血字的研究·四签名(外研社双语读库) (福尔摩斯探案全集)

“当然，”他用老教授教导学生的语气对我说，“坐在角落里，不

要让你的脚印扰乱了证据。现在开始工作了！首先，这些人是怎么
来，又是怎么走的呢？屋门从昨晚起就没有开过了。窗户呢？”他拿着

灯穿过房间，大声念叨着他的观察，与其说是在跟我交谈，他更像是
在自言自语。“窗户从里面关死了。窗框也很牢固。两旁也没有合页。

咱们来打开它。附近没有任何水管。屋顶也够不着。可有人曾在窗边
站过。昨晚下了点儿小雨，窗台上有一个脚印。这儿有一个圆形的泥

印子，地上又有一个，桌边还有一个。看这里，沃森！这真是一个好
证据。”


I looked at the round, well-defined muddy discs.

我看了看那个很清晰的圆圆的泥印。

"That is not a foot-mark," said I.


“这不是一个脚印。”我说。

"It is something much more valuable to us. It is the
impression of a wooden stump. You see here on the sill is

the boot-mark, a heavy boot with a broad metal heel, and
beside it is the mark of the timber-toe."

“这是对我们很有价值的东西。这是木桩的印记。你看窗台上的靴

子印，是一只后跟镶着宽铁掌的厚靴子，旁边是木桩的印记。

"It is the wooden-legged man."

“这就是那个装有木腿的人。”


"Quite so. But there has been someone else—a very
able and efficient ally. Could you scale that wall, Doctor?"

“没错。可还有另外一个人——一个非常灵活、能干的同伙。你能

从那面墙爬过来吗，医生？”

I looked out of the open window. The moon still shone
brightly on that angle of the house. We were a good sixty

feet from the ground, and, look where I would, I could see
no foothold, nor as much as a crevice in the brickwork.

我从敞开的窗户望出去。月光依旧从那个角度照射进来。我们在

距离地面六十英尺的地方，墙上连一个能搭脚的砖块缝隙都没有。

"It is absolutely impossible," I answered.

“完全是不可能。”我回答道。


"Without aid it is so. But suppose you had a friend up
here who lowered you this good stout rope which I see in
the corner, securing one end of it to this great hook in the
wall. Then, I think, if you were an active man, you might

swarm up, wooden leg and all. You would depart, of course,
in the same fashion, and your ally would draw up the rope,
untie it from the hook, shut the window, snib it on the

inside, and get away in the way that he originally came. As
a minor point, it may be noted," he continued, fingering the
rope, "that our wooden-legged friend, though a fair climber,
was not a professional sailor. His hands were far from horny.
My lens discloses more than one blood-mark, especially

towards the end of the rope, from which I gather that he
slipped down with such velocity that he took the skin off his
hands."

“没有协助是不可能的。不过，假若这里有你的朋友，用放在屋角

的那条粗绳子，一头系在墙上的这个大钩子上，另一头放给你。我

想，只要你是一个有力气的人，就算是装着木腿，你也可以顺着绳子
爬上来。下去的时候也一样，你的朋友会收起绳子，从钩子上取下
来，关上窗户，从里面锁好，然后用他最初来时使用的方法离开。还

有一个值得注意的细节，”他指着那根绳子，继续说道，“那就是，我

们的木腿朋友尽管是一个不错的攀登者，但却不是一个职业水手。他
的手一点儿也不粗糙。我的放大镜发现了不止一处血迹，尤其是绳子

的底部，由此我断定，他是顺着绳子滑下来的，速度太快，以至于把
手都磨破了。”


"This is all very well," said I; "but the thing becomes
more unintelligible than ever. How about this mysterious
ally? How came he into the room?"

“这都很对，”我说，“不过，有一件事情比什么都难以理解。那

个神秘的同伙是怎样的一个人呢？他是怎样进的房间呢？

"Yes, the ally!" repeated Holmes pensively. "There are
features of interest about this ally. He lifts the case from the

regions of the commonplace. I fancy that this ally breaks
fresh ground in the annals of crime in this country—though
parallel cases suggest themselves from India and, if my
memory serves me, from Senegambia."


“是，那个同伙！”福尔摩斯沉思着重复道，“这名同伙有一些很
有趣的特征。他把这个案子变得很不平凡。我想这个同谋在我国的犯

罪历史上又开辟了一条新路子——尽管在印度有过先例，如果我没有
记错，在塞内冈比亚也曾有过。”

"How came he, then?" I reiterated. "The door is locked;

the window is inaccessible. Was it through the chimney?"

“那他到底是怎么进来的呢？”我追问道，“门是锁着的；窗户也

不可能进得来。难道是从烟囱进来的吗？”

"The grate is much too small," he answered. "I had
already considered that possibility."


“那个壁炉太小了，”他回答，“我考虑过这种可能性了。”

"How, then?" I persisted.

“那么到底怎样进来的呢？”我坚持问道。


"You will not apply my precept," he said, shaking his
head. "How often have I said to you that when you have
eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however
improbable, must be the truth? We know that he did not
come through the door, the window, or the chimney. We also

know that he could not have been concealed in the room, as
there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he
come?"

“你就是不愿运用我教你的方法，”他摇着头说，“我跟你讲过多

少次了，当你排除了不可能的方面之后，剩下的，就算再不可置信，
也一定会是真相。我们都知道，他不可能从门进来，也不可能从窗户

或是烟囱进来。我们也知道，他不可能藏在房间里，因为这里根本没
有任何藏身之处。那么，他到底是什么时候进来的呢？”


"He came through the hole in the roof!" I cried.

“他是从屋顶的洞进来的！”我喊道。

"Of course he did. He must have done so. If you will

have the kindness to hold the lamp for me, we shall now
extend our researches to the room above—the secret room
in which the treasure was found."

“他当然是的。他一定是这么做的。如果你能帮我拿着灯，我们就

能到上面的屋子里去查探看看——那个发现了宝藏的密室。”

He mounted the steps, and, seizing a rafter with either

hand, he swung himself up into the garret. Then, lying on
his face, he reached down for the lamp and held it while I
followed him.

他爬上了梯子，两手按住椽木，翻身上了顶楼。他俯下身来，把

灯接过去，我随后也上去了。

The chamber in which we found ourselves was about
ten feet one way and six the other. The floor was formed by

the rafters, with thin lath and plaster between, so that in
walking one had to step from beam to beam. The roof ran
up to an apex and was evidently the inner shell of the true
roof of the house. There was no furniture of any sort, and

the accumulated dust of years lay thick upon the floor.

我们所在的小屋大概长十英尺，宽六英尺。地板是由椽木构成
的，中间铺了一些薄板条，敷了一层灰泥，我们走在里面，得从一根

椽木踩到另一根上面去。屋顶呈尖形，也就是这所房子真正的屋顶的

内壳。这里没有任何家具，长年累月的灰尘在地板上堆出厚厚一层。

"Here you are, you see," said Sherlock Holmes, putting
his hand against the sloping wall. "This is a trap door which

leads out on to the roof. I can press it back, and here is the
roof itself, sloping at a gentle angle. This, then, is the way
by which Number One entered. Let us see if we can find
some other traces of his individuality?"


“这就是了，你看，”舍洛克·福尔摩斯说道，用手扶着那面斜
墙。“这就是一个向外通往屋顶的暗门。我用点儿劲儿就能把这个暗门

打开，外面就是坡度不大的屋顶。这就是第一个人进来的路。咱们找
一找，看他有没有留下什么显示个人信息的痕迹。”

He held down the lamp to the floor, and as he did so I

saw for the second time that night a startled, surprised look
come over his face. For myself, as I followed his gaze, my
skin was cold under my clothes. The floor was covered

thickly with the prints of a naked foot—clear, well-defined,
perfectly formed, but scarce half the size of those of an
ordinary man.

他把灯靠近地面，然后脸上露出了今晚第二次的震惊的表情。至

于我，随着他的目光看过去，我霎时浑身冰凉。地板布满了光脚留下
的印子——清楚且边缘清晰，形状完好，不过几乎不到常人的一半大

小。

"Holmes," I said in a whisper, "a child has done this
horrid thing."


“福尔摩斯，”我小声说，“一个孩子做了这件可怕的事情。”

He had recovered his self-possession in an instant.

他迅速地恢复了镇定。


"I was staggered for the moment," he said, "but the
thing is quite natural. My memory failed me, or I should
have been able to foretell it. There is nothing more to be

learned here. Let us go down."

“起初我也很吃惊，”他说，“不过这件事还是正常的。我一时忘

了，否则，我本该预见得到的。这里没什么值得寻找的了。我们下去
吧。”


"What is your theory, then, as to those footmarks?" I
asked eagerly when we had regained the lower room once
more.

“关于这些脚印，你有什么见解呢？”当我们回到下面的房间后，

我急切地问道。

"My dear Watson, try a little analysis yourself," said he

with a touch of impatience. "You know my methods. Apply
them, and it will be instructive to compare results."

“我亲爱的沃森，尝试着自己分析一下吧，”福尔摩斯有点儿不耐

烦地说，“你知道我的方法。使用这些方法，然后我们可以对比彼此的
结论，这会很有益处。”


"I cannot conceive anything which will cover the facts," I
answered.

“我不能从这些事实中得到任何结论，”我回答。

"It will be clear enough to you soon," he said, in an off-

hand way. "I think that there is nothing else of importance
here, but I will look."

“你很快就会清楚了，”他不假思索地说，“我认为这里没有什么

重要的东西了，不过，我得再看看。”

He whipped out his lens and a tape measure and hurried
about the room on his knees, measuring, comparing,

examining, with his long thin nose only a few inches from
the planks and his beady eyes gleaming and deep-set like
those of a bird. So swift, silent, and furtive were his
movements, like those of a trained bloodhound picking out a

scent, that I could not but think what a terrible criminal he
would have made had he turned his energy and sagacity

against the law instead of exerting them in its defence. As
he hunted about, he kept muttering to himself, and finally

he broke out into a loud crow of delight.

他拿出他的放大镜和皮尺，跪着在房间里快速地四处测量、比
较、检查，他那细长的鼻子离地只有几英寸，他那圆溜溜的眼睛炯炯

有神，就像鸟眼一般深邃。他的动作敏捷、无声、隐秘，真像一只熟
练的猎犬在找寻气味，我不禁联想到：如果他把精力和聪明不用于维

护法律，而是去触犯法律的话，他会变成一个多么可怕的罪犯啊！他
一面勘查，一面自言自语，最后终于发出一阵响亮的欢呼声。


"We are certainly in luck," said he. "We ought to have
very little trouble now. Number One has had the misfortune
to tread in the creosote. You can see the outline of the edge

of his small foot here at the side of this evil-smelling mess.
The carboy has been cracked, you see, and the stuff has
leaked out."

“我们真的很幸运，”他说，“我们现在应该没什么困难了。第一

个侵入者不幸踏到了木馏油。你可以看见，在这难闻的东西上面，这
一边有他的小脚的轮廓。你看，这盛油的瓶子裂了，里边的东西流了

出来。”

"What then?" I asked.


“那又怎么样呢？”我问。

"Why, we have got him, that's all," said he.

“怎么样？我们抓到他了，就是这样。”他说。


"I know a dog that would follow that scent to the world's
end. If a pack can track a trailed herring across a shire, how
far can a specially trained hound follow so pungent a smell
as this? It sounds like a sum in the rule of three. The answer

should give us the—But hallo! here are the accredited
representatives of the law."

“我知道，一只狗凭着气味就可以追寻到世界尽头。如果兽群可以

循着气味穿越一个郡县追踪到一条鲱鱼，那么，一只经过特别训练的
猎犬跟随着这么强烈的气味能找多远呢？听起来像是举一反三。结果

当然是——不过你瞧！法律的正式代表来了。”

Heavy steps and the clamour of loud voices were
audible from below, and the hall door shut with a loud crash.


沉重的脚步声和大声的喧闹从下面传来，接着，房门被重重地关
上了。


"Before they come," said Holmes, "just put your hand
here on this poor fellow's arm, and here on his leg. What do
you feel?"

“他们进来之前，”福尔摩斯说，“把你的手放到这个可怜人的胳

膊和腿上来。你能感觉到什么？”

"The muscles are as hard as a board," I answered.

“肌肉如木板一样僵硬。”我回答。


"Quite so. They are in a state of extreme contraction, far
exceeding the usual rigor mortis. Coupled with this
distortion of the face, this Hippocratic smile, or 'risus

sardonicus,' as the old writers called it, what conclusion
would it suggest to your mind?"

“是的。它们处于极端的收缩状态，比普通的‘死后强直’还要厉

害。再加上他脸上扭曲的表情，还有这旧时作家称为‘希波克拉底之
笑’的‘痉笑’，你能想到什么结论呢？”


"Death from some powerful vegetable alkaloid," I
answered, "some strychnine-like substance which would
produce tetanus."

“他死于某种带有剧毒性的植物性生物碱，”我答道，“一种类似

番木鳖碱、能造成破伤风症状的毒物。”

"That was the idea which occurred to me the instant I
saw the drawn muscles of the face. On getting into the room

I at once looked for the means by which the poison had
entered the system. As you saw, I discovered a thorn which
had been driven or shot with no great force into the scalp.
You observe that the part struck was that which would be
turned towards the hole in the ceiling if the man were erect

in his chair. Now examine this thorn."

“我一发现他那面部肌肉收缩的情形，就想到了是这样。一进这个
屋子，我就马上想要找到他中毒的地方。如你所见，我发现了那根轻

轻插入或者射入他头皮的刺。你看，如果死者当时是直挺地坐在椅子

上的话，中刺的部位正是一扭头就会正对着的天花板洞口的位置。现
在，让我们来检查这根刺吧。”


I took it up gingerly and held it in the light of the
lantern. It was long, sharp, and black, with a glazed look
near the point as though some gummy substance had dried
upon it. The blunt end had been trimmed and rounded off

with a knife.

我小心翼翼地拿起那根刺，对准了灯。那是一根很长、很尖利的
黑刺，刺尖周围有一层半透明的东西，似乎是涂过什么黏液，然后又

干了。粗钝的底部是用刀修整削圆了的。

"Is that an English thorn?" he asked.


“这是英国产的毒刺吗？”他问。

"No, it certainly is not."

“不，很明显不是。”


"With all these data you should be able to draw some
just inference. But here are the regulars, so the auxiliary
forces may beat a retreat."

“根据所有这些线索，你应该能够得出点儿合理的推论了吧？这是

最主要的部分，其他的细枝末节就很好办了。”

As he spoke, the steps which had been coming nearer
sounded loudly on the passage, and a very stout, portly

man in a gray suit strode heavily into the room. He was red-
faced, burly, and plethoric, with a pair of very small
twinkling eyes which looked keenly out from between
swollen and puffy pouches. He was closely followed by an
inspector in uniform and by the still palpitating Thaddeus

Sholto.

就在他说话的时候，渐渐走近的脚步声已在甬道里响起，接着，
一个健壮、粗犷、穿着灰制服的男人迈着沉重的步伐走进了房间。他

有一张红脸，身材魁梧，精力旺盛，肿胀充血的眼泡中，露出一对小

而晶亮的眼睛。他后面紧跟着另一位穿制服的警察，以及依然在发抖
的塞迪厄斯·肖尔托。


"Here's a business!" he cried in a muffled, husky voice.
"Here's a pretty business! But who are all these? Why, the
house seems to be as full as a rabbit-warren!"

“这里出事了！”他用嘶哑而压抑的声音喊道。“这里出大事了！

但这些人都是谁？怎么回事，这房子看起来闹腾得像一个兔窝！”

"I think you must recollect me, Mr. Athelney Jones," said

Holmes quietly.

“我想你一定记得我的，阿塞尔纳·琼斯先生。”福尔摩斯平静地
说。


"Why, of course I do!" he wheezed. "It's Mr. Sherlock
Holmes, the theorist. Remember you! I'll never forget how
you lectured us all on causes and inferences and effects in

the Bishopgate jewel case. It's true you set us on the right
track; but you'll own now that it was more by good luck than
good guidance."

“噢，我当然记得了！”他气喘吁吁地说，“这是理论家，舍洛克·

福尔摩斯先生。我记得你！我永远忘不了，你是如何向我们讲述主教
门珍宝案的起因、推论和结果的。你的确把我们引向了正确的方向；

不过，你现在该明白了，与其说那是好的指导，倒不如说是好的运

气。”

"It was a piece of very simple reasoning."

“那是一次非常简单的推理。”


"Oh, come, now, come! Never be ashamed to own up.
But what is all this? Bad business! Bad business! Stern facts
here—no room for theories. How lucky that I happened to be
out at Norwood over another case! I was at the station when

the message arrived. What d'you think the man died of?"

“噢，算了吧，算了吧！不用不好意思承认。不过，这到底是怎么
回事？太糟糕了！太糟糕了！事实都摆在眼前了——不需要任何分析

推理了。真是碰巧，我正好为了别的案子来到诺伍德！报案的时候，

我正好在警察局里。你认为这个人是怎么死的呢？”

"Oh, this is hardly a case for me to theorize over," said
Holmes dryly.

“哦，这个案子似乎不需要我做分析推理。”福尔摩斯冷冷地说。


"No, no. Still, we can't deny that you hit the nail on the
head sometimes. Dear me! Door locked, I understand.
Jewels worth half a million missing. How was the window?"


“不需要，不需要。不过，我们不能否认，你有时候还是能够一语
中的的。哦，我的天啊！门是锁着的，我明白了。价值五十万的珠宝

丢失了。窗户怎么样？”

"Fastened; but there are steps on the sill."

“锁好了的，不过，窗台上有脚印。”


"Well, well, if it was fastened the steps could have
nothing to do with the matter. That's common sense. Man
might have died in a fit; but then the jewels are missing. Ha!

I have a theory. These flashes come upon me at times. —
Just step outside, Sergeant, and you, Mr. Sholto. Your friend

can remain. —What do you think of this, Holmes? Sholto
was, on his own confession, with his brother last night. The

brother died in a fit, on which Sholto walked off with the
treasure? How's that?"

“好吧，好吧，如果窗是锁好的，那么脚印就跟本案无关了。这是

常识。这个人也许是突发死亡，不过财宝随后就丢失了。哈！我有一
套推理了。我总是时不时灵光乍现。——先到外面去呆一会儿吧，警

官，还有你，肖尔托先生。你的朋友可以留下。——你是怎么看的，
福尔摩斯？肖尔托跟我们坦白了，他昨晚跟他哥哥在一起。他哥哥突

发死亡，随后肖尔托拿走了财宝？这个想法如何？”

"On which the dead man very considerately got up and
locked the door on the inside."


“然后，死者贴心地站起来，把门从里面反锁起来了。”

"Hum! There's a flaw there. Let us apply common sense
to the matter. This Thaddeus Sholto was with his brother;
there was a quarrel: so much we know. The brother is dead

and the jewels are gone. So much also we know. No one saw
the brother from the time Thaddeus left him. His bed had
not been slept in. Thaddeus is evidently in a most disturbed

state of mind. His appearance is—well, not attractive. You
see that I am weaving my web round Thaddeus. The net
begins to close upon him."

“嗯！这里有一个缺陷。让我们在这个案子里运用一些常识。这个

塞迪厄斯·肖尔托和他哥哥在一起，然后有了一场争吵，这是我们所知
道的情况。然后，他哥哥死了，财宝也没了。这是我们知道的情况。

没有人在塞迪厄斯离开后见过他哥哥。他的床铺也没有睡过的痕迹。
塞迪厄斯明显非常困扰。他的表情——恩，不怎么好看。你可以看

出，我正在从四面八方包围塞迪厄斯。这张网已经开始收口了。”

"You are not quite in possession of the facts yet," said

Holmes. "This splinter of wood, which I have every reason to
believe to be poisoned, was in the man's scalp where you

still see the mark; this card, inscribed as you see it, was on
the table, and beside it lay this rather curious stone-headed

instrument. How does all that fit into your theory?"

“你目前还没有掌握足够的事实，”福尔摩斯说，“这根木刺，我
有理由认为它有毒，它是从死者的头皮上拿下来的，你还可以看到伤

口；这张卡片，你可以看到，上面写了一些东西，旁边放着一根顶上
嵌着石头的奇怪木棒。你认为这些要怎么用你的推理解释呢？”


"Confirms it in every respect," said the fat detective
pompously. "House is full of Indian curiosities. Thaddeus
brought this up, and if this splinter be poisonous Thaddeus
may as well have made murderous use of it as any other

man. The card is some hocus-pocus—a blind, as like as not.
The only question is, how did he depart? Ah, of course, here
is a hole in the roof."

“各方面都能证实我的推理，”胖侦探神气活现地说道，“这房子

里满是印度古玩。塞迪厄斯把这个拿了上来，如果木刺是有毒的，那

么，塞迪厄斯和任何人一样，都可以把这个拿来做凶器。这张卡片不
过是一种欺骗的把戏罢了——障眼法，可有可无。唯一的问题是，他

是怎么离开的呢？啊，果然，屋顶有一个洞。”

With great activity, considering his bulk, he sprang up
the steps and squeezed through into the garret and

immediately afterwards we heard his exulting voice
proclaiming that he had found the trapdoor.

他虽然块头大，但还是相当灵活地爬上了梯子，挤进了顶楼，然

后，我们就听到他兴高采烈地欢呼，说他找到了通向屋顶的暗门。

"He can find something," remarked Holmes, shrugging
his shoulders; "he has occasional glimmerings of reason. Il
n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de

l'esprit!"

“他会找到一些东西的，”福尔摩斯耸了耸肩，说道，“他有时也
有一些模糊的逻辑思维。用法国人的话来说就是：最难以相处的是有

思想的蠢人。”

"You see!" said Athelney Jones, reappearing down the

steps again; "facts are better than theories, after all. My
view of the case is confirmed. There is a trapdoor
communicating with the roof, and it is partly open."

“你看看！”阿塞尔纳·琼斯一边从梯子上下来，一边说，“事实果

然比分析推理更有说服力。我关于这个案件的观点已经被证实了。那

儿有一扇通往屋顶的暗门，现在半开着。”

"It was I who opened it."

“那是我打开的。”


"Oh, indeed! You did notice it, then?" He seemed a little
crestfallen at the discovery. "Well, whoever noticed it, it
shows how our gentleman got away. Inspector!"

“哦，是吗?那么，你已经注意到了？”他发现这一点后，似乎有

点儿失望，“好吧，无论是谁发现的，它都能表明那位先生是怎么脱身
的。警官！”


"Yes, sir," from the passage. "Ask Mr. Sholto to step this
way.—Mr. Sholto, it is my duty to inform you that anything
which you may say will be used against you. I arrest you in

the Queen's name as being concerned in the death of your
brother."

“在，长官！”声音从甬道中传来。“让肖尔托先生进来——肖尔

托先生，我有责任提醒你，你所说的一切都可能成为对你不利的证
据。我以女王的名义逮捕你，因为你和你哥哥的死有关。”


"There, now! Didn't I tell you!" cried the poor little man,
throwing out his hands and looking from one to the other of
us.

“看吧，现在！我就说吧！”那个可怜的矮小男人喊道，摊开双

手，来回看着我们两人。

"Don't trouble yourself about it, Mr. Sholto," said
Holmes; "I think that I can engage to clear you of the

charge."

“别紧张，肖尔托先生，”福尔摩斯说，“我认为我可以为你洗脱
罪名。”


"Don't promise too much, Mr. Theorist, don't promise too
much!" snapped the detective. "You may find it a harder
matter than you think."

“不要承诺太多，理论家先生，千万别承诺太多！”警探反驳

道，“你会发现，这比你想象得要困难。”

"Not only will I clear him, Mr. Jones, but I will make you a

free present of the name and description of one of the two
people who were in this room last night. His name, I have
every reason to believe, is Jonathan Small. He is a poorly
educated man, small, active, with his right leg off, and

wearing a wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner
side. His left boot has a coarse, square-toed sole, with an
iron band round the heel. He is a middle-aged man, much
sunburned, and has been a convict. These few indications

may be of some assistance to you, coupled with the fact
that there is a good deal of skin missing from the palm of his
hand. The other man——"

“我不仅会为他洗脱罪名，琼斯先生，还会免费赠予您一件礼物，

那就是昨晚在这个房间里的两个人之中的一个人的名字和特征。他的

名字，我完全有理由相信，是乔纳森·斯莫尔。他是一个没受过什么教
育的人，矮小而灵活，没有右腿，戴着一支木腿，木腿内侧已经磨去
了一块。他的左靴子是粗糙的方形鞋底，后跟上钉着铁掌。他是一个

中年男人，皮肤晒得黝黑，从前是一个囚犯。这些指示或许会对你有

所帮助，还有，他的手掌磨破了不少皮。而另一个人呢——”

"Ah! the other man?"asked Athelney Jones in a sneering
voice, but impressed none the less, as I could easily see, by

the precision of the other's manner.

“啊！另一个人？”阿塞尔纳·琼斯用不屑的语气问道，但我很容易

就能看出，他已经对福尔摩斯关于前一个人的精确描述诧异不已了。

"Is a rather curious person," said Sherlock Holmes,
turning upon his heel. "I hope before very long to be able to

introduce you to the pair of them. A word with you, Watson."

“这是一个很奇怪的人，”舍洛克·福尔摩斯转过身来说道，“我希
望，不久以后，我就能把这两个人介绍给你。跟你说句话，沃森。”


He led me out to the head of the stair.

他带着我走出去，到了楼梯顶端。

"This unexpected occurrence," he said, "has caused us

rather to lose sight of the original purpose of our journey."

“这件意料之外的事情，”他说，“使我们已经背离了这趟行程的

初衷。”

"I have just been thinking so," I answered; "it is not right
that Miss Morstan should remain in this stricken house."

“我也正这么想着，”我回答，“摩斯坦小姐不该在这所发生惨案

的房子里等这么久。”

"No. You must escort her home. She lives with Mrs. Cecil
Forrester in Lower Camberwell, so it is not very far. I will

wait for you here if you will drive out again. Or perhaps you
are too tired?"

“确实不该。你必须送她回去。她跟塞西尔·福里斯特夫人住在一

起，就在坎伯威尔低地，离这里也不远。我在这里等你，如果你愿意
再次驾马车回来的话。或者，你已经很累了？”


"By no means. I don't think I could rest until I know more
of this fantastic business. I have seen something of the
rough side of life, but I give you my word that this quick

succession of strange surprises to-night has shaken my

nerve completely. I should like, however, to see the matter
through with you, now that I have got so far."

“一点儿也不。在更多地了解这件奇异的案子之前，我想我没法休

息好。我也曾经历过艰险困苦，可是说实话，今天晚上这一系列的怪

事，着实让我胆战心惊。然而，事情已经到了现在这个阶段，我愿意
陪同你，把案子彻底解决。”


"Your presence will be of great service to me," he
answered. "We shall work the case out independently and
leave this fellow Jones to exult over any mare's-nest which
he may choose to construct. When you have dropped Miss
Morstan, I wish you to go on to No. 3 Pinchin Lane, down

near the water's edge at Lambeth. The third house on the
right-hand side is a bird-stuffer's; Sherman is the name. You
will see a weasel holding a young rabbit in the window.

Knock old Sherman up and tell him, with my compliments,
that I want Toby at once. You will bring Toby back in the cab
with you."

“你的在场对我来说是一个很大的帮助，”他回答，“我们应该独

立完成这个案子，这个琼斯愿意怎样干，就干他的去吧。你送摩斯坦
小姐回去以后，请你到河边兰贝斯区宾奇三号去一趟。右边的第三个

房子里住着一个做鸟类标本的人，名叫舍曼。”你可以看到他的窗上画
着一只鼬鼠抓着一只小兔子。把老舍曼叫起来，告诉他我向他问好，

并想借托比用一用。请你带托比一同坐车来。”

"A dog, I suppose."


“托比是一只狗吗？”

"Yes, a queer mongrel with a most amazing power of
scent. I would rather have Toby's help than that of the whole
detective force of London."


“是一只奇特的混血狗，嗅觉极其灵敏。我宁愿要这只狗帮忙，它
比全伦敦的警察还要得力得多呢。”

"I shall bring him then," said I. "It is one now.I ought to
be back before three if I can get a fresh horse."

“那我一定把它带回来，”我说，“现在已经一点钟了，如果能换

一匹新马，三点钟以前，我一准儿能回来。”

"And I," said Holmes, "shall see what I can learn from

Mrs. Bernstone and from the Indian servant, who, Mr.
Thaddeus tells me, sleeps in the next garret. Then I shall
study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too

delicate sarcasms.

“而我，”福尔摩斯说道，“要看看能从女管家伯恩斯通太太和印
度仆人那里了解些什么信息，塞迪厄斯先生曾告诉过我，那个仆人住

在旁边那间阁楼。然后我再研究这个伟大的琼斯的工作方法，听听他
不太妙的挖苦吧。


"'Wir sind gewohnt dass die Menschen verh�hnen was
sie nicht verstehen.'

“‘我们已经习惯，有些人对于他们所不了解的事物偏要挖苦。’


"Goethe is always pithy."

歌德的话总是这样简洁有力。”



Chapter 7 The Episode of the

Barrel



第七章 木桶的插曲



The police had brought a cab with them, and in this I
escorted Miss Morstan back to her home. After the angelic

fashion of women, she had borne trouble with a calm face
as long as there was someone weaker than herself to
support, and I had found her bright and placid by the side of
the frightened housekeeper. In the cab, however, she first

turned faint and then burst into a passion of weeping—so
sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night.
She has told me since that she thought me cold and distant
upon that journey. She little guessed the struggle within my

breast, or the effort of self-restraint which held me back. My
sympathies and my love went out to her, even as my hand
had in the garden. I felt that years of the conventionalities
of life could not teach me to know her sweet, brave nature

as had this one day of strange experiences. Yet there were
two thoughts which sealed the words of affection upon my
lips. She was weak and helpless, shaken in mind and nerve.
It was to take her at a disadvantage to obtrude love upon

her at such a time. Worse still, she was rich. If Holmes's
researches were successful, she would be an heiress. Was it
fair, was it honourable, that a half-pay surgeon should take
such advantage of an intimacy which chance had brought

about? Might she not look upon me as a mere vulgar
fortune-seeker? I could not bear to risk that such a thought
should cross her mind. This Agra treasure intervened like an
impassable barrier between us.


警察们是坐马车来的，我就用这辆马车把摩斯坦小姐送回了家。
她是一个天使般可爱的女人，在危难之中，只要她身边有人比她更脆

弱，需要支持，她就总能保持镇定，当我去接她的时候，她仍镇静地

坐在受惊的女管家旁边。但是，在马车里，她先是几乎晕厥过去，然

后就失声哭泣起来——她被这一晚的经历折磨坏了。后来她跟我说，
我那一路上显得有些冷漠和疏远。可她哪里知道我当时内心的斗争和

压抑的痛苦呢。我对她充满了同情和爱意，就跟我们在院子里握着手
时一样。我虽然饱经世故，但若没有这一晚的跌宕起伏，我也很难认

识到她温柔而勇敢的秉性。而在那时候，有两件事让我无法表达自己
的感情。她是那么脆弱而无助，身心饱受打击。如果此时我冒昧地示

爱，很像是乘人之危。更让我为难的是，她拥有巨额财富。如果福尔
摩斯的调查成功了的话，她就会成为遗产继承人。我这个半俸的医生

如此利用这样一个亲密之机，还能算是光明正大吗？她会不会把我看
作一个粗鄙的淘金者呢？我无法忍受有可能让她产生这样的印象。这

批阿格拉宝物实在是我们之间不可逾越的障碍啊。

It was nearly two o'clock when we reached Mrs. Cecil

Forrester's. The servants had retired hours ago, but Mrs.
Forrester had been so interested by the strange message
which Miss Morstan had received that she had sat up in the
hope of her return. She opened the door herself, a middle-

aged, graceful woman, and it gave me joy to see how
tenderly her arm stole round the other's waist and how
motherly was the voice in which she greeted her. She was
clearly no mere paid dependant but an honoured friend. I

was introduced, and Mrs. Forrester earnestly begged me to
step in and tell her our adventures. I explained, however,
the importance of my errand and promised faithfully to call
and report any progress which we might make with the

case. As we drove away I stole a glance back, and I still
seem to see that little group on the step—the two graceful,
clinging figures, the half-opened door, the hall-light shining
through stained glass, the barometer, and the bright stair-

rods. It was soothing to catch even that passing glimpse of a
tranquil English home in the midst of the wild, dark business
which had absorbed us.

我们抵达塞西尔·福里斯特夫人家的时候，已经将近两点了。仆人

已经休息了，可是福里斯特夫人对摩斯坦小姐接到怪信这件事非常关
心，所以，她还坐在灯下，等候着摩斯坦小姐。她亲自开了门；她是

一个中年妇女，非常优雅。我很高兴看到她温柔地挽着摩斯坦小姐的
腰，用慈母般的语调迎接她。可见摩斯坦小姐在这里不仅仅是一个被

雇佣的人，还是一个受到尊重的朋友。经过介绍，福里斯特夫人诚恳
地邀请我进去坐坐，跟她聊聊我们这件案子的进展。不过，我向她解

释，我今晚还有重要的事情要做，并承诺一定会再来拜访，如果事情
有任何进展，也会告诉她。当我们乘着马车离开时，我偷偷回头看了

一眼，依稀能看到台阶上的那一组图——两个优雅的手拉着手的身
影、半开的门、从有色玻璃里透出来的大厅灯光、晴雨表，还有闪亮

的楼梯毯棍。在身陷那样一件可怕、邪恶的事件之中时，瞧一瞧这么

一个宁静的英国家庭，我心情就畅快多了。

And the more I thought of what had happened, the
wilder and darker it grew. I reviewed the whole
extraordinary sequence of events as I rattled on through the

silent, gas-lit streets. There was the original problem: that at
least was pretty clear now. The death of Captain Morstan,
the sending of the pearls, the advertisement, the letter—we
had had light upon all those events. They had only led us,

however, to a deeper and far more tragic mystery. The
Indian treasure, the curious plan found among Morstan's
baggage, the strange scene at Major Sholto's death, the
rediscovery of the treasure immediately followed by the

murder of the discoverer, the very singular accompaniments
to the crime, the footsteps, the remarkable weapons, the
words upon the card, corresponding with those upon
Captain Morstan's chart —here was indeed a labyrinth in

which a man less singularly endowed than my fellow-lodger
might well despair of ever finding the clue.

而对于今晚发生的事情，我越想就越觉得可怕、邪恶。当穿梭在

被灯照亮的寂静街道上时，我回想了一遍这一连串奇异的事件。最初
的问题至少现在已经很清楚了。关于摩斯坦上尉的死、寄出的珍珠、

报上登出的广告以及那封信，我们现在已经明白了。但它们却把我们

引向了更深远、更悲惨的神秘案件之中。那些印度珍宝、在摩斯坦的
行李里找出的神秘图纸、肖尔托少校临死时的奇怪状况、财宝找到后

紧接着发生的谋杀案、与罪案相伴出现的奇特事物、那些脚印、那些
特别的武器、卡片上的字——跟摩斯坦上尉的图纸上的字一模一样

——这真是一系列错综复杂的情况，除非是像我的合租人福尔摩斯那
样有天赋的人，否则肯定在找寻线索之前就绝望了。


Pinchin Lane was a row of shabby, two-storied brick
houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth. I had to knock for
some time at No. 3 before I could make any impression. At
last, however, there was the glint of a candle behind the

blind, and a face looked out at the upper window.

宾奇里路位于兰贝斯区地势较低处，由一列窄小、破旧的两层楼
砖房组成。我叫三号门叫了很久，才有人应声。最后，百叶窗后出现

了烛光，一张脸从上面一层楼的窗户里探了出来。

"Go on, you drunken vagabond," said the face. "If you

kick up any more row, I'll open the kennels and let out forty-
three dogs upon you."

“走开！醉汉！”那个人说道，“如果你继续叫嚷，我就打开狗

屋，放四十三条狗来咬你。”

"If you'll let one out, it's just what I have come for," said
I.


“你只需要放出一条就够了，那就是我想要的。”我回答。

"Go on!" yelled the voice. "So help me gracious, I have a
wiper in this bag, and I'll drop it on your'ead if you don't

hook it!"

“滚开！”那声音喊道，“老天在上！我这个袋子里有一把锤子，
你要是不走的话，我就用锤子砸你脑袋！”


"But I want a dog," I cried.

“不过，我想要的是一条狗。”我喊。

"I won't be argued with!" shouted Mr. Sherman. "Now

stand clear, for when I say 'three,' down goes the wiper."

“少废话！”舍曼叫喊道，“站远点儿！我数到三就要扔锤子了！”

"Mr. Sherlock Holmes——" I began; but the words had a

most magical effect, for the window instantly slammed
down, and within a minute the door was unbarred and open.
Mr. Sherman was a lanky, lean old man, with stooping
shoulders, a stringy neck, and blue-tinted glasses.


“舍洛克·福尔摩斯先生——”我开始说道，但这几个词就像有魔法
力量一般，那扇窗立刻关上了，不到一分钟，门就打开了。舍曼先生

是一个瘦瘦的高个子老头，驼着背，脖子上青筋条条，还戴着蓝色眼
镜。


"A friend of Mr. Sherlock is always welcome," said he.
"Step in, sir. Keep clear of the badger, for he bites. Ah,
naughty, naughty, you take a nip at the gentleman?" This to
a stoat which thrust its wicked head and red eyes between

the bars of its cage. "Don't mind that, sir; it's only a slow
worm. It hain't got no fangs, so I gives it the run o' the room,
for it keeps the beetles down. You must not mind my bein'
just a little short wi' you at first, for I'm guyed at by the

children, and there's many a one just comes down this lane
to knock me up. What was it that Mr. Sherlock Holmes
wanted, sir?"

“我永远欢迎舍洛克先生的朋友，”他说，“请进吧，先生。小心

那只獾，它咬人呢。啊，淘气！淘气！你想咬咬这位先生吗？”这话是

朝着一只鼬鼠喊的，它正从笼子缝里探出它那可怕的脑袋，瞪着红红
的眼睛。“别介意，先生，这不过是一只蛇蜥。它没有毒牙，所以我把
它放在屋里吃甲虫。请别怪我刚才的失礼，实在是因为常常有顽童跟

我捣乱，跑到这儿来把我吵醒。舍洛克·福尔摩斯先生想要什么呢？”

"He wanted a dog of yours."

“他想要你的一条狗。”

"Ah! that would be Toby."


“阿！一定是托比。”

"Yes, Toby was the name."

“是的，就是叫托比的那条。”


"Toby lives at No. 7 on the left here."

“托比住在左边的七号笼子里。”

He moved slowly forward with his candle among the

queer animal family which he had gathered round him. In
the uncertain, shadowy light I could see dimly that there
were glancing, glimmering eyes peeping down at us from

every cranny and corner. Even the rafters above our heads
were lined by solemn fowls, who lazily shifted their weight
from one leg to the other as our voices disturbed their
slumbers.


他拿着蜡烛，缓慢地在他所饲养的奇怪动物群中移动。在那恍
惚、昏暗的烛光里，我可以模糊地看见，在每个角落里，都有闪烁的
目光盯着我们。就连我们头上的架子上面也排列了很多野鸟，我们的

声音搅醒了它们的睡梦，它们懒懒地把重心从一只爪子换到另一只爪

子上去。

Toby proved to be an ugly, long-haired, lop-eared
creature, half spaniel and half lurcher, brown and white in

colour, with a very clumsy, waddling gait. It accepted, after
some hesitation, a lump of sugar which the old naturalist
handed to me, and, having thus sealed an alliance, it
followed me to the cab and made no difficulties about
accompanying me. It had just struck three on the Palace

clock when I found myself back once more at Pondicherry
Lodge. The ex-prize-fighter McMurdo had, I found, been
arrested as an accessory, and both he and Mr. Sholto had

been marched off to the station. Two constables guarded the

narrow gate, but they allowed me to pass with the dog on
my mentioning the detective's name.

托比原来是一只丑陋的长毛垂耳朵狗，是西班牙猎犬和杂种猎狗

的混血，毛色黄白相间，步态笨拙摇晃。它犹豫了一会儿，才接受了

一块舍曼先生递给我的糖。喂过它以后，我们之间就建立了友谊，它
这才随我上车，一路与我相伴，没出任何问题。我回到本地治里别墅

的时候，皇宫的钟刚敲了三声。我发现，前拳击冠军麦克默多已经被
作为从犯逮捕了，他和肖尔托先生都已经被押往警察局。两个警察把

守着大门，当我提到侦探的名字时，他们就让我和狗进去了。

Holmes was standing on the doorstep with his hands in
his pockets, smoking his pipe.


福尔摩斯正双手插在口袋里，站在门阶上，抽着烟管。

"Ah, you have him there!" said he. "Good dog, then!
Athelney Jones has gone. We have had an immense display
of energy since you left. He has arrested not only friend

Thaddeus but the gatekeeper, the housekeeper, and the
Indian servant. We have the place to ourselves but for a
sergeant upstairs. Leave the dog here and come up."

“啊！你把它带来了，”他说，“真是一条好狗！阿塞尔纳·琼斯已

经走了。你走以后，我们大吵了一场。他不但逮捕了我们的朋友塞迪

厄斯，还逮捕了门卫、管家，以及那个印度仆人。现在这里除了楼上
的警探以外，就只有我们了。把狗放在这儿，然后上去吧。”


We tied Toby to the hall table and reascended the stairs.
The room was as we had left it, save that a sheet had been
draped over the central figure. A weary looking police-
sergeant reclined in the corner.


我们把托比拴在大厅桌子上，然后爬上楼梯。房间如同我们离开
时一样，只是房中间的尸体已经用被单盖了起来。一个疲倦的警察斜

靠在屋角。

"Lend me your bull's eye, Sergeant," said my
companion. "Now tie this bit of card round my neck, so as to

hang it in front of me. Thank you. Now I must kick off my
boots and stockings. Just you carry them down with you,
Watson. I am going to do a little climbing. And dip my
handkerchief into the creosote. That will do. Now come up
into the garret with me for a moment."


“警官，请把你的牛眼灯借给我用一用，”我的伙伴说，“把这块
纸板替我系在脖子上，好让它挂在我胸前。谢谢你！现在我必须脱掉

靴子和袜子，请你在下头帮我拿着它们，沃森。我需要做一些攀登。
请你把这条手巾略蘸一些木馏油。好了，可以了。现在请跟我到顶楼

来一趟。”

We clambered up through the hole. Holmes turned his

light once more upon the footsteps in the dust.

我们一起从洞口爬了上去。福尔摩斯重新用灯照了照灰尘上的脚
印。


"I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks," he
said. "Do you observe anything noteworthy about them?"

“我希望你能尤其注意这些脚印，”他说。“你发现它们有些什么

值得注意的地方了吗？”

"They belong," I said, "to a child or a small woman."


“它们属于，”我说，“一个孩子，或者一个矮小的女人。”

"Apart from their size, though. Is there nothing else?"

“除了尺寸以外。有什么别的吗？”


"They appear to be much as other footmarks."

“那它们就跟其他的脚印没什么不同了。”

"Not at all. Look here! This is the print of a right foot in
the dust. Now I make one with my naked foot beside it.

What is the chief difference?"

“不完全是这样的。看这里！灰尘上是一个右脚脚印。现在我把我

光着的一只脚在旁边印上一个。最主要的不同是什么？”

"Your toes are all cramped together. The other print has
each toe distinctly divided."


“你的脚趾都挤在一起。而那个脚印的脚趾却是明显分开的。”

"Quite so. That is the point. Bear that in mind. Now,
would you kindly step over to that flap-window and smell
the edge of the woodwork? I shall stay over here, as I have

this handkerchief in my hand."

“就是这样。这就是问题的关键。记住这一点。现在，请你到那个
吊窗前去，闻一闻窗上的木框。我站在这里，因为我手上拿着手巾

呢。”

I did as he directed and was instantly conscious of a

strong tarry smell.

我按照他的指示去闻了闻，一股刺鼻的木馏油味扑鼻而来。

"That is where he put his foot in getting out. If you can

trace him, I should think that Toby will have no difficulty.
Now run downstairs, loose the dog, and look out for
Blondin."

“这就是他出去时落脚的地方。如果你能闻得出他的味道，我想托

比一定没问题。现在到楼下去，放开狗，等着我耍杂技吧。

By the time that I got out into the grounds Sherlock

Holmes was on the roof, and I could see him like an
enormous glow-worm crawling very slowly along the ridge. I
lost sight of him behind a stack of chimneys, but he
presently reappeared and then vanished once more upon
the opposite side. When I made my way round there I found

him seated at one of the corner eaves.

当我回到院子里的时候，福尔摩斯在屋顶上，我可以看见他在屋
顶上缓慢地爬行，如同一只巨大的萤火虫。他爬到烟囱堆那里就不见

了，不久又出现了，然后又一次消失在背面。我跟着他转到那边去，

看到他坐在房檐的一角上。

"That you, Watson?" he cried.

“是你吗，沃森？”他喊。


"Yes."

“是的。”

"This is the place. What is that black thing down there?"


“这就是那个地方了。那个黑色的东西是什么？”

"A water-barrel."

“一个水桶。”


"Top on it?"

“有盖子吗？”

"Yes."


“有。”

"No sign of the ladder?"

“没有梯子吗？”


"No."

“没有。”

"Confound the fellow! It's a most breakneck place. I
ought to be able to come down where he could climb up.

The water-pipe feels pretty firm. Here goes, anyhow."

“混账东西！这是一个非常危险的位置。不过，既然他能爬上来，

我就能爬下去。水管感觉好像很牢固。无论如何，我要下去啦。”

There was a scuffling of feet, and the lantern began to
come steadily down the side of the wall. Then with a light

spring he came on to the barrel, and from there to the
earth.

随着一阵窸窸窣窣的脚步声，那盏灯笼就顺着墙的一侧，稳稳地

降落下来。然后他轻轻一跃，落在了桶上，又跳到地面上。

"It was easy to follow him," he said, drawing on his

stockings and boots. "Tiles were loosened the whole way
along, and in his hurry he had dropped this. It confirms my
diagnosis, as you doctors express it."

“追寻他的踪迹是一件很简单的事情，”他一边说，一边穿上了袜

子和靴子，“一路上的瓦片都被他踩得松脱了，而且他在匆忙之中还遗

漏了这个。用你们医生的话来说，它证明了我的诊断是正确的。”

The object which he held up to me was a small pocket
or pouch woven out of coloured grasses and with a few

tawdry beads strung round it. In shape and size it was not
unlike a cigarette-case. Inside were half a dozen spines of
dark wood, sharp at one end and rounded at the other, like
that which had struck Bartholomew Sholto.

他拿给我的东西是一个用彩色草绳编织而成的袋子，外面穿着几

颗俗丽的小珠子。这个口袋形状和大小都跟纸烟盒差不多。里边装着
六根黑色的木刺，一头是尖的，另一头是圆的，和刺到巴塞洛缪·肖尔

托脑袋上的一样。

"They are hellish things," said he. "Look out that you

don't prick yourself. I'm delighted to have them, for the
chances are that they are all he has. There is the less fear of
you or me finding one in our skin before long. I would sooner

face a Martini bullet, myself. Are you game for a six-mile
trudge, Watson?"

“这些都是很危险的东西，”他说，“小心不要刺伤你自己。我很

高兴能得到它们，因为这很可能就是他的全部凶器。这样你我就不用
那么担心，不久以后这刺会刺进我们的皮肤了。我宁愿被子弹打死，

也不想中这个刺的毒。沃森，你还愿意走六英里的路吗？”

"Certainly," I answered.

“当然，”我回答。


"Your leg will stand it?"

“你的腿还能坚持吗？”

"Oh, yes."


“没问题。”

"Here you are, doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it, Toby,
smell it!" He pushed the creosote handkerchief under the

dog's nose, while the creature stood with its fluffy legs
separated, and with a most comical cock to its head, like a
connoisseur sniffing the bouquet of a famous vintage.
Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance, fastened
a stout cord to the mongrel's collar, and led him to the foot

of the water-barrel. The creature instantly broke into a
succession of high, tremulous yelps and, with his nose on
the ground and his tail in the air, pattered off upon the trail

at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of
our speed.

“噢，托比！我的好托比！闻闻这个，托比，闻闻这个！”他把沾

过木馏油的手帕放到狗鼻子下面，托比岔开多毛的腿站在那儿，鼻子
滑稽地向上翘着，如同一位品酒师在嗅什么名酒的香味一般。然后，

福尔摩斯就把手帕扔远，在狗脖子上系了一根结实的绳子，牵着它来
到水桶边上。这只狗立刻就发出了一连串高亢、颤抖的狂吠，鼻子在

地上嗅着，尾巴翘在空中，循着气味一直向前奔去，我们拽着绳子，
紧随其后。


The east had been gradually whitening, and we could
now see some distance in the cold gray light. The square,
massive house, with its black, empty windows and high,
bare walls, towered up, sad and forlorn, behind us. Our

course led right across the grounds, in and out among the
trenches and pits with which they were scarred and

intersected. The whole place, with its scattered dirt-heaps
and ill-grown shrubs, had a blighted, ill-omened look which

harmonized with the black tragedy which hung over it.

东方泛起了鱼肚白，灰暗的寒光里，已经能看到附近的一些地方
了。那个广场，巨大的房子，连同那黑暗、空荡的窗户和光秃秃的高

墙，都惨淡而孤独地矗立在我们身后。我们穿过了大院子，在纵横交
错的无数坑坑洼洼间穿梭。这整个地方，加上院内凌乱的垃圾堆、长

势不好的灌木，呈现出一种凋零、不祥的景象，与昨晚发生的惨案倒
是很搭调。


On reaching the boundary wall Toby ran along, whining
eagerly, underneath its shadow, and stopped finally in a
corner screened by a young beech. Where the two walls

joined, several bricks had been loosened, and the crevices
left were worn down and rounded upon the lower side, as
though they had frequently been used as a ladder. Holmes
clambered up, and taking the dog from me he dropped it

over upon the other side.

托比一路跑着到了边墙，在墙壁投下的阴影里狂叫，最后在一个
长着一棵小山毛榉的墙角停了下来。那是两面墙的交界处，几块砖已

经松脱了，剩下的砖的棱角被磨圆了，似乎经常被用来作为爬墙的梯
子。福尔摩斯爬了上去，把狗接了过去，又从另一面把它放了下去。


"There's the print of Wooden-leg's hand," he remarked
as I mounted up beside him. "You see the slight smudge of
blood upon the white plaster. What a lucky thing it is that we

have had no very heavy rain since yesterday! The scent will
lie upon the road in spite of their eight-and- twenty hours'
start."

“这是那个木腿人留下的手印，”当我也爬到他身边的时候，他对

我说，“你看到这些白灰上的少许血迹了吗？多么幸运昨天没有下大雨
啊！虽然已经时隔二十八个小时了，但气味应该还在路上留着。”

I confess that I had my doubts myself when I reflected
upon the great traffic which had passed along the London

road in the interval. My fears were soon appeased, however.
Toby never hesitated or swerved but waddled on in his
peculiar rolling fashion. Clearly the pungent smell of the
creosote rose high above all other contending scents.


我承认，当看到川流不息的伦敦马路时，我难免有些怀疑。但我
的疑虑马上就烟消云散了。托比毫不犹豫地嗅着地面，用他特有的步

伐，摇摆着向前奔去。很明显，强烈的木馏油气味盖过了所有其他的
气味。

"Do not imagine," said Holmes, "that I depend for my

success in this case upon the mere chance of one of these
fellows having put his foot in the chemical. I have
knowledge now which would enable me to trace them in

many different ways. This, however, is the readiest, and,
since fortune has put it into our hands, I should be culpable
if I neglected it. It has, however, prevented the case from
becoming the pretty little intellectual problem which it at
one time promised to be. There might have been some

credit to be gained out of it but for this too palpable clue."

“不要以为，”福尔摩斯说，“我是靠着案子里有一个人脚上沾染
了化学制剂，才成功破案的。”凭我现在所掌握的信息，我可以用许多

不同的手段找到他们。但既然幸运之神把最简便的方法送到我们的手

里，如果我忽视它的话，那就是我的过失了。不过，这个方法确实把
一个需要深奥的学问才能解决的问题简单化了。依据一个简单的线索

来破案，难以显现我的功绩。”

"There is credit, and to spare," said I. "I assure you,
Holmes, that I marvel at the means by which you obtain

your results in this case even more than I did in the
Jefferson Hope murder. The thing seems to me to be deeper
and more inexplicable. How, for example, could you
describe with such confidence the wooden-legged man?"

“你还是很有功绩的，”我说，“福尔摩斯，我向你保证，与你在

杰斐逊·霍普谋杀案里所用的手法相比，你在这个案子里的破案手法更
让我惊讶。在我看来，这个案子更加复杂，也更让人难以理解。举例

来说吧，你怎么能那么自信地准确形容出那个装有木腿的人呢？”

"Pshaw, my dear boy! It was simplicity itself. I don't wish
to be theatrical. It is all patent and above-board. Two officers

who are in command of a convict-guard learn an important
secret as to buried treasure. A map is drawn for them by an
Englishman named Jonathan Small. You remember that we
saw the name upon the chart in Captain Morstan's

possession. He had signed it in behalf of himself and his
associates—the sign of the four, as he somewhat
dramatically called it. Aided by this chart, the officers—or
one of them—gets the treasure and brings it to England,

leaving, we will suppose, some condition under which he
received it unfulfilled. Now, then, why did not Jonathan
Small get the treasure himself? The answer is obvious. The
chart is dated at a time when Morstan was brought into

close association with convicts. Jonathan Small did not get
the treasure because he and his associates were themselves
convicts and could not get away."

“哦，老兄！这事情本身就很简单。我不想太过夸张。整个情况是

非常清晰明了的。两个负责看守囚犯的部队军官听说了关于宝藏的秘
密。一个叫做乔纳森·斯莫尔的英国人给他们画了一张图。你记得我们

在摩斯坦上尉的图纸上看到的那个名字吧？他代表自己和同伴签了名

字——那所谓的‘四签名’，有些故弄玄虚。在这个图纸的帮助下，两
个军官，或者是其中一个，找到了宝藏，并带到了英国来，我想这个

带回宝物的人可能没有履行当初约定好的条件。现在，为什么乔纳森·
斯莫尔自己没有去找这些宝藏呢？答案很明显。图纸是在摩斯坦和囚

犯们联系紧密时画下的。乔纳森·斯莫尔之所以没有去拿宝藏，是因为
他和他的同伙都是囚犯，行动不自由。”


"But this is mere speculation," said I.

“不过，这只是猜测。”我说。

"It is more than that. It is the only hypothesis which

covers the facts. Let us see how it fits in with the sequel.
Major Sholto remain sat peace for some years, happy in the
possession of his treasure. Then he receives a letter from

India which gives him a great fright. What was that?"

“不只是猜测，是唯一符合事实的假设。让我们看看，这些假设跟
后来所发生的事有多么吻合吧。肖尔托少校曾安稳地住了几年，对他

所拥有的财宝相当满意。然后，他收到了一封给他带来巨大恐慌的印
度来信。这是为什么呢？”


"A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had
been set free."

“信里说，他所欺瞒的囚犯已经出狱了。”


"Or had escaped. That is much more likely, for he would
have known what their term of imprisonment was. It would
not have been a surprise to him. What does he do then? He
guards himself against a wooden-legged man—a white man,

mark you, for he mistakes a white trades-man for him and
actually fires a pistol at him. Now, only one white man's
name is on the chart. The others are Hindoos or
Mohammedans. There is no other white man. Therefore we

may say with confidence that the wooden legged man is
identical with Jonathan Small. Does the reasoning strike you
as being faulty?"

“或者已经越狱了。后者更有可能，因为他应该清楚他们的刑期有

多长。所以，刑满出狱并不会让他这么惊讶。他到底对他们做了些什

么呢？他很防备一个装有木腿的人——请注意，是一个白人，因为他
曾经开枪误伤了一个装有木腿的白人商人。图纸上只有一个白人的名
字。其他的都是印度人或者回教徒的名字。没有其他白种人了。因

此，我们可以肯定地说，那个装有木腿的人就是乔纳森·斯莫尔。你

看，这些理论有没有漏洞呢？”

"No: it is clear and concise."

“不，非常简明扼要。”


"Well, now, let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan
Small. Let us look at it from his point of view. He comes to
England with the double idea of regaining what he would
consider to be his rights and of having his revenge upon the

man who had wronged him. He found out where Sholto
lived, and very possibly he established communications with
someone inside the house. There is this butler, Lal Rao,

whom we have not seen. Mrs. Bernstone gives him far from
a good character. Small could not find out, however, where
the treasure was hid, for no one ever knew save the major
and one faithful servant who had died. Suddenly Small
learns that the major is on his deathbed. In a frenzy lest the

secret of the treasure die with him, he runs the gauntlet of
the guards, makes his way to the dying man's window, and
is only deterred from entering by the presence of his two

sons. Mad with hate, however, against the dead man, he
enters the room that night, searches his private papers in
the hope of discovering some memorandum relating to the
treasure, and finally leaves a memento of his visit in the
short inscription upon the card. He had doubtless planned

beforehand that, should he slay the major, he would leave
some such record upon the body as a sign that it was not a
common murder but, from the point of view of the four

associates, something in the nature of an act of justice.
Whimsical and bizarre conceits of this kind are common
enough in the annals of crime and usually afford valuable
indications as to the criminal. Do you follow all this?"

“好，现在，让我们站在乔纳森·斯莫尔的立场上想想。让我们从

他的角度来想想。他回到英国，应该有两个目的，一个是为了获得属
于他的宝物，另一个是报复欺骗他的人。他找到了肖尔托少校住的地

方，而且很有可能，他买通了家里面的一个人。有一个叫做拉尔·拉奥

的仆人，我们并没有见过。伯恩斯通太太说过他性情顽劣。然而，斯

莫尔没有找到藏宝的地方，因为除了少校和他忠心耿耿的仆人以外，

没有人知道。忽然有一天，斯莫尔听说少校病危了。他害怕宝藏的秘
密将和少校的尸体一起被掩埋，盛怒之下，他冒着被守卫抓住的危

险，跑到垂死病人的窗前，但因为少校的两个儿子在床边，所以他没
能进屋。然而，带着对死者的仇恨，当天晚上，他就潜入他的房间，

翻动其私人文件，希望能找到关于宝藏的记录，可最后，他只留下一
张写着简短题字的卡片，作为到访留念。毫无疑问，他事先进行了策

划，如果他杀死了少校，也会在尸体上留这样的字条，表明这不是一
起普通的谋杀案，而是一项伸张正义的行为——在那四位伙伴看来是

如此。像这样奇怪的办法，在犯罪史上是很常见的，有时还能提供关
于凶手的重要线索。这些你都明白了吗？”


"Very clearly."

“是的，很清楚。”

"Now what could Jonathan Small do? He could only

continue to keep a secret watch upon the efforts made to
find the treasure. Possibly he leaves England and only
comes back at intervals. Then comes the discovery of the

garret, and he is instantly informed of it. We again trace the
presence of some confederate in the household. Jonathan,
with his wooden leg, is utterly unable to reach the lofty
room of Bartholomew Sholto. He takes with him, however, a
rather curious associate, who gets over this difficulty but

dips his naked foot creosote, whence come Toby, and a six-
mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo
Achillis."

“然后，乔纳森·斯莫尔还会做什么呢？他只会继续秘密地关注寻

找宝藏的努力过程。也许他已经离开英国了，只是偶尔回来。当顶楼

的宝物被发现的时候，他马上就知道了。我们再一次觉察到，他在房
子里绝对有内线。乔纳森戴着木腿，绝对不可能爬到巴塞洛缪·肖尔托

家的楼上去。但是，他带着一位神秘的伙伴，那位伙伴解决了难题，

但脚上却沾上了木馏油，因此才有了托比的出场，还弄得一个跟腱受

了伤的半俸医生不得不瘸着腿走了六英里的路。”

"But it was the associate and not Jonathan who
committed the crime."


“这么说，杀人犯是那个同谋，而不是斯莫尔了。”

"Quite so. And rather to Jonathan's disgust, to judge by
the way he stamped about when he got into the room. He
bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto and would have

preferred if he could have been simply bound and gagged.
He did not wish to put his head in a halter. There was no
help for it, however: the savage instincts of his companion

had broken out, and the poison had done its work: so
Jonathan Small left his record, lowered the treasure-box to
the ground, and followed it himself. That was the train of
events as far as I can decipher them. Of course, as to his
personal appearance, he must be middle-aged and must be

sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the
Andamans. His height is readily calculated from the length
of his stride, and we know that he was bearded. His

hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon
Thaddeus Sholto when he saw him at the window. I don't
know that there is anything else."

“应该是的。而且，从斯莫尔在房间里跺脚的情况来看，他是反对

这么做的。他和巴塞洛缪·肖尔托并没有深仇大恨，把他的嘴堵上再捆
起来就够了。他不想为此付出生命的代价。但这毫无帮助，那位同谋

的野蛮本性已经爆发了，毒药也发挥了作用，所以斯莫尔留下了纸
条，把宝盒降到地面上，自己也落到地面上，逃走了。这是我所能推

论出来的情况。当然，就他的外貌来说，必然是一位中年男子，而由
于长年被羁押在酷热的安达曼岛，皮肤也应该是黝黑的。从他步伐的

长短，就可以准确计算出他的身高，而我们知道他蓄胡子。他的须发
茂盛，这在塞迪厄斯·肖尔托隔着窗户看到他时就有印象。我不知道还

有没有什么别的了。”

"The associate?"

“同谋者？”


"Ah, well, there is no great mystery in that. But you will
know all about it soon enough. How sweet the morning air
is! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather
from some gigantic flamingo. Now the red rim of the sun

pushes itself over the London cloud-bank. It shines on a
good many folk, but on none, I dare bet, who are on a
stranger errand than you and I. How small we feel with our

petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great
elemental forces of Nature! Are you well up in your Jean
Paul?"

“啊，对了，那可是一个神秘的人物。不过，你很快就会弄清楚

了。早晨的空气多么清新啊！看看那朵小小的浮云，就如同一只巨大
红鹤的羽毛一样。红日已经穿越了伦敦的云层。它照耀着那么多的

人，可我敢打赌，没有谁干着的差事比咱们干的更奇怪了。与大自然
的原始力量相比，咱们的一点儿雄心壮志显得多么的渺小啊！读了琼·

保罗的著作后，你有什么感想吗？”

"Fairly so. I worked back to him through Carlyle."

“多少有一些。我先读了卡莱尔的著作，然后才回过头来研究他

的。”

"That was like following the brook to the parent lake. He

makes one curious but profound remark. It is that the chief
proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his
own smallness. It argues, you see, a power of comparison

and of appreciation which is in itself a proof of nobility.
There is much food for thought in Richter. You have not a
pistol, have you?"

“那就如同从河流回溯到湖泊一般。他曾经写过一句怪异却深奥的

话。一个人的真正伟大之处就在于他能够认识到自己的渺小。如你所

见，他强调对比和欣赏的力量本身就是崇高的证明。在里克特的作品

里，能找到许多精神食粮。你带了手枪来没有？”

"I have my stick."

“我带了这根手杖。”


"It is just possible that we may need something of the
sort if we get to their lair. Jonathan I shall leave to you, but if
the other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead."

“也许在到达匪徒老巢的时候，我们需要这类东西。斯莫尔我就留

给你了，如果他的同谋有什么不轨的举动的话，我就一枪打死他。”

He took out his revolver as he spoke, and, having loaded

two of the chambers, he put it back into the right-hand
pocket of his jacket.

他拿出左轮手枪，装上两颗子弹，又放回到大衣的右边口袋里。

We had during this time been following the guidance of

Toby down the half-rural villa-lined roads which lead to the
metropolis. Now, however, we were beginning to come
among continuous streets, where labourers and dockmen

were already astir, and slatternly women were taking down
shutters and brushing doorsteps. At the square-topped
corner public-houses business was just beginning, and
rough-looking men were emerging, rubbing their sleeves
across their beards after their morning wet. Strange dogs

sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed,
but our inimitable Toby looked neither to the right nor to the
left but trotted onward with his nose to the ground and an

occasional eager whine which spoke of a hot scent.

这时，我们随着托比，到了通往伦敦市区的路上，半乡村式的道
路两旁都是一列列别墅。现在，我们已经来到了四通八达的街道上，

劳工和码头工已经起床了，邋里邋遢的女人们正在放下百叶窗，打扫
门庭。街角上四方房顶的酒馆刚刚开始营业，粗壮的汉子们从酒馆里

出来，用他们的袖子擦去胡子上的清晨小饮。野犬在街头睁大了眼

睛，望着我们，可是，我们忠心无比的托比，毫不左瞻右顾，鼻子冲

着地面，一直往前，偶尔从鼻子里发出一阵急切的叫声，说明所循的
气味仍很浓厚。


We had traversed Streatham, Brixton, Camberwell, and
now found ourselves in Kennington line, having borne away
through the sidestreets to the east of the Oval. The men
whom we pursued seemed to have taken a curiously zigzag

road, with the idea probably of escaping observation. They
had never kept to the main road if a parallel sidestreet
would serve their turn. At the foot of Kennington Lane they
had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles

Street. Where the latter street turns into Knight's Place, Toby
ceased to advance but began to run backward and forward
with one ear cocked and the other drooping, the very
picture of canine indecision. Then he waddled round in

circles, looking up to us from time to time, as if to ask for
sympathy in his embarrassment.

我们经过了斯特雷特利区、布里克斯顿区、坎伯威尔区，绕过了

许多条小街，一直走到奥弗尔区的东面，才到达了肯宁顿路。我们寻
找的那个人似乎选择了一条异常曲折的路，也许是为了避免被人跟踪

吧。如果另有一条平行的小街道可走的话，他们就绝不走大路。在肯
宁顿路的尽头，他们转向左行，经过邦德街、迈尔斯街。从迈尔斯街

拐入骑士街后，托比就不再前进了，而是开始前后奔走，一只耳朵竖
着，另一只耷拉着，这是狗犹豫不决时的样子。然后他绕着圈子，不

时地看着我们，好像在让我们同情他的窘境似的。

"What the deuce is the matter with the dog?" growled

Holmes. "They surely would not take a cab or go off in a
balloon."

“这只狗是怎么回事？”福尔摩斯嘟囔道，“罪犯一定不会上马

车，更不会乘着气球跑。”

"Perhaps they stood here for some time," I suggested.

“也许他们曾在这里站过一会儿，”我推断。

"Ah! It's all right. He's off again," said my companion in

a tone of relief.

“啊！没错。它又开始走了。”我的伙伴松了一口气说。

He was indeed off, for after sniffing round again he

suddenly made up his mind and darted away with an energy
and determination such as he had not yet shown. The scent
appeared to be much hotter than before, for he had not
even to put his nose on the ground but tugged at his leash

and tried to break into a run. I could see by the gleam in
Holmes's eyes that he thought we were nearing the end of
our journey.

狗的确重新前进了，它往四下里又闻了一阵之后，似乎突然间下

了决心，以前所未有的力量和决心向前冲去。那股气味变得比刚才更

加浓烈，因为狗甚至不需要再把鼻子贴近地面去嗅了，而是狠狠地拽
着绳子，试图飞奔。福尔摩斯的眼睛里闪烁着光芒，我可以看出，他
正在想，这段旅途就要到头了。


Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to
Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard just past the White
Eagle tavern. Here the dog, frantic with excitement, turned

down through the side gate into the enclosure, where the
sawyers were already at work. On the dog raced through
sawdust and shavings, down an alley, round a passage,

between two wood-piles, and finally, with a triumphant yelp,
sprang upon a large barrel which still stood upon the hand-
trolley on which it had been brought. With lolling tongue and
blinking eyes Toby stood upon the cask, looking from one to
the other of us for some sign of appreciation. He staves of

the barrel and the wheels of the trolley were smeared with a
dark liquid, and the whole air was heavy with the smell of
creosote.

我们经过九榆树街，到了白鹰酒店附近的布罗德里克和内尔森大

木场。这只狗兴奋而紧张，从旁门跑进了木场，这里的锯木工人已经
上工了。它继续穿过成堆的锯屑和刨花，跑过一条小道，绕过一条甬

道，从两堆木材之间穿过，最后很得意地叫着，跳上了还在手推车
上，没有卸下来的一只木桶上面。托比伸着舌头，眼睛眨巴着，站在

木桶上，望着我们两人，表示得意。它在木桶上来回游走，手推车的
轮子上沾满了黑色的油渍，空气中有浓重的木馏油气味。


Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other and
then burst simultaneously into an uncontrollable fit of
laughter.

舍洛克·福尔摩斯和我面面相觑，然后不约而同地发出了一阵大

笑。



Chapter 8 The Baker Street

Irregulars



第八章 贝克街杂牌军



"What now?" I asked. "Toby has lost his character for
infallibility."


“现在怎么办呢？”我问，“连托比都已经丧失了他百发百中的能
力了。”


"He acted according to his lights," said Holmes, lifting
him down from the barrel and walking him out of the timber-
yard. "If you consider how much creosote is carted about
London in one day, it is no great wonder that our trail should
have been crossed. It is much used now, especially for the

seasoning of wood. Poor Toby is not to blame."

“托比是根据他自己的理解来行动的，”福尔摩斯说，然后把托比
从桶上面抱了下来，牵着它走出了木场。“如果考虑一下伦敦每天木馏

油的运输量的话，我们就不会对走错路感到惊讶了。现在木馏油的使

用率很高，尤其是在木料的防腐上。不应该指责可怜的托比。”

"We must get on the main scent again, I suppose."

“我想我们应该顺着原路回到气味被弄混了的地方去。”


"Yes. And, fortunately, we have no distance to go.
Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's
Place was that there were two different trails running in
opposite directions. We took the wrong one. It only remains

to follow the other."

“是的。而且，幸运的是，我们不需要走多远了。很明显，让这狗
困惑的是，在骑士街的街角处，气味分成了两股，各通往两个相反的

方向。我们选择了错误的那一个。现在只需要走另外一条路就对了。”

There was no difficulty about this. On leading Toby to
the place where he had committed his fault, he cast about

in a wide circle and finally dashed off in a fresh direction.

这没什么困难的。我们牵着托比，回到发生错误的地点，托比转
了一大圈，最后朝着一个新的方向疾驰而去。


"We must take care that he does not now bring us to the
place where the creosote barrel came from," I observed.

“我们要当心，不要再让它把我们带到运出木馏油的地方去。”我

说。

"I had thought of that. But you notice that he keeps on
the pavement, whereas the barrel passed down the

roadway. No, we are on the true scent now."

“我想到这一点了。不过，你应该注意到了，它一直走在人行道
上，而木桶是在马路上走的。所以，这一次，我们应该找到了真正的

气味。”

It tended down towards the riverside, running through

Belmont Place and Prince's Street. At the end of Broad
Street it ran right down to the water's edge, where there
was a small wooden wharf. Toby led us to the very edge of
this and there stood whining, looking out on the dark current

beyond.

它朝着河边方向跑下去，穿过了贝尔蒙特路和王子街。在布罗德
街的尽头，它跑到了河边，那里有一个木砌的小码头。托比带着我们

来到紧靠河水的地方，然后就站在那里，鼻子里发出哼哼唧唧的声
音。


"We are out of luck," said Holmes. "They have taken to a
boat here."

“我们的运气到头了，”福尔摩斯说，“他们在这里乘上了一艘

船。”

Several small punts and skiffs were lying about in the
water and on the edge of the wharf. We took Toby round to

each in turn, but though he sniffed earnestly he made no
sign.

水中以及码头边上有几只小平底船和小艇。我们把托比依次带到

每只船边上，虽然它很认真地一一闻过，可却没有作出任何反应。

Close to the rude landing-stage was a small brick house,
with a wooden placard slung out through the second

window. "Mordecai Smith" was printed across it in large
letters, and, underneath, "Boats to hire by the hour or day."
A second inscription above the door informed us that a
steam launch was kept—a statement which was confirmed
by a great pile of coke upon the jetty. Sherlock Holmes

looked slowly round, and his face assumed an ominous
expression.

靠近登船的地方有一所小砖房，在第二个窗口上挂着一个木牌

子。上面有几个大字，写道：“莫迪凯·史密斯”。下面还有一行小
字：“船只出租，可按时或日计价。”在门上另外有一块牌子，显示这

里还有小汽船——码头上堆着的大堆焦炭可以证实这一点。福尔摩斯
缓缓地环顾四周，脸上很不高兴。


"This looks bad," said he. "These fellows are sharper
than I expected. They seem to have covered their tracks.
There has, I fear, been preconcerted management here."


“这看起来很不好，”他说，“他们比我想象得要精明。他们似乎
把行踪隐藏了起来。我恐怕，他们事先就在这里作过安排了。”


He was approaching the door of the house, when it
opened, and a little curly-headed lad of six came running
out, followed by a stoutish, red-faced woman with a large
sponge in her hand.

他走到了门前，这时，门恰好打开了，跑出一个约莫六岁的卷发

小男孩，后面跟着一个胖胖的红脸女人，手里拿着一大块海绵。

"You come back and be washed, Jack," she shouted.
"Come back, you young imp; for if your father comes home

and finds you like that he'll let us hear of it."

“快回来洗澡，杰克！”她喊，“回来！你这个小鬼，你爸爸回来
要是看到你这个样子，绝对不饶你！”


"Dear little chap!" said Holmes strategically. "What a
rosy-cheeked young rascal! Now, Jack, is there anything you
would like?"

“小朋友！”福尔摩斯趁机说，“好一个面色红润的小淘气鬼啊！

杰克，你有没有什么想要的东西？”

The youth pondered for a moment.


那个小孩想了想。

"I'd like a shillin'," said he.

“我想要一先令。”他说。


"Nothing you would like better?"

“你没什么更想要的吗？”

"I'd like two shillin' better," the prodigy answered after

some thought.

“我更想要两个先令。”那天真的孩子想了想又说。

"Here you are, then! Catch! —A fine child, Mrs. Smith!"


“那么，给你吧！拿着！——他是一个好孩子，史密斯太太。”

"Lor' bless you, sir, he is that, and forward. He gets
a'most too much for me to manage, 'specially when my man
is away days at a time."


“上帝赐福于您，先生，他就是这么淘气。我简直管不了他，尤其
是在我男人一连离开好几天的时候。”

"Away, is he?" said Holmes in a disappointed voice. "I
am sorry for that, for I wanted to speak to Mr. Smith."

“他出去了？”福尔摩斯失望地说，“真遗憾，我本来想跟史密斯

先生聊聊的。”

"He's been away since yesterday mornin', sir, and, truth

to tell, I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him. But if it
was about a boat, sir, maybe I could serve as well."

“他昨天早上就出去了，先生，而且说实话，我已经有些为他担心

了。不过，先生，如果您是想租船的话，我就可以租给您。”

"I wanted to hire his steam launch."


“我想租一条汽船。”

"Why, bless you, sir, it is in the steam launch that he
has gone. That's what puzzles me; for I know there ain't
more coals in her than would take her to about Woolwich

and back. If he's been away in the barge I'd ha' thought
nothin'; for many a time a job has taken him as far as
Gravesend, and then if there was much doin' there he might
ha' stayed over. But what good is a steam launch without

coals?"

“哎呀，不巧，先生，他就是坐汽船走的。这就是我感到疑惑的地
方，因为我知道，那里面的煤是不够用来往返伍利奇 的。如果他坐的

是大平底船的话，我就不会东想西想了，因为有好多次，他还到过更
远的格雷夫森德去办差呢，如果在那里有不少事要做的话，他还会在

那儿过夜。但是，没有煤烧的汽船能干什么呢？”

"He might have bought some at a wharf down the river."


“他也许是在沿岸码头上买了一些煤。”

"He might, sir, but it weren't his way. Many a time I've
heard him call out at the prices they charge for a few odd
bags. Besides, I don't like that wooden legged man, wi' his

ugly face and outlandish talk. What did he want always
knockin' about here for?"

“也许吧，先生，但这不是他一贯的做法。有很多次我都听他嚷

嚷，那些人喊的煤价太贵了。而且，我也不喜欢那个装着木腿的人，

还有他那张丑脸和那副外国腔。他老跑到这里来干什么？”

"A wooden legged man?" said Holmes with bland
surprise.

“一个装着木腿的人？”福尔摩斯惊讶地说。


"Yes, sir, a brown, monkey-faced chap that's called more
'n once for my old man. It was him that roused him up
yesternight, and, what's more, my man knew he was comin',

for he had steam up in the launch. I tell you straight, sir, I
don't feel easy in my mind about it."

“是的，先生，一个棕褐色皮肤、尖嘴猴腮的小子来这里找我老

伴，不止一次了。就是他昨晚把我老伴叫了起来，而且我老伴也知道
他要来，因为他已经提前把汽船烧热了。实话告诉您，先生，我实在

是不放心啊。”

"But, my dear Mrs. Smith," said Holmes, shrugging his
shoulders, "you are frightening yourself about nothing. How

could you possibly tell that it was the wooden-legged man
who came in the night? I don't quite understand how you
can be so sure."

“可是，史密斯太太，”福尔摩斯说，耸了耸肩膀，“你一点儿也

不用担心。你怎么能确定昨晚来的就是那个装着木腿的人呢？我不太
能理解，你为什么这么肯定。”


"His voice, sir. I knew his voice, which is kind o' thick
and foggy. He tapped at the winder—about three it would
be. Show a leg, matey,' says he: 'time to turn out guard.' My

old man woke up Jim—that's my eldest—and away they
went without so much as a word to me. I could hear the
wooden leg clackin' on the stones."