Audiobook Dictation: “If I can obtain it by…”

If I can obtain it by any merit I possess, I utilize that merit, providing always, that I can secure my object in the time, otherwise--"

如果我能憑藉自己的某種長處得到它，我就利用那長處，前提始終是能及時達成目的，否則——」

He shrugged his shoulders.

他聳了聳肩。

"I see," she said, nodding her head quickly.

「我明白了，」她說著，飛快地點了點頭。

"I suppose that is how blackmailers feel."

「我想敲詐勒索的人大概就是這種感覺吧。」

"That is a word I never use, nor do I like to hear it employed," he said.

「那個詞我從來不用，也不喜歡聽別人用，」他說。

"Blackmail suggests to me a vulgar attempt to obtain money."

「敲詐在我看來，意味著一種為了弄錢的粗鄙企圖。」

"Which is generally very badly wanted by the people who use it," said the girl, with a little smile, "and, according to your argument, they are also justified."

「而那些幹這種事的人通常都非常缺錢，」姑娘微微一笑說，「照您的說法，他們也是情有可原的。」

"It is a matter of plane," he said airily.

「這是層次的問題，」他輕描淡寫地說。

"Viewed from my standpoint, they are sordid criminals--the sort of person that T. X. meets, I presume, in the course of his daily work.

「在我看來，他們是卑劣的罪犯——我想，就是T. X.在日常工作中會碰到的那種人。

T. X.," he went on somewhat oracularly, "is a man for whom I have a great deal of respect.

T. X.，」他頗有些故作高深地接著說，「是個我非常尊敬的人。