It was at eleven forty-five that the first alarm reached the small local police station, in charge of Sergeant Wilson of the Sussex Constabulary. Cecil Barker, much excited, had rushed up to the door and pealed furiously upon the bell. A terrible tragedy had occurred at the Manor House, and John Douglas had been murdered. That was the breathless burden of his message. He had hurried back to the house, followed within a few minutes by the police sergeant, who arrived at the scene of the crime a little after twelve o’clock, after taking prompt steps to warn the county authorities that something serious was afoot.

11時45分だった / 第一報が小さな地元交番に届いたのは / サセックス州警察のウィルソン巡査部長が担当していた◆セシル・ベーカーは / 非常に興奮して / 玄関口に駆け上がり / ベルを猛烈に鳴らした◆恐ろしい惨劇が領主邸で起きて / ジョン・ダグラスが殺害された◆これが息を切らした彼の話した内容だった◆彼は邸に急いで戻り / 数分以内に巡査部長が続いた / 彼は犯罪現場についた / 12時少し過ぎに / 地方警察に知らせるという緊急の手段をとったあと / 深刻な事態が発生したという

On reaching the Manor House, the sergeant had found the drawbridge down, the windows lighted up, and the whole household in a state of wild confusion and alarm. The white-faced servants were huddling together in the hall, with the frightened butler wringing his hands in the doorway. Only Cecil Barker seemed to be master of himself and his emotions; he had opened the door which was nearest to the entrance and he had beckoned to the sergeant to follow him. At that moment there arrived Dr. Wood, a brisk and capable general practitioner from the village. The three men entered the fatal room together, while the horror-stricken butler followed at their heels, closing the door behind him to shut out the terrible scene from the maid servants.

領主邸に着くと / 巡査部長は発見した / 跳ね橋が下ろされ / 窓に明かりがあり / 使用人全員が / 非常な混乱と恐怖の状態にあるのを◆真っ青な顔をした使用人達は / ホールで身を寄せ合っていた / 怯えた執事は戸口で手を堅く握っていた◆セシル・バーカーだけが自分の感情を制御できているようだった / 彼は入り口に一番近い扉を開いていた / 彼は巡査部長についてくるように手招きした◆その瞬間、活発で有能な開業医のウッド医師が到着した / 村から◆三人の男は一緒に殺人のあった部屋に入った / 恐怖に打ちひしがれた執事がすぐ後ろに続き / 後ろで扉を閉めた / 恐ろしい現場からメイドを締め出すために

The dead man lay on his back, sprawling with outstretched limbs in the centre of the room. He was clad only in a pink dressing gown, which covered his night clothes. There were carpet slippers on his bare feet. The doctor knelt beside him and held down the hand lamp which had stood on the table. One glance at the victim was enough to show the healer that his presence could be dispensed with. The man had been horribly injured. Lying across his chest was a curious weapon, a shotgun with the barrel sawed off a foot in front of the triggers. It was clear that this had been fired at close range and that he had received the whole charge in the face, blowing his head almost to pieces. The triggers had been wired together, so as to make the simultaneous discharge more destructive.

男は手足をぶざまに伸ばして仰向けに倒れて死んでいた / 部屋の真中で◆彼はピンクのガウンを羽織っているだけだった / 夜着の上から◆足には室内用スリッパを履いていた◆医者は彼の側に膝をつき / テーブルの上にあった手提げランプを下げた◆犠牲者を一瞬見ただけで / 治療者には彼の存在が不要なものだと分かるのに十分だった◆男は恐ろしい傷を受けていた◆奇妙な武器が胸の上に置かれていた / 引き金から前一フィートくらいに銃身が切り詰められた散弾銃だった◆明らかだった / これが非常に近いところから発射され / 彼が全ての散弾を顔に受けたのは / 彼の頭をほとんど粉々に吹き飛ばして◆引き金は針金で繋がれていた / 同時に発射してより破壊力を増すために