By eight o'clock the next morning the great city papers were on the stands with the sprawling1 headlines, whichinformed every one in no uncertain terms:
"PROSECUTION2 IN GRIFFITHS' CASE CLOSES WITH IMPRESSIVE DELUGE3 OF TESTIMONY4.""MOTIVE5 AS WELL AS METHOD HAMMERED HOME.""DESTRUCTIVE MARKS ON FACE AND HEAD SHOWN TO CORRESPOND WITH ONE SIDE OFCAMERA.""MOTHER OF DEAD GIRL FAINTS AT CLOSE OF DRAMATIC READING OF HER LETTERS."And the architectonic way in which Mason had built his case, together with his striking and dramaticpresentation of it, was sufficient to stir in Belknap and Jephson, as well as Clyde, the momentary7 conviction thatthey had been completely routed--that by no conceivable device could they possibly convince this jury now thatClyde was not a quadruple-dyed villain8.
And all congratulating Mason on the masterly way he had presented his case. And Clyde, greatly reduced andsaddened by the realization9 that his mother would be reading all that had transpired10 the day before. He must askJephson to please wire her so that she would not believe it. And Frank and Julia and Esta. And no doubt Sondrareading all this, too, to-day, yet through all these days, all these black nights, not one word! A reference now and then in the papers to a Miss X but at no time a single correct picture of her. That was what a family with moneycould do for you. And on this very day his defense11 would begin and he would have to go forward as the onlywitness of any import. Yet asking himself, HOW COULD HE? The crowd. Its temper. The nervous strain of itsunbelief and hatred12 by now. And after Belknap was through with him, then Mason. It was all right for Belknapand Jephson. They were in no danger of being tortured, as he was certain of being tortured.
Yet in the face of all this, and after an hour spent with Jephson and Belknap in his cell, finding himself back inthe courtroom, under the persistent13 gaze of this nondescript jury and the tensely interested audience. And nowBelknap rising before the jury and after solemnly contemplating14 each one of them, beginning:
"Gentlemen--somewhat over three weeks ago you were told by the district attorney that because of the evidencehe was about to present he would insist that you jurors must find the prisoner at the bar guilty of the crime ofwhich he stands indicted16. It has been a long and tedious procedure since then. The foolish and inexperienced, yetin every case innocent and unintentional, acts of a boy of fifteen or sixteen have been gone into before yougentlemen as though they were the deeds of a hardened criminal, and plainly with the intention of prejudicingyou against this defendant17, who, with the exception of one misinterpreted accident in Kansas City--the mostbrutally and savagely19 misinterpreted accident it has ever been my professional misfortune to encounter--can besaid to have lived as clean and energetic and blameless and innocent a life as any boy of his years anywhere. Youhave heard him called a man--a bearded man--a criminal and a crime-soaked product of the darkest vomiting20 ofHell. And yet he is but twenty-one. And there he sits. And I venture to say that if by some magic of the spokenword I could at this moment strip from your eye the substance of all the cruel thoughts and emotions which havebeen attributed to him by a clamorous21 and mistaken and I might say (if I had not been warned not to do so),politically biased23 prosecution, you could no more see him in the light that you do than you could rise out of thatbox and fly through those windows.
"Gentlemen of the jury, I have no doubt that you, as well as the district attorney and even the audience, havewondered how under the downpour of such linked and at times almost venomous testimony, I or my colleague orthis defendant could have remained as calm and collected as we have." (And here he waved with graveceremoniousness in the direction of his partner, who was still waiting his own hour.) "Yet, as you have seen, wehave not only maintained but enjoyed the serenity24 of those who not only feel but KNOW that they have the rightand just end of any legal contest. You recall, of course, the words of the Avon bard--'Thrice armed is he whohath his quarrel just.'
"In fact, we know, as the prosecution in this case unfortunately does not, the peculiarly strange and unexpectedcircumstances by which this dramatic and most unfortunate death came about. And before we are through youshall see for yourselves. In the meantime, let me tell you, gentlemen, that since this case opened I have believedthat even apart from the light we propose to throw on this disheartening tragedy, you gentlemen are not at allsure that a brutal18 or bestial25 crime can be laid upon the shoulders of this defendant. You cannot be! For after all,love is love, and the ways of passion and the destroying emotion of love in either sex are not those of theordinary criminal. Only remember, we were once all boys. And those of you who are grown women were girls,and know well--oh, how very well--the fevers and aches of youth that have nothing to do with a later practicallife. 'Judge not, lest ye be judged and with whatsoever26 measure ye mete27, it will be measured unto ye again.'
"We admit the existence and charm and potent28 love spell of the mysterious Miss X and her letters, which we have not been able to introduce here, and their effect on this defendant. We admit his love for this Miss X, andwe propose to show by witnesses of our own, as well as by analyzing29 some of the testimony that has beenoffered here, that perhaps the sly and lecherous30 overtures31 with which this defendant is supposed to have lured32 thelovely soul now so sadly and yet so purely33 accidentally blotted34 out, as we shall show, from the straight andnarrow path of morality, were perhaps no more sly nor lecherous than the proceedings35 of any youth who findsthe girl of his choice surrounded by those who see life only in the terms of the strictest and narrowest moralregime. And, gentlemen, as your own county district attorney has told you, Roberta Alden loved Clyde Griffiths.
At the very opening of this relationship which has since proved to be a tragedy, this dead girl was deeply andirrevocably in love with him, just as at the time he imagined that he was in love with her. And people who aredeeply and earnestly in love with each other are not much concerned with the opinions of others in regard tothemselves. They are in love-- and that is sufficient!
"But, gentlemen, I am not going to dwell on that phase of the question so much as on this explanation which weare about to offer. Why did Clyde Griffiths go to Fonda, or to Utica, or to Grass Lake, or to Big Bittern, at all?
Do you think we have any reason for or any desire to deny or discolor in any way the fact of his having done so,or with Roberta Alden either? Or why, after the suddenness and seeming strangeness and mystery of her death,he should have chosen to walk away as he did? If you seriously think so for one fraction of a moment, you arethe most hopelessly deluded36 and mistaken dozen jurymen it has been our privilege to argue before in all ourtwenty-seven years' contact with juries.
"Gentlemen, I have said to you that Clyde Griffiths is not guilty, and he is not. You may think, perhaps, that weourselves must be believing in his guilt15. But you are wrong. The peculiarity37, the strangeness of life, is such thatoftentimes a man may be accused of something that he did not do and yet every circumstance surrounding him atthe time seem to indicate that he did do it. There have been many very pathetic and very terrible instances ofmiscarriages of justice through circumstantial evidence alone. Be sure! Oh, be very sure that no such mistakenjudgment based on any local or religious or moral theory of conduct or bias22, because of presumed irrefutableevidence, is permitted to prejudice you, so that without meaning to, and with the best and highest-mindedintentions, you yourselves see a crime, or the intention to commit a crime, when no such crime or any suchintention ever truly or legally existed or lodged39 in the mind or acts of this defendant. Oh, be sure! Be very, verysure!"And here he paused to rest and seemed to give himself over to deep and even melancholy40 thought, while Clyde,heartened by this shrewd and defiant41 beginning was inclined to take more courage. But now Belknap was talkingagain, and he must listen--not lose a word of all this that was so heartening.
"When Roberta Alden's body was taken out of the water at Big Bittern, gentlemen, it was examined by aphysician. He declared at the time that the girl had been drowned. He will be here and testify and the defendantshall have the benefit of that testimony, and you must render it to him.
"You were told by the district attorney that Roberta Alden and Clyde Griffiths were engaged to be married andthat she left her home at Biltz and went forth42 with him on July sixth last on her wedding journey. Now,gentlemen, it is so easy to slightly distort a certain set of circumstances. 'Were engaged to be married' was howthe district attorney emphasized the incidents leading up to the departure on July sixth. As a matter of fact, notone iota43 of any direct evidence exists which shows that Clyde Griffiths was ever formally engaged to Roberta Alden, or that, except for some passages in her letters, he agreed to marry her. And those passages, gentlemen,plainly indicate that it was only under the stress of moral and material worry, due to her condition--for which hewas responsible, of course, but which, nevertheless, was with the consent of both--a boy of twenty-one and a girlof twenty-three--that he agreed to marry her. Is that, I ask you, an open and proper engagement--the kind of anengagement you think of when you think of one at all? Mind you, I am not seeking to flout44 or belittle45 or reflect inany way on this poor, dead girl. I am simply stating, as a matter of fact and of law, that this boy was not formallyengaged to this dead girl. He had not given her his word beforehand that he would marry her . . . Never! There isno proof. You must give him the benefit of that. And only because of her condition, for which we admit he wasresponsible, he came forward with an agreement to marry her, in case . . . in case" (and here he paused and restedon the phrase), "she was not willing to release him. And since she was not willing to release him, as her variousletters read here show, that agreement, on pain of a public exposure in Lycurgus, becomes, in the eyes and wordsof the district attorney, an engagement, and not only that but a sacred engagement which no one but a scoundreland a thief and a murderer would attempt to sever46! But, gentlemen, many engagements, more open and sacred inthe eyes of the law and of religion, have been broken. Thousands of men and thousands of women have seentheir hearts change, their vows47 and faith and trust flouted48, and have even carried their wounds into the secretplaces of their souls, or gone forth, and gladly, to death at their own hands because of them. As the districtattorney said in his address, it is not new and it will never be old. Never!
"But it is such a case as this last, I warn you, that you are now contemplating and are about to pass upon--a girlwho is the victim of such a change of mood. But that is not a legal, however great a moral or social crime it maybe. And it is only a curious and almost unbelievably tight and yet utterly49 misleading set of circumstances inconnection with the death of this girl that chances to bring this defendant before you at this time. I swear it. Itruly know it to be so. And it can and will be fully50 explained to your entire satisfaction before this case is closed.
"However, in connection with this last statement, there is another which must be made as a preface to all that isto follow.
"Gentlemen of the jury, the individual who is on trial here for his life is a mental as well as a moral coward--nomore and no less--not a downright, hardhearted criminal by any means. Not unlike many men in criticalsituations, he is a victim of a mental and moral fear complex. Why, no one as yet has been quite able to explain.
We all have one secret bugbear or fear. And it is these two qualities, and no others, that have placed him in thedangerous position in which he now finds himself. It was cowardice51, gentlemen--fear of a rule of the factory ofwhich his uncle is the owner, as well as fear of his own word given to the officials above him, that caused himfirst to conceal52 the fact that he was interested in the pretty country girl who had come to work for him. And later,to conceal the fact that he was going with her.
"Yet no statutory crime of any kind there. You could not possibly try a man for that, whatever privately53 youmight think. And it was cowardice, mental and moral, gentlemen, which prevented him, after he becameconvinced that he could no longer endure a relationship which had once seemed so beautiful, from sayingoutright that he could not, and would not continue with her, let alone marry her. Yet, will you slay54 a man becausehe is the victim of fear? And again, after all, if a man has once and truly decided55 that he cannot and will notendure a given woman, or a woman a man--that to live with her could only prove torturesome--what would youhave that person do? Marry her? To what end? That they may hate and despise and torture each other foreverafter? Can you truly say that you agree with that as a rule, or a method, or a law? Yet, as the defense sees it, a truly intelligent and fair enough thing, under the circumstances, was done in this instance. An offer, but withoutmarriage--and alas56, without avail--was made. A suggestion for a separate life, with him working to support herwhile she dwelt elsewhere. Her own letters, read only yesterday in this court, indicate something of the kind. Butthe oh, so often tragic57 insistence58 upon what in so many cases were best left undone59! And then that last, long,argumentative trip to Utica, Grass Lake, and Big Bittern. And all to no purpose. Yet with no intention to kill orbetray unto death. Not the slightest. And we will show you why.
"Gentlemen, once more I insist that it was cowardice, mental and moral, and not any plot or plan for any crime ofany kind, that made Clyde Griffiths travel with Roberta Alden under various aliases60 to all the places I have justmentioned--that made him write 'Mr. and Mrs. Carl Graham,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Golden'--mental and moralfear of the great social mistake as well as sin that he had committed in pursuing and eventually allowing himselfto fail into this unhallowed relationship with her--mental and moral fear or cowardice of what was to follow.
"And again, it was mental and moral cowardice that prevented him there at Big Bittern, once the waters of thelake had so accidentally closed over her, from returning to Big Bittern Inn and making public her death. Mentaland Moral Cowardice--and nothing more and nothing less. He was thinking of his wealthy relatives in Lycurgus,their rule which his presence here on the lake with this girl would show to have been broken--of the sufferingand shame and rage of her parents. And besides, there was Miss X--the brightest star in the brightestconstellation of all his dreams.
"We admit all that, and we are completely willing to concede that he was, or must have been, thinking of allthese things. The prosecution charges, and we admit that such is the fact, that he had been so completelyensnared by this Miss X, and she by him, that he was willing and eager to forsake61 this first love who had givenherself to him, for one who, because of her beauty and her wealth, seemed so much more desirable--even as toRoberta Alden he seemed more desirable than others. And if she erred62 as to him--as plainly she did--might not-mightnot he have erred eventually in his infatuated following of one who in the ultimate--who can say?--mightnot have cared so much for him. At any rate, one of his strongest fear thoughts at this time, as he himself hasconfessed to us, his counsel, was that if this Miss X learned that he had been up there with this other girl ofwhom she had not even so much as heard, well then, it would mean the end of her regard for him.
"I know that as you gentlemen view such things, such conduct has no excuse for being. One may be the victim ofan internal conflict between two illicit63 moods, yet nevertheless, as the law and the church see it, guilty of sin andcrime. But the truth, none-the-less, is that they do exist in the human heart, law or no law, religion or noreligion, and in scores of cases they motivate the actions of the victims. And we admit that they motivated theactions of Clyde Griffiths.
"But did he kill Roberta Alden?
"No!
"And again, no!
"Or did he plot in any way, half-heartedly or otherwise, to drag her up there under the guise64 of various aliasesand then, because she would not set him free, drown her? Ridiculous! Impossible! Insane! His plan was completely and entirely65 different.
"But, gentlemen," and here he suddenly paused as though a new or overlooked thought had just come to him,"perhaps you would be better satisfied with my argument and the final judgment38 you are to render if you were tohave the testimony of one eye-witness at least of Roberta Alden's death--one who, instead of just hearing a voice,was actually present, and who saw and hence knows how she met her death."He now looked at Jephson as much as to say: Now, Reuben, at last, here we are! And Reuben, turning to Clyde,easily and yet with iron in his every motion, whispered: "Well, here we are, Clyde, it's up to you now. Only I'mgoing along with you, see? I've decided to examine you myself. I've drilled and drilled you, and I guess youwon't have any trouble in telling me, will you?" He beamed on Clyde genially66 and encouragingly, and Clyde,because of Belknap's strong plea as well as this newest and best development in connection with Jephson, nowstood up and with almost a jaunty67 air, and one out of all proportion to his mood of but four hours before, nowwhispered: "Gee68! I'm glad you're going to do it. I'll be all right now, I think."But in the meantime the audience, hearing that an actual eye-witness was to be produced, and not by theprosecution but the defense, was at once upon its feet, craning and stirring. And Justice Oberwaltzer, irritated toan exceptional degree by the informality characteristic of this trial, was now rapping with his gavel while hisclerk cried loudly: "Order! Order! Unless everybody is seated, all spectators will be dismissed! The deputies willplease see that all are seated." And then a hushed and strained silence falling as Belknap called: "Clyde Griffiths,take the witness chair." And the audience--seeing to its astonishment69, Clyde, accompanied by Reuben Jephson,making his way forward--straining and whispering in spite of all the gruff commands of the judge and thebailiffs. And even Belknap, as he saw Jephson approaching, being a little astonished, since it was he whoaccording to the original plan was to have led Clyde through his testimony. But now Jephson drawing near tohim as Clyde was being seated and sworn, merely whispered: "Leave him to me, Alvin, I think it's best. He looksa little too strained and shaky to suit me, but I feel sure I can pull him through."And then the audience noting the change and whispering in regard to it. And Clyde, his large nervous eyesturning here and there, thinking: Well, I'm on the witness stand at last. And now everybody's watching me, ofcourse. I must look very calm, like I didn't care so very much, because I didn't really kill her. That's right, Ididn't. Yet his skin blue and the lids of his eyes red and puffy and his hands trembling slightly in spite of himself.
And Jephson, his long, tensile and dynamic body like that of a swaying birch, turning toward him and lookingfixedly into Clyde's brown eyes with his blue ones, beginning:
"Now, Clyde, the first thing we want to do is make sure that the jury and every one else hears our questions andanswers. And next, when you're all set, you're going to begin with your life as you remember it--where you wereborn, where you came from, what your father did and your mother, too, and finally, what you did and why, fromthe time you went to work until now. I may interrupt you with a few questions now and then, but in the main I'mgoing to let you tell it, because I know you can tell it better than any one." Yet in order to reassure70 Clyde and tomake him know each moment that he was there--a wall, a bulwark71, between him and the eager, straining,unbelieving and hating crowd--he now drew nearer, at times so close as to put one foot on the witness stand, or ifnot that to lean forward and lay a hand on the arm of the chair in which Clyde sat. And all the while saying,"Yay-uss--Yay-uss." "And then what?" "And then?" And invariably at the strong and tonic6 or protective sound ofhis voice Clyde stirring as with a bolstering72 force and finding himself able, and without shaking or quavering, to tell the short but straitened story of his youth.
"I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My parents were conducting a mission there at that time and used tohold open air meetings. . ."
转天早上八点钟，出现在报摊上的各大城市的报纸，用最鲜明的大字标题昭示天下:
对格里菲思一案提起公诉以大量惊人的罪证结束谋杀动机和手法现已铁证如山死者头脸部分伤痕与照相机边棱完全吻合宣读已故女儿书信时其母闻后当场为之昏厥由于梅森根据严谨的逻辑性进行论辩，发言时又富于惊人的戏剧性，顿时使贝尔纳普。杰夫森和克莱德心里都感到:
他们已经彻底给打垮了，现在怎么也想不出什么绝招来，让陪审团相信克莱德不是一个彻头彻尾的坏蛋。
大家都为梅森论辩时所运用的那种高明手法而向他纷纷祝贺。可是克莱德呢，他一想到，昨天发生的那些事情，他母亲都会看到的，不由得十分泄气，伤心透顶。他非得请杰夫森打电报给她，关照她……还有弗兰克。朱丽娅和爱思德……切莫相信。这些新闻报道，毫无疑问，今天桑德拉也在读，可是，经过这么多的白天黑夜，她却连一个字眼儿都没捎来过!
报上只是偶尔提到了一位某某小姐，但从来没有刊登过一篇有关她本人的真实写照。有钱的人家能为你做的就是这样了。就在今天，被告一方及其律师开始进行辩护了。他就得以独一无二。至关重要的见证人身份出庭。可他反躬自问，叫他又能怎么样呢?
那些听众呀。他们肚里有一股子气呀。如今，他们那种不信赖他和敌视他的态度，使他心里多么惴惴不安啊。而且在贝尔纳普盘问过他以后，就挨到梅森了。贝尔纳普和杰夫森，当然罗，觉得没有什么了不起的。他们并没有碰到受折磨的危险，可他，毫无疑问，面临着受折磨啊。
他忧心忡忡地在牢房里跟杰夫森。贝尔纳普在一起打发过去了一个钟头后，终于又被押上了法庭，这个难以形容的陪审团和十分好奇的观众，眼睛始终紧盯着他。这时，贝尔纳普站了起来，神情严肃地扫了陪审团一眼以后，才开了腔说:
"先生们!
大约在三个星期以前，地方检察官对你们说过，他坚持认为，根据他将要提出的证据，你们这些陪审员先生一定会承认被告席上的人确实犯了起诉时控告他的罪行。从那时起延续到今天，是一个冗长乏味的诉讼程序。甚至连一个十五六岁的男孩的每一件无心。无辜的行为，在列位先生面前通通论证过了，好象这一切就是一个冷酷无情的囚犯干下的一样，其用意，显然，是要你们对被告怀有敌意。可是，这位被告，除了在堪萨斯城仅仅有过一起被歪曲的意外事故以外……它可以说是我开业以来不幸碰到的一起最最粗暴。野蛮地被歪曲了的意外事故……可以说他是一向过着那么纯洁。精力旺盛。无懈可击和天真无邪的生活，跟普天下与他同龄的孩子们的生活一模一样。你们已经听到，有人把他说成是一个成年男子……一个长了胡子的成年男子……一个罪犯，一个从地狱里喷薄而出。最最阴险。存心作恶的妖孽。可他总共才不过二十一岁。此刻，他就坐在列位面前。而我敢大胆说，所有那些惨无人道的思想情绪，都是喜欢大肆喧闹的。认识错误的。而且我还可以说是(如果我没有受到警告，不准这么说的话)怀有政治偏见的原告一方及其律师强加给我所辩护的当事人身上的，所以，如果说我此时此刻可以凭借具有魔术一般的语言，在你们列位面前，把它们的实质内容一层层剥开来，那末，你们再也不可能用现在那种眼光来看待他，就象你们不可能离开座位，从这些窗子里飞出去一样。
"陪审团的先生们，毫无疑问，你们，还有地方检察官，甚至于所有列席听众，一定感到奇怪:
在这一大堆环环相扣，有时几乎是很恶毒的证词有如倾盆大雨似的袭来之后，我本人，或是我的同事，或是这位被告，怎么还能始终如一地神色不动，奉然自若哩。"(说到这里，他威风凛凛地朝他的那位正静候着自己出场时刻的同事挥挥手)"不过，正如你们所见到的那样，我们不仅保持着一种宁静，而且还享受到它的乐趣，要知道这种宁静只有这些人才有，他们不但感觉到，而且还深深知道，在法律面前进行任何争论中，他们是有着正确的。正义的目标。当然，你们一定会想到那位艾冯河上的诗人所说的话……'
''''他理直气壮，好比是披着三重盔甲。，(此处指英国大诗人威廉。莎士比亚。因莎翁诞生于英国艾冯河上的斯特拉特福。引文详见莎翁名剧《亨利六世》中篇第三幕第二场，中译本《莎士比亚全集》第６卷，第１６７页，人民文学出版社出版。
)"事实上，我们都很清楚，可惜本案原告及其律师却并不知道在这姑娘戏剧性的。极端不幸的惨死时那些稀奇古怪而又始料所不及的情况。而你们了解以后，自己就会对此作出判断来的。现在，请允许我告诉你们，列位先生，自从本案开审以来，我一直相信，即使不是根据我们打算对这一令人沮丧的悲剧所作出的解释，你们列位先生也压根儿不会相信这个被告真的犯了这种残忍的或是兽性的罪行。你们不可能相信的!
因为，说到底，爱情是爱情，男女任何一方热恋的方式，以及毁火一切的爱情冲动，是跟普通犯人不能相提并论。只要记住:
我们过去也都是小伙子呗。你们这些成年妇女，从前也都做过姑娘的，谅必你们很了解……哦，一定了解得很透啊……年轻人那种狂热劲儿和失恋后的痛苦，同以后的实际生活都是毫无关系的。'
''''你们不要论断人，免得你们被论断。
你们用什么量器量给人，也必用什么量器量给你们。，(引自《圣经。新约。马太福音》第７章第１。２节。)"我们承认是有这么一位神秘的某某小姐:
她的那些书信(恕我们不能在这里向列位出示)。她的姿色，还有她以爱情的巨大魅力给予这位被告的种种影响。
我们承认他是爱这位某某小姐的。而且，我们准备通过我们自己的见证人，同时对你们已在这里听过的一些证词进行分析，从而证明:
这位被告使用狡猾。淫荡的手法，引诱那个可爱的姑娘……正如我们将要加以说明的，她是纯属意外事故而惨遭身亡的……背离了道德这条正路。不过，被告使用的这些手法，跟任何一个年轻人可能使用的相比，也许并不怎么过分，因为这个年轻人发现他所心爱的姑娘四周围，净是这样一些人，他们只会用极端严峻。极端狭隘的道德框框来看待人生的。再说，列位先生，正如你们的地方检察官对你们说过的，罗伯达。奥尔登是爱克莱德。格里菲思的。在这种后来终于酿成悲剧的关系中，这位已故的姑娘一开始就深深地。始终不渝地爱着他，正如他当时也自以为是爱着她的。凡是深挚相爱的人，对于旁观者的意见，都是不大关心的。反正他们是在倾心相爱……这也就心满意足了!
"不过，列位先生!
这个问题，我并不打算象我们想要向你们所作的这种解释那样，用更多的时间来一段段谈了。那末，克莱德。格里菲思到底为什么要去方达，或是去尤蒂卡，或是去草湖，或是去大比腾呢?
你们以为我们有什么理由，或是有什么企图，要把他跟罗伯达。奥尔登结伴同行一事，加以否认，或是多少给予冲淡吗?
还有，在她死得这么突然，死得似乎奇怪而又神秘之后，他果真仓皇逃跑，当时他的动机，难道说我们也想加以隐瞒吗?
要是你们确实有过这样想法，哪怕是只有一刹那，那也意味着，从我开业以来跟陪审团打交道的整整二十七个年头里，能在你们这些受骗。误解到了不可救药地步的十二位陪审员面前辩论，实属无上荣幸了。
"先生们，我们跟你们列位说过，克莱德。格里菲思是无罪的……这是千真万确的。也许你们以为我们自己一定相信他是犯了罪的。可是你们全错了。生活里经常有这么稀奇古怪的事，有时候一个人可能被人指控，说他做过某一件事，其实，他压根儿没有做过，可在当时，他周围的每一个证据，却好象证实他是做过了的。众所周知，过去就有过许许多多非常悲惨。非常可怕的。被错判了的案例，就是因为法庭仅仅根据间接的旁证。这可要千万小心!
啊，要千万千万小心呀。别让那些根据纯属某一个地区。某一种宗教或道德对人的举止言谈。癖好倾向所持的观点而作出的错误判断，同时由于假想中似乎驳不倒的证据，使你们列位产生偏见。这样一来，即使你们本无此意，而且明明还怀有最美好。最崇高的心愿，却照样会在这里发现了罪行，或是发现有犯罪的意图，可是，从实际上来说也好，从法律上来说也好，在这个被告思想里或是行为上，倒是既没有犯过这样的罪行，也没有要犯这种罪行的意图。啊，这可要千万小心!
要千万千万小心呀!
"说到这里，他顿住了一会儿，好象自己立时陷入深邃甚至可以说是忧郁的沉思之中。而克莱德因受到这些精明而又大胆的开场白的鼓舞，似乎也勇气倍增了。反正现在，贝尔纳普又开始说下去了，克莱德非得仔细地听着……如此给人撑腰壮胆的话，一个字儿也不能漏掉啊。
"罗伯达。奥尔登的尸体从大比腾湖里打捞上来以后，列位先生，一位医生马上就检验过了。当时，这位医生就承认，这个姑娘是溺水身亡的。他要来这里出庭作证。这一证词对被告是有好处的，所以你们列位先生得仔细听听。
"地方检察官对你们说，罗伯达。奥尔登和克莱德。格里菲思是已经订过婚的。还说她在七月六号离开比尔茨老家，是跟他一起旅行结婚去的。不过，列位先生，对某些情况稍加歪曲，那可是易如反掌。'
''''已经订过婚的，……这是地方检察官用来重点说明后来终于导致七月六号离家那件事的。但事实上，一丁点儿都没有任何直接证据足以说明:
克莱德。格里菲思和罗伯达。奥尔登正式订过婚，或是说明他是同意跟她结婚的，除了她信里那些话以外。而她在信里的那些话，列位先生，清清楚楚地说明:
他之所以同意跟她结婚，仅仅是因为她有了身孕，使他在道德上。物质上感到非常担心……当然罗，他对她怀孕一事是负有责任的。不过，尽管如此，双方……一个是二十一岁的男孩，一个是二十三岁的姑娘……还是同意了的……只是在这种担心的压力之下，他才同意跟她结婚的。现在，我就请问你们，难道说这是一种公开的。正常的订婚吗?
难道说这是你们心目中的那种订婚的真正含义吗?
请你们注意，我说什么也不想嘲笑。贬低，或是玷污这个已故的可怜姑娘。我只不过是说明，不管是从事实来说也好，从法律上来说也好，这个男孩并没有跟这个已故的姑娘正式订过婚。他事前并没有答应过她，说要跟她结婚……从来也没有答应过!
什么证据都没有。这一点对他是有利的，你们必须承认。只是由于她有了身孕(关于这一点，我们承认，他是负有责任的)，他这才同意跟她结婚，如果说……如果说，"(说到这里，贝尔纳普顿住了一会儿，才着重说了这一句话)"她不愿意给他自由的话。后来，正如刚才念过的那些信所表明的，她不愿意给他自由，他深怕在莱柯格斯一被揭发，张扬出去，这才不得不表示同意，结果在地方检察官的眼里和话里却变成了订婚，不仅这样，而且还变成了……只有无赖。小偷。杀人犯才敢撕毁的神圣的订婚!
可是，列位先生，过去世界上有过许许多多订婚，从法律和宗教观点来看，可以说是更开放。更神圣的了，但照样也都毁约了。千千万万的男男女女，眼看着他们感情变了，他们的山盟海誓全给忘了，他们甚至把创伤埋藏到自己灵魂深处，或是因此毁于自己的双手，视死如归。正如地方检察官发言时所说的那样，这并不新鲜，但也永远不会过时。永远不会!
"不过，我得警告你们，此刻摆在你们面前需要审处的，正是这么一件案子:
已故的姑娘已成为被告感情变化以后的牺牲品。不过，尽管在道德上或是在社会上来说它可能是罪孽深重，但在法律上并不构成犯罪行为。而且，仅仅是因为跟这个姑娘之死有关的一些稀奇古怪。错综复杂到了几乎令人难以置信。但又是完全被误解了的情况，这位被告这才会在此时此刻被押到了你们列位面前。
这事我可以发誓担保。我真的知道这是千真万确的。在本案了结以前，这事一定能够充分解释清楚，包管你们列位完全满意。
"可是，同前面这段话有关，还得另加一段说明，作为下面提到的许多事情的引语。
"陪审团的列位先生，眼前在这里受审。他的性命操在你们手里的这个人，在思想上。道德上说，是个地地道道的懦夫，而决不是一个彻头彻尾的惨无人道的罪犯。跟许多人身陷险境时毫无二致，他是思想上。道德上的恐惧情结的牺牲品。为什么呢?
这一点，迄今还没有人能作出应有的解释。我们每个人都有各自感到害怕的东西。不是别的，正是懦弱和恐惧这两种特性，才使他身陷目前险境。正是由于怯懦，列位先生……害怕他伯父厂里的厂规，害怕他自己向上司作出过的保证，这才使他先是把他对自己手下打工的这位漂亮的乡下姑娘很感兴趣这一事实掩盖起来。到后来，又把他跟她有交往这一事实掩盖起来。
"不过，这也绝对谈不上有任何触犯法律的罪行。不管你们私下会有什么想法，但你们决不能单凭这一点就审问一个人。后来，他深信过去自己似乎一直珍爱的关系，如今再也不能继续跟她保持下去了，这时，正是那种思想上。道德上的怯懦，列位先生，使他没法一吐为快地说:
他既不可能，也不愿意跟她继续交往，更不用说跟她结婚了。可是，请问你们会不会仅仅因为他是恐惧心理的牺牲品就判他死刑呢?
要知道，说到底，要是一个男人一旦真的认定他对某个女人再也忍受不了(或者反过来说，一个女人对某个男人再也忍受不了，这也是一样道理)，觉得跟她一起过日子，简直就是活受罪，那你们要这个人究竟怎么办呢?
跟她结婚?
图的是什么呢?
难道说让他们在婚后永远互相憎恨。鄙视。受折磨吗?
你们能不能说句良心话，说你们赞成把它当作一条规矩，或是一种办法，或是一条法令?
可是，从被告的观点来看，在现有情况之下，他是尽力而为，做了一件真正明智，而又非常公道的事。他提出了一个建议，只是不结婚……天哪，可惜没有成功。他又建议两人分居，靠他工作来赡养她，她呢住到另一个地方去。昨天在法庭上念过的罗伯达那些信，就提到过这些问题。但是，遗憾得很，本来最好不要做的事，往往由于一个劲儿坚持而导致悲剧，这类事例实在是多得很!
接下来就是时间较长的最后一次，为了说服她，才去尤蒂卡。草湖。
大比腾旅行的。但全都没有达到目的。不过，绝对没有蓄意谋害她或是将她陷害致死。这样的意图，连一丁点儿都没有。原因是什么，我们将会向你们说明。
"列位先生，我再一次强调，正是由于思想上和道德上的怯懦，而决不是什么存心想要犯罪的阴谋计划，促使克莱德。格里菲思和罗伯达。奥尔登一块去刚才我说过上述各地旅行时编造了好几个假名字，因此，他不得不写成'
''''卡尔。
格雷厄姆夫妇，，'
''''克利福德。戈尔登夫妇，。在他追求她，最后放纵自己。跟她发生了这么一种亵渎神明关系后，他在思想上。道德上害怕自己早已铸成大错，罪孽深重，因而他对随之而来的后果，在思想上。道德上都感到非常害怕。
"再说，在大比腾，当罗伯达在湖上意外地惨遭灭顶之灾后，又是思想上和道德上的怯懦，使他没有回到大比腾旅社去，报告她溺水身亡的消息。是地地道道思想上和道德上的怯懦啊。当时他心里想到了他在莱柯格斯的那些有钱的亲戚和他们的厂规，而他跟这个姑娘一块到湖上来，正说明他违反了厂规;同时，他还想到了他父母的痛苦。羞耻和愤怒。此外，还有那位某某小姐……在他梦里金光闪亮的星座中最耀眼的一颗明星。
"这一切我们全都承认。而且我们还完全愿意退一步这么说:
当时他正在想的，或是必定一直在想的，就是这些事情。正如原告及其律师一方所控告的(这我们也承认是事实)，他已被这位某某小姐完全迷住了，同样，她也被他完全迷住了，所以，他不仅乐意，而且还恨不得把那个委身于他的第一个情人甩掉，因为那位某某小姐由于她的姿色和她的财富，在他眼里似乎显得更加妩媚动人……正如他在罗伯达。奥尔登心目中似乎比别人更加富于魅力一样。如果说罗伯达。奥尔登把他看错了……很清楚，她确实是看错了……那么，他会不会……会不会也把他如痴似狂地追求着的另一位小姐看错了呢?
到最后，那位小姐……有谁说得准呢?
……也许并不是那么疼爱他呢?
总而言之，他本人对我们……他的辩护律师……坦白地说过，那时他最大的担心是:
这位某某小姐只要一知道他跟另一个他从来没有听说过的姑娘一起到过湖上去，那就意味着，这位某某小姐给他的青睐也到此为止了。
"我知道，列位先生，按照你们的看法，对这类行为是没有什么可以原谅的。
一个人也许会成为两种不正当情感内部斗争的牺牲品，可是，从法律和教会的观点来看，他是造了孽，犯了罪的。不过话又说回来，这是万古不变的真理:
讲法律也好，不讲法律也好，讲宗教也好，不讲宗教也好，在人们心里，这种情感冲突确实存在着，而且，在许多案子中还主宰着牺牲者的行动。我们承认，这两种情感确实主宰过克莱德。格里菲思的行动。
"但是他有没有杀害罗伯达。奥尔登呢?
"没有!
"再说一遍，没有!
"或者说，他有没有用任何办法，不管是迟疑不决也好，还是什么怯懦也好，编造一些假名字，把她拖到湖上去，后来因为她不愿意给他自由，这才把她活活地淹死呢?
岂不是可笑!
这是不可能的!
简直是发疯了!
他的计划完全不是这样的。
"可是，列位先生，"说到这里，他突然顿了一会儿，好象他猛地寻摸到一个新的。稍纵即逝的想法。"可是你们至少也得听一听罗伯达。奥尔登死时一个目击者的证词……这个见证人不光听到一个呼喊声，而且压根儿就在那儿，亲眼目睹她是怎样死去的，因此也最了解她是怎样死去的……那末，你们对我的论据和你们将要作出的最后判断，也许会感到更加满意了。"这时，他看了看杰夫森，仿佛是在说:
你看，鲁本，好容易等到了!
于是，鲁本向克莱德转过脸去，神态从容自若，但每一个动作都象钢铁般坚强有力，低声耳语道:
"得了，克莱德，这会儿全看你的啦。不过，我是跟你同进退的，明白吧?
我决定亲自审问你。我一次又一次地跟你排练过，我想，我提问，你回答，大概不会有什么困难，是吧?
"他和蔼可亲地。颇有鼓气作用地眉开眼笑，直瞅着克莱德。克莱德由于贝尔纳普强有力的辩护，加上刚才杰夫森这一最新。最佳的决定，就站了起来，几乎再也不愁眉苦脸了(四个钟头以前，他远没有这么好的心境)，低声说:
"敢情好啊!
由您亲自出马，我很高兴。我想，现在我没有什么可怕的了。"但在这时，全场听众一听说有一个真的亲眼目睹过的见证人要出庭(何况不是代表原告一方的，而是代表被告一方的)，马上都纷纷站了起来，伸长了脖子颈，开始骚动起来。奥伯沃泽法官一见这次开庭审判，听众如此随随便便，不拘礼法而感到特别恼火，就使劲儿不断敲他的小木锤。与此同时，他手下的那个录事也高声嚷道:
"遵守秩序!
遵守秩序!
大家都坐好，否则列席旁听的人一律退出去!
请庭警维持全场秩序。"随后，贝尔纳普大声喊道:
"传克莱德。格里菲思，上证人席。"全场在一片紧张气氛中顿时肃静下来。听众们一看克莱德在鲁本。
杰夫森陪同下登上了证人席，不由得大吃一惊，就不顾法官和庭警的厉声呵斥，又开始紧张不安地窃窃私语起来。甚至连贝尔纳普一看见杰夫森走过来，不觉也有点儿惊诧。要知道，按照原定计划，克莱德作证时是由他来主审的。但在克莱德就座宣誓时，杰夫森凑到贝尔纳普跟前，低声说:
"把他交给我吧，阿尔文，依我看恐怕这样更好。看来他有点儿太紧张，两手也抖得够呛;不过，我准能让他度过这一难关。"全场听众也注意到辩护律师已给换了，对此纷纷窃窃私语起来。克莱德那一双惴惴不安的大眼睛在东张西望，心想:
你们瞧，最后我终于登上证人席了。
现在，当然罗，谁都在察看我。我可一定要保持非常镇静，仿佛满不在乎的样子，因为，说真的，我并没有害死她呀!
我并没有害死她，这是千真万确的。可他还是脸色发青，眼皮红肿，两只手禁不住微微颤抖。杰夫森高大。坚韧。充满活力的身躯，象一棵微微摆动的白桦树，朝他转了过去，一双蓝眼睛直盯住克莱德的棕色眼睛。这位辩护律师开了腔说:
"得了，克莱德，首先，我们的一问一答，务必要让陪审团和这儿大厅里的每一个人都能听得清清楚楚。接下来，你准备好了以后，先从你记得的自己的身世谈起……你是生在哪儿，是从什么地方来的，你父亲，还有你母亲，都是干什么的;最后，你干过什么行当，为了什么，就从你开始谋生谈起，一直谈到现在。也许我有时候会打断你的话，插进来问你几个问题。不过，基本上，我就是让你自己讲，因为我知道，这一切你准能讲得比谁都更清楚。"不过，为了给克莱德壮壮胆，让他每时每刻都记住辩护律师一直在场……是一堵墙，一座堡垒，隔在他与那紧张不安。不相信他和仇恨他的听众之间……杰夫森就站得更加靠拢他，有时甚至近得可以把一只脚伸到证人席上了。要不然，他就俯身向前，一只手搭在克莱德坐的椅子扶手上，并且老是念念有词地说:
"是……啊……是……啊""那么后来呢?
""后来又怎么样呢?
"他那种坚定。亢奋的庇护的声音，总是给予克莱德一股支持的力量，使他能身子不抖索。话音不嗫嚅地讲述了他那短暂而穷困的少年时代。
"我生在密执安州大瀑布。那时，我父母在那里办一个传道馆，常在街头向过往行人布道……"
收听单词发音 |
1
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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tonic
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| n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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indicted
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| 控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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defendant
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| n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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vomiting
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| 吐 | |
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clamorous
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| adj.吵闹的，喧哗的 | |
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bias
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| n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见 | |
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biased
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| a.有偏见的 | |
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serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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mete
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| v.分配；给予 | |
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potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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29
analyzing
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| v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析 | |
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lecherous
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| adj.好色的；淫邪的 | |
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31
overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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deluded
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| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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iota
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| n.些微，一点儿 | |
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flout
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| v./n.嘲弄，愚弄，轻视 | |
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belittle
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| v.轻视，小看，贬低 | |
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sever
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| v.切开，割开；断绝，中断 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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flouted
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| v.藐视，轻视( flout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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51
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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56
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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aliases
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| n.别名，化名( alias的名词复数 ) | |
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61
forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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erred
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| 犯错误，做错事( err的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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illicit
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| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
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64
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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67
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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68
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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69
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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70
reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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71
bulwark
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| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
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72
bolstering
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| v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助 | |
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