PART II THE EVIDENCE
第二部 证据
1 THE EVIDENCE OF THE WAGON LIT CONDUCTOR
1 卧车列车长的证词
In the restaurant car all was in readiness.
餐车内已经一切准备就绪。
Poirot and M. Bouc sat together on one side of a table. The doctor sat across the aisle.
白罗与波克先生同坐一张餐桌的一边，医师隔着走道坐在另一边。
On the table in front of Poirot was a plan of the Istanbul-Calais coach with the names of the passengers marked in red ink. The passports and tickets were in a pile at one side. There was writing paper, ink, pen, and pencils.
白罗的桌上放着一张辛浦伦东方号特快车的车厢平面图，用红笔注明了旅客姓名与卧铺席位。另外还堆满了护照、车票、书写纸张、墨水、钢笔与铅笔。
“Excellent,” said Poirot. “We can open our Court of Inquiry without more ado. First, I think, we should take the evidence of the Wagon Lit conductor. You probably know something about the man. What character has he? Is he a man on whose word you would place reliance?”
“好极了，”白罗说：“我们现在就可以开始进行问讯。首先，我想应该先听听卧铺列车长的证词。你可能对此人有些了解。他人品如何？做人与言行是否可靠？”
“I should say so, most assuredly. Pierre Michel has been employed by the company for over fifteen years. He is a Frenchman—lives near Calais. Thoroughly respectable and honest. Not, perhaps, remarkable for brains.”
“我想该没有问题的，皮耶·麦寇已在公司工作十五年了。他是法国人，住在卡莱附近。为人诚实，守本分，虽然脑盘不算精明。”
Poirot nodded comprehendingly. “Good,” he said. “Let us see him.”
白罗领会地点着头说：“很好，我们现在就请他来吧。”
Pierre Michel had recovered some of his assurance, but he was still extremely nervous.
皮耶·麦寇恢复了些冷静，但仍是极为紧张。
“I hope Monsieur will not think that there has been any negligence on my part,” he said anxiously, his eyes going from Poirot to M. Bouc. “It is a terrible thing that has happened. I hope Monsieur does not think that it reflects on me in any way?”
“但愿先生不会认为我有什么渎职之处，”他焦虑地说，他的眼睛看看白罗又看看波克先生。“这事情太可怕了。我盼望先生，您千万别认为我跟这事有任何关连？”
Having soothed the man’s fears, Poirot began his questions. He first elicited Michel’s name and address, his length of service, and the length of time he had been on this particular route. These particulars he already knew, but the routine questions served to put the man at his ease.
白罗劝他尽管放心之后，就开始问他问题。他先问了他的姓名、地址、服务年资，在这条路线上工作了多久。这些细节，其实他早都清楚了，只时他觉得这些例行问话会使人能更镇定一些。
“And now,” went on Poirot, “let us come to the events of Last night. M. Ratchett retired to bed—when?”
“现在，”白罗继续问：“我们该谈谈昨晚的事了。昨晚罗嘉德先生是什么时候就寝的？”
“Almost immediately after dinner, Monsieur. Actually before we left Belgrade. So he did on the previous night. He had directed me to make up the bed while he was at dinner, and I did so.”
“差不多晚餐一用过他就上床了，该说是我们离开贝尔格莱德之前，他前晚也是这样的。他在用餐时，命我去替他铺床，我就去准备了。”
“Did anybody go into his compartment afterwards?”
“后来，有旁人进入他的卧铺房间吗？”
“His valet, Monsieur, and the young American gentleman, his secretary.”
“他的男仆，还有他的秘书——那位年轻美国先生都进去过。”
“Anyone else?”
“没有别人了？”
“No, Monsieur, not that I know of.”
“没有，先生，据我所知没有别人了。”
“Good. And that is the last you saw or heard of him?”
“好。那是你最后一次看见他或听到他讲话吗？”
“No, Monsieur. You forget he rang his bell about twenty to one—soon after we had stopped.”
“不是，先生。您忘了吗，大约差二十分钟一点的时候，他按过铃－－我们停车后没多久。”
“What happened exactly?”
“究竟是怎么回事？”
“I knocked at the door, but he called out and said he had made a mistake.”
“我去敲门，但是他大声说他搞错了。”
“In English or in French?”
“他说的是英语还是法语？”
“In French.”
“是法语。”
“What were his words exactly?”
“他到底是怎么说的？”
“Ce n’est rien. Je me suis trompé.”
“没什么事，我按错了铃。”
“Quite right,” said Poirot. “That is what I heard. And then you went away?”
“不错，”白罗说：“我也是这么听见的。之后，你就走开了？”
“Yes, Monsieur.”
“是的，先生。”
“Did you go back to your seat?”
“你是否回到自己的位子去了？”
“No, Monsieur, I went first to answer another bell that had just rung.”
“没有，我先去应另外一个铃。”
“Now, Michel, I am going to ask you an important question. Where were you at a quarter past one?’
“呃，麦寇，我现在要问你一个很重要的问题。在一点一刻钟的时候，你在什么地方？”
“I, Monsieur? I was at my little seat at the end—facing up the corridor.”
“我？先生，我是在车厢尽头我的小位子上呵——面对着过道。”
“You are sure?”
“一点不错吗？”
“Mais oui—at least—”
“除了……”
“I went into the next coach, the Athens coach, to speak to my colleague there. We spoke about the snow. That was at some time soon after one o’clock. I cannot say exactly.”
“我曾到隔壁雅典挂上的车厢去了一下，我找同事聊天，谈大雪的事。那是在一点钟刚过一会儿的时候，正确的时刻我也说不准。”
“And you returned—when?”
“你什么时候回去的？”
“One of my bells rang, Monsieur—I remember—I told you. It was the American lady. She had rung several times.”
“在又有人按铃的时候——我记得——我告诉过您的。是那位美国太太，她按了好几次的铃。”
“I recollect,” said Poirot. “And after that?”
“我记得，”白罗说：“后来呢？”
“After that, Monsieur? I answered your bell and brought you some mineral water. Then, about half an hour later, I made up the bed in one of the other compartments—that of the young American gentleman, Mr. Ratchett’s secretary.”
“后来？先生，您按铃，我给您送了矿泉水。然后，半小时之后，我去给那位美国先生——罗嘉德先生的秘书铺床了。”
“Was Mr. MacQueen alone in his compartment when you went to make up his bed?”
“你去给麦昆先生铺床时，只有他一个人在房里吗？”
“The English Colonel from No. 15 was with him. They had been sitting talking.”
“十五号房里那位英国上校也在。他们正坐着聊天。”
“What did the Colonel do when he left Mr. MacQueen?”
“上校离开麦昆的房间之后，他去哪儿了？”
“He went back to his own compartment.”
“他回自己的房间去了。”
“No. 15—that is quite close to your seat, is it not?”
“十五号房间，离你的位子很近，是不？”
“Yes, Monsieur, it is the second compartment from that end of the corridor.”
“是的，先生。是过道那头的第二间。”
“His bed was already made up?”
“他的床已经铺好了？”
“Yes, Monsieur. I had made it up while he was at dinner.”
“是的。他吃晚饭时我去铺的。”
“What time was all this?”
“这都是甚么时候的事？”
“I could not say exactly, Monsieur. Not later than two o’clock certainly.”
“正确时间我不敢说。但不会晚过凌晨两点。”
“And after that?”
“之后呢？”
“After that, Monsieur, I sat in my seat till morning.”
“之后，先生，我始终坐在我的位子上，一直到早晨。”
“You did not go again into the Athens coach?”
“你没再到隔壁的车厢去吗？”
“No, Monsieur.”
“没有，先生。”
“Perhaps you slept?”
“也许你打瞌睡了吧？”
“I do not think so, Monsieur. The train being at a standstill prevented me from dozing off as I usually do.”
“我想没有，先生。因为车停了，不像往常那么容易瞌睡。”
“Did you see any of the passengers moving up or down the corridor?”
“你有没有看见任何旅客在过道上走动？”
The man reflected. “One of the ladies went to the toilet at the far end, I think.”
列车长想了想。“好像有位女客到另一头的洗手间去过。”
“Which lady?”
“哪位女客？”
“I do not know, Monsieur. It was far down the corridor and she had her back to me. She had on a kimono of scarlet with dragons on it.”
“我不知道。她是在过道那头，背向着我。只看见她穿着一件绣着龙的红色睡袍。”
Poirot nodded. “And after that?”
白罗点了点头。“后来呢？”
“Nothing, Monsieur, until the morning.”
“一直到早晨，都没有别的动静了，先生。”
“You are sure?”
“真的吗？”
“Ah, pardon—you yourself, Monsieur, opened your door and looked out for a second.”
“呵，对不起。还有您自己，先生。您曾打开门，往外头看了看。”
“Good, my friend,” said Poirot. “I wondered whether you would remember that. By the way, I was awakened by what sounded like something heavy falling against my door. Have you any idea what that could have been?”
“这就对了，朋友，”白罗说：“我还怕你会忘记。另外，我好像听见有什么笨重的东西碰在我的门上了。你知道会是什么吗？”
The man stared at him. “There was nothing, Monsieur. Nothing, I am positive of it.”
那人瞪着他说：“没有呀，先生。我敢打赌什么都没听见。”
“Then I must have had the cauchemar,” said Poirot philosophically.
“也许是我作恶梦了。”白罗自我解嘲地说。
“Unless,” put in M. Bouc, “it was something in the compartment next door that you heard.”
“说不定，”波克先生插嘴说：“你听见的是隔壁的声响吧？”
Poirot took no notice of the suggestion. Perhaps he did not wish to before the Wagon Lit conductor.
白罗没理会波克先生的意见，也许他不愿意列车长注意到。
“Let us pass to another point,” he said. “Supposing that last night an assassin joined the train. Is it quite certain that he could not have left it after committing the crime?”
“我们谈别的问题吧。”他说：“如果，昨晚有凶手来到，你想他在行凶之后真的不可能离开列车吗？”
Pierre Michel shook his head.
皮耶·麦寇摇了摇头。
“Nor that he can be concealed on it somewhere?”
“他也不可能躲在什么地方吗？”
“It has been well searched,” said M. Bouc. “Abandon that idea, my friend.”
“车上都搜过的，”波克先生说：“别在这个问题上钻牛角尖了，老兄。”
“Besides,” said Michel, “no one could get on to the sleeping-car without my seeing them.”
“何况，”麦寇说：“任谁上了卧车，也逃不过我的眼睛。”
“When was the last stop?”
“上一站是什么地方？”
“Vincovci.”
“温可齐。”
“What time was that?”
“是什么时候靠站的？”
“We should have left there at 11:58, but owing to the weather we were twenty minutes late.”
“我们原定十一点五十八分离开的，但由于天气影响，晚了廿分钟。”
“Someone might have come along from the ordinary part of the train?”
“也许有人乘机从普通车厢上了我们的卧车呢？”
“No, Monsieur. After the service of dinner, the door between the ordinary carriages and the sleeping-cars is locked.”
“不可能，先生。晚餐之后，普通车厢与卧车车厢之间的通门是上锁的。”
“Did you yourself descend from the train at Vincovci?”
“你自己在温可齐站下了车吗？“
“Yes, Monsieur. I got down onto the platform as usual and stood by the step up into the train. The other conductors did the same.”
“下了车，我下到月台，跟平常一样站在上车的阶梯上，别的列车长也都遵守这个规矩。”
“What about the forward door—the one near the restaurant car?”
“前头那个车门呢——靠餐车的那扇？”
“It is always fastened on the inside.”
“总是从里边关紧的。”
“It is not so fastened now.”
“此刻好像并未关紧。”
The man looked surprised; then his face cleared. “Doubtless one of the passengers opened it to look out on the snow.”
列车长吃了一惊，立刻又镇定了下来。“那一定是有乘客自己打开，要看看雪景的。”
“Probably,” said Poirot.
“也许吧。”白罗说。
He tapped thoughtfully on the table for a minute or two.
他沉思着，用手指在桌上敲了敲。
“Monsieur does not blame me?” said the man timidly.
“先生，您不怪我吧？”那人胆怯地说。
Poirot smiled on him kindly.
白罗温婉地朝他笑了笑。
“You have had the evil chance, my friend,” he said. “Ah! one other point while I remember it. You said that another bell rang just as you were knocking at M. Ratchett’s door. In fact I heard it myself Whose was it?”
“怎么会呢，朋友。”他说：“喔！我又记起了一件事。你说你在敲罗嘉德先生的门时，又听见有别人在按铃。事实上，我也听见了的。那是谁？”
“It was the bell of Madame la Princesse Dragomiroff. She desired me to summon her maid.”
“是德瑞格米罗夫郡主，她要我去唤她的女仆。”
“And you did so?”
“你去了吗？”
“Yes, Monsieur.”
“去了，先生。”
Poirot studied the plan in front of him thoughtfully. Then he inclined his head.
白罗看了看面前的车厢平面图，之后，他点了点头。
“That is all,” he said, “for the moment.”
“目前，”他说：“没事了。”
“Thank you, Monsieur.”
“谢谢您，先生。”
The man rose. He looked at M. Bouc.
那人站起身来，看着波克先生。
“Do not distress yourself,” said the latter kindly; “I cannot see that there has been any negligence on your part.”
“别担心，”波克先生和气地说：“我看不出你有什么失职的地方。”
Gratified, Pierre Michel left the compartment.
皮耶·麦寇感激地离开了餐车。