"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。"