8. 伊根本 to 無藏彼張批

8. I kin-pún to bô chhàng hit-tiuⁿ phoe

"Lán chit-ê bu̍t-chit sè-kài," Dupin kè-sio̍k kóng, "hām hui bu̍t-chit sè-kài ū chē-chē ke̍k lūi-sū ê só͘-chāi; só͘-í siu-sû ê goân-lí tō ū bó͘-chióng chin-si̍t ê sek-chhái, tō ē-tàng kō͘ àm a̍h bêng ê pí-lūn lâi ka-kiông lūn-tiám, lâi bí-hòa biô-su̍t. Kí-lē lâi kóng, koàn-sèng (vis inertiae) tēng-lu̍t tī bu̍t-lí ha̍k hām tī hêng-jî-siōng ha̍k (形而上學) ká-ná sī kāng-khoán. Tī bu̍t-lí ha̍k, tōa bu̍t-thé pí sió bu̍t-thé khah oh sak-tāng, tòe lâi ê koàn-sèng koh kap chit-chióng khùn-lân-tō͘ siong-tong; chit-ê goân-lí tī hêng-jî-siōng ha̍k mā kāng-khoán, tōa chhong-bêng lâng, sui-bóng in ê hêng-tōng pí khah bô khiáu ê lâng khah ū-la̍t, khah ún-tēng, khah ū piàn-hòa, m̄-koh in boeh khí-tāng ta̍h thâu kúi-pō͘ ē khah bān, khah pháiⁿ-sè, khah tiû-tû. Koh kí-lē: tó chi̍t-chióng tiàm mn̂g-kháu ê chiau-pâi khah ē ín-khí lí ê chù-ì?"

"Góa chū-lâi m̄-bat siūⁿ tio̍h chit-lō tāi-chì." góa kóng.

"Ū chi̍t-chióng iû-hì," i kè-sio̍k kóng, "sī kō͘ tē-tô͘ lâi sńg. Sńg ê lâng kóng chhut chi̍t-ê jī-sû -- hiong-tìn, hô-liû, koān-chhī a̍h kok-ka ê miâ -- hō͘ lēng-gōa chi̍t-lâng tī hit-tiuⁿ piáu-bīn ìn kah hoe lo-lo, hoâiⁿ-tó-ti̍t-ke̍h ê tē-tô͘ lāi-bīn khì chhōe. Chit-chióng iû-hì ê sin-chhiú, ūi-tio̍h khó-tó tùi-chhiú, thong-siông chhut ê tê sī kō͘ sè-sè jī ìn ê jī-sû; m̄-koh, lāi-hâng lâng kéng ê sī ùi tô͘-bīn chi̍t-thâu thoa-khui kàu lēng-gōa hit-thâu, kō͘ tōa-tōa jī só͘ ìn ê jī-sû. Chit-lō jī-sû, kap kō͘ tōa jī ìn ê chiau-pâi a̍h lō͘-piau kāng-khoán, in-ūi siuⁿ bêng-hián, óng-óng bô hông chù-ì tio̍h. Chit-chióng sī-kak siōng ê sit chù-ì tō chhin-chhiūⁿ tō-tek siōng bô kéng-kak siuⁿ tu̍t-chhut, siuⁿ sù-siông ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ. Khòaⁿ lâi, chit chi̍t-tiám nā m̄-sī chhiau-kòe Kio̍k-tiúⁿ ê lí-kái tō sī i bē-giàn siong-sìn. I m̄-bat siūⁿ tio̍h kóng Pō͘-tiúⁿ hoān-sè ē, mā ū khó-lêng kā hit-tiuⁿ phoe khǹg tī choân sè-kài ê phiⁿ-khang kháu, kō͘ án-ne hō͘ lâng-lâng kak-chhat bē-tio̍h.

"M̄-koh, góa oa̍t-lú siūⁿ tio̍h D Pō͘-tiúⁿ ê káⁿ, lāi, koh khiáu; siūⁿ tio̍h nā boeh lī-iōng hit-ê bûn-kiāⁿ, i tiāⁿ tio̍h ē it-ti̍t kā khǹg tī chhiú-tiong; siūⁿ tio̍h Kio̍k-tiúⁿ tit-tio̍h ê kiat-lūn, he phoe bô tī Pō͘-tiúⁿ in tau it-poaⁿ chhiau-chhōe ē tio̍h ê só͘-chāi -- góa tō oa̍t-lú siong-sìn, ūi tio̍h am-chhàng hit-tiuⁿ phoe, Pō͘-tiúⁿ chhái-chhú choân-bīn koh chhong-bêng ê chhek-lio̍k, i kin-pún to bô chhàng hit-tiuⁿ phoe.

"Chhiong-móa chit-chióng siūⁿ-hoat, góa tō chún-pī chi̍t-hù chheⁿ-jîn ba̍k-kiàⁿ, tī bó͘ chi̍t-ê chheng-lóng ê chá-khí, hut-jiân cháu khì pài-hóng Pō͘-tiúⁿ. I ū tī chhù, ná teh hah-hì, ná theⁿ kau-í, koh chhiūⁿ pêng-siông sî án-ne lán-sô lán-sô, kek kah ká-ná chin bô-liâu ê khoán. I hoān-sè sī oa̍h-lâng tiong-kan siōng ū oa̍h-le̍k ê -- m̄-koh he kan-ta sī tī bô lâng khòaⁿ tio̍h ê sî.

"I kek, góa mā kek, tō oàn-thàn kóng góa ê ba̍k-chiu kiaⁿ kng, tio̍h kòa ba̍k-kiàⁿ, kō͘ án-ne am-khàm, piáu-bīn siōng góa kan-ta chù-ì hām chú-lâng khai-káng, su-té-hā góa sī teh sió-sim koh thiat-té khó-chhat i ê chhù-lāi.

"Góa te̍k-pia̍t chù-ì tio̍h i chē-ūi piⁿ-á hit-tè siá-jī toh, téng-bīn mi̍h-kiāⁿ loān chhau-chhau, kok-chióng phoe-sìn, bûn-chiuⁿ, chi̍t/nn̄g-ê ga̍k-khì, kap kúi-ā pún chheh. M̄-koh, keng-kòe góa kú-kú koh sè-jī ê sím-sī, góa hoat-hiān hia bô siáⁿ hó hoâi-gî.

"Chòe-āu, kā pâng-keng sûn chi̍t-liàn liáu-āu, góa ê ba̍k-chiu tèng tī chi̍t-ê chóa-pang chò ê, khan kim-sòaⁿ ê khah-phìⁿ kè, kō͘ chi̍t-tiâu lah-sap ê nâ-sek toān-tòa, ùi piah-lô͘ tiong-ng ē-bīn ê tâng pèⁿ tiàu tī hia hàiⁿ. Kè-á ū saⁿ/sì-keh, khǹg gō͘/la̍k tiuⁿ khah-phìⁿ kap tan-to̍k chi̍t-tiuⁿ phoe. He phoe lah-sap koh jiâu, ùi tiong-ng liah kah kiông boeh chò nn̄g-chat -- ká-ná chi̍t-tiuⁿ siat-kè tô͘, tī kthâu-hí-seng hông tòng-chò bô kè-ta̍t, boeh kā liah tiāu, āu-lâi iū kái-piàn chú-ì, koh kā lâu lo̍h-lâi. Phoe téng-bīn khām chi̍t-ê bêng-hián ū D ê miâ-hō ê o͘-sek tōa ìn, ū cha-bó͘-lâng siá ê sè-sè ê jī-iūⁿ: kià hō͘ D, its hō͘ Pō͘-tiúⁿ. I hông án-ne chhìn-chhái, sīm-chì án-ne khòaⁿ-khin, kā that tī kè-á ê téng-bīn keh.

"Chi̍t-ē khòaⁿ tio̍h chit-tiuⁿ phoe, góa tō chai, he sī góa teh chhōe ê. Ē-tàng khak-tēng ê sī, i ê gōa-koan hām Kio̍k-tiúⁿ só͘ siông-sè kā lán kóng ê chha kài chē. Hit-lia̍p ìn-á sī o͘-sek koh tōa-lia̍p, ū D ê miâ-hō; lēng-gōa hit-tiuⁿ ê ìn-á sè koh sī âng-sek, ū tāi-piáu S ka-cho̍k ê kong-chiok hui-chiong. Chia, kià hō͘ Pō͘-tiúⁿ ê tē-chí ê jī sè koh cha-bó͘ khoán; lēng-gōa hit-tiuⁿ, kià hō͘ bó͘ chi̍t-ê tiâu-têng tōa jîn-bu̍t ê, jī-thé chho͘ koh tēng; kan-ta tōa-sè pún-sin tō sī chi̍t-ê tùi-pí. M̄-koh, chiah-ê chióng-chióng ê tōa chha-pia̍t; i ê lah-si lah-sap, a-cha koh liah phòa, che hām it-hiòng kui-kí ê D ê chin-chiàⁿ si̍p-koàn bē ha̍h, jî-chhiáⁿ kiông-lia̍t àm-sī khòaⁿ ê lâng, chit-ê bûn-kiāⁿ bô kè-ta̍t. Chiah-ê tāi-chì, koh ka-siōng bûn-kiāⁿ khǹg tī ke̍k bêng-hián ê só͘-chāi, ta̍k-ê hóng-khek lóng khòaⁿ ē-tio̍h, só͘-í hām góa tú-chiah tit-tio̍h ê kiat-lūn it-tì; góa káⁿ kóng, chiah-ê chióng-chióng tùi ū gî-sim ê lâng lâi khòaⁿ, tian-tò chèng-si̍t ū ta̍t-tit hoâi-gî ê só͘-chāi.

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8. 伊根本 to 無藏彼張批

"咱這个物質世界," Dupin 繼續講, "和非物質世界有濟濟極類似 ê 所在; 所以修辭 ê 原理 tō 有某種真實 ê 色彩, tō 會當 kō͘ 暗 a̍h 明 ê 比論來加強論點, 來美化描述. 舉例來講, 慣性 (vis inertiae) 定律 tī 物理學和 tī hêng-jî-siōng ha̍k (形而上學) ká-ná 是仝款. Tī 物理學, 大物體比小物體較僫捒動, 綴來 ê 慣性 koh kap 這種困難度相當; 這个原理 tī 形而上學 mā 仝款, 大聰明人, 雖罔 in ê 行動比較無巧 ê 人較有力, 較穩定, 較有變化, m̄-koh in 欲起動踏頭幾步會較慢, 較歹勢, 較躊躇. Koh 舉例: 佗一種店門口 ê 招牌較會引起你 ê 注意?"

"我自來 m̄-bat 想著 chit-lō 代誌." 我講.

"有一種遊戲," 伊繼續講, "是 kō͘ 地圖來耍. 耍 ê 人講出一个字詞 -- 鄉鎮, 河流, 縣市 a̍h 國家 ê 名 -- 予另外一人 tī 彼張表面印 kah 花 lo-lo, 橫倒直扴 ê 地圖內面去揣. 這種遊戲 ê 新手, 為著考倒對手, 通常出 ê 題是 kō͘ 細細字印 ê 字詞; m̄-koh, 內行人揀 ê 是 ùi 圖面一頭拖開到另外彼頭, kō͘ 大大字所印 ê 字詞. Chit-lō 字詞, kap kō͘ 大字印 ê 招牌 a̍h 路標仝款, 因為 siuⁿ 明顯, 往往無 hông 注意著. 這種視覺上 ê 失注意 tō 親像道德上無警覺 siuⁿ 突出, siuⁿ 四常 ê 物件. 看來, 這一點若毋是超過局長 ê 理解 tō 是伊袂癮相信. 伊 m̄-bat 想著講部長凡勢會, mā 有可能 kā 彼張批囥 tī 全世界 ê 鼻空口, kō͘ án-ne 予人人覺察袂著.

"M̄-koh, 我越愈想著 D 部長 ê 敢, 利, koh 巧; 想著若欲利用彼个文件, 伊定著會一直 kā 囥 tī 手中; 想著局長得著 ê 結論, he 批無 tī 部長 in 兜一般搜揣會著 ê 所在 -- 我 tō 越愈相信, 為著掩藏彼張批, 部長採取全面 koh 聰明 ê 策略, 伊根本 to 無藏彼張批.

"充滿這種想法, 我 tō 準備一付青仁目鏡, tī 某一个清朗 ê 早起, 忽然走去拜訪部長. 伊有 tī 厝, ná teh 哈唏, ná 撐交椅, koh 像平常時 án-ne 懶趖懶趖, 激 kah ká-ná 真無聊 ê 款. 伊凡勢是活人中間上有活力 ê -- m̄-koh he 干焦是 tī 無人看著 ê 時.

"伊激, 我 mā 激, tō 怨嘆講我 ê 目睭驚光, 著掛目鏡, kō͘ án-ne 掩崁, 表面上我干焦注意和主人開講, 私底下我是 teh 小心 koh 徹底考察伊 ê 厝內.

"我特別注意著伊坐位邊仔彼塊寫字桌, 頂面物件亂操操, 各種批信, 文章, 一兩个樂器, kap 幾若本冊. M̄-koh, 經過我久久 koh 細膩 ê 審視, 我發現 hia 無啥好懷疑.

"最後, kā 房間巡一輾了後, 我 ê 目睭釘 tī 一个紙枋做 ê, khan 金線 ê 卡片架, kō͘ 一條垃圾 ê 藍色緞帶, ùi 壁爐中央下面 ê 銅柄吊 tī hia 幌. 架仔有三四格, 囥五六張卡片 kap 單獨一張批. He 批垃圾 koh 皺, ùi 中央 liah kah 強欲做兩 chat -- ká-ná 一張設計圖, tī 頭起先 hông 當做無價值, 欲 kā liah 掉, 後來又改變主意, koh kā 留落來. 批頂面 khām 一个明顯有 D ê 名號 ê 烏色大印, 有查某人寫 ê 細細 ê 字樣: 寄予 D, its 予部長. 伊 hông án-ne 凊彩, 甚至 án-ne 看輕, kā 窒 tī 架仔 ê 頂面格.

"一下看著這張批, 我 tō 知, 彼是我 teh 揣 ê. 會當確定 ê 是, 伊 ê 外觀和局長所詳細 kā 咱講 ê 差蓋濟. 彼粒印仔是烏色 koh 大粒, 有 D ê 名號; 另外彼張 ê 印仔細 koh 是紅色, 有代表 S 家族 ê 公爵徽章. Chia, 寄予部長 ê 地址 ê 字細 koh 查某款; 另外彼張, 寄予某一个朝廷大人物 ê, 字體粗 koh tēng; 干焦大細本身 tō 是一个對比. M̄-koh, chiah-ê 種種 ê 大差別; 伊 ê lah-si lah-sap, a-cha koh 裂破, 這和一向規矩 ê D ê 真正習慣袂合, 而且強烈暗示看 ê 人, 這个文件無價值. Chiah-ê 代誌, koh 加上文件囥 tī 極明顯 ê 所在, 逐个訪客 lóng 看會著, 所以和我拄才得著 ê 結論一致; 我敢講, chiah-ê 種種對有疑心 ê 人來看, 顛倒證實有值得懷疑 ê 所在.

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8.

"The material world," continued Dupin, "abounds with very strict analogies to the immaterial; and thus some color of truth has been given to the rhetorical dogma, that metaphor, or simile, may be made to strengthen an argument, as well as to embellish a description. The principle of the vis inertiae, for example, seems to be identical in physics and metaphysics. It is not more true in the former, that a large body is with more difficulty set in motion than a smaller one, and that its subsequent momentum is commensurate with this difficulty, than it is, in the latter, that intellects of the vaster capacity, while more forcible, more constant, and more eventful in their movements than those of inferior grade, are yet the less readily moved, and more embarrassed and full of hesitation in the first few steps of their progress. Again: have you ever noticed which of the street signs, over the shop doors, are the most attractive of attention?"

"I have never given the matter a thought," I said.

"There is a game of puzzles," he resumed, "which is played upon a map. One party playing requires another to find a given word --the name of town, river, state or empire --any word, in short, upon the motley and perplexed surface of the chart. A novice in the game generally seeks to embarrass his opponents by giving them the most minutely lettered names; but the adept selects such words as stretch, in large characters, from one end of the chart to the other. These, like the over-largely lettered signs and placards of the street, escape observation by dint of being excessively obvious; and here the physical oversight is precisely analogous with the moral inapprehension by which the intellect suffers to pass unnoticed those considerations which are too obtrusively and too palpably self-evident. But this is a point, it appears, somewhat above or beneath the understanding of the Prefect. He never once thought it probable, or possible, that the Minister had deposited the letter immediately beneath the nose of the whole world, by way of best preventing any portion of that world from perceiving it.

"But the more I reflected upon the daring, dashing, and discriminating ingenuity of D--; upon the fact that the document must always have been at hand, if he intended to use it to good purpose; and upon the decisive evidence, obtained by the Prefect, that it was not hidden within the limits of that dignitary's ordinary search --the more satisfied I became that, to conceal this letter, the Minister had resorted to the comprehensive and sagacious expedient of not attempting to conceal it at all.

"Full of these ideas, I prepared myself with a pair of green spectacles, and called one fine morning, quite by accident, at the Ministerial hotel. I found D-- at home, yawning, lounging, and dawdling, as usual, and pretending to be in the last extremity of ennui. He is, perhaps, the most really energetic human being now alive --but that is only when nobody sees him.

"To be even with him, I complained of my weak eyes, and lamented the necessity of the spectacles, under cover of which I cautiously and thoroughly surveyed the apartment, while seemingly intent only upon the conversation of my host.

"I paid special attention to a large writing-table near which he sat, and upon which lay confusedly, some miscellaneous letters and other papers, with one or two musical instruments and a few books. Here, however, after a long and very deliberate scrutiny, I saw nothing to excite particular suspicion.

"At length my eyes, in going the circuit of the room, fell upon a trumpery filigree card-rack of pasteboard, that hung dangling by a dirty blue ribbon, from a little brass knob just beneath the middle of the mantelpiece. In this rack, which had three or four compartments, were five or six visiting cards and a solitary letter. This last was much soiled and crumpled. It was torn nearly in two, across the middle --as if a design, in the first instance, to tear it entirely up as worthless, had been altered, or stayed, in the second. It had a large black seal, bearing the D-- cipher very conspicuously, and was addressed, in a diminutive female hand, to D--, the minister, himself. It was thrust carelessly, and even, as it seemed, contemptuously, into one of the upper divisions of the rack.

"No sooner had I glanced at this letter, than I concluded it to be that of which I was in search. To be sure, it was, to all appearance, radically different from the one of which the Prefect had read us so minute a description. Here the seal was large and black, with the D-- cipher; there it was small and red, with the ducal arms of the S-- family. Here, the address, to the Minister, was diminutive and feminine; there the superscription, to a certain royal personage, was markedly bold and decided; the size alone formed a point of correspondence. But, then, the radicalness of these differences, which was excessive; the dirt; the soiled and torn condition of the paper, so inconsistent with the true methodical habits of D--, and so suggestive of a design to delude the beholder into an idea of the worthlessness of the document; these things, together with the hyperobtrusive situation of this document, full in the view of every visitor, and thus exactly in accordance with the conclusions to which I had previously arrived; these things, I say, were strongly corroborative of suspicion, in one who came with the intention to suspect.

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