive note.
这条小路比刚才那条更窄，也没那么干净。一丛丛野草和荆棘半埋在雪里，绊住了他的脚踝；湿漉漉的树枝拂过他的脸。一根特别讨厌的树枝，显然对他有个人成见，把他的帽子从头上扯了下来，杰克从雪地里捡起帽子，气愤地咒骂着。不管留下那些脚印的人是谁，杰克都不喜欢他。
this path was narrower than the other had been and not so well cleared. clumps of weed and bramble, half buried in the snow, caught at his ankles; wet branches brushed against his face. one particularly obnoxious branch, evidently taking a personal dislike to him, snatched the hat from his head, and Jake picked it out of the snow, swearing indignantly. whoever the guy was who had made those footprints, Jake didn't like him.
也许他会看不到脚印，在树林里迷路。有时候人们确实会这样。文宁庄园的树林只有大概半平方英里，但这也足够了，因为树林荒草丛生、杂乱无章。他可能会走到树林中央的某个地方，然后开始绕圈走。过一会儿天就会黑下来，会更冷。他会在树林里转上好几个小时，试图找到出去的路，最后他会躺在雪地里睡觉，然后在那里冻死。他想知道知更鸟会不会飞来用树叶把他盖上。不，现在不是知更鸟出现的季节。它们会在春天发现他，就在他睡着的地方。
perhaps he'd lose sight of the footprints and get lost in the woods. people did, sometimes. the woods on the Venning estate were only about a half-mile square, but that would be enough, neglected and tangled as they were. he might get somewhere in the center of them and begin going around in a circle. It would get dark after a while, and colder. he'd wander around for hours, trying to find his way out, and at last he'd lie down in the snow to go to sleep, and freeze there. he wondered if the robins would e and cover him over with leaves. No, it was the wrong season for robins. they'd find him in the spring, right where he'd gone to sleep.
他想知道海伦会不会难过。不过，她会是个美丽的寡妇。他难过地想，是前妻寡妇。
he wondered if helene would be sorry. She'd make a beautiful widow, though. Ex-widow, he thought sadly.
小路沿着墙走了很长一段路。只要他能看到那堵墙，杰克告诉自己，他就不会有事。接着，又一丛灌木丛挡住了他的路，当他把灌木丛推开时，他发现小路把他引到了墙上的一个小缺口处。
the path followed the wall for a long way. As long as he kept sight of that wall, Jake told himself, he was all right. then another cluster of bushes barred his way, and when he had pushed it aside he found that the path had led him to a little opening in the wall.
他穿过缺口，发现自己又回到了麦克莱恩的庄园。墙的这一边还有更多的树林，缺口就在树林的边缘。一方面，可能是菜园一直延伸到围着麦克莱恩庄园的高高的铁栅栏处；越过菜园，他能看到房子本身。另一方面，树林朝着湖边的方向延伸，比墙另一边的树林养护得更好，但仍然阴暗、茂密且神秘。脚印通向那里。
he stepped through it and found that he was back on the mcclane grounds again. there were more woods on this side of the wall, the opening was right at the edge of them. on one hand, what were probably the kitchen gardens stretched up toward the high iron fence that bordered the mcclane estate; beyond them he could see the house itself. on the other side, the woods stretched away in the direction of the lake, better tended than those on the other side of the wall, but still dark and thick and mysterious. the footprints led into them.
杰克站了一会儿，决定下一步该做什么。他能看到通向街道的大门在菜园那边；此刻它看起来非常诱人。但是那些脚印可能通向任何地方，甚至可能解释那个无人的坟墓。
Jake stood a moment, deciding what to do next. he could see the gate that led to the street up there beyond the kitchen gardens; right now it looked wonderfully inviting. but those footprints might lead to almost anything, even an explanation of the unoccupied grave.
毫无预兆地，就在他站在那里的时候，一声枪响响起；他听到一颗子弹轻轻地打在他附近的雪地上的声音。他本能地扑倒在地，小心翼翼地环顾四周。
without warning, while he stood there, the sound of a shot rang out; he heard the soft plop of a bullet in the snow near him. Instinctively he threw himself on his face and looked cautiously around.
子弹是从那些脚印通向的树林方向射来的。
the bullet had e from the direction of the woods into which those footprints led.
杰克在雪地里躺了一分钟，仔细考虑着。可能是有人在打鸟、松鼠、兔子或者任何可能栖息在枫树公园的动物。很可能是莫娜?麦克莱恩的管理员。
Jake lay there in the snow for a minute, thinking it over. Someone shooting at birds, or squirrels, or rabbits, or whatever kind of fauna might inhabit maple park. mona mcclane’s caretaker, most likely.
他开始非常缓慢、小心翼翼地站起来。
he began to get up very slowly and cautiously.
他刚站起来一半，就又听到一声枪响。这一次，子弹从他耳边飞过时发出一阵令人不快的尖啸声。杰克隐约觉得，在他向墙的缺口跑去时，他可能已经超过并跑在了子弹前面。
he was halfway to his feet when he heard another shot. this time the bullet made an unpleasant singing noise as it passed his ear. Jake had a vague notion that he had probably overtaken and passed the bullet as he ran for the opening in the wall.
兔子，见鬼去吧！
Rabbits, hell!
有人在向他开枪，而且是个枪法非常好的人。当然是为了把他吓跑。不，不是为了把他吓跑！当他穿过墙的缺口，沿着小路往回跑时，又响了一枪。
Someone was shooting at him, and someone who was a damned good shot. to scare him away, of course. No, not to scare him away! there was another shot as he dived through the opening in the wall and raced back along the path.
杰克从没想到一个人能这么快地穿过一片林地。在小路的分岔口，他喘了口气。他有一种不舒服的预感，那个向他开枪的人已经追了上来。那样的话，树林外那一大片洁白的草坪会让他成为即使是枪法很差的人的完美目标。
Jake had never had any idea a human being could get through a patch of woodland so fast. At the dividing point of the path he caught his breath. he had an unfortable premonition that whoever had fired at him had taken up the trail. In that case, that broad expanse of pure white lawn beyond the woods would make him a perfect target for even a poor shot.
他继续逃跑，沿着小路朝那个敞开的坟墓的方向跑去。等他跑到尽头该怎么办，以后再决定。现在他只关心尽快远离枪声的来源。
he continued his flight, following the path in the direction of the open grave. what he would do when he got to the end of it would be decided on later. he was concerned now only with getting far away from the source of those shots as fast as possible.
他在树林中飞奔，一边跑一边把树枝和树杈推到一边。当他跑到环绕着敞开的坟墓的灌木丛时，他一头扎进那个缺口，直到跑到一半时才意识到空地上有人。
he raced on through the woods, shoving twigs and branches aside as he passed. As he reached the ring of bushes surrounding the open grave, he dived into the opening, realizing only when he was halfway through that someone was in the clearing.
上气不接下气地，他聚集起全身的力气，朝着空地上的身影猛扑过去，盲目地希望在另一枪打响之前把对方扑倒在地。一瞬间，他想到他那神秘的敌人是从另一条路到达这片空地的。
breathless and panting, he gathered all his strength for a flying tackle at the figure in the clearing, with a blind hope of bringing it to earth before another shot could be fired. In one flash it had occurred to him that his mysterious enemy had reached the clearing by another route.
雪地上展开了一场短暂而疯狂的扭打。突然，杰克觉得自己在往下掉。在往下掉的时候，他盲目地抓住了袭击他的人，翻滚着、跌落着、碰撞着，掉进了那个空坟墓的深处。
there was a brief, frantic struggle in the snow. Suddenly Jake felt himself falling. blindly he clutched his assailant as he fell, rolling, tumbling, crashing, down into the depths of the empty grave.
有那么一会儿，两人都一动不动。然后，杰克伸手拂去眼睛上的雪，大声说道：“你要是敢动，我就勒死你。”
For a moment both were still. then Jake reached to brush the snow from his eyes and said loudly, “If you move, I’ll strangle you.”
“我不动。” 一个细小的声音说道。
“I won’t move,” said a small voice.
杰克在迈克尔?文宁的坟墓里笔直地坐了起来，忘记了树林里可能还有人在向他开枪，难以置信地盯着海伦?布兰德?贾斯特那双蓝色的大眼睛。
Jake sat bolt upright in michael Venning’s grave, forgetting that someone out there in the woods might still be shooting at him, and stared incredulously into the wide blue eyes of helene brand Justus.