"The Coroner: Did your father make any statement to you before he died?
"验尸官:"你父亲临终前对你说过什么没有?"
Witness: He mumbled a few words, but I could only catch some allusion to a rat.
证人:"他含糊不清地说了几句话,但我只听到他好象提到一个'拉特'。
The Coroner: What did you understand by that?
"验尸官:"你认为这话是什么意思?"
Witness: It conveyed no meaning to me. I thought that he was delirious.
证人:"我不懂它是什么意思,我认为他当时已经神志昏迷。"
The Coroner: What was the point upon which you and your father had this final quarrel?
验尸官:"你和你父亲最后一次争吵的原因是什么?"
Witness: I should prefer not to answer.
证人:"我不想回答这个问题。"
The Coroner: I am afraid that I must press it.
验尸官:"看来我必须坚持要你回答。"
Witness: It is really impossible for me to tell you. I can assure you that it has nothing to do with the sad tragedy which followed.
证人:"我真的不可能告诉你。我可以向你保证,这和随后发生的惨案毫无关系。"
The Coroner: That is for the court to decide.
验尸官:"这要由法庭来裁决。
I need not point out to you that your refusal to answer will prejudice your case considerably in any future proceedings which may arise.
我无须向你指出你也该明白,拒绝回答问题,在将来可能提出起诉时,对于你的案情将相当不利的。"
Witness: I must still refuse.
证人:"我仍然要坚持拒绝回答。"
The Coroner: I understand that the cry of "Cooee" was a common signal between you and your father?
验尸官:"据我了解,'库伊'的喊声是你们父子之间常用的信号。"
Witness: It was.
证人:"是的。"
The Coroner: How was it, then, that he uttered it before he saw you, and before he even knew that you had returned from Bristol?
验尸官:"那么,他还没有见到你,甚至还不知道你已从布里斯托尔回来就喊这个信号,那是怎么回事呢?"
Witness (with considerable confusion): I do not know.
证人(显得相当慌乱):"这个,我可不知道。"