The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 — Page 3

「哦，天哪！谁会想到这种主意呢？」

"Oh, good heavens! who ever heard of such an idea?"

「未免太显而易见了。」

"A little too self-evident."

「哈！哈！哈——哈！哈！哈！——呵！呵！呵！」我们的访客大声笑道，显得十分开心，「哦，杜宾，你迟早会把我笑死的！」

"Ha! ha! ha—ha! ha! ha!—ho! ho! ho!" roared our visitor, profoundly amused, "oh, Dupin, you will be the death of me yet!"

「那么，眼下究竟是什么事呢？」我问道。

"And what, after all, is the matter on hand?" I asked.

「好吧，我来告诉你，」局长回答道，他悠悠地深吸了一口烟，在椅子上坐稳了身子。「我长话短说；但在我开口之前，我要提醒你，这件事要求绝对保密，如果有人知道我把它透露给任何人，我现在的职位很可能就不保了。」

"Why, I will tell you," replied the Prefect, as he gave a long, steady and contemplative puff, and settled himself in his chair. "I will tell you in a few words; but, before I begin, let me caution you that this is an affair demanding the greatest secrecy, and that I should most probably lose the position I now hold, were it known that I confided it to any one."

「请说，」我道。

"Proceed," said I.

「或者不说，」杜宾道。

"Or not," said Dupin.

「好，那我说了；我从极高层收到了亲口告知，说有一份至关重要的文件已从王室的房间中被窃走。偷走它的人已经确定；这一点毫无疑问；有人亲眼看见他取走了它。同样可以确定的是，那份文件至今仍在他手中。」

"Well, then; I have received personal information, from a very high quarter, that a certain document of the last importance has been purloined from the royal apartments. The individual who purloined it is known; this beyond a doubt; he was seen to take it. It is known, also, that it still remains in his possession."

「怎么知道的？」杜宾问道。

"How is this known?" asked Dupin.

「这是从文件的性质，以及某些后果的迟迟未现中清楚推断出来的，」局长回答道，「那些后果一旦该文件脱离了窃贼之手便会立即产生；也就是说，是从他必定最终打算利用它的方式中推断出来的。」

"It is clearly inferred," replied the Prefect, "from the nature of the document, and from the non-appearance of certain results which would at once arise from its passing out of the robber's possession; that is to say, from his employing it as he must design in the end to employ it.