Chapter 8
第八章
As Cooper passed a desk, a colleague said, "I hear you got the Romano assignment. Lucky you. New Orleans is---"
当库珀经过一张写字台的时候，一个同事说：“听说你得到了罗马诺的那个案子。你真有运气。新奥尔良是——”
Cooper walked by without replying. Why couldn't they leave him alone? That was all he asked of anybody, but they were always pestering him with their nosy overtures.
库珀没有回答就走了过去。他们为什么不能让他一个人安静会儿？这是他对所有人的唯一要求，但他们总爱多管闲事，经常来打扰他。
It had become a game in the office. They were determined to break through his mysterious reserve and find out who he really was.
库珀的同事决心冲破他那不可思议的沉默，弄清他到底是什么样的一个人，这已经成了办公室的一项工作。
"What are you doing for dinner Friday night, Dan...?"
“丹，你准备为星期五晚上的聚会做点什么贡献……”
"If you're not married, Sarah and I know a wonderful girl, Dan...?"
“丹，如果你还没有结婚，我和萨拉可认识一个非常漂亮的姑娘……”
Couldn't they see he did not need any of them--- didn't want any of them?
难道他们看不出他不需要任何人——不喜欢任何人吗？
"Come on, it's only for a drink...."
“来吧，就喝一杯……”
...
Now, as Cooper looked at the woman seated across from him, he was 100 percent convinced that she had had nothing to do with the theft of the painting. He was ready to write his report.
现在，当库珀看着坐在他对面的这个女人时，他百分之百地相信她和这起盗画事件毫无关系。至此，他也准备好了写报告的一切材料。
"Romano framed you, Miss Whitney. Sooner or later, he would have put in a claim for the theft of that painting. You just happened to come along at the right moment to make it easy for him."
“罗马诺陷害了你，惠特里小姐。他迟早会对这幅画的被盗要求赔偿。你恰好找上门去，使他如愿以偿。”
Tracy could feel her heartbeat accelerate. This man knew she was innocent. He probably had enough evidence against Joe Romano to clear her. He would speak to the warden or the governor, and get her out of this nightmare. She found it suddenly difficult to breathe. "Then you'll help me?"
特蕾西感到她的心跳加快。这个人知道她是无辜的。他可能有足够的对乔-罗马诺不利的证据来洗清她的冤枉。他会找监狱长或州长谈话，使她从这恶梦中脱身。她突然感到呼吸困难起来。“那么，您能帮助我吗？”
Daniel Cooper was puzzled. "Help you?"
丹尼尔-库珀感到茫然：“帮你？”
"Yes. Get a pardon or---"
“是的。要求特赦或——”
"No."
“不行。”
The word was like a slap. "No? But why? If you know I'm innocent "
她脱口而出：“不行？为什么？既然您知道我是无辜的——”
How could people be so stupid? "My assignment is finished."
谁会那么傻？“我的任务完成了。”
