《巴斯克威尔猎犬》 04查尔斯爵士是如何死的(1)

How Sir Charles Died

查尔斯爵士是如何死的

When Dr Mortimer had finished reading this strange story，he looked across at Sherlock Holmes．Holmes looked bored．

摩梯末医生读完这个奇怪的故事后望着对面的歇洛克·福尔摩斯。福尔摩斯看上去显得很不耐烦。

'Did you find the story interesting？'asked Dr Mortimer．

“你没觉得这个故事有趣吗？”摩梯末医生问道。

'It may interest a collector of stories to frighten children，' said Holmes．

“它可能会让那些收集吓唬孩子们的故事的人感兴趣，”福尔摩斯讲道。

Dr Mortimer took a newspaper from another pocket．

摩梯末医生从另一个衣袋里掏出一张报纸。

'Now，Mr Holmes，let me read you something which was written only three months ago．It is from the Devonshire County¹ Newspaper，and it is about the death of Sir Charles Baskerville．'

“福尔摩斯先生，现在让我来读给您听听就在三个月之前撰写的东西吧。它刊登在《德文郡纪事报》上，并与查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士的死有关。”

Holmes looked more interested．Dr Mortimer began to read：

福尔摩斯看上去更专注些了。摩梯末医生开始读了起来：

The sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville has caused great sadness in the county．Although he had lived at Baskerville Hall for only two years，everyone liked him．Sir Charles had lived abroad and made his money there．He came back to spend his fortune on repairing Baskerville Hall and its farms and villages，as the buildings and lands were in very poor condition．He was a friendly and generous man，who gave freely² to the poor．

查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士之暴卒，使本郡不胜哀悼。尽管他来巴斯克维尔庄园不过两年时间，但是大家都非常喜爱他。查尔斯爵士曾旅居国外，并在那里发了财。他致富后还乡，想把自己的资产用来修复巴斯克维尔庄园及其农场和村庄，因为这些建筑和土地都已处于潦倒不堪的境地了。他待人友善而又慷慨大方，还毫无吝啬之意地资助捐送穷人。

The official report of his death does not explain every－ thing that happened．However，it does show that there was no question of murder．Sir Charles died from natural causes，and the strange stories people are telling about his death are not true．His friend and doctor，Dr James Mor－ timer，said that Sir Charles'heart had been weak for some time．

官方对他死亡的报告没有说明所发生的一切事情。然而，它的确表明其中并没有谋杀的成分。查尔斯爵士死于自然原因；人们讲述的关于他的死亡的种种故事都是不真实的。他的朋友兼医生詹姆斯·摩梯末医生说查尔斯爵士的心脏虚弱已颇有一段时日了。

The facts are simple．Every night before going to bed，Sir Charles went for a walk in the gardens of Baskerville Hall．His favourite walk was down a path between two hedges³ of yew⁴ trees，the famous Yew Alley⁵ of Baskerville Hall．On the night of 4th June he went out for his walk to think and to smoke his usual cigar．

实情甚为简单。查尔斯爵士在每晚就寝前，总要在巴斯克维尔庄园的公园里散步。他喜欢沿着夹在水松树篱之间的那条小路即巴斯克维尔庄园里那条出名的水松小道散步。6月4日晚，他出去散步来思考些问题并抽根他惯常抽的雪茄。

1 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

2 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

3 hedges   

树篱( hedge的名词复数 )； 保护手段； 防止损失（尤指金钱）的手段

参考例句：

• Farmers often enclose their land with hedges. 农夫们常用树篱将他们的地围起来。
• She came across butchered hedges and flowerbeds choked with weeds. 她发现树篱被糟蹋，花坛里野草丛生。

4 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

5 alley   

n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路

参考例句：

• We live in the same alley.我们住在同一条小巷里。
• The blind alley ended in a brick wall.这条死胡同的尽头是砖墙。