The defendants, Cesaire-Isidore Brument and Prosper-Napoleon Cornu, appeared before the Court of Assizes of the Seine-Inferieure, on a charge of attempted murder, by drowning, of Mme. Brument, lawful wife of the first of the aforenamed.
被告人Cesaire-Isidore Brument和Prosper-Napoleon Cornu因涉嫌企图谋杀Cesaire-Isidore Brument的合法妻子Mme. Brument，出现在Seine-Inferieure的一家刑事法庭上。

The two prisoners sat side by side on the traditional bench.
这两个囚犯并排坐在传统的长凳上。 —

They were two peasants;
他们都是农民； —

the first was small and stout, with short arms, short legs, and a round head with a red pimply face, planted directly on his trunk, which was also round and short, and with apparently no neck.
第一个被告个子矮胖，胳膊短腿短，圆头上插着一个红色的青春豆脸，直接长在他的短圆躯干上，似乎没有脖子。 —

He was a raiser of pigs and lived at Cacheville-la-Goupil, in the district of Criquetot.
他是一位养猪人，住在Criquetot地区的Cacheville-la-Goupil。

Cornu (Prosper-Napoleon) was thin, of medium height, with enormously long arms.
Cornu(Prosper-Napoleon)个子瘦高，手臂异常长。 —

His head was on crooked, his jaw awry, and he squinted.
他的头歪了，下颚歪了，眼睛斜视。 —

A blue blouse, as long as a shirt, hung down to his knees, and his yellow hair, which was scanty and plastered down on his head, gave his face a worn-out, dirty look, a dilapidated look that was frightful.
一件蓝色的长半身上衣垂到他的膝盖，他稀疏而贴在头上的黄发使他的脸看起来破旧脏污，破败得可怕。 —

He had been nicknamed “the cure” because he could imitate to perfection the chanting in church, and even the sound of the serpent.
他被戏称为“治愈药” ，因为他能完美地模仿教堂里的圣歌，甚至是蛇的声音。 —

This talent attracted to his cafe—for he was a saloon keeper at Criquetot—a great many customers who preferred the “mass at Cornu” to the mass in church.
这个天赋吸引了很多顾客来他在Criquetot开的咖啡馆，这些顾客更喜欢“Cornu教堂的弥撒” 而不是教堂里的弥撒。

Mme. Brument, seated on the witness bench, was a thin peasant woman who seemed to be always asleep.
坐在证人席上的布吕芒太太是一个瘦弱的农妇，她看起来总是在睡觉。 —

She sat there motionless, her hands crossed on her knees, gazing fixedly before her with a stupid expression.
她一动不动地坐在那里，双手交叉放在膝盖上，目光呆滞地凝视着前方。

The judge continued his interrogation.
法官继续进行询问。

“Well, then, Mme. Brument, they came into your house and threw you into a barrel full of water.
“那么，布吕芒太太，他们进了你家，把你扔进了一个装满水的桶里。 —

Tell us the details. Stand up.”
告诉我们细节。站起来。”

She rose. She looked as tall as a flag pole with her cap which looked like a white skull cap.
她站起来了。她戴着看起来像白色头巾的帽子，显得身材高高的，像旗杆一样。 —

She said in a drawling tone:
她用一种慢吞吞的口气说道：

“I was shelling beans. Just then they came in.
“当时我在剥豆。就在那时他们进来了。 —

I said to myself, ‘What is the matter with them?
我对自己说，‘他们怎么啦？’” —

They do not seem natural, they seem up to some mischief.’ They watched me sideways, like this, especially Cornu, because he squints.
他们看起来不自然，像是在干坏事。他们斜着眼睛看着我，特别是Cornu，因为他斜视。 —

I do not like to see them together, for they are two good-for-nothings when they are in company.
当他们在一起时，我不喜欢看到他们，因为他们在一起时总是无所事事。 —

I said:
我说： —

‘What do you want with me?’ They did not answer.
“你们想要我干什么？”他们没有回答。 —

I had a sort of mistrust——”
我有点不放心——”

The defendant Brument interrupted the witness hastily, saying:
被告Brument急忙打断了证人的话，说：

“I was full.”
“我满了。”

Then Cornu, turning towards his accomplice said in the deep tones of an organ:
然后Cornu转向他的同伙，用低沉的声音说：

“Say that we were both full, and you will be telling no lie.”
“说我们俩都喝醉了，这样你就不会撒谎。”

The judge, severely:
法官严厉地说：

“You mean by that that you were both drunk?”
“你的意思是你们两个都喝醉了？”

Brument: “There can be no question about it.”
Brument：“这是毫无疑问的。”

Cornu: “That might happen to anyone.”
Cornu：“这可能发生在任何人身上。”

The judge to the victim: “Continue your testimony, woman Brument.”
法官对受害人说：“继续作证吧，Brument女士。”

“Well, Brument said to me, ‘Do you wish to earn a hundred sous?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied, seeing that a hundred sous are not picked up in a horse’s tracks.
“嗯，Brument对我说，‘你想挣一百个苏’？‘是的，’我回答说，看到一百个苏不会从马蹄印里捡起来。” —

Then he said: ‘Open your eyes and do as I do,’ and he went to fetch the large empty barrel which is under the rain pipe in the corner, and he turned it over and brought it into my kitchen, and stuck it down in the middle of the floor, and then he said to me:
然后他说：“睁开你的眼睛，跟着我做”，他走到角落的雨管下面拿来了个大的空桶，把它扣过来放到了我的厨房，然后他对我说： —

‘Go and fetch water until it is full.’
“去拿水直到桶装满。”

“So I went to the pond with two pails and carried water, and still more water for an hour, seeing that the barrel was as large as a vat, saving your presence, m’sieu le president.
“所以我拿着两桶水去了池塘，一小时内一直在运水，因为那个桶够大的，就像个大桶，不冒犯您，总统先生。”

“All this time Brument and Cornu were drinking a glass, and then another glass, and then another.
“这段时间，布吕芒和科尔努一直在喝酒，一杯接一杯，又一杯。” —

They were finishing their drinks when I said to them:
当他们喝完酒时，我对他们说：“你们已经饱了， —

‘You are full, fuller than this barrel.’ And Brument answered me.
比这个桶还满。” 布吕芒回答我说。 —

‘Do not worry, go on with your work, your turn will come, each one has his share.’ I paid no attention to what he said as he was full.
“不要担心，继续你的工作，轮到你了，每个人都有份。” 我没有理会他说的话，因为他已经饱了。

“When the barrel was full to the brim, I said: ‘There, that’s done.’
当桶装满的时候，我说：“好了，完成了。”

“And then Cornu gave me a hundred sous, not Brument, Cornu; it was Cornu gave them to me. And Brument said:
“然后Cornu给了我一百个苏，而不是Brument，是Cornu给了我。而Brument说： —

‘Do you wish to earn a hundred sous more?’ ‘Yes,’ I said, for I am not accustomed to presents like that.
‘你想再赚一百个苏吗？’‘是的，’我说，因为我不习惯这样的礼物。 —

Then he said: ‘Take off your clothes!
然后他说：‘脱掉你的衣服！’

“’Take off my clothes?’
“‘脱掉我的衣服？’

“’Yes,’ he said.
“‘是的，’他说。

“’How many shall I take off?’
“‘我应该脱多少件？’

“’If it worries you at all, keep on your chemise, that won’t bother us.’
“‘如果你有任何困扰，可以保留你的衬衫，那对我们都没有关系。’

“A hundred sous is a hundred sous, and I have to undress myself;
“一百个苏是一百个苏，而我必须脱衣服； —

but I did not fancy undressing before those two good-for-nothings.
但是我不喜欢在那两个无赖面前脱衣服。 —

I took off my cap, and then my jacket, and then my skirt, and then my sabots.
“我脱掉了我的帽子，然后脱掉了我的夹克，然后脱掉了我的裙子，然后脱掉了我的木鞋。 —

Brument said, ‘Keep on your stockings, also; we are good fellows.’
Brument说，‘你可以保留你的袜子，我们是好人。’

“And Cornu said, too, ‘We are good fellows.’
“Cornu也说，‘我们是好人。’

“So there I was, almost like mother Eve. And they got up from their chairs, but could not stand straight, they were so full, saving your presence, M’sieu le president.
“于是我就像伊甸园里的夏娃一样。他们从椅子上站起来，但是无法站直，他们喝得太多了，如果您不介意，主席先生。

“I said to myself: ‘What are they up to?’
“我对自己说：‘他们在搞什么？’

“And Brument said: ‘Are you ready?’
“Brument说：‘你准备好了吗？’

“And Cornu said: ‘I’m ready!’
“康努说：’我准备好了！’”

“And then they took me, Brument by the head, and Cornu by the feet, as one might take, for instance, a sheet that has been washed.
“然后他们抓住我的头，康努抓住我的脚，就像拿着一张洗过的床单一样。然后我开始哭闹起来。 —

Then I began to bawl.

“And Brument said: ‘Keep still, wretched creature!’
“布伦曼说：’安静点，可怜的家伙！’”

“And they lifted me up in the air and put me into the barrel, which was full of water, so that I had a check of the circulation, a chill to my very insides.
“他们把我举起来放进了装满水的桶里，以至于整个身体都感到寒冷。

“And Brument said: ‘Is that all?’
“布伦曼说：’就这些了吗？’”

“Cornu said: ‘That is all.’
“康努说：’就这些了。’”

“Brument said: ‘The head is not in, that will make a difference in the measure.’
“布伦曼说：’头没进去，这会对量有影响。’”

“Cornu said: ‘Put in her head.’
“康努说：’把她的头放进去。’”

“And then Brument pushed down my head as if to drown me, so that the water ran into my nose, so that I could already see Paradise.
“然后布伦曼把我的头按下去，仿佛要淹死我一样，水就流进了我的鼻子，我几乎看到了天堂。 —

And he pushed it down, and I disappeared.
“他又按了下去，我就消失了。

“And then he must have been frightened.
“然后他肯定吓坏了。 —

He pulled me out and said:
他把我拉出来说：’ —

‘Go and get dry, carcass.’
快去晾干，死尸。’”

“As for me, I took to my heels and ran as far as M. le cure’s.
“至于我，我逃到了教堂先生那里。” —

He lent me a skirt belonging to his servant, for I was almost in a state of nature, and he went to fetch Maitre Chicot, the country watchman who went to Criquetot to fetch the police who came to my house with me.
他借给了我他仆人的一条裙子，因为我几乎一丝不挂，然后他去找了乡下的警察马特尔·希科和国家看守员克里克托的警察来和我一起回家。

“Then we found Brument and Cornu fighting each other like two rams.
随后我们发现布伦曼和科尔纳在像两只公羊一样互相扭打。

“Brument was bawling: ‘It isn’t true, I tell you that there is at least a cubic metre in it.
布伦曼大叫道：“才不是这样，至少有一立方米。 —

It is the method that was no good.’
方法不好。”

“Cornu bawled: ‘Four pails, that is almost half a cubic metre.
科尔纳大喊道：“四桶，几乎是半立方米。 —

You need not reply, that’s what it is.’
别回答了，就是这样。”

“The police captain put them both under arrest.
警长把他们都逮捕了。 —

I have no more to tell.”
我没有更多要讲的了。

She sat down. The audience in the court room laughed.
她坐下。法庭上的观众笑了。 —

The jurors looked at one another in astonishment.
陪审团成员相互看着感到惊讶。 —

The judge said:
法官说：

“Defendant Cornu, you seem to have been the instigator of this infamous plot.
被告科尔纳，你似乎是这个可耻阴谋的策划者。 —

What have you to say?”
你有什么话要说？

And Cornu rose in his turn.
科尔纳接着站起来。

“Judge,” he replied, “I was full.”
法官回答道：我知道。继续。

The Judge answered gravely:
法官庄重地回应道。

“I know it. Proceed.”
我知道。继续。

“I will. Well, Brument came to my place about nine o’clock, and ordered two drinks, and said:
“好的，布朗曼大约九点钟来到我家，点了两杯酒，然后说： —

‘There’s one for you, Cornu.’ I sat down opposite him and drank, and out of politeness, I offered him a glass.
‘这是给你的一杯，科纽。’我坐在他对面喝了，为了礼貌起见，我给他递了一杯。 —

Then he returned the compliment and so did I, and so it went on from glass to glass until noon, when we were full.
然后他回敬了我，我也一样回敬了他，杯子来来回回，直到中午，我们都喝醉了。

“Then Brument began to cry. That touched me.
“然后布朗曼开始哭了。那件事感动了我。 —

I asked him what was the matter. He said:
我问他怎么了。他说： —

‘I must have a thousand francs by Thursday.’ That cooled me off a little, you understand.
‘我星期四之前必须有一千法郎。’那时我有点凉了下来，你明白吧。 —

Then he said to me all at once:
然后他突然对我说： —

‘I will sell you my wife.’
‘我要卖给你我妻子。’

“I was full, and I was a widower.
“我当时喝醉了，而且我是个鳏夫。 —

You understand, that stirred me up.
你明白，那个话题激起了我的兴趣。 —

I did not know his wife, but she was a woman, wasn’t she?
我不认识他的妻子，但她是个女人，不是吗？ —

I asked him:
我问他： —

‘How much would you sell her for?’
‘你要卖她多少钱？’

“He reflected, or pretended to reflect.
“他思考了一下，或者假装思考了一下。 —

When one is full one is not very clear-headed, and he replied: ‘I will sell her by the cubic metre.’
一个人喝醉了，头脑不太清晰，他回答说：‘我按立方米卖她。’”

“That did not surprise me, for I was as drunk as he was, and I knew what a cubic metre is in my business.
“这并不让我感到惊讶，因为我和他一样醉了，我知道立方米在我的行业中是什么意思。 —

It is a thousand litres, that suited me.
它是一千升，这很合适。”

“But the price remained to be settled.
“但价格还需要商定。 —

All depends on the quality. I said:
一切都取决于质量。我说： —

‘How much do you want a cubic metre?’
‘你要一立方米多少钱？’”

“He answered: ‘Two thousand francs.’
“他回答说：‘两千法郎。’”

“I gave a bound like a rabbit, and then I reflected that a woman ought not to measure more than three hundred litres.
“我像兔子一样跳了起来，然后我想到一个女人应该测量的不应该超过三百升。所以我说： —

So I said: ‘That’s too dear.’
‘太贵了。’”

“He answered: ‘I cannot do it for less.
“他回答说：‘我不能再少了。 —

I should lose by it.’
我会亏本的。’”

“You understand, one is not a dealer in hogs for nothing.
“你知道，一个人不是无缘无故成为生猪贩子的。 —

One understands one’s business.
你要了解你的行业。” —

But, if he is smart, the seller of bacon, I am smarter, seeing that I sell them also. Ha, Ha, Ha! So I said to him:
“但是，如果他聪明，那么卖培根的我更聪明，因为我也卖生猪。哈哈哈！所以我对他说： —

‘If she were new, I would not say anything, but she has been married to you for some time, so she is not as fresh as she was.
“‘如果它是新的，我什么都不会说，但是她和你结婚有一段时间了，所以她不如从前新鲜了。 —

I will give you fifteen hundred francs a cubic metre, not a sou more.
“我会给你一立方米一千五百法郎，一分钱都不能再多。 —

Will that suit you?’
这样可以吗？’”

“He answered: ‘That will do. That’s a bargain!’
“他回答说：‘可以，成交！’”

“I agreed, and we started out, arm in arm.
“我同意了，我们手牵手出发了。 —

We must help each other in this world.
在这个世界上，我们必须相互帮助。”

“But a fear came to me:
“但我产生了一个恐惧： —

‘How can you measure her unless you put her into the liquid?’
‘如果不把她放进液体中，怎么衡量她呢？’”

“Then he explained his idea, not without difficulty for he was full.
“然后他费力地向我解释了他的想法，因为他已经醉了。 —

He said to me:
他对我说：” —

‘I take a barrel, and fill it with water to the brim.
“‘我拿一个桶，把水倒满盛满。然后把她放进去。 —

I put her in it.
’” —

All the water that comes out we will measure, that is the way to fix it.’
“出来的所有水我们都会计量，这是固定的方法。”

“I said: ‘I see, I understand.
“我说：‘我明白了，我懂了。 —

But this water that overflows will run away;
但是溢出来的这些水会流走， —

how are you going to gather it up?’
你怎么收集起来呢？’”

“Then he began stuffing me and explained to me that all we should have to do would be to refill the barrel with the water his wife had displaced as soon as she should have left.
“然后他开始戳我的脖子，解释说，我们所要做的只是在他的妻子离开后立即用她挤出的水重新填满桶。” —

All the water we should pour in would be the measure.
“我们倒进去的所有水将是度量。 —

I supposed about ten pails;
我估计大约是十桶水；” —

that would be a cubic metre. He isn’t a fool, all the same, when he is drunk, that old horse.
“那将是一个立方米。尽管他喝醉了的时候很傻，但他并不是个傻瓜，那匹老马。”

“To be brief, we reached his house and I took a look at its mistress.
“简而言之，我们到达了他的家，我看了一眼这个女主人。 —

A beautiful woman she certainly was not.
她绝对不是一个漂亮女人。 —

Anyone can see her, for there she is.
任何人都可以看到她，在那里。 —

I said to myself: ‘I am disappointed, but never mind, she will be of value; handsome or ugly, it is all the same, is it not, monsieur le president?’ And then I saw that she was as thin as a rail.
我对自己说：“我很失望，但没关系，她会有价值的；无论漂亮还是丑陋，都无所谓，对吧，总统先生？“然后我看到她瘦得像根轨道。 —

I said to myself:
我对自己说： —

‘She will not measure four hundred litres.’ I understand the matter, it being in liquids.
“她的容器不会有四百升。”我明白这个问题，这涉及到液体的计量。

“She told you about the proceeding.
“她告诉你整个过程。 —

I even let her keep on her chemise and stockings, to my own disadvantage.
我甚至让她穿着内衣和长筒袜，这对我自己不利。

“When that was done she ran away. I said:
“做完之后，她逃跑了。我说：“小心， —

‘Look out, Brument! she is escaping.’
布鲁芒！她要逃走了。”

“He replied: ‘Do not be afraid.
“他回答说：“别怕。 —

I will catch her all right.
我会抓住她的。 —

She will have to come back to sleep, I will measure the deficit.’
她得回来睡觉，我会测量缺口。”

“We measured. Not four pailfuls. Ha, Ha, Ha!”
“我们测量了。不到四桶的容量。哈哈哈！”

The witness began to laugh so persistently that a gendarme was obliged to punch him in the back.
证人开始一直笑，以至于一名警察不得不在他背后捅了他一下。 —

Having quieted down, he resumed:
平静下来后，他继续说道：

“In short, Brument exclaimed:
“总而言之，布吕芒特大声喊道：’ —

‘Nothing doing, that is not enough.’ I bawled and bawled, and bawled again, he punched me, I hit back.
不行，这还不够。’ 我大声啼哭着，再次哭泣，他打我，我回击。 —

That would have kept on till the Day of judgment, seeing we were both drunk.
如果我们两个都醉了，那可能会一直持续到审判日。

“Then came the gendarmes! They swore at us, they took us off to prison.
“然后来了警察！他们对我们咒骂，把我们带进了监狱。 —

I want damages.”
我要求赔偿。”

He sat down.
他坐下来。

Brument confirmed in every particular the statements of his accomplice.
布吕芒特在每个细节上证实了他的同伙的陈述。 —

The jury, in consternation, retired to deliberate.
陪审团惊愕地退去商议。

At the end of an hour they returned a verdict of acquittal for the defendants, with some severe strictures on the dignity of marriage, and establishing the precise limitations of business transactions.
一个小时后，他们作出了对被告的无罪判决，并且严厉批评了婚姻的尊严，界定了商业交易的确切限制。

Brument went home to the domestic roof accompanied by his wife.
布吕芒特带着妻子回到家。

Cornu went back to his business.
Cornu回到了他的事业上。