博斯科姆比溪谷秘案 06前往博斯科姆比溪谷(6)

On following him they found the dead body stretched out upon the grass beside the pool.

他们随他到了那里，便发现尸首躺在池塘旁边的草地上。

The head had been beaten in by repeated blows of some heavy and blunt weapon.

死者头部被人用某种又重又钝的武器猛击，凹了进去。

The injuries were such as might very well have been inflicted¹ by the butt-end of his son's gun,

从伤痕看，很可能是他儿子甩枪托打的，

which was found lying on the grass within a few paces of the body.

那枝枪扔在草地上，离尸体不过几步远。

Under these circumstances the young man was instantly arrested,

在这种情况下，那个年轻人当即遭到逮捕，

and a verdict of 'wilful² murder' having been returned at the inquest on Tuesday,

星期二传讯时被宣告为犯有'蓄意谋杀'罪，

he was on Wednesday brought before the magistrates³ at Ross, who have referred the case to the next assizes.

星期三将提交罗斯地方法官审判，罗斯地方法官现已把这个案件提交巡回审判法庭去审理。

Those are the main facts of the case as they came out before the coroner and the police-court."

这些就是由验尸官和违警罪法庭对这个案子处理的主要事实经过。"

"I could hardly imagine a more damning case," I remarked.

我当即说："我简直难以想象能有比这更恶毒的案件了。

"If ever circumstantial evidence pointed⁴ to a criminal it does so here."

如果可以用现场作为证据来证明罪行的话，那么现在正是这样一个案子。"

1 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

2 wilful   

adj.任性的，故意的

参考例句：

• A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon.不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。
• He later accused reporters of wilful distortion and bias.他后来指责记者有意歪曲事实并带有偏见。

3 magistrates   

地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
• He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。