美國語文第五冊 第314期：論烤豬（05）
It was observed that Ho-ti's cottage was burnt down now more frequently than ever.
有人留意到，霍逖家窩棚隔三岔五便有祝融光顧，火災似乎頻繁起來；
Nothing but fires from this time forward.
從那以后，火災似乎壓根就沒消停過，而且一燒就燒個精光。
Some would break out in broad day, others in the nighttime; and Ho-ti himself, which was the more remarkable,
有時青天白日莫名失火，有時夜半三更火災光臨，霍逖本人舉止愈發(fā)讓人狐疑，
instead of chastising his son, seemed to grow more indulgent to him than ever.
不僅不懲罰他的兒子，似乎愈發(fā)放任孩子屢屢縱火的惡行。
At length they were watched, the terrible mystery discovered,
最終，霍逖與波波受到嚴密監(jiān)控，可怕的秘密終于真相大白，
and father and son summoned to take their trial at Pekin, then an inconsiderable assize town.
父子二人被傳訊到北京嚴加審問，那時北京城規(guī)模要小得多，不過是個民間巡回審判的村落小鎮(zhèn)。
Evidence was given, the obnoxious food itself produced in court, and verdict about to be pronounced,
戴罪之人被帶上庭堂，彌天大罪的證據亦被提交法庭，
when the foreman of the jury begged that some of the burnt pig, of which the culprits stood accused, might be handed into the box.
判決即將宣判之際，突然，審判團長老要求指控罪犯犯罪證據的烤豬當庭呈上，以驗明核實。
He handled it, and they all handled it; and burning their fingers, as Bo-bo and his father had done before them,
審判團長老伸手摸了摸烤乳豬，在座其他要員隨之仿效，與波波與他老爸感受心同，
and nature prompting to each of them the same remedy, against the face of all the facts, and the clearest charge which the judge had ever given,
大家都燙得縮回了手，下意識用嘴吹了吹灼痛之處。接下來，無視所有的事實證據，甚至法官提交法庭的犯罪清晰指控，
to the surprise of the whole court, townsfolk, strangers, reporters, and all present,
包括聚眾旁觀的市井小民，過往路人，嚼舌之徒，以及所有在場者瞠目結舌的是，
without leaving the box, or any manner of consultation whatever, they brought in a simultaneous verdict of “Not Guilty.”
審判團成員沒有離開法庭商討，也未經任何磋商討論，異口同聲一致作出“無罪判決”。
The judge, who was a shrewd fellow, winked at the manifest iniquity of the decision;
那位法庭長老級人物，顯然精明過人，對法庭明顯違規(guī)操作的判決深諳于心；
and when the court was dismissed, went privily, and bought up all the pigs that could be had for love or money.
待到散庭后，他悄悄買光所有的烤豬，這場交易稱得上連買帶送。
