目 录 上一节 下一节 
警察总局局长罗万先生。 I've found the bank robber, Phileas Fogg. Send with out delay warrant of arrest to Bombay. 我盯住了银行窃贼斐利亚·福克。速寄拘票至孟买(英属印度)。 Fix, Detective. 侦探费克斯 The effect of this dispatch was instantaneous. The polished gentleman disappeared to give place to the bank robber. His photograph, which was hung with those of the rest of the members at the Reform Club, was minutely examined, and it betrayed, feature by feature, the description of the robber which had been provided to the police. The mysterious habits of Phileas Fogg were recalled; his solitary ways, his sudden departure; and it seemed clear that, in undertaking a tour round the world on the pretext of a wager, he had had no other end in view than to elude the detectives, and throw them off his track. 这份电报一发表,马上起了立竿见影的效果,一位高贵的绅士在人们的心目中变成了个偷钞票的贼了。人们看了和俱乐部会员的照片放在一起的福克的照片,发现他的特征跟警察局调查出来的窃贼外貌特点一模一样。于是人们就想到福克平时生活诡秘,想到他性情孤僻和他这次突然出走,显然他是用环游地球作幌子,用荒唐的打赌作掩饰,他的目的只不过是想逃过英国警探的耳目罢了。 The circumstances under which this telegraphic dispatch about Phileas Fogg was sent were as follows: 话分两头,现在我们再来谈一下那份报告福克是贼的电报是怎么来的。 
月9号,星期三,人们都在等着将在上午十一点开到苏伊士来的商船蒙古号。这是一艘属于东方半岛轮船公司的有螺旋推进器和前后甲板的铁壳轮船,载重两千八百吨,惯常动力五百匹马力。蒙古号是穿过苏伊士运河往来于布林迪西和盂买之间的班船,它是东方半岛轮船公司的一艘快船。从布林迪西到苏伊士这-段航程的正常时速是十海里;从苏伊士到盂买的正常时速是九·五三海里;可是它经常总是提前到达。 Two men were promenading up and down the wharves, among the crowd of natives and strangers who were sojourning at this once straggling village-- now, thanks to the enterprise of M. Lesseps, a fast-growing town. 在等候蒙古号的时候,苏伊士的码头上有两个人在人群中走来走去。人群中有本地人,也有外国人。不久以前,这个城市还是一个小镇,由于雷塞布的巨大工程才给它带来远大的前途。 One was the British consul at Suez, who, despite the prophecies of the English Government, and the unfavourable predictions of Stephenson, was in the habit of seeing, from his office window, English ships daily passing to and fro on the great canal, by which the old roundabout route from England to India by the Cape of Good Hope was abridged by at least a half. 这两个人有一位是联合王国驻苏伊士的领事。尽管英国政府曾经很懊丧地断言这条运河的结局,尽管工程师斯蒂芬逊也说过关于运河的可怕的预言,但是这位英国领事现在依然每天看见英国船只通过这里。这条运河使英国绕道好望角到印度去的那条旧航线缩短了一半。 The other was a small, slight-built personage, with a nervous, intelligent face, and bright eyes peering out from under eyebrows which he was incessantly twitching. He was just now manifesting unmistakable signs of impatience, nervously pacing up and down, and unable to stand still for a moment. This was Fix, one of the detectives who had been dispatched from England in search of the bank robber; it was his task to narrowly watch every passenger who arrived at Suez, and to follow up all who seemed to be suspicious characters, or bore a resemblance to the description of the criminal, which he had received two days before from the police headquarters at London. The detective was evidently inspired by the hope of obtaining the splendid reward which would be the prize of success, and awaited with a feverish impatience, easy to understand, the arrival of the steamer Mongolia. 另外一个是一位带点神经质的人。这人又瘦又矮,看样子相当能干。他的眉头紧紧地皱着,他的眼睛有时透过长长的睫毛,闪动着犀利的目光,有时显得迷迷糊糊的,似乎什么也没有看见。这时候,他一直不停地走来走去,看来心里很不耐烦。这人名叫费克斯。英国国家银行盗窃案发生之后,他就是被派到好些港口去办案子的那些英国警探之一。这位侦探一直在监视着所有经过苏伊士的旅客。如果发现有什么形迹可疑的人,他就一面盯着他,一面等候拘票。就在两天以前,费克斯从首都警察局长那里收到一份有关窃贼外貌特征的材料,有人在英国国家银行付款处,看到的那个被判断可能是小偷的人,据说是一位衣冠楚楚的高贵绅士。这位侦探显然是被那一笔破案的奖金给迷住了。他在等候蒙古号的时候,露出一种显而易见的急躁情绪。 "So you say, consul," asked he for the twentieth time, "that this steamer is never behind time?" “领事先生,您说这条船不会脱班吗?”这句话他已经问过好几遍了。 
“不会的,费克斯先生,”领事回答说。“根据昨天的消息,它已经到了塞得港的外海,一百六十公里长的运河对这样一条快船说来,算不了什么。我已经对您说过了:政府对于凡是在规定的时间内提前到达的船只,每快二十四小时,就发给二十五镑奖金,而蒙古号总是得奖的。” "Does she come directly from Brindisi?" “这条船是从布林迪西直接开来的吗?”费克斯又问道。 "Directly from Brindisi; she takes on the Indian mails there, and she left there Saturday at five p.m. Have patience, Mr. Fix; she will not be late. But really, I don't see how, from the description you have, you will be able to recognise your man, even if he is on board the Mongolia." “是啊,是从布林迪西开来的。它在那儿装上寄往印度的邮件,星期六下午五点钟开出。您耐心点儿,它是不会迟到的。但我实在不明白,即使您要抓的人是在蒙古号上,您单凭收到的那一点材料,您怎么能把他认出来?” "A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognises them. You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling. I've arrested more than one of these gentlemen in my time, and, if my thief is on board, I'll answer for it; he'll not slip through my fingers." “领事先生,”费克斯回答说,“对这些人不能靠认,主要是靠感觉,也就是靠我们应该有的敏锐的鉴别力。鉴别力是一种综合了听觉、视觉和嗅觉的特殊的感觉。象这样的绅士,我一生中逮过的不止一个了。我要抓的贼只要是在这条船上,我敢对您说句大话,他绝对逃不出我的手掌。” "I hope so, Mr. Fix, for it was a heavy robbery." “但愿如此,费克斯先生,因为这是一桩很大的窃案。” 
“可不是吗?”费克斯非常兴奋地回答说,“五万五千镑呀!发这么大一笔横财,咱们可不常见啊!如今已经没有什么了不起的贼了!象西巴尔德那样的大盗已经绝种了!现在的贼往往只为了偷几个先令就被抓住了!” "Mr. Fix," said the consul, "I like your way of talking, and hope you'll succeed; but I fear you will find it far from easy. Don't you see, the description which you have there has a singular resemblance to an honest man?" “费克斯先生,”领事回答说,“听您说得这样头头是道,简直要马上给您庆功了,不过我还是得再提醒您一句,根据您现在的情况,恐伯还是有困难的。照您收到的那份有关窃贼相貌特征的材料上说,他完全象一位正人君子,这一点您想过没有?” "Consul," remarked the detective, dogmatically, "great robbers always resemble honest folks. Fellows who have rascally faces have only one course to take, and that is to remain honest; otherwise they would be arrested off-hand. The artistic thing is, to unmask honest countenances; it's no light task, I admit, but a real art." “领事先生,”费克斯满怀信心地说,“凡是大贼,样子总是象正人君子。要知道,那些生得鬼头鬼脑的人只能老老实实地安分守己,要不,他们一下子就会给逮住的。我们主要的任务就是要揭下那些伪装正人君子的假面具。我承认,做起来是有困难的!因为干我们这一行已经不能说是一种职业,而应当说是一种艺术了。” Mr. Fix evidently was not wanting in a tinge of self-conceit. 显然,这个费克斯是个多少有点自命不凡的人。 Little by little the scene on the quay became more animated; sailors of various nations, merchants, ship-brokers, porters, fellahs, bustled to and fro as if the steamer were immediately expected. The weather was clear, and slightly chilly. The minarets of the town loomed above the houses in the pale rays of the sun. A jetty pier, some two thousand yards along, extended into the roadstead. A number of fishing-smacks and coasting boats, some retaining the fantastic fashion of ancient galleys, were discernible on the Red Sea. 这时,码头上渐渐热闹起来了。一些不同国籍的水手、商人、掮客、搬运夫、当地苦力都涌到码头上来了。显然是船马上就要到了。天气相当晴朗,因为刮着东风,所以很冷。淡淡的阳光照耀着那些突出在城市上空的清真寺的尖塔。举目南望,有一条长达两公里的长堤,象一只巨臂伸在苏伊士运河的港湾里。在红海上,飘浮着星罗棋布的渔舟和小船,其中有些船只,依然还保持着古代船只的那种美丽的式样。 
费克斯由于职业上的习惯,一面在人群里走着,一面打量着来往的行人。这时已经十点半了。 "The steamer doesn't come!" he exclaimed, as the port clock struck. “这条船不会来了!”他一听见港口的钟打十点半,就嚷着说。 "She can't be far off now," returned his companion. “船离这儿不会太远了。”领事回答说。 "How long will she stop at Suez?" “这条船在苏伊士要停多久?” "Four hours; long enough to get in her coal. It is thirteen hundred and ten miles from Suez to Aden, at the other end of the Red Sea, and she has to take in a fresh coal supply." “停四个小时加煤。从苏伊士到红海的出口亚丁港,有一千三百一十海里,必须在这里加足燃料。” 
“这条船从苏伊上直接开往孟买吗?” "Without putting in anywhere." “是的,中途不搭客,也不再装货。” "Good!" said Fix. "If the robber is on board he will no doubt get off at Suez, so as to reach the Dutch or French colonies in Asia by some other route. He ought to know that he would not be safe an hour in India, which is English soil." “那么,”费克斯说,“假如这个贼是从这条路来,并且又真是搭了这条船的话,那末,他一定是打算在苏伊士下船,然后再去亚洲的荷兰殖民地或者法国殖民地。他当然会明白印度是英国的属地,待在印度是不保险的。”
|