美國語文第五冊 第23期：瘋子（02）
Conrad Lange, collector of the revenues of the city of Berlin, had long been known as a man whom nothing could divert from the paths of honesty.
康拉德.蘭格曾是柏林市的稅務(wù)官，多年來，他為人正派，極富聲望。
Scrupulously exact in an his dealings, and assiduous in the discharge of all his duties,
歷年稅務(wù)征收中，他總是力求一絲不茍的精確，勤勉地履行職責(zé)。
he had acquired the good will and esteem of all who knew him, and the confidence of the minister of finance, whose duty it is to inspect the accounts of all officers connected with the revenue.
熟捻他的人，無不對他贊譽(yù)有加。作為柏林市財政長官，負(fù)責(zé)稽查所有官員賬戶，厘清該市稅收眾多的資金往來，為他的職責(zé)所在。
On casting up his accounts at the close of a particular year, he found a deficit of ten thousand ducats.
一個不同尋常的年末，康拉德清理完他的所有賬目后，
Alarmed at this discovery, he went to the minister, presented his accounts,
突然發(fā)現(xiàn)賬面竟然出現(xiàn)一萬元的虧空。他大為驚愕，面見部長后，他提交了自己的賬務(wù)報告，
and informed him that he did not know how it had arisen, and that he had been robbed by some person bent on his ruin.
并向部長陳述有人對他實(shí)施了搶劫，至于具體原因，尚一無所知，肯定有人想蓄意謀害他。
The minister received his accounts, but thinking it a duty to secure a person who might probably be a defaulter,
部長接管了稅務(wù)官賬目，不過，他認(rèn)為，這位稅務(wù)官極可能涉嫌犯罪，
he caused him to be arrested, and put his accounts into the hands of one of his secretaries for inspection,
應(yīng)該即刻予以關(guān)押。在部長授意下，康拉德隨后遭到逮捕。
who returned them the day after with the information that the deficiency arose from a miscalculation;
部長將康拉德的賬目交與他的下屬稽查，那位下屬最終查明了虧空原因，
that in multiplying, Mr. Lange had said, once one is two, instead of once one is one.
原來，康拉德計算出現(xiàn)失誤，他的乘法口訣背錯了，正是故事開頭他那句話，“一一得二，而不是一一得一”。
