双语·《刀锋》 第七章 一

CHAPTER SEVEN 1
第七章 一

One morning, six months later, in April, I was busy writing in my study on the roof of my house at Cap Ferrat when a servant came up to say that the police of St. Jean（my neighbouring village）were below and wished to see me.I was vexed at being interrupted and could not imagine what they wanted.My conscience was at ease and I had already given my subscription to the Benevolent Fund.In return I had received a card, which I kept in my car so that if I was stopped for exceeding the speed limit or found parked on the wrong side of a street I could unostentatiously let it be seen while producing my driving licence and so escape with an indulgent caution.I thought it more likely then that one of my servants had been the victim of an anonymous denunciation, that being one of the amenities of French life, because her papers were not in order；but being on good terms with the local cops, whom I never allowed to leave my house without a glass of wine to speed them on their way, I anticipated no great difficulty.But they, for they worked in pairs, had come on a very different errand.
半年后，那是一个四月的早晨，我在费拉角自家房屋顶层的书房里正忙着写东西，仆人进来说隔壁圣让村的村警在楼下要见我。受到外来的干扰，我心里没好气，吃不透他们找我有什么事。我又没做什么亏心事，而且还慷慨解囊，交了慈善基金。作为回报，他们给了我一张卡片，时时放在汽车上，万一因超速行驶或者违规停车被警察抓住，我便可以在出示驾驶执照时，把这张卡片也拿出来，警察就会叮咛我下次小心，对我免于处罚。我心想可能是我的哪个用人遭到了匿名举报（这在法国是很正常的），说她的身份证件有问题。平时，我和当地的警察相处得不错，他们每次登门，都要请他们先喝上一杯才放他们走，所以觉得不会有什么大不了的事情。不过，一次来两个警察，情况就大不相同了。

After we had shaken hands and inquired after our respective healths, the senior of the two-he was called a brigadier and had one of the most imposing moustaches I ever saw-fished a notebook out of his pocket. He turned over the pages with a dirty thumb.
我和他们握了手，彼此问好。然后，年长的一个从口袋里掏出个本子，用脏兮兮拇指翻着——此人绰号叫“将军”，蓄着威风凛凛的大胡子（这样的胡子我以前从未见过）。

“Does the name Sophie Macdonald say something to you?”he asked.
“索菲·麦克唐纳这个名字你听说过吗？”他启口问道。

“I know a person of that name，”I replied cautiously.
“我认识的人有叫这个名字的。”我小心地回答。

“We have just been in telephonic communication with the police station at Toulon and the chief inspector requests you to betake yourself there（vous prie de vous y rendre）without delay.”
“我们刚和土伦的警察局通电话，那边的警察总长要你去一趟（Vous prie de vous y rendre），立刻就去。”

“For what reason?”I asked.“I am only slightly acquainted with Mrs. Macdonald.”
“为什么？”我问，“我和麦克唐纳太太并不太熟。”

I jumped to the conclusion that she had got into trouble, probably connected with opium, but I didn't see why I should be mixed up in it.
我立刻想到索菲一定出事了，很可能和鸦片有关系，但弄不懂为什么会把我牵连进来。

“That is not my affair. There is no doubt that you have had dealings with this woman.It appears that she has been missing from her lodgings for five days and a body has been fished out of the harbour which the police have reason to believe is hers.They want you to identify it.”
“这个不归我管。毫无疑问，你和这个女人是有过交往的。她好像五天没有回家，后来港口从海里捞出一具女尸，警方觉得可能是她，要你去认一下。”

A cold shiver passed through me. I was not, however, too much surprised.It was likely enough that the life she led would incline her in a moment of depression to put an end to herself.
一股寒意传遍了我的全身。不过，这样的结局也是意料之中。她过着今日有酒今日醉的生活，早晚会走投无路，结束自己的生命。

“But surely she can be identified by her clothes and her papers.”
“她穿着衣服，身上带着证件，凭这些是可以辨认出来的呀。”

“She was found stark naked with her throat cut.”
“她一丝不挂，喉咙被人割断了。”

“Good God！”I was horrified. I reflected for an instant.For all I knew the police could force me to go and I thought I had better submit with good grace.“Very well.I will take the first train I can.”
“我的老天！”我吓得失声叫道。我略加思索，觉得识时务者为俊杰，警方反正是可以强迫我去的，倒不如顺从的好。“好吧，我马上搭乘火车去。”

I looked up a timetable and found that I could catch one that would get me to Toulon between five and six. The brigadier said he would phone the chief inspector to that effect and asked me on my arrival to go straight to the police station.I did no more work that morning.I packed a few necessary things in a suitcase and after luncheon drove to the station.
我看了看火车时刻表，发现可以搭乘五点至六点之间的一趟车到土伦去。“将军”说他将通知土伦的警察总长，让我一到土伦就直接去警察局。那天上午，我没有再写稿子，把一些必需品塞进行李箱，吃过午饭便开车去了火车站。