"The Coroner: 'Did your father make any statement to you before he died?'

"Witness: 'He mumbled¹ a few words, but I could only catch some allusion² to a rat.'

"The Coroner: 'What did you understand by that?'

"Witness: 'It conveyed no meaning to me. I thought that he was delirious³.'

"The Coroner: 'What was the point upon which you and your father had this final quarrel?'

"Witness: 'I should prefer not to answer.'

"The Coroner: 'I am afraid that I must press it.'

"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.'

"The Coroner: 'That is for the court to decide. I need not point out to you that your refusal to answer will prejudice your case considerably⁴ in any future proceedings⁵ which may arise'

"Witness: 'I must still refuse.'

"The Coroner: 'I understand that the cry of "Cooee" was a common signal between you and your father?'

"Witness: 'It was.'

"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?'

"Witness (with considerable confusion): 'I do not know.'

"A Juryman: 'Did you see nothing which aroused your suspiclons when you returned on hearing the cry and found your father fatally injured?'

"Witness: 'Nothing definite.'

"The Coroner: 'What do you mean?'

"Witness: 'I was so disturbed and excited as I rushed out into the open, that I could think of nothing except of my father. Yet I have a vague impression that as I ran forward something lay upon the ground to the left of me. It seemed to me to be something gray in color, a coat of some sort, or a plaid perhaps. When I rose from my father I looked round for it, but it was gone.'

"'Do you mean that it disappeared before you went for help?'

"'Yes, it was gone.'

"'You cannot say what it was?'

"'No, I had a feeling something was there.'

"'How far from the body?'

"'A dozen yards or so.'

"'And how far from the edge of the wood?'

"'About the same.'

"'Then if it was removed it was while you were within a dozen yards of it?'

"'Yes, but with my back towards it.'

点击收听单词发音  

1 mumbled
含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。 George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

2 allusion
n.暗示，间接提示
参考例句：
He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。 She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

3 delirious
adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的
参考例句：
He was delirious,murmuring about that matter.他精神恍惚，低声叨念着那件事。 She knew that he had become delirious,and tried to pacify him.她知道他已经神志昏迷起来了，极力想使他镇静下来。

4 considerably
adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上
参考例句：
The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。 The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

5 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

6 discrepancy
n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾
参考例句：
The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。 There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。